The Count of Monte Cristo

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Legion of honor was announced in the papers, we were all sitting with my
grandfather, M. Noirtier; M. Danglars was there also--you recollect M.
Danglars, do you not, Maximilian, the banker, whose horses ran away with
my mother-in-law and little brother, and very nearly killed them? While
the rest of the company were discussing the approaching marriage of
Mademoiselle Danglars, I was reading the paper to my grandfather; but
when I came to the paragraph about you, although I had done nothing else
but read it over to myself all the morning (you know you had told me all
about it the previous evening), I felt so happy, and yet so nervous, at
the idea of speaking your name aloud, and before so many people, that
I really think I should have passed it over, but for the fear that my
doing so might create suspicions as to the cause of my silence; so I
summoned up all my courage, and read it as firmly and as steadily as I
could."

"Dear Valentine!"