A L EXA NDR E DUMA S

WI TH NEA RL Y FI V E HUNDR ED I L L US TR A TI O NS FR O M DESI G NS B Y G . S TA A L,

j . A . B EA UCE , A ND O THER EM I NENT FR ENCH A R TI S TS

VO L . IV

L OND ON A ND NEW YOR K

1 8 88
 “0

TA B L E OF CON T E N T S

PA G E

L XX I V T HE VI LL E F O R T FA M I L Y V A U L T
.

L XX V T HE OFFI CI A L R E POR T
.

L XX V I . P R O G RE SS OF CA V A L OA N T I T HE Y O UN G ER
L XXV II . H A Y DEE
L XX V III . NEWS F R O M J AN I N A
L XXIX . T HE L E M O NAD E
L XXX . T HE A CC US A TI O N
L XXXI . T HE R OO M OF T HE R E TI RE D B A K ER
L XXX II . T HE B UR GLA RY
L XXX III . T HE HAN D O F G OD
L XXX I V . B E A U C HAM P
L XXX V T HE J O URNEY
.

L XXXV I . T HE T R I AL
L XXX V II . T HE CHALL EN G E
L XXX V III T HE I NSUL T
.

L XXX I X T HE N I G H T
.

X C T HE MEE TI N G
.

X CI . M O T HER
A N D SON
X OI I T HE SU ICI D E
.

X CIII VALEN TINE

.

X CI V T HE C O N F ESS I O N
.

XCV FA T HER A N D D A U G H T ER
.
 L I ST OF I L L U ST R A T I O N S

PA G E

THE D UE L I N T HE SN O W Fr ontispi ece

CA D ER O USSE R I D E S W IT H A N D RE A CA V A L OA N TI
T HE FUNERA L
T HE CE M E T ERY O F PERE -LA -CHA I SE
VI LL E F O R T A N D V ALEN TINE
VI LL E F O R T A N D FR AN Z D E PI N A Y
’

E DWA R D D E V I LL E F O R T
T HE SE C RE T D R AWER
G ENER AL D E PI NA Y ’

THE D UE L
THE ST O RY O F T HE D UE L
M NOI R TI ER
.

E U GEN I E D A N GL A R S
T HE D UE T
E U GEN I E A N D A LB ER T D E M OR CE R F
VA S I LI KI
H AY D EE A N D M O N T E -CR I S T O
AL I T EB E L I N
A KI O S K
SE L I M S A SS A SS IN A TI O N
’

T HE B A TT L E A T J AN I N A
H AY DEE SO LD I N T O SLAVERY
D AN G LARS A N D T HE C O UN T D E M OR CE R F
A LB ER T D E M OR CE R F
T HE T R I AL O F SK I LL
Y OU W I LL RE T R A CT T H I S A SSER TI O N W I LL Y O U N O T ?
”
,

A LB ER T DE M OR CE R F S DI S CO MF IT URE
’

xi
xi i LI ST OF IL L U S T R A T I O NS .

B ARR O I S TA KEN SIC K

MAD A M E D E V I LL E F O R T A ND T HE D O CT O R
T ES T I N G T HE P O I S O N
V I LLE F O R T C O N VI N C E D
THE A CC US A TI O N
T HE SERVAN T S FEA R ’

T HE SERVA N T S DI S MI SS AL
’

CA V ALC A N TI A N D T HE P O R T ER
C AVA LCA N TI S IN Q U I R I ES
’

C A V ALC AN TI A N D C AD ER O USSE
B RUSSE L S
T R A CIN G T HE H O USE
T HE INV ALI D ES
C AD ER O USSE A T T HE WI N D O W

“
T HE B R OK EN PAN E
T HE A BBE B US O N I ! ”

H YERES
C AD ER O USSE C A U G H T
C A VAL CA N TI A TTA C K S C AD ER O USSE
CA D E R O U SSE ’
S C O N F E SS I O N
T HE M O R G UE
VEN IC E
B E A U C HA M P A N D MOR CER F
N O R MA N D Y
MOR CE R F T HE VALE T
AN D

T HE A CC US A TI O N SUS TA IN E D
CO UN T D E MOR CE R F E N T ERS T HE CHA MB ER
HA Y DEE S E VI D EN C E
’

C O N ST AN TI N OPL E
C O U N T D E MOR CE R F DI SH ON O RE D
MOR CE R F D E MA N D S AN E XP LAN A TI O N F R O M D A N GLA RS
M OR CE R F A N D H I S M O T HER
OP ER A H O USE
E DM O N D Y O U WI LL N O T KI LL M Y SO N ?
,
”

“
A L I A N D T HE P I ST O L S

H A YD EE ”
, SA I D HE ,
“
D ID Y O U READ I T ? ”

T HE MEE TI N G
NA P LE S
 L IS T OF IL L US TR A T I ON S. xi ii

MOR CE R F L E A VE S T HE FI E LD

“
T HE PLACE R O YALE

“WE SHA L L F I G H T TILL ONE O F U S I S D E AD ! ”

E DM O N D D A N TES ! ”

THE B A RR I ERE D U T R ONE

NOI R TI E R , VAL EN TINE , A N D M AXIMI LI A N
E UG EN I E D A N GLA RS M A RR IAG E
’

VA LEN TI NE S SU DD EN SIC KNE SS

’

VAL EN TI NE OVER P OWERE D B Y T HE P O I S O N

MAXI MI L I A N D I S C O VERS VA L EN TI NE
THE FO UR T H V ICT I M
M O RRE L A N D M O N T E -CR I ST O
T HE LAB O RERS A T W O R K
D A N GLA RS A N D H I S D A U G H T ER
WE LL E U GEN I E WHA T I S IT Y O U WA N T WI T H
, ,

E U GEN I E A T T HE P I A N O
TH E COU N T OF M O N T E C R I ST O -

CHA P T E R L XXI V

T HE V I L L E F O R T FA M I LY VA U LT

days after , a considerable crowd was a sse mb l e d,

toward ten o clock in the morning, round the door of
’

V ille fort s house , and a long file Of mourning-coaches

’

and private carriages extended along the Faubourg

S aint-Honoré and the R ue de la P e pini e re A mong .

the m wa s one of a very singular form, which appea r ed

to have come f r om a distance It wa s a kind of c ov
.

ered wagon , painted black , and was one of the fi r st

at the rendezvous Inquir y was made , and it wa s
.

ascertained that , by a strange coincidence , this car

ri ag e contained the corpse of the Marquis de S aint M é ra n, and that
-

those who had come for one fune r al would follow two corpses Thei r .

number was great Th e Marquis de S aint -M éran, one of the most zeal
.

ous and faithful dignitaries of L ouis XV I I I and King Charles X , had

. .

preserved a great number of friends and these , added to the personages

,

whom the usages of society gave Villefort a claim on , fo r med a con

sid e rab l e body
.

Due information wa s given to the authorities , and pe rmi ssi on

“
Obtained that the two funerals should take place at the same time A .

secon d hearse , decked with the same funereal pomp , was b r ought to
V ill e fort s door , and the coffin removed into it from the wagon {The
’ .
,

- -
t wo bodies were to be interred in the cemetery of P er e la Chaise , whe r e
9d
a
T HE C O UN T O F M O N T E —C R I S TO .

Vill efort had lo ng S ince had a tom b prepared for the reception of his
famil y T he remains of poor R e nee we r e already deposited there whom ,
. ,

after ten years of separation , her father and mother were now going
to rej oin .

T he Parisians always curious al ways a ff ected by funereal d i s play ,

, ,

looked on with religious S ilence , while the splendid p r ocessio n aecom

p a n ie d to their last abode two of the number of the old aristocracy ,
cele
b ra t e d for t r aditional e sp ri t, for fidelity to engagements and since r e
devotion to p r inciple .

In one of the mou r ning-coache s Beauchamp Debray and Ch a teau

“
, ,

R enaud we r e talking of the very sudden death of the marchioness

“
.

I sa w Madame de S aint M é ra n only last yea r at Ma r seilles , said

- ”

Ch a teau-R enaud and should have supposed she might have li v ed to

,

be a hundred years Old from her apparent sound health and great

“
,

‘
activity of mind and body How Ol d was sh e I
”
,
.

F r anz assured me replied A l bert that sh e was seventy years o ld

,
.

But she has not di ed of old age , but of grief ; it appears , since the death
of the marq ui s , which a ff ected h e r very deeply, sh e has not completely
recove r ed her reason ”
.

But of what disease did she , then , die asked Deb r ay .

It is said to have been a congestion of the b r ain , o r apoplexy which

“
,

is the same thing is it not I

“
,

N ea r ly ”
.

It is di fficult to believe it wa s apoplexy, said Beauchamp

”
Madame .

de S aint-M e ran , whom I once saw , was short , of slender form , and of a
much more nervous than sanguine temperament ; grief could ha r dly
produce apoplexy in such a constitution as that of Madame de S aint

“
M é ra n ”
.

At any rate said Albert ,,

” “
whateve
r disease or doctor may have
kil led her, M de Villefort , or rather , Mademoiselle Valentine ,— o r, st ill
.

r ather, our friend Franz , inhe r its a magnificent fo r tune amounting, I

“
,

believe to eighty thousand livres pe r annum

,
”
.

A nd this fo r tune will be doubled at the death of the Old J a c o b in,

N o i rt ie r ’
.

That is a tenacious Old g r andfather said Beauchamp T c na c e m

,
”
.

p rop os i ti vim m I think he must ha v e made a bet wi th D eath to out

‘
.

live all hj s heirs , and he appears likely to succeed He is the Old Con .

v e nt io na list of 93 , who said to N apoleon , in 1 8 1 4 , You bend because

’

your empi r e is a young stem , weakened by rapid growt h T a ke the .

R epublic for a tutor ; let us retu r n with renewed strength to the battle
field and I promise you five hundred thousand soldiers , another Marengo ,
,

and a second Austerlitz Ideas d o not become extinct sire ; they sl um

.
,

ber sometimes b ut only revive the stronger b efore they sleep

,
4 THE C O U NT O F M O N T E —C R I S T O .

an hour at the cemetery ; the weather was mild , b I I t dul l , and in har
mony with the funeral ceremony Among the g roups which flocked .

toward the family vault, Ch a teau -R enaud r ecognized Morrel who had ,

come alone in a ca b , and walked silently along the path borde r ed with

“
yew-trees .

“
You here ! said Ch a teau-R enaud passing his arm through the
”
,

young captain s ; are you a f riend of V ille fort s ? How is it I have

’ ’

“
never met you at his house i
I am no acquaintance of M de V il l e fort s answe r ed Morrel ; but
.
’
,
” “
I was of Madame de S aint Albert came up to them at this

“
moment with Franz .

-
T he time and place are but ill suited for an introduction ”
said ,

Albe r t ; but we a r e not superstitious M Morrel , allow me to present

. .

to you M Franz d E pina y, a delightful traveling c ompa nion, wi th whom

.
’

I made the tour of Italy M y dear Franz , M Maximilian Mo r r el an

. .
,

excellent friend I have acqui r ed in your absence and whose name you ,

will hear me mention eve r y time I make any allusion to a fie c t io n, wit,

or amiability ”
.

‘
M OI I e l hesitated for a moment ; he feared it would be hypocritical
'

to accost in a friendly manne r the man whom he was tacitly opposing ,

but his oath and the gravity of the circumstances recurred to his mem

“
ory ; h e st ruggled to conceal his emotion and bowed to Franz ,

Mademoiselle de Villefort is in deep sorrow , is sh e not I said D eb r ay

.

to F r anz .

Inexpressibly deep , replied he ; sh e looked so pale this morning I

”
,

sca r cely knew her ”

.

These apparently simple words pierced Morrel to the heart This .

man had then seen Valentine an d spoken to her ! The young and
,

high -spirited officer required all his strength of mind to resist breaking
his oath He took the arm of Ch a teau -R enaud and turned toward the

“
.
,

vaul t , where the attendants had already placed the two coffins .

This I s a magnificent habitation , said Beauchamp looking towa r d

”
,

the mausoleum ; a summer and winte r palace You will , in tur n , ente r .

it , my dear d E pinay, for you will soon be numbered as one of the family
’
.

I , as a philosopher, should like a little country-house , a cottage do wn

there under the t r ees without so many cut -stones over my poor body

‘
.
,

In dyi ng I wi ll say to those around me what Voltaire wrote to Pi r on

,

E o rus , and all will be over

’
But come , Franz , take cour age , you r wife

“
.

is an hei r ess ”
.

Indeed Beauchamp , you a r e unbearable Politics have made you

,
.

laugh at everything , and political men have made you di sbelieve eve r y
thi ng But when you have the honor of associating with ordinary men ,
.
 T HE C O UN T O F I I I ON T E —C R I S T O .
5

and the pleasure of leaving politics fo r a moment , t r y to find your

a fi e c t i on a t e heart which you leave with your stick when you go to the

“
,

Chamber .
”

But tell me , said Beauchamp , wha t is life ? I s it not a halt in

”

Death s anteroom 2?
’

T h e Ce m e t e ry of Pe re -la-Chais e .

I am prej udiced against Beauchamp said Alb ert draw ng Franz ”

, ,
i
away, and leaving the former to finish his phI lo sophI c al d i ssertat i on
with Debray .

The Vil lefort vault formed a squa r e of wh i te stones about twenty

,
feet high ; an inte r ior partition separated the two fam i l i es , and ea h
compartment had its ent r ance door He r e were not , as I n othe r tom s,
.
s
those ignoble dr awers one above anothe r , where economy I ncloses I t s
,
6 THE C O UNT O F I lI O N T E —C R I S T O .

de ad with an ins c ription resembling a ticket ; all that was Visible

with in the bronze ga t es was a gloomy -looking room , separated by a wall
from the vault itself The two doors before mentioned were in the
.

middl e o f this wall , and inclosed the Villefo r t and S aint -M é ra n c o fii ns .

There grief might freely expend itself without the flirting couples or
trifling loungers who ca me from a picnic party to visit P e r e -la-Chaise ,

disturbing by their songs , the ir S houts , or their running to and fro the
mute r every or the tearful prayer of the mourner in the tomb .

The two coffins were placed on trestles previously prepared for

thei r r eception in the right-hand division belonging to the S aint -M é ra n
family Villefort , Franz , and a few near relatives alone entered the
.

sanctuary .

A S the reli g ious ceremonies had all been pe r formed at the doo r and ,

there wa s no add r ess given , the pa r ty all separated ; Cli at e a u-R enaud ,
Al be r t and Morrel went one wa y, and Debray and Beauchamp the
,

other Franz remained with Villefo r t ; at the gate of the c e me t e i y

.

Morrel made an excuse to wait ; he saw Franz and Vill efort get into
the same mour ning-coach and thought this téi e-d-téte fo r eboded evil He
, .

then returned to Paris and although in the same carriage with Cha

“
,

teau -R enaud and Albe r t he did not hear one word of their conve r sation
, .

As F r anz wa s about to take leave of Villefort — VVh e n shall I s e e,

y o u again I said the l a tter .

At what time you please , sir, replied Franz

”
.

As soon as possible ”
.

I am at your command , sir ; shall we retu r n together ? ”

If not unpleasant to you ”

.

On the contrary , I shall feel much pleasure .

”

Thus , the future father and son in law stepped into the same
car r iage , and Morrel , seeing them pass became uneasy Villefort and
, .

Franz returned to t he Faubou r g S aint-Hono r é The p roc ure ur, without

.

going to see either his wife or his daughter , passed rapidly to his cabinet

“
,

“
and, Offering t h e young man a chai r
M d E pi na y, said h e , allow me to remind you at this moment
.
’ ”
,

which is pe r haps , not SO ill-chosen as at fi r st sight may appear fo r

, ,

obedience to the wishes of the departed is the fi r st off ering which

should be made at their tomb ; allow me , then , to remind you of the
wish expressed by Mad a me de S aint -M é ran on her death -bed , that
Valen t ine s wedding might not be deferred You know the aff airs of
’
.

the deceased a r e in pe r fect order, a nd her will bequeath s to Valentine

the entire property of the S a int -Meran family ; the notary showed me
the documents yesterday, which wil l enable us to draw up the contract
immediately You may call on the notary M Deschamps , Place
.
,
.
 THE C O U N T O F lI ON T E —C R I S T O 9
I .

B eauve au, Faubourg -

S aint Honoré
, and you have my authority to
inspect those deeds ”
.

“
S ir, replied M d E p inay, it is not , perhaps , t he moment fo r Made
” ’
.

moise lle Valentine , who is in deep distress , to think of a husband

“
;
indeed , I fear
Valentine will have no g r eater pleasure than that of fulfilling her
’
grandmamma s last inj unctions ; there will be no obstacle f r om that

“
quarter, I assure you
”
,
”
.

In that case replied Franz , as I shall raise none , you may make
arrangements when you please ; I have pledged my wo r d , and shall feel
pleasure and happiness in adhering to it ”
.

Then said Villefort, nothing further is required ; the contract was

,
”

to have been signed three days since : we S hall find it all ready , and can
Sign it to day- ”

“
.

But the mourning ? said Franz , hesitating

”
.

Fear not , replied Villefort ; no ceremony will be neglected in my

”

house Mademoiselle de Villefort may retire during the prescribed three

.

months to her estate of S aint -M é ran ; I say he r s , for she inherits it

to -day There , in a week , if you like , the civil marri age Shall be cele
.

b ra t e d without pomp or ceremony Madame de S aint -M é ran wi shed

.

her daughter should be ma r ried there When that is over , you , sir can
.
,

return to Paris while your W ife passes the time of her mourning with
,

her mother in law- - ”

“
.

As you please , sir , said Franz

”

“
.

Then , replied Villefort , have the kindness to wait half an hour

”

Valentine S hall come down into the drawing-room I will send fo r M . .

Deschamps ; we wi ll read and S ign the contract before we separate , and

this evening Madame de Villefort shall accompany Valentine to he r
estate , where we will rej oin them in a week ”
.

‘
”
S ir , said Franz , I have one request to make
”
.

What is it 2
-
I wi sh A l bert de M orc e rf and R aoul de h ateau R enaud to be pres
C

“
”
ent at this signatu r e ; you know they are my witnesses .

Half an hour will suffice to apprise them ; will you go for them

“
‘
yourself, or wi ll you send t ? ”

I prefer going, sir ”

.
0

I shall expect you , then in half an hour, baron ; and Valenti ne W l ll

,

be ready ”
.

Franz bowed and left th e room S carcely had the doo r closed ,
.

w i -
when Vill efort sent to tell Valentine to be ready in the dra ng room
in half an hour , as he expected the notary and M d E pi na y a nd hi s .
’

witnesses The news caused a great sensation

.
throughout the house ;
10 THE C O U N T O F I lI ON TE - C R I S T O .

Madame de Villefort would not believe it , and Valentine was thunde r

struck S he looked round for help and would have gone down to
.
,

her g ra ndfather s room , but meeting Villefort on the stai r s , he took

’

he r a r m and led her into the drawing -room In the anteroom , Valen
,
.

tine met Barrois , and looked despai r ingly at the old se r vant One .

moment after , Madame de Villefort entered the dr awing-room with he r

little E dward . It was evident that she had shared the g r ief of the
family, for she was pale and looked fatigued S he sat down , took .

Edward on he r knees , and from time to time pressed almost c onvul

, ,

si ve l y to he r b osom this child , on whom her affections appeared centered .

T WO ca r riages were soon hea r d to ente r the courtya r d one was th e ,

nota r y s ; the other , that of F r anz and his f r iends In a moment the
’
.

whole party wa s assembled Valentine was so pale one might trace the
.
,

b lue veins f r om her temples , round her eyes and down her cheeks F r anz .

was deeply aff ected Ch ateau-R enaud and Albe r t looked at each other
.

with amazement ; the ce remony which was j ust concluded had no t

appeared more so r rowful than did that which wa s commencing Ma d ame .

de Villefort had placed he r self in the shade behind a velvet cu r tain ; and
as sh e constantly bent over he r child , it was diffic ul t to read the exp r es
sion of her face Vi llefort was , as usual , unmoved
. .

The notary , after having , acco r ding to the customary method ,

arr anged the papers on the table taken his place in an a rm-chair, and
,

raised his spectacles , turned toward Franz: f

.
’ “
Are you M Franz de Q uesnel , b a rofr d Epinay I asked he , although
he knew it pe rf ectly .

Yes , sir , said Franz The notary bowed

”
. .

I have , then , to inform you , sir, at the request of M de Villefort .

,

that your proj ected marriage with Mademoisell e de Villefort has changed
the feeling of M Noirt ie r toward his grandchil d and that he di sinherits

“
.

he r entirely of the fortune he would have left her Let me hasten to .

add , continued he , that the testator, having only the right to alienate
”

a pa r t of his fortune and having alienated it all , th ejwill will not bea r

“ “
,

sc r utiny and is declared null and void

,
”
.

Y e s, said Villefo r t ;
”
but I warn M d E pinay, that during my life.
’

time my father s will shall never be scrutinized , my position forbidding

’

“
any doubt to be entertained
S i r , said F r anz
”
”

“ .

I regret much such a question has been raised in

,

the presence of Mademoiselle Valentine ; I have never inquired the

amount of he r fo rtune , whic h , however limited it may be , exceeds mine .

My father has sought consideration in this alliance with M de Villefort ; .

a ll I seek is happine s s
”
.

Valentine impe r cepti b ly thanked him while two silent tears rolled ,

down he r cheeks .
12 THE C O U N T O F I lI O N T E —C R I S T O .

i ncapacitate him from understan di ng, and I am pe rfectly convinced that

at the present time , although he knows his granddaughter is going to
be married M Noirt ie r h as even forg otten the name Of his intended
,
.

grandson V illefort had scarcely said this , when the door opened , and
”

“
.

Barrois appeared .

Gentlemen , said h e , in a tone st r angely fi r m fo r a se r vant speaking

”

to his maste r s under such so lemn circum stances , gentlemen , M .

N oirt ie r de Vill efort wishes to speak immediately to M Franz de Q ues .

nel , baron d E pina y ”

He , as well as the notary, that there might be
’
.

no mistake in the person , gave all his titles to the bridegroom elect .

Villefo rt started , Madame de Villefort let he r son S lip from her

knees Valentine rose , pale and dumb as a statue Albert and Ch a teau
,
.

R enaud excha nged a second look , more full O f amazement than the first

“
.

The notary looked at Villefort .

It is impossible said the p rocure ur d a roi

”
M d E pina y cannot ’

“ “
. .
,

-
leave the dr awing room at p r esent ”
.

It is at this moment , replied B arrois with the same firmness , that

”
,

M N oir t ie r my master , wishes to speak on important subj ects to M

“
. .
,

Franz d E p ina y
’ ”
.

Grandpapa N oirt ie r can speak now then said E dward with his
”
, , ,

habitual quickness However , his remark did not make Madame de

.

Villefort even smile , so much was e ve r y mind e ngaged and so solemn

“
,

was the situation .

Tell M N oirt ie r, resumed Villefort

”
that what he demands is

“
.
,

impossible ”
.

‘ Then M N oirtie r gives notice to these gentlemen , replied Barrois ,

,
.

that he will give orders to be carried to the drawing room -

”

”
.

Astonishment was at its height A kind of smile was pe r ceptible on .

Madame de V ill e fort s countenance Valentine instincti v ely raised her

’

“ “
.

eyes , as if to thank heaven .

Pray go , Valentine , said Villefort , and se e what this new fancy of

”

your grandfather s is ”
Valentine rose quickly, and was hastening j oy
’

“
.

fully toward the door when Vill efort altered his intention

“
.
,

S top said he ; I will go wi th you .

”

Excuse me , sir , said Franz , since M Noirt ie r sent for me it i s my

”
.
,

part to attend to his wish ; besides , I shall be happy to pay my respects

to him not having yet had the honor of doing so
,
”

Pray , sir, said Villefort , with marked uneasiness do not disturb

”
.

“
“
,

yourself ”
.

Forgive me , s ir, said Franz in a resolute tone

”
I would not lose,
.

this opportunity of proving to M N oirt ie r how wrong it would be of .

 THE C O U N T OF M ON T E -C RI STO .
13

him to encourage feelings of dislike to me , which I am determined to

conquer, whatever they may be by my de votedness ”
, .

And without listening to Villefort , he rose and followed Valentine

,

who wa s running downstairs with the j oy of a shipwrecked mariner

-
who fin ds a rock to cling to Villefort followed them Ch ateau R enaud
.
.

and M orc e rf exchanged a third look of still increasing wonde r .

 C HA P T E R L XX V

T HE OFFI C I A L REP OR T

OI R TI ER
was p r epared to receive them , dressed in black ,
and install ed in his arm -chair I V he n the th r ee persons he
.

expected had ente r ed he looked at the doo r , which his valet

,

immediately closed

“
.

Listen , whispered Vi llefort to Valentine , who could not conceal her

”

j oy ; if M N oirtie r wishes to communicate anything which would

.

delay your marriage, I forbid you to understand him ”

.

Valentine blushed , but did not answer Vil lefort approached

“
.

N o irt ie r .

Here is M Franz d E p ina y

said he ; you requested to see him
’

’ ”
. .
,

We have all wished for this interview , and I trust it will convince you
-
how ill founde d are your O bj ections to Valentine s ma r riage ” ’
.

N oir tie r answered only by a look which made V ille fort s blood run
’

cold He motioned Valen t ine to approach In a moment , thanks to

. .

her habit of conversing with her grandfather she understood he asked ,

for a key Then his eye was fixed on the drawer of a small desk between
.

the win do ws S he opened the drawe r , and found a key ; and unde r
.

standing that was the key which he wanted again watched his eyes , ,

w hich turned toward an old sec r étaire long since forgotten , and supposed
,

to contain none but useless documents

S hall I open the secrétaire I asked Valentine
” “ .

Yes said th e old man

“
”
.
,

And the dr awers I

Yes ”
.

Those at the side

No .
”

The middle one

Yes .
”
 TH E C O UNT O F JII ON T E —C R I S T O .
15

“
Valentine opened it and dr ew out a bundle of pape r s
you wi sh for f asked she .
.
Is that what
64
NO ’
.

S he took successively all the other papers out till the d r awer wa s

empty But there are no more said she Noirtier s eye was fixed on
” - ’

“
. .
,

the dictionary .

Yes , I unde r stand , grandfathe r , said the young gi r l

” .

S he poi nted to each letter of the alphabet At the lette r S , the old
.

“
man stopped he r S he op e ne d th e dictionar y, and , p r oceeding a s befo re ,
.

reached the wo r d sec r et ”

.
16 TH E C O UN T OF I lI O N T E -C R I S TO .

Ah ! is there a secret spring l said Valentine P

.

Yes , said N oirt ie r

”
.

‘ N ir i r looked at the door where the servant

And who knows it 2 o t e
h ad gone out
Barrois I said she “ .

Yes ”
.

S hall I c all him

Yes ”
.

Valentine went to the doo r and called Barrois V ille fort s impatience .
’

during this scene made the perspiration roll from his forehead a nd Franz

“
,

was st upe fie d The old servant came. .

Barrois said Valentine my grandfather has told me to Open that

,
”
,

drawer in the sec r ét a i r e but there is a sec r et sp r ing in it , which you

,

know — will you Open it ?

Barrois looked at the old man Obey , said N oir t ie r s intelligent
”
.
’

eye Bar r ois touched a spring the false bottom came out , and they
.
,

sa w a bundle of papers tied with a black string ,

.

I s that what you wish for ? ”

said Ba r rois .

Ye s ”

“
.

S hall I give these pape r s to M . de Villefo r t I

N
To Mademoise lle Valentine ? ”

N
To M F r anz d E pinay ?
.
’

Yes ”
.

Franz , astonished , adva nced a step To me , sir ? said h e .

”
.

Yes ”
.

F r anz took them from Barrois and casting his eye on the cover , ,

read :
giv e n a ft e r my d e a th to G e n e ra l Dura nd who sh a ll b e qu e a th t he p a ck e t to
TO b e , , ,

his son wi th a n inj unction to pre s e rv e it a s cont a ining a n import a nt docum e nt

,
’
.

Well sir asked F r anz , what d o you wish me t o do with this

, ,
”

paper ? ”

To preserve it , sc ale d up as it is doubtless said the p roc ur e ur da , ,

”

No replied Noirt ie r eagerly

“
”
.
, ,

Do you wish him to read it 2 said Valentine ”

.

Yes , r eplied the old man

”
.

You understand ba r on my gr andf athe r wishes you to read this

“ “
, ,

paper said Valentine

,
”
.

Then let us s it down , said Villefo r t , impatiently fo r it will take

”
,

some time ”
.
 T HE C O UNT OF M O N T E -C R I STO .
17

”
S it down , said the Old
man Villefo r t took a chair but Valentine

“
.
,

remained standing by her fathe r s S ide , and Franz before him , holdi ng
’

the mysterious paper in his h and R ead , said the old man Franz
”
.
.

untied it , and , in the midst of the most profound silence , r ead

E x tra c t a me e ting of B n the ti t Cl ub i n th R ue

f
O the r ep or t o f o ap a r s e ,

Franz stopped “
S a int-J a cq
February th said he “
ues he ld F e bruary 5 th,
,

it is the day my
5 1 81 5 ;

“ “
.
,

father was mu dered Valentine and Villefort we e dumb the eye of

r
” r

“
.

the old man alone seemed to clea ly Go on But

sa y on r .
”
I t was
,

wa s ”
'

l e avi ng t his
club said he my father
,
”
killed ,
.
18 THE CO UNT OF M O N TE —C R L S T O .

No irt ie r s ’
eye continued to say, R ead ”
. He r esumed

und e rsign e d L ouis J a cqu e s B e a ur e p a ir e l i e ut e n a nt -colon e l of a rt ill e ry Eti e nn e

T he , ,

Duc h a mpy g e n e ra l of b riga d e a nd Cl a ud e L e c ha rp a l k e e p e r of woo d s a nd fore sts

, , , ,

De cl a re th a t o n the 4 th of F e b ru a ry a l e tt e r a rri v e d from t he Isl e of El b a re comm e nd

, , ,

ing to t he kindn e ss a nd t he confid e nc e of t he B on a p a rtist Clu b G e n e r a l Fla vie n de Q u e s ,

ne l who h a vin g s e rv e d t he e mp e ror from 1 8 04 to 1 8 14 w a s suppos e d to b e d e vot e d to

, , ,

t he int e re sts of t he N a pol e on dyn a sty notwithst a nding t he titl e of b a ron which L ouis
, ,

XV I I I ha d just gra nte d to him with his e st a t e o f E pin a y

. .

A no te wa s in conse qu e nc e a d d re ss e d to G e n e ra l d e Q u e sn e l b e ggin g him to b e

, , ,

pre s e nt a t t he m e e ting n e xt da y the 5 th The note indic a t e d n e ith e r t he str e e t nor t he

,
.

num b e r of the hous e wh e r e t he m e e ting wa s to b e h e ld ; it b ore no sign a ture b ut it ,

a nnounc e d to t he g e n e ra l th a t som e on e woul d c a ll for him if h e would b e r e a dy a t nin e ,

o clock T he m e e tings w e r e a lwa ys h e ld from th a t tim e till midnight A t n in e o clock

’
. .
’
,

t he pr e si d e nt of t he club pr e s e nt e d hims e l f ; t he g e n e ra l wa s r e a dy the pre sid e nt

in form e d him one of t he conditions of his introduction wa s th a t he sho ul d b e e t e rn a lly ,

ignora nt of t he pl a c e of m e e t ing a nd tha t he woul d a ll ow his e y e s to b e b a nda g e d

, ,

s we a ring th a t he would not e nd e a vor to ta k e O R the b a nda ge G e n e ra l d e Q ue sn e l a c .

c e pt e d t h e condition a nd promis e d on hi s honor no t to s e e k to d iscov e r t h e ro a d th e y

, , ,

took The g e n e ra l s c a rri a ge wa s re a dy b ut t he pr e sid e nt tol d him it wa s impossi bl e h e

.
’

“
,

could use it for it w a s us e l e ss to b lind f old the m a st e r if t he co a chm a n kn e w through

,

wh a t stre e ts he w e nt Wh a t must th e n b e d on e
. a sk e d t he g e n e ra l
, , I h a v e my .

c a rri a g e h e re s a id t he pr e sid e nt
,
”
.

Ha v e you th e n so much confid e nc e in your s e rv a nt th a t you c a n intrust him with

“
, ,

a s e cr e t you wi ll not a llow me to know Our co a chm a n is a m e m b e r of t he clu b ”

“
,

sa id t he pre si de nt ; we S h a ll b e dr ive n b y a Sta t e -Councill or T h e n we run a noth e r ”

.

risk sa id t he ge n e ra l la ughing th a t of b e ing ups e t

,
”
, ,
We ins e rt this j ok e to prov e .
”

th a t t he ge n e ra l wa s not in the l e a st comp e ll e d to a tt e nd this m e e tin g b ut th a t h e c a m e ,

w ill ingly Wh e n th e y w e re s e a t e d in t he c a rri a ge t he pre sid e nt r e mi n d e d the g e n e ra l

.
,

of his promis e to a llow his e y e s to b e b a nda ge d to whi ch he m a d e n o opposition On , .

t he ro a d t he pre sid e nt thought h e sa w t he g e n e ra l m a k e a n a tt e mpt to r e mov e t h e h a nd

ke rch i e f and r e mind e d him Of his o a th
,
T ru e s a i d t h e g e n e r a l T h e c a rri a g e stopp e d
.
,
”
.

a t a p a ss a g e l e a ding to t h e R ue Sa int - J a cqu e s T he g e n e ra l a light e d l e a ning on t h e.

,

a r m of t he pr e si d e nt of whos e d ignity he wa s not a w a r e

, consid e ring him S imply a s a ,

m e m b e r of t he club ; th e y cross e d the p a ssa ge mount e d to t he first story a nd e nte re d , ,

t he m e e ting-room .

T he d e l i b e ra tions ha d a h e a dy comm e nc e d T he m e m b e rs a ppris e d of t h e sort of

'
.
,

pre s e nta tion which wa s to b e m a d e th a t e v e nin g w e r e a ll in a tt e nd a nc e Wh e n in the , .

middl e of t he room t he ge n e ra l wa s invit e d to r e mov e his b a nd a ge He d id so imm e .

d ia t e ly a nd wa s surpris e d to se e so m a ny w e ll -known fa c e s in a soci e ty of whos e e xi s

,

t e nc e h e ha d ti ll th e n b e e n ignora nt T h e y que stion e d him a s to his s e ntim e nts b ut he

.
,

cont e nt e d hims e lf with answ e ring th a t the l e tt e rs from t he Isl e of E l b a ought to h a v e

in f orm e d th e m

F r anz interrupted himself by saying

My father was a royalist ; they need not have asked his sentiments ,
which were well kno wn ”
.

And hence , said Villefort , arose my a ff ection fo r your fathe r , my

”

dear M Fr anz A sim ilarity of opinion soon binds

. .
”
.
20 THE C O U N T OF I lI O N T E —C R IS T O .

of di scont e nt a nd re pugn a nc e Wh e n t he re a din g wa s finish e d he re m a in e d sil e nt with

.
, ,

kni t b row .

W e ll a sk e d the pre side nt wh a t do you sa y to thi s l e tt e r g e n e ra l I

,
”
,
“ ,
’

I sa y th a t it is to o soon a ft e r d e cl a ring mys e lf for L ouis XV I I I to b re a k my vow .

in b e h a l f o f th e e x -e mp e ror T his a nsw e r wa s too cl e a r to b e mista k e n a s to his s e nti

”
.

m e nts G e n e ra l sa id t he pre sid e nt we a cknowl e d ge no King L ouis XV I I I a nd n o

.
,
”
,
.
,

e x- e mp e ror we a c knowl e dg e
,
only his m a j e sty t he Emp e ror a nd King driv e n fr om ,

F ra nc e which is his kingdom six months a g o b y viol e nc e a nd tre a son

, ,
E xcus e me ,
.
”
,

ge ntl e m e n s a id t he ge n e ra l
,
”
you ma y not a cknowl e dge L ouis XV I I I b ut I do a s h .
, ,
e

ha s m a d e me a b a ron a nd a fie ld -m a rsh a l a nd I sh a ll n e v e r forg e t th a t for th e se two

“
,

titl e s I a m ind e b t e d to his h a ppy r e turn to Fra nc e Sir s a id t he pr e sid e nt risin g .

,
”
,

with gra vity b e c a r e ful wh a t you sa y ; your words cl e a rly S how us th a t th e y a re

,

d e c e iv e d conc e rning you in t he Isl e of El b a a nd h a v e d e c e iv e d us T he communi c a tion ,

h a s b e e n m a d e to you in cons e qu e nc e of t h e confid e nc e pl a c e d in you a nd which d o e s ,

you honor No w we d iscov e r our e rror ; a titl e a nd promotion a tt a ch you to t he gov e rn

.

m e nt we wish to ove rtu rn We will no t constra in you to h e lp us ; w e e nroll n o one

.

a g a inst his consci e nc e b ut we wi ll comp e l you to a c t lik e a ma n of honor e v e n if you

,

ar e not dispos e d to d o so You would c a ll a cting lik e a ma n of honor knowing

”
.
,

your conspira cy a nd not informing a ga inst you ; th a t is wh a t I should c a ll b e coming

your a ccomplic e You se e I a m more c a n di d th a n you
.
”
.

Ah my fathe r ! said F r anz , interrupting himself

,
I understand
”
.

no w why they mur dered him Valentine could not help casting one
”
.

glance toward the young man , whose filial enthusiasm ennobled him .

Villefo r t walked to and fro behind them N oirt ie r watched the expres .

sion of each one , and p r eserved his dignified and commanding attitude .

Franz r etu r ned to the manuscript and continued

Sir,s a id t he P re sid e nt you ha v e b e e n invit e d to j oin this a ss e m b ly — y ou w e re
”
,

not forc e d h e re ; it wa s propos e d to you to com e b lin df old e d you a cc e pt e d Wh e n you .

compli e d with this twofold re qu e st you w e ll kn e w we di d not wish to s e cure t he thron e of

L ouis XV I I I or we should not t ak e so much c a re to a void t he vig ila nc e of t he polic e I t
.
,
.

would b e conc e ding too much to a llow you to put on a m a sk to a id you in t he di scov e ry
of our s e cre t a nd th e n to re mov e it th a t you ma y ruin thos e who h a v e confid e d in you .

“
,

N o no you must first sa y if you d e cl a re yo urs e lf for t he king of a da y who now r e igns
, , ,

or for his m a j e sty t he e mp e ror I a m a ro ya l ist r e pli e d t he ge n e ra l

.
”
I ha v e t a ke n ,
”

t he o a th of all e gi a nc e to L oui s XV I I I a nd I will a dh e r e to it T h e s e words w e re fol

.
,
”
.

low e d b y a ge n e ra l murmur a nd it wa s e vid e nt s e v e ra l of the m e m b e rs w e re discuss ing

t he propri e ty of m a king t h e ge n e ral r e p e nt of his r a shn e ss T he pr e sid e nt a ga in ros e .
,

a nd h a ving impos e d sil e nc e sa id : Sir you a re too s e rious a nd too s e nsi b l e a ma n not
, ,

to und e rsta n d t he cons e qu e nc e s of our pre s e nt situ a tion a nd your c a ndor h a s a lre a dy ,

dicta te d to us t he conditions which re m a in for us to o ff e r you The g e n e ra l puttin g hi s ”

.
,

h a nd on hi s S word e xcl a im e d I f you ta lk of honor do not b e gin b y di s a vowing its l a ws

, , , ,

a nd impos e nothing b y V iol e nc e A nd you s ir continu e d t he pr e si d e nt with a c a lm ”

. ,
, ,

n e ss still more t e rri bl e th a n t he g e n e ra l s a ng e r do not touch your sword I a dvise you ’ ”

“
.
, ,

T he ge n e ra l look e d a roun d him with slight un e a sin e ss ; how e ve r h e did not yi e ld b ut , ,

re ca lli ng a ll hi s stre ngth I will not S w e a r sa id he ,

T h e n you must d ie re pli e d
,
”
. , ,
”

t he pre si d e nt c a lmly M d E pina y b e c a m e v e ry p a l e ; h e look e d round him a s e con d

’

“ “
. .
,

time ; s e ve ra l m e m b e rs of t he clu b w e re whisp e ring a nd ge tting th e ir a rms from und e r ,

th e ir clo a ks G e n e ra l s a id t he pre sid e nt

.
,
”
do not a l a rm your s e lf you ar e a mong , ,
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE —C R I S T O .
21

me n of honor who will use e v e ry m e a ns to convinc e you b e fore r e sorting to t he la st

,

e xtr e mi ty ; b ut a s you h a v e s a id you a r e a mong conspir a tors you a re in poss e ssion of

, , ,

our s e cre t a nd you must r e stor e it to us

,
A S ign ific a nt sil e nc e follow e d th e s e words
”
.
,

a n d a s t he g e n e ra l di d not r e ply Clos e t he doors sa id t he pre sid e nt to t he door

”
, ,

k e e p e r T he sa m e d e a dl y Sil e nc e succ e e de d th e s e words Th e n t he ge n e ral a dvanc e d

.

and m a ki ng a V iol e nt e ff ort to control his f e e lings I h a v e a so n

,
.

s a id he and I
,
”
,
“ ,

ought to think of hi m fin ding mys e lf a mong a ssa ssins G e n e ra l ”s a id th e chi ef of

. ,

t h e a ss e m b ly prou dl y
,

on e ma n h a s a lwa ys th e right to insu t l fif t y

— r t I S t h e p rI V I l e g e
, ,

of w e a kn e ss B ut he do e s wrong to use his privi g

. l e e F .
a i
ollow my dv c , sw r, nd do
e ea a

f lr srt a t e a a

l
not insult Th e ge n e ra l a ga in d a unt e d b y t he sup e riority o f t h
i
c 1 e
;
” e
,
, ,
mom e nt ; th e n a dva ncing to th e pre side nt s de sk ’
Wh t
a I s t h e f orm ? s id
a e .
,
22 THE C O UN T OF JI I ON T E -C R I S T O

‘sw
.

I t is this : I ea r
my honor not to r e v e a l to a ny o ne wh a t I h a v e s e e n a nd
by
h e a rd on th e 5 th O f Fe b ru a ry 1 815 b e tw e e n nin e a nd t e n o clock in t he e v e ning ; a nd I
, ,
’

d e cla re myse lf worthy of d e a th shoul d I e v e r vio la t e this o a th T he g e n e r a l a pp e a re d .

’

to b e a ff e ct e d b y a n e rvous S hu d d e r which pre v e nt e d his a nsw e ring for som e mom e nts ;
,

th e n ov e rcom ing his m a n ife st re pugn a nc e b e pronounc e d t he re qui re d o a th b ut in so , ,

low a ton e a s to b e sc a rc e ly a udi bl e to a m a jority o f t he m e m b e rs who insist e d o n his ,

r e p e a tin g it cl e a rly a nd distinctly which he did

N o w a m I a t li b e rty to r e tire I
,
“
sa id t he g e n e ra l T he pre sid e nt ros e a ppoint e d
.

.
,

thre e m e m b e rs to a ccomp a ny him a nd got into t he c a rria g e with t he g e n e ra l a fte r

, ,

b a nd a ging his e y e s One o f thos e thr e e m e m b e rs wa s t he co a chm a n who ha d driv e n

“
.

th e m th e re The oth e r m e m b e rs s il e ntly disp e rs e d

. Wh e re do you wi sh to b e t a k e n I .

a sk e d t he pre sid e nt — A nywh e re out of your pr e s e nc e re pli e d M d Epina y B e w a re ” ’

. . .
, ,

sir r e pli e d the pre side nt ;

,
”
you a re n o longe r in t he a ss e m b ly a nd h a v e only to do ,

with indi vi du a ls : do not insul t th e m unl e ss you wish to b e h e ld re sponsi b l e B ut .

”
,

inst e a d of list e ning M d E pina y w e nt o u

,
. You a r e still a s b ra v e in your c a rri a ge a s
’
,

in vour a ss e m b ly b e c a us e you a r e still f our a ga inst o ne The pre sid e nt stopp e d t he ”

.

co a ch T h e y w e re a t th a t p a rt of t he Q u a i de s Orm e s wh e re t he st e ps l e a d down to t he
.

riv e r Why do you stop h e re 1’ a sk e d d Epina y B e c a us e sir sa i d t he pr e sid e nt

’ ”

“
. .
, , ,

you h a v e insult e d a ma n a nd tha t ma n wil l not go one st e p fa rth e r without d e m a nd

,

ing honora bl e re p a ra tion An oth e r m e thod of a ssa ssin a tion ?

”
sa id t he g e n e ral ”
,

shruggi ng his should e rs Ma k e no nois e sir unl e ss you wish me to consid e r you a s
.
, ,

o ne of thos e me n whom vou d e si g n a t e d j ust no w a s cow a r d s who t a k e th e ir w e a kn e ss ,

for a shi e ld You a re a lon e one a lon e sh a ll a nsw e r you you ha v e a swor d b y your sid e
.
, ,

I h a v e one in my c a n e ; you h a v e no witn e ss o ne of th e se g e ntl e m e n wi ll s e rv e you ,

.

N ow if you pl e a s e r e mov e your b a nd a ge

, ,
The g e n e ra l tore t h e h a ndk e rchi e f from
.
”

his e y e s A t l a st sa id h e
. I sh a ll know with whom I h a v e to do
,
”
,
T h e y op e n e d t h e ”
.

d oor ; t he four me n a light e d .

Fran z again interrupted himself, and wiped the cold dr ops from his
brow ; there was something awful in hearing the son, trembling and
pale , read aloud these details of his father s death which had hitherto ’
,

remained unknown Valentine clasped her ha nds as if in prayer N oir

. .

tier looked a t Villefort with an almost sublime expression of contempt

and pride .

Franz continued
I t w a s, sa id t he 5 th of Fe b rua ry For thr e e d a ys th e r e ha d b e e n five or six
as we , .

d e gre e s of frost the st e ps w e re cov e re d with ic e The g e n e ra l wa s stout a nd ta ll t he .

,

pre si d e nt otf e r e d hi m t he sid e of th e ra iling to a ssist him in g e tting down T he two .

witn e ss e s foll owe d I t wa s a d a rk night The groun d from the ste ps to th e riv e r wa s
. .

cov e re d with snow a nd ho a r fr os t t he w a t e r of the riv e r look e d b l a ck a nd d e e p One

, .

of the s e conds w e nt for a la nt e rn in a co a l -b a rg e n e a r a nd b y its light th e y e x a mi n e d t he ,

a rms T he pre sid e nt s sword which wa s simply a s h e ha d sa id o ne h e c a rri e d in hi s

’
.
, , ,

c a n e wa s five inch e s short e r th a n the ge n e ra l s a nd ha d no gu a rd G e n e ra l d Ep inay

,
’
, .
’

propos e d to ca st lots for the swords b ut t he pre sid e nt sa i d it wa s h e who ha d giv e n the
,

provoc a tion a nd wh e n he ha d giv e n it he ha d suppos e d e a ch woul d use his own a rms

,
.

The witn e ss e s e nd e a vor e d to insist b ut t he pr e sid e nt b a d e th e m b e s il e nt

,
Th e l a nt e rn .

wa s p la c e d on t he groun d t he two a dv e rs a ri e s a rra ng e d th e mse lv e s a nd t he du e l com

, ,

me nc e d T he li ght m a d e the two S words a pp e a r lik e fl a sh e s of lightning ; a s for the

.

me n th e y w e re sc a rc e p e rc e pti b l e t he da rkn e ss wa s so gre a t M l e G é n é ra l d Epina y

, ,
. .
’

pa sse d for o ne of th e b e st swordsm e n in t he a rmy b ut he wa s pre ss e d so clos e ly in ,

 TH E C O U NT OF JII ON T E —C R I S T OZ 23

t he ons e t th a t he st e pp e d b a ck a nd fe ll The witn e ss e s thought he wa s de a d b ut his a dve r

.
,
sa ry who kn e w h e ha d not touch e d him o ff e re d him t he a ssista nc e of his h a nd to ris e
, , .

The circumsta nc e irrita t e d inst e a d of c a lming t he g e n e ra l a nd he rush e d on his a d

, ve r
s ary B ut his oppon e nt did not st e p b a ck a n inch b ut r e c e iv e d him on his sword T hr e e
.
, .

tim e s the ge n e ra l dre w b a ck a nd finding hims e lf foil e d re turn e d to the ch arge A t the
, , .

third he f e ll a ga in T h e y thought he Slipp e d a s a t first a nd the witn e sse s s e e i ng he

.
, , ,

did not mov e a pproa ch e d a nd e nd e a vore d to ra is e him b ut the o ne who p a ss e d hrs a rm

“ “
, ,

a roun d t he b ody found it wa s moist e n e d with b l ood The ge n e ra l who ha d a lmost

. ,

fa inte d re viv e d
, . A h ! sa id h e
”
th e y h a v e s e nt som e fe ncing -m a st e r to fight wrth
,

me .
”
The pr e sid e nt without a nsw e ring a ppro a ch e d t h e witn e ss who h e l d t he l a nt e rn
,
,
,
a nd r a ising his sl e e v e show e d him two woun ds h e ha d re c e iv e d in his ar m ; th e n op e n
,

ing his co a t and un b uttoning his wa istco a t displ a ye d his side p i e rc e d Wi th a th i rd

, , ,

wound Still he ha d not e v e n utt e re d a sigh G e n e ra l d Epina y di e d five minute s

. .
’
 T HE C O U N T OF Il l ON T E - C R I STO .

F r anz read these last wo r ds in a voice so choked that they were

hardly audible , and then stopped , p a ssing his hand over his eyes as if to
dispel a cloud ; but after a moment s silence , he continued
’

The pre sid e nt w e nt up the st e ps a ft e r r e pl a cing his sword in his c a n e ; a tra ck of

,

blood on t he snow m a rk e d his cours e He ha d sc a rc e ly a rriv e d a t t he top wh e n h e

.

h e a rd a h e a vy spl a sh in t he w a t e r it wa s t he g e n e ra l s b ody which t he witn e ss e s ha d

’
,

j ust thrown into t he riv r a ft e r a sc e rt a ining he wa s d e a d The g e n e r a l fe ll th e n in a

e .
, ,

loya l du e l a nd not e ntra pp e d into a n a m b ush a s it might h a v e b e e n re port e d I n proof

, ,
.

of this we h a v e S ign e d this p a p e r to e sta b lish t he truth of the fa cts l e st the mom e nt
, ,

should a rriv e wh e n e ith e r of t he a ctors in this t e rri b l e sc e n e shoul d b e a ccus e d of pre

m e dit a t e d murd e r or of infring e m e nt of the l a ws of honor .

Sign e d , B AU R EPAI R E
E ,
DU CHA M PY a nd

When Franz had finished rea di ng this account , so dreadful for a

son , when Valentine pale with emotion , had wiped away a tear ,— when
,

Villefort trembling, and crouched in a corner had endeavored to lessen

“
, ,

the storm by supplicating glances at the impl acable Old man ,

S ir said d E pina y to N oirtie r, since you a r e well ac quai nted with
,
” ’

all these details , which are attested by honorable signatures , sin ce

you appear to take some interest in me , although you have only mani
f e st e d it hitherto by causing me sorrow , refuse me not one final sa t isfa c
tion — tell me the name of the president of the club , that I may at least
know wh o killed my father .
”

Vill efort mechanically felt for the handle of the door ; Valentine ,
who understood sooner than any one her grandfather s answer, and who ’

“
had often seen two scars upon his right arm, drew back a few steps
M ademoiselle , said Franz , tur ning toward Valentine , unite your
” “ .

e ff orts wi th mine to find out the name of the man wh o made me an

“ .

“
orphan at two years of age Valentine remained dumb and motionless
”

Hold , sir ! said Vill efort , do not prolong this dreadful scene The
”
.
,

names ha v e been purposely concealed ; my father himself does not know

who this president wa s, and if he knows he cannot tell you ; proper

“
names are not i n the dictionary
Oh misery ! cried Franz
,
”
”
.

the only hope which sustained me and

enabled me to read to the end was that of knowing , at least , the name
of him who killed my father ! S ir sir ! cried he , turning to N oir tie r,
”

“
do what you can — make me understand in some way !
Yes , replied Noirtie r
”
.
”

Oh mademoiselle ! ma de rnoi se ll e
,
cried F r anz , your grandfather
says he can indicate t he person Help me ! lend me your assistance ! ”
.

No irtie r looked at the dictionary F r anz took it with a nervous

.

trembling, and repeated the letters of the alphabet successively, until

he came to M At that letter , the old man signified Yes
.
“ ”
.
 THE C O UN T OF I lI O N T E —C R I S T O . 9
d 5

”
M repeated Franz The young man s finger glided over the words
,
.
’

but at each one N orrtie r answered by a negative S ign Valentine hid .

he r head between her hands At length Franz a r I ’l ve d a t the wo r d

.
, .

MY S ELF .

Yes ! ”

“
You cried Franz , whose hai r stood on e nd ; you M N oirt ie r !

“
.
,

you killed my father I

Y e s, replied N oirt ie r fixing a maj estic look on the young man
”
,
.

Franz fell powerless on a chair ; Villefort opened the door and escaped ,

for the idea h ad entered his mind to stifle the little remaining life in the
hea r t of this terr ible Ol d man
.
 C HA P T E R L XXV I

PR OG R ESS OF CA V A L CA NTI T HE Y O U N G E R

E A N WHI L E Cavalcanti the elder had returned to h is ser

vi ce , not in the army of his maj esty the Emperor of Austria ,

but at the gaming-table of the baths of Lucca , of which

he was one of the most assiduous cour tiers It need not be .

said that he had carried with him every farthing that had been allowed
for his j ourney and as a reward for the maj estic and solemn manner in
which h e had maintained his characte r of father .

Andrea at his d e part i n e inherited all the papers which proved

'

that he had indeed the honor of being the son of the M arquis Bartolo
meo Cavalcanti and the March ioness Oliva Corsinari He was now .

fairly launc h e d i n that Parisian society which gives such ready access
to foreigners and treats them not as what they reall y are , but as what
, ,

they wish to be con sidered B esides what is required of a young man

.

in Paris f —to speak its language tolerably, to make a good appea r ance ,
,

to be a good ca r d -playe r , and pay in cash They a r e certainly less par

.

t ic ul ar with a foreigner than with a Frenchman Andr ea had , then , in .

a fortnight , attained a very fai r position He was entitled M l e Comte ;

. .

he was said to possess fifty thousand livres pe r annum and his father s ’

immense riches buried in the qua r r ies of Sa ra v e zza we r e a constant

, ,

theme A learned man befo r e whom t h e last ci r cumstance was men

.
,

t io ne d as a fact declared h e had seen the quarries in question which

, ,

gave great weight to assertions hitherto somewhat doubtful , but which

now assumed the garb of reality .

S uch was the state of society in Pa r is at the pe r iod we bring before

our r eaders , when Monte -Cr isto went one evening to pay D anglars a
visit Danglars was out but the count wa s asked to go and se e the
.
,

baroness and he accepted the invitation It was never without a ne r v

, .

ous shudder, since the di nner at Auteuil and the e vents which followed
it , that Madame Danglars he ard Monte -Cristo s name announced ’
.

26
 TH E C O U N T OF M O N TE -C R I S T O .

once intr oduced our re a ders a nd whe re the ba roness was exa mi ning
,

some drawin gs which her d aughter pa s sed to her after havi ng looked
,

a t them with Caval c anti , hi s p r esence soon prod uc ed its usual e ff ect ;

a nd it wa s with smil es that the ba r one ss re eiv e d the count , al though

c

s he had bee n a little d isconcerted at the a nnouncement of his name .

The latter embrac e d t he whole s ene at a glance c

.

The baroness was partially re li ning on a c a useuse Eug e nie sa t near

c
,

her and Ca v alcanti was st a ndi ng Cavalc anti dre s s e d in bl a k, like one
, .
,
c

of Goethe s he r oe s with j apann e d shoe s and ope n white silk st oc ki n g

’

,
.

pa s se d a white and t olerably nice-looking h a nd through his light hair ,

in the midst of which sparkl ed a diamond which in spite of Monte , ,

Cristo s a d vice t he va in y oung man had been unable to resist putting

’
,

on his li t tle finge r This mo v ement was accompanie d by killing glances

.

at Mademoi selle Danglars and sighs address e d to the s ame part y .

Mademoiselle Danglars was still the same — cold, b eautif ul and

,

s atirical N ot one of these glances nor one sigh was lost on her ; they
.
, ,

might have been said to fa ll on the shield of Minerva, which some

.

philosophe rs a ssert pro t e ted sometimes the brea st of S appho Eug e nie
c
.

bowed c o ldl v to the count a nd a v ai l e d herself of the fir s t moment when

,

the conversa tion bec ame earnest to esc a pe to her st udy , whence very
s oon t wo chee rful and l a ughing v oices being h e ard in co nne tion with c

the first notes of the piano a ssrue d Monte—

,

Cristo that Mademoiselle

,
'

Danglars preferre d to his society and to that of Ca v alcanti the company

of Mademois e ll e Louise d A rmill y he r singing go v ernes s
’
,
.

It was then , es pecial ly while conversing with M ad ame Danglars,

a nd a ppare ntl y a bsorbe d by the char m of the con v ersati on , t h e count

re m arked M Andrea Cavalca nti s solicitude , hi s manner of listening to the

.
’

music at the door he da red not pass and of manif esting his admiration ,
.

The ba nker -soo n retu r ned His first l ook was certainly direc ted
.

toward Monte-Cristo but the sec ond was fo r Andrea As fo r his wi fe

,
.
,

he bowed to her in the wa y in which some husbands do to the ir wives,

but which bachelo rs will never comprehend until a v ery extensive c od e ,

is publishe d on conj uga l life .

Have no t the ladies invited vo uto j oin them a t th e piano ! ”

D a nglar s to Andrea .

Alas ! no , si r repli e d An dre a wi t h a sigh stil l more re m a rkable

,
”
, ,

than the former ones Danglars immediate ly ad v anc ed towar d the door
.

and o pe n e d it .

The two young ladies were seen sea te d on the same chair a t t h e . ,

p ia no a companying the ms elve s eac h wi t h one han d a fancy to which

,
c
, ,

they had ac cus t omed t hemselves and performed admira bly M ad e mo i

,
.
 THE o o vx r OF M ON TE —CR I S T O
.
39

selle d A rmill y , whom t hey then pe rceiv ed through the ope n door-way
’

,
formed with Eug e nie one of those living pictures of which the Germans
a re so fon d S he w as of a suffi cien t l y rem arkable st y le of be aut or
y,
rather of exquis ite grac efulne ss — a li t tle pale fairy -like fig ure with
,

lar ge fair curls falli ng on he r nec k, which was rather to o long as Pe r u

,

gino someti mes ma kes those of his Vi r gins , and he r eyes dull fr m
fatigue S he was said to have a weak chest and hke Antoni a of 1h e
.
,
o
Violon de Cr e mone she would die one day whi le singing
,
” .
 THE C O UN T OF i I I ON T E - C R I STO .

Monte -Cristo cast one rapid and curious glance round this sanctum ;
it was the first time he had ever seen Mademoiselle d A rmilly, of whom ’

he had heard much .

We ll ! said the banker to his daughter , are we then all to be

”

excluded
He then led the young man into the study, and , either by chance or
manoeu vre , the door was partially closed after Andrea , so that from the
place where they sat neither the count nor the baroness could se e any
thing ; but as the banker had accompanie d Andrea , Madame D anglars
appeared to take no notice of it .

The count soon heard Andrea s voice , singing a Corsican song ’

,

accompanied by the piano While the count smiled at hearing this

.

song which made him lose sight of Andrea in the recollection of Bene
,

-
detto Madame Danglars was boasting to Monte Cristo of her husband s ’
,

strength of mind , wh o that very morning had lost three or four hundred
thousand francs by a failure at Milan The praise wa s well deserved .
,

for had not the count heard it from the baroness , or by one of those
means by which he knew everyt hing , the baron s countenance would
’

“
not have led him to suspect it .

“
Hem ! thought Monte -Cr isto , he begins to conceal his losses ; a
”

month since he boasted of them

Then aloud , “ ”
.

Oh ! madame M D anglars is so skillful he will soon

“
.
, ,

regain at the Bourse what he loses elsewh ere .

”

I se e you are maintaining an erroneous idea as well as many more , ”

‘
,

said Madame D angla r s

‘
Wh at is it 2 said Monte -Cristo
.

That M Danglars speculates , whereas he never does so

.
”
.

Truly , madame , I recollect M Debray told me apropos , what has

“
.

beco me of him ? I have seen nothing of him the last three or four days ”
.

N or I , sa id Madame D anglars ; but you began a sentence Sir, and

”
,

did not fi nish ”

.

Wh ich
M Debray ha d t old you
'

Truly, he told me it wa s you who sacr ificed t o the demon of speen

“
lation ”
.

I was once very fond of it but I am not so now ,

”
.

Then you are wrong, madame Fo r tune is precarious ; and if I were

.

a woman , and fate had made me a banker s wife whatever might be my

’
,

confidence in my husban d s good fortune , still , in speculation you know ,

’
,

there is great risk Well ! I would secure for myself a fo r tune inde
.

pendent of him , even if I acqui red it by placing my interest in hands

unknown to him Madame D anglars blushed in spite of all her e ffo r ts
”
.
,
.
 T HE CO UN T or M O N TE —C R I S T O

“tay“said Monte risto as though he had not observed he con

.
31

S ” -C r
, ,

fusion I have heard of a lucky hit that made yesterday on the wa s

“
,

N eapolitan bonds .
”

I have none — no r have I ever posse ssed any but really we have ;
talked long enough of money , count we are like two stockbroke r s ; have

“
"
you heard how fate is persecuting the poor V ill e fort s if
What has happened 2 said the count , apparently ignorant of all .

You know the Marquis de S aint-M éran died a few days after he had
set out on his j o urney to Paris , and the marchioness a few days afte r

“ ‘ “
0
her arrival !
Yes , said Monte -Cr isto , I have heard that ; but , as Claudius said
”

to Ha mle t, it is a law of n ature ; their fathe r s died before them , and

they mourned their loss ; they will die before their childr en , who will ,
in their turn , grieve for them ’
.

But that is not all ”

.

N ot a ll
N o ; they were going to marry their daughte r
To M Franz d E pinay Is it broken o ff 3
.
’
.
“
Yesterday morning, it appears Franz declined
“
”
.
,

Indeed ! And is the reason known 2

No
“
”
.

How extraordinary ! And how does M de Villefort bear it 3 ’

.

A s usual Like a philosopher

.
”
.

Danglars retu r ned at this moment alone

“ .

“
Well ! ” said the baroness , do you leave M Cavalcanti with

“ “
.

daughter 2

her no one Z “
And Mademoiselle d A r mil ly, said the banker ; do yo
” ’

Then , turning to Monte -Cristo , he said, Prince Caval “ “

“
canti is a charming young man , is he not ? But is he really a p ri nce 8
“
”

I wil l not an swer for it said Monte -Cr isto

”
His father was intro
,
.

duce d to me as a marquis so he ought to be a count ; but I do not think

'

Wh y ! said“
he has much claim to that title
the banker If he is a prince , he i s w r ong not to
.

”
maintai n his rank I do not like any one to deny his origin .

-C
Oh ! you are a pure democ r at , said Monte risto , smiling
” .

But do you see to what you are exposing y ourself f If, perchance ,
M de M orc e rf came he would find M Cavalcanti in that room , where
“
. .
,

he the betrothed of Eug e nie , has never been admitte d

.
.

You may well say perchance ,” replied the banker ; for he comes so

“
”
seldom, it would seem o nl y chance that b r ings him .

r
But shoul d he come , and find that young man with you daughter,
he might b e displeased ”
.
 T II E C O UA T M O N T H—C R I S T O
'

OF .

He you are mistaken ; M Albert would not do us the honor to be .

j ealous ; he does not like Eug e nie su fficiently Besides I care not for .
,

his displeasure ”
.
0

S till , situated as we are

Yes , do you know how we are situated ? At his mother s b all he ’

danced once with Eug e nie and M Cavalcanti three times and he took
,
.
,

no notice of it ”
.

The valet announced M le Vicomt e Albert de M orc e rf The . .

baroness rose hastily and was going into the study , when Dangla r s
,

stopped her .

S tay ! said b e .

S he looked at him in amazement Monte -Cristo appeared to be .

unconscious of wh at passed .

Albert entered looking very handsome and in high spiri ts He

,
.

bowed politely to th e baroness , familiarly to D a nglars , a nd a ffectionately

to Monte -Cristo Then turning to the baroness
. May I ask how

“
,

Mademoiselle Danglars is f said h e .

S he is quite well r eplied Danglars q ui ckl y ; she is at the piano

”
,

with M Cavalcanti
. .

Albert preserved his calm and indi ff erent manner ; he might feel
perhaps annoyed ut he knew Monte Cr isto s eye was on him
b ,
- ’

Cavalcanti has a fine tenor voice said he , and Mademoiselle Eug e nie
”
M
,
“ . .

a splendid soprano ; and t hen sh e pl a vs on the piano like Thalberg .

The concert must be a d elightful one ”

.

They suit each oth er rema rkably well said Danglars ,

”
.

Albert appeared not to notice this remark which w as, however , so ,

rude that Madame Danglars blushed .

I too , said the young man a m a musician at least, my maste r s

”
, ,

used to tell me so ; but it is str a nge that my voice never wo ul d suit

any other , and a soprano less than any .

Danglars smiled and seemed to say It is of no consequence Then

“
.
, , ,

hoping doubtless , to e ff ect his purpose he said

, ,

The pri nc e and my daughter were universally admired yesterday .

You were not of the party M de M o rc e rf ,

.

What prince 1? asked Albert (

.

Prince Cavalcanti said Danglars , wh o persisted in gi ving the young

”

“
,

man that title .

Pardon me said Al ber t, I was not aware he wa s a p rince And

“
”
.
,

Prince Cavalcanti sang wi th Mademoiselle Eug e nie yesterday ! It must

have been charming indeed I regret not having heard them But I
,
.
!
.

was unable to accept your invitation having promised to accomp any ,

my mother to a Ge rman conce r t given by the Countess of Ch ateau

R enaud ”
.
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE -C R I S T O.
33

“
Then after a rather awkward silence May I also be allowed ,” said
“
.

de M orc e rf, to pay my respects to Mademoiselle Danglars

‘
”
Wait a moment , said the b anker , stopping the young man ; do
you hear that delightful cavatina ! Ta , ta , ta, ti , ta ti ta ; it is charming,
, ,

let them finish one moment Bravo bravi ! brava The banker wa s

“
.

enthusiastic in hi s applause .

Indeed , said Albert , it i s exquisite ; it is impossib le to understand

”

“
the music of his country better than Prince Cavalcanti does You said .

prince , did you not ! But he can easily become one , if he is not alr eady ;
it is no unco mmon thing in Italy But to return to the charmi n g
.
 T HE C O UN T OF M O N TE —CR I S T O .

musicians — you should give us a treat Danglars without telling them , ,

there is a stranger A sk them to sing one more song ; it is so delight

.

f ul to hear music in the di stance when the musicians are unrestrained

,

by observation ”
.

Danglars was quite annoyed by the young man s indiff erence He ’

.

took Monte-Cristo aside .

What do you thi nk of our lover said b e .

He appears cool ! But , then , your word is given ”

.

Yes doubtless I have pro mised to g ive my daughter to a man who

, ,

loves her but not to one who does not Even if Albe rt h ad Cavalcan t i s ’

“
.
,

fortune , he is so proud , I wo ul d not care to se e him marry her ”

.

Oh ! said Monte -Cristo , my fon d ness may blind me but , I assur e

”
,

you I consider M o rc e rf far preferable ; and his father s position is good

,
’ ”
.

Hem ! said D anglars

”
.

Why do you doubt

The past that obscurity on the past ”
.

But that does not aff ect the son A month since you thought well
.

of him ; you wi ll understand , I am in despair ; I know nothi ng of young

Cavalcanti although you met at my house
,

But I do ”
.

Have you made inqui ry

Y e s ; and I know hi m to be rich ”
.

What do you suppose him worth

Fi fty thousand per an num ; and he is well educated ”
.

Hem said Monte -Cristo in his t i u n '

He is a musician ”
.

S o are all Italians ”

“
.

Come , coun t , you do not do that young man j ustice ”

.

Well , I acknowledge it annoys me knowing your connection with ,

the M orc e rf famil y, to see him throw himself in the w a y ”

Dangla rs .

“
burst out laughi ng .

Wh at a P uritan you are ! said he ; that happens every day

” ”
.

M
But you cannot break it off thus ; the o c e s are depending on
r rf ‘

this unio n ”
.

Indeed
Positively .

Then let them explain themselves ; you sho uld give the father a
hint you are so intimate with the fam ily
,
”
.

I if — where the devil d id you find out that

At their ball ; it was apparent enough ; Why did not the countess , ,

the proud Merc e d e s the disdainful Catalan , who wi ll sc arcely ope n her
,

li ps t o her oldest acquaintances take your arm , lead you into the garden
,

into the p rivate walks and remain there for half an hour
,
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE —CR I S T O .

-C
and Monte ri sto turned away to conceal the expression of pity which

“
passed over his features , but which was gone in a moment
‘
We shall go together , shall we not 2 said A l bert to the count
.

If you like , replied the latter

”
.

Albert coul d not understand the banker s look , and turning to ’

-
Monte Cristo , who understood it perfectly , Did you see said he
”

“
, ,

how he looked at me i
Yes said t h e count ; but did you think there was anything pa r
”

“
,

t ic ul ar in his look {3
Indeed , I did ; and what does h e mean by his news from Greece
How can I tell you
Because I imagine you have correspondents in that country ”

“
.

Monte -Cri sto smiled significantly .

S top , said Albert

”
here he comes I shall compliment M ad e moi
,
.

selle Danglars on her cameo , while the father talks to you ”

.

If you compliment her at all , let it be on her voice , at least , said

”

Monte -Cristo .

N o , every one would do th at ”

.

My dear Vi scount , you are dreadfully impertinent ”

.

Albert advanced toward Eug e nie , smil ing

“
.

Meanwhile , D an g lars, stooping to Monte Cristo s ear,

- ’
Your advice
was excellent , said he ; there is a whole history connected with the
”

names Fernand and Janina ”

.

Indeed ! said Monte -Cristo

”
.

Yes , I will tell you all ; but take away the young man ; I cannot
endure his presence ”
.

He is going with me S hall I send the father to you

.

Immediately ”
.

Very well ”
.

The count made a sign to Albert ; they bowed to the ladies , and
took their leave ,—Albert perfectly indiff erent to M ademoisell e Danglars s ’

contempt , Monte -Cristo reiterating his advice to M adame D anglars on

the p r udence a banker s wi fe should exercise in providing for the
’

future .

Cavalca nti remained master of the field .

 CH A P T E R LXXVII

H A Y D EE

CA R CE L Y had the count s horses cleared the angle of the

’

boulevard , than Albert , tur ning toward the count , burst

into a loud fit of laughter , much too loud , in fact , not to

“
give the idea of its being rather forced .

Well ! said he , I will ask you the same question which Cha r les
”

me w : How h ave I played my little part i! ‘

IX put to Catherine de Medicis , after the massacre of S aint Bartholo

To what do you allude ? ask e d Monte -Cristo

”
.

To the installation of my rival at M Dang lars s

.
’

What rival
M a foi I what rival ? why, your prot eg e M Andrea Cavalcanti
, .

A h , no j oking, V iscount , if you please ; I do not patronize M .

—
Andrea a t least , not as concerns M Danglars
.
”
.

I should blame you for that , if the young man really needed your

“
help ; but , happily for me , he can di spense with it
What do you think he is p aying his addresses ?
”

”
.

I am certain of it ; watch his rolling eyes , listen to his loving sighs.

He aspires to the hand of the proud E ug e nie Why, I have made a

.

rhyme , on my word ! Well , it wa s not my faul t ; never mind , I repeat

“
”
he aspires to the hand of the proud Eug e nie .

Wh at does that signify so long as they favor your suit

,

But it i s not the case , my dear count ; on the c ontrary, I am repulsed

“
on all sides

“
.
”

What ! on both sides ! ”

It i s so indeed ; Mademoisell e Eug e n l e scarcely answers me , and

“
”
Mademoiselle d’A rmill y, her confidante , does not sp ak to me at all
e
.

But the father has the greatest regard pos a ble for you , sad
”

Monte -Cristo .
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —C R ISTO .

He ? oh , no ! he has plunged a thousand daggers into my he art ;

tragedy-weapons , I own , which , instead of wounding sheathe their points ,

in their own handles , but daggers which he nevertheless believed to be

“
real and deadly ”
.

Jealousy indicates a ff ection ”

.

True ; but I am not j ealous ”

.

He is ”
.

Of whom of D ebray
N o , of you ”
.

Of me ? I will engage to say that before a week i s past the door

will be closed against me ”
.

You are mistaken , my dear V iscount ”

.

Prove it to me ”
.

D o you wish me to do so ? ”

Ye s ”
.

Well , I am charged with the commission of endeavoring to induce

M le Comte de M orc e rf to make some definite arrangement with th e

“
.

baron ”
.

By whom are you charged ? ”

By the baron himself ”

.

Oh ! said A l bert , with all the caj olery of which h e wa s capable

”
,

you surely will not do that , my dear count ”

“
.

Certainly I shall , Albert , as I have promised to do it ”

.

Well , said Albert , with a sigh , it seems you are determined to

”

“
marry me ”

“
.

I am determined to try and be on good terms with everybody , at all

events , said Monte -Cristo
”
But apropos of Debray , how is it that I
.

have not seen him lately at the baron s house ? ” ’

There has been a misunderstanding ”

.

What , with the baroness

N o with the baron
,
”
.

Has he perceived anything ? ”

Ah ! that is a good j oke !

'

D o you think he suspects ? said Monte -Cristo , with a ch a rmi ng

”

“
nawe te
’

Where have you come from my dear count ? ”

said Albert

“
.
,

From ongo if you will C ,

.
”

It must be farther than even that o ff .

”

But what do I know of your Parisian husbands ? ”

Oh ! my dea r count , husbands are pretty much the same everywhere ;

an indi vidual of any country is a fair specimen of the race ”
.
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE —CR I S T O .
39

But then , what can have led to the quarrel between Danglars and
Debray ? they seemed to understand each other so well ! ” said Monte
“
Cristo , with renewed energy .

Ah ! now you are trying to penetrate into the mysteries of Isis in ,

which I am not initiated When M Andrea Cavalcanti has become one

. .

of the family, you can ask him that question ”

“
.

The carriage stopped .

Here we are , said Monte-Cristo ; it is only half -past ten o clock ,

” ’

“
come in ”
.

Certainly , I will ”
.

My carriage shall take you back ”

.
'

N o, thank you ; I gave orders for my coup e to follow me ”

’

There it is , then , said Monte -Cristo , as he stepped out of the carri

”

up
.

— they entered it .
“
age They both went into the house ; the d r awing-roo m was lighted
You will make tea for us , Baptistin , said the
”

count Baptistin left the room without waiting to answer , and in two
.

seconds re -appeared , bringing a tray , ready prepared , and appearing to

“ “
have sprung from the ground , like the repas t s i n fairy tales
R eally , my dear count , said M orc e rf, what I admire in you is, not
”
.

so muc h your riches , for perhap s there are people wealthier than you ,

nor is it your wit , for Beaumarchais might have possessed as much ,

but it is your manner of bei ng served , without any questions , in a
moment in a second ; it is as if they guessed what you wanted by your
,

manner of ringing, and made a point of keeping everything you want in

“
constant readi ness ”
.

What you say is perhaps true ; they know my habits For instance

“
.
,

l
you shall se e ; how do you wish to occupy yourse f du r ing tea time -

Well , I should like to smoke ”

.

M onte -Cr isto took the gong and struck it once In about the space
.

of a second a private door opened , and Ali appeared , b r inging two chi

“
bouk s filled with excellent latakia
It is quite won derful ! said Albert
”
.

Oh , no it is as simple as possible ”
replied Monte -C
risto A li .
, ,

knows I generally smoke whilst I am taking my tea or co ff ee ; he has

heard that I ordered tea ; he knows that I brought you home with me ;
when I summoned him he guessed the reason , and, as he comes fr o ma
country where hospitality is especially manifested by the pipe , he br i ngs

“
two chibouks instead of one
C ertainly you give a most
”
.

common -place air to your explanat i on , but

Ah ! but what do I hear ? and Mor
”
it is not the less true that you
cerf inclined his head toward the door , through which sounds seemed
to issue resembling those of a guitar .
 THE CO UN T OE Jl I O N T E -C R IS TO .

M a fi nI my dear viscount , you are fated to hea r music this eve ni ng ;

’

you have only escap e d from the piano of Mademoisell e D anglars to be

“
attacked by the guzla of Hayd e e ”
.

Haydé e ! what an adorable name ! A r e there then , really women

“
,

who he ar the name of Hayd e e any where but in By r on s poems ? ’

”

Certainly there are .Hayd e e is a very uncommon name in F r ance ,

but it is common enough in A l bania and Epi r us ; it is as if you said , for

example , Chastity, Modesty Innocence — it is a kind of baptismal name ,

“ “
, ,

as you Parisian s call it

”
.

Oh, that is charming ! said Albert ;

”
how I should like to hear my
country women called Mademoiselle Goodness , Mademoiselle S ilence ,

M ademoiselle Christian Charity ! Only think , then , if Mademoiselle

Danglars , instead of being called Claire Marie E ug e nie , had been
named Mademoiselle Ch astity Modesty Innocence D anglars ; what a
fine e ff ect that woul e produced on the announcement of her

“
marriage ! ”

S il ence ! said the

”
do not j oke in so loud a tone ; Hayd e e
may hear y ou, p e rh ap
be angry ?
e count , with a haughty expression .

is sh e not said A l bert .

it is her duty ; a slave does not

dic tate to a master ”
.

Come , you are j oking yourself now ; are there slaves now ad ays ? ”

U ndoubtedly , as Hayd e e is mine ”

.

R eally, count, you do nothing, and have nothing like other people .

The slave of M l e Comte de Monte -Cristo ! why, it is a rank of itself in

.

France ; and from the way in which you lavish money, it is a place that

“
must be worth a hundred thousand francs a year ”

‘
.

A hun d red thousand francs the poor girl originally possessed much
more than that ; sh e was born to treasures , to whi ch those in the Thou

“
sand and One N ights are t ri fie s
’

S he must be a princess , then ?

”
.

You are right , and one of the greatest in her country , too ”
.

I thought so But how did it happen that such a great prince s s

“
.

became a slave
How was it that Dionysius the Tyrant became a school -master
—
The fortune of war, my dear viscount , the caprice of fort une ”

‘
.

A n d is her name a secret ? ”

For the world it is ; but not for you , my dear viscount , who are one
of my fri ends , and on whose silence I may rely , if I enj oin it ; may I
not do so
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —CR I S T O
.
41

Certainly ! on my word of honor ”

“
.

You know the history of the Pacha of Janina

Of Ali T eb e lin ! oh ! ye s ! it was in his service that my father made
his fortune.
”

s
V a ili ki

True , I had forgotten that ”

.

Well ! what is Hayd e e to Ali Telebin

“ Merely his daughter ”

.

What ? the daughter of Ali Pacha ?

 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE —C R I S T O .

And the be autif ul Vasil iki ”

.

And your slave ? ”

M a foi l yes .
”

But how d id she become so ? ”

Why , I bought her one day as I was passing through the market at

‘
Constantinople ”
.

Wonderful With you count , one does not live but dr eam N ow
, ,
.
,

I am perhaps going to make an imprudent request , b ut

S ay on ”
.

But , s ince you go out with Hayd e e , a nd sometimes even take her to

“
the Opera
Well
I t hi nk I may venture to ask you this fa v o r ”
.

You may venture to ask me anyt h ing .

Well then , my dear c ount , present me to your princess

,
”
.

I wi ll do so ; but on two conditions ”

.

I accept them at once ”

.

The fir s t is, th at you will never te ll any one that I have g ranted the
interview ”
.

Very well , said Albert , extendi ng his h a nQ ; I swear I wil l not

” “ ”
.

The second is , that you will not tell her t hat your father ever served "

hers.
”

I swear to that too ! ”

E nough , Vi scount you will remember those two vows will you

“
,

not ? But I kn ow you to be a man of honor ”

“
.

The count again struck the gong Ali re -appeared . Tell H ayd e e , .

said he , that I wi ll take co ffee with her , and g ive her to understand
that I desir e permission to present one of my friends to her ”
.

A li bowed and left the room .

N ow , understand me , said the count , no di rect questions my dear

”

“
,

M o rc e rf if you wis h to know anyt hing, tell me , and I will a sk her ”

.

A g reed ”
.

A li re -appeared for the third time , and drew bac k the tapestried
hanging which concealed the door, to signify to his mas t er and Albert

“
that they were at liberty to pass on
Let us go in said Monte -Cristo
”
,
.

Albert passed his h and through his hair, and curled his mustache ,
and followed the count into the room , the latter having previously
resumed hi s hat and gloves Ali was stat ioned as a ki nd of advanced
.
,

gu a rd, and the door was kept by the thr ee Fr ench femmes-de-c hambre,
command e d by Myrth e .

Hayd e e was awaiting her visi t ors in the first room , which was the
drawing-room Her large eyes were dilated with sur pris e , for it wa s the
.
 THE UN T M ON TE —C IS T O
CO OF
R .

Albert remained near the door fascinated by the sight of such sur
,

passing beauty, beheld , as it wa s, for the first time , and of which an

“
inhabitant of more northern c l imes co ul d form no idea

“
.

Wh om do you bring ? asked the young girl , in R omaic , o f Monte

”

“
Cristo ; is it a brother , a friend , a simple acquaintance , or an ene my ?
A friend , said Monte-Cristo , in the same language
”
”

What is his name ? ”

Viscount Albert ; it is the same whom I re scued from the hands of

the banditti at R ome ”

“
.

In what language would you like me to converse with him ? ”

-
M onte Cristo turned to Albert Do you know modern Greek ?
.
”

asked he .

Alas no , said Albert ; nor even ancient Greek , my dear count ;

”

never had Homer or Plato a poorer or more scornful scholar than

myself ”

“
.

Then , said Hayd e e , proving by her remark that she had quite
”

-
understood Mo nte Cristo s question and Albert s answer , then I will
’ ’

speak either in French or Italian , if my lord so will s it

Monte Cristo reflected one instant
-
”

“
You will speak in Itali an ,
.
”
.

said he .

Then , turning toward A l bert It is a pity you do not understand

,

either ancient or modern Greek , both of which Hayd e e speaks so fluently ;

the poor child will be obliged to talk to you in Italian , which will give
you but a very false idea of her powers of conversation ”
.

The count made a sign to Hayd e e to address his visitor S ir , .

you are welcome as the friend of my lord and master, she said in ”

excellent Tuscan , and with that soft R oman accent which makes the lan
guage of D ante as sonorous as that of Homer Ali , coffee and pipes
.
“ ”
.

When he had left the room to execute the orders of his young mistress ,
sh e beckoned Albert to approach nearer to her Monte - Cristo and Mor
.

cerf dr ew their seats toward a small table , on which were arranged

music drawings , and vases of flowers Ali then entered , bringing coffee
,
.

and chibo uk s ; as to Baptistin this portion of the building was inter

,

dieted to him A l bert refused the pipe which the N ubian o ff ered him
. .

Oh, take it take it said the count ; Hayd e e is almost as civilized

”
,

as a Parisian ; the smell of a Havana i s di sagreeable to her , but the

tobacco of the East is a perfum e , you know ”
.

Ali left the room The cups of coffee were prepared , with the ad di
.

tion of a sugar -bowl for Albert Monte-Cristo and Hayd e e took the
.

liquor in the Arabian manner,—that is to say, without sugar Hayd e e .

to ok the Japan porcelain cup in her little slender fingers , and conveyed
it to her mouth with all the innocent pleasure of a child when eating or
 T HE C O UN T OF M ON T E —CR I S T O .
45

drinking something that it likes At this moment two women entered ,

.

brin g ing salvers fill ed with ices and sherbet , which they placed on two
“
small tables appropriated to that purpose .

My dear host , and you, signora , said Albert, in Italian , excuse my

”

apparent stupi dity I am quite bewildered , and it is natural that it

.

should be so Here I am in the heart of Paris ; but a moment ago I

.

heard the rumbling of the omnibuses and the tinkling of the bell s of
-
the lemonade sell ers , a nd now I am transported to the E ast ; not such
as I have seen it , but suc h as my dreams have painted it Oh ! signora , .

if I could but speak Greek , your conversation , added to the fairy

scene which surrounds me , would fur nish an evening that I could never
“
forget ”
.

ff
I speak su icient Italian to converse with you , sir, said Hayd e e ,
”

quietly ; and if you like what is Eastern , I will do my best to make you

“
find it here ”
.

On what subj ect shall I converse with her ? said Albert , in a low
”

“
tone to Monte -Cristo .

Just what you please ; her country , her youthful reminiscences ;

“ “
or, if you like it better , you can talk of R ome , N aples , or Florence
Oh ! said Albert , it is of no use to be in the company of a Greek
”
.

if one converses j ust in the same style as with a Parisian ; let me speak
to her of t he E ast ”
.

D o so then , for of all themes that will be the most agreeable

,
”
.

A l bert turned toward Hayd e e At what age did you leave Greece ,

‘
.

signora asked he

‘
.

When I was but five years old , replied Hayd e e

”
.

‘ And have you any recollection of your country ? ”

When I shut my eyes I see it all again The mind has it s eyes as
.

well as the body ; the former may forget ; the latter always remem

“
he rs ”
.

And how far back into the past do your recollections extend ? ”

I could scarcely wal k when my mother , who was called Vasili ki

which means royal , said the young girl , tossing her head proudly, took
” “ ,

me by the hand , and after putting in our pur se all the money we pos

‘
sesse d, we went out , both covered with veils , to solicit alms for the
prisoners , saying, He who giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord ’
.

Then , when our pur se was full , we returned to the palace and without
m
,

saying a word to y father , we sent all the money that had b e e n g ive n
to us , a s poor women , to the heg onmen os of the convent, where i t wa s

divided amongst the prisoners ”

.

And how old were you at t hat time ? ”

I was three years old , said Hayd e e

” .
 THE C O UN T DI O N TE —C I I S T O
OF
E .

Then you remember all which was passing a r ound you when you

“
were but three years old ? said Albert
All
.
”
”
.

“
Count , said Albert , in a low tone to Monte -Cristo
”
do allow the ,

signora to tell me something of her history You prohibited my men

.

t ioning my father, but perhaps sh e will speak of him, and you have no
idea how delighte d I should be to hear our name pronounced by such
beautiful lips .
”

Monte -Cristo turned to Hayd e e , and with an expression of c o unte

nance which commanded her to pay the most imp licit attention to his
‘
“
words , he s aid in Greek , Ha t peg !rev drnv {1 7s ro dre ad a poBoroo mat a pofioc ia v
' ’

ala s y —that is
ta
”
,t
,
Tell us the fate of your father ; but neither the name
of the traitor nor the treason ”
Hayd e e sighed deeply, and a shade of

“
.

sadness clouded her beaut iful brow .

What are you saying to her ? said M orc e rf, in an undertone

”
.

I again reminded her that you were a friend , and that she need not

“
conceal anything from you
“ ”
.

Then , said Albert this pious pilgrimage in behalf of the priso ners
”

“
,

was your first remembrance what is the next ?

°

Oh ! t h e n I remember sitting under the shade of some sycamo r e

t r ees , on the borders of a lake , in the waters of which the trembling
foliage was reflected as in a mirror U nder the oldest and thickest of
.

these trees , reclini ng on cushion s , sat my father ; my mother was at his

feet , and I , ch ildlike , amused myself by playi ng with his long, white beard ,
which descended to hi s girdle , or with the diamond hilt of the c imeter
attached to his girdl e Then , from time to time , there came to him an

‘ ‘
.

Albanian , who s aid something , to which I paid no attention , but which

“ “
he al ways answered in the same tone of voice , eithe r Kill , or Pardon
’

It is very strange , said Albert , to hear such words from the mouth
”
’
.

‘
of any but an actress on the stage ; and one nee d s to be saying to one s
self, This is no fic tion, in order to believe it And how does France
’
.
’

appear in your eyes , accustomed as they have been to gaze on such

“
enchanted scenes ? ”

I think it is a fine country, said Hayd e e , but I se e France as it

” “
really is , because I se e it with the eyes of a woman ; whereas my own
country, which I sa w with the eyes of a child is enveloped in an atmos
,

h
p e re , lumi nous or otherwise , according as my remembrances of it are
s a d or j oyous ”
.

S o young , said Albe r t , falling into commonplace

”
how you must,
“
have suffered ! ”

Hayd e e turned her eyes toward Monte -C1i sto , wh o making at the ,

same time some imperceptible sign , m ur mu r ed :

 THE CO UN T OF M O N TE —CR I S T O
.
47

Eir e— speak .

N othing is so impressed on the mind as the memo r y of ea r ly child

hood , and , with the exception of the two scenes I have described to you ,

all my earliest reminiscences are sad ”

.

S peak , speak , signora ,

”
“
said Albert I am listening with the most
,

intense interest .
”

Hayd e e answered with a melancholy smile You

. wi sh me , then to,

relate the history of my past sorrows ? said she

” .

I beg you to do so , replied Albert

” .
 T HE C O UN T OF M O N TE —CR I S T O.

Well ! I was but four years old , when one night I wa s suddenly
awoke by my mothe r We were in the palace of Jani na ; she snatched
.

me f r om the cushions on which I was sleeping and on opening my eyes

‘
,

I saw hers were filled with tears S he took me away without speaking
. .

When I sa w her weeping I began to cry too

,
S ilence , child ! said she
.
’
.

At other times , in spite of maternal endearments o r threats , I had with ,

a child s caprice , been accustomed to continue to my ; but on this occa

’

sion there was an intonation of such extreme te rror in my mothe r s voice ’

,

that I ceased at once S he bo r e me rapidl y away I saw then th a t we

. .

were descending a large staircase ; around us all my mother s se r vants ’

carrying trunks , bags , ornaments , j ewels , purses of gold , we r e hur rying

away in the greatest dist r action Behin d the women came a gua r d of
.

twenty men , armed with long guns and pistols , and dressed in the c os
tume which the Greeks have assumed since they have again become a
nation You may imagi ne there was something start li ng and ominous , ”

“
.

said Hayd e e , shaking her head , and turning pale at the mere remem
b r ance of the scene , in this long fil e of slaves and women only half
aroused from sleep , or at least , so they appeared to me , wh o wa s myself
scarcely awake Here and there , on the wall s of the stai r case , were
.

reflected gigantic shadows , which trembled in the li ght of the pine

torches ”
.

said a voice at the end of the gallery This voice made.

every one how before it , like the wind passing over a field of corn As .

for me , it made me tremble This voice was that of my father He

. .

marched the last , clothed in his splendid robes , and holding in his hand
the carbine with which your emperor presented him , and leaning on
his favorite S elim , he drove us all before him , as a shepherd woul d his
straggling flock My father, said Hayd e e , raising her head , wa s that
.
” “
il lustrious man known in Europe under the name of A l i T e b e lin, pacha
of Janina , and before whom Turkey trembled ”
.

A l bert without knowi ng wh y, started on hearing these words pro

,

nounc e d with such a haughty and d ignified accent ; it appeared to him as

if there was something supernaturally gloomy and terrible in the expres
sion which gleamed from the b r illiant eyes of Hayd e e at this moment ;
she appeared like a Pythoness evoking a specter , as she recalled to his
mind the remembrance of the fearful death of this man , to the news of

“
which all Europe had listened with horror .

S oon , said Hayd e e , we halted on our march and found ou r selves

”
,

on the borders of a lake My mother pressed me to her throbbing heart

.
,

and, at the distance of a few paces , I saw my father, wh o was glancing

anxiously around Four marble steps led down to the water s e dge,
.
’

and below them was a boat floating From where we stood I could se e
.
,
 THE CO UN T OE M ON TE —CR I S T O .
49

in the middle of the lake , a large black mass ; it was the kiosk to which
we were going This kiosk appeared to me to be at a considerable dis
.

tance , perhaps on account of the darkness We stepped into the boat

.
.

I emember well that the oars made no noise whatever in st r iking h

r t e

water and when I leaned over to a sc e rt a m the ca se , I

u sa w they we 1 e
,

muffl ed with the sashes of our Palicares Besides the rowers t he boat
.
.
,

contained only the women , my father , mother S el i m and myself The

, ,
.
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE —CR IS TO .

Palica r es had remained on the shore of the lake kneeli ng on the low
est of the marble steps a nd making a rampart of the t hree others , in
,

case of pursuit Our bark fl e w l ike the wind

. Why does the boat go .
‘
so fast ? asked I of my mother
’
.

S ilence child ! Hush ! we are flyi ng I did not understand Why

,
’
. .

should my fathe r fl y ? — he , the all -powerful — h e , before whom others

were accustomed to fl y — he , who had taken for his device

T hey ha te me , then they fe a r me

It was indeed a flight which my father was trying to e ff ect I have .

been told since that the garrison of the castle of Janina , fatigued with
long service
Here Hayd e e cast a significant glance at Monte -Cristo , whose eyes
had been riveted on her countenance during the whole course of her nar
ra t ive The young girl then continued slowly, like a person who is eithe r

“
.

inventing or suppressing some feature of the history whi ch he is relating

“
.

You were saying, signora , said A l bert, who was paying the most
”

implicit attention to the recital , that the garri son of Janina , fatigued
with long service
Had treated with the S eraskier Kour eh id, who had been sent by the
sul tan to seize my father It wa s then that Ali T e b e lin took the resolu
.

tion of retiring after having sent to the sultan a French officer in whom
,

he reposed great confidence to the asylum which he had long before

,

p r epared for him self, and which he called Ka tap hyg ion, or the refuge ”
.

And this o fficer , asked Albert , do you remember his name ,

”

sig nora
Monte -Cr isto exchanged a rapid glance with the young girl , which
wa s quite unperceived by Albert .

N o , said she , I do not remember it j ust at this moment ; but if it

”

shoul d occur to me presently, I will tell you ”

.

Albert was on the point of pronouncing his father s name , when ’

Mon te -Cristo gently held up his finger in token of reproach ; the young

“
man recollected hi s vow, and was silent
It wa s toward this kiosk that we were rowing
.

A ground -fl oo r .
,

o rnamented with arabesques bathing its terraces in the water and

, ,

another floor looking on the lake was all which was visible to the eye
, ,
.

But beneath the ground -fl oor, stretching out into the island , wa s a large
subterraneous cavern , to which my mother , myself and the women ,

we r e conducted In this place were together

. purses and 2 0 0
barrels ; the purses contained of money in gold and the ,

barrels we r e filled with pounds of gun -powder .

 T HE C O UN T OE lI O N T E —C R I S T O

‘
i .

father s hand tremble

’
A boat — two —three mu r mured my fathe r ;

‘
.

‘ four He then rose , seiz ing his arms and p r iming his pistols
Vasiliki said he to my mother, trembling perceptibly , the i nstant
,
’
.

approaches which will decide everything In the space of half a n hour

‘
.

‘
we shall know the sul tan s answer Go into the cave r n with Hayd e e
’ ’

‘ ‘
. .

I will not quit you, said Vasiliki ; if you die , my lord , I will die
’

with you ’
.
— G o to S elim cried my father — Adi eu my lord , murmured
.
’

my mother, determining quietly to wait the approach of de ath Take

“
.

away Vasiliki said my father to his Palicares .

As for me , I had been forgotten ; I ran toward him ; he saw me hold

out my arms to him , and he stooped down and pressed my forehead
with his lips Oh that kiss it was the last ; it is still on my forehead
. .

On descendi ng , we distinguished through the lattice -work several boats

which were gradually becoming more di stinct At first they were like
.

black specks , they now looked like birds skimming the sur face of the
waves Dur ing this time , in the kiosk , at the feet of my father , were
.

seated twenty Palicares , concealed from view by an angle of the wall , and
watching with eager eyes the arrival of the boats , and hol di ng, ready ,

their long guns inl aid with mother-of-pearl and silver Cartridges in .

great numbers were l ying scattered on the floor ; my father looked at his
watch , and paced up and down in anguish This was the scene which

“
.

presented itself when I quitted my father after that la st kiss .

M y mother and I traversed the passage to the tavern S e l im was .

stil l at his post, and smil ed sadly on us We fetched our cushions from
.

the other e nd of the tavern , and sat down by S elim In great dangers .

the devoted ones cli ng to each other ; and , young as I was, I quite
understood that some i mminent danger was hanging over our heads .

Albert had often h eard , not from his father , for he never spoke on
the subj ect , but from strangers , the description of the last moments of
the vizier of Janina ; he had read di ff erent accounts of his death , but
this history seemed to borrow new life from the voice and expression
of the young girl ; this living accent and melancholy expression at once
charmed and horrified him .

A s to Hayd e e , at these terrible reminiscences , sh e ceased speaking ,

her head leaning on her hand like a flower in a storm and her eyes , ,

g azing on vac ancy , seemed still to se e the green summit of Pindus , and
the blue waters of the L ake of Janin a, a magic mirror , reflecting the
somber picture which sh e sketched Monte -Cristo looked at her with
.

an in desc ribable expression of interest and pity .

Go on , my child ! said the count , i n the R omaic language

”
.

Hayd e e looked up abruptly, as if the sonorous tones of Monte

Cr isto s voice had awakened her from a d r eam, an d sh e resumed her
’

narrative .
 THE C O UN T or M O N TE —CR I S T O

“
.
53

I t wa s about four o clock in the afternoon ; and although the day

’

wa s bril liant out -of—doors , we were in the gloom of the cavern One.

single light was burnin g there , and it appeared like a star set in a heaven
of blackness ; it was S elim s flaming lance My mother wa s a Christian
’
.

prayed S elim repeated from time to time these sacred wo r ds

a nd sh e .

God is great ! However , my mother had stil l some hope As

’ .sh e was

coming down ; she thought sh e recognized the French o fficer w h o had

been sent to Constantinople , and in whom my father placed so

much
confidence , for he knew that all the soldiers of the French sultan were
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE -C R I S T O .

natur ally noble and generous S he advanced sbme steps toward the
stai r case and listened
.

T hey a r e approaching, said she ; perhaps ’ ‘

‘
.
,

they bring us peace and liberty ! ’

‘
Wh at do you fear , Vasili ki said S elim , in a voice at once so gentle
and yet so proud ; if they do not bring us peace we will give them
death .
’
And he renewed the flame of his lance with an alacrity which
’

reminded one of a Dionysius of ol d Crete But I , wh o was only a little

.

child , was te rrified by this courage , which appeared to me both ferocious

and senseless , and I rec oiled from this frightful death amidst fire an d

“
flame

‘
.

‘
My mother experienced the sa me sensations for I felt her t r emble .

‘
,

Mamma , mamma said I , are we really to be kill ed ? A nd at the

’ ’

‘
,

sound of my voice the slaves redoubled their cries an d prayers — M y .

child , said Vasiliki , may God preserve you from ever wishing for that
’

-
death which to day you so much d r ead ! Then , whi sper ing to S elim ,
she asked what were his master s orders
’
’

‘
If he send me his ponia rd ,
.

it will sig ni fy that the sultan s intentions are not favorable , an d I set
’

leave the magazine .

‘
fir e to powder ; if he send me his ring , the sultan pardons him , and I
’—
M y friend , said my mother, when your master s
’ ’ ‘
order arrives , if it is the ponia r d which he sends , instead of dispatching

‘
us by that death which we both dread kil l us with this same ponia r d
gY e s, Vasiliki , replied S elim , t r anquilly
’
,

.
’
.

S uddenly we heard loud cries ; we listened : they were cries of j oy ;

the name of the French o fficer who had been sent to Constantinople
resounded on all sides amongst our Palicares ; it was evident that he

“
brought the answer of the s ul tan , and that it was favorable
And do you not remember the Frenchman s name ? said M orc e rf
”
”

’
.

qui t e ready to aid the memory of the narrator Monte -Cristo made a

“
.

sig n to him to be silent .

I do not recollect it , said Hayd e e

”
.

The noise increased steps were heard approaching ; the y were

,

descending the steps to the cavern S elim made ready his lance S oon

‘
. .

a figur e appeared in the gray twilight , formed by the few rays of day

you ? cried S elim

’ ‘
light which found their way in th e entrance of the cavern
But whoever you may be I charge you not to
.
Who are
,
.

‘
advance another step ’
Glo ry to the S ultan ! said t h e figu r e
.
’
He .

grants a full pardon to the Vizier Ali ; and not only gives him his life

‘
,

but r estores to him his fortune and his possessions M y mother utte r e d
’

‘
.

a c r y of j oy and clasped me to her bosom

,
S top ! said S elim , seeing
’
.

that sh e wa s about to go out ; you se e I have not yet received the

ring.
’
T r ue , said my mother And sh e fell 0 11 he r knees , at the
’
.

same time holding me up toward heaven as if she desi r ed whilst p r ay

, ,

ing to God in my beh alf, to raise me actually to his presence ”

.
 THE C O UN T OF M ON T E -CR I S TO
.
55

And for the second time Hayd e e stopped , overcome by such violent
emotion that the perspiration stood upon her pale brow , and he r stifled
voice seemed hardly able to find utterance , so parched and dry we r e her
throat and lips.

Monte -Cristo poured a little iced water into a glass and presented
,

it to her, saying, with a mildness in which wa s also a shade of com

“
mand , Courage ”
. Hayd e e dried he r eyes , and continued
By this time our eyes , habituated to the darkness , had recogn i zed
the messenger of the pacha, — it wa s a friend S elim had also
.
r e c o g mze d
w h 1 ch was
him ; but the brave young man only acknowledged one duty ,
 THE C O UN T OE M O N TE —C R I S T O

‘ ‘
.

to obey In whose name do come

‘ said he to him — come y o u ? ’
I

‘
. .

in the name of mas er Alio ur — you come from

t him T e b e lin ’
If Ali

‘
.
,

se f said elim you know what you we e charged to remit

l ,
’
S , m r to e

Yes said the messenger and I bring you his ring

,
’
,
At these ’
.

wor d s he raised his hand above his head , but it was too far o fl , and
there was not li ght enough for S elim , where he was standing, to d is
t ing ui sh and recognize the obj ect presented to his view I do not se e
‘ ‘
‘
. .

what you have in your hand , said S elim — A pproach , then , said the
‘
’ ’

‘
.

messenger, or I wil l come ne a r er to you if you prefer it — I will ,

’
.

agree to neither one nor the othe r , replied the young soldier ; place the
’

obj ect which I desire to se e in that ray of light where you are , and reti r e
whil st I examine it ’
Be it so , said the envoy ; and he retired , after
’

“
.

ha ving first deposited the t oken agreed on in the place pointed out .

Oh ! how our hearts palpitated ; for it did , indeed , seem to be a

ring But was it my fath er s ri ng ? S elim , still holding in his hand the
.
’

lighted m atch , walked toward the opening in the cavern , and aided by

“
‘
the ray of light , picked up the token
’ ’‘ .

I t is well ! said h e , ki ssing it ; it i s my master s ring ! And throw ’

ing the match on the ground , he trampled on it and extinguished it .

The messenger uttered a c ry of j oy , and clapped his hands At this .

signal four soldie r s of the S eraskier Koure hid suddenly appeared , and
S elim fell pierced by five blows E ach man had stabbed him sep a
.

r a t e l y ; and , intoxicated by their crime , though still pale with fear , they
'

rushed into the cavern looking to se e if there was any fire , and rolli ng
themselves on the b ags of gold At this moment my mother seized me
.

in her arms , and bounding along turnings , known only to ourselves , she
arrived at a private staircase of the kiosk , where was a scene of fri ght
ful tumul t Th e lower rooms were entirely filled wi th the t c h od oa rs of
.

Ko ure hid, that is to say, with our enemies Just as my mother was on .

the point of pushi ng open a small door , we heard the voice of the pacha
loud and threatening My mother applied her eye to the c r ack between
.

the boards ; I luckily found a small opening, and looked in What do .

‘
you want ? said my father to some people who were holding a paper
’

‘
inscribed with characters of gold Wh at we want , replied one of
them is to communicate to you the will of his highness Do you see
,
’
.

this firman I do , said my father

’
Well , read it ; he demands your

“
.

head )
My f a ther answered with a loud laugh , more frightful than any
threat , and h e had not ceased when two pistol-shots were discharged by
his hands , and killed two men The Palicares , who were lying aroun d,
.

sprang up and fired ; and the room was fi lled with fire and smoke At .

the same in stant the fi r i ng began on the other side , and the balls pene
 T HE C O UN T OF dI ON T E —CR I S T O
.
57

the boards all round us Oh ! how noble , how grand , wa s the

t rat e d .

vizier, my father , in the midst of the balls , his cimete r in his hand , and
his face black with powder ! How his enemies fled before him ! S elim ! ‘
S elim cried he , guardian of the fire , do your duty ! S elim i s dead ! ’

,
‘
replied a voice which se emed to come from the depths of the ea th and r ,

you are lost , Ali ! At the same moment an explosion

’ wa s
heard , and
the floor of the room wa s shive r ed to atoms the t h d were fi rl ng
a
s
c o o r

h t e rall y
underneath ; th r ee or four Palicares fell with their bod es 1

plowed with wounds .

 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE —C R I S T O .

My father howled aloud ; he plunged his fing e r s into the holes which
the ball s had made , and tore up one of the planks ent ire But imme .

d ia t e l y through th i s opening twenty shots were fi r ed and the flame , rush

,

ing up l ike fi r e f rom the crater of a volcano , gained the tapest r y , whi c h
it devour ed I nthe midst of all this f r ightful tumult and these te rr ific
.

cries , two r eports , fea rf ully distinct foll owed by two shrieks more h eart
,

rending than all , froz e me with te rr o r ; these two shots had mo r tally
wounded my father and it wa s he who had g iven utterance to these
,

frightful cries However , he remained standing, clinging to a window

. .

My mother tried to force the door, that sh e might go and die with him ,

b ut it was fastened on the inside All around him were lying the Pali
.

cares , writh ing in the death -throw , whilst two o r three , who we r e onl y
slightly wounded , sprang from the windows At this cri sis the whole
.

flooring suddenly gave way ; my father fell on one knee , and at the same
moment twenty hands were thrust forth , armed with sabers , pistols , and
poniards —twenty blows were instantaneously directed against one man ,
and my father di sappeared in a whirlwind of fire kin dl ed by these d emons ,

as if hell itself were opening beneath his feet I felt myself fall to the
.

ground ; it wa s my mother who had fainted ”

.

Hayd é e s arms fell by her side , and she uttered a deep groan , at the
’

same time looking toward the count , as if to a sk if he were satisfied with

her obedience to his commands .

M onte -Cristo rose and approached her ; he took her hand , and said

“
to her in R omaic
Calm yourself , my dear c hi ld , and take courage in remembering that

“
there is a God wh o will punish traitors

“ ”
”
.

It is a frightful story, coun t , said Albert , terrified at the paleness of

Ha y d é e s countenance , and I reproac h myself now for having been so
’

cruelly thoughtless .
”

O ,h it is nothing ! ”
said M onte -Cr isto .Then patting the young girl
on the head , he continued
Hayd e e is very courageous and sh e sometimes even finds consol a

“
tion in the recital of her misfort unes .
”

Because , my lord , said Hayd e e , eagerly, my miseries recal l to me

”

your goo dn ess .

”

Albert looked at her with curiosity, for she had not yet related what
he most desired to know ,—n amely , how sh e had become the slave of the
count Hayd e e saw at a glance the same expression in the countenances

“
.

of her two auditors ; sh e continued

’ ‘
When my mother recovered her senses we were before the S eraskier
Kill me , said sh e , but S par e the honor of the widow of Ali ’
.

It is not
.

me to whom you must address yourse lf said Koure hid ’

, To whom,
.
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE -C R I S T O .

uttered a pie r cing cry, and fell to the ground , pointing, a s she did so ,
to a head over the gate Above it were inscribed these words :
‘
.

This is the hea d f

o A li T e be lin, P ae ba f
o J a nina ’
.

I cried bitterly, and t r ied to raise my mother from the earth , but
h
s e was dead I was taken to the slave -market , and wa s purchased by
a r ich A r menian He caused me to be in structed , gave me masters , and

“
.

“
when I wa s thirteen years of age he sold me to the S ultan Mahmoud
Of whom I bought her , said Monte -Cristo , as I told you , Albert ,
”
”
.

with the emerald which formed a match to the one I had made into a

“
box for the purpose of holding my pastilles of hashish ”

Oh ! you are good ! you are great ! my lord ! said Hayd e e , kissing
”
.

the count s hand , and I am very fortunate in belonging to such a

’

master ”
.

Albert remained quite bewildered with all that he had seen and

“
heard .

Come ! finish your cup of co ff ee ,

”
said Monte -Cristo ; the history
is ended ”
.
 CH A P T E R LXXVIII

NEWS F R OM J ANINA

R AN Z qui tted the chamber of Noirt ie r

agitated and trem so

bling that Valentine herself would have pitied him Villefort .

had only j ust given utterance to a few incoherent sentences ,

and then retired to his study where he received about two ,

hours afterwar d the following letter :

A ft e r t he di sclosur e m a d e this morning , M Noirtier de V ill e fort c a nnot suppos e
.

a y a lli a nc e possi b l e b e tw e e n his f a mily a nd th a t of M Fra n z d E ina M d Epina y

’ ’
n p
.
y . .

is a stonish e d th a t M d e V ill e fort , who a pp e ar e d to b e a wa re of the c ircumstanc e s de ta il e d

.

this morning, shoul d not h a v e a nticip a t e d him in this a nnounc e m e nt .

”

No one who had seen the magistrate at this moment would have
supposed that he had anticipated the blow ; it certainly never had
occurred to him that his father would carry candor, or rather rudeness ,

so far as to relate such a history In truth , Noirtie r, who never cared

.

for the Opinion of his son , had never explained the affair to Vill efo r t, so
that he had always believed that the General de Q uesnel , or the Baron
d Epinay, as he was styled , according as the speaker wished to use the
’

title he had won for h imself, or that conf erred by others , fell the victim
of assassination , and not that he wa s killed fai r ly in a duel This harsh .

letter , from a young man generally so respectful , s truck a mortal blow

at the pride of Villefort .

Hardl y had he read the letter, when his wife entered The departure .

of Franz , when summoned by Noirtie r, had so much ast onl sh e d every

one , that the position of Madame de Villefort , left alone W1 th the no tary
and the witnesses , became every moment more e mb arrassrng Deter .

mined to bear it no longer , sh e l eft the room , sayi ng sh e was g orng to

se e what had happened .

Villefort told her that an explanation had taken place between

Noirt ier, d’E pinay, and himself, and that the marri age of Valenti n e and
 THE C O UN T OE M O N TE - C R I S T O.

Franz was broken off This wa s an awkwa r d t hing to have to r eport to

.

those who we r e waiting S he , therefo r e , contented he r self with saying

.

that N o irtie r having, at the commencement of the di scussion , been

attacked by a sort of apoplectic fit , the a d air would necessarily be
defe r red for some days longer Thi s ne ws , false as it was followed so
.
,

singularly in the train of the two similar misfortunes , that the audito r s
were as tonished and retired without a remark .

D uring this time , Valentine at once terrified and happy, after ha v

,

ing embraced and thanked the feeble old man for thus breaking , wi th a
single blow, the chain which she had conside r ed as indissoluble , asked
leave to retire to her own room , in o r der to recover her composur e .

N o irtie r looked the permission which sh e solicited But instead of going .

to her own room , Valentine , having once gained her liberty , ente r ed the
gallery, and opening a small door a t the end of it , found herself at once
in the garden .

In the midst of all the strange events which had c r owded one on the
othe r , an inde finabl e sentiment of dread had taken possession of Valen
tine s mind S he expected every moment that sh e should se e Mo rr el
’

“
.

appea r , pale and t r embling to forbid the signing of the contract , like
,

the Lord of R avenswood in The Bride of Lamme r moor ”

.

It was high time for her to make her appearance at the gate fo r ,

M aximilian had long awaited her coming He had guessed what was .

going on when he saw Franz quit the cemetery with Villefort He fol .

lowed him , saw him enter , afterward go out , and then re e nter with
Albe r t and Ch a teau-R enaud He had no longer any doubt ; he the r e
.

fore quickly hid hi mself in the inclosure , prepared for all events , and
certain that Valentine woul d hasten to him the fi r st moment she could .

He wa s not mist aken ; his eye , peering through the woode n partition ,

soon dis cove r ed the young girl , who , throwing aside all h e r usual pre
cautions , walked a t once to the gate The fir st glance which Maximilian
.

directed toward her entirely re -assured him ; the first words she p r o

“
no unc e d made his heart bound with delight
We are saved said Valentine
.

“
.

S aved ! repeated M orrel , not being able to conceive such inten se

”

happiness ; by whom ? ”

By my grandfather Oh, Mor r el ! pray love him well !

.

Mo r rel swore to love him with all his soul ; and at that moment he
could safely promise to do so fo r he was not content to love him me r ely

“
,

as a friend or even as a father , he worshiped him as a god .

But tell me Valentine , how has it all been e fl e c te d ? what st r ange

,
'

m eans has he used ? ”

 T HE C O UN T OF M ON TE —CR I S T O .
63

Valentine was 0 1 1 t he point of relating all but she suddenly remem

,

bered that there was a ter r i ble secret which co ncerned othe r s as well as
“
her g r andfather , and she said
At some future time I will tell you all a b out it ”
.

But when will that be ? ”

When I am your wife .

”

The conversation had now turned upon a topic that made Morrel
re ady to accede to anything .He wa s, therefore , satisfied with what he
had j ust heard , and which was enough for one day However, he would .

not leave without the p r omise of seeing Valentine again the next night .

Valenti ne promised all that Morrel required of her , a nd certainly it wa s

less di fficult now for her to believe that she should marry Maximilian
than it was an hour ago to assure he r self that sh e should not ma r ry
Franz .

During the time occupied by the interview we have just detailed ,

Madame de Villefort had gone to visit N oirtier The old man looked .

at her with that stern and fo r bidding expression with which he wa s

accustomed to receive her
“ .

S ir , said sh e , it is superfluous for me to tell you that Valentine s

” ’

mar r iage is b oken

r o fl ,
since it was here that the rupture took place ”
.

Noirtie r s countenance remained immovable

’
.

But one thing I do not think you are awa r e of that is that I have ,

always been opposed to this mar riage , and that it was entered into
e ntirely without my consent
”
.

Noirti e r regarded his daughter-in-law with the look of a man desir

ing an explanation .

N ow that this marriage , which I kno w you so much disliked , is done

away with , I come to you on an errand whic h neither M de Vil lefo r t .

nor Valentine could consistently undertake ”

.

Noirt ie r s eyes demanded the natu

’
r e of her mission .

I come to entreat you sir,” continued Madame de Villefort, as the

,

o nly one who has the right inasmuch a s I am the only one who will
,

receive no benefit I come to entreat you to restore , not your love ,

.

for that sh e ha s always possessed but your fortune to your grand

,

daughter .
”

There wa s a doubtful expression in N oirt ie r s eyes ; he was evidently

’

trying to discover the motive of this proceeding, and he could not suc

“
c e e d in doing so
.

May I hope , sir, said Madame de Villefort , that your intentions

”
“
accord with my request ? ”

Noi rt ier made a sign that they did .

 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —C R I S T O

“
.

In that case , si r,
”
l f
rej oined Madame de Vi le ort I withd aw grate
,
r ,

f ul and happy ”
S he then bowed to Noirt ie r and retired
. .

The next day Noirt ie r sent for the notary ; the first wi ll wa s torn up
and a second made , in which he left the whole of his fo r tune to Valen
tine , ou condition that she should never be separated from him It was
m
.

then generally reported that Made oiselle de Villefort, the heiress of

the Marquis and Ma r chioness de S aint -M e ran , and restored to the good
gr a ces of her grandfather, would ul timately have an income of three
hundred thousand livres .

Whilst the engagement was being broken at the house of Vill e

fort , M orc e rf had received the visit of Monte -Cristo , and to show his
regard for Danglars , he assumed his dress un iform of lieutenant -general
with all his orders , ordered his best horses , and drove to the R ue de la
Chausse e d A nt in
’
’
D anglars was balancing his monthly accounts , and
.

it was not the best time for finding him in good humor At the first .

sight of his old friend , Danglars assumed his maj estic air and settled
himself in his easy-chair .

M orc e rf usually so formal , had assumed an a fl ab l e and smi ling

,

manner , and feeling sure that the overture he was about to make woul d
be well received , he did not adopt any man oeuvres but went at once

“ “
,

straight to the point .

Well , baron , said he , here I am at last ; some time has elapsed

”

since ou r plan s were formed , a nd they are not yet e xecuted

”
.

M orc e rf paused at these words , to see the brow of D anglars cleared

of the cloud which he attributed to his silence ; but on the contrary , ,

to his great surpri se it grew darker and more impassible .

To what do you allude , M l e Comte ? said Danglars , as if he was

”

“ “
.

trying in vain to guess at the meaning of the general s words ’

.

Ah ! said M orc e rf ; I se e you are a stickler for form s my dear

”
,

sir , and you remind me that the ceremonial rites should not be omitted .

M a f oi I I beg your pardon , but as I have but one son, and it is the first
time I have ever thought of marrying him , I am still serving my
apprenticeship , you know : come , I will do my duty ”
.

And M orc e rf, with a forced smile , rose and making a low bow to

“
,

Dangla r s , said
M le Baron I have the hono r Of asking of you the hand of
.
,

M ademoiselle Eug e nie Dangla r s for my so n, Viscount Albert de

M orc e rf ”
.

But D anglars , instead of recei ving this address in the favorable

manner which M orc e rf had expected , knit his brow, and wi thout invi t
ing the count wh o wa s still standing to take a seat , he said
, ,

M le Comte , it will be necessary to reflect before I give you an

.

answer .
”
 THE C O UN T OF M O N T E —C R I S T O .

sil ence ; but one thing at least is clear , whi c h is that you decline allying

“
,

yourself with my family ”

.

N o sir , said Dangla r s ; I merely suspend my decision , that is all

,
” ”
.

And do you really flatter yourse lf that I shall yield to all your
caprice s and quietly and humbly await the time of again being received

“
,

into your good graces ? ”

Then , M l e Comte if you will not wait , we must look upon these
.
,

proj ects as if they had never been ente r tain ed ”

.

The count bit his lips till the blood almost started , to prevent the
e b ull ition of anger which his proud and ir r itable temper sca r cely allowed
hi m to restrain ; unde r standing ho wever, that in the p r esent sta te of
,

things the laugh would decidedly be against him, he turned from the
door , toward which he had been directing his steps and again con ,

fronted the ba nker A cloud settled on his brow , evincing decided

.

anxiety and uneasiness , instead of the expression of o ff ended pride

“
which had lately reigned there .

“
My dear Dangla r s , said M o rc e rf, we have been acquainted for
”

many years and consequently we ough t to make some allowance for

,

each other s failings You owe me an explanatio n and really it is but

’
.
,

fair that I should know what unfortunate circumstance has deprived

“
my son of your favor ”
.

It is no personal feeling to ward the V iscount , that is all I c a n sa y ,

sir, replied Danglars who resumed his insolent manner as soon as b e

”

“
,

perceived that M orc e rf w a s a little softened and calmed down .

And toward whom do you he ar this personal ill -feeling then said
M o rc e rf, turning pale with anger The expression of the count s face
.
’

had not remained unperceived by the banker ; he fixed on him a look of

g r eater assurance than before , and said :
You wo uld thank me for not goi ng further into particulars ”
.

A trembling , caused by suppressed rage , shook the whole f r ame of

“
the count and making a violent e ff ort over himself he said
,

I have a right to insist 0 1 1 your giving me an explanation I s it .

Madame de M orc e rf who has displeased you ? is it my fortune which

you find insuffi cient ? is it because my opinions di ff er from yours
N othing of the kind , sir, repli ed Danglars ; if such had been the
” “
case I only should have been to blame , inasmuch as I was aware of all
,

these things when I made the engagemen t N o , do not seek any longer .

to discover the reason Let us a de pt the middle course namely, delay,

.
,

which implies neither a rupture nor an engagement There is no hu r ry . .

My daughter is only seventeen years old , and your son twenty-one .

Wh ilst we wait ti me will be prog ressing , events will succeed each other
, ,

things which yesterday look obscure , appear but too clear to -morrow, and
sometimes the lapse of a day , will destroy the most c r uel calumnies ”
.
 T HE CO UN T OF M ON TE —CR I S T O .
69

Calumnies , did you say, sir ? cried M orc e rf, turning livid with rage
”
.

Does any one dare to slander me ? ”

M le Comte , I told you that I considered it best to avoid all explan a

.

tion.
”

Then , sir , I am patiently to s ubmit to you r refusal ? ”

Painful for me above all ; ye s, more painful to me than to you , for I
had reckoned on the honor of your alliance , and the breaking off of a

“ “
marriage -contract always inj ures the lady mo r e than the gentleman ”
Eno ugh , sir, said M orc e rf, we will speak no more on the sub
”
.

And clenching his gloves with passion , he left the apa r tment .

Danglars remarked that during the whole conversation M orce rf h ad

never once dared to ask if it was on his own , M orc e rf s, account that
’

Danglars recalled his word .

That evening there was a long confe r ence between several f r iends ,
and Cavalcanti , wh o had remained in the drawing-room with the ladies
wa s the last to leave the house of the banker .

The next morning di rectly he awoke , Danglars asked for the news
,

papers ; they were brought to him ; he laid aside three or four , and at
least fixed on l I mp ar tia l it was the paper of which Beauchamp was the
’

chief editor He hastily tore off the cover, opened the jour nal with
.

nervous precipitation , passed contemptuously over the city column and ,

arriving at the miscellaneous intelligence , stopped , with a malicious

smile , at a pa r agraph headed

Corr e sp ondence fr om J aninn

.

Very good ! observed Danglars afte r having r ead the paragraph ,

”
,

here is a little article on Colonel Fernand , which , if I am not mistaken ,

will render the explanation which the Count de M orc e rf required of me
perfectly unnecessary ”
.

At the same moment , that is, at nine o clock in the morning Al be r t

’
,

de M orce rf , dressed in a black coat buttoned up to his chin , was walk

ing with a quick step to M onte Cristo s house in the Champs Elys e es
- ’ .

When he presented himself at the gate the porter informed him that the
count had gone out about half an hour p r eviously .

Did he take B aptistin with him

N O M lo Vicomte
, .
”
.

Cal l hi m then ; I wish to speak to him .

-
The concierg e went to seek the valet de chambre , and ret rned
- u w1 t h

“
him in an instant .

“
My good friend , said Albert , I beg pardon for my
” i nt rusr
”
on ; but
I was anxious to know from you if your master was really out .
 TH E CO UN T OF M ON TE —C R I S T O
'

He is really out, sir replied Baptistin

,
”
.

Out , even to me ?
I know how happy my master always is to receive M l e Co mte .
,
”

said Baptistin ; and I shoul d therefore never include him in any

“
general order ”
.

You are right ; and now I wish to see him on an a ff air of g r eat
importance ; do you think it will be long before he comes in ? ”

N o , I think not ; for he ordered his breakfast at ten o clock

’ ”
.

Well I will go and take a turn in the Champs Elys e es , and at ten
,

o clock I will return here ; meanwhile , if M l e Comte shoul d come in ,

’
.

will you beg hi m not to go out again without seeing me

You may depend on my doing so , sir, said Baptistin
”
.

Al bert left the fia cre in which he had come standing at the door of
the count , intendi ng to take a turn on foot As he was passing the Al lée
.

des Veuves he thought he saw the count s horses standing at G osse t s

,
’ ’

shooting -gallery ; he approached , and soon recognized the coachman .

I s M le Comte shooting in the gallery ? said M orc e rf

.
”
.

Y e s, sir , replied the coachman

”
Whil st he wa s speaking, Al bert
.

had heard the report of two or thr ee pistol -shots He entered , and on

“ “
.

hi s way met the waiter .

Excuse me , M l e Vicomte , s aid the lad ; but wil l you have the
”

“
.

kindness to wait a moment ? ”

What for, Philip ? asked Albert, who being a constant visitor

”

“
,

there did not understand this opposition to his entrance

,
.

Because the person wh o is now in the gallery prefers being al one

and never practices in the presence of any one ”
.

N ot even before you , Phili p ? Then who loads his pistol ?

His servant .

A N ubian ? ”

A N egro ”
.

It is he then ?
,
”

Do you know this gentleman ? ”

Yes and I am c ome to look for him ; he is a friend of mine

,
”
.

Oh ! that is quite another thing , then I will go immediately and

.

inform him of yo ur arri v al ”

.

And Phil ip , urged by his o wn curiosity, entered the galle ry ; a

“
second afterward Monte -Cri sto appeared on the threshold
I ask your pardon my dear count , said Albert , fo r following you
,
” “ .

here ; and I must first tell you that it was not the faul t of your servants
that I did so ; I alone am to blame for this indiscretion I went to your .

house , and they told me you were out , but that they expected you home
at te n o clock to breakfast I was walking about in order to pass away
’
.
 THE CO UN T O F M ON TE —C R I S T O
.
71

the time till ten o clock , when I caught sight of your carriage and
’

“
horses.
”

What you have j ust said induces me to hope that you intend break
fasting wi th me
.
”

N o , thank you , I am not thinking of b r eakfast, just ne w perhaps

;
“
we may take that meal at a later hour and in worse company
What on earth a e you talking of
r
.

I am to fight to -da
y
”
.

What for ? ”
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE - C R I S T O .

Fo r the sake of fighting ! ”

Yes I unde r stand that b ut what is the quarrel ? People fight for

“
, ,

all sorts of reasons , you know

”
.

I fight in the cause of hono r .

”

Ah ! that is something se r ious ”

.

S o se r ious that I come to beg you to rende r me a ser v i c e

,
.
”

What is it ?
To b e my second .

That is a serious matter let us speak of nothing till we get home .

Ali b r ing me some water

,
”
.

The count turned up his sleeves , and passed into the l ittle vestibule

“
whe r e the gentlemen we r e accustomed to wash their hands after shooting
Come in M le Vicomte said Philip , in a low tone , and I will show
,
.
,
”
.

you something droll ”

M orc e rf e ntered , and instead of the usual mark,
.

he perceived some playing-cards fixed against the wall At a di stance .

Albert thought it wa s a complete suit , for he counted f r om the ace to

“
the ten .

A h ! ah ! ”
said Albert “
I see you were p r epa r ing for a game of

“
,

cards .
”

N said the count , I was making a suit of ca r ds ”

.

How said Al bert .

Those are really aces and twos which you see , but my balls have
turned them into th r ees , fives , sevens , eights nines , and tens ”
,
.

Albe r t app r oached In fact the balls had actually pierced the cards
.
,

in the exact places which the painted signs would other wi se have o c c u
pied , the lines and distances being as regula r ly kept as if they had been
r uled with pencil .

In going up to the target , M o rc e rf picked up two o r three swallows

that had been rash enough to come within the r ange of the count s ’

pistol .

D ia blc I said M orc e rf .

Wh at would you have my dear Viscount ,

said Monte -Cr isto , wip
ing his hands on the towel which Ali had b rought him ; I must occupy
my leisu r e moments in some way o r othe r But come I am at your .
,

s e r vi c e
”
.

Bot h then ente r ed Monte -Cr isto s cha r iot which in the cou r se of a
’
,

few minutes deposited them safely at N o 3 0 Monte -Cristo took Albe r t . .

into his study, and pointing to a seat placed another for himself ,
.

N ow let us talk the matter ove r quietly, said the count

”
.

You se e I am perfectly composed , said A l bert ”

.

With whom a r e you going to fight

With Beauchamp ”
.
 TH E C O UN T OF M ON TE - CR I S T O .
73

Is he one of your friends ? ”

Of course ; it is always wi th friends that one fights ”

.

I suppose you have so me cause of quarrel ? ”

I have ”
.

Wh at has he done to you ? ”

There appear ed in his journal last night —but wart and read fo r ,

yourself ” And A l bert handed over the paper to the count wh o

read as ,
.

follows :
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE - C R I S T O .

A corre spond e nt a t J a n in a inf orms us of a fa ct of which unt il now we ha d r e m a ine d

in ignora nc e .The c a stl e which form e d th e prot e ction of t he town wa s giv e n up to t he
T urks b y a Fre nch o ffi c e r n a m e d Fe rn a nd in whom t he vi zi e r A li T e b e li n had r e pos e d
, , ,

t he gr e a t e st confi d e nc e .
”

-C
Well ! said M onte risto what do you see in that to annoy you ? ”
,

Wh at do I se e in it ? ”

Y e s ; how does it concern you if the castle of Janina was gi v en up

‘
b v a French o ffi cer ? ”

It concerns me that my father , the Count de M orc e rf, has the Chris
tian name of Fernand
Did your father serve Ali Pacha
Yes ; that is to sa y, he fought for the independence of the Greeks ,
and hence arises the calumny ”
.

Oh, my dear V iscount , do talk r eason ! ”

I do not desire to d o othe r wise ”

.

‘ N ow, j ust tell me wh o the devil should know in France that the
o fl ic e r Fernand and the Count de M orc e rf are the same person ? and

“
who cares now about Janina, which was taken in 1 82 2 or 1 8 2 3
That j ust proves the pe rfid y : they have allowed all t his time to
elapse , and then , all of a sudden , rake up events which have been for
gotten , to furnish scandal to tarnish our high position I inherit my
,
.

father s name , and I do not choose that the shadow of doubt should
’

darken it I am going to send my seconds to Beauchamp , in whose

.

j ournal this paragraph appears , and I shall insist on his retracting it ”

.

Beauchamp will never retract ”

.

Then we must figh t ”

.

N o , you will not , for he wil l tell you , that perhaps there were fifty

“
o ffi cers in the Greek ar my bearing the same name
We will fight nevertheless I will e fl a c e that My father
.
”

“ ‘
.
,

such a b r ave soldier a career so brilliant

,

Oh , well , he will add , We are warranted in believing that this

Fernand i s not the Count de M orc e rf who also bears the same Christian
“
,

name .
’

I am determined not to be content with anything sho r t of an entire

“
retractation ”
.

And you intend to send your seconds ? ”

Yes ”
.

You do wrong ”
.

Which means , I suppose , that you refuse the service which I asked
of you ? ”
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE —CR I S T O.

S he can declare to you , for example , that your father had no hand
whatever in the defeat and death of the vizier ; or if by chance he had,
indeed the misfortune to
,

I have already told you , my dear count , that I would not for one
moment admit of such a supposition ”
.

You rej ect this means of information , then ? ”

Most decide dl y .

Then , one last word of advice ”

.

Well ! let it be the last ”

.

You do not wish to hear it , perhaps ? ”

On the contra ry , I request it ”

.

—
D o not send your seconds to Beauchamp vi sit him alone ”
.

That wo ul d be contrary to all custom ”

.

Your case is not an ordinary one ”

.

And what is your reason for advising me to go alone ? ”

Because then the a ff air will rest between you and Beauchamp ”
.

Explain yourself ”
.

I wi ll do so If Beauchamp be disposed to retract , you ought to give

.

him the opportunity of doing it of his own free will ; the satisfaction to
you will be the same ; if on the contrary, he refuses to do so it will then
, ,

be quite time enough to admit two strangers into your secret ”

.

They will not be strangers , they will be f r iends ”

.

Ah but the friends of to -day are the enemies of to -morrow ; Beau

,

c h a nrp fo r instance
”
.
,

S o you recommend
I recommend you to be prudent ”
.

Then you ad v ise me to go alone to Beauchamp

I do , and I will tell you wh y When you wish to O btain some con
.

cession from a man s self-love , you must avoid the appearance of wish
’

ing to wound it ”
.

I believe you are right ”

.

I am glad of it .
”

Then I wi ll go alone ”
.

Go ; but you would do better still by not going at all ”

.

That is impossible ”
.

DO so, then ; it will be a wiser plan than the first which you pro
posed ”
.

But if, in spite of all my precautions , I am at last obliged to fight,

will you not be my second ? ”

M y dear Viscount , said Monte -Cristo , gravely you must have seen
”
,
“
befo r e to -day that at all times and in all places I have been at your di s
posal but the service which you have j ust demanded of me is one which
,

it is out of my power to render you ”

.
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE - CR I S T O .
77

Perhaps you may know at some future period , and , in the mean

“
time , I request your indulgence for my secret ”
Well I will have Franz and Ch a teau-R enaud
.

“
,

Do so, then , they will be the very men for it ”

.

But if I do fight , you will surely not obj ect to giving me a lesson or

“
two in shooting and fencing ?
That , too , is impossible ”
”

What a singular being you are —you wil l not interfere in any

“
thing .
”

You are ri ght — that is the principle on which I wish to act ” .

-
We will say no more about it , then Good bye , count
.
”
.

M orc e rf took his hat , and left the room He found his chariot at the
.

door , and doing his utmost to restrain his anger, he drove at once to
Beauchamp s house Beauchamp wa s in his o ffice It was one of those
’
. .

—
gloomy, dusty looking apartments , such as j ournalists o ffices have
’

always been The servant announced A l bert de M orc e rf Beauchamp

. .

repeated the name to himself, and then gave orders fo r him to be

admitted Albert entered
. .

Beauchamp uttered an exclamation of surprise on seeing his f r iend

leap over and trample under foot all the newspapers which were strewed
about the room

“
.

Here ! here ! my dear Albert ! said he holding out his hand to the
”
,

young man . Are you out of your senses , or do you come peaceably
to take breakfast with me Try and find a seat — there is one by that
geranium , which is the only thing in the room to remind me that there
”
a r e other leaves in the world besides leaves of paper .

”
Beauchamp , said Al bert , it is of your j ournal that I come to speak
” .

Indeed ! what do you wish to say about it ? ”

”
I desire that a statement contained in it should be rectified .

”
To what do you allude ? But pray sit down .

Thank you said Albert with a cold and formal b ow

”
, ,
.

Will you now explain ? ”

An announcement has been made which implicates the honor of a

“
member of my family ”
.

What is it,” said Beauchamp , much surprised ; surely you must be

“
mistaken ”
.

‘
It is an article h eaded Janina ’
.

Janina
Yes ; really you appea r to be totally ignorant of the cause which

“
brings me here ”
.

S uch i s really the case , I assure you , upon my honor ! B apt rst e ,

give me yesterday s paper , cried Beauchamp

’ ” .
 T HE C O UN T OF M ON TE —C R I S T O .

Here , I have brought mine with me r eplied Albert ,

”
.

Beauchamp took the pape r , and read the article to which Albert
pointed , in an under-tone .

You se e it is a serious annoyance s a id M orc e rf, when Beauchamp

”

“
,

had finished the perusal of the paragraph .

Is the o fficer alluded to a relation of yours , then ? demanded the

”

“
j ournalist .

Yes said Albert , blushing

,
”
.

Well , what do you wish me to do for you ? said Beauchamp ,

”

m il dly .

My dear Beauchamp , I wish you to contradict this statement ”

“
.

“
Beauchamp looked at Albe r t with a benevolent expression
Come , said he , this matter will want a good deal of talking over ;
”
.

a retraction is always a serious thing, you know S it down and I will .

read it again ”
.

Albert resumed his seat , and Beauchamp read , with more attention
than at first , the lines denounced by his friend
Well said Albert , in a determined tone , you see that your paper
,
”

has insulted a member of my famil y and I insist 0 11 a retractation

,
”
.

You insist
Yes , I insist ”
.

Permit me to remind you that you are not very diplomatic , my dear

“
Viscount ”
.

N or do I wish to be , replied the young man ri sing

”
I repeat that .

I am determined to have the announcement of yesterday contradicted .

You have known me long enough , continued Albert , biting his lips
”

“
convulsively, for he saw that Beauchamp s anger was be gi nn ing to ’

rise
,
you have been my friend , and therefore sufli c ie ntly int imate
with me to be aware that I am likely to maintain my resolution on this

“
point ”
.

If I have been your friend , M orc e rf , your present manner of speak

ing would almost lead me to forget that I ever bore that titl e But .

wait a moment , do not let us get angry, or at least not yet You are .

irritated and vexed tell me how this Fernand is related to you ? ”

He is merely my father , said A l bert

”
M Fernand Mondego , .

Count de M orc e rf, an old soldier , who has fought in twenty battles , and
whose honorable scars they would denounce as badges of disgrace
Is it your father ? said Beauchamp ; that is quite another thing
”
”

“ .

Then I can well understand your indignation my dear A l bert I will

“
.
,
”
reperuse And he read the paragraph for the thir d time , laying a stress
.

on each word as he proceeded But the paper nowhere identifies this

.

Fernand wi th your f a ther ”

.
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —C R I S T O .
81

N0 ; but the connection will be seen by others , and therefore I will

have the article contradicted ”
.

At the words I will, Beauchamp steadily raised his eyes to A l bert s ’

countenance , and then as g radually lowering them , he remained

thoughtful for a few moments .

You will retract this assertio n, will you not , Beauchamp ? ” said
Albert , with increased though stifled anger .

Yes , replied Beauchamp

”
.

Imme di ately ? said Albert

”
.

When I am convi nced the statement i s false ”

.

What
The thing i s worth looki ng into , and I will take pains to investigate

“
the matter thoroughly .
”

But what is there to investigate , sir ? said Albert , enraged beyond

”

measure at Beauchamp s last remark

’
If you do not believe that it is
.

my father, say so immediately ; and if, on the contrary, you believe it

to be him , state your reasons for doi ng so ”
.

Beauchamp looked at Albert with the smile which was so peculiar

to him , and which , in it s numerous modifications , served to express

“ “
.

every varied feeling of his mind .

S ir , replied he , if you came to me with the idea of demanding

”

satisfaction , you should have gone at once to t he point , and not have
entertained me with the idle conversation to which I have been patiently
liste ning for the last half-hour Am I to put this construction on your

“
.

visit
Ye s, if you will not consent to retract that infamous calumny .

Wait a moment — no threats , if you please M Fernand Mondego , ,

.

Vicomte de M orc e rf ; I never allow them from my enemies and there ,

fore shall not put up with them from my fri ends You insist on my .

contradicting the article relating to General Fernand , an article in which ,

I assure you , on my word of honor I have not taken the slightest share ?
,
”

Yes , I insist on it ! said Albert , whose mind was beginning to get

“
be wildered with the excitement of his feelings
And if I refuse , we fight ? said Beauchamp in a calm tone
.

“
,

Yes , replied Albert raising his voice

”
,
.

We ll ,” said Beauchamp , here is my answer , my dear sir The artr .

cle was not inse rted by me — I wa s not even aware of it ; but you have ,

rn
by the step you have taken , called my attention to the p ragraph a

question , and it will remain until it sh a l l b e either c ont

’

ra drc t e d or con

“ “
fi r med by some one wh o has a right to do so
S i r , said Albert , rising I will do myself the honor of
”
,
s e n
.

d rng my
seconds to you and you will be kind enough to arrange wi th them the
,

place and the weap ons .

”
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE —C R I S T O .

Cert ainl y , my d ear sir ”

.

And this evening, if you please , or to -morrow at the latest , we will

meet
‘.
”

N o , no ! I wi ll be on the ground at the proper time ; but in my o piu

ion (and I have a right to dictate the preliminaries , as it is I who have
—in my opinion the ti me ought not to be yet
.

received the p r ovocation ) .

I know you fence well , and I only moderately ; I know , too , that you
are a good ma r ksman — the r e w e a r e about equal I know that a duel
.

between us tw o would be serious , because you are brave

and I am brave also I do not , therefore , wish either to kill you or to b e
.

kill ed myself, wi thout a cause N ow , I am going to put a question to

.

you , and categorically, too D o you insist on this retractation so far as

.

to kil l me if I do not make it , although I have repeated it more than

once and a ffirmed , on my honor, that I was ignorant of the thing with
,

which you charge me , and although I still declare that it is impossible

for any one but you to recognize the Co unt de M orc e rf under the name

“
of Fernand
I maintain my original resolution ”
.

Very well , my dear sir ; then I consent to cut throats with you But

‘
.

I require three weeks preparation at the end of that time I shall come
’

a nd sa y to you , The assertion is fal se , and I retract it or , The asse r

’
,

tion is true , when I shall immediately draw th e sword from its sheath
’

“
,

o r the pistols from the case , wh ichever you please ”

.

T hree weeks ! cried Albert ;

”
they will pass as slowly as th r ee

“
centurie s when I am all the time sufie ring dishono r ”

‘
.

Had you continued to remain on amicable term s with me , I should

‘
have said , Patience , my friend ; but you have constituted yourself my
’

enemy, therefore I sa y, What does that signify to me ,

Well , let it be three weeks then , said M or c e rf
”
,
but remembe r , at
the expiration of that time no delay or subterfuge will j ust ify you
in
M Albert de M orc e rf said Beauchamp , rising in his tu r n , I
.
,
” “can
not th r ow you out of window for three weeks , that is to sa y, fo r
twenty-four days to come , nor have you any right to split my skull
,

O pen till that time has elapsed To -day is the 2 9th of August ; the 2 1 st
.

of S ep t ember will , therefore be the conclusion of the term agreed on ,

,

and till th at time arrives an d it is the advice of a gentleman which I

,

am about to g ive you , till then we wi ll refrain f r om growling and

ba r king li ke two dogs chained within sight of each othe r ”
.

When he had concluded this speech , Beauchamp bowed coldly to

Albert, turned his back upon him , and retired to his printing ofli c e - ‘ .

Albert vented his anger on a pile of newspapers , which he scattered by

s witching them violently with his stick ; after which he departed
 CH A P T E R LXXIX

T HE L EM ONAD E

ORR E L was, in fact , very happy . Noirt ie r

had j ust sent
for him , and he was in such haste to know the reason of his
doing so that he had not stopped to take a fia cre, placing
infinitely more dependence on his own two legs than on the
-
fou r legs of a cab horse He had , therefore , se t ofl at a run from the
.

R ue M osley, and wa s hastening with rapid strides in the direction of

“
the Faubourg S aint-Honoré .

Morrel advanced at the double , and poor Barrois followed him as

”

he best might ; Morrel was only thir ty- one , Barrois was sixty years of
age Morrel was in love , and Barrois was dying with heat These two .

men , thus Opposed in age and interests , resembled two sides of a tri
angle part ed at the base , but uniting at the apex This point of union
,
.

was N oirt ie r, and it was he who had j ust sent for Morrel with the ,

request that he would lose no time in coming to him — a command

which Morrel obeyed to the letter , to the great di sc omfit ure of Bar
rois On arriving at the house , Mo rrel was not even out of breath ,
.

for love lends wings ; but Barrois , who had long forgotten what it was
to love , was exhausted .

The old servant introduced Morrel by a private entrance closed the ,

door of the study , and soon the rustling of a dr ess announced the arr ival
O f Valentine. S he looked marvelously beautiful in her deep mourn ing
dress , and so fair was the dream that M orrel could almost have dis
p e nse d with the conversation of her grandfather .

But the easy-chair of the Old man was h eard rolling along the floor ,

and he soon m ade his appearance in the room Noirt ie r acknowledged

.

by a look of extreme kindness the t hanks which M orrel lavished on him 1

for his timely intervention on behalf of Valentine and himself — ah

inter vention which had saved them fro m despair Morrel then cast on
.

84
 T HE CO UN T OF M ON TE —CR I S T O .
85

Valentine an interrogative look as to the new favor which he designed

to bestow on him S he was sitting at a little distance from them
.
,

timidl y awaiting the moment whe n she should be obliged to speak

“
.

N Oirtie r, in his turn , fixed his eye s on her .

Am I to say what you told me ? asked Valentine N oirtie r made

”

“
.

a sign that she was to do so

“
.

M Morrel , said Valentine to the young man , who was regarding her
.
”

with the most intense interest , my grandfather , M Noirt ie r, had a .

thousand things to say, which he told me three days ago ; and now he
has sent for you, that I may repeat them to you ; I will repeat them ,
then ; and since h e ha s chosen me as his interpreter , I will be faithful
to the trust , and will not alter a word of his intentions ”
.

Oh I am listening with the greatest impatience , replied the you ng

,
”

man ; speak , I beg of you ”

.

Valentine c ast down her eyes ; this wa s a good omen for Morrel ,

“
for he kne w that nothing but happiness could thus overcome Valentine
My grandfather intends leaving this house , said she , and Bar r ois
” “ .

“
is looking out for suitable apartme nts for him in another
But you , Mademoisell e de Villefort , you , wh o are necessary to M
”
.

“ “
.

Noirtie r s happine ss
’

Me ? interrupted Valentine , I shall not leave my grandfather

”
,

that is an unde rst oo d thing between us My apartment will be close to

’

his N ow, M de Villefort must either give his c onse nt to this plan or
. .

his refusal ; in the first case , I shall leave di rectly ; and in the second ,
I shall await my maj ority , which will be completed in about ten months

“
.

Then I shall be free I shall have an independent fortune , and

,

And what demanded Morrel .

A nd, with my grandfather s consent , I shall fulfill the promise which

’

I have made you ”

.

Valentine pronounced these few last words in such a low tone , that
nothing but Morrel s intense interest in what she wa s saying could have
’

“
enabled him t O he ar them °

Have I not explained your wishes , g r andpapa ? said Valentine”

,

“
addressing Noirt ier
Y e s, looked the old man
”
.

O nce under my grandfather ’ s roof M

,
Morrel can visit me m the.

presence of my good and worthy protector, if we still feel that the u nro n

we contemplated wi ll be likely to insure our future comfo r t and h app r

ness ; in that case I shall expect M Morrel to come and claim me at my .

own hands But , a las ! I have heard it said that hea r ts i nflamed by

“
.

”
obstacles to their desire grow cold in time of security .

Oh ! ” cried Morrel a l most tempted to throw h rm se lf on hrs knees

,
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —CR I S T O.

before No irt ie r “
before God and before Valentine as an angel what
as

“ntil th at time continued the young girl in a calm and self pos
, ,

i
have I ever done in my l fe to me it such unbounded happiness r ? ”

U
sessed tone of voice “ ,
”

we will respect the usages of society and eve

,
,

,
-

r
the wishes of our relatives , so long a s those wishes do not tend finally
to separate us ; in one word , and I repeat it , because it expresses every
thing we wi ll wait ”
.

And I swear to make all the sac ri fices which this wo r d imposes , sir ”

“
,

said Morrel , not only with resignation , but with cheerfulness ”

.

Therefore continued Valentine , looking playfully at Maximilian

”
, ,

no mo r e imprudence do not compromise her who f r om this day regards

herself as d estined , honorably and happily, to bear your name ?
Mo r r el looked obedi ence to her commands N Oirt ier regarded the .

lovers with a look of ine ff able te nderness , whilst Ba r rois who had ,

remained in the room in the character of a man privileged to know

everyt hing th at passed , smiled on the youthf ul couple as he wiped the
perspiration from his bald fo r ehead .

How hot you look , my good Barrois said Valentine .

Ah ! I h ave been running very fast , mademoiselle ; but I must do

M Mo rr el the j ustice to s ay that he ran sti ll faster
.
”
.

N oirt ie r directed their attention to a waiter on which was placed a ,

decanter containing lemonade and a glass The decanter was ne arly .

full , with the exception of a little , which had been al r eady drunk by M .

N oirtie r .

“
ome Barrois said the young girl take some of this lemonade I
C ”
;

“ “
, , ,

se eyou are coveting a good d r aught of it ”

.

The fact is mademoiselle said Barrois I am dy ng with thirst

,
”
,
i ,

a nd since you are so kind as to offer it me , I cannot say I should at all

“
obj ect to drinking yo ur health in a glass of it ”
.

Take some , then and come back immediately

,
”
.

Ba r rois took away the waiter, and har dl y w a s b e outside the door ,
which , in his haste , he forgot to shut , then they sa w him throw back
his head and empty to the very dr egs the glass which Valentine had
filled Valentine and Morrel w ere exchanging their adieux in the pres
.

ence of N oirt ie r when a ring was heard at the door-bell I t was the

“ “
.

signal of a visit Valentine looked at her watch

. .

It is past noon , said she and to -day is S aturday ; I da r e say it is

”
,

the doc t or , grandpapa ”

.

N o irtier looked his conviction that she was right in her supposition .

He will come in here , and M Morrel had better go ; do you think so,

“
.

grandpapa
Y e s signed the Ol d man
”
, .

Barrois cried Valentine , Barrois

 THE CO UN T OF Jl I ON T E —C R I S T O .

i
his cramped hand he grasped a piece of fur niture to enable him to stand
upright .

He is going to fall ! cried Morrel

”
.

The trembli ng which had attacked Barrois gradually increased , the

features of the face became quite altered and the convulsive movement ,

of the muscles indicated a most serious n ervous attack Noirt ie r, see .

ing Barrois in this pitiable condition , showed by his looks all the various
emotions which c a n animate th e heart of man Barrois made some

“ “
.

steps toward his master .

Ah , sir said he tell me what is the matter with me I am suff e r

”
,
.

ing I cannot see A thousand fiery darts are piercing my brain Ah

. .

don t touch me pray don t

’
,
’
.
”

By this time his haggard eyes were starting fro m their sockets ; his
head fe ll back , and the rest of the body began to sti ff en .

Valentine uttered a cry of horror ; M orrel took her in his arms as

“
,

if to defend her from some unknown danger .

M d A vrigny ! M d A v rig ny cried she in a stifled voice

.
’ ”
.
’
,
.

h elp ! ”

Barrois turned round and with a great e ff ort , stumbled a few steps ,
,

then fell at the feet of Noirti e r and resting his hand on the knee of the

“
,

invali d , exclaimed
My master my good master ! ”

At this moment Villefort , attracted by the noise , appeared on the

threshold Morrel relaxed his hold of Valentine , and retreating to a
.

d istant corner of the room he remained half hidden behind a curtain

,
.

Pale as if he had been gazing on a serpent , he fixed hi s terrified eye on

the agonized s ufferer .

N oirt ie r, burning with impatience and terror , wa s in despair at his

utter inabili ty to help his old domestic , whom b e regarded more in the
light of a friend than a servant One mi ght trace the ter r ible conflict
.

which was going on between the living , energetic mind , and the inani
mate and helpless bo d y, by the fearful swelling of the veins of his fore
head and the contraction of the muscles round the eye .

Barrois , his feature s convul sed , hi s eyes suffused with blood , and his
head thrown back , was l ying at full length , beating the floor with his
hands whilst his legs were become so stiff that they looked as if they
,

would b r eak rather than bend A slight appearance of foam was visi b le
.

r ound the mouth and h e b r eathed painfully and wi th extreme dif

, ,

fic ult y.
Villefort seemed st upifie d with astonishment , and remained gazin g
intently on t he scene before h im without uttering a wo r d He had not .

seen Morrel After a moment of dumb contemplation du r ing which

.
,
 T HE C OU N T OF M ON TE - C R I S T O .
39

his face became pale , and his hair seemed to stand on end , he sp r ang

“
toward the door , crying out
Doctor ! doctor ! come instantly ; pray come ! ”

running upstairs to meet her ; “

Madame ! madame ! cried Valentine , calling her step -mother and
”

come qui ck , quick ! and bring your

,

“
bottle of smelli ng salts with you
- ”
.

What is the matter ? said Madame de Villefort , in a ha r sh and

”

“
constrained tone .

Oh ! come ! come ”
.

B ut where is the doctor ? ”

exclaimed Villefort ; where is he ? ”
Madame de Villefort now deliberately descended the staircase In .

one hand she held her handkerchief, with which she appeared to be
wiping her face , and in the other a bottle of English smelling-salts Her .

fir st look on entering the room was at Noirtie r, whose face , i nde pe n

dent Of the emotion which such a scene could not fail of producing , pro
claimed him to be in possession of his usual health ; her second glance
was at the dyi ng man S he tur ned pale , and her eye passed quickly

“
.

from the servant and rested on the master

,
.

In the name of heaven , madame said Villefort , where is the

”
,

doctor ? He was with you j ust now You se e this is a fit of apoplexy,

:

“
.

and he might be s a ved if he could but be bled ! ”

Has he eaten anything lately ? asked Madam e de Villefo r t, eluding

”

“
her husband s question
’

”
.

“
Madame , replied Valentine he has not even breakfasted He has
,
.

b een running very fast on an errand with which my grandfather

charged him , and when he returned he took nothing but a glass of

“
lemonade .
”

Ah ! said Madame de Villefort ; why did he not take wine ?

”

Lemonade was a very bad thing for him ”

.

Grandpapa’ s bottle of lemonade wa s standing just by his side ; poor

Barrois was very thirsty , and was thankful to drink anything he could
find .
”

Madame de Villefort started N oirt ie r looked at her with a glance

“
.

of the most profound scrutiny

“
.

He has such a short neck said sh e

”
,
.

’
Madame , said Villefort , I ask where is M d A vrig ny ? In God s
” ’
.

“
name , answer me
He is wi th E dward , wh o is not quite well , replied Madame de V ille
”

fort, no longer being able to avoid answering .

Villefort rushed upstairs to fetch him himself

“
.

Take this , said Madame de Villefort , giving her

” sm e lli ng b ot fl e to
j
Valentine . They wi ll , no doubt , bleed him ; therefo r e I W i ll r e t rre ,
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —C R I S T O .

fo r I cannot end ure the sight of blood And she fo llowed he r husband
”
.

upsta irs .

Morre l now emerged from his hiding -place , whe r e he had remained

“
quite unperceived , so great had been the general confusion
Go away as qui ck as you can Maximilian , said Valentine ,
”
,
.

stay till I send for you Go ”

. .

Morrel looked toward N o irt ie r for perm ission to retire The old .

man , who had preserved all his usual s a ng -f rommade a sign to him to ,

do so T he young man pressed Valentine s hand to his lips and then

.
’
,

left the house by a back staircase .

At the same moment that he quitted the room Villefort and the ,

doctor entered by an opposite entrance Barrois wa s now showi ng .

signs of retur ning consciousness ; the crisis seemed p a st ; a low moan

ing was heard and he r aised himself on one knee D A vrig ny and
,
.
’

Villefort laid hi m on a couch .

What do you prescribe , doctor ? deman d ed Villefo r t

”
.

Give me some water and ethe r Y o u have some i n the house ha v e

“
.
,

you not ? ”

Ye s ”

“
.

S end for some oil of turpentine and ta r tar emetic .

”

Villefort immediately di spatched a messenge r And now let every .

one retire ”
.

Must I go , too ? ”
asked Valentine , timidly .

Yes , mademoiselle , you especially, replied the doctor , abruptly

”
.

‘
Valenti ne looked at d A vrig ny with astonishment , kissed he r grand
’

father ou the forehea d, and left the room The doctor closed the door

“ “
.

afte r her with a gloomy air .

Look ! look ! doctor , said Villefort, he is quite coming r ound

”

again ; I really do not t hink after all , it is anything of consequence

,
”
.

D A vr ig ny answered b y a melancholy smile

’
.

How do you feel yourself , Barrois asked he .

A little better sir,

”
.

Will you drink some of this ethe r and wate r ? ”

I will try ; but don t touch me

’ ”
.

Why not ? ”

Because I feel that if you we r e only to touch me with the tip of y o u r

“
finger the fit would retu r n
D r ink ”
.
”
.

Barrois took the glass , and raising it to his pu r ple lips took a b out ,

half of the liquid offered him .

Where do you s uff er asked the doctor .

Everywhere ; I feel a c r amp over my whole body ”

.
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —C R I S T O .

N othing
“
”
.

N o drowsiness I
N one ”
.

W
Vh a t have you eaten to -day
I have eaten nothing ; I onl y drank a glass of my master s lemon ’

—
ade that s all’ ”
And Barrois turned toward Noirtie r, who, immovably
.

fixed in his arm -chair, was contemplating this terrible scene without

“
all owing a word or movement to escape him
Where is this lemonade ? asked the doctor , eagerly
”
.

Downstairs , in the decanter ”

.

Whereabouts downstairs
In the kitchen ”
.

S hall I go and fetch it , doctor 13 inq uired Villefort (

.

N o , stay here and try to make Barrois drink the rest of this glass of
ether and water I wil l go myself and fetch th e lemonade
.
”
.

D A vri g ny bounded toward the door, flew down the back staircase ,
’

and almost knocked d own Madame de Villefort in his haste , who was
herself going do wn to the kitchen D A vrig ny paid no attention to her ;
.
’

possessed with but one idea , he cleared the last four steps with a bound,
and rushed into the kitchen , where he saw the decanter about three
parts empty still standing on the waiter , W here it had been I W
darted upon it as an eagle on its prey Panting with loss of breath he .
,

returned to the room he had just left Madame de Villefort slowly .

ascended the steps which led to her room .

Is this the decanter you spoke of asked d A vr ig ny

’
.

Yes , doctor ”
.

“
Is this the same lemonade of which you partook i?
I believe so ”
.

What did it taste like

It had a bitter taste ”
.

The doctorpoured some drops of the lemonade into the palm of his
hand , put his lips to it , and after having rinsed his mouth as a man

“
does when he is tasting wine , he spat the liquor into the fire -place
It is no doubt the same , said he ; did you drink some , too , M
” “ .

“
.

N oirt ie r
Yes
“
”
.

And did you also discover a bitte rtaste I

Yes
Oh,
.

doctor
”

“
cried B arrois the fit is coming on again
! ”
have Oh !

“
.
,

pity on me The doctor flew to

”
patient h is

“
. .

That emetic Villefort see it is coming

, ; if ”
.

Villefort sprang into the passage exclaiming -

The emetic the !
, ,
 T HE C O UN T o r M ON T E - CR I S T O .
93

emetic ! — is it come yet ? ”

N o one answe re d The most profound

“
.

terror reig ned throughout the house

“
.

If I had anything by mean s of which I could inflate the lungs , ”

said d’A vrigny, looking around him perhaps I might p r event suifo
,

cation But there is nothing which would do

. nothing ! ”

?
0 h, sir
,
” cried B arrois
,
are you going to let me die without help

“
Oh ! I am dying ! Oh ! save me !
”

A pen ! a pen ? said the doctor

” There
.
was one lying on the
table ; he endeavored to introduce i t in t o the mouth of the patient ;
 THE C O UN T OF J I O N T E -CR I S T O .

who , in the midst of his conv ulsions was making vain attempts ,

to vomit ; but the j aws were so clenched tha t the pen could not
pass them Thi s second attack was much mo r e v iolent than t he
.

fi r st , and he had slipped from the couch to the gro und , where he was
writhing in agony The d octor left him in this paroxysm , knowing
.

that he could do nothing to alleviate it , and going up t o N oirt ie r .

said abruptly :
How do you find yourself — well 1 ”

Yes
“
”
.

Light or heavy in the stomach light 1

Yes .
”

As y o u generally feel afte r the dose which I give you eve ry

“
S unday ?
Yes ”
.
”

Did Bar r ois make you r le monade ? ”

Yes ”
.

Was it you who asked him to d r ink some of it

No .
”

Was it M de Villefort ? .

No .
”

M adame
No .
”

It was your granddaughter , then wa s it not ? ”

,

Yes ”
.

A groan from Barrois , accompanied by a yawn which seemed to

crack the very j awbones , attracted the attention of d A vr ig ny ; he left ’

“
N o irt ie r, and returned to the sick man
Barrois , said the doctor , can you speak
”

““ ? ”
.

Barrois muttered a
few unintel ligible words Try and make an e ffort to do so, my good

“
.

man said d A vrig ny Barrois re -opened his blood -shot eyes

,
” ’
. .

Who made the lemonade ? ”

I did .
”

Did you bring it to your maste r directly it was made ? ”

No ”
.

You left it somewhere , then , in the mea n time ? ”

Y e s ; I left it in the pan t ry, b e c ause I was called away '

”
.

Who b rought it into this room , th en ? ”

Mademoiselle Valentine ”
D A vrig ny struck his fo r ehead with his
’

“
.

hand .

Gracious Heaven exclaimed he .

Doctor doctor ! ” cried B arr ois who felt another fit coming

,
. .

Will they never bring that emetic ? asked the doctor

”
.
 T HE C O UN T OF M O N TE —C R I S T O .

N o , no , friendreplied the doctor , you will s oon cease to suff e r ”

,
”

A h ! I unde rstand you said the unhappy man

”
,
My God have .
“ ,
.

mercy upon me ! ”
And , uttering a fearful cry, Barrois fell back as if
he had been struck by lightning .

D A vrig ny put his hand to his heart and placed a glass before h is
’
,

Well ? said Villefort .

Go to the kitchen , and get me some syrup of violets ”

“
.

Villefort went immedi ately .

Do not be alarmed , M N oirt ie r, said d A vrig ny, I am going to

.
” ’

ta ke my patient into the next room to bleed him this sort of attack is
very frightful to witness ”
.

And , taking Barrois under the arms , he dragged him into an adj oin
ing room ; but almost imme di ately, he ret urned to fetch the remainder

“
of the lemonade N oirtie r closed his right eye
.

You want Valentine , do you not ? I will tell them to send her to
.

Vill efort retur ned , a nd d A vrig ny met him in the passa g e

’
.

Well , how is he now ? asked he

”
.

Come in here , said d A vr ig ny ; and he took him in t o the chamber

” ’

“
where the sick man lay
Is he still in a fit
.

said the p rocure ur ( I n mi .

He is dead .
”

Villefort dr ew back a few steps , and , clasping his h ands , exclaimed,

“
with real amazement and sympathy , D ead ! and so soon , too ! ”

“
Yes , it is very soon ! said the doctor , looking at the corpse before
hi m ; but that ought not to astonish you ; M and Mme de S aint . .

M e ran di ed as soon People die very sudde nl y in your house , M de

. .

Vi llefort ”

“
.

What ! cried the magistrate , wi th an accent of horror and conster

”

nation , are you stil l harping on that terrible idea ? ”

S till , sir ; and I shall always do so, replied d A vrig ny, for it has
” ’ “
never for one instant ceased to retain possession of my mind ; and that
you may be quite sure I am not mistaken this time , listen well to what
'

I am going to say, M de Villefort .

”
.

The magistrate trembled convulsively .

There is a poison which destroys life almost wi thout l eaving any

perceptible t r aces I know it well ; I have studied it in all its qualities
.

and in the e ff ects which it produces I recognized the presence of this .

poison in the case of poor Barrois a s well as in that of Madame de S aint

M é ra n Th ere is a way of detecting its presence It restores the blue
. .

color of litmus -paper reddened by an acid , and it turns syrup of violets

 THE CO UN T OF NI O N TE —C R I S T O
.
97

green We have no -
litmus paper
, but , hark ! here they come with the
.

syrup of violets ”
.

The doctor was right ; steps were heard in the passage M . .

d A vrig ny opened the door and took from the hands of the femme
’
,

de -chambre a cup which contained two or three spoonful s of the syrup ;

“
he then carefully closed the door

“
.

Look ! said he to the p rocureur da mi, whose heart beat so loudly

”

that it might almost b e heard ; here is in this cup some syrup of vio
lets and this decanter contains the remainder of the lemonade of which
,

M Noirt ier and Barrois partook If the lemonade be pure and inoff e n
. .

sive , the syr up will keep its color ; if, on the contrary , the lemonade be
poisonous the syr up will become green Look well at it !
,
.
”

The doctor then slowly poured some dr ops of the lemonade from the
decanter into the cup , and in an instant , a kind of light cloudy sedi
,

ment began to form at the bottom of the cup ; this sedi ment fi r st took
a blue shade , then from the color of sapphire it passed to that of Opal ,

and fro m opal to emerald Arri ved at this last hue , it changed no
.

more The result of the experiment left no doubt whatever on the

.

mind
“ .

The unfortunate Barrois has been poisoned , said d A vrig ny and

” ’
,

I will maintain this assertion before God and man ”

.

Villefort said nothing but he clasped his hands , opened his haggard
,

eyes and , overcome with his emotion , sank into a chair

,
.
 CH A P T E R LXXX

T HE ACCU S A T I ON

AV R I G N Y soon restored the magistrate to consciousness ,

’

wh o had looked like a second corpse in that chamber of

death .

Oh , death is i nmy h ouse cried Villefort

“
.

S ay rather , crime ! replied the doctor

,
.

M d A vrig ny, cried Villefort, I cannot tell you all I feel at this
’ ”

“
.

moment , terror , grief , madness ”

.

Yes , said d A vrig ny with an imposing c almness , but I think it

” ’

i s now time to act I think it is time to st 0 p this torrent of mortality

. .

I can no longer bear to be in possession of these secrets without the

hope of seeing the victims and society generally revenged

“
Villefo r t cast a gloomy look around him
”

“
In my house ! mur
.
”
.

mured he , in my house !
Come magistrate , said d A vrig ny,
,
” ’
show yourself a man ; as an
interpreter of the law , do honor to your profession by sacrificing your
selfish interests to it ”
.

You make me shudder doctor , D o you talk of a sacrifice

I do ”
.

D o you then suspect any one ? ”

I suspect no one ; death raps at your door — it enters — it goes not ,

blind , but with clear intelligence , from room to room Well ! I follow
‘
.

its course , I track its passage ; I adopt the wisdom of the ancients and ,

feel my way, for my friendship for your family and my respect for you
are as a twofold bandage over my eyes ; well
Oh ! speak , S peak , doctor ; I shall h ave courage ”
.

Well sir, you have in your establishment , or in your family, perhaps

, ,

one of those frightful phenomena of which each century produces only

one Locusta and Agrippina , living at the same time , are an exception ,
.

98
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE —C R I S T O.

Doctor cried Villefort ,

,
”
,
“
S eek whom the crime will profit says an a x iom of j u risprudence )
alas doctor
! how of t e n
,
’

has man s j ustice ’

been deceived by those fat al words I know not wh y, but I feel that
.

this crime
You acknowledge , then , the existence of the c rime ? ”

Yes , I s e e too plainly that it does exist But it seems that it is

.

intended to aff ect me personally I fear an attac k myself, after all these

“
.

“
disasters ”
.

Oh , ma n ! murmured d A vn g ny, the most selfish of al l animals ,

'
” ’

the most person a l of all creatures who believes the e a rth turns , the
,

s un shines , and death strikes for him alo ne an ant c ur sing God from
,

t h e top of a blade of grass ! And have those who have lost their lives
lost nothing ? —M de S aint -M e ran , Madame de S aint-M é ra n, M N oir
. .

“
tier
Ho w ! M N oirtie r ?
.
”

Yes ; think you it was the poor servant s life was coveted ? N o , no !
’

like S hakespeare s P olomus, he died for another I t was Noirt ier the
'
’
.

lemonade was intended for —it is Noirtie r, in the logical order of events ,
who drank it ; the other drank it only by accident ; and although Bar

“
rois is dead it was Noirt ie r whose death was wish ed for
,

But why did it not kil l my father ? ”

”
.

I told you one evening, in the garden , after M adame de S aint -M e

ran s death , because his system is accustomed to that very poison ; and
’

the dose was tri fling for him , which would be fatal for another ; because
no one k nows , not even the assassin , that , for the last twelve months I ,

have given M N oirtier brucine for his paralytic a ff ection ; while the
.

assassin is not ignorant , and has proved by experience that brucine is a

“
violent poison ”

”
.

Pity, pity ! murmured Villefort , wringing his hands .

Follow the culprit s steps ; he first k ills M de S aint -M éra n

’
.

Oh , doctor ! ”

I would swear to it ; what I heard of I NS symptoms ag rees too well

he only groaned “
with what I have seen in the other cases ”
Villefort ceased to contend ;
- ”
.

He first kills M de S aint M éran, repeated the doc

“
. .

- —
tor then Madame de S aint M e ran , a double fortune to inherit Ville ”

“ “
.
,

fort wiped the perspiration from his forehead Listen attentively.

”
.

Alas ! stammered Villefort I do not lose a single word

”
,
”
.

M Noirtie r, resumed d A vrig ny, in the same pitiless tone ,

.
” ’
M .

Noirt ie r h a d once made a will against you — against your family ,— in

favor of the poor , in fact ; M Noirt ie r is spared , because nothing is
.

expected from him But he has no sooner destroyed his first will and
.

made a second , than , for fear he should make a third , he is struck down ;
 TH E C O UN T OF M O N TE —CR I S TO
.
101

the will wa s made the day before yesterday, I believe ; you see there ha s

“
”
been no time lost .

Oh , mercy , M d A vrig ny
’
.

N o mercy, sir ! The p hysician ha s a sacred mission on earth ; and

m
i
the t
to fulfill it he begins at the source of life , and goes down t oy s e r

comm i tt d and G 9
ous darkness of the tomb Wh en crime has been
.
e to bri ng
,

doubtless in anger turns away his face it is for the 1 3 311 5 1 0 13 11

7
, ,

the culprit to justice ”

.
 T HE C O UN T OF M O N TE —CR I S T O .

Have mercy on my chil d sir ! murmu r ed V.illefo r t

,
.

You se e it is yourself wh o have first named her you , her

“
fa t her”
.

Have pity on Valentine Listen ! it is impossible I would as .

willi ngly accuse myself Valentine , whose hea r t is pure as a diamond

“
,

as innocent as a li ly !
N o pity, M ! c P roc urc m ( I n R oi ; the crime is flag r a nt M a de moi
.
'

selle herself packed all the medicines which were sent to M de S aint .

M é ra n, and M de S aint -M é ra n is dead

. Mademoiselle de Vill efo r t
.

prepared a ll the cooling draughts which Madame de S aint -M é ran took ,

and Madame de S aint -M eran is dead M ademoiselle de Villefort took
from the hands of Barrois , who wa s sent out , t h e le m
.

onade which M ,

Noirt ie r has every morning, a nd he has escaped o nly by a miracle .

Mademoiselle d e Villefort is the culprit ! S he is the poisone r ! M le

P rocure ur d uR oi, I denounce Mademoiselle de Villefort ; do your duty ”
.

Doctor, I resist no longer ; I c an no longer defend myself ; I believe

you ; but , for pity s sake , spare my life , my honor !
’ ”

M fd e Villefort , replied the doctor , with increased vehemence , there

” “
are occasions when I d ispense with all foolish human circumspection If .

your daughter had committed only one crime , and I saw her meditating
another , I would say Warn her , punish her , let her pass the remainder

‘
,

of h er life in some cloister, in some convent , weeping and praying If ’

.

s h e h a d committed two c r imes , I would s ay , Here , M de Vill efort , is a

.

poison that the poisoner is not acquainted with , one that has no known
antidote , quick as thought , rapid as lightning , mortal as the thunder
bolt ; give her that poison , recommending her soul to God, a nd save
your honor and your life for it is yours sh e aims at ; and I can picture
,

her approaching your pillo w with her hypocritical smiles and her sweet
exhortations Woe to you , M de Villefort , if you do not strike first !
. .

This is what I would say had she only killed two persons ; but sh e has
seen three deaths ,— has contemplated three murdered persons ,— has
knelt by three corpses ! To the sc afl ol d with the poisoner ! — to the
scaffold ! Do you talk of your honor ? D o what I tell you, and immor
tality awaits you ! ”

Villefort fell on his knees

“ .

Listen said he ; I h ave not the strength of mind y ou have , or

,
”

rather that which you would not have , if instead of my daughter Valen

“
tine your daughte r Madeleine were concerned
pale
”
The doctor turned
.

D octor , every son of woman is born to suff er and to di e ; I am

“ “
.

content to su ffer and to await death ”

.

Beware , said d A vrig ny ; it may come slowly ; you wi ll see it

” ’
 T HE C O UN T OF M ON TE —C R I S T O .

to you if I am murdered ? -Are you my frien d? A re you a man

Have you a heart ? — N o you are a physician —\Vell , I tell you I will
,

no t d r ag my daughte r befo r e a tribunal , and give her up to the e x e c u

t io ne r The bare idea would kill me would dr ive me like a madman

,

to dig my hea r t out with my fing e r-nails ! And if you were mistaken

‘
doctor — if it were not m y daughter ! -I f I should co me one day , pale
,

as a spectre , and s y to you , Assassin yo u ha v e kill ed my child !

a ’

Hold ! if that should happen although I am a Christian , M d A vr ig ny, ’

“
.

“
,

I should kill myself ”

.

We ll , said the doctor , after a moment s silence ; I wi ll w a it

” ’ ”
.

Villefort looked at him as if he had doubted his words .

Only , continued d A vrig ny , with a slow a nd solemn tone , if any

” ’

one falls ill in your house , if you feel yourself attacked , do not send
for me , for I will come no more I will consent to share this drea df ul
.

secret with you ; but I will not allow shame and remorse to grow and

“
increase i n my conscience as crime and misery will in your house
Then you abandon me , doctor ? ”
,
”
.

Yes , for I can follow you no farther ; and I only stop at the foot of
the scaff old S ome further discovery will be made , which will b ri ng
.

“
this dreadful tragedy to a close Adieu ! ”
.

I entreat you , doctor ! ”

All t he horrors that disturb my thoughts make your house odious

“
and fatal Ad ieu , sir
.

One word
”
.

one single word more , doctor ! You go leaving me in

,

all the horror of my situation , after increasing it by what you have

revealed t o me But what wi ll be reported of the sudden death of this

“
.

poor old servant ? ”

True , said d A vrig ny ; we will return

” ’ ”
.

The doctor went out first , followed by Villefort ; the terrified se r

vants were on the stairs and in the passage where the doctor would pass
S ir , said d A vrig ny to Villefort so loud that all might hear poor
” ’
, ,
“ .

Barrois has led too sedentary a life of late ; accustomed forme r ly to

ride on horseback , or in the carriage to the four corners of Europe , the
,

monotonous walk round that arm -chair has killed him : his blood has
thickened ; h e was stout had a short thick neck , he was attacked with

“
, ,

apoplexy, and I was called in too late Apropos , added he i n a low

”
.
,

tone take care to thro w a way that cup of syrup of v iolets in the
,

ashes ”
.

The doctor , without shaking hands with Villefort , without adding a

word to what he had said , went out amid the tea r s and lamentations of
the whole ho usehold The same evening all V ille fo rt s se rvants , who
.
’
 TH E C O UN T OF M ON T E —C R I S T O .
105

had assembled in th e kitchen , and had a long consultation , came to tell

Madame de Villefort th ey wished to leave N o entreaty , no proposition

“
.

of increased wages , could induce them to remain ; to every argume nt

they replied , We must go, for death is in t his house ” .

They all left , in spite of prayers and entreaties testifying thei r

,

re g ret at leaving so good a master and mistress , and especially Made

moise lle Valentine , so good , so kind and so gentle.

Villefort looked at Valentine as they said this S he was in tea r s ;

.

and , strange as it was , in spite of the emotions he felt at the sight of

these tears , he looked also at Madame de Villefort and it appeared to
him as if a slight gloomy smil e had passed over her thin lips , like those
meteors which are seen passin g inauspiciously between t wo cloud s in a
stormy sky .
 CH A P T E R LXXXI

T HE R OOM OF T HE R ETIR ED B A KE R

HE evening of the day on which the Count de M orc e rf ha d

left Danglars house with feelings of sh ame and anger , caused
’

by the banker s coldness , Andrea Cavalcanti , with curled

’

hair , mustaches i n perfect order, and white gloves which

fitted admirably, had entered the court -yard of the banker s house in La ’

Chaussée d A nt in He had not been more than ten minutes i n the draw
’
.

ing-room before he drew Danglars aside into the recess of a bow-win

dow ; and , after an ingenious preamble , related to him all his anxieties
since his noble father s departure He had found , he said , in the banker s
’
.
’

family in which he had been received as a son , all the guarantees of

,

happiness , which one ought to seek for in preference to the caprices of

passion , and as regards passion itself, he had the felicity of meeting it
in the lovely eyes of M ademoiselle D anglars .

D anglars listened with the most profound attention ; he had expected

this declaration the last two or three days ; and when at last it came ,

his eyes glistened as much as they had lowered on listening to M orc e rf .

He woul d not , however, yield immediately to the you ng man s request ,

’

but made a few conscientious scruples

“
.

Are you not rather young, M And r ea , to think of marrying ?

.
”

I think not , sir, replied Cavalcanti ; in Italy the nobility gen

”

e r all y marry young ; life is so uncerta in , we ought to secure happiness

“
while it is withi n our reach
”
”
.

Well , sir, said D anglars , in case your proposals which do me ,

honor , are accepted by my wife and daughter , by whom shall the p r e

liminary arrangements be settled ? S o important a negotiation shoul d ,

I think be conducted by the respective fathers of the young people

,
”
.

S ir my father is a man of great foresight and prudence Imagining

, .

I might wish to settle i n France he left me at his departure , together

,

10 6
 TH E C O UN T OF DI O N TE —CR I S T O

“
.

I have j ust left the count , si said he ; r is, doubtless , a de li ghtf ul

,
”
he
man , but inconceivably singular in his ideas ; he esteems me highly ; he
even told me he had not the slightest doubt that my father would give
me the capital instead of the interest of my property ; he has prom
ised to use his influence to obtain it for me ; but he also declared that
he never had taken upon h imself the responsibility of making p r oposals
for another, and he never would I must , however , do him the j ustice
.

to add that he assured me , if ever he had regretted the repugnance he

felt to such a step , it wa s on this occasion , because he thought the pro
j e c t e d union would be a happy and suitable one Besides if he will do

“
.
,

nothing o fficially , he will answer any questions you propose to him .

And now continued he , with one of his most charming smiles , hav
”
,

ing finished talking to the father -ih -law, I must ad dress myse lf to the

“
banker .
”

And what may you have to say to him ? said D anglars , laughing
”

i n h is turn .

That the day after to -morro w I shall have somewhe r e about four
thousand francs to d raw upon with your house ; but the count expect ,

ing my bachelor s revenue coul d not suffi ce for the increased expenses
’

of the coming month has o ff ered me a draft for eighty thousand francs

“
.
,

-
It bears his signature , as you see , which is all su fficient ”

“
.

Bri ng me a million such as that , said D anglars , I shall be well

”

pleased — putting the draft in his pocket Fix your own hour for.

to -morrow , and my cashier shall call on you with a check for eighty

“
thousand francs ”
.

At ten o clock then , if you please ; I sho uld like it early as I am

’

“
, ,

going into the country to morrow - ”

.

Very well , at ten o clock ; you are still at the H otel des Pri nces ?
’ ”

Ye s .
”

The followi ng morning, with the banker s usual punctuality, the ’

eighty thousand francs were placed in the young man s hands , as he

’

was on the point of starting, having left t wo hundred franc s for Cade
rousse . He went out chiefly to avoid this dangerous enemy, and
returned as late as possibl e in the evening .

But scarcely had he stepped out of his carriage , when the po r te r

“
met him with a parcel in his hand
“
S ir , said he , the man has been
”
.

What ma n ? ” said Andrea , carelessly , apparently forgetting him

“
whom he but too well recollected

“
.

The man to whom your excell ency pays that little ann uity ”
.

Oh ! said Andrea , my father s old servant

” ’
Well , you gave hi m .

the two hundred francs I had left for him ? ”

 THE C O UN T OF BI ON TE —CR I S T O .
109

Y e s,
addressed .
“
your excellency
”
.
”

“
Andrea had expressed a wish to be thus
But , continued the porter, he wo uld not take them ” .

Andrea turned pale , but a s it was dark no one noticed his pale ne s
l
What , he wou d not take them ? said he , with slight emotion
”
.

N o , he wished to speak to your excellency ; I told him you were

gone out , which , after some dispute , he believed , and gave me thi s
”
letter , which he had brought with him already sealed .

Give it me ,” said Andrea , and he read by the light of his carriage

‘
lamp ,
You kno w wh e re I hve I e xp e ct you to -morrow morn i ng at n i n e o clock
v
.
 THE C O UN T OF ilI ON T E —C R I S T O .

Andrea ex amined it carefully, to ascertain if the letter had been

opened , or if any indi screet eyes had seen its contents , but it was so
‘
“ ” “
careful ly folded, no one coul d have read it, and the seal was perfect
Very well , said he Poo r man ! he is a worthy creature
.
”
He .
.

left the porter to ponder on these words , not knowing which mos t to
admire the master or the servant
,
.

Take out the horses quickly, and come up to me , said Andrea to his
”

groom In two seconds the young man had reached his room and burned
.

“
Ca d e ro usse s letter The servant entered j ust as he had finish ed
’
. .

You are about my height , Peter , said he

”
.

I have that h onor your excellency ”

,
.

You had a new liver y yesterday ? ”

Yes sir ,
.
”

I have an engagement with a pretty little girl for this evening, and
do not wish to be known ; lend me your livery till to -morro w ; I may
sleep , pe r haps , at an inn ”
.

Peter obeyed Five minutes after, Andrea left the hotel , completely
.

disguised , took a cabriolet , and ordered the driver to take him to the
Cheval R ouge , at Pic pus The next morning he left that inn as he had
.

left the H otel des Princes , without being noticed walked down the ,

Faubourg S aint -Antoine , along the Boulevard to R ue M énilmo nt ant ,

and , stopping at the door of the third house on the left , looked for some

“
one of whom to make inquiry in the porte r s absence
For whom a re you looking my fine fellow
’

asked the f r uiteress on

.

“
,

the opposite side .

M Paill e t in if you please my good woman replied Andrea

.
,
”
, ,
.

A retired baker ? asked the fruiteress

”
.

Exactly .

He lives at the end of the yard , on the left on the third story ”
,
.

Andrea went a s she directed him , and on the third floor he found a
hare s paw , which by the hasty ringi ng of the bell it was evident he
’
, ,

pulled with considerable ill-temper A moment after , Ca de rousse s face ’

“
.

appeared at the grating in the door .

Ah ! you are punctual , said he , as he unbolted the door

”
.

Confound you and your punctuality ! said Andrea , throwing him

”

self into a chair i n a manner which implied that he would rather have

“
flung it at the head of his h ost
Come , come my little fellow don t be angry
,
.

S ee I have thought
,
’
.
,

about you — look at the good breakfast we a re going to have ; nothing

b ut what you are fond of ”
.

Andrea indeed inhaled the scent of something cooking which wa s

, , ,

not unwelcome to him hungry as h e wa s ; it was that mixture of fat

,
 THE CO UN T OF M O N TE —C R I S T O
.

that smells good ! you know I used to be a good cook ; do you recollect
how you used to lick your fingers ? You wer e among the first who
tasted any of my dishes , and I think you relished them tolerably ”

“
.

While speaking, Caderousse went on peeling a fresh supply of onions .

But , said Andr ea , ill-temperedl y, p ardie u if you disturbed me

”

“
only to breakfast with you , the devil take you !
”
,
”

“
M y boy , said Caderousse sententiously, one can talk while eat
ing And then , you ungrateful being ! you are not p l eased to see an old
.

friend ? I am weeping with j oy .

”

He was truly crying, but it woul d have been difficult to say whether
j oy or the onions produced the greatest e fl e c t on the lachrymal gland of

“
the old inn -keeper of the Pont-du-Gard .

Hold your tongue , hypocrite ! said An drea ; you love me ! You !

” ”

“ Yes , I do , or may the devil take me I know it is a weakness , said”

“
.

Caderousse , but it overpowers me ’

.

And yet it has not prevented your sending for me to play me some
trick ”
.

Come said Caderousse , wiping his large kn ife on his apron , if I“

did not like you , do you think I should endure the wretched life you
lead me ? Think for a moment : you have your servant s clothes on ’

y o u ,
therefore ,
keep a servant ; I have none ,
and am obliged to prepare
my own meals ; you abuse my cookery because you dine at the table
d h ote of the H otel des Pri nces , or the Café de Paris Well ! I , too , could
’
.

keep a servant ; I , too , could have a tilbury ; I , too , could dine where I
like ; but why do I not ? B ecause I would not annoy my little Bene
detto Come ! j ust acknowledge that I coul d eh !
.
,
”

This address was accompanied by a look which was by no means

di ffi cult to understand.

Well ! said Andr ea, admitting your love , why do you want me to
”

“
breakfast with you
That I may h ave the pleasure of seeing you , my little fellow ”

“
.

Of seeing me what for ? since we have made all our arrangements ? ”

Eh ! dear friend , said Caderousse , are wills ever made without

”

codicils ? B ut first of all , you came to breakfast, did you not ? Well !
si t down , and let us begin with these sardines and this fresh butter
, ,

which I have put on some vine -leaves , to please you , you rogue Ah ! .

y e s ; you look at my room , my four straw chairs , the plaster figures ,

three francs each But wh at do you expect ? this is not the H otel des

“
.

Princes .
”

Come ! you are growi ng discontented , you are no longer happy ;

you , who only wished to appear a retir ed baker ”
.

Caderousse sighed .
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —CR I S T O
.
1 13

Well what have you to say ? you have seen your dream realiz ed ” .

I can still say it is a dream ; a retired baker , my poor Benedetto is

“
rich — h e h a s an annuity
,
.

Well , you have an annuity ”

.

I ha v e
.
”

Ye s, since I bring you your two hundred francs ”

“
.

Ca d e rouse shrugged up his sh oulders .

It is humiliating , said he , thus to receive money g iven grudgingly ;

”

an uncertain supply which may soon fail You , se e I am oblig e d to

'

.
 THE CO UN T OF M O N TE —C R I S T O .

economiz e , in case your prosperity should cease Well my friend , fort .

,

une is inconstant , as said the chaplain of the regiment I know you r

“
.

prosperity is great, rascal ; you are to marry the daughte r of Danglars ”

.

What ! of Danglars ? ”

Yes , to be s ure ! must I sa y Baron Danglars ? I might as well sa y

Count Benedetto He was an old friend of mine and if he had not so bad
.
,

a memory, he ought to invite me to your wedding , seeing he came to

mine Y e s, yes , to mine forsooth he was not so proud then ; he was
.

an under -clerk to the good M Morrel I have d ined many times with
. .

him and the Count de M orc e rf ; so you see I have some high connections ,

and were I to cultivate them a little , we might meet in the same draw
-
ing rooms ”
.

Come , your j ealousy represents everything to yo u in the wrong

ligh t
.
”

That is all very fine my Benedet t o but I know what I am saying

, ,
.

Perhaps I may one day put on my best coat , and prese nting myse lf a t
the f r ont door, introduce myself Meanwhile let us sit do wn a nd eat
.
”
.

Caderousse set the example , and attacked the breakfast with good
appetite praising each di sh he se t before his vi sitor The latter seemed
,
.

to have resig ned himself ; he drew the corks , and partook largely of t h e
fish with the garlic and fa t .

Ah ! comrade , said Caderousse , you are getting on better term s

”

“
with your old landlo r d ! ”

Faith , yes , replied And r ea , whose hunger prevailed over every othe r
”

feeling .

S o you like it , you rogue ?

S o much that I wonde r h o w a man who can cook thus can complain
of ha rd living ”
.

D o you see , said Caderousse , all my happiness is marred by o ne

”
,

thought ? ”

What is that ? ”

That I am dependent on another, I who have always gained my o wn

li velihood honestly ”
.

Do not let that distur b you , I have enough fo r two .

”

N o , truly ; you may believe me if you will ; at the end of every

“
month I am tormented by remorse
Good Caderousse
”
.

S o much so that y esterday I would not take the two hundr ed

“
,

francs .
”

Yes , you wished to speak to me ; but was it indeed re morse tell ,

me
True remorse ; and , besides an idea had struck me
,
”
.
 THE C O UN T OF M O N T E —C R I S T O .

ment o fM M What s ’ -his

name , e h was it not I and it wa s no bad f

“
. .

one I believe since here we a i e

, .

I do not say replied Andrea that you never make a good one ;
”

“
, ,

but let us se e you r plan ”

.

Well pursued Cade r ousse , can you , without expending one sou,
,
”

put me in the way of getting fifteen thousand francs ? N o fifteen ,

thousand are not enough I can not again become an honest man with

“ “
,

less than thirty thousand francs ”

‘
.

N o replied A ndrea dryly no , I cannot

,
”
, ,
”
.

I do not think you understand me replied Caderousse , calmly ;

”

“
,

said without your laying out a son ”

.

Do you want me to commit a robbery , to spoil all my good for

t une and yours with mine and both of us to be dragged down the r e

“
a gai n

It would make very little di ff erence to me , said Caderousse , if I

” “
we r e re -taken ; I am a poor creature to live alone and sometimes pine ,

for my old comrades ; not like you , heartless creature , who woul d be
glad never to see them again ! ”

Andrea did more than tremble this ti me he turned pale ,

.

Come , Caderousse , no nonsense ! ”

said he .

Don t alarm yourself, my little Benedetto , but j ust point out to

’

me some means of gaining those thirty thousand francs without your

assistance ; and I wi ll contrive it ”
.

Well ! I will se e I wi ll look out ! said Andrea

”
.

Meanwhile you will raise my monthly allowance to five hundred

francs , my little fellow ? I have a fancy , and mean to get a house
keeper .
”

Well ! you shall have your five hundred francs , said Andrea ; but
” “
“
it is very hard for me , my poor Caderousse
“ you take advantage
Bah ! said Caderousse , when you have access to countless stores
” ”
.

One would have said Andrea anticipated his companion s words so ’

,

did hi s eye flash like lightning ; it was but for a moment

“
.

True , he replied , and my protector is very kind

” ”
.

That dear protector, said Caderousse

”
and how much does he give

“
you monthly ? ”

Five thousand francs ”

.

As many thousands a s you g ive me hundreds ! Truly, it is only

bastards who are thus fortunate Five thousand francs per month what

“
.

the devil can you do with all that ? ”

Oh ! it is no trouble to spend that ; and I am like you — I want a ,

capita
”
A capital yes I understand ; every one would like a c apital .
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE -CR I S T O.
11 I

Well ! and I shall get one

.
”

Who will give it to you — you r p r ince ?

Yes , my prince But unfortunately I must wait
.
”
.

B russ e l s .

You must wait for what ? asked Caderousse

” .

For his deat

The death of your prince ? ”

Yes ”
.
 T HE C O UN T OF M ON TE —C R I S TO .

How so
Because he has made his will in my favor ”
.

Indeed
On my honor ”
.

For how much

For five hundred thousand .

Only that ! It s little e nough !

’ ”

B ut so it i s ”
.

N o , it cannot be ! ”

Are you my frien d Caderousse ,

Yes in life or death

,
”
.

Well ! I will tell you a sec r et ”

.

What is it ?
But remem ber
Ah ! p ardie u mute as a carp ”
.

Well ! I think
Andrea stopped and looked around .

You thi nk ? D o not fear ; p a rdie u we are alone ”

.

I think I have discovered my father ”

.

Your true father ? ”

Yes ”
.

N ot old Cavalcanti
N o , for he is gone again ; the true one , as you say ”
.

And that father i s

-
Well ! Caderousse , it is Monte Cristo ”
.

B ah
Yes , you understand that explains all He cannot acknowledge me
,
.

openly it appears but he does it t hrough M Cavalcanti and g ives him

“
.
, , ,

fifty t housand franc s for it ”

.

Fifty thousand francs for being your father ! I would have done it
for half that, for t w enty thousan d fo r fifteen thousand ; why did you

“
,

not thi nk of me, ungrateful man

Did I know a ny thing about it , when it was all done when I was
,

do wn there ? ”

Ah ! trul y ? And you sa y that by his will

He leaves me five hundred thousand livres ”
.

A r e you sure of it ? ”

He showed it me ; but that is not all — there is a codicil as I said

j ust now ”
.

Probably ”
.

And in that codicil he acknowle dges me ”

.

Oh what a good father ! what an excellent father ! wh a t a very

,
 TH E C O UN T OF JI ON TE - C R I S T O .

Well , then I must be contented to imagine it

,
”
.

That is the best plan , believe me ”

.

Try , at least to give me an idea of what it is

,
”
.

Ho w can I
N othing is easier Is it la r ge
.

Middling ”
.

How is it arranged ? ”

Faith ,I should require pen , ink and paper to make a plan ”

“
.
,

The y are all here , said Caderousse , briskly He fetched from an old
”

“
.

secrétaire a sheet of white paper , and pen and ink Here , said Cade
”
.

rousse , trace me all that on the p a per , my boy ”

.

Andre a t ook th e pen with an imperceptible smile and began

'

The house as I said , is between the court and the garden ; in this
,

way do you see ?

,
”
Andrea traced th e garde n, the cour t , and the house .

High walls
N ot more than eight or ten feet ”
.

That is not prudent , said Caderousse

”
.

In the court are o range -tree s in pots , turf, and clumps of flowers ”
.

And no steel t raps

'

No .
”

The stabl es ? 1

Are on either side of the gate , which you see there ”

And Andrea

“
.

continued his plan .

Let us see the round -fl oor said Caderousse .

On the g r ound -fl oor, dining -room , two drawing -rooms , billiard -room ,
staircase in the hall , and little back sta ircase ”
.

Windows
Magnificent windows , so beautiful , so large that I believe a man of ,

your size could pass thro ugh each frame ”

.

Why , the devil ! have they any stairs wit h such windows ? ”

Luxury has everythi ng ”

.

But shutters ? ”

Yes , but they are never used That Count of Monte -Cristo is an

“
.

original , who love s to look at the sky even at night ”

.

And where do the ser vants sleep ? ”

Oh ! they have a hous e to themselves Picture to yourself a pretty

.

coach -house at the right -hand side , where the ladders are kept Well ! .

-
over that coach h ouse are the se rva nt s rooms , with bells Correspon di ng
'

“
wi th the difie re nt apartments
Ah ! the devi l ! bells ! ”
”
.

What do you say ?

Oh, nothing ! I only sa y they cost a load of money t o hang ; and
what is the use of them , I should like to know ? ”
 T HE C O UN T OF M O N TE —CR I S T O .

If I like ; I am at home there .

”

Caderousse looked at the young man , as if to get at the truth from

i-
the bottom of his heart But Andrea drew a ciga r case from his pocket ,

“
.

took a Havana quietly lit it , and began smoking

,
.

When d o you want your five hundred francs ? said he to Caderousse

”
.

N ow, if you have them ”

Andrea took five and t wenty louis from
.

his pocket .

Yellow boys ? said Caderousse ; no , I thank you

” ”
.

Oh you despise them ”

.

On the contrary , I esteem them ; but will not have them ”

.

You will make a profit o n them , i diot ; gold is worth five sons

“
premium .
”

Exactly ; and he wh o changes them will follow friend Caderousse ,

lay hands on him , and demand what farmers pay him their rent in gold .

N o nonsense , my good fellow ; silver simply, round coins with the head
of some monarch or other on them Anybody may possess a five -franc

“
.

piece.
”

But do you suppose I carry five hundred francs about with me ? I

shoul d want a porter ”
.

Well , leave them with your porter , h e is to be t r usted ; I will call

for them .
”

To -day
N o , to -mo r row ; I shall not have time to -day ”
.

-
Well , to mo rrow I will leave them when I go to Auteuil ”
.

M ay I depend on it
Certainly ”
.

Because I shall secure my housekeeper on the strength of it ”

.

S ecur e her ! But will that be all ? Eh ? And will you not torme nt

“
me any more ?
N ever ”
.
”

Caderousse h ad become so gloomy that Andrea feared he should be

“
obliged to notice the change He redoubl e d his gayety and carelessness
.

How sp r ightly you are ! said Caderousse ; one would say you were “ .

already in possession of your property ”

.

N o , unfortunately ; but when I do obtain it

Well
I shall remember old friends I only tell you that .
”

Yes , since you have s uch a good memory ”

.

Wh at do you want ? I thought you had ransomed me ”

.

I ? What an idea ! I , wh o am going to give you another piece of

“
good advice
What is it ? ”
”
.
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE C R I S T O .
12 5

To leave behind you the diamond you have on your finger We .

shall both get in trouble You will ruin both you r self and me by your
“
.

folly
.
”

How so ? said Andrea

”
.

How ? You put on a livery ; you di sguise your self as a servant ,

and yet keep a di amond on your finger worth four or five thousand

“
francs .
”

You g uess well .

”

I k ow something of diamonds ; I have had some

n ”
.

You do well to boast of it , said Andrea , who , wi thout becoming

”

angry, as Caderousse feared , at this ne w extortion quietly resigned the ,

ring Caderousse looked so closely at it that Andrea well knew that he

“
.

wa s examining if all the edges were perfect .

It is a false diamond , said Caderousse

”
.

You are j oking now, replied Andrea

”
.

Do not be angry ; we can try it ”

Caderousse went to the window,
.

touched the glass with it , and found it would cut .

Confiteor I said Caderousse , putting the diamond on his little

finger ; I was mistaken ; but those thiev es of j ewelers imitate so well
that it is no longer worth while to rob a j eweler s shop — it is another
’

“
b r anch of industry paralyzed ”

Have you finished now ? said Andrea ,

”
.

do you want anything

more — wi ll you have my waistcoat or my certificate ? Make free now

“
you ha ve begun .
”

N o ; you are after all a good fellow ; I will not detain you, and
, ,

will try to cure myself of my ambit ion - ”

.

But take care the same thing does not happen to you in selling the
diamond you feared with the gold ”
.

I shall not sell it do not fear ”

“
.

-
N ot at least till the day after to morrow , thought the young man
” .

Happy rogue ! said Caderousse ; you are going to find your se r

”

vants , your horses , yo ur ca r r iage and your betrothed !

,
”

Y e s, said Andrea
”
.

Well , I hope you will make a handsome weddi g present t h e day

n -

you marry Mademoiselle D anglars ”

.

I have already told you it is a fancy you have taken m you r head .

What fortune has she ? ”

But I tell you

A million
Andrea shrugged up his shoulders .

Let it be a million ,” said Caderousse ; you can never have so much

as I wish you .
”
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE - C R I S T O .

Thank you said the young man ”

“
.
,

Oh I wish it you with all my heart ! added Caderousse ,

”
, ,

hoarse laugh S top let me show you the

.
,

It is not worth while ”

.

Ye s it is ,
”
.

\V hy ? ”

Be c a use the r e is a little secret a precaution I thought it desirable

,

t o t a ke o ne of Huret and Fitchet s locks , revised and improved by Gas

’
,

pa rd Cadero usse I wil l manufacture you a similar one when you are a
c apitalist
”
.

Tha nk you said Andrea ; I wil l let you know a week before
,
”

hand .
”

They parted Cade r ousse remained on the lan di ng until he had

.

not only seen Andrea go down the three stories , but also cross the cour t .

Then he returned hastily shut his door carefully, and began to study

“ “
, ,

l ike a clever a rchitect the plan Andr ea had left him

,
.

Dear Benedetto said he , I think he will not be sorry to inhe r it

,
”

his fo rtune and he who hastens the day when he can touch his five
,

hundred thousand wi ll not be his worst friend ”

.
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —C R IS T O .

the letter “
Bap t istin wi thout a ns we i i ug , approached the count , and presented
,

Important and urgent , said he

.
”
.

The count opened the letter and read ,

M de Monte -Cris to
.
is wa rn e d th a t this night a ma n will e nt e r his hous e in t he Ch a mps
Elys ee s with t he in te ntion of ca rrying o ff som e p a p e rs suppos e d to b e in t he s e cr é ta ire in
the dre ss ing -r oom T he count. s w e ll -kn own cour a ge will re nd e r unn e c e ssa ry t he a id of
’

t he polic e whose int e r fe re nc e might s e ri ously a ff e ct him who s e n d s this a dvic e

,
The .

count e ith e r b y a n Ope ni ng f ro m t he b e droom or b y conc e a li ng himse lf in t he dr e ssing

,

room would b e a bl e to d e fe nd his prop e rty hims e lf Ma ny a tt e n da nts or a pp a r e nt pre

,
.

c a utions wo uld pre v e nt t he vi lla in from t he a tt e mpt a nd M de M onte -Cristo woul d lose
, .

t he opportunity of di scov e ring a n e n e m y whom ch a nc e h a s re v e a l e d to him who now

se nds this w a rning to t he count a w a rning he might not b e a bl e to se n d a noth e r tim e
, ,

i f this fi rst a t te mpt should fa il a nd a noth e r b e m a d e .

The count s fi r st idea was that this wa s a n a rtifice of a robber

’

a stupid trap to dr aw his attention from a minor danger in order to

expose him to a greater He wa s on the point of sending the letter to the
.

commissaire de police notwi thstanding the advice of his anonymous

,

friend , or, perhaps , bec a use of that advice when suddenly the idea ,

occu rred to him that it might be some personal enemy , whom he alone
should recogniz e , and over whom , if such were the case , he alone co uld
gain any advantage , as Fiesco had done over the Moor who would have
killed him We know the count s vigorous and daring mind , facing
.
’

impossibilities with that energy which makes the great man .

From his past life from his resolution to shrink from nothing, the
,

count had acquired an inconceivable relish for the contests in which he

had engaged , sometimes against nature which is God sometimes against

“
, ,

the world, which may pass for the devil .

They do not want my papers , said Monte -Cristo ; they want to

”

ki ll me : they are no robbers, but assassins I will not allow M le Préfet . .

de Police to interfere with my private a ff airs I am ri ch e nough for .

,

sooth to d ispute his authority on this occasion

,
”
.

The count recalled Baptistin , who had left the r oom after deli v e ring
the letter .

R eturn to Paris said he ; assemble the servants who r emain there

”

“
.
,

I want all my household at Auteuil ”

.

But will no one remain in the house my lord ? asked Baptistin

”
,
.

Yes the po r ter

,
”
.

My lord will remember that the lodge is at a distance from the

“
house ”

Well ? ”
.

The house might be stripped without his hearing the least noise ”
.

By whom
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE -C R I S T O .
1 29

By thieves ”
.

You a r e a fool , M Baptistin ! Thieves might strip the house —it

“ “
.

woul d annoy me less than to be disobeyed ”

Baptistin bowed
. .

You understand me ? said the count

”
Bring your comrades here
.
,

The Inva l id e s .

one and all ; but let everything remain a s usual , only close the shutters
of the ground fl oor
- ”
.

And those of the first floor ? ”

You know they are never closed Go .

 T HE C O UN T OF M O N TE —C R I S T O .

The count signified his intention of dining alone , and that no one
b ut Ali s h o uld attend him Having dined with his usual tranqui ll ity
.

and mode r ation the count , making a signal to Ali to foll ow him , went
,
'

out b v the side -gate and , on reaching the Bois de Boul ogne turned ,
, ,

appa r ently with o ut design , toward Pa r is , and a t twilight found himself

o pposite his house in the Champs Elys e es All was da r k ; one solitary,
.

fee ble light was b u r ning in the porter s lodge , about forty paces distant
’

f r om the house , a s Baptistin had said .

M onte -Cr isto leaned against a tree , and , with that eye which was so
ra r ely d ecei v ed searched the double a v enue , examined the passers -b y
, ,

and carefully looked down the neighboring streets to see that no one was ,

concealed Ten minutes p a ssed thus , and he was convinced no one wa s

.

watching hi m He hastened to the side -door with Ali , entered pre c ipi
.

t a t e ly and by the s ervants staircase , of which he had the key , gained

’
,

his bedr oom without opening or disarranging a si ngle curtain , without

e v en the port er having the slightest suspicion that the house , which he
supposed empty contained its chief occupant
,
.

Arrived in his bedr oom , the count motioned to Ali to stop ; then he
pas s ed into the d ressing-room , which he examined : all wa s a s usual
the precious secrétaire in its place , and the key in the secrétaire He .

doub ly locked it , took the key, retu rned to the bedr oo m door, removed
the dou ble staple of the bolt, and went in Meanwhile Ali had procured
.

the arms the count required ,— namely, a short carbine , and a pair of
dou ble -barreled pistols with which as sure an aim might be taken as
,

wi th a single -bar r eled one Thus armed , the count held the lives of
.

five men in his hands It was about half -past nine

. .

The count and Ali ate in haste a crust of bread and drank a glass
of S pan ish wine ; then Monte -Cristo slipped aside one of t he movable
panels , which enabled him to see into the adj oining room He had .

within his reach his pistols and carbine , and Ali standing near him , ,

held one of those small Arabian axes whose form has not varied since
,

the crusades Through one of the windows of the bedroom on a line

.
,

with that in the dr essing-room , th e count could se e into th e street .

Two hour s passed thus It was intensely dark ; still Ali thanks t o
.
,

his wild natu r e and the count , thanks , doubtless , to his long c onfine
,

ment , could d istinguish in the darkness the slightest movement of the

trees The little light in the lodge had been long extinct It might be
.
.

expected that the attack , if in deed an attack was proj ected , would be
made f r om the staircase of the ground-fl oor and not from a window ; in
,

o -
M nte Cristo s idea the villains sought h is life , not his money It woul d
’
, .

b e his bedroom they would attack , and they must re ach it by the back
sta ircas e , or by the window in the dressing-room .
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —C R I S T O .

eril they unders tand , by the fluttering of the hea rt and the shudder
p ,

ing of the frame , the enormous differen c e b etween a dr eam and a reality,
b etween the proj ect and the execution Howeve r , Monte -Cristo only .
’

made a sign to app r ise Ali who unde r standi ng that danger was approach
, ,

ing f ro m the othe r side drew nea r er to his master Monte -Cristo wa s
,
.

eager to a sc ert ain the st r ength and num b er of his enemies .

The win d o w whence the noise proceeded was opposite the opening
b y which the c ount coul d se e into the d ressing-r oom He fixed his eyes .

on th a t window — he di stingui shed a shadow in the darkness ; then one

of the panes b ec ame q uite opaque , as if a sheet of paper were stuck on
the out side then the s q uare c r acked without falling Through the open
,
.

ing an arm was pa s sed to find the fastening then a second ; the window

“
,

turned o n its hinges , and a man ent e r ed He was alone

’

. .

That s a da r ing rascal

’
whispered the count .

At that moment Ali touched him slightly on th e shoulde r He turned ; .

Ali pointed to the windo w of the room in which they we r e , facing the

“
street .

“
Good ! said he , the r e are two of them ; one acts W hile the other
”

watches ”
He made a sign to A l i not to lose sight of the man in the
.

street and returned to the one in the dr essing-room

,
.

The glass -cutter had entered , and was feeling his way , his arms
st r etc hed out befo r e him He appeared to be familiar with everything
. .

There we r e two doors ; he bolted them both .

When he drew near to that of the bedroom , Monte -Cr isto expected
he was coming in , and raised one of his pistols ; but he simply heard
the sound of t he bolts sli di ng in their Copper rings It was only a pre .

caution The nocturnal vi sito r , ignorant of the count s havi ng removed

.
’

the Staples , might no w think himself at home and pursue his purp ose ,

with ful l se c u ri ty .

Alone and uncont r oll ed the man then che w from his pocket some
,

thing which the count could not discern placed it on a stand then went , ,

st r aight to the secrétaire , felt the lock , and , contrary to his expectation ,

found that the key was missing But the glass -cutter was a p r udent
.

man who h ad p r ovided for all emergencies The count soon heard the
, .

r attling of a bunch of shapeless keys , such as the locksmith brings when

call ed to fo r ce a lock , and which thieves call nightingales doubtless ,

from the music of their nightly song when they tu r n the precious lock .

Ah ah ! whispered Monte -Cristo with a smile of di sappointment ,

,
”
,

he is only a thief !
But the man in the dark could not find the right key He reached .

the inst r ument he ha d placed on the stand , touched a spring and imme ,

d ia t e l y a pale light j ust bright enough to render obj ects distinct was
,
,

reflected on the hands and countenance of the man .

 THE C O UN T OF JII ON T E —CR I S T O
.
1 33

W hy exclaimed Monte -Cristo , starting back , it is

A li raised his hatchet .

Don t stir , whispere d Monte -Cristo , and put down you r hatchet ;
’ ”

we shall requi re no arms

”
.

Then he added some words in a low tone , for the exclamation which
surprise had dr awn from the count , weak a s it had been , had startled
the man , who remained in the position of the old g r inder .

It wa s an order which the count had given , for immediately Ali

-
went noiselessly , and returned , bearing a black dress and a three cor
ne r e d hat
.
Meanwhile Monte - Cr isto had rapidly taken o ff his great
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —C R I S T O .

coat wais tcoat , and shi rt and one might dis tinguish by the glimmering
, ,

through the open panel that he wore one of those pliant tunics of steel
mail of which the last in France , where daggers a re no longer feared
, ,

was worn by King Louis XV I , who feared the dagger at his breast , and
whose head was cleft with the axe This tunic soon disappeared under
.

i
a l o ng cassock as did his ha r under a priest s
,
w i -
g ; the three cornered
’

hat o ve r this e ff ectually t r ansformed the count into an abbé

,
.

The man hearing nothing more , h ad again raised himself, a nd

, ,

while Monte -Cr isto was completing his dis g uise had advanced straight ,

to the s ec r étai r e , whose lock was beginning to creak un der his

nightingale .

-
Well done whispered the count , who depended on the secret spring ,

whi c h was unknow n to the picklock , clever as he might b e , well done

you ha v e a fe w minutes work the r e
’ ”
.

And he advanced to the window The man whom he had seen .

seated on a fence had got down , and was st ill pacing the street ; but ,
st r ange as it appeared he cared not for those who might pass from the
,

avenue of the Champs Elys e es o r by the Faubourg S aint -Honoré ; his

attention was eng rossed with what was passi ng at the count s and his ’
,

only aim appea r ed to be to discern every movement in the dressing

room .

Monte -Cristo suddenly struck his finger on his forehead , and a smile

“
passed ove r his lips ; then drawing near to Ali , he whispered
R emain here , conce a led in the dark , and whatever noise you hea r ,
whate v e r passes only come in or show yourself if I call you
,
”
.

Ali b owed in token of strict obedience Monte -Cristo then drew a .

lighted taper f r om a closet , and when the thief wa s deeply engaged with
his lock sil ently opened the doo r, taking care that the light should
,

shi ne directly on his face The door opened so quietly that the thief
.

heard no sound ; but to his astonishment , the roo m was in a moment

“
,

light He tu r ned
. .

G ood -e v ening dear M Cade r ousse

,
said Monte -Cristo ; what are
.

“
you doing he r e at such an hour ? ”

The A b b e Bus oni ! excla imed Caderousse ; and not knowing how
”

t his strange apparition co ul d have entered when he had bolted the

doo r s , he let fall his bunch of keys , and remained motionless and stupe
fie d The count placed himself between Caderousse and the window,
“
.

thus cutting o ff from the thief his only chance of retreat .

The A bb e Busoni ! repeated Caderousse fixing his haggard gaze

“
,

on the count .

Yes , doubtless , the Abbé Busoni himself ! ”

replied Monte -Cristo .

And I am ve r y glad you recognize me dear M Caderousse ; it proves , .

 T HE C O UN T or M ON TE -C R I S T O .
137

you have a good memory, for it must be about ten years since we
last met ”
.

This calmness of Busoni , combined wit h his i r ony and boldness

“
,

staggered Caderousse .

The abbé , the abbé ! ”

murmured he , clenching his fists , and his
teeth chattering .

S o you would rob the Count of Monte -Cristo continued the false
abbé

“
.

M l A b b é , murmured Caderousse , seeking to regain the window ,

’
.
”

which the count pitilessly intercepted , M l A b b é , I don t kno w

’ ’

“
.

believe me — I take my oath

A pane of glass out , continued the count , a dark lantern , a bunch
”

of false keys , a secrétaire half forced — it is tolerably evident

Caderousse was choking ; he looked round for some corner to hide

‘— some way of escape .

“
Come , come , continued the count , I se e you are still the same
”

“
an assassin ”
.

M l A b b é , since you know everything you know it was not I — it

’
.
,

was La Ca rc ont e ; that was proved at the t r ial since I was only con

“
,

de mne d to the gall eys .

Is your time then , expired , since I find you in a fair way to return

“
,

there
N o , M l A b b é , I have been liberated by some one
’ ”

“
. .

That some one has done society a great kindness ”

.

Ah , said Ca d erousse , I had promised

”

And you are breaking your promise ! interrupted Monte-Cristo

”
.

Alas , ye s ! said Caderousse very uneasily

”
,
.

A bad relapse , that will lead you , if I mistake not , to the Place de
Gr e ve S o much the worse , so much the worse diavolo I as they say

“
.

in my country ”
.

M l A b b é , I am impelled
’
.

Every criminal says the same thing ”

.

Poverty
Pshaw ! said Busoni , disdainfully ;
”
poverty may make a man
beg steal a loaf of bread at a baker s door but not cause him to open a
,
’
,

secrétaire i n a house supposed to be inhabited And when the j eweler .

Johannes had just paid you forty-five thousand francs for the diamond
I had given you, and you killed him to get the diamond and the money,

“
both , was that also pove rty ? ”

Pardon , M l A b b é ! said Ca d e rousse ;

’
.
” you have saved my hf e

once save me again

,

That is but poor encouragement .

 THE C O U N T OF M O N TE —C R I S T O .

Are you alone M ,

. l A bbé ,
’
or have you there soldiers ready to sei z e
me
I am alone said the ab b é , and I will again h ave pity on you and
,
”

will let you escape , at the l i sk of the fresh miseries my weakness may
lead to if you tell me the t ruth
,
”
.

Ah , M l A bb é cri ed Caderousse , clasping his hands , and drawing

”
.
’
,

nearer to Monte-Cristo , I may indeed say you are my deliverer

You mean to sa y you have been freed from confinement ? ”

Yes , i n t r uth , M l A bb é .
’
.
”

Wh o was your libe r ator

An Englishman ”
.

Wh at was his name ?

Lo r d W ilmore .
”

I know him ; I shall know if you lie ”

.

M l A b b é I tell you the simple tr uth

.
’
,
”
.

NVas this Englishman protecting you

"
N 0 not me but a young Corsican , my companion
, ,
.

What was this young Corsican s n a me ? ” ’

Benedetto ”
.

Is that his Christian name

He had no othe r ; he was a foundling ”
.

Then this young man escaped with vo u

He did .
”

In what way ?
We were working at S aint -Mandrie r ne a r T oulon Do you know

“
.
,

S aint -Man dr ier

I do ”
.

In the h our o f rest between noon and one o clock

'

Galley -slaves having a nap after dinner ! We may well pity the

“
poor fellow
”
said the abbé
N ay, said Caderousse one can t always work
’
one is not a dog ! ,
.

S o much the better for the dog s! said Monte -Cristo

”
.

While the r est slept , then we went away a sho rt distance ; we ,

se v e r ed our fette r s with a file the E nglishman had given us , and swam
away ”
.

And what is become of this Benedetto ? ”

I don t know ’ ”
.

You ought to know ’

.

N o , in truth ; we parted at Hy e res ”

And to give mo r e weight to .

his protestation , Caderousse advanced another step toward t he abbé ,

who remained mot ionless in his place , as calm as ever and pursuing his ,

i nte rrogation .
 THE C O UN T OF M ON T E - CR I S T O .

ti ve to ne Caderousse te rrified looked at the count You have li v ed

“
.
.
, ,

“
”
on the money he has given you .

T rue said Caderous se ; Benedetto has b ecome t he so n of a great

7?

How c a n he b e the son of a great lord ?

A natu r al son ”
.

And what is that great lo r d s name ? ” ’

The Count of Monte -Cristo the very same in whose house we a r e

,
.
”

Benedetto the count s son replied M onte -Cristo , astonished in his

’

tu r n .

Forsooth I suppose so, since the count has found him a false
fathe r — since the count gives him four thousand franc s a month , and
leaves him five hund r ed thousand francs in his will ”
.

A 11 ! ah said the false abbé , wh o began to u nderstand ; and what

“
name does the young man bear meanwhile ? ”

Andr ea Cavalcanti ”
.

Is it , then , that young man whom my friend the Count of Monte

Cristo has received into his house , and who is going to marry Made
moise lle Dan g lars
Exactly ”
.

And you su ff er that , you wr etch you , who know his life and his

“
crime
Why should I stand in a comrade s way ? said Caderousse
’ ”
.

You are right ; it is not you who should apprise M Dang lars it is I . .
”

Do not do so , M l A b be ”
.
’
.

Why not ?
”

Because you would b r ing us to ruin ”

.

And you think that to save such villains as you I will become an

“ —
abetto r of their plot a n accomplic e in their crimes ?
M l A b b é , said Caderousse , drawing still neare r
.
” ’
”

I will expose all .

To whom
To M Dangla r s . .

By Heaven cried Caderousse , drawing from his waistcoat an open

knife and st r iking the count in the breast you shall disclose nothing
, , ,

M l A bbé
.
’

To Ca d e rousse s grea t astonishment , the knife , instead of piercing

’

the coun t s b r east , fl e w back blunted At the same moment the count
’
.

seized with his left hand the assassin s w rist , and wrung it wi t h such ’

strength that the kn ife fell from his stiff ened fingers , and Caderousse
utte r ed a cry of pain But the count disregarding his cry, continued to
.
,

wring the b andit s Wi i s t until , his arm being dislocated he fell first on
’
, ,

his knees then flat on the floor

, .
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE —C R I S T O

“
.
141

The count then placed his foot on his head , saying, I know not
“
what restrains me from crushing thy skull , rascal ! ”
Ah mercy mercy ! cried Caderousse
, .

The count wi thdrew his foot .

R ise !
said he Caderousse rose
”

“
. .

What a wrist you have M l A bb é

,
.
’
said Caderousse , stroking his
arm , all bruised by the fleshy pince r s which had held it — what a
wrist !
S ilence God gives me strength to overcome a wild beast like you ;
in the name of that God I act — r emember that , wretch —and to spare
thee at this moment is still serving him ”
.
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE —C R I S T O .

Oh said Caderousse , groaning with pain .

Take this pen and paper, and wri te what I dictate ”

.

I don t kno w how to write M l A bb é

’ ”
,
.
’
.

Yo u lie Take this pen , and write

Caderousse , awed b y the superior power of the abbé ,
sa t down and
wrote
SI —The ma n whom you are re c e iv ing a t your house a nd to whom you inte nd to
R ,

m a rry your da ughte r is a fe lon who e sc a p e d with me from confin e m e nt at T oulon He

,
.

wa s N o 59 a nd I No 58 He wa s c a ll e d B e n e d e tto ; but he is ignora nt of hi s re a l n a m e

.
,
. . .

h a ving n e ve r kno wn his p a re nts ”

.

S ign it ! continued the count

”
.

But wo ul d you ruin me ? ”

I f I sought your m in, fool , I should dr ag you to the first guard

house besides , when that note is delivered in all probability you will ,

have no more to fear S ign it , then ! .

Caderousse signed it
‘ .

The address , A M onsieur l e Baron Danglars banker R ue de la , ,

Chaussée
Caderousse wrote the addr ess
“
N ow said he , that suffic e s — begone
,
”
The abbé took the note . .

Which way
The way you came ”
.

You wish me to get out at that window ?

'
”

You got in ve ry well ”

.

Oh ! you have some design against me M l A bb é ’ ”

, . .

Idiot what design can I ha v e ? ”

Why then not let me out by the door ?

, ,
”

What would be the advantage of waking the po rte r

M l A bb é, te ll me , do you not wish me dead ?
.
’ ”

I wish what God wills ”

.

B ut swea r that you will not st r ik e me as I go down ”

.

Cowa r dl y fool
What do you intend d oing with me
I ask you what can I do ? I ha v e tried to make you a happy man

“
,

a nd you have tu r ned out a murderer

“
”
.

M l A b b é s aid Caderousse , make one more attempt — t r y me

’
.
”
,

on c e m o re
I will said the count
,
”
Liste n— you know if I may be relied on
.
”
.

Yes said Cad erousse

,
”
.

If you arrive safely at home

What have I to fear , except from you ? ”
 TH E C O UN T M ON T E —C R I S W
’
OF .

Caderous se , scarcely yet relyi ng on this p r omise put his legs out of
,

the windo w, and stood on the lad der .

N ow go down said the abbé , folding his arm

, ,
”
U nderstanding he ’s.

had nothing mo r e to fear from him , Caderousse began to go down .

Then the count brought the taper to the window, that it might be seen
in the Champs Elys e es that a man was getting out of the window whil e

“
another held a light .

Wh at are you doing M l A b b é ? S uppose a watchman should

,
.
’

pa s s ? ”
And he blew out the light He then descended , but it was
.

o nly when he felt his foot touch the g r ound that he was satisfied he

wa s safe .

M o nte -Cr isto r etu r ned to his bed r oom , and glancing rapi dly from
the garden to the street , he sa w first Caderousse , who , after walking to
the end of the ga r den fixed his ladder against the wall at a di ff erent
,

pa r t f r om where he came in The coun t then , looki ng over into the

.

street , sa w the man who appeared to be waiting run in th e same d ir ce

tion , and place himself against the angle of the
woul d come over .

over the c Oping to se e if the street was

hea r d The clock of the Invalides str
.

f
astride the coping, and drawing up his ladder passed it ove l th e wall ;
, ,

then b egan to descen d , or rather to slide down by the two si des, which
he did wit h an ease which proved how accustomed he was to the e x e r
cise But once started , he could not stop In vain did he s e e a man
.
,
.

start from the shadow when he wa s half-way down — in vain did he se e

a n arm r aised as he touched the ground

“
.

Befo r e he could defend himself that a r m struck him so Vi olently in

the b ack that he let go the ladder, crying Help ! ”
A second blow
st ruck him almost immediately in the side , and he fell calling Help !
,

, ,
“
m urder ! ”
Then , as he rolled on t h e ground , his adversary seized him
by the ha ir , and st r uck h im a third blow in th e chest .

This time Caderousse endeavo r ed to call again , but he could only

utter a groan , and he shuddered as the blood flowed from his three
wounds The a ssassin finding he no longer cried , lifted his head up by
.
,

the hair ; his eyes were close d , and mouth distorted The mu r derer . ,

supposing h im dea d let fall his head and disappeared

, .

Then Caderousse , feeling that he was leaving him raised himself on

“
,

el b ow and , with a dying voice cried , with great e ff ort

, ,

Mu r der ! I am dying ! Help , M l A bb é —help .

’

This mournful appeal pierced the darkness The door of the back .

sta irca s e opened , then the side -gate of the garde n , and Ali and his mas
te r we r e on the spot wi th lights .
 CH A P T E R LXXXIII

T HE H A N D O F G OD

A DER OU S SE ,
“
continued to call piteously M . l A bb é ,
’
help !
help
What is the matter ? asked Monte -Cristo
”

Help cried Caderousse ; I am murdered !

! ” “ ”
.

—
We are here take cour age ! ”

Ah , it s all ove r ! You are come too late , you a r e come to se e me

’

die What blows ! What blood

.

He fainted Ali and hi s master conveyed the wounded man into a

.

room Monte -Cristo motioned to Ali to undress him , and he then

“ “
.

examined his dreadful wounds .

M y God ! he exclaimed
”
thy vengeance is sometimes delayed

“
, ,

but only that it may fall the more e fl e e tually Ali looked at his maste r
”
.

for further instructions . Conduct here i mmediately the p rocurem da

roi M de Villefort wh o lives in the Faubourg S aint -Honoré
. As you .
, ,
”
pass the lodge , wake the porter , and send him fo r a su r geon .

Ali obeyed , leaving the abbé alone with Caderousse , who had not
yet revived .

When the wretched man again Opened his eyes , the count looked at

“
him with a mournful exp r ession of pity, and his lips moved as if in

“
prayer A s urgeon , M l A b b é
. .

I have sent for one , replied the abbé

”
a surgeon
’
said Caderousse
.
.

I know he cannot save my life , but he may strengthen me to give

“
my evidence ”

Against whom ?
.

Against my murderer ”
.

Did you recognize him ? ”

Ye s it was Benedetto ”
.

The young Corsican ? ”

 T HE C O UN T OF M ON TE —C R I S T O.

Himself ”
.

Yo ur comrade ?
‘
”

Yes After givi ng me the plan of this house , doub tl e ss hOping I

.

should ki ll the count and he thus become his heir, or that the count
would kil l me and I sho ul d be out of his way, he waylaid me , and has

“
mu r dered me ”
.

I have a lso sent for the p roc ure ur ( I n mi ”

.

”
He wil l not come in time ; I feel my life fast ebbing .

S top ! ” said Monte -Cri sto He left the room , and returned in five
.

minutes with a phial The dying man s eyes were all the time riveted
’
.

on the door , through which he hoped succor would arrive .

Hasten , M l A b b é
’ — hasten ! I shall faint again
. ! ” -
Monte Cristo
approached, and dr opped on his purple lips three or four dr ops of the

“
contents of the phial Caderousse drew a deep breath Oh
that is life to me ; more , more ! ”
. said he , .

Two drops more would kill you , replie d the abbé

”
.

Oh, send for some one to whom I c an denounce the wretch

S hall I w ri te your deposition ? You can sign it ”
.

Yes , yes , said Caderousse ; and his eyes gli stened at the thought
”

of this posthumous revenge Monte -Cristo wrote : .

I d ie murd e re d b y t he C orsic a n B e n e de tto my comra de in

,
t he ga ll e ys at T o ulon ,
No .

Q uick quick ! said Caderousse , or I sh all be unable to sign it

” ”
.
,

Monte -Cristo gave the pen to Caderousse who collected all his ,

strength signed it , and fell back on the bed , sayi ng

,

You wil l relate all the rest , M l A bb é ; you will say he c alls himself
.
’

Andrea Cavalcanti He lodges at the H otel des Princes Oh I am

. .
,

dying ! ”
He again fainted T he abbé made him smell the contents of
.

the phial and he again opened his eyes His desire for revenge had
, .

not fo r saken him

“
.

Ah ! you wil l tell all I have said ; will you not M l A bb é ? ,

.
’ ”

Yes and much more

,
”
.

\ V ha t more will you say ? ”

I wil l say he had doubtless gi ven you the plan of this house , in the
hope the count woul d kill you I wil l say likewise he had apprised .
, ,

the count by a note of your in tention ; and , the count being absent , I
“
read the note and sat up to await you
,
”

And he will be guillotined will he not ? said Caderousse

.

“ “
.
,

Promise me that , and I will die with that hope ”

.

I will say, continued the count ”

that he foll owed and watched ,

you the whole time , and when h e saw you leave the house ran to the ,

angle of the wall to conceal himself ”

.
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE —C R I S T O .

Patience ! said the a b bé , in a tone which made the dying man

”

shudder have patience

Caderousse looked at h im with amazement
“
Besides said the abbé , God is merc iful to all , as he h as been to
,
”
.

you ; he is first a fathe r, then a j udge .

”

Do you , then believe in God ? said Caderousse

”
,
.

Had I been so unhappy as not to believe in him until now , said ”

”
Monte -C1i sto , I must beli eve on seeing you .

Ca derousse raise d his clenched hands toward heaven

“
.

Listen , said the abbé , extending his hand over the wounded man ,
”

as if to command him to believe ; this is what the God in whom , on

your death -bed , you r efuse to believe has done for you ; he gave you
,

health st r ength , regul ar employment , even friends — a life in fact ,

, ,

which a man might enj oy with a calm conscience Instead Of improv .

ing these g ifts , rarely granted so abundantly, this has been your course
you have given yourself up to sloth and d r unkenness , and in a fit of

“
intoxication ruined your best friend
”
”

“ .

Help ! cried Caderousse , I require a surgeon not a priest ; perhaps ,

I am not mo rtally wounded —I may not die ; perhaps they can y e t save
my life ”
.

Your wounds are so far mortal , that without the three drops I gave
you, you wo ul d now be dead Listen , the n
Ah
”
.

“
murmur ed Caderousse , what a strange priest you are ! you
.

“
drive the dying to d espair , instead of consoling them
Listen continued the abbé
”
,
“ ”

When you had betrayed your friend ,

.
.

God began not to strike , but to warn you ; poverty overtook you ; you
had already passed half your l ife in coveting that which you might have
hono r ably acquired , and already you contemplated crime under the
excuse of want , when God worked a miracle in your behalf , sending
you by my hands , a fortune — brilliant , indeed , for you , who had never
,

possessed any But this unexpected , unhoped -for, unheard -of fortune
.

su fficed you no longer when you once possessed it ; you wished to double
it ; and how -b y a murder ! You succeeded , and then God snatched it
“
f om you, and brought you to j ustice
r ”
.

It was not I who wished to kill th e Jew , said Caderousse ; it was

” “
La Carcont e ”
.

”
Yes said Monte -Cristo , and God I cannot say in j ustice , for his
, ,

j ustice would have slain you but God in his mercy , spared your life ,
”
.

P a rrhc u to transpo r t me for life how mercifu

’

.
; l ! ”

You thought it a mercy then , miserable wretch Th e coward , wh o

‘
feared death rej oiced at perpetual disgrace for , like all galley-slaves ,
,

you said, I may escape from prison ; I cannot from the grave ’
And
,

.
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE -C R I S T O
.
1 49

you said truly ; the way was opened for you unexpecte dly ; an English
man visited To ulon , who had vowed to rescue two men from infamy ,

and his choice fell on you and your companion ; you received a second
fortune , money and tranquillity were restored to you ; and you , who
had been condemned to a felon s life , might live as other men Then ,
‘
’
.

wr etched creatur e ! then you tempted God a third time I have not
.

enough , you said , when you had more than you before possessed and
’
,

you committed a thir d crime , wi thout reason , without excuse God is

“
.

wearied he has punished you

,
”
.

Caderousse was fast sinking Give me drink , said he

.
”
I thirst
I burn ! ”
Monte -Cristo gave him a glass of water And yet that vil
.

lain , Benedetto , will escape ! ”

N 0 one , I tell you , will escape Benedetto will be pu nished ”

.

Then , you , too , will be punished , for you did not do your duty as a

“
priest you should have prevented Benedetto from killing me
I ? said the count , with a smile which petri fied the dying man
”
”
.

whe n you had j ust broken your knife against the coat of mail which
protected my breast ! Yet , perhaps , if I had found you humble and
penitent , I might have prevented Benedetto from killing you ; but I

“ -
found you proud and blood thirsty, and I left you in the hands of G od
I do not believe there is a God ! howled Caderousse ; you do not
”
”
.

believe it : you lie — you lie !

S ilence ! said the abbé ; you will force the last drop of blood from
”

your veins What ! you do not believe in God when he is striking you
.

dead ? you wi ll not believe in him , who requires but a prayer , a word ,

a tear , and he wil l forgive ? God , who might have directed the assas
sin s dagger so as to end your career in a moment has given you this
’
,

quarter of an hour for repentance R eflect , then , wretched man , and

.

repent .
”

N said Caderous se , no ; I will not repent : there is no God, there

is no Providence all comes by chance ”
.

There is a Providence there is a God , said Monte -Cr isto , of which

,
”

you are a striking proof, as you lie in utter despair, denying him ;
while I stand before you rich , happy, safe , and supplicating that God
,

in whom you endeavor not to believe , while in you r heart you still

‘
believe in him ”
.

But who are you , then ? ” asked Caderousse , fixing his dying eyes
on the count .

Look well at me ! ” said Monte -Cristo , putting the light near his face .

Well ! the abb e the Abbé Busoni ”

Monte -Cristo took off the wig
.

which disfigured him , and let fall his black hair which added so much
,

to the beauty of his pallid features .

 T H E C O UN T OF M O N TE —C R I S T O

“
.

Oh ! said Caderousse thunderstruck ,

”
,
but for that black hair I

“
,
”
s h o ul d say you we r e the Englishman , Lord Wilmore .

I am neither the Abb e Busoni nor Lord Wilmore , said Monte ”

Crist o . Think again ; do you not recollect me

There was a magnetic tone in the count s words , which once more
’

“ “
revived the exhausted powers of the mise r able man
Yes indeed said he I think I have seen you and known you
”
.

“
, , ,

formerly ”
.

Yes , Cade r ousse you have seen me , yo u knew me once

,
”
.

Who the n are you ? and why, if you knew me , do you let me die ? ”

Because nothing can save you ; your wounds are mortal Had it been .

possi b le to save you , I should have considered it another proof of God s ’

mercy and I would again have endeavored to restore you , I swear by

,

my father s tomb ’ ”
.

By you r fathe r s tomb ! said Caderousse , supported by a super

’ ”

natu r al power, and half-raising himse lf to see more distinctly the man
wh o had j ust taken the oath which all men hold sacred ; who, then , “
ar e you

The count had watched the approach of death He knew this wa s .

the last struggle , he approached the dyi ng man , and leaning over him
wi th a calm and melancholy look , he whispered
I am — I am
And his almost closed lips uttered a name so low that the count
himself appeared afraid to hear it Caderousse , who had raised himself
.

on his knees , and stretched out his arm , tried to draw back ; then clasp

“
ing his hands , and raising them with a desperate e ff ort ,
God ! my God ! said he , pardon me for havi ng denied thee ; thou
”
Oh ! my

dost exist ; thou a r t indeed man s father in heaven and his j udge 0 11
’

earth My God my Lord , I have long despised thee ! Pardon me , my

.
,

God ; receive me , O my Lord ! ”

Caderousse sighed deeply , a nd fell back with a groan The blood

‘
.

no longer flowed from his wounds He was dead . .

Onc ! ”
said the count , mysteriously, his eyes fixed on the corpse ,
di sfigured by so awful a death .

Ten minutes afterward , the surgeon , and the p rocureur ( I n mi

ar r ived , —the one accompanied by the porter , the other by Ali , and
we r e received by the A bb e Buso ni , who was praying by the side of
the corpse .
 T HE C O UN T OF M ON TE —C R I S T O .

instil l into the young man doubts of the soli di ty of his future fathe r-in
law, who had of late sustained repeated losses , but with sublime d isin
t e re s te dn e s s and confidence the young man re frise d to listen , o r to
exp ress a single doubt of the baron .

The baron on his side , adored Coun t Andrea Cavalcanti ; not so

,

Mademoiselle Eug e nie D anglars With an instinctive hat r e d of mat

.

r imo ny she su ff ered Andrea s attentions in order to get rid of M o rc e rf ;

’
,

b ut when Andr ea urged his suit , she bet r ayed an entire dislike to him .

The b a r on might possibly have perceived it , but attributing it to caprice ,

feig ned ignorance .

The delay demanded by Beauchamp had nearly expired M orc e rf .

app r eciated the advice of Monte -Cristo , to let thi ngs die away of thei r
own accord ; no one had taken up the remark about the general , and no
one had r ecognized in the o ffi cer who betrayed the castle of Janina the
noble count who sat in the Hous e of Pee r s .

Albert , however , felt no less insulted ; the few lines which had
ir ri tated him we r e certainly intended as an insult Besides , the man .

ne r in which Beauchamp had closed the conference left a bitter re c ol

lection in his heart He cherished the thought of the duel , hoping to
.

conceal its t r ue cause even from his seconds Beauchamp had not been .

seen since the day he visited A l bert ; and those of whom the latter
inquired always told him he wa s out on a j ou r ney which would detain
hi m some days Where he was no one knew One morning A l be r t
. .

was awoke by his valet -de -chambre , who announced Beauchamp .

Al b ert rubbed his eyes , ordered h is servant to i ntroduce him into the
small smoki ng-room on the ground-fl oor, dressed himself quickly, and
went down .

He found Beauchamp pacing the room ; on percei v ing him Beau

“
champ stopped

“
.

Your arrival here , without waiting my visit a t your house to -day

looks well , sir said A l bert
”
,
T ell me may I shake hands with you ?
.
,
"
saying Beauchamp , acknowledge you have inj ured me , and retain my

“
,

f r iends hip , or must I simply propose to you a choice of arms

’

“
,
“
Albert said Beauchamp , with a look of sorrow which st up e fie d the
”

young man , let us fir st sit down and talk

“
.

R ather sir , before we sit down , I must demand you r answer

, .

Al b e r t said the j ournalist , these are questions which it is di fficult

”

“ ‘
,

to answer .
”

I will facilitate it by repeating the question Will you or will you

“
, ,

not retract
,

M or c e rf, it is not enough to answer Yes or N o to questions which

concern the honor , the social interest , and the life of such a man as the
Lieutenant ge n e ral Count de M orc e rf, peer of France
- ”
.
 TH E C O UN T OF M ON T E —CR I S T O
.
1 53

Wh at must then be done ? ”

What I have done , Albert I reasoned thus : Money, time , and

.

fatigue are nothing compared with the reputation and interests of a

whole family ; probabilities will not suffice only facts
,

T he M orgue .

dea dl y combat with a friend ; if I strike with the sword or discharge the
contents of a pistol at a man with whom , for three years , I have been on
terms of intimacy, I must , at least , know why I do so ; I must meet
him with a heart at ease , and that quiet conscience which a man needs
when his own arm must save his life ”
.
 THE C O U N T OF M O N TE —C R I S T O .

Well as ked M o rc e rf, impatiently , what does all this mean ?

,
” ”

”
It means that I have j ust returned from Janina .

From Janina
Yes ”
.

Impossible
He r e is my passport ; examine the vi s a — Geneva , M 1 1a n, V e nrc e ,
T ri e ste Del v ino Janina
,
Will you believe the gove rnment of a
,
.

republic , a kingdom , and an empir e ? Albert cast his eyes on the pass
”

port then raised them in astonishment to Beauchamp

,
.

You have been to Janina ? said he

”
.

Albert , had you been a s t ranger a foreigner , a simple lord like that
, ,

Englishman who came to demand satisfaction th r ee or four months

since and whom I killed to get rid of, I should not h ave taken this
,

troub le ; but I thought this mark of consideration due to you I took .

a week to go , another to return , four days of quarantine , and forty

eight hou r s to stay there ; that makes three weeks I returned last

“
.

night ; and here I am ”

.

Wh at circumlocution How long you are before you tell me what

I most wish to know ! ”

Because , in truth Albert ,

You hesitate !
Yes , I fear ”
.

You fear to acknowledge that your correspondent ha s deceived

you ? O h ! -
no self love , Beauchamp Acknowledge it , B eauchamp ;

“
.

your courage cannot be doubted ”

.

N o t so mur mured the j ourn alist ; on the contrary

,
”

A lbe rt turned frigh t fully pale ; he endeavored to speak but the words

“ “
,

died on his lips .

My fri end, said Beauchamp , l n the most a ff ectionate tone , I should

”

gladly make an apology, but alas ! 77

But what
The paragraph was corr ect , my friend ”
.

What ! that F r ench Officer

Yes ”
.

Fernand
Yes .
”

The t r aitor who surrendered the castle of the man i n whose service
he was
P ardon me , my friend , that man was you r father !
Albe rt advanced furiously toward Beauchamp , but the latte r 1 e
“ My frien d, said he , here i s a proof of it ”
” “
st rained him more by a mild look than by his extended hand
.
.
 TH E C O UN T OF M O N TE -C R I S T O

“
.

N ow, A l bert , ” s id he you understand me do you

a ,
I wished,
no t ?
to se e all and to j udge of eve rything fo r myse lf, hoping the explanation
,

would be 1 11 your father s favor and that I might do hrm j ustice But , on
’
.

the c o nt ra ry , the pa rticul a rs which a re given pro v e that Fern and Mon
dego raised by Ali Pa c ha to the rank of governo r-general , i s no othe r
,

than Count Fe rnand de M o rc e rf ; the n, recollecting the hono r you had

done rue in admitting me to your fri e rid ship, I hastened to you
,
.

Al b e r t, still extended on the chai r covered his face with both h ands
, ,

as if to p r event t he light f r om r eaching hi m .

I hastened to you c ontinued Beauchamp to tell you , Albe r t that

,
”
, ,

in t h is changing age , t he faults of a father cannot re v e r t upon his chil

d r en Few have passed through this revolutionary perio d , in the midst
.

of which we were bo r n , without some stain of infamy or blood to soil

the unifo r m of the sol di e r , the gown , or statesman N ow I h ave these .

p r oofs , Albe r t , and I am in your confidence , no human power can force

me to a duel which your own conscience would reproach you with as
c ri minal ; but I come to o ffe r you what you can no longer demand of me .

Do you wish these proofs , these attestations , which I alone possess , to be

dest r oyed ? DO you wish this frightful secret to remain with us Con
fid e d to me , it shall neve r escape my l ips ; say, Albert , my friend , do you
wish it ?
Albe r t th r e w himself 0 1 1 Beauchamp s neck ’
.

Ah ! noble fellow ! cried he

”
.

Take these said Beauchamp , presenting the papers to A l bert

,
”
.

Albert seiz ed them with a convulsive hand , tore them in pieces ; and ,

trembling lest the least vestige should escape and one day appear to con ,

f r ont him , he app r oached the wax -light , always kept burning for cigars

“
,

and consumed every fragment

“
.

Dear excellent friend ! murmured Albe r t , still burning the papers

,
”
.

Let a ll be forgotten as a sorrowful dream , said Beauchamp ; let it

”

vanish as the last sparks f r om the blackened paper , and disappear a s the

“
smoke from those silent ashes .

Y e s, yes , said Albert , and may there remain only the eternal fri end
”

ship which I p r omised to my deliverer , which shall be t r ansmitted to our

children s children and shall always remind me that I owe my l ife and
’
,

the honor of my name to you ; for had this been kno wn , Oh Beauchamp ,
I should have destroyed myself ; or,— no my poor mother ! I could not
“
,

ha v e kill ed her by the same blow ,— I should have fled from my country ”
.

Dea r Albe r t , said Beauch amp But this sudden and factitious j oy
”

“
.

s oon forsook the young man and was succeeded by still greater grief

“
.

”
Well said Beauchamp , what still oppresses you my friend ?
, ,
”

-
I am broken hea rted sai d Albert
”
Listen , Beauchamp I cannot
.
,

thus in a moment r elinquish the respect , the confidence , and pride with
, ,
 T HE C O UN T OF M ON TE —CR I S T O.
1 57
’
which a father s untarnished name inspires a son Oh ! Beauchamp
.
,
Beauchamp how shall I ne w approach mine ? S hall I draw back my
forehead from his embrace , or withhold my hand from his ? I a m the
most wretched of men Ah my mother , my poor mother ! ” said Albert ,
.

gazing through his tears at his mother s portrait ; if you know this ,
’

how much must you sud er

“
Come said B eauchamp , taking both his hands , take courage , my
”

“
,

friend
.
”

But how came that fi r st note inserted in your journal ? S ome

unknown enemy , an invisible fe e ha s done this ”
.
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE - C R I S T O.

The more must you fortify vourse lf , Albert Let no trace of emo
.

tion be visible 0 11 your countenance ; bear your gr ief as the cloud bears
wi thin it ruin and death ; a fatal secret known o nly when the storm
,

bursts Go , my fri end , reserve your strength for the moment when the
.

crash shall come .

”

You think , then ,all is not over yet ? said Albert , horror-stricken
”
.

I th i nk noth i ng , my friend ; but all things are possible Apro

.

What ? said A l bert , seeing Beauchamp hesitated

”
.

Are you going to marry Mademoiselle Danglars

Wh y do you ask me now ? ”
 CH A P T E R LXXXV

T HE J O UR NE Y

ON TE -CR I S T O utte r ed a j oyful exclamation on seeing the

y oung people together Ah ! a h ! said he , I hope all is
” “
“ “
.

over, explained and settled ”

.

Y e s, said Beauchamp ;
”
the absurd reports ha v e died
away a nd sho uld they be renewed , I would be the fi r st to oppose them ;
,

so let us speak no mo r e of it ”
.

Albert wi ll tell you replied the count , that I gave him the same
”
,

advice Look , added he I am finishing the most exec r able morni ng s

.
” ’

“
,

wo r k
.
”

What is it ? said Al be r t
”
a r ranging your pape r s apparently ,
”
.

My pape r s thank God , no ! my papers a r e all in capital orde r

“
,

b ecause I have none ; but M Cavalcanti s ”

.
’
.

M Cavalcanti s
. asked Beauchamp
’
.

Yes ; do you not know that this is a young ma n whom the count is

“
int r oducing ? said M orc e rf
”
.

Let us not misunderstand each othe r , r eplied Monte -Cristo ;

”

“
introduce no one and certainly not M Cavalcanti
A n d who ”
,
,
”
.

said Al bert , wi th a fo r ced smile , is to marry Made

.

mo ise lle Danglars instead of me which g r ieves me c r uelly

,
”
.

What Cavalcanti is going to marry M ademoisell e Dangla r s asked

“
Beauchamp

“
.

Ce r tainly ! do you come f r om the end of the world ? said Monte

”

Cri sto ; you a j ournalist , the spouse of Fame ! it is the talk of all
,

Pa 1i s
.
”

And you count , have made this match ? asked Beauchamp

,
”
.

I ? S ilence Monsieu r the newsmonger, do not spread that report

,
.

I make a match ! N o , you do not know me ; I have done all in my

power to oppose it
”
.
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —CR I STO
.
1 61

Ah ! I understand said Beauchamp , on our friend Albert s

,
”
’

account .
”

On my account ? said the young man ;

”
oh , no, indeed ! the count
will do me the j ustice to assert that I have , on the contrary, always
entreated him to break off my engagement and happily it is ended , .

The count pretends I have not hi m to thank ; well , like the ancients , I
wil l raise an altar D6 0 ig noto
-
”
.

“
Listen , said Monte Cristo ; I have had little to do with it , for I
”

am at var iance both with the father -in-law and the young man ; there
is only Mademoiselle E ug e nie , wh o appears but little charmed with the
thoughts of matrimony, and who , seeing how little I wa s di sposed to
persuade her to renounce her dear liberty, retains any affection for me .

Oh, ye s, in spite of all I could say I do not know the young man ;
.

he is said to be of good family and rich , but in my eyes such stories are
mere gossip . I have repeated this to M Danglars till I am ti r ed , but
.

he is fascinated with his friend from Lucca I have even informed .

him of a circumstance I consider very serious ; the young man was

changed at nurse , either stolen by gypsies , or lost by his tutor , I
scar cely know which But I do know his father lost sight of him for
.

more than ten years ; what he did duri ng these ten years , God only
knows Well , all that wa s useless They have commissioned me to
. .

wr ite to the maj or to demand his papers ; and here they are I send

“
.

them on , but will have nothing more to do with the matter ”

.

And what does Mademoiselle d A rmilly say to you for r o b bing he r

’

“
of her pupil ? ”

Forsooth ! I know not ; but I understand sh e i s going to Italy .

Madame D anglars asked me for letters of recommendation for the

i mp rcsari ; I gave her a few lines for the director of the Del Valle
f

Theater , wh o is under some obligation to me But what is the matter, .

Albert ? you look dull ; are you , after all unconsciously in love with

“
,

Mademoiselle Eug e nie ?

I am not aware of it said Albe r t , smiling so r r owfully Beauchamp
”
.

“
,

turned to look at some paintings .

But , continued Monte -Cristo , you a r e not in your usual spi r its ?
” ”

I have a dreadful headache said Al b ert

”
,

Well ! my dear Viscount ,” said Monte -Cr isto , I have an infalli b le

.

“
“
r emedy to propose to you ”

What is that ? asked the young man

”
.

A change ”
.

Indeed ! said Albert .

Y e s ; and as I am just now excessively annoyed I shall go f r om home ,

.

S hall we go together ? ”
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —CR IS TO .

You annoyed coun t said Beauchamp ; and by what ?

,
”

P a rdi e u’ you think very lightly of it ; I should like to se e you with

“
.

an indictment prepa ri ng in your house ”

.

What indictment ? ”

The one M de Villefort is preparing against my amiable assassin

“
.

“
”
some b r igand escaped from the galleys apparently .

True ” said Beauchamp ; I saw it in the paper Who is this Cade

,
.

rousse
S ome p r ovincial , it appears M de Villefort heard of him at Mar
. .

se illes and M Danglars recollects having seen him Consequently, NI lc

,
. . .

P roc ure m is very active in the aff air, and the prefect of police very much
’

inte r ested ; and , thanks to that interest , for whi ch I am very grateful ,
they send me all the robbers of Pa r is and the neighborhood , under pre
tense of their being Cade rousse s murderers ; so that in thre e months if
’
,

this continue , every robber and assassin in France will have the pl an of
my house at his fingers ends Therefore , I am resolved to desert them
’
.

and to go to some remote corner of the earth , and shall be happy if you
will accompany me , Viscount ”
.

Will ingly ”
.

Then it is settled ?
Yes ; but where ? ”

I have told you , where the air is pure , where every sound soothes ,
where one is sure to be humbled , however proud may be his nature I

“
.

love that humi liation , I , who am master of the universe , as wa s Augustus

But where are you reall y going ? ”

To se a , Viscount ; to the se a — I am a sailor I was rocked when an

.

infant in the arms of old Ocean , and on the bosom of the beautiful Amphi
t ri te ; I have sported with the green mantle of the one a nd the azure
robe of the other ; I love the se a as a mistress , and pine if I do not often
“
se e her .
”

Let us go , count ”
.

To the se a ? ”

Yes ”
.

You accept my proposal

I do .
”

Well , V iscount , there will b e in my court -yard this evening a good

traveling britska with four post-horses , in which one may rest as in a
,

bed M Beauchamp , it holds four very well ; wil l you accompany us ?

.
”

Thank you , I have j ust returned from the sea ”

.

W at ! you have been to the sea ?

h ”

Y e s ; I have j ust made a little excursion to the B orromé e s Islands ”

.

W at of that ? come wi th us said Albert

h ”
,
.
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE - C R I S T O

“
'

You see , then , ”

,
said Albert that instead of
opposing, she will

“
encourage me ”
.

Adieu , then , until five o c lock ; be punctual , and we shall arrive at

’

twelve o r one ”
.

At Tr e port
”
Yes ; or in the neighborhood .

-
But can we travel fo r ty eight leagues in eight hours ? ”

Eas ily said Monte -Cristo

,
”
.

You are certainly a p r odigy ; you will soon not only surpass the
railway which would not be very difficult in France but e v en the ,

“
,

telegraph .

Meanwhile , V isco unt , since we cannot perform the j ourney in less

t han seven or eight hours , do not keep me waiting ”
.

Do not fear ; I have nothi ng ne w to do but to prepare ”

.

Monte -Cr isto smiled as he nodded to Albert , then remained a mo

ment absorbed in deep meditation But passing his hand across his .

forehead as if to dispel his reverie , he rang the bell twice , and B e rtuc c io

“
ente red .

B e rt uc c io , said he ,
” “
I intend going this evening to N ormandy ,

instead of to m o rrow or the next day you wi ll have sufficient time before
five o clock ; dispatch a messenger to apprise the grooms at the first
’

station M de M orc e rf will accompany me

. .
”
.

B e rt uc c io obeyed , dispatched a co ur ier to Pontoise to sa y the trav

-
eli ng ca r r iage woul d arrive at six o clock
’
From Pontoise another .

express was sent to the next stage and in six hours all the h orses st a
,

t ione d on the road we r e ready .

Befo r e hi s departu r e the count went to Ha yd é e s apartments told

’
,

her his intention , and resigned everything to her c are .

Al bert was punctual The j ourney soon became interesting from

“ “
.

its rapidity of which M orc e rf had formed no previous i dea

,
.

T r ul y said Monte -Cristo , wi th your post-horses going at the rate

”
,

of two leagues an hour , and th at absurd law that one traveler shall not
pass another without permission so that an invalid or ill-tempered ,

traveler may detain those who are well and active , it is impossible to
mo v e ; I escape this annoyance by traveling with my o w n postilion and
ho r ses ; d o I not , Ali
The count put his head out of the window and uttered a cry of
encouragement and the horses appeared to fl y
,
The carriage r olled .

with a thunde r ing noise over the pavement and every one turned to ,

notice the dazzling meteor A l i, smili ng, repeated the cry gr asped the
.
,

reins with a fir m hand , and urged on his horses , whose beautiful manes
floated in the breeze This child of the desert wa s in his element ; and
.
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —CR I S T O .
1 65

with his black face and sparkli ng eyes , appeared in a cloud Of dust that

“
he raised like the genius of the simoom and the god of the hurricane
l
“
I never knew til now the delight of speed , said M orc e rf, and the
”
.

last cloud disappeared from his brow ; but where the devil do you get

“
such horses are they made to order ?
“
Precisely, said the count ; six years since I bought a ho r se in
”

Hungary remarkable for its swiftness I bought him for I know not
.

what sum ; it is B e rtuc c io who pays The thirty-two that we shall

.

use to -night are it s progeny they are all entirely black , with the e x c e p

“
tion of a star upon the forehead ”
.

That i s perfectly admirable ; but what do you do , count , with all

“
these horses ? ”

You se e , I travel with them ”

.

But you are not always traveling ”

.

When I no longer require them , B e rt uc c io will sell them ; and he

“
expects to realize thirty or forty thousand francs by the sale
But no monarch in Europe will be wealthy enough to purchase
”
.

“
them .
”

Then he will sell them to some E astern vi zier, who will empty his
co ffers to purchase them , and r efill them by applying the bastinado to
his subj ects ”
.

Count , may I suggest one ide a to you ? ”

Certainly ”
.

It is that , next to you , B e rt uc c io must be the richest gentleman in

“
E ur ope .
’

You are mistaken , V iscount ; I am sure he has not a f r anc in his

“
pockets , if you turned them inside ou
Then he must be a wonder My dear count , if you tell me many

“
.

more marvelous things , I warn you I shall not beli eve them ”
.

There is nothing marvelous in my case M Albert figures out . .

common sense ; that is all N ow listen to this dilemma Why does a

“
. .

steward rob his master ? ”

Because , I suppose , it is his nature to do so ; he robs for the love of

“
robbing ”
.

You are mistaken ; it is because he has a wif e and famil y, and

ambitious desires for himself and them Also because he is not sure of
.

always retaining his situation , and wishes to provide for the f uture .

Now, M B e rtuc c io is alone in the world ; he uses my property without

.

accounting for the use he makes of it ; he is sure never to leave my

“
service .

VVhy ?
”

Because I should never get a better ”

.
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —C R I S T O.

Probabilities are deceptive ”

.

B ut I deal in certainties ; he is the best se rvant over whom you

have the power of li fe and death ”
.

Do you possess that ri ght ove r B e rt uc c io

Ye s ”

“
.

The r e a r e words which close a conversation as if wi th an iron door ;

such was the count s ye s ’ ”
.

The whole j ou r ney was performed with equal rapidity ; the thirty
two horses , di spe r se d at seven stages , arrived in eight ho m s In the '

middle of the night they ar ri ved at the gate of a beaut iful park The .

porter was in attendance ; he had been apprised by the groom of the

last stage of the count s approach It was half-past two in the morning
’
.

when M orc e rf wa s conducted to h is apartments , where a bath and sup

p e r were p r epared . The servant who had traveled a t the back of the

carriage waited on him ; B aptistin , who rode in front , attended the

count .

Albert bathed , took his supper, and went to bed A l l night he wa s .

lulled by the melancholy noise of the swell of the se a On 1i sing he .

,

went to his window, which Opened on a terrace having the sea that is , , ,

immensity in front, and at the back a pretty park bounded by a small for
e st
. In a creek lay a little sloop , with a narrow hull and high masts , bear
ing on its flag the Monte -Cristo arm s , which were a mountain or, on a se a
'

azu re , with a cross m i les in chief which might be an all usion to his name

that recalled Calvary , the mount rendered by our Lord s passion more
’

p r ecious than gol d, and to the degra ding cross which his blood had
rendered holy ; or it might be some personal remembrance of sufi e ri ng
and regeneration buried in th e night of this myste r ious personage s ’

past life .

A r ound the schooner lay a nu mber of small fishing -boats belonging

to the fishermen of the neighboring village , a s humble subj ects awaiting
orders from their queen There , as in every spot where Monte -Cristo
.

stopped, if but for two days , all was organized for comfort ; life at once
beca me easy .

Albert found in his anteroom two guns , with all the accoutrements
for hunting ; a higher room , on the ground-fl oor, containing all the
.

ingenious instruments which the English great fishers , because they

are patient and lazy — have not yet induced the con servative fishers of
France to adopt The day passed in pursui ng those exercises in which
.

-Cr
Monte isto excelled ; they killed a dozen pheasants in the park, as
many trout in the stream , dined in a turret overlooking the ocean , and
took tea in the library .
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —C R I S T O .

Florentin here ! c r ied he , starting up ; is my mother ill f

”
And ”

he h a stened to the door .

Monte -Cristo watched him ; he saw him approach the valet , who
drew a small sealed parcel f r om his pocket , containing a newspaper

“
and a lette r .

From whom is this ? said he eagerly

”
,
.

From M Beauchamp , replied Florentin

.
”
.

Did he send you

Yes , s ir ; he sent for me to his house gave me money for my j ou r
,

ney procur ed a horse , and made me p r omise not to stop till I had rej oined
,

you ; I have come in fifteen hours ”

.

Al b ert opened the lette r with fear , uttered a sh ri ek on rea d ing the
fi r st line , and seized the paper His sight was dimmed , his legs sank
.

u nder him and he wo ul d have fallen had not Flore ntin supported him
,
.

Poor young man ! said Monte -Cristo , with a low voice ; it is then
”

t r ue that the sin of the father shall fall on the children to the third and
fou r th gene r ation ”
.

Meanwhile Albe r t had r evi v ed and continuing to read he threw

, ,

back his hair , saying

Florentin , is your horse fit to retur n imme di a t e l v ?
-
It is a poor , lame post horse ”
.

In what state was the house when you left ?

Al l was quiet ; but on ret ur ning from M Beauchamp s I found .
’
,

madame in tea r s ; sh e had sent for me to know when you wo ul d retu rn .

I told her my o r de r s from M Beauchamp ; sh e first exten ded her arms

.

to p r event me , but after a moment s r e fl e c tion, Go , said sh e , Fl o r entin ,

’ ’ ‘
“
and fetch him ’
.

Yes , my mother, said Al bert I will return and woe to the infamous
”
, ,

wretch But fi r st I mus t go

He returned , completely changed , to the room where he had left
Monte -Cr isto He wa s no longer the same man ; five minutes had suf
.

fic e d to change Albert completely He had gone out as usual but

.
,

re t urned with a trembling voice , a feverish look , an eye glittering unde r

“ “
blue -veined lids , and a tottering step , like a d r unkard s
Count said he , I thank you for your hospitality , which I woul d
”
’
.

“
,

gladly have enj oyed longer , but I must retu r n to Paris ”

.

What has happened ? ”

A great misfortune , mo r e impo r tant t o me than life N 0 questions

“
.
,

b ut a ho r se ”
.

My stables a r e at your command , Viscount ; but you will kill you r

-
self by riding on ho r seback ; take a post chaise or a carriage ”
.

N o it would delay me , and I requi r e that fatigue you fea r ; it will do

,

me good .
”
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —C R I S T O .
1 69 .

Albert reeled a s if shot with a cannon -ball , and fell on a chair nea r
the door Monte -Cristo saw not this second weakness
“
.

, he was at the
window , calling
Ali , a horse for M M orc e rf quick , he 1 s m a hu r ry ! ”
.

v. CON E/U

These w ords r estored Albert ; he darted from the room , followed b y

the count .

Thank you cried he , throwing himself on his ho r se .

R etu r n as soon as you c an, Florentin Must I use any pass -wo r d to
.

p r ocur e a ho r se ? ”
Only dismount ; anothe r wil l be immediately saddled .
 T HE C O UN T OF M O N TE —C R I S T O .

Albert hesitated a moment You may think my departu r e strange

“
.

and foolish , said the young man ; you know not how a paragraph in
”

a newspaper may ex asperate R ead that said h e, when I am gone

”
.
, ,

that you may not be witness of my anger ”

.

While the count picked up the pape r Albert put spurs to his horse ,
which astonished that his rider sho ul d dee m such a stimulus necessa ry
, ,

sta r ted with the rapi di ty of an arrow The count watched him with a
.

feeli ng of compassion and when he had completely disappeared , read

,

as foll ows

Th e Fre nch o ffi c e r in the s e rvic e of A li Pa ch a of J a nin a a llu d e d to thr e e w e e ks

, ,

sinc e in t he I mp a r tia l who not only surre nd e re d t he c a stl e of J a nin a b ut sold his b e n e
, ,

fa ctor to t he T urks styl e d hims e lf truly a t th a t tim e Fe rn a nd a s our honora b l e b roth e r

, ,

s ta t e s ; b ut he ha s sinc e a dd e d to his Christia n n a m e a titl e of no b ili ty a nd a fa mily

n a m e He now c a lls himse lf t he Count of Morc e rf a nd ra nks a mong t he p e e rs
.
, .
”

Thus this terrible secret , which Beauchamp had so generously

destroyed , appeared again as an armed phantom ; and another paper ,
cruell y informed , had published , two days after Albert s departure for
’

N o r mandy, the few lines which had almost distracted th e unfortunate

young man .
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE - C R I S T O
“
.

No replied Beauchamp
,
”
,
I have not considered the question
; a
totally d iffe r ent su b j ect interests me ”

“
.

“ What is it 3
'

The a l t ic le relative to M o rc e rf
“
”
.

Indeed ! Is it not a c ur ious aff air I

So curiou s ; that I thi nk you are runni ng a great risk of a prose c u

“
tion for defamation of cha r acte r ”
.

N ot at all ; we have received wi th the information all the requisite

proofs and w e are quite s ure M de M orc e rf will keep quiet ; besides it
,
.
,

is rendering a se r vi ce to one s count r y to denounce those wretches who

’

are unwo rthy of the honor it bestows on them ”

“
.

Beauchamp remained thunder -struck .

Who then , has so correctl y info rmed you ? asked he ; for my

”
'

pape r which had announced the subj ect , has been obliged to stop for
,

want of proof , and yet we are more interested than you in exposing M .

“
de Mo rc e rf as he is a peer of France , and we a r e of the opposition ”
.
,

Oh ! that is very simple ; we have not sought to scandalize ; this

news was b r ought to us A man arrived , yesterday, from Janina ,
.

bri nging the formidable bundle ; and as we hesitated to publish the

accusatory article , he told us it shoul d be inserted in some other paper .

You know Beauchamp the value of a bit of important news We

, ,
.

could not let it slip N ow the stroke is made ; it is terrible , and will
.

echo through Europe ”

.

Beauchamp understood that nothing remained but to submit , and

left the o ffice to dispatch a courier to M orc e rf But what he had been .

unable to wr ite to Albert , as the events took place after the messenger s ’

departur e , was , that the same day, a great agitation wa s manifest in

the Ho us e of Peers among the usually calm groups of the noble assem
bly Every one had arrived almost before the usual ho ur, and wa s con
.

versing on the melancholy event which was to att r act the attention of
the public towa r d one of their most illustrious membe r s S ome were .

r ea di ng in low tones the article ; others making comments and recall

, ,

ing circu mstances which substantiated the charges still mo r e .

The Count de M orc e rf was no favorite with his colleagues Like all .

upstarts , he had had reco ur se to a great deal of haughtiness to maintain

his position The true nobility laughed at him the talented repudi ated
.
,

him , and the honorable instin ctively despised him The count was in .

the terrible position of an expiatory victim ; the finger of God once

pointed at him , e v er y one was prepared to r a ise the hue and cry after
him .

The Count de M orc e rf alone knew nothing He did not take in the .

paper containing the defamatory news , and had passed the morning in
 -
door keepers or the coolness of his colleagues .

'

B usme ss had already commenced half an hou r when he entered .

Every one held the accusing paper, but , a s usual , no one liked to take
upon himself the responsibility of the attack At length an honorable
.

M
pee r , orc e rf s acknowledged enemy, ascended the tribune with that
’

solemnity which announced the expected moment had arrived There .

 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE - C R I S T O .

was an imposing silence ; M o rc e rf alone knew not why such profoun d

atte ntion was given to an orator who was not always listened to with
so much complacency .

The count ( lid not notice the introduction , in which the speaker
announced that his communication would be of that vital importa nce
that it demanded t he undivi ded attention of the House ; but , at the
wo r ds Jan ina and Colonel Fernand he tur ned so a wfull y pale that
,

e v ery member shuddered and fixed his eyes upon him Moral wounds .

h ave this pec uliarity, they conceal themselves but never close ; always ,

p a inful , always ready to bleed when touched they remain fresh and ,

open in the heart .

The article having been read d uring this painful silence , it was only
then disturbed by a unive rsal shudder , and immediately resto red when
the orator resumed He stated his scruples and the diffic ul ties of the
.

case it was the honor of M de M orc e rf, and that of the whole House ,
.

he p r oposed to defend by pro voking a debate on those personal ques

,

tions always so warmly agitated He concluded by calling for an exam

.

inat ion, speedy enough to confound t h e calumnious report before it had

time to spread , and to restore M de M orc e rf to the position he had long
.

held in public opinion .

M o rc e rf was so completely overwhelmed by this enormous and une x

p e c t e d calamity that he co ul d scarcely stammer a few words as he looked
r ound on the assembly This timidity, which might proceed from the
.

astonishment of innocence as well as the shame of gui lt , conciliated some

in his favor ; for men who are truly generous are always ready to com
passionate when the misfort une of their enemy surpasses the limits of
their hatred The president put the question to the vote , and it wa s
.

decided that the examination sho ul d take place The count was asked .

what t ime he requi red to p r epare his defense M o rc e rf s courage had ’

“
.

“
re vived when he found himself alive after this horrible blow
My lords answered he it is not by time that one repels attacks
,
”
,
.

like that made on me b y enemies unknown to me , and do ubtless , hidden ,

in obscu r ity ; it is immediately , and by a thunderbolt , I must repel the

flash of lightning which , for a moment , sta r tled me Oh ! that I could .
,

instead of taking up this defense , shed my las t drop of blood to p r ove

to my noble colleagues that I am their equal in wo rth ”
.

These wo r ds made a favo r able imp r ession on behalf of the accused .

I demand then , that the examination shall take place as soon as

,

possi ble and I will fu r nish the house with all necessary information
,
”
.

What day do you fix asked the p r esident

“
.

To day I am at your se r v ice , replied the count

- ”
.

The president rang the bell

examination should take place to -day l “
Does the House approve that the
.
 THE CO UN T OF M ON TE —CR I S T O .
1 77

Yes wa s the unanimous answer .

A committee of twelve members was chosen to examine the proofs

brought forward by M orc e rf The examination woul d commence at
.

eight o clock that evening in the committee -room , and , if it were ne c e s

’

sary to postpone it , it would be resumed each evening at the same hour .

M orc e rf asked leave to retire ; he had to coll ect the documents he had
long been preparing agai nst this storm , which his sagacity had fo r eseen .

Beauch amp related to the young man all the facts we have just
narrated ; his story, however , had over ours all the advantage of the a ni
mation of living things over the coldness of dead things .

Albert listened , trembling now with hope , then with anger , and then
again with shame ; for , from Beauchamp s revelations he knew his ’
,

father was guilty ; and he asked himself how , since he was guilty, he
could prove his innocence Beauchamp hesitated to co ntinue his nar
.

ra t iv e .

What nex t ? aske d Albert

”
.

What next ? My friend you impose a painful task on me Must

“
.
,

you k now all ?

Absolutely ; and rather from your lips than another s ’ ”
.

Prepare your courage , then ; for never wi ll you have required it

more .
”

Albert passed his hand over his forehead , as if to try his strength , as
a man , who is preparing to defend his life , proves his shield and bends
his sword He thought hi mself strong enough , for he mistook fe ver for
.

energy Proceed , said he

.
”
.

The evening arrived : all Paris wa s i n expectation Many said you r .

‘
father had only to show himself to confound the charge ; many others
said he would no t appear ; while some asserted they had seen him sta r t
for Brussels , and others went to the police -office to inquire if he had
taken out a passport I used all my influence with one of the committee ,
.

a young peer of my acquaintance to get introduced into a sort of galle r y

, ,

He called for me at seven o clock , and before any one had arrived
’
, ,

asked one of the door-keepers to place me in a box I wa s concealed by .

a column , and in complete obscurity , I could hope to hear and se e the

whole of the terr ible scene which was about to take place At eight
. .

o clock all were in their places , and M de M orc e rf entered at the last
’
.

stroke He held some papers in his hand his countenance wa s calm

.
.

C on t rary to his usual custom his manner was una ff ected , his d ress par
,

ti c ul arly quiet and , after the habit of old soldiers , buttoned completel y
,

up to the chin His p resence produced a good effect His committee

.
.

was far from being ill -disposed ; several of the members came forwa r d to
shake hands with him ”
.
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE —CR I S T O .

Al b ert felt his hea rt b ursting at these pa r ticulars , but gratitude

mingled wi th his sorrow , he would gladly have embraced those who
had given his fa t her th is proof of esteem at a moment when his honor

“
was so po we 1f ul ly attacked .

presi d ent .
‘
At this moment one of the door-keepers brought in a letter for the
You are at libe r ty to speak M de M orc e rf , said the presi
’
,
.

dent , as he unsealed the letter ; and the count began his defense I ,

a s su r e you , Al b e r t in a most eloquent and skillful manner He pro

,
.

d uc e d documents p r o v ing that the Vizier of Janina h a d , to the last

,

moment honored him with his enti r e confidence , since he had intrusted
,

him wi t h a negotiation of life and death with the sultan He produced .

the ring his mark of authority , with which Ali Pacha generally sealed
,

his lette r s and whi c h the latter had given to him that he might , on his
,

return at any hour of the day or night , were h e even in his harem , gain
access to him U nfortunately the negotiation failed , and when he
‘
‘
.
,

returned to defend his benefactor he wa s dead ,

But , said the count,
’
.

so g r eat was Ali P a c ha ’

s confidence that on his death - bed , he confided
,

his favo rite mistress and her daughter to my care ’

.

Al b e r t sta r ted on hearing these words ; the history of Hayd e e

r ecurred to him , and he remembered what she had said of that mes
sage and the ring, and the manner in which she had been sold and made

“
a slave .

And what e fie c t did this discourse produce ? anxiously inquired

”

Albert .

I acknowledge it affected me , and , i ndeed , all the commi ttee also , ”

said Bea uchamp .

Meanwhile , the president carelessly opened the letter which had been
brought to him ; but the first lines a r oused his attention He read them
‘
‘
.

again and again and fixing his eye s on M de M orc e rf : M le Comte , . .

’

‘
,

said he , you have said the Vizier of Janina had confided his wife and
daughte r to your care ? ’
Yes , sir replied M orc e rf, but in that , like
’
,

all the r est misfortune pu r sued me ; on my return Vasiliki and her

, ,

daughte r Hayd e e had disappeared ’

Did you know them
. My
i ntimacy with the pacha and his unlimited confidence had gained me

‘
an int r oduction to them , and I had seen them above twenty times ’
.

Have you any idea what is become of them ? ’

Yes , sir ; I heard
they ha d fallen victims to their so r row, and , perhaps , to their poverty

‘
.

I was not rich ; my life was in constant danger ; I could not seek them ,
to my great reg r et ’

‘The president frowned imperceptibly

.

men , said he , you h ave hea r d M le Comte de M orc e rf s defense Ca n

’ ’
Gentle .

‘
. .

yo u M le Comte produce any witnesses to th e truth of what you ha v e

, .
,

asse rted A l as ! no , sir replied the count , all those who surrounded
,
’
 T HE C O UN T OF M ON T E —C R I S T O .

p r esident r equested he r to throw aside he r veil and it was then seen

“ “
,

s he was dressed in the Grecian costume , and was remarkably beautiful

”
.

Ah ! said Al be rt , it was she

” ”
.

\Vho ? ”

Hayd e e .
”

\Vh o told you that ? ”

Al as ! I guess it But go on , Beauch amp You se e I am calm and

“
. .

“
strong And yet we must be drawing near the disclosure ”
.
.

M de M orc e rf, continued Beauchamp , looked at this woman with

.
”

surprise and te rror Her lips were about to pass his sentence of l ife o r
.

death To all the committee the a dventure was so extraordinary and

.

curious , that the interest they had felt for the count s safety became ’

no w quite a secondary matter The president himself advanced to place

.

a seat fo r the young lady ; but she indicated that she would remai n
standing As for the count he had fallen on his chai r ; it was evident
.

‘
,

his legs refused to support him .

said the president , you have engaged to furnish the

co mmittee with some impo r tant particulars respecting t h e aff air at
Janina , and you have stated that you were an eye -witness of the
events ’
. I wa s, indeed ! said the stranger, with a tone of sweet mel
’

‘
a nc h ol y, and wi th the sonorous voice peculiar to the East

But allow me to say you must have been very young then I was
.

’
.

four yea r s old ; but as those events deeply concerned me , not a single
particular has escaped my memory ’
I n what manner could those
.

events conce r n you ? and who a r e you , th at they should have made so

rep li ed she ‘
deep an impression on you ? ’
On them depended my father s life’

I am Hayd e e , t he daughter of Ali T e b e lin, Pacha of

’
,

“
.

Janina , and of Vasiliki , his beloved wife ’

.

The blush of mi ngled pride and modesty which suddenly suff used
the cheeks of the young female , the brilliance of her eye , and her highly
important communication , p r oduced an inexpressible e ffect on the
assembly As fo r the count , he could no t have been more ove rwhelmed
.

if a thunderbolt had fallen at his feet and opened b efore him an im

mense gul f

‘
.

r eplied the president bowing with profou nd respect

, ,

allow me to ask one question , it shall be the last : Can you p r ove the
authenticity of what you have now stated
’

‘
I can , sir , said Hayd e e , drawing from under her veil a satin satchel
highly perfumed ; for he r e is the register of my birth , signed by my
father and his principal o fficers ; and that of my baptism , my fathe r
havi ng consented to my being brought up in my mother s faith ; this ’

letter has been sealed by the gr and p ri mate of Macedonia and Epi r us ,
 THE C O UN T OF JI O N T E C R IS T O
.
1 81

and lastly, (and perhaps the most important )the reco r d of the sale of
,

my person and that of my mother to t he Armenian merchant E l-Kob b i

r ,
by the French o fficer , who, in his infamous bargain wi th the Porte had
,
reserved as hi s part of the booty, the wife and daughter of his

factor whom he sold for the sum of four hun dred thousand francs A
,
’
.

greenish paleness spread over the count s cheeks , and his eyes became
’

-
blood shot , at th ese terrible imputations , which were listened to by the
assembly wit h an ill-foreboding silence .
 TH E C O UN T OF J I ON T E —C R I S T O .

Hayd e e still calm , but whose calmness was more d1 e adful than
,

the ange 1 o t a no t he 1 woul d have been , handed to the president the

r ecord of her s ale 1 e g1 st e 1 ed i n Arabic It had been supposed some of
,
.

the s e papers might b e registe r ed in the A l abi o, R omaic , 0 1 Turkish

language and the inte r preter of the House was in attendance One of
‘
.
,

t he n o ble peers who wa s familiar with the A rabie l a ng ua g e having

, ,

studied it dur ing the su b lime Egyptian campaign , followed with his eye
as t he translator read a loud
I ,
sl a v e -m e rch a nt a nd furnish e r of th e h a re m of his hi ghn e ss a ckn o wl
R l-Ko b b ir, a . ,

e dg e h a vi ng re c e iv e d for tra nsmission to t he S u b lim e E mp e ror fro m t h e Fr e nch lord , ,

C ount of M ont e -Cristo a n e m e ra ld v a lu e d a t e ight hun dr e d thous a nd fra ncs a s t he ,

,

ra n som of a youn g Christi a n sla v e of e l e v e n y e a rs of a g e n a m e d Ha yd ee t he a c knowl , ,

e dg e d da ught e r o f t he la t e L ord A li T e b e li n P a ch a of J a nin a a nd of V a siliki his

, , ,

fa vo rit e ; she h a ving b e e n sold to me s e v e n y e a rs pre viously with h e r moth e r who h a d , ,

di e d on a rriving a t Consta ntinopl e b y a Fre nch colon e l in t he s e rvi c e of the V i zi e r A li

,

T e b e lin n a m e d Fe rn a n d M ond e go
,
The a b ov e -m e ntion e d purch a s e wa s m a d e on hi s
.

hi ghn e ss s a ccoun t whos e mand a t e I ha d for the sum of four h un dr e d thousa nd fra ncs
’
, ,
.

G iv e n a t Const a ntinopl e b y a uthority of his hi ghn e ss in t he y e a r 1 24 7 of t he

, ,

He gi ra . Sign e d EL -KOB B I R , .

T h a t this re cord should h a v e a ll d ue a uthority it sh a ll b e a r t h e imp e ri a l se a ! which , ,

t he v e ndor is b oun d to h a v e a ffix e d to it

’
.

N ear the me r chant s signatur e there was , indeed , the seal of the
’

S ublime Emperor A drea df ul silence su cceeded the reading of this

‘
.

paper ; the count co ul d only look , and his gaze , fixed as if unconsciously

‘
on Hayd e e , seemed one of fire and blood Madame , said the presi
’

dent can we not examine the Count of Monte -Cristo , who is now, I
.

‘
,

believe in Pa r is ? ,
’

Si r said Hayd e e , the Count of Monte -Cristo , my other fathe r ,

’
,

has been i n N ormandy the last three days ’

.

Who then , has counseled you to take this step , one for which the

‘
,

cou r t is deeply indebted to you , and which is pe r fectly natural , con

s id e r ing your bir th and your misfortunes S ir , replied Hayd e e I ’
,

have been led to take t his step from a feeling of respect and grief .

Although a Christian may God forgive me ! I have always sought to ,

re v enge my illu strious fathe r S ince I se t my foot in F r ance and knew .

,

the traitor lived in Paris , I have watched careful ly I live retired in .

the house of my noble p r otecto r , but I do it from choice ; I love r eti r e .

ment and silence because I can live with my thoughts and recollections
,

of past days But M l e Comte de Monte -Cr isto surrounds me with

. .

eve r y paternal ca r e and I am ignorant of nothing which passes in the

,

wo rld I hear its di stant echoes ; I se e all the newspapers , every

.

pe riodical as we ll a s e v ery new melody ; and by thus watching the

'

c o u r se of the l ife of othe r s I learned what ha d passed this morning in ,

 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE —C R I S T O .

The count had not uttered one word the whole of this time His .

colleagues looked at him , and doubtless pitied his blighted prospects ,

which sank under t he pe rfumed breath of a wom a n His misery wa s .

depicted by sinister lines on his coun tenance M de M o rc e rf, said the

.
’
.

president d o you r ecogniz e this lady as the daughte r of Ali T e b e li n

Pacha of Janina
,

N o , said M o rc e rf, attempting to rise ; it is a base

’ ‘ ,

plo t contri v ed by my enemies ’

Hayd e e , whose eyes had been fixed

‘ ‘
.
,

upon the d o or, as if expecting some one turned hastily, and , seeing the
,

c ount s t anding sh r ieked , You do not know me ? said sh e

,
’
Well , I .

fo rtunately reco g nize you ! You a r e Fernand Mondego , the F r ench

officer, who led the troops of my noble fathe r ! It is you who su r
r endered the Castle of Janina ! It is you wh o sent by him to Constan ,

t ino pl e , to treat with the emperor fo r the life or death of your bene
factor, b r ought back a fal se mandate granting full pardon ! It is you
,

who , with that mand ate obtained the pacha s ring, which gave you
,
’

authority over S elim the fire -keeper ! It is yo u who stabbed S elim !

,

It is you who sold us , my mother and me , to the merchant E l-Kobb ir .

Assassin ! a ssassin assassin ! you have still 0 11 your brow your master s ’

“
b lood ! Look gentlemen all !
,
’
,

These words had been p r onounced with such enthusiasm of truth ,

that eve r y eye was fix ed on the count s forehead , and he himself passed
’

hi s hand across it , as if he felt Ali s blood stil l moist upon it

’
You ‘
‘
.

positi v ely recognize M de Morc e rf as the officer, Fernand Mondego

.

“ Indeed I do ! cried Hayd e e Oh , my mother ! it was you wh o told me

’
.

You we r e f r ee you had a beloved father , you we r e destined to be

,
,

almost a queen Look well at that ma n ; it i s he wh o raised your

.

father s head on the point of a spear ; it is he who sold us ; it is he who

’

forsook us ! Look well at his right hand , on which he has a la r ge

wound ; if you forgot his features you would know him by that hand
, ,

into which fell one by one , the golden pieces of the merchant E l-Kob
,

bi r I know him ! Ah ! let him sa y now if he does not recognize me ! ’

Each wo r d fell l ike a dagger 0 11 M o rc e rf and dep rived hi m of a portion

,

of his energy ; as she uttered the last he hid hastily in his bosom his
,

hand which had indeed been mutilated by a wound , a nd fell back on

,

his chair, overwhelmed b y wretchedness a nd d e spair This scene com

o

ple t e l y changed the opinion of the assembly respecting the accused

‘
c o unt .

‘
M le Comte de M ore e rf, said the p r esident , do no t all ow you r s e lf
.
’

to b e depressed ; answer The j ustice of the cou r t is sup r eme and

.

impa rtial as that of God ; it will not suff er you to b e trampled on by

your enemies without giving you an opportunity of defending yourself .

S hall fu rthe r inquiries be made ? S hall two members of the House b e

 THE CO UN T OF JlI ON T E —CR I S T O
.
1 85

sent to Janina ? S peak M orc e rf did not reply Then all the
.
me m
bers looke d at each other with terror They knew the count’s energetic
.

and violent temper ; it must be , indeed , a dr eadful blow which would

deprive him of cour age to defend himself They expected this silence
.

resembling a sleep , would be followed by an awakening like a thunde r

‘
bolt
.
’
Well , asked the president what is your dec i s 1 on
,
’
,

I have no reply to make said the count in a low tone .

Has the daughter of Ali T eb elin spoken the truth ? sad the pre m
’
 T H E C O UN T M O N TE —C R I S T O

‘
OF .

dent . Is she , then , the terrible witness to whose charge you dare not
plead N ot guilty ? Have you reall y committed the crimes of which
”

you are acc used t The count looked around hi m with an exp r ession
’

which might h ave softened tigers , but which coul d no t disarm his
j udges Then he r aised his eyes toward th e ceiling , but withdrew
.

them immediately as if he fea r ed the r oof would open and reveal to his
,

d istre s sed vie w that se c ond t r ibunal called heaven , and t hat other j udge
named God Then with a hasty movement he to r e open his coat
.
, , ,

whi c h seemed to stifle him , and flew f r om the room like a madman ; his
footste p wa s hea r d one moment in the corrido r , then the rattling of his
-
‘
c a rr iage wheels a s he was d r i v en rapidly away .Gentlemen , said the
president when silence was restored , is M l e Comte de M orc e rf con
,
.
’

v ic t e d of felony and degrading conduct , t reason and

,

r eplied all the membe r s of the committee of inqui r y with a unanimous

voice .

Hayd e e had remained until the close of the meeting S he hea r d

.

the count s sentence p r onounced without betraying an expression of j oy

’

or pity ; then d rawing her veil over her face , she bowed maj estically to
the councillors , and left with that dignified step which Virg il attributes
to his goddesses .
 THE C O U N T OF M ON TE - C R IS T O .

that interested as I a m in this afia ir, I cannot see it in the same light
,

as you do What appea r s to you to emanate from a celestial source ,

.

seems to me to p r oceed from o ne far less pure Providence appea r s to .

me t o ha v e no sha r e i n this a ff a ir ; and happily so , for instead of the

invisi b le , impalpable agent of celestial r ewards and punishments , I shall
find one both palpa b le and visi ble , o n whom I shall revenge myself, I
assu re you, for a ll I have suffe r ed dm ing the last month N ow, I repeat ,
'

Beauchamp , I wish to return to human and material existence ; and if

you are still the f riend you profess to be , help me to discover the hand
that st r uck the blow ”
.

Be it so, said Beauchamp ; if you must have me descend to earth

”
,

I su b mit ; and if you will seek you r enemy I will assist you , and I will
,

engage to find him , my hono r being almost as deeply interes t- e d as

you r s ”
.

Well , then , you understand , Beauchamp , that we begin our research

immediately E ach moment s delay is a n eternity for me The c alumni
.
’
.

ator is not yet punished , and he ma y hope he will not be ; but , on my

“
honor if he th inks so , he deceives himself
,

Well listen M orc e i f

,
”
,
.
”
.

Ah Beauchamp , I se e you know something already : you will r esto r e

“
,

me to life ”
.

I do not say there is any truth in what I am going to tell you ; but
it is , at least , as a light in a dark night : by following it we may , per
haps , di scover something more certain ”
.

Tell me ; satisfy my impatience ”

.

Well , I wi ll tell you what I did not like to mention 0 11 my return

f r o m Janina ”

‘
.

S ay on ”
.

I went of course , to the chief banker of the town to make inq uiries

‘
.
,

At the first word , before I had even mentioned your father s name ’

‘ Ah , said he , I guess what brings you here

’

‘
’
How , and why
Because a fortnight since I wa s que stioned on the same subj ect ’
By
.

‘ .
‘
whom ? — B y a banker of Paris , my correspondent ’ —
Wh ose name

“
.

is Danglars ’
.

He ! cried Albert ; y e s, it is indeed he who has so long pursued

”

my father with j ealous hat r ed He the man wh o would be popul ar,

.
,

ca nnot forgive the Count de M orc e rf for bein g created a peer ; and this
marriage broken off without a reason being assigned yes , it is all from
“
,

the same cause ”

.

Inquire , A l bert , but do not b e ang ry without r eason ; inqui re , and

if it is true
 THE C O UN T M O N TE —C R IS T O
“
OF 1 89

“
.

Oh, y e s, if it is true ”
cried the young man he shall pay me all I

“
, ,

have su ffered ”
.

Beware , M orc e rf, he is already an old man ” .

I will respect his age as he has respected the honor of my family ;

if my father had offended him , why di d he not attack him pe r sonally ?
Oh no , he w a s afraid to encounter him face to face ”
.

I do not condemn you , Albert ; I only restrain you Act prudently ” . .

Oh , do not fear ; besides , you will accompany me Beauchamp , .

solemn transactions should be sanctioned by a witness Before this day .

closes , if M Danglars is guilty , he shall cease to live or I will die

“
. .
,

Pardieu Beauchamp , mine shall be a splendid funeral !

Wh en such resolutions are made , Albert , they should be p r omptly
executed Do you wish to go to M Danglars ? Let us go immediately
. .
”
.

They sent for a cab On entering the banke r s mansion , they per
’

“
.

c e ive d the phaeton and servant of M Andrea Cavalcanti . .

Ah ! p ar bleu that s good , said Albert , with a gloomy tone

’ ’
.
”
If .

M Danglars will not fight with me I will kill his son-in-law ; Caval
.
,

canti will certainly fight ”

.

The servant announced the young man ; but the banker , recollect
ing what had transpired the day before , did not wish him admitted It .

was , however , too late ; Albert had followed the footman , and , hearing
the order given , forced the door open , and , foll owed by Beauchamp

“ “
,

found himself in the banker s cabinet ’

.

S ir ,” cried the latter , am I no longer at liberty to receive whom I

“
choose in my house ? You appear to forget yourself sadly
“
N o , sir ,” said Albert , coldl y ; there are circumstances in which one
”
.

—
cannot, except through cowar di ce I ofie r you t hat refuge refuse to —

“
admit certain persons at least ”

What is your er r and , then , with me , sir ?

.

I mean, said Albe r t , approaching, wi thout apparently noticing

”

Cavalcanti , wh o stood with h is back toward the fir e pl ac e , I mean to

propose a meeting in some retired corner, where no one will interrupt
us for ten minutes , that will b e sufficient ; where two men having met ,
one of t he m will remain on the ground
~
”
.

Danglars turned pale ; Cavalcanti moved a step fo r wa r d and A l b e r t ,

“
turned toward him
A nd you ,
too ,
” said he
.

,
come ,
if you like , M l e C omte ; you. have
a claim being almost one of the family, and I will give as many ren
,

de zvous of that kind as I can find persons w ill m g to accept them ”

.

Cavalcanti looked at D anglars with a st up e fi e d air ; and the latter ,

making an e ff ort , rose and advanced between the two young people .
 THE C O UN T OF M O N T E -C R I S T O .

Albe rt s attack on And r ea had placed him on a di ff erent footing , and he

’

“
hoped thi s visit had another cause tha n t hat he had at first supposed
Indeed , sir said he to Al b ert , if you are come to quarrel wi th this
,
”
.

gentleman , because I have prefe rred him to you , I shall resign the case
to the p mc m c ur d a roi
“
' ”
.

You mistake , sir, s aid M orc e rf, with a gloomy smile ; I am no t

”

alluding in the least to a marriage and I only addressed myself to M

, .

Ca v alcanti becau s e he appeared d isposed to inte rf e r e between us In .

one respect you a r e r ight for I am ready to quarrel with every one

“
,

t o -day ; b ut you have the fi r st claim , M Danglars

”
. .

S i r replied Dangla r s pale with anger and fear, I warn you , when
,
”
,

I have the misfo r tune to meet with a mad dog I kill it ; and far from ,

thinking myself guilty of a crime I believe I do society a ki ndness

,
.

N ow if you are mad , and t r y to bite me , I will kil l you without pity

“ “
.
,

I s it my fault that your father has dishonored himself ?

Danglars retreated a few steps “

Yes ; miserable wretch cried M orc e rf, it is your fa ul t ”

My fault ! said he ; you must

”
.
“
.

be mad ! What do I know of the Grecian history ? H ave I traveled in

that country ? Did I advise your father to sell the Castle of Janina

“
to betray
S ilence ! said Albe r t , wi th a thundering voice
”
N o ; it is not you.

who have directly made this exposure and brought this sorrow on us ,
but you have hypocritically provoked it ”
.

u
I ?
r 77

Yes ; you ! How came it known ?

I suppose you read it in the paper in the account from Janina ”
.

Who wrote to Janina ? ”

To Janina
Yes Wh o wrote for particulars concerning my father ?
.

I imagi ne any one may write to Janina ”

.

But one person onl v wrote !

One only ?
Yes , and that was you ”
.

I , doubtless , wrote It appears to me that when about to marry

.

your daughter to a young man , it is right to make some inquiries

respecting his family ; it is not only a right but a duty .

You wrote , si r , knowing what answer you would receive ”

.

I indeed ! I assure you , cried Da nglars , with a confidence and

”

“
,

security proceeding less from fear than f r om the interest he reall y felt
fo r the unh a ppy young man , I solemnly declare to you that I should ,

ne v er have thought of writ ing to Janina had I known anything of Ali

,

Pacha s misfo rtunes ”

’
.
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —C R I S T O .
1 93

Who , the n, urged you to write Tell me ” .

P ardieu’ it was the most simple thing in the world

. I was speak .

’
ing of your father s past history I said the origin of his fortune
.

remained obscure The person to who m I addressed my scruples asked

.

me where your father had acquired his property ? I answered , In ‘

“
Greece ’
. Then write to Janina
And who thus advised you ? ”
’
.

-
N o other than your friend , Monte Cristo ”
.

The Count of Monte -Cristo told you to write to Janina ? ”

Y e s ; and I wrote and will sho w you my correspondence , if you
,

Albert and Beauchamp looked at each other .

S ir , said Beauchamp , who had not yet spoken , yo u appear to

”

accuse the count , who is absent from Paris at this moment , and cannot

“
j ustify himself ”
.

“
I accuse no one , sir, said D anglars ; I relate and I will repeat
”

“
,

before the count what I have said to you ”

.

Does the count know what answer you received ?

Yes ; I showed it to him ”
.

Did he know my father s Christian name was Fernand , and his family
’

“
name Mondego
Y e s ; I had told him that long since ; and I did nothing more than
any other would have done in my circumstances , and perhaps less .

When , the day after the arrival of this answer , your father came , by
the advi ce of Monte -Cristo , to ask my daughter s hand for you , I decid ’

e dly refused him , but without any explanation or exposure In sho r t , .

why should I have any more to do with the aff air ? How did the honor
or disgrace of M de M orc e rf afie c t me ? It neither bulled nor bea r ed the
.

market ”
.

Albert felt the color mounting to his brow ; the r e was no d oubt
upon the subj ect , D anglars d efended himself with the baseness but, at ,

the same time with the assur ance of a man wh o speaks the truth , at
,

least in part , if not wholly not for conscience sake , b ut th r ough fear
’
.

Besides what was M orc e rf seeking ? It was not whether Danglars o r

,

Monte -Cristo wa s more or less guil ty ; it was a man who would answer
for the o ff ense , whether trifling or serious ; it wa s a man who woul d
fight and it was evident Danglars would not fight
,
.

In ad di tion to this , everything forgotten or unperceived b efo r e , pre

sented itself now to his recollection Monte -Cristo knew everything as
. ,

he had bought the daughter of Ali Pacha ; and , knowing e ve ry t h mg he ,

had advised D anglars to wr ite to Janina The answer known , he had

.

yielded to Albert ’ s wish to be introduced to Hayd e e , and allowed the

 THE C O U N T OF M O N TE —C R I S T O
.

conversation to turn on the death of A l i, and had not opposed Ha ydée ’s

recital (but having, doubtless , warned the young girl , in the few R omaic
words he spoke to her, not to discover M orc e rf s fa ther ) Besides had
’
.
,

he not begged of M orc e rf not to mention his father s name before Hay
’

d e e ? Lastly, he had taken Albert to N ormandy when he knew th e

final b low app r oached There could be no doubt that all had been cal
.

c ula t e d and previously arranged ; Monte -Cristo then was in leag ue with
hi s father s enemies
’
Albert took Beauchamp aside , and commun icated

“
.

“
these ideas to him .

You are r ight , said the latter ; M D anglar s has only been a
”
.

secondary agent in this affair ; and it is of M de Monte -Cristo that you

.

must demand an explanation .

”

Albe r t turned
.

S ir said he to D anglars , understand that I do not take a final

,
”

leave of you ; I must ascertain if your insinuations are j ust , and am

-
going now to inquire of the Count of Monte Cristo ”
.

He bowed to the banker , and went out with Beauchamp , without

appearing to notice Cavalcanti . D anglars accompanied him to the
door, where he again assured Albert no motive of personal hatred infl u
e nc e d hi m against the Count de M orc e rf
'

.
 T HE CO UN T OF i l I ON T E —CR I S T O .

unusual cir cumstance , he might be allowed to devi ate from the etiquette
of duels The cause which the young man espous ed wa s one so sacred
. ,

that Beauchamp had only to comply with all his wishes ; he yielde d,
and contented h imself with foll o wing M orc e rf A l bert bounded from .

the po rte r s lodge to the steps He was received by Baptistin The

’
. .

count had indeed , j ust arrived , but he was bathing, and had forbidden
,

that any one should be admitted .

But after his bath asked M orc e rf .

My m aster wi ll go to dinner ”
.

And after dinner

He will sleep an ho ur ”
.

Then
He is going to t he Opera .

A r e you sure of it asked Albert .

Q uite sir ; my master has ordered his horses at eight o ’

clock pre

“
,

c i se l y.
”

Very goo replied Albert ; that is all I wished to know

d,
”

Then , tur ning toward Beauchamp , I f you have anything to attend “ ”

.

to , Beauchamp , do it dir ectly ; if you have any appointment for this

evening, defer it till to -morrow I depend on you to accompany me to
.

-
the Opera ; and , if you can , bring Ch a teau R enaud with you ”
.

Beauchamp availed himsel f of A l bert s permission , and left him,

’

p r omising to call for hi m at a quarter before eight On his return .

home , Albert expressed his wish to Fran z , D ebray , and Morrel , to se e

them at the Opera that evening Then he went to se e his mother , who
.
,

since the events of the day before , had refused to se e any one , and had
kept her room He found her in bed overwhelmed with grief a t this
.
,

public humil iation .

The sigh t of A l bert produced the e ff ect which mig ht naturally be

expected on Merc e d e s ; she pressed her son s hand , and sobbed aloud ;
’

but her tears reli eved her Albert stood one momen t speechless by the
.

side of his mother s bed It wa s e vident , from his pale face and knit
’

“ “
.

brows , that his resolution to revenge himself wa s growing weaker .

My dear mother , said he do you know if M de M orc e rf has any

”
,
.

enemy
Merc e d e s started ; she noticed that the young man did not say my
“
fathe r
My
.

son ”
sh e
“
said persons in the count s situation have many
’

“
, ,

secret enemies Those who are known are not the most dangerous
.
”
.

I know it , and appeal to your penetration You are of so supe i i or a

“
.

min d, nothing escapes you ”

.

Why do you say so ? ”

 THE C O UN T OF JV
I ON T E —CR I S T O
.
1 97

Because , for instance you noticed,on the evening of the b all we

,

gave , M de Monte -Cristo would eat nothi ng in our house ”

.

“
.

Merc e d e s raised herself on her feverish arm .

-C
M de Monte risto ! she exclaimed ;
.
”
a nd how i s he connected
with the question you have asked me ? ”

You know, my mother , M de Monte -Cr isto is almost an Oriental,

.

and it is customary with them to secure full liberty of reve nge by not
“
eating or drinking in the house of their enemies
.
”
.

DO you say M de Monte -Cristo is our enemy ? ” replied Merc e d e s ,

becoming paler than the sheet which covered her Who told you so ?
.
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE -C R I S T O .

Why , you are mad Albe r t ! M de Monte -Cristo has only shown us
,
.

kindness M de Monte -Cristo saved your life you , yourself, presented

. .
’

him to us Oh ! I entreat you , my son, if you had entertained such an

.

idea dispel it and my counsel to you — even more , my prayer is , ,

“
,

retain his friendship .

”

M y mother repl ied the you ng man , you have special reasons for
”

“
,

telling me to concil iate that man ”

.

I ! said Me r c e d e s blushing as rapidly as sh e had turned pale , and

”

“
,

again becoming paler than ever .

Yes doubtless ; and it is not because he can never do us any harm ?

“
,

Me r c e d e s shuddered , and , fixing on her son a scr utinizing gaze ,

You speak strangely, said she to Albert , and you appear to have
”

some singular prej u di ces Wh at has the count done ? Three days
.

since you were with him in N ormandy ; only three days since we looked
on him a s our best friend ”
.

A 1 1 ironical smile passed over Albert s lips Merc e d e s saw it , and , ’

.

with her d ouble instinct of a woman and a mother , she g uessed all , but ,
prudent and strong-minded she concealed both her sorrows and her

“
,

fears Albert was silent ; an instant after , the countess resumed :

.

You came to inquire after my health ; I will can di dly acknowledge

I am not well You sho ul d install yourself h ere and cheer my soli tude

“
. .

I do not wish to be left alone ”

.

My mother , said the young man , you know how gladly I wo ul d

”

obey your wish ; but an urgent and important aff air obliges me to leave

“
you th e whole evening ”
.

Well ! replied Merc e d e s , sighing ; go , Albert, I will not make you

”

a slave to your filial piety .

‘
Albert pretended he did not hear, bowed to his mother, and quitted
her S carcely had he shut her door , than M erc e d e s called a confidential
.

servant , and ordered him to follow Albert wherever he sho ul d go that

evening , and to come and tell her immediately what he observed Then .

she rang for her lady s maid , and , weak as sh e w a s, sh e dressed , in order
’

to be ready for whatever might happen The footman s mission was an

’
.

easy one Albert went to his room , and dressed with unusual care At
. .

ten minutes to eight Beauchamp arrived ; he had seen Ch a teau -R enaud ,

who had promised to be in the orchestra-stalls before the curtain was
raised Both got into A l bert s c ou w
’

.
’
p ,
e h o, h aving no reason to co n ce al
whe r e he wa s going, called aloud , To the Opera ”
In his impatience , .

he arri v ed before the commencement of the performance .

Ch a teau -R enaud was at his post ; apprised by Beauchamp of the

circumstances , he require d no explanation from Albert The conduct .

of this son , seeking to avenge his father , was so natural , that Ch a teau
R enaud did not seek to dissuade him and was conte nt with renewing ,
 THE C O UN T OF ilI ON T E —C R I S T O .

doo r opened and Monte -Cristo , dre ssed in black , entered and leaning
, , ,

over the front of the box looked round t he pit M orrel followed him ,
,
.

.
and looked also for his sister and brother-in-law ; he soon discovered
them in another box and kissed his han d to them
, .

The count in his sur v ey of the pit , encountered a pale face and
,

threatening eyes which evidently sought to gain hi s attention He

, .

recognized Al ber t , but thought it better not to notice him , as he looked

so an g ry and d iscomposed Without communicating h is thoughts to
.

his companion he s a t down , d rew out his opera-glass , and looked

,

another way Although apparently not noticing Albert he did not ,

.
,

however, lose sight of him ; and when the curtain fell at the end of
the second act , he sa w him leave the orchestra with his two friends .

Then his head was seen passing at th e back of the boxes , and the count
kne w the approaching storm was intended to fall on him He wa s at .

the moment conversing cheerfully with Morrel but he was well p r epared ,

for what might happen .

The door opened , and Monte -Cristo , turning round , saw Albert , pale

“
and trembling, followed by Beauchamp and Ch ateau -R enaud
Well , cried he , with tha t benevolent politeness which distingu
”
ished
“
.

his salutation fro m the common civilities of the world , my cavali er has
attained his obj ect Good evening M de M orc e rf
- .
”
,
. .

The countenance of this man who possessed such extraordinary

,

control over his feelings , expressed the most perfect c ordi alit-
y Morrel .

only then recollected the letter he had received from the Viscount in ,

which without assigning any reason , he begged him to go to the Opera

“
, ,

but he understood that something terrible was brooding

“
.

We are not come here , s ir, to exchange hypocritical expressions of

politeness , or false profe ssions of friendship said Albert but to ,
”
,

demand an explanation , count ”

.

The trembling voice of the young man was scarcely audible .

An explanation at the Opera ? said the count , with that calm tone
”

is good “
and penetrating eye which characterizes the man who knows his cause
Little acquainted as I am with the habits of Parisians , I

“
.

should not have thought this the place for such a demand ”
.

S t ill , if people will shut themselves up

”
said Albert , and cannot ,

be see n because they are bathing, di ning , or asleep , we must ava il our
selves of the opportunity whenever they are to be seen ”
.

I am not difficul t of access , sir ; for yesterday if my memory does

“ “
,

not deceive me you were at my house

,
”
.

Yesterday I was at your house , sir, said the young man ; because
”

then I knew not who you were ”

.
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE —CR I S T O .
201

In pronouncing these wor d s Albert had raised his voice so as to be

heard by those in the adj oining boxes and in the lobby Thus the
“ “
.

attention of many was attracted by this altercation .

Where are you come from , sir ? said Monte -Cristo

”
You do not .

appear to be in the possession of your senses ” .

Provided I understand your pe rfid y, sir, and succeed in making

you understand that I wi ll be revenged , I shall be reasonable enough ,”

“
said Albert , furiously .

I do not understand you , sir replied Monte -Cristo ; and , if I di d,

”
,
“
your tone is too high I am at home here , and I alone have a right to
.

raise my voice above another s Leave the box , sir ! ”

’
.

Monte -Cristo pointed toward the door with the most commanding

“
dignity .

Ah I shall know how to make you leave your home replied Albert,
clasping in his convulsed grasp the glove which Monte-Cristo did not

“
lose sight of
Well , well !
.

” -
said M onte Cristo , quietly , I se e you wish to quarrel
with me : but I would give you one counsel , and do not forget it : it i s a
bad habit to make a display of a challenge Display is not becoming to .

every one , M de M orc e rf

.
”
.

At this name a murmur of astonishment passed round the group of

spectators of this scene They had talked of no one but M orc e rf the
.

whole day Albert understood the allusion in a moment , and was about
.

to thr ow his glove at the count , when Morrel seized his hand , whil e
Beauchamp and Ch a teau -R enaud , fearing the scene would surpass the
limits of a challenge , held him back , but Monte -Cristo , without rising,
and leaning forward in hi s chair , merely extended his hand , and taking

“
the damp , crushed glove from the hand of the young man
S ir said he , in a solemn tone , I consider your glove thrown , and
,
”

wi ll ret urn it to you round a b ul let N ow, lea v e me or I will summon

.
,

my servants to throw you out at the door ”

.

Wild , almost unconscious , and with eyes inflamed , Albert stepped

back , and Morrel closed the door .

Monte -Cristo took up his glass again a s if nothing had happened ;

“
he certainly must have had a heart of brass and face of marble Morrel

“
whispered , What have you done to him ? ”
.

I ? N othing at leas t personally, said Monte Cristo

” - .

”
But there must be some cause for this strange scene .

The Count de M orc e rf’ s adventure exasperates the young man .

“ Have you anyt hing to do with it ? ”

’
It was by Hayd e e the house wa s informed of his father s treason
”
.
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE - C R I S T O .

Indeed ! said Mo rrel”

I had been told but wo ul d not credit it ,
.
,

that the G r ecian slave I have seen with you here in this very box wa s
the daughte r of Ali Pacha ”
.

It is , notwi thstanding t r ue ,
”
.

Then said Morrel I understand it all and this scene was premed
”
, , ,

it a t e d ”
.

Ho w so 2 ”

Yes A l bert wrote to request me to come to the Opera , doubtless

.

that I might be a witness to the insult he meant to o ff er you ”

.

Probably, said Monte -Cristo , with his impe rtm b able tranquill ity
” '

But what will you do with him ? ”

With whom ? ”

With Albe rt ”
.

NVh a t will I do with Albert ? A s certainly , Maximilian , as I now

press your hand , I will kill him before ten o clock to morrow morning
’ ”
.

-
Morrel , in his turn , took M onte Cr isto s hand in both of his , and he
’

shuddered to feel how cold and steady it was .

Ah ! count , said he , his father loves him so much !

”

Do not speak to me of that ! said Monte -Cristo , with the first move
”

ment of anger he h ad betrayed ; I will make him suff er

“
“
.

-
Morrel , amazed , let fall Monte Cristo s hand Count ! count ! said he
’
. .

Dear Maximilian , interrupted the count ,

”
listen how adorably
Duprez is singing that line ,
O M a thild e ! idol e de mon ame

‘
I was the first to discover Duprez at N aples , and the first to applaud
him Bravo ! bravo
Morrel saw it wa s useless to say more , and ref r ained The curtain .
,

which had been drawn up during the scene with Albert , again fell and ,

a rap wa s heard at the door .

Come in ! said Monte -Cristo , without his voice betraying the least
”

emotion ; and immediately Beauchamp appeared Good-evening , M

“
. .

Beauchamp , said M onte -Cristo , as if this was the fi r st time he h ad seen

”

the j ournalist that evening ; take a seat ”

Beauchamp bowed , and , sitting down , S ir, said he , I j ust now

”
.

“ “
“
accompanied M de M orc e rf , as you saw
.
”

And that means , replied M onte -Cristo , laughing, that you had ,
”
.

“
probably, just dined together I am happy to se e , M Beauchamp , you
“ “
. .

are more sober than he was ” .

Sir, said M Beauchamp , Albert was wrong I acknowledge , to

”
.
,

betray so much anger, and I come , on my own account , to apologiz e for

 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE —CR I S T O .

Pisto ls then at eight o clock , in the Bois de Vincennes said Beau

, ,
’
,
”

champ quite disconcerted, not knowing if he wa s dealing with an arro

,

gant braggadocio or a s upe rna t ma l being .

Ve r y we ,
ll s ir
”
said Monte -Cristo N ow all th at is settled ; do let
.
,

me s e e the performance and tell your f r iend Albert not to come any
,

mo re this evening ; he will hurt himself with all his ill -chose n barbar
isms ; let him go home and go to sleep ”

“
.

Beauchamp left the box , perfectly amazed .

N ow said Monte -Cr isto , turning toward Morrel , I may depend

”

“ “
,

upon y o u may I not ?

,

Ce r tainly, said Morrel , I am a t yo u service , count ; still

”

VVha t ? ”

It is desirable I should know the real cause ”

.

That is to sa y, you wo ul d rather not ? ”

No ”
.

The young man himself is acting blindf olded , and knows not the
true cause , which is known only to God and to me ; but I g ive you my
word Morrel , that God who does know it will be on our side
,
”
.

Enough , said Morrel , who is your second witness

”

I know no one in Paris , Morrel , on whom I could confer that honor

besides you and your brother Emmanuel D o you think Emmanuel

“
.

would oblige me ? ”

I will answer for him , count ”

.

-
Well , that is all I require To morrow morning, at seven o clock ,
’

“
.

you will be with me , will you not ? ”

We wi ll ”

‘
.

Hush ! the curtain is rising Listen ! I never lose a note of t his

. .

opera if I can avoid it ; it is wonde rf ul music that of William ,

 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —C R I ST O .

Edmond, you will not kill my son ? ”

The co unt retreated a step uttered a slight exclamati on , and let fall

“
,

the pistol he held .

What name did you pronounce then Madame de M orc e rf said he , .

You rs cried she , throwing back her veil ,

”
,
yours , which I alone ,
perhaps have not forgotten Ed mond it is not Madame de M orc e rf

“
.
, ,

who is coming to you , it is M erc e d e s ”

.

Merc e d e s is dead , madame , said Monte -Cristo ; I know no one now

”

of that name ”
.

Merc e d e s lives , sir , and she remembers , for she alone recognized
you when sh e saw y ou, and even befo r e she saw you , by your voice ,

Edmond —b y the simple sound of your voice , and from that moment sh e
,

h as followed your steps , watch ed you , feared you , and she needs not to

“
inquire what hand has dealt the blow which now strikes M de M orc e rf
Fernand do you mean ? replied M onte -Cristo with bitter irony ;
,
”
”

,
. .

since we are recalling names , let us remember them all ”

Monte .

C1i sto had pronounced the name of Fernan d with such an expression

“
of hatred that Merc e d e s felt a thrill of horror run through eve r y vein
You se e Edmond , I am not mistaken , and have cause to sa y, spare
,
‘ .

my son
And who told you , madame , I have any hostile intentions against
yo ur so n ? ”

N o one in truth ; but a mother has a twofold sight I guessed all ;

“
.
,

I followed him this evening to the Ope ra , and have seen all ”
.

If you have seen all madame , you know that the son of Fernand

“
,

has publicly insul ted me said Monte -Cristo , with awful calmness
”
, .

Oh ! for pity s sake ! ” ’

You have seen that he wo uld have thrown his glove in my face , if

‘
Morrel , one of my friends , had not stopped him ”

Listen to me : my son has also guessed who you are he attributes

.

“
his father s misfortunes to you
’ ”
.

Madame , you are mistaken they are not misfortunes , it is a pun

,

ishme nt It is not I wh o strike M de M o rc e rf it is Providence which

“
. .

pun is hes him ”

.

And why do you represent Providence ? cried Merc e d e s

”
Why .

do you remember when it forgets ? What are Janina and its vizier to
,

you , Edmond ? What inj ury has Fernand Mondego done you in betray

“
ing A l i T e b e lin
And madame , replied Monte -Cristo all this is an affair between
,
”
,

the F r ench captain and the d aughter of Vasiliki It does not concern .

me , you are right ; and if I have sworn to reve nge myself it is not on ,

the F rench capt a in nor on the Count de M orc e rf, but on the fisherman
,

Fernand , the husband of the Catalan Merc e d e s ”

.
 THE C O UN T OF M ON T E —CR I S T O
.

and if you owe revenge to any one , it is to me

“ “
, who had not fortitude to
he ar your absence and my sol i tude ” .

”
-
But, exclaimed Monte Cristo why was I absent ? And why were
,
you alone ? ”

Because you had been arrested , Edmond and were p risoner ” .

,

And why was I arrested W y wa s

h I a p r i soner ? ”a

I do not know,” said Merc e d e s .

You do not , madame ; at least I hope not But I will t ll

i gi ;
.
,
was
arrested and became a prisoner, because under the ar oryo0
R ese rve
, the day before I wa s to marry you , a man name Dang lars
wrote this letter which the fisherman Fernand h mself poste h
a .

i
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE —C R I S T O .

Mon te -Cristo went to a secrétaire , opened a drawer by a spring,

from whi ch he took a paper which had lost its prig inal color, and the
ink of whi ch had become a rusty hue ; this he placed in the hands of
Merc e d e s . It was D anglars letter to the p roc ure ur da roi which the
’
,

C ount of Monte -Cristo , disguised as a clerk from the house of Thomson

and French , had taken from the docket of Edmond D ant e s on the day
he had paid the two h undred thousand francs to M de Boville Mer . .

c e d e s read with terror the following lines :

T he p rocure ur d a rat is inform e d b y a fri e n d to th e thr on e a nd t he re ligious insti tu
tions of hi s country , th a t a n individu a l n a m e d E d mon d Da nt es , s e con d in comm a nd on
b o a r d t he Pha ra on, this da y a rrive d from Smyrn a a ft e r h a ving touch e d a t Napl e s a nd
,

P orto -Fe rra jo , ha s b e e n t he b e a re r of a l e tte r from Mura t to t he usurp e r a nd a ga in,

t a k e n ch a rge of a noth e r l e tt e r from t he usurp e r to t he B on a p a rtist Club in P a ris .

A mpl e corro b oration of this st a t e m e nt ma y b e o b ta in e d b y a rre sting the a b ov e -n am e d

E d mond Da nt es who e ith e r c a rri e s t he l e tt e r for P a ris a b out with him or ha s it a t his
, ,

fa th e r s a b o de
’
. Shoul d it not b e found in poss e ssion of e ith e r fa th e r or son th e n it w ill
,

a ssure dly b e discov e r e d in t h e c a b in b e longing to t h e s a i d Da nt es on b o a r d t he P ha ra on

”
.

moist with perspiration “

How dr eadf ul ! said Merc e d e s , passing her hand across her brow
”

and that letter

,

I bou ht it for two hundred thousand francs madame said Monte

”
, ,

Cristo ; ut that i s a trifle , since it enables me to j ustify myself to

you
“
”
.

And the result of that lette r

You well know , madame , wa s my arrest ; but you do not know how
long that arrest lasted You do not know that I remained for fourteen
.

years within a quarter of a league of you , in a dungeon in the Ch a teau

d I f You do not know that each day of those fourteen years I renewed
’
.

the vow of vengeance which I h ad made the first day ; and yet I knew
not you had married Fernand , my calumniator , and that my father had
died of hunger ! ”

Ca n it be ? cried Merc e d e s , shuddering

”
.

That is what I heard on leaving my p r ison , fourteen years after I

had entered it , and that is why, on account of t he living Merc e d e s and
my deceased father , I have sworn to revenge myself on Fernand , and

“
I have revenged myself ”
.

And you are sure the unhappy Fernand di d that

I am satisfied madame he did what I have told you ; besides that
, ,

is not much more odious than a Frenchman by ad e ption , having passed

over to the English ; a S paniard by birth having fought agai nst the ,

S paniards ; a stipendiary of Ali having betrayed and m urdered Ali .

Compared with such things , what is the letter you have j ust read ? A
lover s deception , which the woman who has married that man ought
’
 THE CO UN T OF M ON T E —C R I S T O.

foot of some gloomy towe r ; I thought yo ur corpse wa s precipitated to

the bottom of one o f those gu lfs where j aile r s r oll thei r dead p risoners ,
and I wept ! What coul d I do for you , Edmond, besides pray and weep ?
Lis ten ; d m ing t e n yea r s I dr eamed each night the same dream I had
'
.

b een told you had endeavored to escape ; that you had taken the place
of another prisoner ; that you had slipped into the winding-sheet of a
dead body ; that you had been precipitated alive from the top of the
C h a teau - d l f ; and the cry you uttered a s you dashed upon the rocks
’

first revealed to your j ailers that they were your murderers Well !.

Edmond I swear to you , by the he ad of that son for whom I entreat

,

your pity, — Edmond , d uring ten years I have seen every night men
balancing something shapeless and unknown at the top of a rock ;
d mi ng ten years I have heard each night a terrible cry which has
awoke me shuddering and col d And I , too , Edmond — oh ! believe

“
.
,

me g uilty as I was — oh yes , I too , have sufi e re d much

—
Have you felt your father die in your absenc e ? cried Monte
Cristo , again t hrusting his hands in his hair :
”

“
have you seen th e
woman you loved giving her hand to your ri val while you were perish
ing at the bottom of a dungeon ? ”

N o , interrupted Merc e d e s , but I have seen him whom I loved on

”

the point of mur dering my son ”

.

Merc e d e s pronounced these words with such deep anguish , with an

accent of such intense despair , that M onte -Cristo could not restrain a
sob The lion was daunted ; the avenger was conquered .

What do you ask of me ? said h e ,

”
your son s life ? We ll ! he
’

shall live ! ”

Merc e d e s uttered a cry which made the tears start from Monte
Cristo s eyes ; but these tears di sappeared almost instantaneously , for ,
’

doubtless God had sent some angel to collect them ; far more precious

“
,

were they in his eyes than the richest pearls of Guz erat and of Ophir .

Oh ! said she , seizing the count s hand , and raising it to her lips ;
” ’

oh ! thank you , thank you , Edmond ! now you are exactly what I
dreamt you were , s uch a s I always loved you Oh ! now I may say so
.

“
S o much the better , replied Monte -Cristo ; a s that poor Edmond
”
”
.

wi ll not have long to be loved by you Death is about to return to the

.

tomb , the phantom to retire in darkness ”

.

What do you say , Edmond ? ’

I say, since you command me , Merc e d e s I must die ,

”
.

Die ! and who told you so ? who talks of dying ? whence have you
“
the se ideas of death ?
You do not suppose , that publicly outraged in the face of a whole
theater, in the presence of your friends and those of y our son — chal
 T HE C O UN T OF M ON TE —CR I S T O .
2 13

Ienged by a boy , who wi ll glory in my pardon as in a victory you do

not suppose I can for one moment wish to live What I most loved .

after you, Merc e d e s , was myself, my dignity, and that strength which
rendered me sup erior to other men ; that strength wa s my life With
“
.

one word you have crushed it , and I die ” .

But the duel will not take place , Edmond since you fo r give
,

It will take place , said Monte -Cristo in a most solemn tone ; but
”
,

instead of your son s blood which wi ll stain the g round , mine wil l flow ”
’

“
.

Merc e d e s shrieked , and sprang toward Monte -Cr isto , but suddenly
st e pping :
”
E dmond , said she , there is a God above us , since you live ,

and since I have seen you again ; I trust to him from my heart While .

waiting his assistance I trust to your word ; you have said my son should
live , have you not ? ”

Yes , madame he shall live , said Monte -Cr isto surprised that , with
,
”
,

out more emotion , Merc e d e s had accepted the heroic sacrifice he made

“
for her Merc e d e s extended her hand to the count

“
. .

Edmond said she , and her eyes were wet with tears while looking
,
”

at him to whom sh e spoke , how noble it is of you , how g r eat the action
you have j ust performed ; how sublime to have taken pity on a poor
woman who ofl ere d herself to you with every chance against her ! Alas !
I am grown old wi th grief more than with years , and cannot now remind
my Edmond by a smile , or by a look , of that Merc e d e s whom he once
spent so many hours in contemplating Ah ! believe me , Edmond I told
.
,

you, I too had suff e r ed much ; I repeat it it is melancholy to pass one s

,
’

life without having one j oy to recall , without preserving a single hope ;

but that proves that all i s not yet over N o ; it is not finished , I feel it by
.

what remains in my heart Oh ! I repeat it , Edmond ; what you have

.

—
j ust done is beautiful it is grand , it is sublime ”
.

D o you say so, now Merc e d e s , and what wo ul d you say if you knew
,

the extent of the sacrifice I make to you ? S uppose the Creator, after
having made the world and vi vifie d chaos , had st e ppe d at the end of
one -third of his work , in order to spare an angel the tears which the
crimes of man would one day evoke from heavenly eyes ; suppose that
when all was prepared , ready , quickened , God at the time when he saw
his work was good had extinguis hed the sun and ki cked aside the earth
into endl ess night , then you might have some idea of my sacrifice But .
,

no , no you cannot imagine what I lose in sacrificing my life at th i s

,

“
moment ”
.

Merc e d e s looked at the count with an air which depicted at the same
-C i
time her astonishment , her admiration , and her gratitude Monte r sto .

pressed his forehead on his burning hands , a s if his brain 0 0 11 no

longer bear alone the weight of its thoughts .
 "
THE C O UN T OF M ON T E -C R IS 0 .

Edmond said Merc e d e s , I have but one word more to say to you
,
” ”
.

The count smiled bitterly .

Edmond continued she , you wi ll see if my face is pale , if my

,
”

eyes a r e dull , if my beauty is gone ; if Merc e d e s in short , no longer

,

resembles h e r former self in her features , you will see her heart is still
the sa me Adieu , then , Edmond ; I have nothing more to ask of
.

Heaven — I ha v e seen you again and have found you a s noble and as
great as formerly you were Adieu E d mon d, a d ieu an d thank you
.
, ,
”
.

But the count di d not an swer Merc e d e s opened the door of the
.

ca b inet and had disappeared before he h ad recovered from the painful

and profo und reverie into which his thwa rted vengeance had plunged
him .

The clock of the Invalides struck one when the carriage which con
ve ye d Madame de M o rc e rf rolled a way on the pavement of the Champs

,
“
Elys e es and made Monte -Cristo raise hi s head .

What a fool I wa s said he not to tear my heart out on the day

,
”
,

wh en I resolved to ave nge myself

 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE - C R I S T O .

sle eping ; beca use it has awoke and h as beaten again ; becaus e I have
yielded to the pain of the emotion excited in my breast by a woman s ’

“
voice ”
.

Yet , continued the count, becoming each moment more absorbed

”

“
in the anticipation of the d readful sacrifice for the morrow, which
Merc e d e s had accepte d , yet , it is impossible that so noble -minded a
woman should thus , through selfishness , consent to my death when in
the p ri me of life and strength ; it is impossi ble she can carry to such a
point maternal love , or rather delirium There are vi r tues whi ch
.

become c ri me s by exaggeration N o , she must have conceived some

.

pathetic scene ; she will come and throw herself between us , and what
would be sublime here will appear there ridiculous ”
.

The blush of p ri de mounted to the count s forehead a s this thought

’

“
passed th r ough his mind
R idiculous ? repeated he ;
”
.

a nd the ridic ule will fall on me I .

ridiculous ! no , I would rather die ”

.

Thus exaggerating to his own mind the anticipated ill -fortune of the
next day, to which he had condemned himself by promising Merc e d e s

“
to spare her son, the count at last exclaimed
Folly ! folly ! foll y ! to carry generosity so far as to place myself as
a mark for that young man to aim at He will never believe my death
.

was a suicide ; and yet it is important for the honor of my memory,

and this , surely is not vanity, but a j ustifiable pride , — it is important
,

the world should know that I have consented , by my free wi ll , to stop

my a r m , ah e a d y raised to strike , and that with that arm , so powerful
'

against others I have st r uck myself It must be , it shall be

, .
”
.

S eizing a pen he dr ew a paper from a se c ret drawer in his bureau ,

,

and traced at the bottom of that pape r , which was no other than his
will made since his ar rival in Pa r is , a so r t of codicil , clearly explaining
,

the natu r e of his death .

I do this , 0 my God ! said he , with his eyes raised to heaven , as

”

much for thy honor as for my mine I have during ten years c onsid
.

ered myself the agent of thy vengeance ; and it must not be that
wretches , like a M orc e rf , a D anglars , a V ill efort , even that M orc e rf
himself , shall imagine that chance has freed them from their enemy .

Let them know on the contrary, that their punishment , which had been
,

dec r eed by Provi dence , is only delayed by my present determination ;

and although they escape it in this worl d , it awaits them in another and ,

that they are only exchanging time for eternity ”

.

While he was thus agitated by these gloomy uncertainties , these

wretched waki ng dreams of gri ef, the first rays of twil ight pierced his
 T HE C O UN T OF M ON TE —CR I S TO .
217

windows , and shone upon the pale blue paper on which he had j ust
traced his j ustification of Providence .

It wa s j ust five o clock in the morning, when a slight noise reached

’

his ear , which appeared like a stifled s igh ; he tur ned his head , looked
around him , an d saw no one ; but the sound was repeated distinctly
enough to convince him of its reality He arose , and quietly opening .

the door of the drawing-room , saw Hayd e e , who had fallen on a chair ,

with her arms hangi ng down and her beautiful head thrown back S he .

had bee n standi ng at the door to prevent his going out without seeing
her , until sleep , which the young cannot resist , had ove r powered he r
frame , wearied as she was with watching so long The noise of the .

door did not awaken her , and Monte -Cristo gazed at her with aff ection
ate regret

“
.

S he remembered she had a son , said he ; and I forgot I had a

”

daughter ”
Th en , shaking his head sorrowfully, Poor Hayde e ! ” said
.

he ; sh e wished to see me to speak to me ; she has feared or guessed

something Oh ! I cannot go without taking leave of he r ; I cannot die
.

without c onfiding her to some one ”

.

He quietly regained his seat , and wrote under the other lines
I b e qu e a th to
M a ximili a n M orre l , c a pt ai n , and son of my form e r p a tron , P i e rre M or
re l , shi pown e r a t M a rs e ill e s , t h e sum of tw e nty mil lions , a p a rt of which ma y b e o ff e re d

to his sist e r J ul i a a nd b roth e r -in-la w Emm a nu e l , if he do e s not fe ar this incre a s e of fortun e

may mar th e ir h a ppin e ss Th e s e tw e nty millions a re conc e a l e d in my grotto a t M ont e
.

Cristo , of which B ert uc cio knows the s e cr e t I f his h e art is fre e a nd he will marry Ha y
.
,

dée t h e d a ught e r of A li P a ch a of J a nin a whom I h a v e b rought up with t he lov e of a

, , ,

fa th e r a nd who h a s sho wn t he lov e a nd t e nd e rn e ss of a da ughte r for me he will thus

, ,

a ccomplish I ,
d o not sa y my l a st or d e r b ut my l a st d e sire This will ha s a lr e a dy con
,
.

stitut e d Ha y dee h e ir e ss of t he r e st of my fortun e consisting of l ands funds in Engla nd , ,

A ustri a a nd Holl and ; furniture in my diff e re nt p a l a c e s a nd hous e s ; a nd which without

, ,

t he tw e nty millions a nd t he l e ga ci e s to my s e rv a nts ma y still a mount to sixty mi lli ons

”
.
, ,

He wa s finishing the last line when a cry behind him made him
start and the pen fell from his hand
,

Hayd e e , said he did yo u read it ?

” ”
,
““ .

Oh ! my lord said she , why are you writing t hus at such an hour ?
”
,

why are you beq ueathing all your fortune to me ? A r e you going to

“
leave me ? ”

-
I am going on a j ourney , dear child , said Monte Cristo , wi th an
”

“
expression of infinite tenderness and melancholy ; and if any misfor

“
tune should happen to me The count stopped
Well ? asked the young girl , with an autho r itative to ne the count
.

had never observed before , and which startled him .

 TH E C O UN T O F M ON TE -C R I S T O

“
.

Well ! if any misfortune happen to me replied Monte risto , ” -C I

,

wish my daughter to be happy ”

Hayd e e smiled s orro wfull y and shook
.

her head .

Do you thi nk of dying , my lord ? said she

”

“
.

The wise man has said it is good to th ink of death , my child ”

.

Well , if you die , said she , bequeath your fortune to others ; fo r

”

if you di e I shall require nothing ; and , taking the paper, she tore it in
”

four pieces and threw it into the middle of the room Then , the e ffort .

ha vi ng exhausted her strength , sh e fell , not asleep this time , but fa int
ing on the floor .

The count leaned over her and raised her in his arms ; and seeing
that sweet pale face , those lovely eyes closed , that beautiful form
motionless , and to all appearance lifeless , the idea occurred to him for
the fi rst time that perhaps she loved him otherwise than as a daughte r

“
lo v es a father .

Alas ! ” murmu r ed he with intense suff ering , I might then ha v e

,
“
been happy yet ”
.

T hen he carried Hayd e e to her room , resigned her to the care of he r

attendants , and re t urning to his cabinet , which he shut quickly this
time , he again copied the destroyed will As he was finishing the sound
.
,

of a cab r iolet entering the yard was heard Monte -Cristo approached

“
.

the window , and sa w Maximilian and Emmanuel alight Good ! said

”
.

he ; it was time and he sealed his will with three seals

”
,
.

One moment afterward he heard a noise in the drawi ng-room and ,

went to open the door himself Morrel was there , he had come twenty

“
.

minutes before the time appointed .

I am , pe r haps , come too soon , count , said he

”
but I frankly
,

acknowledge I have not closed my eyes all night , nor any one in my
house I requi r ed to see yo u strong in vour courageous assu r ance , to
.

recover myself ”
.

Monte — Cristo could not resist this proof of a ff ection , he not only

“
extende d his hand to the young man , but flew to him with open arms
Morrel , said he it is a happy day for me , to feel I am beloved by
”
,
.

such a ma n as you Good-morning, Emmanuel ; you will c ome with

“
.

me , then , Maximilian ? ”

Did you doubt it ? said the young captain

”
.

But if I were wrong

I watched you du r ing the whole scene of that challenge yesterday ;
I ha v e been thin king of your firmness all this night , and I said , Justice ‘
must be on your side , or man s countenance is no longer to be relied
’

“
But Morrel Albe r t is your frien d
, , ? ”
 ‘
T HE CO UN T OF M O N TE -C R I S T O .
22 1

A simple acquaintance , sir ” .

You met on the same day you first saw me ? ”

Truly , but I should not have r ecollected it had you not r eminded

Thank you Morrel ,

“ ”
.
“
Then ringing the bell once Look , ,
” said he
m
to Ali who ca e immediately take that to my solicitor t is my

“
I

“
, , .

will Morrel When I am dead you w ll go and examine it

,
.
, i ”
.

What said Morrel you dead

! ”
,
? ”

Yes ; must I not be prepared for everything, dear friend ? But

“
what did you do yesterday after you left me ? ”
I went to Tortoni , where , as I expected , I found Beauchamp and
C
“
h a teau -R enaud I .own I
Wh y, when all was arranged ?
was seeking
”
them ”
.

Listen , count the affair is serious and unavoidable ”

, .

Did you doubt it ? ”

N o ; the o ff e nse was public , and eve r y one is al r eady talking of it ”

“
.

Well
Well I hoped to get an exchange of arms to substitute the swo r d

“
,

for the pis tol ; the pistol is blind ”

.

Have you succeeded ? asked Monte -Cr isto , quic kly, with an imper
”

ce pt ib l e gleam of hope .

N o , for yo ur skill with the swo r d is so well known ” .

Ah ! who h a s betrayed me ? ”

The skil lful swordsman , whom you have conque r ed ”

.

And you failed ? ”

They positively refused ”

.

“
Morrel , said the count , have you eve r seen me fi r e a pistol ?
”

N ever ”
.

Well , we have time ; look ”

Monte-Cristo took the pistols he held
.

in his hand when Merc e d e s entered , and fixing an ace of clubs against
the iron plate , with four shots he successively shot ofl the four sides of
the club At each shot Morrel turned pale He examined the balls
. .

with which Monte -Cristo performed this dexterous feat, and saw that
they were no larger than deer -shot

“
It is astonishing said he
” “
“
.

look , Emmanuel Then turning to ward

”
.

Monte Cristo : Count , said he , in the name of all that is dear to you
- ”

“
,
”
I entreat you not to kill Albert ! the unhappy youth has a mother .

”
You are right , said Monte Cristo ; and I have none These words
” -

“
.

were uttered in a tone which made Morrel shudde r .

You are the o ff ended party , count ”

.

Doubtless ; what does that imply ? ”

That you will fire first ”

.
 T HE C O UN T OF M ONY %F CR I S T Q
_

1 fir e fir st ? ”

Oh ! I o b tained or rather claimed that ; we ha d conceded enough

,

“
fo r them to yield us that ”
.

And at what distance ? ”

Twenty paces ”
.

“
A ter ri fic smile passed over the count s lips
’
.

“ M orrc l, said he do not forget what you have j ust seen

” ”
.
,

The only chance for A l bert s safety, then , will arise from yo ur
’

“
emotion ”
.

I su ff er from emotion said Monte -Cristo .

O r from your generosity my friend ; to so good a marksman as you

“
,

are I may say what woul d appe a r a b surb to anot he r

,
.
”

What is that ? ”

—
Break his arm wound him but do not kill him ”

I will tell you , M o rr el , said the count , that I do not need entreat
” “ .

ing to spare the life of M de M orc e rf ; he shall be so well spared , that

“
.

he will r eturn quietly with his two friends , while I

And you
That wil l be anothe r thing ; I shall be b r ought home ”
.

N o , no , c ri ed Maximilian not knowing how to endure himself

”

“
.
,

As I told you my dear Mo r rel , M de M o rc e rf will kill me

,
”
. .

Morrel looked at hi m in utter unconsciousness But what has .

“
happene d, then , since last evening , count ? ”

The same thing which happened to Brutus the night b efore the

“
battle of Philippi ; I have seen a phantom
And that phantom
”
.

Told me M or r el , I had lived long enough

“ “
.
,

Maximilian and E mmanuel looked at each other M onte -Cristo .

dr ew out his watch Let us go , said he ; it is five minutes past

.
”

seven , and the appointment was for eight o clock ’

.

A ca r riage was in readiness at the door Monte -Cristo stepped into .

it wit h his two fri ends He had stopped a moment in the passage to
.

listen at a door , and Maximilian and Emmanuel , who had considerately

passed forward a few steps , thought they heard him answer b y a sigh , ,

a sob from within As the clock struck eight , they drove up to the place

“
.

of meeting .

We are the first , said Morrel loo king out of the windo w
”

“
.
,

Excuse me , si r said Baptistin , who had followed his master with

,
”

indescribable terror b ut I think I see a carriage down there under the

,

t r ees )’

Monte -Cristo sprang lightly from the carriage , and o ff ered hi s hand
’
to assist Emmanuel and Maximilian The latter retained the count s .

hand between his .

 .
THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —C R I S T O .

You are doubtless provided with pistols , gentlemen ? said Morrel ”

.

M de Monte Cristo yi elds his right of using his,

- ”

“
.

We had anticipated thi s kindness on the part of the count , said ”

Beauchamp and I have brought some arms which I bought eight or

,

ten days since thinking to want them on a similar occasion They are

“
.
,

“
quite new and have not yet been used Will you examine them ? ”
.
,

Oh M Beauchamp , replied Mo rrel with a bow, if you assure me

, .
”

M de M orc e rf does not know these a r ms you may readily believe your

“
.
,

word will be quite su fficient ”

.

Gentlemen , said Ch a teau-R enaud it is not M orc e rf coming in that

”

“
,

carriage ; — faith , it is F r anz and Debray

The t wo young men he announced were indeed approaching What .

chance b ri ngs you here gentlemen ? said Ch a teau-R enaud , shaking

”

“ “
,

hands with each of them .

Because , said Debray Albert sent this morning to request us to

”
,

come ”
.Beauchamp and Ch ateau-R enaud exchanged looks of astonish
ment .

I think I understand his reason , said Morrel

”
.

What is it ? ”

Yesterday afternoon I received a letter from M de M orc e rf, begging .

me to attend the Opera ”

.

And I , said Debray

”
.

And I also , said Fra nz

”
.

And we , too , added Beauchamp and Ch ateau-R enaud

”
Havi ng .

wished you all to witness the challenge , he now wishes you to be present
at the combat ”
.

Exactly so said th e young men ; you have prob ab lv guessed

”

“
,

right ”

“
.

But , after all t hese arrangements , he does not come himself , said
”

“ -
Ch a teau R enaud ; Albert is ten minutes after time ”

There he comes ! said Beauchamp ; on horseback , at f ull gallop ,

”
.

“
followed by a servant ”
.

How imprudent ! said Ch a teau -R enaud to come on horseback to

” “
“
,

fight w th the pistol , after all the instruc tions I had given him
i ”
.

And besides , said Beauchamp , with a collar above his cravat an

”
,

open coat and wh ite waistcoat ? Why has he not painted a spot upon
his heart it would ha v e been more simple ”
.

Meanwhile Albert had a r rived within ten paces of the group formed
by the five young men He jumped from his horse , threw the b ri dl e on
.

his servant s arms , and j oined them He was pale , and his eyes we r e
’
.

red and swollen ; it was evident that he had not slept A shade of .

melancholy gravity overspread his countenance , wh i ch was not natur al

to him .
 “
THE C O U NT or M ON TE —CR I S T O

“
.
2 25
Ithank you gentlemen said he , for having complied
,
”
,
with my
request ; I feel extremely grateful for this mark of friendship ”
“
Mor r el .

had stepped back a s M orc e rf approached , and remained

at a sho r t di s
tance And to you also , M Morrel , my thanks are due Come there
.
, .
.

cannot be too many ,

5 0 1 i lk

S ir sa ”
id Maximilian , you are not pe rhaps aw are that I am M de
“
, .

-
Monte Cristo s friend
’

I was not sure but I expected it S o much t he b e t t e r ; the mo r e

“
.
,

honorable men there are here the b etter I shall be sat i sfied ” o

M Morrel said Ch a teau-R enaud , will you app r i se the Count o

”

f;
.
,

Monte -Cristo that M de M orc e rf is a r rived and we a r e at hrs command ?

.
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —CR I S T O .

Mo r rel was preparing to fulfil l his commission Beauchamp had

'

“
.

meanwh ile dra wn the box of pistols from the carriage .

S top gentlemen ! said Albert ; I have t wo words to say to the

”

“
,

Count of M onte Cri sto- ”

.

In private ? asked Morrel

”
.

N o sir ; before all who are here

,
”
.

Albe r t s seconds looked at each other ; Franz and De b ra v exchanged

’

some words in a whisper ; and Morrel , rej oiced at this unexpected inci
dent , went to fetch the count , wh o wa s walking in a retired path with

“
Emmanuel .

Wh at does he want with me ? said Monte -Cristo

”
.

“
I do not know , but he wi shes to speak to you ”

Ah ? said Monte -Cristo , I trust he is not going to tempt me by

”
.

some fresh insult ! ”

I do not think such is hi s intention , said Morrel

”
.

The count advanced , a c c omp a nie d b y Maximilian and Emmanuel ;

'

his calm and serene look formed a singul ar contrast to Albert s grief ’

st r icken face , wh o approached also , followed by the four young people

“
.

When at three paces distant , Albert and the count stopped .

Approach , gentlemen , said Albert ; I wish you not to lose one

”

wo r d of what I am about to have the honor of saying to the Count of

Monte -Cristo ; for it must be repeat e d by you to all wh o will listen to
,
“
it strange as it may appear to you
Proceed , sir , said the count
”
”

.
.

S ir , said Albert , at fir st with a tremulous voice , but which gradu

”

ally became firmer ; I reproached you with exposing the conduct of M .

de M orc e rf in Epirus for , guilty as I knew he was , I thought you had

,

no right to punish him ; but I have since learned you have that right .

It is not Fernand M ond e g o s treachery toward Ali Pacha which induces

’

me so readily to excuse you but the treachery of the fisherman Fernand

,

towa r d you and the al most unheard-of miseries which were it s c onse
,

q ue nc e s ; and I s ay , and proclaim it publicly, that you were j ustified in

revenging yourself on my father ; and 1 , his son , thank you for not
using greater severity ”
.

Had a thunde r bolt fallen in the midst of the specta tors of thi s une x
p e c t e d scene , it would no t have surprised them more than did A l bert s
’

d eclaration As for Monte -Cristo , his eyes slowly rose toward heaven
.

with an expression of infinite g ratitude He coul d not understand how

.

Albert s fiery nature , of which he had seen so much among the R oman
’

bandits , had suddenly stooped to this humil iation He recogniz ed the .

influence of Merc e d e s and saw why her nobl e heart had not Opposed
,

t he sac rifice sh e knew beforehand wo u l d be useless .

 CH A P T E R X CI

M OT HE R A ND SON

Count of Monte -Cri sto bowed t o the five you ng people

with a melancholy and dignified smile and got into h is
carriage with Maximilian and Emmanuel Al bert , Beau .

champ , and Ch a teau-R enaud remained alone The young .

man s look at his two f r iends , without being timid a ppea r ed to ask
’

“
,

thei r opinion of what he had j ust done .

Indeed , my dear f r iend , said B eauchamp fi r st wh o had either the

”
, ,

most feeling or the least d i ssimul ation , allow me to cong r atulate you ;
this is a very unhoped -fo r conclusion of a very disagreeable a fl a ir .

Albert remained silent and wrapped in thought Ch a teau -R enaud .

contented himself with tapping h is boot with his flexible c ane

“
.

A r e we not going ? said he , after this em b a r rassing silence

”
.

When you please , replied B eauchamp ;

”
allow me only t o com
p li m e n t.M de M o rc e r f wh o has given proof to -d a
y of such chi v al r ic

“
,

generosity so rare
,
”
.

Oh, yes , said Ch a teau -R enaud

”
.

It is magnificent , continued Beauchamp to be able to exe r cise so

”

“
,

much self-cont r ol
Assuredl y ; as fo r me , I should have been incapa b le of it said ”

“ “
,

Ch a teau-R enaud , w ith most significant coolness .

Gentlemen , interrupted Al bert , I think you did not unde r stand

”

that something v ery serious had passed between M de Monte -Cr ist o a nd

“
.

myself ”
.

Possibly, possibly, said Beauchamp immediately ; but eve r y sim

”
,

pl e t o n would not be able to understand your heroism and sooner o r ,

late r you will find yourself compelled to explain it to them mo r e e ne r

g e t ic a lly than would be convenient to your bodily health and the dura
tion of your life M ay I give you a f ri endly counsel ? S et out for
.
 T HE C O UN T OF M ON TE —CR I S T O .
229

N aples the Hague or S t Peters b urg

,
.
— calm count r ies whe r e the point ,
,

of honor is better understood than among ou r hot-headed Pari sian s ,

S eek quietude and oblivion , so that you may return peaceably to F r ance
after a few years Am I not right , M de Ch ateau-R enaud ?
. .

“othing induces
N apl e s .

n
That is quite my opinion , said the gentleman ;
”

“
”
serious duels so much as a fruitless one .

Thank you gentlemen ” replied Albert , wi th a smile of ind i ffe r ence ;

I shall follow your advi ce —not because you gi v e it but because I had
, ,

,
 T HE C O UN T OF M ONY I F CR I S T O
.

before intended to quit France I thank you equally for the service you
.

have rendered me in being my seconds It is de e ply engraved on my

.

he art since , after what you have j ust said I remember that only
, ,
”
.

Ch a teau -R enaud and Beauchamp looked at each other ; the impres

sion was the same on both of them , and the tone in which M orc e rf had
j ust expressed his thanks was so determined that the position would

“
have become embarrassing for all if th e conversation h ad continued
Farewell , Albert , said Beauchamp suddenly, carelessly extending
”
.

his hand to the young man , without the latter appearing to rouse from

“
his lethargy ; in fact , he did not notice the o ff ered hand
Farewell , said Ch a teau-R en aud in his turn , keeping the l ittle cane
”
.

in his left ha nd , and bowing with his right

“ .

Albert s lips scarcely whispered Farewell , but his look was more
’ ”

explicit : it embraced a whole poem of restrained anger, proud disdain ,

and generous in di gnation He preserved his melancholy and motionless

.

position for some time after his t wo frien ds had regained their carriage ;
then , suddenly loosing his horse from the little tree to which his servant
had fastened it , he sprang on it , a nd galloped o fl in the direction of
Paris .

In a quarter of an hour he was entering the hotel of the R ue d u

Helder As he a l ighted he th ought he saw behind the curtain of the
.

count s bedroom his father s pale face A l bert turned away his head
’ ’
.

with a sigh , and went to his own apartments He cast one lingering .

look on all the luxuries which had rendered life so easy and so happy
since his infancy ; he looked at the pictures , whose faces seemed to smile ,
and the landscapes , which appeared painted in brighter colors Then .

he too k away his mother s portrait , with its oaken frame , leaving the
’

gilt frame , from which he took it , black and empty Then he arranged .

all his beautiful T urkish arms , his fine English guns , his Japanese china ,
his cups mounted in silver , his artistic bronzes , signed Feuch e res or
Barye ; examined the cupboards , and placed the key in each ; threw into
the d rawer of his secrétaire , which he left open , all the pocket-money he
had about him , and with it the thousand fancy j ewels from his vases
and his j ewel -boxes made an exact inventory of all , and pl aced it in
,

the most conspicuous part of the table , after putting aside the books
and papers which encumbered it .

At the commencement of this work , his servant , not wi thstan di ng

“
his prohibition , came to his room .

What do you want ? asked b e , with a more sorrowful th an angry

”

“
tone.

Par don me , sir replied the valet ; you had forbidden me to di s

”
,

turb you but the Count de M orc e rf had called me

,
”
.

Well ? said Albert

”
 TH E C O U N T OF M ON TE —C R I S T O .

Yo u will I apologized to the Count of Monto isto Go

sa y -Cr .
”
.

The valet bowed and retired , and Al bert retu r ned to his inventory .

As he was finishi ng this wo r k the sound of horses prancing in the ,

yar d , and the wheels of a ca r r iage shaking his window, attrac te d his
attention He approached the windo w, and sa w his father get into it
.
,

and it drove a way The door wa s sca r cely closed when Albert bent his
.

steps to his mother s room ; and no one being there to announce him ,
’

he advanc e d to he r b edroom and , distressed by what he saw and

,

guessed stopped for one moment a t the doo r

,
.

A s if the same soul had a nimated these two beings , Merc e d e s was
doing the same in her apartments as he had j ust done Everything wa s .

in o r de r : laces dr es ses , j ewels , linen , money a ll were arranged in the

“
, ,

drawers and the countess was c areful ly collecting the keys Al bert saw
,
.

all these preparations ; h e understood them and exclaiming My , ,

mother ! he thre w his a r ms round her neck

”
.

The artist who could have depicted the exp r ession of these two
countenances would certainly have made of them a beautiful pictu r e .

All these proofs of an energetic resolution , which Albert did not fear on
his o wn account ala r med him for his mother
,
What are you doing ? .
”

asked he .

What were you doing ? replied sh e

”
.

“
Oh, my mother ! exclai med Al be r t so overcome he could scarcely
”

speak ; it is not the same with you a nd me — you cannot h ave made
,

t he same resolution , I have for I am c o me to warn you that I bid adieu

“ “
,

to you r house , and and to you

I also replied Merc e d e s
”
am going, and I acknowledge I had

“
, ,

depended on your accompanying me ; have I deceived myself ? ”

My mothe r said Albert , with firmness , I cannot make you share

”
,

the fate I have planne d for myself I must live henceforth w itho ut .

rank and fo r tune and to begi n this hard apprentic eship I must borrow
,

f r om a friend the loaf I shall eat until I have earned one S o , my dear .

mother I am going at once to ask Franz to lend me the s mall sum 1

,

shall require to supply my present wants .

You my poo r child suffer poverty a nd hunge r ! Oh, say not so ; it

, ,

will break my resolutio ns ”

.

But not mine mother, replied Albert

, I am young and strong I
”
.
,

b elie v e I am courageous , and since yesterday I h ave learned the power

of will Alas ! my dear mother, some have snfl e re d so much , and yet
.

live and have raised a new fortune on the ruin of all the promises of
,

happiness which Heaven had made them — o n the fragments of all the
hope which God had given them ! I have seen that , my mother ; I
know that f r om the gulf in which their enemies have plunged them
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —CR I S T O .
233

they have risen with so much vigor and glo r y that in their turn they
have ruled their former conquero r s , and have punished them N 0 , my .

mother ; from this moment I have done with the past and accept noth ,
mg from 1 t not even a name , because you can unde r stand your son
“
cannot bear the name of a man who ought to blush before anothe r
”
Albert , my child , said M erc e d e s , if I had a st r onge r heart that is“ ,
”
.

t he counsel I wo ul d have given you ; your conscience has spoken when

my voice became too weak ; listen to its dictates You had friends , .

Al bert ; break off their acquaintance But do not despair ; you have .

lif e before you , my dear Albert , for you are yet scarcely twenty-two
years old ; and a s a pure heart like yours wants a spotless name , take
my father s — it was Herrera I am sure , Albe r t , whatever may be
’
.

your ca r eer y ou will soon render that name illustrious Then , my

, .

f r iend , return to the world still more brilliant from the reflection of
your former sorrows ; and if I am wrong , still let me che r ish these
hopes , for I have no future to look forward to : for me the grave opens
“
when I pass the threshold of this house
il
”

I w l fulfill all your wishes , my dear mother , said the young man
”
.

Yes , I sh are your hopes ; the anger of Heaven will not pursue us
you so pure , and me so innocent But since our resolution is formed
.
,

let us act promptly M de M orc e rf went out about a half an hour

“
. .

since ; the opportunity is favorable to avoid an explanation ”

.

I am ready, my son, said Merc e d e s

”
.

Albert r an to fetch a hackney -coach ; he recollected there was a

small fur nished house to let in the R ue des S aint-P e res , where his
mother would find a humble but decent lodging, and thither he intended
conducting the co untess A s the hackney-coach stopped at the doo r

“
.
,

and Albert wa s alighting , a man approached , and gave him a letter .

Albert recognized the bearer From the count, said B e rtuc c io

”
. .

Al bert took the letter , opened it , and read it ; then looked round for
B e rtucc io , but he wa s gone .

He returned to Merc e d e s with tears in his eyes and heaving breast

,

and , without uttering a wo r d , he gave her the letter Merc e d e s read .

A L B E R T —Whil e showing you th a t I h a v e discove re d your pl a ns I h e p e a lso to con ,

vinc e you of my d e lic a cy You a r e fr e e you l e a ve the count s hot e l a nd you t ak e your
.
,
’
,

moth e r to your hom e ; b ut r e fl e ct A l b e rt you o we he r more th a n your poor nob le

.
,

h e a rt c a n pay he r Ke e p the struggl e for yours e lf b e a r all the suff e ring b ut sp a re he r

. , ,

tri l which must ccomp ny your first orts for d s rv s not e ve n

'

th e a of p ove r t y a a e ff ; sh e e e e

the sh a d ow of t h e misfortun e which h a s this da y f a ll e n on he r a nd P rovid e nc e wills not

,

t he innoc e nt should suff e r for t he guilty .

0

i ng w1 th you ;
0

H h
0

I know you a re going to l v

e a e t h e R ue d u e ld e r without t a krn g a ny t

do not s e e k to know how I discov e re d it ; I kno w it th a t is suffici e nt Now list e n .

, ,

Alb e rt T w e nty -four y e a rs a g o I re turn e d proud a nd j oyful to my country I ha d a

.
, ,
. .
 T HE C O UN T OF M ON TE —C R I S T O .

b e tr oth e d , Al be rt a lov e ly g irl , whom I a dore d , a nd I wa s b rin ging to my b e troth e d a

,

hun d re d a nd fifty loui s , p a inf ully a m a sse d b y c e a s e l e ss toil T his mon e y wa s for he r ; I
.

d e st in e d it f or he r , a nd knon t he tre a ch e ry of t he se a , I b ur i e d our tr e a sure in t he

,

li t tle ga rd e n of t he ho us e my fa th e r liv e d in a t Ma rs e ill e s , on the A ll ee s d e Me il la n Your

.

moth e r, A l b e rt , knows th a t poor h ouse w e ll A short tim e sinc e , I p a sse d through Mar
.

s e ill e s a nd w e nt to se e t he old hous e , which re viv e d so ma ny p a inful re coll e ctions , and

,

in t he e v e ning I took a sp a d e a nd dug in t he corn e r of the ga rd e n wh e re I ha d conc ea l e d

,

my tre a sure T he iron b ox wa s th e re — no o ne ha d touch e d it ; it wa s un d e r a b e a utiful

.

fig -tre e my fa th e r ha d pl a nt e d the da y I wa s b orn which ov e rsh a dow e d t he sp ot

,
W e ll .
,

A l b e rt this mon e y which wa s form e rly d e sign e d t o promot e th e comf ort a nd tra nq uillity
, ,

o f t he wom a n I a dore d ma y now from a stra nge a nd p a inful circumst a nc e b e d e vote d

, , ,

to t he sa m e purpos e .

Oh fe e l for me who co ul d off e r mill ions to th a t poor wom a n b ut who r e turn he r onl y
, , ,

t he pi e c e of b l a ck b r e a d forgott e n un d e r my poor roof sinc e t he da y I wa s torn from h e r

,

I lov e d You a re a ge n e rous ma n A l b e rt b ut p e rh a ps you ma y b e bli n d e d b y pri d e or

.
, ,

re se ntm e nt if you re fuse me if you a sk a noth e r for wha t I h av e a right to o ff e r you I

, ,

will sa y it is unge n e rous of you to r e fuse the life of your moth e r a t t he h a nds of a ma n
whos e fa th e r wa s a llow e d b y your fa th e r to die in a ll t he horrors of pov e rty a nd d e sp a ir ”
.

A l bert
stood pale and motionless to hear what his mother would
decide after she had finished r eading this letter Merc e d e s turned her

“
.

eyes wi th an ine fl able look toward heaven .

I accept it , said sh e ; he has a right to pay the dowry, which I shall

”

take with me to some convent ! ”

Putting the letter in her bosom she took her son s arm and with a
’
, , ,

fir mer step than sh e even herself expected , sh e went downstairs .

 THE C O UN T OF ll ON T E —C R I S T O

“
i .

Y e s,
”
sa id Monte -Cristo ,
for that reason I wished to keep you near

It is miraculous ! continued Morrel ans werin ghis own thoughts , .

What ? said Monte -Cristo

”
.

What has j us t happened ”

.

Yes said the count , you are right — it is miraculous

”
,
”
.

For Albert is brave resumed Morrel

”
,
.

Very b r ave , said Monte -Cristo ; I have seen him sleep with a
”

“
swo r d suspended over his head ”

And I know he has fought two duels said Morrel ; how can you
”
.

reconcile that with his conduct this morning ?

A ll owi ng to your influence , replied Monte -Cristo , smiling
”
.

It is well for Albert he is not in th e army , said Morrel

”
.

Why
An a pology on the ground ! said the young cap t ain , shaking his
”

“
head .

Come said the count , mildly, do not entertain the prej udi ces of
”
,
“
ordinary men , Morrel ! Acknowledge , if A l bert is brave , he cannot be
a coward ; he must then have had some reason for acting as he did this
morning and confess that his conduct is more heroic than otherwise

‘
,
”

Doubtless , doubtless , said M orrel ; but I shall say , l ike the S pan
” “ .

“ ,
-
i ard He has not been so brave to day as he was yesterday
You will b r eakfast with me , will you not , Morrel
’

said the count ,

.

to tu r n the con v ersatio n .

N o I must leave you at ten o clock

,
” ’
.

Your engagement was for breakfast , then ? said the count

”
.

Morrel smiled and shook his head ,

.

S till you must breakfast somew here ”

“
.

But if I am not hungry ? said the young man

”
.

Oh ! said the c ount , I only know two things which destroy the
”

appetite ; g r ief, and as I am happy to se e you very cheerful it is not ,

that , and love N ow , after what you told me this morning of your

“ “
.

heart , I may believe

Well , count , replied Morrel , gayly, I will not dispute it
” ”
.

But you will not make me your confidant , Maximilian ? said the ”

count i n a tone which showed how gladly he would have been admitted
,

to the secret .

I showed you this morning I had a hear t ; di d I not , count ?

“ “
Monte -Cristo only answered by exten di ng his hand to the young man
Well ! continued the latt e r, since that heart is no longer with you
”
.

in the Bois de V incennes , it is elsewhere , and I must go and find it

Go , said the count deliberately, go , dear friend , but promise me ,
”
”

“ .
 if you meet with any obstacle , to remember that I
this world ; t hat I am happy to use that power in the behalf of those
I love and that I love you , Morrel ” .

”
I will remember it, s aid the young man , a s selfish child r en r
e c ol

Vi ‘
l l .

T h e Pl a ce o
R yal e .

lect their pare nts when they want their aid When I need your assist
“
.

ance , and the moment may come , I will come to you, count ”
.

Well , I r ely upon your promise Farewell Adieu , till we meet

. .

again .
”
 THE CO UN T OF M ON TE -C R I S T O .

They had arrived in the Champs Elys e es Mont e-

C
risto opened the
.

carriage -door, Morrel sprang out on the pa ve me nt ,.B e rt uc c io was wait

ing on the ste ps Morrel di sappeared through the avenue of Marigny ,
.

and M onte -Cr isto hastened to j oin B e rtuc c io .

Well ? asked h e
”
.

S he is going to leave her house , said the steward

”
.

And her son ?

Florentin , his valet , thinks he is going to do the same ”
.

C ome this way ”

Monte -Cristo took B e rtuc c io into his cab inet ,

“
.

wrote the letter we have seen , and gave it to the steward Go , said
”
.

“
he qui ckly Apropos , let Hayd e e be informed I am ret urned ”
. .

Here I am , said the young girl , who, at the sound of the carriage ,
”

had run downstairs , and whose face was radiant with j oy at seeing the
count return safely Every transport of a d aughter findi ng a father ,
.

all the delight of a mistress seeing an adored lover , were felt by Hayd e e
during the first moments of this meeting , which sh e had so eagerly
expected Doubtless , although less evident , Monte -Cristo s j oy was not
.
’

less intense ; j oy to heart s which have suffered long is like the dew on
the ground after a long dro ught ; both the heart and the g round absorb
that b e ne fic e nt moisture falling on them , and nothing is outwardly
apparent .

Monte -Cristo was beginning to think , what he had not for a long time
d ared to believe , that there were two Merc e d e s in the world and he ,

might yet be happy His eye , elate with happiness , wa s reading eagerly
.

the moistened gaze of Hayd e e , when suddenly the door opened The

“
.

count knit his brow .

M de M orc e rf ! said Baptistin , as if that name suffi ced for hi s

”

“ “
.

excuse In fact , the count s face brightened

.
’
.

Which , asked he , the Viscount or the count ?

” ”

The count ”
.

Oh exclaimed Hayd e e , is it not yet over ? ”

“
I know not if it is finished , my beloved c hi ld , said Monte -Cristo ,
”

taki ng the young gir l s hands ; but I do know you have nothing more
’

to fear ”

“
.

But it is the wretched

That man can not inj ure me , Hayd e e , said Monte -Cristo ; it was
”

“
his son alone there was cause to fear ”
.

And what I have suff ered , said the young girl , you shall never
” “
know my lord ”

“
.
,

-
Monte Cristo smiled B y my father s tomb ! said he , extending
.
’ ”

his hand over the head of the young girl , I swear to you , Hayd e e ,

that if any misfortune happens , it will not be to me ”

.
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —C R I S T O .
241

I believe you , my lord , as implicitly a s if God had spoken to me ”

,
said the young gi rl , presenting her forehead to him Monte -Cristo .

pressed on that pur e , beautiful forehead a kiss which made two hea r ts

“
throb at once , the one violently , the other secretly
Oh ! ”
murmured the count “ .

shall I then be permitted to love

,

again ? A sk M de
. M o r c e rf -
into the drawing room , said he to Bap
”
~

tistin , while he led the beautiful Greek girl to a pr ivate stai r case .

We must explain this visit , which although Monte -Cr isto expected
,

it is unexpected to our readers While Merc e d e s , as we have said , wa s

, .

making a similar inventory of her property to Albert s while she wa s ’

,

arranging her j ewels shutting her d r awers , collecting her keys to leave
, ,

everythi ng in perfect order , s he did not percei v e a pale and sinister face
at a glass door which threw light into the passage , f rom which every
thing could be both seen and heard He who was thus looking, with
.

out being heard or seen , probably heard and saw all that passed in
Madame de M orc e rf s apartments From that glass door the pale -faced
’
.

man went to the count s bed r oom , and r aised with a contracted hand
’
, ,

the curtai n of a window o v e r looking the court-ya r d He r emained there

.

ten minutes motionless and dum b listening to the beating of his own
, ,

heart For him those ten minutes w ere very long It was then that
. .

Albert , r etur ned from his r endezvous , perceived his father watching
for his ar r ival behind a curtain and turned aside The count s eye
, .
’

expanded ; he kne w Albert had insulted the count d r eadfully, and that ,
in every country in the world , such an insult would lead to a deadly
duel Albert returned safely — the n the count wa s r evenged
. .

An indescri b able ray of j oy illumined that w r etched countenance ,

li ke the last ray of the sun before it disappears behind t he mass of
clouds which appear more like its tomb than its couch But, as we have .

said , he waited in vain for his son to come to hi s apartment with the
account of his triumph . He easily understood why his son did not
come to see him before he went to avenge his fathe r s honor ; but when
’

that was done , wh y did not his son come and th r ow himse lf into his
arms ?
It was then , when the count could not se e Albert he sent for h is ,

servant , whom he knew was authorized not to conceal anything from

him . T e n minutes afterward the General M orc e rf wa s seen on the
steps in a black coat with a military coll a r , black pantaloons and black ,

gloves He had apparently given p r evious orders ; fo r , as he reached

.

the bottom step his carriage came from the coach-house ready for him
,
.

The valet threw into the carriage his mil itary cloak in which t wo ,

swords were wrapped ; and , shutting the door, took his seat by the
side of the coachman The coachman stooped down for his o r ders
.
.
 C O UN T M ON TE —C R I S T O

“
THE OF .

To the Champs Elys e es said the general ; the Coun t of Monte

,
”

Cristo s Q uickly !
’ ”
.

The horses bounded beneath the whip , and , in five minutes , they
stopped before the count s door M orc e rf opened the door himself ; and
’
.
,

as the carriage rolled away , he passed up the walk , rang, and entered
the ope n door with his servant .

A moment afte rward Baptistin announced the Count de M orc e rf to

Monte -Cristo ; and the latter , le adi ng Hayd e e aside , ordered the Count
de M orc e rf to be asked into the drawing-room The general was pacing .

the room the thir d time , when , in turning, he perceived Monte -Cristo at

“
the door .

Eh ! it is M de M orc e rf, said Monte -Cristo , quietly ; I thought I

” “
“
.

had heard wrong ”

.

Y e s, it is I , said the count , whom a frightful contraction of the

”

lips prevented from articulating freely .

May I know the cause which procures me the pleasure of seeing M

“
.

de M orc e rf so early ? ”

Had you not a meeting with my son this morn i ng ? asked the ”

“
general .

I had , repli ed the count

”
.

And I know my son had good reason s to wish to fight with you , and

“
to endeavor to kill you ”
.

Yes , sir , he had very good ones ; but you se e , in spite of them he has

“
not killed me and did not even fight
,
”
.

Yet he considered you the cause of his father s dishonor , the cause ’

of the fearful rui n which has fallen on my house ”

.

Truly, sir, said M onte -Cristo , with his dreadf ul calmness , a se c

”

ondary cause , but not the principal ”

.

Doubtless you made , then , some apology or explanation ?

I explained nothing, and it is he who apologized to me ”
.

But to what do you att ri bute this conduct ? ”

To the conviction , probably , that there wa s one more guil ty than

And who wa s that ? ”

His father ”
.

That may be , said the count , turning pale ; but , you know, the
” “
g uilty do not like to find themselves convicted
”
.

I know it And I expected this result

.
”
.

You expected my son would be a coward ? cried the count

”
.

M Albert de M orc e rf is no coward

. said Monte -Cristo .

A man who holds a sword in his hand , and sees a mortal enemy
within reach of that sword , and does not fight , is a coward ! Why is he
not here that I may tell him so ?
,
”
 T HE C O UN T OF M O N TE -C R I S T O .

n ear his bedroom , and , in less than a moment teari ng off his cravat his
, ,

coat and waistcoat , he put on a sailo r s j acket and hat from beneath
’
,

which r olled h is long black hair

,
.

He returned thus , fo r midable and implacable , advancing with his

arms crossed on his breast , toward the g eneral , who could not under
stand why he had disappeared ; but who on seeing him again , and feel
ing his teeth chatter and his legs sink under him , drew back , and only

“
stopped when he found a table to support his clinched hand
Fernand c ried he , of my hund r ed names I need only tell you one
,
”
.

to o v erwhelm you ! But you guess it now, d o you not ? — o r rather , ,

you remember it ? For , not withstanding all my sorrows and my to r t

u r es , I show you to -day a face which th e happiness of revenge makes
—
young again a face you must often have seen in you r d r eams since
your ma r r iage with Merc e d e s , my betrothed
The general , with his head thrown back , hands extende d gaze ,

fix ed looked silently at this dreadful apparition ; then , seeki ng the wall

,

to support him , he glided along close to it until he reached the door,

through which he went out back ward uttering this single mournful

“
, ,

lamentable , distressing cry :

Edmond D ant e s
Then , with sighs which were unlike any human sound , he dragged
hi mself to the door , reeled across the court -yard and falling into the
arms of his valet , he said in a voice scarcely intelligible ,— Home !
,
“
home ! ”

The fresh air and the shame he felt at h a v ing exposed himself
,

before his servants partially recalled his senses ; but the ride was sho r t
, ,

and as he dre w near his house all his wretchedness re vived He stopped .

at a sho r t distance from the house and alighted The door of the hote l
.

was wide open , a hackney-coach was stan ding in t he middle of the

yard — a strange sight before so noble a mansion ; the count looked at it
with terror ; but without daring to ask , he rushed towa r d his apartment .

T wo pe r sons were coming down the stairs ; he had only time to

c r eep into a cabinet to avoid them It was Me r c e d e s leaning on he r
.

son s arm and leaving the hotel They passed close by the unhappy
’
.

being wh o concealed behind the damask door , almost felt M erc e de s

, ,
’

d r ess brush past him , and his son’ s wa r m b r eath pronouncing these

“
words
Cou r age , my mothe r ! Come , this is no longer our home ! ”
The words died away the steps were lost in the distance The
, .

general drew himself up , clinging to the door ; he uttered the most

dreadful sob which ever escaped from the bosom of a father aba ndoned
at the same time by his wife and son He soon heard the clatter of the
.
 CH A P T E R X CI I I

VA L E N T I N E

may easily conceive where Morrel s appointment was On

’
.

leaving M onte -Cristo he walked slowly toward V ill e fort s ; ’

we say slowly , for Mo r rel had more than h alf-a n-hour to

spare to go five hundr ed steps but he had hastened to take
,

l eave of Monte -Cristo because he wished to be alone with his thoughts .

He knew his time well — the hour when Valentine was giving Noirt ier
his breakfas t, and wa s sure not to be disturbed in the pe r formance of
this pious duty No irt ier and Valentine had gi ven him leave to go
.

twice a week , and he was now availing himself of that pe r mission .

He arrived ; Valentine was expecting him U neasy and almost

.

wande r ing, sh e seized his hand and led him to he r g r andfathe r This .

uneas iness , amounting almost to wildness arose f r om the report Mor

,

cerf s adventu r e had made in the world ; the a ff ai r of the Ope r a was
’

generally known N o one at V i ll e fo rt s doubted that a duel would

.
'
’

ensue from i t Valentine , with her woman s instinct , guessed that Mor
.
’

rel would be Monte -Cristo s witness , and f r om the young man s well
’ ’

known courage and his g r eat a ffection fo r t he count , sh e feared he

would not content himself with the passive part assigned to him We .

may easil y understand how eage r ly the particulars we r e a sked for,

given and received ; and Mor r el could read a n indescribable j oy i n the
,

eyes of his beloved when she knew that the te r minatio n of t his a fl air

“
,

was as happy as it was unexpected .

N o w, said Valentine , motioni ng to Mo rr el to s it down near he r

“
”

grandfathe r , while she took her seat on his foots tool now let us talk ,

about our own a ffai r s You know, Maximilian , grandpapa once thought of

“ “
.

lea v i ng this house , and taking an apartment away from M de V ill e fort s ”
.
’
.

Yes , said Maximilian , I recollect the proj ect , of which I highly

”

a pprove d
”
.
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE - CR I S T O
.
2 49
”
Well , said Valentine , you may approve
“
again fo r g r andpapa is
again thinking of it ”
.
,

Bravo said Maximilian .

And do you know, said Valentine what reason

”
, g r andpapa gi ves
for leavi ng thi s house ? N oirt ie r looked
”
at Valentine to impose silence ,

but sh e did not notice him ; her looks , her eyes , her smile , were all fo r
“
Mor r el
.

Oh ! whatever may be M N oirt ie r’s reason ” answered Mo r rel

.
, ,
I
will readily believe it to be a good one ”
.
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE -C R I S T O .

An excellent one ! said Valentine ”

He pretends the air of the

“
.

“ -
Faubourg S aint Honor e is not good for me
Indeed ! said Morrel ;
”
”

in that M Noirt ie r may be right ; your

.

“
.

health has not appeared good the last fortnight ”

.

N ot ver y , said Valentine

”
And grandpapa is become my phy
.

s ic ia n ; and I have the greatest confidence in him, because he knows

eve r ything ’
.

Do you then really su ffer ? asked M orrel , quickly

”
.

Oh, it must not be called su ff ering ; I feel a general uneasiness , th at

is all I have lost my appetite , and my stomach feels to be struggling
.

to become accustomed to something ”

N oirt ie r did not lose a word of
.

what Valentine said

“
.

And what treatment do you adopt for this singular complaint ? ”

A ve ry simple one , said Valentine

”
I swall ow every mo r ning a
.

spoonful of the mixture prepared for my grandf ather When I say one .

spoonful , I began by one — now I take four Grandpapa says it is a .

panacea ”
.Valentine smiled , but it was evident sh e sufl e re d .

Maximilian in his devotedness , gazed silently at her S he was very

,
.

beautiful , but her usual paleness had increased ; her eyes were mo r e
brilliant than ever , an d her hands , which were generally white like
mothe r -of-pearl , now more resembled wa x , to which time was adding a
yellowish hue .

From Valentine the you ng man looked toward Noirt ie r The latter .

watched with strange and deep interest the young girl , absorbed by her
a ff ection ; and h e also , like Morr el , followed those traces of inward s uf
f e ring , which were so little perceptible to a common observer that they

“ “
escaped the notice of every one but the grandfather and the lover
But , said Morrel I thought this mixture of which you now take
”
, ,
.

four spoonful s , was prepared for M N oirt ie r .

I know it is very bitter said Valentine ; so bitter , that all I dr ink

”

“ “
,

afterward appears to h ave the same taste ”

N oirtie r looked inquiringly .

at his granddaughter Ye s ; grandpap a, said Valentine ;

.
”
it is so .

Just now, before I came down to you , I drank a glass of ca n s ucrec I

’

l eft h alf, because it seemed so bitter ”

N oirtie r turned pale , and made
.

a sign that he wished to speak .

Valentine rose to fetch the dictionary N oirtie r watched her with .

evident anguish In fact , the blood was rushing to the young g irl s head
.
’

already her cheeks were becomi ng red

, .

Oh ! c ri ed sh e , without losing any of her cheerfulness , t hi s is sin

”

gul ar ! A dimness ! Did the sun shine in my eyes ? And she leaned”

against the wi ndow .

 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE - C R I S T O .

bye ! I mus t run away, for they would send here for me ; or, rathe r,
fa rewell till I see you again S tay with grandpapa , M aximilian , I prom
.

ise you not to pe rsuade them to stay ”

.

Mo rrel watched her as sh e left the r oom ; he heard h e r ascend the

little staircase which led both to Madame de V ille fo rt s apartments and ’

to hers As soon as she was gone N ortier made a sign to Morrel to take
. ,

the dictiona r y Morrel obeyed ; guided by Valentine , he had learned

.

h o w to unde r stand the old man quickly Accustomed , however , as he

.

wa s, and havi ng to repeat most of the letters of the alphabet , and to

find every word in the dictionary, it was ten m inutes before the thought
of the old man was translated by these words
Fetch the glass of water and the decanter from Valentine s room ’ ”
.

Morrel rang immediately for the servant who had taken Barrois ’

situation , and in N o irt ie r s name gave that order The servant soon
’
.

r e t m ne d The decanter and the glass were completely empty Noirt ie r

'

“
.

“
.

made a sign that he wished to speak .

Why are the glass and the decanter empty ? asked he ; Valentine
”

said sh e only dr ank half the glassful ”

.

The t r an slation of this ne w question occupied anothe r five minutes .

I do not know said the servant but the housemaid is in Made

”

“
, ,

moiselle Valentine s room ; perhaps she has emptied them

’ ”
.

Ask her said Morrel , translating Noirt ie r s thought this time by

” ’

“
,

his look The servant went out but returned almost imme diately
.
, .

Mademoiselle Valentine passed through the room to go to Madame

de V ill e fort s, said he ; and in passing, as she wa s thirsty, she dr ank
’ ”

what remained in the glass ; as for the decante r , M Edward had emptied .

that to make a pond for his ducks ”

.

N o irt ie r raised hi s eyes to heaven , as a gambler does who stakes his

all on one stroke From that moment the old man s eyes were fixed on
.
’

the door , and did not quit it .

It was indeed M adame Danglars and her daughter whom Valentine

had seen ; they had been ushered into M adame de V ille fort s room , who
’

had said she would receive them there That is why Valentine passed .

th r ough her room which wa s on a level with Valentine s and o nly sep a
,
’

rated from it by Edward s The two ladies entered the drawing -room
’
.

with that sort of official stiffness which announced a communication .

Betwee n peopl e of th e worl d , a hint is soon caught Madame de Ville .

fort received them with equal solemnity Valentine entered at this

“
.

moment , and the formalities were resumed

“
.

My dea r friend , said the baroness wh ile the two young people
”
,

were shaking hands I and Eug e nie are come to be the first to announce
,

to you the app r oaching marriage of my daughter with Prince Caval

 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE CR I S T O.
2 53
”
canti D anglars kept up the title of pr i nce The
“
.
.
popular banker found
it answered better than count

“
.

A llow me to present you m y sincere

co ngratul ations ,” replied
Madame de Villefort . M le Prin c c Cavalcanti appears a young
m
.

of rare qualities ” a n
.

”
Listen said the baroness , smiling ; speaking to y ou a s a frre nd I
,
,
ul
wo d say, the prince does not yet appear all he will be He has about
.

him a little of that foreign manner by which F r ench perso ns recogni ze ,

at first sight , the Italian or German nobleman Bes i des , he gi ves e vr
.
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE —C R I S T O .

dence of great ki ndness of disposition , much keenness of wit , and as to

suitableness , M Danglars assur es me his fortune is maj estic —that
.

is hi s term ”

“
.

And then , said Eug e nie , whil e turni ng over the leaves of Madame
”

de V ille fort s album , add that you have taken a great fancy to the
’

“
young man ”
.

And , sa id Madame de Villefort , I need not ask you if you share

” “
“
that fancy
I
”
.

replied Eug e nie , with her usual candor Oh, not the least in .

the world , madame ! My wish was not to confine myself to domestic

cares , or the capri ces of any man , but to be an artist , and , conseq uently,
free in heart , in person , and in thought ”
.

Eug e nie pronounced these words with so firm a tone that the color
mounted to Valentine s cheeks The timid girl co uld not understan d
’
.

that vigorous nature which appeared to have none of the timi di ties of

“
woman .

“
At any rate , said she , since I am to be mar ri ed whether I wil l or
”

not , I ought to be thankf ul to Providence for having released me from

my engagement with M Albert de M orc e rf, or I should this day have

“
.

been the wife of a dishonored man ”

.

It is true , said the baroness , with that strange simplicity sometimes

”

met with among fashionable ladies , and of which plebeian intercourse

can never entirely deprive them ,— i t is very true that , had not the
‘
“
M orc e rfs hesitated , my daughter would have marri ed that M A l bert . .

The general depended much on it ; he even came to fo r ce M Danglars

“
. .

“
We have had a narrow escape
”
”
.

But , said Valentine , timidly, does all the father s shame revert
’

upon the son ? M Albert appears to me quite innocent of the t r eason

“ “
.

cha rged against the general ”

.

Excuse me said the implacable young girl , M Albert claims and

”
,
.

well deserves his share It appears that , after having challenged M de

. .

Monte -Cristo at t he Opera yesterday, he apologized on the ground

“
-
to day ”
.

Impossible ! said Madame de Villefort

”

“
.

Ah , my dear friend , said Madame Danglars , with the same sim

”

plic it y we before noticed , it is a fact ! I heard it from M Debray, .

who was present at the explanation ”

.

Valentine also knew the truth , but sh e did not answer A single .

word had reminded her that Morrel was expecting her in Noir tie r s ’

room Deeply engaged with a sort of inward contemplation , Valentine

.

had ceased for a moment to j oin in the conversation S he would , indeed . ,

have found it impossible to repeat what had been said the last few min
 THE C O UN T OF ll
r ON T E - CR I S T O
.
2 57
utes , when suddenly Madame Danglars’ han
d pressed on he r a rm
aroused her fro m her lethargy
,
,

Wh at is it ? ” said she , starting at M adame ’

D angla r s touch a s she
woul d have done from an electric shock .

“ It i s,my dear Valentine said the baroness , that you a r e doub t

”
, ,
less , suff ering ” .

I said the young girl , passing her hand across he r bu r ning fo r e

“
head .

Y e s, look at yourself in that glass you have tu r ned pale and re d

“
;

“
successively, three or fou r times in one m i nute ”

Indeed c ri ed Eug e nie , you a r e ve r y pale !

”
,
”
.
 THE CO UN T OF M O N TE - C R I S T O .

Oh , do not be alarmed ! I have been so for some days Art less as ”

.

sh e was the young girl knew this w as an opportunity to leave ; besides

“ “
, ,

Mad a me de Villefort came to her assistance .

R etire , Valentine , said she ; you are reall y suff e ri ng, and these
”

ladies wil l excuse you ; drink a glass of pure water, it will restore you ”
.

Valentine kissed Eug e nie , bowed to Madame Danglars , wh o had

“
al r eady risen to take her leave and went out

“
.
,

That poor c hi l d, said Madame de Vill efort , when Valentine was

”

gone , she makes me very uneasy , and I shoul d not be astonished if

she had some serious illness
”
.

Meanwhile Valentine , in a sort of excitement which she co uld not

,

quite understand had crossed E dward s room without paying any atten
,
’

tion to some trick of the child , and through her own had reached the
little staircase .

S he was at the bottom excepting three steps ; she already heard

Morrel s voice , when suddenly a cloud passed over her eyes , her sti ff ened
’

foot missed the step , her hands had no power to hold the baluster , a nd ,

falling against the wall , she rolled down these three steps rather than
walked Morrel bounded to the door , Opened it , and found Valentine
.

extended on the floor R apid as lightning, he raised her in his arms

.

and placed her in a chair Valentine opened her eyes

. .

Oh , what a clumsy thing I am ! said she , wi th feverish volubility ;

”

I no longer know my way I forgot there were three more steps before
.

the landing ”
.

You have hurt yom se l f, perhaps , said Morrel

' ”
What can I do for.

you Valentine ?
,
”

Valentine looked around her ; she saw the deepest terror depicted in
N oirtie r s eyes
’
.

Comfort yourself, dear grandpapa , said she , endeavoring to smile ;

”

“ —
it is nothing it is nothing ; I wa s giddy, that is all
Another gid d iness said Morrel , clasping his hands
”

Oh, attend
.

“
to it Valentine I entreat you ”
, ,

But no , said Valentine ,

”
no , I tell you it is all past , and it was
nothing N ow , let me tell you some news ; Eug e nie is to be married in
.

a week , and in three days there is to be a grand feast , a sort of betroth

ing festival We are all invited , my father , Madame de Villefort , and
.

I at least , I understood it so ”
.

When will it , then , be our turn to think of these thi ngs ? Oh, Val
cutine , you , who have so much influence over your grandpapa, t ry to

“
make him answer S oon ”
.

And do you , said Valentine , depend on me to stim ul ate the tardi

”

ness and arouse the memory of grandpapa

 CH A P T E R X CI V

T HE c o nr ns s mN

the same moment M de V ille fort s voice was heard calling

.
’

from his cabin et , What is the matter ? ”

Morrel consulted N oirt ie r s look , wh o had recove r ed his

’

self-command , and with a glance indicated the closet where ,

once before under so mewhat similiar circumstances , he had taken
,

refuge He had only time to get his hat , and throw himself breathl ess
.

into the closet ; the p rocur eur s footstep was heard in the passage
’
.

Villefort sprang into the room , ran to Valentine , and took her in
his arms .

A ph ysician ! a physician ! M d A vrig ny c ri ed Vil lefort ; or rather

’
.
”

I will go for him myself ”

.

He flew from the apartment , and M orrel , at the same moment ,

darted out at th e other door He had been struck to the heart by a
.

frightful recoll ection — the conversation he had heard between the doc
tor and Villefort the night of Madame de S aint Mera n s death recurred
- ’

to him ; these symptoms to a less alarming extent , were the same

,

which had preceded the death of Barr ois At the same time Monte .

Cristo s voice seemed to resound in his ear , who had said , only two
’

hours befo r e Whatever you want , Morrel , come to me ; I can do

much ”
.

Q u i cker than thought ,

he da r ted down the R ue Matignon ,
and
thence to the Avenue des Champs Elys e es .

Meanwhile Villefort arrived in a hired cab at d A vr ig ny s door

’ ’
.

He rang so violently that the porter came alarmed Villefort ran .

upstairs wi thout sayi ng a word The porter knew him , and let him
.

pass only call ing to him

,

In his cabinet , M le P rocure ur da R oi — in his cab inet ! Vill efort

”

pushed , or rather forced , the door open .

2 60
 THE C O UNT OF I II O N T E —CR I S T O
.

Ah ! ”
said the doctor , is it you .

”
Yes , said Vill efo r t , closing the door afte r him it is I
,
come in my turn to ask you if we are quite alone Docto r
.

acc ur sed .
,

“ “
What ! said the latte r, wi th apparent coolness , but with deep
”

emotion have you another invalid ? ”

,

Y e s, doctor ,” cried Villefo r t seizing with a convulsive grasp a

“
,

handful of hair , y e s ! ”
D A vrig ny’s look i mplied
’
I told you it would be so ”
Then he
.

slowly uttered these words : Who is now dying in your house ? What
new victim is going to accuse you of weakness before God ? ”
 T HE C O UN T OF M ON T E -CR I S T O .

A mournful sob burst from V ille fo rt s hea r t ; he approached the ’

“
docto r , and seiz ing his arm
Valentine ! said he it is Valentine s turn !
” ’

“
,

Your daughter ! c ri ed d A vrig ny, with grief and surprise

” ’
.

You se e you were deceived , muri nm e d the magistrate

”
come and '

see her and on her bed of agony entreat her pardo n for having sus

“
,

pe c t e d her
”
.

Each time you have applied to me , said the doctor, it has been
”

too late ; still I will go But let us make haste , sir ; with the enemies
.

you have to do with there is no t ime to be lost ”

.

Oh ! this time , doctor , you shall not h ave to reproach me with

“
weakness This time I wil l know the assassin and will pursue him
.

Let us try first to save the victim before we think of revenging

”
,
.

her, said d A vrig ny

” ’
Come ”
. .

The same cab which h a d brought Villefort took them back at f ull
speed , at the very moment when Morrel rapped at Monte -Cristo s door ’
.

The count wa s in his cabinet , and was reading, with an angry look ,
something which B e rtuc c io had brought in haste Hearing Morrel .

a nnounced , wh o had left him only two hours before , the count raised
his head He , as well as the count , had evidently been much tried during
.

those two hours , for the young man had left him smiling and returned

“ “
,

with a disturbed air The count rose , and sprang to meet him
. .

What is the matter, Maximili an ? asked he ; you are pale , and

”

the perspiration roll s from your forehead ”

M orrel fell , rather than sat

“
.

down on a chair .

Y e s, said he , I came quickly ; I wanted to speak to you

” ”
.

Is all your family well ? asked the count with an affectionate

”

“
,

benevolence , whose since ri ty no one coul d for a moment doubt .

Thank you , count thank you , said the young man , evidently
”

embarr assed how to begin the conversation ; yes , every one in my

family is well ”
.

S o much the better ; yet you have something to tell me ? replied ”

the count , with increased anxiety

“ .

Yes , said Morrel it is true ; I have j ust left a house where death
”

“
,

has j ust entered , to run to you ”

“
.

Are you then come from M de M orc e rf asked Monte -Cristo

. .

N said Morrel is some one dead in his house ? ”

The general has j ust blown his brains out , replied Monte -Cristo ,
”

“
with great coolness .

Oh ! what a dreadful event ! cried Maximilian .

“
N ot for the countess , nor for A l bert said Monte -Cristo ; a dead
”
,

father or husband is better than a di shonored one : blood washes out

shame .
”
 T HE C O UN T OF M O N TE —C R I S T O .

Do you th ink I love you ? said M onte -Cri sto taking the young
”

“
,

man s hand a ff ectionately in his

’

“
Oh ! you encourage me ! and something tells m
.

e there placing his ”

“
,

hand on his heart , that I ought to have no secret fro m you ”

.

Yo u are ri ght , M orrel ; God is speaking to your heart , and your

“
heart speaks to you Tell me what it says
.
”
.

Count , will you allow me to send Baptis t in to inquire after some

“
one you kno w ? ”

I am at your service , and stil l more my se r vants ”

“
.

Oh ! I cannot live , if she is not better ”

.

S hall I ring for Baptistin

N o , I will go and speak to him myself ”
Morrel went out , called

“
.

Baptistin , and whispered a few words to him The valet ran directly . .

Well , have you sent ? asked M onte -Cristo seeing Morrel re tm n

”
,
'
.

Yes , and now I shall be more calm ”

.

You know I am waiting , said M onte -Cr isto , smiling

”
.

Yes , and I will tell you One evening I was in a garden ; a clump
.

of trees concealed me ; no one suspected I was there Two persons .

passed near me allow me to conceal their names for the present ; they
were speaking in a n undertone , and yet I wa s so interested in what
they said that I did not lose a single word ”
.

This is a gloomy introduction , if I may j u dge f r om your paleness

“
and your shuddering, Morrel ”
.

Oh ! yes , very gloomy , my fri end ! S ome one had j ust di ed in the
house to which that garden belonged One of those persons whose con
.

versation I overheard was the master of the house , the other , the phy
sic i a n
. The fo r mer was c onfiding to the latter his grief and fear ; for it
was the second time within a month that death had entered suddenly
and unexpectedly that house , apparently destined to de struction by

“
some exterminat ing angel as an obj ect of God s anger
,
”

Ah ! ah ! said Monte -Cristo , looking e a rnestly at the young man ,

”
’
.

and , by an imperceptible movement , turning hi s chair , so that he

“
remained in the shade while the light fell full on Maximilian s face ’

Yes , continued M orrel death had entered that house twice within
”
.

“
,

one month .
”

And what did the doctor answer ? asked Monte Cristo

” - .

He replied he replied that death was not a natural one , and must
,

be attributed
To what ?
To poison ! ”

Indeed said M onte -Cristo , wi th a slight cough whic h in moments , ,

of extreme emotion , helped him to disguise a blush , or his paleness , or

 M ON TE —C R I S T O
‘
THE C O UN T OF

“
.
2 65

the intense interest with whi ch he listened ; indeed Maximilian did

“
,
you hear t hat ?
Yes , my dear count I heard it ; and the doctor added , that if
,

another death occur r ed in a simila r way he must appeal to justice ,

”
.

-C
Monte risto listened or appeared to d o so with the g r eatest calm
, ,

ness .

Well said Maximil ian death came a thi r d time , and neither the
,

master of the house nor the d octor said a wo r d Death is now perhaps .
, ,
s trrkrng a fourth blow Count , what am I bound to do , being in posses

“
.

sion of this secret ? ”

-
My dear friend , said Monte Cristo , you appea r to be relating an
”

adventure which we all know by heart I know the house where you .

heard it or one very similar to it ; a house with a garden a master a

,
, ,

physician , and whe r e there have been three unexpected and sudden
deaths Well ! I h ave not intercepted your confidence , and yet I know
.

all that as well as you , and I have no conscientious scruples N o it .

,

does not conce r n me You say an exterminating angel appears to have

.

devoted t hat house to God s anger — well ! wh o says your supposition

’

is not reality ? Do not notice things which those whose interest is to

se e them pass over If it is God s j ustice , instead of his ange r , which
, .
’

is walking through that house , Maximilian , turn away your face , and let
his j ustice accomplish its pu r pose ”
.

Mo r rel shuddered T here was something mournful solemn and

.
, ,

terrible in the count s m a nner

’

“
.

Besides , continued he , in so changed a tone that no one would have

”

supposed it was the same person speaking besides who says that it

“
,

wi ll begin again ? ”

It has returned , count ! exclaimed Mo rr el ; that is why I hastened

”

“
to you ”
.

Well ! wh at do you wish me to do ? Do you wish me for instance , ,

to give information to the p rocure ur da r oi Monte -Cr isto uttered the

“
last words with so much meaning that Mor r el starting up , cried out :
You know of whom I speak , count , do you not ? ”
, ,

Perfectly well , my good friend ; and I will prove it to you by put

ting the dots to the or, rather , by naming the persons You were .

walking one evening in M de V ill e fort s garden : from what you relate I
.
’
,

suppose it to have been the evening of Ma d ame de S aint M eran s death

- ’
.

You heard M de Villefort talking to M d A vrig ny ab out the death

. .
’

of M de S aint -M e ran , and that , no less surprising, of the marc hion

.

ess M d A vrig ny said he believed they both proceeded fro m p e rson ;

.
’
.

and you, honest man , have ever since been asking your hea r t , and
sounding your conscience , to know if you ought to expose or con ceal
 THE C O UN T OF M ON T E - C R I S T O
.

thi s secret We are no longer in the Mid dl e Ages ; there is no longer a

.

Vehmge ri cht , or Free Tribun als ; what do you want to ask these people ?
Conscience , what has tho u to do with me ? as S terne said
’
My dear.

fell ow, let t hem sleep on if they are asleep ; let them grow pale in their
,

drowsiness , if they are disposed to do so ; and pray do you remain in

peace , who have no remorse to distur b you ”
.

Deep g ri ef was depicted on Morrel s features ; he seiz ed Monte

’

Cri sto s hand

’
But it is beginning again I say ! ”

“
.
,

Well ! said the count astonished at his persistence , which he co ul d

”
,

not understand , and looking still more earnestly at Maximil ian , let it
begin again : it is a family of A t ride s ; God has condemned them , and
they must submit to their punishment They will all disappear , lik e the
.

fabrics children build with cards , and which fall , one by one , under the
breath of their builder, even if t here are two hundred of th em Three .

months since , it was M de S ai nt -M e ran ; M adame de S aint -M e ran two

.

months since ; the other day it wa s Ba r rois ; to -day, the old N oirt ie r or ,

young Valentine ”
.

You knew it ? cried Morrel , in such a paroxysm of terror that

”

Monte -Cristo started ; he whom the falling h eaven s would have found
unmo v ed ; you knew it, and said nothi ng ? ”

“
And what is it to me ? replied Monte -Cristo , shruggi ng his shoul
”

ders ; do you know those people and must I lose the one to save the
other ? Faith , no ; for bet ween the culprit and t he v ictim I have no

“
choice ”
.

But I , cried Morrel groaning with sorrow ,

”
,
I love her ! ”

You love — whom cried M onte -Cristo , starting on his feet , and

“
seizing the two hands which M orrel was raising toward heaven
I love most fondly — I love madly — I love a s a man who would
.

give his life -blood to spare her a tear — I lo v e Valentine de Vil lefort ,

who is being murde r ed at this moment ! D o you unde r stand me ? I

love her ; and I ask God and you how I can save her ? ”

Monte -Cristo uttered a cry which those only can conceive wh o have
heard the r oar of a wounded lion
“
U nhappy man
ing his hands in his turn ; you love Valentine
. cried he , wri ng
that daughter of an
accursed race
N ever had M orrel witnessed such a n exp ression — never had so
terri ble an eye flashed before his face — never had the genius of terror
he had so often see n either 0 11 the battle -fie ld or in the murderous
,

nights of Alge ri a , shaken around him more dreadful fire He drew back .

terrified .

A s for Monte -Cristo , after his ebullition , he closed his eyes , as if

dazzled by internal light In a moment he restrained himself so power
.
 TH E C O UN T OF i ll ON T E —C R I S T O
.

He pressed the count s hand , and left He st e ppe d one moment at the
’
.

door, fo r Baptistin , whom he saw in the R ue Matignon , and who wa s

running .

Meanwhile Villefort and d A vrig ny had made all possible haste ,

,
’

Valentine had not r evived f rom he r fainting-fit on their arrival , and

the doctor examined the invalid with all the care the cir cumstances
demanded , and with an interest which the knowledge of the secret
doubled .V illefort , closely watching his countenance and his lips ,
waited the resul t of the examination Noirt ie r, paler than even the .

yo un g girl , more eager than Ville fort for the decision wa s watching ,

also intently and a ff ection ately

““
.

At last d A vr ig ny slowly uttered these words

’
S he is still alive !
S till ? cried Villefort ; oh ! docto r , what a dreadf ul word is that
”
.

Yes , said the physician , 1 repeat it ; she is still alive , and I am

”

“
astonished at it ”

”
.

But is she safe ? asked the father .

Yes , since she lives ”

.

At that moment d A vr ign y s glance met Noirt ie r s eye I t glistened

’ ’ ’
.

with such extraordinary j oy, so rich and full of thought , that the
physician was st r uck He placed the young girl again 0 1 1 the chair ;
.

her lips were scarcely discernible , they were so pale and white , as well
as her wh ole face ; and remained motionless , looking at N oi rt ie r, who

appeared to anticipate and commend all he did

Sir, said d A vrig ny to Vill efort ,
” ’
call Mademoiselle Valentine s “ .

maid if you please

,
”
.

Villefort went himself to find her and d A v rigny approached

’

“
,

Noirt ie r .

Have y o u
something to tell me asked he The old man winked .

his eyes expressively , which we may remember was his only way of
expressing his approval .

Privately
Yes ”
.

Well , I will remain with you ”

At this moment Villefort returned

“
.
,
’ -
followed by the lady s maid ; and after her came Madame de Vill efort .

What is the matter , then , with this dear child ? the latter exclaimed ;
”

she has j ust left me and she complained of feeling unwell

, ; b fit I did
not think seriously of it ”
.

The young woman , with tears in her eyes and every mark of affe c
tion of a true mother , approached Valentine and took her hand .

D A vrig ny continued to look at N oirt ie r, he saw the eyes of the old man
’

di late and become round his cheeks tur n pale and tremble ; the per
,

spiration stood in drops upon his forehead .

 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE - CR I S T O .
2 69

Ah ! said he , involuntaril y followi ng Noirtie r’s eyes which were

”

“
,

fixed on Madame de Villefort , who repeated

This poor child would be better in bed Come , Fanny , we will put
.

her in ”
.

D A vrig ny, who saw that wo ul d be a means of his remaining alone

’

with N oirt ie r, expressed his opinion that it was the best thing that could
be don e ; but he forbade anything being given to her besides what he
ordered .

They carrie d Valentine away ; sh e had revived , but could scarcely

move or speak , so shaken was her frame by the att ack S he had how .
,

ever, j ust power to give her grandfather one parting look ; who, in
losing her , seemed to be resigning his very soul D A vrig ny followed the
.
’

invalid , wrote a prescription , ordered Villefort to take a cab go in per ,

son to a chemist s to get the prescribed medicine , bring it himself, and

’

wait for him in his daughter s room Then , having renewed his injune
’
.

tion not to give Valentine anything, he went down again to Noirt ie r,

shut the doors carefully, and after convincing himself no one was
listening
Do you , said he , know anything of this young lady s illness ?
” ’ ”

Yes , said the old man

”
.

We have no time to lose ; I will question , and do you answer me ”

.

Noirtie r made a sign that he was ready to answer Did you anticipate

“
.

the accident which has happened to your granddaughter ? ”

Ye s ”
.
’

“
D A vri g ny reflected a moment ; then approaching Noirt ie r
Pardon what I am going to say, added he , but no indication should
”

be neglected in this terrible situation Did you see poor Barrois die ?
.
”

‘
N oirtie r raised his eyes to heaven .

Do you know of what he died ? asked d A vrigny, placing his hand

” ’

“
on Noirtier s sho ul der
”
’
.

Yes , replied the old man .

D o you think he died a natural death ? ”

A sort of smile was discernible on the motionless p of l r s N orr t re r .

Then you have thought Barrois was poisoned ? ”

Yes ”
.

D o you t hink the poison he fell a victim to was intended for hi m

No ”
.

ru B arrors
D o you think the same hand which unintentionally st ck

“
has now attacked Valentine ?
Yes ”
.
”

fi h n t t m
Then will sh e die , too ? ”
asked d’
A vr ig ny ,
x rng rs p e e ra g
ga ze on Noirtie r He watched the e ff ect of this question on the old
.

man .
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —C R I ST O .

No replied he , with an air of t riumph , which would have puz zled

the most clever diviner .

Then you h e pe said d A vri g ny with surprise:

’
,

Yes ”
.

What do you hope ? ”

The old man made him understand with his

“
eyes that he coul d not answer
Ah
.

yes , it is true murmured d A vrig ny Then t u ning to N oi r

’
.
,

Do you hope the assassin will be tried ? ”

No .
”

Then you h e pe the poison wi ll take no e ff ect on Valentine ? ”

Yes ”
.

It is no news to you, added d A vrig ny, to tell you an attempt has

” ’

been made to poison her ?

f ained no doubt upon the subj ect
”

.
“
The old man made a sign that he enter
Then how do you hope Valentine
will escape
Noirt ie r kept his eye steadily fix ed on the same spot D A vr igny
’
.

followed the direction , and saw they were fixed on a bottle containing
the mixt ure which he took every morning
“
struck with a sudden thought , has it occurred to you
. AI 1 ! ah ! said d A vrig ny,
” ’

N oirt ie r
di d not let him fini sh .

Yes , said he
”
.

To prepare her system to resist poison ? ”

Yes ”
.

By accustoming her by degrees

Y e s, ye s, yes , said Noirt ie r, delighted to be understood
”
.

Trul y ! I had told you there was brucine in the mixture I give you ”
.

Yes ”
.

And by accustoming her to that poison , you have endeavored to

“
neutraliz e the eff ect of a similar poison ?
And you have succeeded
”
Noirtie r s j oy continued
exclaimed d A vrig ny
’
’

. Without that
.

precaution V alentine woul d have died before assistance could have

been procur ed T he dose has been excessive , but she has only been
.

shaken by it ; and this time , at any rate , Valentine will not die ”
.

A superhuman j oy expanded the old man s eyes , which were raised

’

toward heaven with an expression of infinite gratitude At this moment

“
.

Villefort returned .

Here , doctor , said he , is what you sent me for

” ”
.

Was this prepared in your presence ? ”

Yes replied the p rocureur da r oi

”
,
.

Have you not let it go out of your ha nds ? ”

No .
”
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE - C R I S T O .

it About two hours afterward its foundation was 1 e po1t e d to be unsafe ;

.
'

but the report did not prevent the new occupant establishing himself
there with his modest furniture the same day at fiVe o clock The lease
’
.

wa s drawn up for three , six , or nine years by the new tenant, who , accord
ing to the rul e of the proprietor paid six months in advance
, .

This new tenant , who , as we have said , wa s an Italian, was called

I l S ignor Giacomo Busoni . Workmen were im mediately called in , and
the same night the passengers at the end of the faubourg saw with sur
p ri se carpente r s and masons occupied in repairing the lower part of the
tottering house .
 CH A P T E R X CV

F AT HER AND D AU G HT ER

have seen in a prece di ng chapter Madame D anglars coming

formally to announce to Madame de Vill efort the approach
ing marriage of Eug e nie Danglars and Andrea Cavalc anti .

This formal announcement , which implied , or appeared to

imply, a resolution taken by all the parties concerned in this great affair,
had been preceded by a scene to which our readers must be a dmitted .

We beg them to take one step backward , and to transport themselves,

the morning of that day of great catastrophes , into the beautifully
gilded salon we have before shown them , and which was the pride of
its owner, the Baron D anglars .

I n this room , at about ten o clock in the morning , the banker himself
’

had been walking some minutes , thoughtful , and evidently uneasy,

watching each door , and listening to every sound When his patience

“
.

was exhausted he called his valet

, .

S tephen , said he , se e why Mademoiselle Euge nie has asked me

”

-
to meet her in the drawing room , and why she makes me wait so long .
”

Having given this vent to his ill -humor , the baron became more calm ;
Mademoiselle D anglars had that morning requested an interview with
her father and had fix ed on that dr awing-room as the spot The singu
,
.

l arit y of this step , and , above all , it s formal character, had not a little
surprised the banker , who had immediately obeyed his daughter by
repairi ng first to the drawing-room S tephen soon returned from his
.

errand .

M ademoiselle s lady s maid says , sir, that mademoiselle is finishing

’ ’

her toilet , and will be here shortly .

”

D anglars nodded , to signif y he wa s satisfied To the world and to

.

his servants Danglars assumed the good-nat ured man and the weak
father This was one of his characters in the popular comedy he was
.

2 73
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —C R I S T O .

performing ; it was a physiognomy he had adopted , and which appeared

“
as suitable to him as it wa s to the right side of the profile masks of the
fathers of the ancient theaters to have a turned-up and laughing li p,
while , on the left side it was drawn down and sul ky Let us hasten to
, .

sa y that , in private , the turned -u and laughing lip descended t the

p o

level of the drawn -down and ill -tempered one ; so that , generally , the
indulgent man disappeared to give place to the brutal husband and
dominee r ing father .

Why the devil does that foolish g irl who pretends to wish to speak
,

to me not come into my cabinet ? and wh y, above all , can she want to
,

speak to me at all ?
He was revolving this wo rr ying th ought in his brain for the twen
t ie t h time , when the door opened , and Eug e nie appeared attired in a ,

figured black satin dr ess , her hair arranged , and gloves on as if go ing

‘
,

to the Italian Opera .

Well Eug e nie what is it you want with me ? and why in this

“
, ,

-
solemn dr awing room when the cabinet is so comfortab le ? ”

You are right , sir , replied Eug e nie , making a sig n to her father
”

that he could sit down ; and have proposed two questions which
include all the conversation we are going to have I will answer them
.

both , and , contrary to the usual meth od , the last first , as being the
least complex I have chosen the d rawing-room sir, as our place of
.
,

rendezvous , in order to avoid the disa g reeable impressions and infl u

e nc e s of a banker s o ffi ce
’
Those cash -books , gilded as they may be ,
.

those drawers , locked like gates of fortresses , those heaps of bank -bills ,

come from I know not where , and the quantities of letters from Eng
land , Holland , S pain , India Chi na and Peru , have generally a strange
, ,

influence on a fathe r s mind , and make him forget there is in the world
’

an interest greater an d more sacred than the good opinion of his corre
spond e nt s I have , therefore , chosen this dr awing -room , where you see ,
.

smiling and happy in their magnificent frames , your po r trait , mine , my

mother s and all sorts of rural landscapes and touching pastorals I
’
,
.

rely much on external impressions ; perhaps , with regard to you , they

“
are immaterial ; but I should be no artist if I had not some fancies ”

Very well , replied D anglars , who had listened to all this preamble
”
.

with imperturbable coolness , but without understanding a word ,

engaged as he wa s, like every man burdened wit h hidden thoughts , in

“
seeking the thread of his own ideas in those of the speake r
There i s , then , the second point cleared up , or nearly so, said
”
.

Eug e nie , without the least confusion and with that masculine pointed
ness which distinguished her gesture and her language ;
,

and you “
appear satisfied with the explanation N ow , let us return to the first !
.
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE -C R I S T O .

ever thi s time , this tranquillity, this passiveness as philosoph ers say,
, ,

proceeded from another source ; it proceeded fro m a wish , like a submis

sive and devoted daughter (a light s mil e wa s ob se rvable on the purple

“
lips of the young girl ) ,

We ll ? asked D anglars
”
to try and practice obedience
.

“
”
.

Well , sir, replied Eug e nie , I have tried to the very last ; and now
”

“
the moment ha s come , in spite of all my e fl ort s, I feel it is impossible
But , said Danglars , whose weak mi nd was at first quite over
”
”
.

“
whelmed with the weight of this pit iless lo gi c , marking evi dent pre
meditation and force of wil l , what is your reason for this refusal

“
,

Eug e nie ? what reason do you assign ? ”

My reason ? replied the young girl

”
Well ! it is not that the
.

man is more ugly , more foolish , or more disagreeable than any other ;
no , M An drea Cav al canti may appear to those who look at men s faces
.
’

and figures a very good model I t is not , either , that my heart is less
.

-
touched by him than any other ; that woul d be a school girl s reaso n,
’

whi ch I consider quite beneath me I actually love no one , sir ; you

.

know it , do you not ? I do not , then , se e why, wi thout real necessity,

‘
I should encumber my l ife with a perpetual companion
‘ Has not some
sage said, N othi ng to excess ; and another, Carry everything with
’
.

you ! I have been taught these two aph orisms in Latin and in Greek ;
’

one is , I beli eve , from Ph aedrus , and the other from Bias Well , my .

dear father , in the s hipwr eck of life — for life is an eternal shipwreck
of our hopes —I cast into the sea my useless baggage , that is all ; and I
remain with my own will , disposed to live perfectly alone , and , co use

“
quently, perfectly free ”
.

U nhappy girl ! unhappy girl ! murmured D anglars , tur ning pale ,

”

for he knew, from long experience , the solidi ty of the obstacle he so

suddenl y encountered .

U nhappy girl ! replied Eug e nie , unhappy girl ! do you say sir ?
”
,

N o , indeed , the exclamation appears quite theatrical and a ff ected .

Happy, on the contrary ; for what am I in want of The world calls

me be autif ul I t is something to be well received ; I like a favorable
.

reception ; it expands the countenance , and those around me do not

then appear so ugly I possess a share of wit , and a certain relative
.

sensibi lity, which enables me to draw from general life , for the support
of mine , all I meet with that is good , like the monkey who cracks the
\
nut to get at its contents I am rich , for you have one of the first for
.

t unes in France : I am your onl y daughter , and you are not so tenacious
as the fathers of La Porte S aint-Martin and La Gatt e , who disinherit
their daughters because they wi ll give them no grandchildren Besides , .

the law in its foresight has deprived you of the power to di sinherit me ,
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE —CR I S T O
.
2 77

at least , entirely, as it has also of the power to compel me to marry a

particular person .
Thus , beautiful witty, so mewhat talented , as the
,

comic Operas say, and rich Why, that is happiness , sir ! Why do you
.

call me unhappy ? ”

Danglars , seeing his d aughter smiling, and proud even to insolence ,

could not entirely repress his brutal feelings ; but they betrayed them
selves only by an exclamation U nder the inquiri ng gaze of his d augh
.

ter, before that beautiful black eyebrow , contracted by interrogation he ,

prudently t urned away, and calmed himself immediately, daunted by

“
the iron hand of circumspection
”
.

Truly, my daughter replied he , with a smile , you are all you

,
“
boast of being, excepting one thing ; I will not too hastily tell you
which but would rather leave you to guess it
,
”
.

Eug e nie looked at D anglars , much sur prised that one flower of her

be disputed .
“
crown of pride , with which sh e had so superbly decked herself should
My daughter , continued the banker, you have per
”
,

fe c tly explained to me the sentiments which influence a girl like you

who is determined sh e will not marry ; now it remains for me to tell
,

you the motives of a father like me , who has decided his daughter shall
marry .
”

Eug e nie bowed , not as a submissive daughter , but as an adversary

“
prepared for a discussion .

My daughter , continued Danglars , when a father asks his daugh

”

ter to choose a husband he has always some reason for wishing her to
,

marry S ome are aff ected with the mania to which you alluded j ust
.

now, that of living again in their grandchildren This is not my weak.

ness , I tell you at once ; family j oys have no charm for me I may .

acknowledge this to a daughter whom I know to be philosophical

enough to understand my indi fference , and not to impute it to me as a

“
crime ”
.

A la bonne hem e, said Eug e nie ;

” “
let us speak candi dl y sir, I admire

“
,

Oh ! ”
said D anglars ; I can when circumstances render it desir
,

able , adopt your love of frankness , although it may not be my general

practice I will therefore proceed I have proposed to you to ma r ry,
. .

not for your sake , for, indeed , I did not think of you 1 11 the least at the
moment (you admire candor , and will now be satisfied , I hop ); but
e
b e cause I had need of your taking this husband , as soon as possrble , on
account of certain commercial speculations I am des irous of e nt e rmg
.

“
into.
”
Eug e nie became uneasy .

I t is just so, I assur e you , and you must not be angry wrth me ; for
you have sought this disclosur e I do not willingly en ter into all these
.
 THE C O UN T OF M ON T E —CR I S T O .

a rithmetical expl anations with an a r tist like you wh o fear to enter my

,

o ffice lest you sho uld im b ibe di sagreeable or anti-poetic impressions and
sensations But in that same banker s o ffice , where you very wi ll ingly
.
’

presented your s e lf yesterday to ask for the thousand francs I give you
monthly for pocket -money, you must know, my dear young lady, many
things may be learned , useful even to a girl who will not marry There .

one may lea r n for instance , what , out of regard to your nervous susc e p
,

t i bili t y, I wil l inform you of in the drawi ng -roo m, namely, that the credit
of a banker is his physical and moral life ; that credit sustains him as
b r eath a nimates the body ; and M de Monte -Cristo once gave me a lect
.

ure on that subj ect , which I have never forgotten There we may learn .

that as credit sinks , the body becomes a corpse ; and this is what must
happen very soon to the banker who is proud to own so good a logician
as you for his daughte r ”
.

But , Eug e nie , instead of stooping , drew herself up under the blow .

R uined ! said she

”
.

Exactly, my daughter ; that is precisely what I mean , said Dan”

g la r s, almost diggi ng his na ils into his breast , whil e he preserved on his
harsh featu r es the smile of the heartless though clever man ; ruined ! “
y ,e
“s that is it
.
”

Ah ! said E ug e nie
”
.

Yes ruined ! now it is revealed , this secret so full of horror , as the

,

tragic poet says N ow, my daughter, learn from my lips how you may

“ “
.

all eviate this misfortune so far as it will a ff ect you

,
”
.

Oh ! cried Eug e nie , you are a bad physiognomist , if you imagine

”

I deplore , on my own account , the catastrophe you announce to me I .

ruined and what will that signif y to me Have I not my talent left ?
Ca n I not like Pasta , Malibran , Grisi , acquire for myself what you would
,

never have given me , whatever might have been your fortune a hundred ,

or a hundred and fifty thousand livres per annum , for which I shall be
indebted to no one but myself ; and which instead of being given , as you
,

gave me those poor twelve thousand francs with pouting looks and ,

rep r oaches for my prodigality , will be accompanied with acclamations ,

with b ra ve s, and with flowers ! And if I do not possess that talent ,
which yom smiles prove to me you doubt , should I not still have that
'

fu ri ous love of independence , which will be a substitute for all treasure ,

and which , in my mind , supersedes even the instinct of self-preserva
tion ? N o , I grieve not on my own account , I sh all always find a
resource ; my books , my pencils my piano , all those things which cost
,

but little , and which I shall be able to procure , wi ll remain my own .

Do you think that I sorrow for Madame D anglars ? U ndeceive your

self again ; either I am greatly mistaken , or she has provided again st
 THE C O UN T OF M ON TE -CR I S T O .
2 81

the catastrophe which threatens you , and whi ch will pass over without
aff ecting her ; sh e has taken care for herself , at least I hope so , for her
attention has not been diverted from her proj ects by watching over me ;
sh e has left me my entire independence by professedly indulging my

love for li berty Oh ! no , sir ; from my chil dhood I have seen too
.

much , and understood too much , of what has passed around me , for
misfortune to have an undue power over me ; from my earliest re col
lections , I have been beloved by no one so much the worse ; that has
naturally led me to love no one —so much the better ; now you have my
“
profession of faith
”
”
.

Then , said Danglars , pale with anger , which did not emanate from
offended paternal love , then , mademoiselle , you persist in your deter

“
mination to accelerate my ruin ? ”

Your ruin ? I accelerate your r uin ! what do you mean ? I do not

understand you .
”

S o much the better, I have a ray of hope left : listen ”

.

I am all attention , said Eug e nie , looking so earnestly at her fathe r ,

”

“
that it wa s an e fl ort to the latter to bear her powerful gaze
M Cavalcanti , continued Danglars , is about to marry you , and
.
”
.

will place in m y hands his fortune , amounting to three milli on livres ”

.

That is admirable said Eug e nie , with sove r eign contempt , smooth

““
ing her gloves out one upon the other .

Y o u think I shall depri ve you of those three millions , said Dang

”

lars ; but do not fear it They are destined to produce at least ten I
. .

a nd a brother banker have obtained a grant of a railway , the only spec

ulat i on whic h in the present day ofl e rs any prospect of im mediate suc

cess , like the chimerical Mississippi , which Law for merly s upplied for
the good Parisians , those eternal g ul ls in speculation In my reckoning,
.

a man now ought to have a mill ionth of a railway , as we used to have an

acre of unimproved land upon the banks of the Ohio It is a hypothe
.

cation , which i s an advance , a s you se e , since we gain at least ten , fifteen ,

twenty , or a hundred pounds of ir on in exchange for our money Well , .

within a week I am to deposit four millions for my share ; these fe w

“
mill ions , I promise you , will produce ten or twelve

“
”
.

But during my visit to you the day before yesterday, sir, which you
appear to recoll ect so well , replied Eug e nie , I saw you enter in your
”

accounts —is not that th e term —five millions and a half ; you even
pointed them out to me in two drafts on the treasury, and you were
astonished that so valuable a paper did not dazzle my eyes li ke light

“
nin g
Y e s, but those five mill ions a nd a half a r e not mine , and are only a
proof of the great confidence placed in me ; my title of pop ul ar banker
 THE C O UN T OF M O N TE —C R I S T O .

has gained me the confidence of the hOSpit als, and the five mil lions and
a h a lf belong to the hospitals , at any other time I should not have hesi
t at e d to make use of them , b ut th e great losses I have recently sustained
are well known , and , as I told you , my c redit is rathe r shaken That .

deposit may be at any moment with dr a wn, and if I had employed it for
another pm pose , I shoul d b ri ng on me a di sgraceful bankruptcy I
'

do not despise bank ruptcies , believe me but they must be those w hi ch

,

enrich and not those which ruin N ow , if you marry M Ca v alcanti , and
, . .

I touch the three m ill ions , or even if it is thought I am going to touch

them my credit will be restored , and my fortune , which for the last
,

month or two has been swallowed up in gulfs which h a ve been opened

in my path by an inconceivable fatality will revive D o you un d er
,
.

stand me ?
Perfectly you pledge me for three mil lions , do you not ? ”

The greater the amount , the more flattering it is to you ; it gives

“
you an idea of your value ”
.

Thank you One word more , sir do you promise me to make what
.

use you can of the report of the fo r tune of M Cavalcanti wi ll bring

m
.
,

without touching the su ? This is no act of selfishness , but of honesty .

w
I arr illing to help rebuild your fortune : but I will not be an aecom

“ “
.

plic e m the ruin of others

”
.

But since I tell you , c ried Danglars , that with these th ree mill
”

ions
Do you expect to re cover your position sir , without touching those

“
,

three mil lions ? ”

I hope so , if the marriage should take place and con fi rm my credit ”

.

S hall you be able to pay M Cavalcanti the five hundred thousand

“
.

francs you promise for my dowry ? ”

He shall receive the m on returning from the town hall - ”

.

Well ! ”

What next ? what more do you want ? ”

I wish to know if, in demanding my signature , you leave me ent irely

free in my person ? ”

Absolutely !
Then , well a s I said before sir, I am ready to marry M Cavalcanti
, , .
”
.

But what are your proj ects ? ”

Ah , that is my secret What advantage should I have over you , if,

“
.

n i
k ow ng your secret , I were to tell you mine ? ”

Danglars bit his lips Then , said he , you are ready to pay the
.
”

formal visits , which are absolutely indispensable ? ”

Yes , replied Eug e nie

”
.

And to sig n the contract in three days ? ”

Yes ”
.