The Count of Monte Cristo

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"Think not I contented myself with this one effort," continued
Villefort. "No; I searched the whole thicket. I thought the assassin,
having discovered the chest, and supposing it to be a treasure, had
intended carrying it off, but, perceiving his error, had dug another
hole, and deposited it there; but I could find nothing. Then the idea
struck me that he had not taken these precautions, and had simply thrown
it in a corner. In the last case I must wait for daylight to renew my
search. I remained in the room and waited."

"Oh, heavens!"

When daylight dawned I went down again. My first visit was to the
thicket. I hoped to find some traces which had escaped me in the
darkness. I had turned up the earth over a surface of more than twenty
feet square, and a depth of two feet. A laborer would not have done in
a day what occupied me an hour. But I could find nothing--absolutely
nothing. Then I renewed the search. Supposing it had been thrown aside,