The Count of Monte Cristo

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and exaggerated praises of him; but I have now ample cause to admit that
your enthusiastic description of this wonderful man fell far short of
his merits. Your horses got as far as Ranelagh, when they darted forward
like mad things, and galloped away at so fearful a rate, that there
seemed no other prospect for myself and my poor Edward but that of being
dashed to pieces against the first object that impeded their progress,
when a strange-looking man,--an Arab, a negro, or a Nubian, at least
a black of some nation or other--at a signal from the count, whose
domestic he is, suddenly seized and stopped the infuriated animals, even
at the risk of being trampled to death himself; and certainly he must
have had a most wonderful escape. The count then hastened to us, and
took us into his house, where he speedily recalled my poor Edward to
life. He sent us home in his own carriage. Yours will be returned to you
to-morrow. You will find your horses in bad condition, from the results
of this accident; they seem thoroughly stupefied, as if sulky and vexed
at having been conquered by man. The count, however, has commissioned
me to assure you that two or three days' rest, with plenty of barley for