The Count of Monte Cristo

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as speedily as possible. The poor women felt instinctively that they
required all their strength to support the blow that impended. Besides,
Maximilian Morrel, though hardly two and twenty, had great influence
over his father. He was a strong-minded, upright young man. At the time
when he decided on his profession his father had no desire to choose for
him, but had consulted young Maximilian's taste. He had at once declared
for a military life, and had in consequence studied hard, passed
brilliantly through the Polytechnic School, and left it as
sub-lieutenant of the 53d of the line. For a year he had held this rank,
and expected promotion on the first vacancy. In his regiment Maximilian
Morrel was noted for his rigid observance, not only of the obligations
imposed on a soldier, but also of the duties of a man; and he thus
gained the name of "the stoic." We need hardly say that many of those
who gave him this epithet repeated it because they had heard it, and did
not even know what it meant. This was the young man whom his mother and
sister called to their aid to sustain them under the serious trial which
they felt they would soon have to endure. They had not mistaken the