“Yes,” replied Noirtier.
“Oh, mademoiselle, mademoiselle!” cried Franz, “your grandfather says he can indicate the person. Help me—lend me your assistance!”
Noirtier looked at the dictionary. Franz took it with a nervous trembling, and repeated the letters of the alphabet successively, until he came to M. At that letter the old man signified “Yes.”
“M,” repeated Franz. The young man’s finger, glided over the words, but at each one Noirtier answered by a negative sign. Valentine hid her head between her hands. At length, Franz arrived at the word myself .
“Yes!”
“You!” cried Franz, whose hair stood on end; “you, M. Noirtier—you killed my father?”
“Yes!” replied Noirtier, fixing a majestic look on the young man. Franz fell powerless on a chair; Villefort opened the door and escaped, for the idea had entered his mind to stifle the little remaining life in the heart of this terrible old man.