"Your people have made prisoners; sneakingly surprised people at night and carried them away. What have you done with these prisoners?"
"They are dead."
"All?"
"All!"
"All dead?" exclaimed Monte-Cristo, trembling. "Woe to you, if you have spoken the truth."
"You are false servants of the prophet," cried Medje, "and Allah's eternal curse will rest upon you. Have you heard?" she added, turning to Monte-Cristo's companions; "the wretch says he has murdered all the prisoners."
"In the devil's name!" exclaimed Coucou. "He shall pay for that."
"You acknowledge that you were cowardly enough to murder defenceless men," said Monte-Cristo, after a pause, to Maldar; "have you been so base as to kill an innocent child?"
"Are you speaking of your own son?"