"Did the storm frighten you, Haydee?" asked the man anxiously.
"I am never frightened when you are near me," the pretty Greek laughingly replied; "you ought to know me better."
"Nature, Haydee, is sometimes stronger than the will of man."
"But God supervises the actions of nature, as he does the hearts of men," said Haydee, casting a look full of childish confidence at the starry sky.
"Are you aware, Haydee, that we shall reach our destination in an hour?"
"Yes, and when we land at Monte-Cristo you will tell me the story of your life, and I shall then find out the nature of the sorrow you have undergone."
"Haydee, the sorrow belongs to the past; the future at your side has in store for me only joy and happiness. From your pure lips the sentence, whether I am to be damned or saved, must come."
At this moment an old sailor approached them and in a tone of awe said:
"Count, are we going to Monte-Cristo?"
"Yes, Jacopo; you and your men stay on board, while Bertuccio and Ali accompany us. We shall only stay a few hours. Send Ali to me, and see to it that the yacht reaches its destination soon."