The Count of Monte Cristo

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de Villefort," cried the president, "do you yield to an hallucination?
What, are you no longer in possession of your senses? This strange,
unexpected, terrible accusation has disordered your reason. Come,
recover."

The procureur dropped his head; his teeth chattered like those of a man
under a violent attack of fever, and yet he was deadly pale.

"I am in possession of all my senses, sir," he said; "my body alone
suffers, as you may suppose. I acknowledge myself guilty of all the
young man has brought against me, and from this hour hold myself under
the authority of the procureur who will succeed me."

And as he spoke these words with a hoarse, choking voice, he staggered
towards the door, which was mechanically opened by a door-keeper.
The whole assembly were dumb with astonishment at the revelation and
confession which had produced a catastrophe so different from that which