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🟡 Count of Monte Cristo (Alternative Reading) (Full Audiobook) | Alexandre Dumas - Part 2 of 6 · Historical Adventure Audiobooks

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Speaker 1: When they had disappeared, he said with a smile,' Tis
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Speaker 1: strange that it should be among such men that we
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Speaker 1: find proofs of friendship and devotion.' Then he dragged himself
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Speaker 1: cautiously to the top of a rock, from which he
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Speaker 1: had a full view of the sea, and thence he
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Speaker 1: saw the tartan complete her preparations for sailing, weigh anchor, and,
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Speaker 1: balancing herself as gracefully as a waterfowl ere it takes
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Speaker 1: to the wing, set sail. At the end of an
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Speaker 1: hour she was completely out of sight. At least it
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Speaker 1: was impossible for the wounded man to see her any
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Speaker 1: longer from the spot where he was. Then Dantes rose,
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Speaker 1: more agile and light than the kid among the myrtles
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Speaker 1: and shrubs of these wild rocks, took his gun in
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Speaker 1: one hand, his pickaxe in the other, and hastened toward
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Speaker 1: the rock in which the marks he had noticed terminated.
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Speaker 1: And now, he was claimed, remembering the tale of the
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Speaker 1: Arabian fisherman, which Faria had related to him, now opened sesame.
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Speaker 1: End of Chapter 23 Recording by Vaughn Ullman VaughnsBooks.com Chapter
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Speaker 1: 24 of The Count of Monte Cristo CHAPTER XXIV. THE
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Speaker 1: SECRET CAVE The sun had nearly reached the meridian, and
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Speaker 1: his scorching rays fell full on the rocks, which seemed
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Speaker 1: themselves sensible of the heat. Thousands of grasshoppers, hidden in
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Speaker 1: the bushes, chirped with a monotonous and dull note. The
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Speaker 1: leaves of the myrtle and olive trees waved and rustled
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Speaker 1: in the wind. At every step that Edmund took he
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Speaker 1: disturbed the lizards glittering with the hues of the emerald.
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Speaker 1: Afar off he saw the wild goats bounding from crag
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Speaker 1: to crag. In a word, the island was inhabited. Yet
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Speaker 1: Edmund felt himself alone, guided by the hand of God.
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Speaker 1: He felt an indescribable sensation somewhat akin to dread, that
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Speaker 1: dread of the daylight which even in the desert makes
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Speaker 1: us fear we are watched and observed. This feeling was
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Speaker 1: so strong that at the moment when Edmund was about
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Speaker 1: to begin his labor, he stopped, laid down his pickaxe,
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Speaker 1: seized his gun, mounted to the summit of the highest rock,
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Speaker 1: and from thence gazed round in every direction. But it
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Speaker 1: was not upon Corsica, the very houses of which he
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Speaker 1: could distinguish, or on Sardinia, or on the island of Elba,
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Speaker 1: with its historical associations, or upon the almost imperceptible line
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Speaker 1: that to the experienced eye of a sailor alone revealed
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Speaker 1: the coast of Genoa, the Proud, and Leghorn, the commercial,
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Speaker 1: that he gazed. It was at the brigantine that had
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Speaker 1: left in the morning, and the tartan that had just
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Speaker 1: set sail, that Edmund fixed his eyes. The first was
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Speaker 1: just disappearing in the straits of Bonifacio, the other, following
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Speaker 1: an opposite direction, was about to round the island of Corsica.
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Speaker 1: This sight reassured him. He then looked at the objects
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Speaker 1: near him. He saw that he was on the highest
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Speaker 1: point of the island, a statue on this vast pedestal
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Speaker 1: of granite. nothing human appearing in sight, while the blue
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Speaker 1: ocean beat against the base of the island, and covered
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Speaker 1: it with a fringe of foam. Then he descended with
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Speaker 1: cautious and slow step, for he dreaded an accident similar
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Speaker 1: to that which he had so adroitly feigned should happen
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Speaker 1: in reality. Dantes, as we have said, had traced the
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Speaker 1: marks along the rocks, and he had noticed that they
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Speaker 1: led to a small creek, which was hidden like the
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Speaker 1: bath of some ancient nymph. This creek was sufficiently wide
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Speaker 1: at its mouth and deep in its centre, to admit
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Speaker 1: of the entrance of a small vessel of the lugger class,
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Speaker 1: which would be perfectly concealed from observation. Then, following the
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Speaker 1: clue that, in the hands of the Abba Faria, had
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Speaker 1: been so skillfully used to guide him through the daddlin'
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Speaker 1: labyrinth of probabilities, he thought that the cardinal's spot of
3:40
Speaker 1: anxious not to be watched had entered the creek, concealed
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Speaker 1: his little bark, followed the line marked by the notches
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Speaker 1: in the rock, and at the end of it had
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Speaker 1: buried his treasure. It was this idea that had brought
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Speaker 1: Dantes back to the circular rock. One thing only perplexed Edmund,
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Speaker 1: and destroyed his theory. How could this rock, which weighed
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Speaker 1: several tons, have been lifted to this spot without the
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Speaker 1: aid of many men? Suddenly an idea flashed across his mind.
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Speaker 1: Instead of raising it, thought he, they have lowered it,
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Speaker 1: and he sprang from the rock in order to inspect
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Speaker 1: the base on which it had formerly stood. He soon
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Speaker 1: perceived that a slope had been formed, and the rock
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Speaker 1: had slid along this until it stopped at the spot
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Speaker 1: it now occupied. A large stone had served as a wedge.
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Speaker 1: FLINTS AND PEBBLES HAD BEEN INSERTED ROUND IT, SO AS
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Speaker 1: TO CONCEAL THE ORPHUS. THIS SPECIES OF MASONRY HAD BEEN
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Speaker 1: COVERED WITH EARTH, AND GRASS AND WEEDS HAD GROWN THERE.
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Speaker 1: MOSS HAD CLUNG TO THE STONES. MERTLE BUSHES HAD TAKEN ROOT,
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Speaker 1: AND THE OLD ROCKS SEEMED FIXED TO THE EARTH. DANTES
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Speaker 1: DUG AWAY THE EARTH CAREFULLY, AND DETECTED OR FANCIED HE
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Speaker 1: DETECTED THE INGENIOUS ARTIFICE. HE ATTACKED THIS WALL CEMENTED BY
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Speaker 1: THE HAND OF TIME WITH HIS PICKACKS. After ten minutes'
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Speaker 1: labor the wall gave way, and a hole large enough
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Speaker 1: to insert the arm was opened. Dantes went and cut
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Speaker 1: the strongest olive tree he could find, stripped off its branches,
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Speaker 1: inserted in the hole, and used it as a lever.
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Speaker 1: But the rock was too heavy and too firmly wedged
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Speaker 1: to be moved by any one man, were he Hercules himself.
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Speaker 1: Dantes saw that he must attack the wedge. But how?
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Speaker 1: He cast his eyes round and saw the horn full
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Speaker 1: of powder which his friend Jacobo had left him. He smiled.
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Speaker 1: The infernal invention would serve him for this purpose. With
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Speaker 1: the aid of his pickaxe, Dantes, after the manner of
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Speaker 1: a labor-saving pioneer, dug a mine between the upper rock
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Speaker 1: and the one that supported it, filled it with powder,
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Speaker 1: then made a match by rolling his handkerchief in saltpeter.
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Speaker 1: He lighted it and retired. The explosion soon followed. The
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Speaker 1: upper rock was lifted from its base by the terrific
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Speaker 1: force of the powder. The lower one flew into pieces.
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Speaker 1: Thousands of insects escaped from the aperture Dantes had previously formed,
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Speaker 1: and a huge snake, like the guardian demon of the treasure,
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Speaker 1: rolled itself along the darkling coils and disappeared. Dantes approached
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Speaker 1: the upper rock, which now, without any support, leaned toward
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Speaker 1: the sea. The intrepid treasure-seeker walked round it, and, selecting
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Speaker 1: the spot from whence it appeared most susceptible attack, placed
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Speaker 1: his lever in one of the crevices and strained every
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Speaker 1: nerve to move the mass. The rock, already shaken by
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Speaker 1: the explosion, tottered on its base. Dantes redoubled his efforts.
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Speaker 1: He seemed like one of the ancient titans who uprooted
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Speaker 1: the mountains to hurl against the father of the gods.
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Speaker 1: The rock yielded, rolled over, bounded from point to point,
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Speaker 1: and finally disappeared in the ocean. On the spot it
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Speaker 1: had occupied was a circular space, exposing an iron ring
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Speaker 1: led into a square flagstone. Dantes uttered a cry of
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Speaker 1: joy and surprise. Never had a first attempt been crowned
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Speaker 1: with more perfect success. He would fain have continued, but
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Speaker 1: his knees trembled. and his heart beat so violently and
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Speaker 1: his sight became so dim that he was forced to pause.
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Speaker 1: This feeling lasted but for a moment. Edmund inserted his
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Speaker 1: lever in the ring and exerted all his strength. The
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Speaker 1: flagstone yielded, and disclosed steps that descended until they were
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Speaker 1: lost in the obscurity of a subterranean grotto. Anyone else
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Speaker 1: would have rushed on with a cry of joy. Dantes
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Speaker 1: turned pale, hesitated.
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Speaker 2: And reflected.
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Speaker 3: Come,'.
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Speaker 1: Said he to himself,' be a man. I am accustomed
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Speaker 1: to adversity.' I must not be cast down by the
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Speaker 1: discovery that I have been deceived. What, then, would be
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Speaker 1: the use of all I have suffered? The heart breaks when,
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Speaker 1: after having been elated by flattering hopes, it sees all
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Speaker 1: its illusions destroyed. Faria has dreamed this. The cardinal's spot
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Speaker 1: hath buried no treasure here. Perhaps he never came here,
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Speaker 1: or if he did, Caesar Borgia, the intrepid adventurer, the
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Speaker 1: stealthy and indefatigable plunderer, has followed him, discovered his traces,
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Speaker 1: pursued them as I have done, raised the stone, and
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Speaker 1: descending before me has left me nothing. He remained motionless
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Speaker 1: and pensive, his eyes fixed on the gloomy aperture that
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Speaker 1: was open at his feet. Now that I expect nothing,
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Speaker 1: now that I no longer entertain the slightest hopes, the
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Speaker 1: end of this adventure becomes simply a matter of curiosity.
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Speaker 1: And he remained again motionless and thoughtful. Yes, yes, this
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Speaker 1: is an adventure worthy of a place in the varied
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Speaker 1: career of that royal bandit. This fabulous event formed but
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Speaker 1: a link in a long chain of marvels. Yes, Borgia
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Speaker 1: has been here, a torch in one hand, a sword
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Speaker 1: in the other, and within twenty paces at the foot
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Speaker 1: of this rock perhaps two guards kept watch on land
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Speaker 1: and sea, while their master descended, as I am about
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Speaker 1: to descend, dispelling the darkness before his awe-inspiring progress. But
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Speaker 1: what was the fate of the guards who thus possessed
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Speaker 1: his secret? asked Dantes of himself. The fate, replied he,
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Speaker 1: of those who buried Alaric. Yet had he come, thought Dantes,
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Speaker 1: he would have found the treasure, and Borgia, He who
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Speaker 1: compared Italy to an artichoke, which he could devour leaf
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Speaker 1: by leaf, knew too well the value of time to
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Speaker 1: waste in replacing this rock. I will go down. Then
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Speaker 1: he descended, a smile on his lips, and murmuring that
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Speaker 1: last word of human philosophy, perhaps. But instead of the
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Speaker 1: darkness and the thick and mephitic atmosphere he had expected
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Speaker 1: to find, Dante saw a dim and bluish light, which,
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Speaker 1: as well as the air, entered not merely by the
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Speaker 1: aperture he had just formed, but by the interstices and
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Speaker 1: crevices of the rock which were visible from without. and
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Speaker 1: through which he could distinguish the blue sky and the
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Speaker 1: waving branches of the evergreen oaks, and the tendrils of
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Speaker 1: the creepers that grew from the rocks. After having stood
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Speaker 1: a few minutes in the cavern, the atmosphere of which
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Speaker 1: was rather warm than damp, Dantes's eye, habituated as it
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Speaker 1: was to darkness, could pierce even to the remotest angles
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Speaker 1: of the cavern, which was of granite that sparkled like diamonds. Alas,
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Speaker 1: said Edmund, these are the treasures the cardinal has left.
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Speaker 1: and the good Abbe, seeing in a dream these glittering walls,
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Speaker 1: has indulged in fallacious hopes. But he called to mind
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Speaker 1: the words of the will, which he knew by heart.
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Speaker 1: In the farthest angle of the second opening, said the
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Speaker 1: cardinal's will. He had only found the first grotto. He
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Speaker 1: had now to seek the second. Dantes continued his search.
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Speaker 1: He reflected that this second grotto must penetrate deeper into
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Speaker 1: the island. He examined the stones and sounded one part
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Speaker 1: of the wall where he fancied the opening existed, masked
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Speaker 1: for precaution's sake. The pickaxe struck for a moment with
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Speaker 1: a dull sound that drew out of Dantes's forehead large
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Speaker 1: drops of perspiration. At last it seemed to him that
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Speaker 1: one part of the wall gave forth a more hollow
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Speaker 1: and deeper echo. He eagerly advanced, and with the quickness
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Speaker 1: of perception that no one but a prisoner possesses, saw
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Speaker 1: that there, in all probability, the opening must be. However, he,
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Speaker 1: like Caesar Borgia, knew the value of time, and in
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Speaker 1: order to avoid fruitless toil he sounded all the other
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Speaker 1: walls with his pickaxe, struck the earth with the butt
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Speaker 1: of his gun, and finding nothing that appeared suspicious, returned
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Speaker 1: to that part of the wall, whence issued the consoling
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Speaker 1: sound he had before heard. He again struck it with
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Speaker 1: greater force. Then a singular thing occurred. As he struck
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Speaker 1: the wall pieces of stucco similar to that used in
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Speaker 1: the groundwork of arabesques broke off, and fell to the
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Speaker 1: ground in flakes, exposing a large white stone. The aperture
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Speaker 1: of the rock had been closed with stones, then this
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Speaker 1: stucco had been applied, and painted to imitate granite. Dante
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Speaker 1: struck with the sharp end of his pickaxe, which entered
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Speaker 1: some way between the interstices. It was there he must dig,
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Speaker 1: but by some strange play of emotion, in proportion as
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Speaker 1: proofs that Faria had not been to sea became stronger,
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Speaker 1: So did his heart give way, and a feeling of
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Speaker 1: discouragement stole over him. This last proof, instead of giving
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Speaker 1: him fresh strength, deprived him of it. The pickaxe descended,
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Speaker 1: or rather fell. He placed it on the ground, passed
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Speaker 1: his hand over his brow, and remounted the stairs, alleging
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Speaker 1: to himself as an excuse a desire to be assured
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Speaker 1: that no one was watching him, but in reality because
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Speaker 1: he felt that he was about to faint. The island
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Speaker 1: was deserted. The sun seemed to cover it with its
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Speaker 1: fiery glance. Far off, a few small fishing boats studded
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Speaker 1: the bosom of the blue ocean. Dantes had tasted nothing,
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Speaker 1: but he thought not of hunger at such a moment.
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Speaker 1: He hastily swallowed a few drops of rum and again
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Speaker 1: entered the cavern. The pickaxe, that had seemed so heavy,
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Speaker 1: was now like a feather in his grasp. He seized
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Speaker 1: it and attacked the wall. After several blows he perceived
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Speaker 1: that the stones were not cemented, but had merely been
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Speaker 1: placed one upon the other, and covered with stucco. He
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Speaker 1: inserted the point of his pickaxe, and using the handle
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Speaker 1: as a lever, with joy soon saw the stone turn
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Speaker 1: as if on hinges and fall at his feet. He
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Speaker 1: had nothing more to do now, but with the iron
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Speaker 1: tooth of the pickaxe to draw the stones toward him
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Speaker 1: one by one. The aperture was already sufficiently large for
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Speaker 1: him to enter, but by waiting he could still cling
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Speaker 1: to hope, and retard the certainty of deception. At last,
12:37
Speaker 1: after renewed hesitation, Dantes entered the second grotto. The second
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Speaker 1: grotto was lowered more gloomy than the first. The air
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Speaker 1: could only enter by the newly formed openings. had the
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Speaker 1: mephitic smell Dantes was surprised not to find in the
12:49
Speaker 1: outer cavern. He waited in order to allow pure air
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Speaker 1: to displace the foul atmosphere, and then went on. At
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Speaker 1: the left of the opening was a dark and deep angle,
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Speaker 1: but to Dantes' eye there was no darkness. He glanced
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Speaker 1: around the second grotto. It was, like the first, empty.
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Speaker 1: The treasure, if it existed, was buried in this corner.
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Speaker 1: The time had at length arrived. Two feet of earth removed,
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Speaker 1: and Dante's fate would be decided. He advanced toward the
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Speaker 1: angle and, summoning all his resolution, attacked the ground with
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Speaker 1: the pickaxe. At the fifth or sixth blow, the pickaxe
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Speaker 1: struck against an iron substance. Never did funeral knell, never
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Speaker 1: did alarm bell, produce a greater effect on the hearer.
13:31
Speaker 1: Had Dante's found nothing, he could not have been more
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Speaker 1: ghastly pale. He again struck his pickaxe into the earth
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Speaker 1: and encountered the same resistance, but not the same sound.
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Speaker 1: It is a casket of wood bound with iron, thought he.
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Speaker 1: At this moment a shadow passed rapidly before the opening.
13:47
Speaker 1: Dantes seized his gun, sprang through the opening and mounted
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Speaker 1: the stair. A wild goat had passed before the mouth
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Speaker 1: of the cave and was feeding at a little distance.
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Speaker 1: This would have been a favorable occasion to secure his dinner,
13:58
Speaker 1: but Dantes feared lest the report of his gun should
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Speaker 1: attract attention. He thought a moment, cut a branch of
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Speaker 1: a rosinous tree, lighted it at the fire at which
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Speaker 1: the smugglers had prepared their breakfast, and descended with his torch.
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Speaker 1: He wished to see everything, He approached the hole he
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Speaker 1: had dug, and now, with the aid of the torch,
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Speaker 1: saw that his pickaxe had in reality struck against iron
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Speaker 1: and wood. He planted his torch in the ground and
14:22
Speaker 1: resumed his labor. In an instant a space three feet
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Speaker 1: long by two feet broad was cleared, and Dantes could
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Speaker 1: see an oaken coffer, bound with cut steel. In the
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Speaker 1: middle of the lid he saw engraved, on a silver plate,
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Speaker 1: which was still untarnished, the arms of the Spada family, viz.,
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Speaker 1: a sword, pale, on an oval shield, like all the
14:44
Speaker 1: Italian armorial bearings, and surmounted by a cardinal's hat. Dantes
14:49
Speaker 1: easily recognized them. Faria had so often drawn them for him.
14:53
Speaker 1: There was no longer any doubt the treasure was there.
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Speaker 1: No one would have been at such pains to conceal
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Speaker 1: an empty casket. In an instant he had cleared every
15:02
Speaker 1: obstacle away, and he saw successively the lock placed between
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Speaker 1: two padlocks, and the two handles at each end all
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Speaker 1: carved as things were carved at that epoch. when art
15:12
Speaker 1: rendered the commonest metals precious. Dantes seized the handles and
15:16
Speaker 1: strove to lift the coffer. It was impossible. He sought
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Speaker 1: to open it. Lock and padlock were fastened. These faithful
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Speaker 1: guardians seemed unwilling to surrender their trust. Dantes inserted the
15:27
Speaker 1: sharp end of the pickaxe between the coffer and the lid, and,
15:30
Speaker 1: pressing with all the force on his handle, burst open
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Speaker 1: the fastenings. The hinges yielded in their turn and fell,
15:36
Speaker 1: still holding in their grasp fragments of the wood. And
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Speaker 1: the chest was open. Edmund was seized with vertigo. He
15:43
Speaker 1: cocked his gun and laid it beside him. He then
15:46
Speaker 1: closed his eyes, as children do, in order that they
15:49
Speaker 1: may see, in the resplendent night of their own imagination,
15:52
Speaker 1: more stars than are visible in the firmament. Then he
15:55
Speaker 1: reopened them, and stood motionless with amazement. Three compartments divided
16:00
Speaker 1: the coffer. In the first blazed piles of golden coin.
16:04
Speaker 1: In the second were ranged bars of unpolished gold, which
16:08
Speaker 1: possessed nothing attractive save their value. In the third, Edmund
16:12
Speaker 1: grasped handfuls of diamonds, pearls, and rubies, which, as they
16:15
Speaker 1: fell on one another, sounded like hail against glass. After
16:19
Speaker 1: having touched, felt, examined these treasures, Edmund rushed through the
16:23
Speaker 1: caverns like a man sees with friends. He leaped on
16:25
Speaker 1: a rock, from whence he could behold the sea. He
16:28
Speaker 1: was alone, alone with these countless, these unheard-of treasures. Was
16:31
Speaker 1: he awake, or was it but a dream? He would
16:35
Speaker 1: fain have gazed upon his gold, and yet he had
16:38
Speaker 1: not strength enough. For an instant he leaned his head
16:41
Speaker 1: in his hands as if to present his senses from
16:43
Speaker 1: leaving him, and then rushed madly about the rocks of
16:46
Speaker 1: Monte Cristo, terrifying the wild goats and scaring the sea-fowls
16:50
Speaker 1: with his wild cries and gestures. Then he returned, and
16:54
Speaker 1: still unable to believe the evidence of his senses, rushed
16:56
Speaker 1: into the grotto, and found himself before this mine of
16:59
Speaker 1: golden jewels. This time he fell on his knees, and
17:02
Speaker 1: clasping his hands convulsively, uttered a prayer, intelligible to God alone.
17:07
Speaker 1: He soon became calmer and more happy, for only now
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Speaker 1: did he begin to realize his felicity. He then set
17:14
Speaker 1: himself to work to count his fortune. There were a
17:16
Speaker 1: thousand ingots of gold, each weighing from two to three pounds.
17:20
Speaker 1: Then he piled up twenty-five thousand crowns, each worth about
17:23
Speaker 1: eighty francs of our money, and bearing the effigies of
17:26
Speaker 1: Alexander VI and his predecessors. And he saw that the
17:30
Speaker 1: complement was not half empty. And he measured ten double
17:33
Speaker 1: handfuls of pearls, diamonds, and other gems, many of which
17:37
Speaker 1: were mounted by the most famous workmen, were valuable beyond
17:40
Speaker 1: their intrinsic worth. Dante saw the light gradually disappear, and,
17:44
Speaker 1: fearing to be surprised in the cavern, left it, his
17:46
Speaker 1: gun in his hand. A piece of biscuit and a
17:48
Speaker 1: small quantity of rum formed his supper, and he snatched
17:51
Speaker 1: a few hours' sleep lying over the mouth of the cave.
17:55
Speaker 1: It was a night of joy and terror, such as
17:57
Speaker 1: this man of stupendous emotions had already experienced twice or
18:00
Speaker 1: thrice in his lifetime. CHAPTER XXV. THE UNKNOWN Day, for
18:35
Speaker 1: which Dantes had so eagerly and impatiently waited with open eyes,
18:39
Speaker 1: again dawned. With the first light Dantes resumed his search.
18:44
Speaker 1: Again he climbed the rocky height he had descended the
18:46
Speaker 1: previous evening, and strained his view to catch every peculiarity
18:50
Speaker 1: of the landscape. But it wore the same wild, barren
18:53
Speaker 1: aspect when seen by the rays of the morning sun,
18:56
Speaker 1: which it had done when surveyed by the fading glimmer
18:59
Speaker 1: of eve. Descending into the grotto he lifted the stones.
19:03
Speaker 1: filled his pockets with gems, put the box together as
19:06
Speaker 1: well and securely as he could, sprinkled fresh sand over
19:09
Speaker 1: the spot from which it had been taken, and then
19:12
Speaker 1: carefully trod down the earth to give it everywhere a
19:14
Speaker 1: uniform appearance. Then, quitting the grotto, he replaced the stone,
19:18
Speaker 1: heaping on it broken masses of rocks and rough fragments
19:21
Speaker 1: of crumbling granite, filling the interstices with earth, into which
19:25
Speaker 1: he deftly inserted rapidly growing plants, such as the wild
19:28
Speaker 1: myrtle and flowering thorns. Then carefully watering these new plantations,
19:32
Speaker 1: he scrupulously effaced every trace of his footsteps, leaving the
19:35
Speaker 1: approach to the cavern as savage-looking and untrodden as he
19:38
Speaker 1: had found it. This done, he impatiently waited the return
19:41
Speaker 1: of his companions. To wait at Monte Cristo for the
19:45
Speaker 1: purpose of watching like a dragon over the almost incalculable
19:48
Speaker 1: riches that had thus fallen into his possession. satisfied not
19:51
Speaker 1: the cravings of his heart, which yearned to return to
19:54
Speaker 1: dwell among mankind, and to assume the rank, power, and
19:58
Speaker 1: influence which are always accorded to wealth, that first and
20:01
Speaker 1: greatest of all the forces within the grasp of man.
20:05
Speaker 1: On the sixth day the smugglers returned, From a distance
20:09
Speaker 1: Dantes recognized the rig and handling of the young Amelia, and,
20:12
Speaker 1: dragging himself with affected difficulty toward the landing-place, he met
20:16
Speaker 1: his companions with an assurance that, although considerably better than
20:20
Speaker 1: when they had quitted him, he still suffered acutely from
20:23
Speaker 1: his late accident. He then inquired how they had fared
20:26
Speaker 1: in their trip. To this question the smugglers replied that,
20:30
Speaker 1: although successful in landing their cargo in safety, they had
20:33
Speaker 1: scarcely done so when they received intelligence that a guard-ship
20:36
Speaker 1: had just quitted the port of Toulon, and was crowding
20:39
Speaker 1: all sail towards them. This obliged them to make all
20:42
Speaker 1: the speed they could to evade the enemy, when they
20:45
Speaker 1: could but lament the absence of Dantes, whose superior skill
20:48
Speaker 1: in the management of a vessel would have availed them
20:50
Speaker 1: so materially. In fact, the pursuing vessel had almost overtaken
20:54
Speaker 1: them when, fortunately, night came on, and enabled them to
20:58
Speaker 1: double the cape of Corsica, and so elude all further pursuit.
21:03
Speaker 1: Upon the whole, however, the trip had been sufficiently successful
21:05
Speaker 1: to satisfy all concerns, while the crew, and particularly Jacobo,
21:10
Speaker 1: expressed great regrets that Dantes had not been an equal
21:13
Speaker 1: sharer with themselves and the prophets, which amounted to no
21:16
Speaker 1: less a sum than fifty piastres each. Edmund preserved the
21:20
Speaker 1: most admirable self-command, not suffering the faintest indication of a
21:25
Speaker 1: smile to escape him, at the enumeration of all the
21:28
Speaker 1: benefits he would have reaped had he been able to
21:29
Speaker 1: quit the island. But as the young Amelia had merely
21:33
Speaker 1: come to Monte Cristo to fetch him away, He embarked
21:36
Speaker 1: that same evening, and proceeded with the captain to Leghorn.
21:39
Speaker 1: Arrived at Leghorn, he repaired to the house of a Jew,
21:43
Speaker 1: a dealer in precious stones, to whom he disposed of
21:46
Speaker 1: four of his smallest diamonds, for five thousand francs each.
21:50
Speaker 1: Dantes half feared that such valuable jewels in the hand
21:53
Speaker 1: of a poor sailor like himself might excite suspicion. But
21:57
Speaker 1: the cunning purchaser asked no troublesome questions concerning a bargain,
22:01
Speaker 1: by which he gained a round profit of at least
22:03
Speaker 1: eighty percent. THE FOLLOWING DAY DANTES PRESENTED JACOBO WITH AN
22:07
Speaker 1: ENTIRELY NEW VESSEL, ACCOMPANYING THE GIFT BY A DONATION OF
22:10
Speaker 1: ONE HUNDRED PIASTRAS, THAT HE MIGHT PROVIDE HIMSELF WITH A
22:13
Speaker 1: SUITABLE CREW AND OTHER REQUISITES FOR HIS OUTFIT, UPON CONDITION
22:17
Speaker 1: THAT HE WOULD GO AT ONCE TO MARSEILLE, FOR THE
22:20
Speaker 1: PURPOSE OF INQUIRING AFTER AN OLD MAN NAMED LOUIS DANTES,
22:24
Speaker 1: RESIDING IN THE ALLE DE MAYAN, AND ALSO A YOUNG
22:27
Speaker 1: WOMAN CALLED MERCEDES, AN INHABITANT OF THE CATALAN VILLAGE. Jacobo
22:32
Speaker 1: could scarcely believe his senses at receiving this magnificent present,
22:35
Speaker 1: which Dantes hastened to account for by saying he had
22:38
Speaker 1: merely been a sailor from Wim, and a desire to
22:41
Speaker 1: spite his family, who did not allow him as much
22:43
Speaker 1: money as he liked to spend, but that on his
22:45
Speaker 1: arrival at Leghorn he had come into possession of a
22:47
Speaker 1: large fortune, left him by an uncle, whose sole heir
22:51
Speaker 1: he was. The superior education of Dantes gave an air
22:54
Speaker 1: of such extreme probability to this statement that it never
22:57
Speaker 1: once occurred to Jacobo to doubt its accuracy. The term
23:00
Speaker 1: for which Edmund had engaged to serve on board the
23:02
Speaker 1: young Amelia having expired, Dantes took leave of the captain,
23:06
Speaker 1: who at first tried all his power as a persuasion
23:09
Speaker 1: to induce him to remain as one of the crew.
23:11
Speaker 1: But having been told the history of the legacy, he
23:14
Speaker 1: ceased to importune him further. The following morning, Jacobo set
23:18
Speaker 1: sail for Marseilles with directions from Dantes to join him
23:21
Speaker 1: at the island of Monte Cristo. Having seen Jacobo fairly
23:25
Speaker 1: out of the harbor, Dantes proceeded to make his final
23:27
Speaker 1: adieus on board the young Amelia, distributing so liberal a
23:31
Speaker 1: gratuity among her crew as to secure for him the
23:33
Speaker 1: good wishes of all, and expressions of cordial interest in
23:36
Speaker 1: all that concerned him. To the captain he promised to
23:39
Speaker 1: write when he had made up his mind as to
23:40
Speaker 1: his future plans. Then Dantes departed for Genoa. At the
23:45
Speaker 1: moment of his arrival a small yacht was under trial
23:48
Speaker 1: in the bay. This yacht had been built by order
23:50
Speaker 1: of an Englishman, who, having heard that the Genoese exceeded
23:54
Speaker 1: all other builders along the shores of the Mediterranean in
23:56
Speaker 1: the construction of fast-sailing vessels, was desirous of possessing a
24:00
Speaker 1: specimen of their skill. The price agreed upon between the
24:04
Speaker 1: Englishman and the Genoese builder was forty thousand francs. Dante,
24:08
Speaker 1: struck with the beauty and capability of the little vessel,
24:10
Speaker 1: applied to its owner to transfer it to him, offering
24:13
Speaker 1: sixty thousand francs, upon condition that he should be allowed
24:16
Speaker 1: to take immediate possession. The proposal was too advantageous to
24:20
Speaker 1: be refused. The more so, as the person from whom
24:22
Speaker 1: the yacht was intended had gone upon a tour through Switzerland,
24:25
Speaker 1: and was not expected back in less than three weeks
24:27
Speaker 1: or a month, by which time the builder reckoned upon
24:30
Speaker 1: being able to complete another. A bargain was therefore struck.
24:35
Speaker 1: Dantes led the owner of the yacht to the dwelling
24:36
Speaker 1: of a Jew, retired with the latter for a few
24:39
Speaker 1: minutes to a small back parlor, and upon their return
24:42
Speaker 1: the Jew counted out to the shipbuilder the sum of 60,000
24:45
Speaker 1: francs in bright gold pieces. The delighted builder then offered
24:49
Speaker 1: his services in providing a suitable crew for the little vessel,
24:52
Speaker 1: but this Dantes declined with many thanks, saying he was
24:55
Speaker 1: accustomed to cruise about quite alone. and his principal pleasure
24:58
Speaker 1: consisted in managing his yacht himself. The only thing the
25:02
Speaker 1: builder could oblige him in would be to contrive a
25:04
Speaker 1: sort of secret closet in the cabin at his bed's head,
25:07
Speaker 1: the closet to contain three divisions, so constructed as to
25:11
Speaker 1: be concealed from all but himself. The builder cheerfully undertook
25:14
Speaker 1: the commission, and promised to have these secret places completed
25:17
Speaker 1: by the next day, Dante's furnishing the dimensions in plan,
25:21
Speaker 1: in accordance with which they were to be constructed. The
25:26
Speaker 1: following day Dantes sailed with his yacht from Genoa, under
25:28
Speaker 1: the inspection of an immense crowd, drawn together by curiosity
25:32
Speaker 1: to see the rich Spanish nobleman who preferred managing his
25:34
Speaker 1: own yacht. But their wonder was soon changed to admiration
25:38
Speaker 1: at seeing the perfect scale with which Dantes handled the helm.
25:41
Speaker 1: The boat, indeed, seemed to be animated with almost human intelligence,
25:45
Speaker 1: so promptly did it obey the slightest touch. And Dantes
25:48
Speaker 1: required but a short trial of his beautiful craft to
25:50
Speaker 1: acknowledge that the Genoese had not without reason attained their
25:54
Speaker 1: high reputation in the art of shipbuilding. The spectators followed
25:57
Speaker 1: the little vessel with their eyes so long as it
25:59
Speaker 1: remained visible. They then turned their conjectures upon her probable destination.
26:04
Speaker 1: Some insisted she was making for Corsica, others the island
26:08
Speaker 1: of Elba. Bets were offered to any amount that she
26:10
Speaker 1: was bound for Spain, while Africa was positively reported by
26:14
Speaker 1: many persons as her intended course. But no one thought
26:17
Speaker 1: of Monte Cristo. Yet thither it was that Dantes guided
26:21
Speaker 1: his vessel, and at Monte Cristo he arrived at the
26:23
Speaker 1: close of the second day. His boat had proved herself
26:26
Speaker 1: a first-class sailor, and had come the distance from Genoa
26:30
Speaker 1: at thirty-five hours. Dantes had carefully noted the general appearance
26:33
Speaker 1: of the shore, and instead of landing at the usual
26:36
Speaker 1: place he dropped anchor in the little creek. The island
26:39
Speaker 1: was utterly deserted, and bore no evidence of having been
26:41
Speaker 1: visited since he went away. His treasure was just as
26:44
Speaker 1: he left it. Early on the following morning he commenced
26:48
Speaker 1: the removal of his riches, and ere nightfall the whole
26:50
Speaker 1: of his immense wealth was safely deposited in the compartments
26:53
Speaker 1: of the secret locker. A week passed by. Dantes employed
26:58
Speaker 1: it in maneuvering his yacht round the island, studying it
27:01
Speaker 1: as a skillful horseman would the animal he destined for
27:04
Speaker 1: some important service, till at the end of that time
27:07
Speaker 1: he was perfectly conversant with its good and bad qualities.
27:11
Speaker 1: The former Dantes proposed to augment, the latter to remedy.
27:16
Speaker 1: Upon the eighth day he discerned a small vessel under
27:19
Speaker 1: full sail approaching Monte Cristo. As it drew near, he
27:22
Speaker 1: recognized it as the boat he had given to Jacobo.
27:25
Speaker 1: he immediately signaled it. His signal was returned, and in
27:29
Speaker 1: two hours afterwards the newcomer lay at anchor beside the yacht.
27:33
Speaker 1: A mournful answer awaited each of Edmund's eager inquiries as
27:36
Speaker 1: to the information Jacobo had obtained. Old Dantes was dead,
27:40
Speaker 1: and Mercedes had disappeared. Dantes listened to these melancholy tidings
27:44
Speaker 1: with outward calmness, but leaping lightly ashore he signified his
27:48
Speaker 1: desire to be quite alone. In a couple of hours
27:51
Speaker 1: he returned, Two of the men from Jacobo's boat came
27:54
Speaker 1: on board the yacht to assist in navigating it, and
27:57
Speaker 1: he gave orders that she should be steered direct to Marseille.
28:01
Speaker 1: For his father's death he was in some manner prepared,
28:04
Speaker 1: but he knew not how to account for the mysterious
28:06
Speaker 1: disappearance of Mercedes. Without divulging his secret, Dantès could not
28:12
Speaker 1: give sufficiently clear instructions to an agent. There were, besides,
28:16
Speaker 1: other particulars he was desirous of ascertaining. and those were
28:20
Speaker 1: of a nature he alone could investigate in a manner
28:22
Speaker 1: satisfactory to himself. His looking-glass had assured him, during his
28:26
Speaker 1: stay at Leghorn, that he ran no risk of recognition. Moreover,
28:30
Speaker 1: he had now the means of adopting any disguise he
28:32
Speaker 1: thought proffer. One fine morning, then, his yacht, followed by
28:37
Speaker 1: the little fishing-boat, boldly entered the port of Marseilles, and
28:40
Speaker 1: anchored exactly opposite the spot from whence, on the never-to-be-forgotten
28:44
Speaker 1: night of his departure for the Chateau d'If, he had
28:46
Speaker 1: been put on board the boat, destined to convey him thither.
28:50
Speaker 1: Still Dantes could not view without a shudder the approach
28:53
Speaker 1: of a gendarme, who accompanied the officer's deputed to man
28:56
Speaker 1: his bill of health, ere the yacht was permitted to
28:58
Speaker 1: hold communication with the shore. But with that perfect self-possession
29:02
Speaker 1: he had acquired during his acquaintance with Faria, Dantes coolly
29:06
Speaker 1: presented an English passport he had obtained from Leghorn, and
29:09
Speaker 1: as this gave him a standing which a French passport
29:11
Speaker 1: would not have afforded, he was informed that there existed
29:14
Speaker 1: no obstacle to his immediate debarkation. The first person to
29:19
Speaker 1: attract the attention of Dantes as he landed on the
29:21
Speaker 1: Canabier was one of the crew belonging to the Faron.
29:25
Speaker 1: Edmund welcomed the meeting with his fellow, who had been
29:28
Speaker 1: one of his own sailors, as a sure means of
29:30
Speaker 1: testing the extent of the change which time had worked
29:32
Speaker 1: in his own appearance. Going straight toward him, he propounded
29:36
Speaker 1: a variety of questions on different subjects, carefully watching the
29:39
Speaker 1: man's countenance as he did so. But not a word
29:42
Speaker 1: or look implied that he had the slightest idea of
29:45
Speaker 1: ever having seen before the person with whom he was
29:47
Speaker 1: then conversing. Giving the sailor a piece of money in
29:50
Speaker 1: return for his civility, Dantes proceeded onwards. But ere he
29:54
Speaker 1: had gone many steps, he heard the man loudly calling
29:56
Speaker 1: him to stop. Dantes immediately turned to meet him. I
30:00
Speaker 1: beg your pardon, sir, said the honest fellow in almost
30:03
Speaker 1: breathless haste, but I believe you made a mistake. You
30:06
Speaker 1: intended to give me a two-franc piece, and see, you
30:09
Speaker 1: gave me a double Napoleon. Thank you, my good friend.
30:14
Speaker 1: I see that I have made a trifling mistake, as
30:15
Speaker 1: you say, but by way of rewarding your honesty I
30:19
Speaker 1: give you another double Napoleon, that you may drink to
30:21
Speaker 1: my health and be able to ask your messmates to
30:23
Speaker 1: join you. So extreme was the surprise of the sailor
30:27
Speaker 1: that he was unable even to thank Edmund, whose receding
30:30
Speaker 1: figure he continued to gaze after in speechless astonishment. Some
30:34
Speaker 1: nabob from India, was his comment. Dante's, meanwhile, went on
30:38
Speaker 1: his way. Each step he trod oppressed his heart with
30:41
Speaker 1: fresh emotion. His first and most indelible recollections were there.
30:46
Speaker 1: Not a tree, not a street that he passed, but
30:48
Speaker 1: seemed filled with dear and cherished memories. And thus he
30:51
Speaker 1: proceeded onwards till he arrived at the end of the
30:53
Speaker 1: Rue de Noailles, from whence a full view of the
30:56
Speaker 1: Allee de Marianne was obtained. At this spot, so pregnant
31:00
Speaker 1: with fond and filial remembrances, his heart beat almost to bursting,
31:04
Speaker 1: his knees tottered under him, a mist floated over his sight,
31:09
Speaker 1: and had he not clung for support to one of
31:10
Speaker 1: the trees, he would inevitably have fallen to the ground
31:14
Speaker 1: and been crushed beneath the many vehicles continually passing there.
31:18
Speaker 1: Recovering himself, however, he wiped the perspiration from his brows.
31:22
Speaker 1: and stopped not again till he found himself at the
31:24
Speaker 1: door of the house in which his father had lived.
31:27
Speaker 1: The nasturtiums and other plants, which his father had delighted
31:30
Speaker 1: to train before his window, had all disappeared from the
31:33
Speaker 1: upper part of the house. Leaning against the tree, he
31:36
Speaker 1: gazed thoughtfully for a time at the upper stories of
31:38
Speaker 1: the shabby little house. Then he advanced to the door,
31:42
Speaker 1: and asked whether there were any rooms to be let.
31:45
Speaker 1: Though answered in the negative, he begged so earnestly to
31:48
Speaker 1: be permitted to visit those on the fifth floor, that
31:51
Speaker 1: in despite of the oft-repeated assurance of the concierge that
31:53
Speaker 1: they were occupied, Dantes succeeded in inducing the man to
31:57
Speaker 1: go up to the tenants, and asked permission for a
31:59
Speaker 1: gentleman to be allowed to look at them. The tenants
32:03
Speaker 1: of the humble lodging were a young couple, who had
32:05
Speaker 1: been scarcely married a week, and seeing them Dantes sighed heavily.
32:09
Speaker 1: Nothing in the two small chambers forming the apartments remained
32:12
Speaker 1: as it had been in the time of the elder Dantes.
32:15
Speaker 1: The very paper was different. while the articles of antiquated
32:18
Speaker 1: furniture with which the rooms had been filled in Edmund's
32:20
Speaker 1: time had all disappeared. The four walls alone remained as
32:24
Speaker 1: he had left them. The bed, belonging to the present occupants,
32:27
Speaker 1: was placed as the former owner of the chamber had
32:29
Speaker 1: been accustomed to have his, and, in spite of his
32:32
Speaker 1: efforts to prevent it, the eyes of Edmund were suffused
32:34
Speaker 1: in tears as he reflected that on that spot the
32:36
Speaker 1: old man had breathed his last, vainly calling for his son.
32:40
Speaker 1: The young couple gazed with astonishment at the sight of
32:42
Speaker 1: their visitor's emotions. and wondered to see the large tears
32:46
Speaker 1: silently chasing each other down his otherwise stern and immovable features.
32:50
Speaker 1: But they felt the sacredness of his grief, and kindly
32:52
Speaker 1: refrained from questioning him as to its cause, while, with
32:56
Speaker 1: instinctive delicacy, they left him to indulge his sorrow alone.
33:00
Speaker 1: When he withdrew from the scene of his painful recollections,
33:03
Speaker 1: they both accompanied him downstairs, reiterating their hope that he
33:07
Speaker 1: would come again whenever he pleased, and assuring him that
33:10
Speaker 1: their poor dwelling would be ever open to him. As
33:13
Speaker 1: Edmund passed the door on the fourth floor, he paused
33:15
Speaker 1: to inquire whether Caderousse the tailor still dwelt there, but
33:19
Speaker 1: he received a reply that the person in question had
33:21
Speaker 1: got into difficulties, and at the present time kept a
33:24
Speaker 1: small inn on the route from Belgare de Boquer. Having
33:28
Speaker 1: obtained the address of the person to whom the house
33:30
Speaker 1: in the Ais de Mayonne belonged, Dantès next proceeded thither,
33:34
Speaker 1: and under the name of Lord Wilmore, the name and
33:36
Speaker 1: title inscribed on his passport, purchased a small dwelling for
33:40
Speaker 1: the sum of twenty-five thousand francs. at least ten thousand
33:43
Speaker 1: more than it was worth, but had its owner asked
33:45
Speaker 1: half a million it would unhesitatingly have been given. The
33:49
Speaker 1: very same day the occupants of the apartments on the
33:51
Speaker 1: fifth floor of the house, now become the property of Dante's,
33:55
Speaker 1: were duly informed by the notary who had arranged the
33:57
Speaker 1: necessary transfer of deeds, that the new landlord gave them
34:01
Speaker 1: their choice of any of the rooms in the house,
34:03
Speaker 1: without the least augmentation of rent, upon condition of their
34:06
Speaker 1: giving instant possession of the two small chambers they at
34:08
Speaker 1: present inhabited, This strange event aroused great wonder and curiosity
34:13
Speaker 1: in the neighborhood of the Ais de Mayon, and a
34:15
Speaker 1: multitude of theories were afloat, none of which was anywhere
34:17
Speaker 1: near the truth. But what raised public astonishment to a climax,
34:22
Speaker 1: and set all conjecture at defiance, was the knowledge that
34:25
Speaker 1: the same stranger, who had in the morning visited the
34:28
Speaker 1: Ais de Mayon, had been seen in the evening walking
34:30
Speaker 1: in the little village of the Catayon, and afterwards observed
34:34
Speaker 1: to enter a poor fisherman's hut. and to pass more
34:36
Speaker 1: than an hour in inquiring after persons who had either
34:38
Speaker 1: been dead or gone away for more than fifteen or
34:40
Speaker 1: sixteen years. But on the following day the family from
34:44
Speaker 1: whom all these particulars had been asked received a handsome present,
34:47
Speaker 1: consisting of an entirely new fishing-boat, with two signs and
34:51
Speaker 1: a tender. The delighted recipients of these munificent gifts would
34:55
Speaker 1: gladly have poured out their thanks to their generous benefactor,
34:58
Speaker 1: but they had seen him, upon quitting the hut, merely
35:01
Speaker 1: give some orders to a sailor, and then springing lightly
35:04
Speaker 1: on horseback, LEAVE MARSEILLE BY THE PORTAIS.
35:06
Speaker 4: CHAPTER XXVI OF.
35:09
Speaker 1: THE COUNT OF MONTECRISTO This is a LibriVox recording. All
35:12
Speaker 1: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
35:33
Speaker 2: For more information, or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording
35:40
Speaker 2: by Nicole Lee. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandra Dumas.
35:46
Speaker 2: Chapter 26. The Pont du Gard Inn. Such of my
35:52
Speaker 2: readers as have made a pedestrian excursion to the south
35:55
Speaker 2: of France, may perchance have noticed, about midway between the
36:00
Speaker 2: town of Beaucaire and the village of Belgarde, a little
36:04
Speaker 2: nearer to the former than to the latter, a small
36:07
Speaker 2: roadside inn from the front of which hung, creaking and
36:10
Speaker 2: flapping in the wind, a sheet of tin covered with
36:13
Speaker 2: the grotesque representation of the Pont du Gard. This modern
36:18
Speaker 2: place of entertainment stood on the left-hand side of the
36:21
Speaker 2: post road and backed upon the Rhone. It also boasted
36:25
Speaker 2: of what in Languedoc is styled a garden, consisting of
36:29
Speaker 2: a small plot of ground. on the side opposite to
36:31
Speaker 2: the main entrance reserved for the reception of guests. A
36:35
Speaker 2: few dingy olives and stunted fig trees struggled hard for existence,
36:40
Speaker 2: but their withered, dusty foliage abundantly proved how unequal was
36:44
Speaker 2: the conflict. Between these sickly shrubs grew a scanty supply
36:49
Speaker 2: of garlic, tomatoes, and echelots, while lone and solitary, like
36:53
Speaker 2: a forgotten sentinel, a tall pine raised its melancholy head
36:58
Speaker 2: in one of the corners of this unattractive spot. and
37:00
Speaker 2: displayed its flexible stem and fan-shaped summit, dried and cracked
37:05
Speaker 2: by the fierce heat of the subtropical sun. In the
37:08
Speaker 2: surrounding plain, which more resembled a dusty lake than solid ground,
37:13
Speaker 2: were scattered a few miserable stalks of wheat, the effect
37:17
Speaker 2: no doubt of a curious desire, on the part of
37:19
Speaker 2: the agriculturists of the country, to see whether such a
37:22
Speaker 2: thing as the raising of grain in those parched regions
37:25
Speaker 2: was practicable. Each stalk served as a perch for a grasshopper,
37:30
Speaker 2: which regale the passers-by through this egyptian scene with its
37:33
Speaker 2: strident monotonous note for about seven or eight years the
37:37
Speaker 2: little tavern had been kept by a man and his
37:39
Speaker 2: wife with two servants a chambermaid named trinette and a
37:44
Speaker 2: hostler called this small staff was quite equal to all
37:48
Speaker 2: the requirements for a canal between beaucaire and egmont had
37:52
Speaker 2: revolutionized transportation by substituting boats for the cart and the
37:56
Speaker 2: stage-coach and as though to add to the daily misery
38:00
Speaker 2: which this prosperous canal inflicted on the unfortunate innkeeper, whose
38:04
Speaker 2: utter ruin it was fast accomplishing, it was situated between
38:07
Speaker 2: the Rhone, from which it had its source, and the
38:10
Speaker 2: post-road it had depleted, not a hundred steps from the inn,
38:14
Speaker 2: of which we have given a brief but faithful description.
38:18
Speaker 2: The innkeeper himself was a man of from forty to
38:20
Speaker 2: fifty-five years of age, tall, strong, and bony, a perfect
38:25
Speaker 2: specimen of the natives of those southern latitudes. He had dark,
38:29
Speaker 2: sparkling and deep-set eyes, hooked nose and teeth white as
38:33
Speaker 2: those of a carnivorous animal. His hair, like his beard,
38:36
Speaker 2: which he wore under his chin, was thick and curly,
38:40
Speaker 2: and in spite of his age but slightly interspersed with
38:43
Speaker 2: a few silvery threads. His naturally dark complexion had assumed
38:47
Speaker 2: a still further shade of brown from the habit the
38:50
Speaker 2: unfortunate man had acquired of stationing himself from morning till
38:54
Speaker 2: eve at the threshold of his door. on the lookout
38:57
Speaker 2: for guests who seldom came. Yet there he stood, day
39:00
Speaker 2: after day, exposed to the meridional rays of a burning sun,
39:05
Speaker 2: with no other protection for his head than a red
39:08
Speaker 2: handkerchief twisted around it, after the manner of the Spanish muleteers.
39:13
Speaker 2: This man was our old acquaintance, Gaspar Cadruz. His wife,
39:17
Speaker 2: on the contrary, whose maiden name had been Madeleine Riddell,
39:21
Speaker 2: was pale, meagre, and sickly-looking. Born in the neighbourhood of Arles,
39:26
Speaker 2: She had shared in the beauty for which its women
39:28
Speaker 2: are proverbial. but that beauty had gradually withered beneath the
39:32
Speaker 2: devastating influence of the slow fever so prevalent among dwellers
39:36
Speaker 2: by the ponds of Egmont and the marshes of Comargue.
39:40
Speaker 2: She remained nearly always in her second-floor chamber, shivering in
39:43
Speaker 2: her chair, or stretched languid and feeble on her bed,
39:47
Speaker 2: while her husband kept his daily watch at the door.
39:50
Speaker 2: a duty he performed with so much the greater willingness,
39:54
Speaker 2: as it saved him the necessity of listening to the
39:56
Speaker 2: endless plains and murmurs of his helpmate, who never saw
39:59
Speaker 2: him without breaking out into bitter invectives against fate, to
40:02
Speaker 2: all of which her husband would calmly return an unvarying reply,
40:06
Speaker 2: in these philosophic words, Hush, la carte compte! It is
40:10
Speaker 2: God's pleasure that things should be so. The sobriquet of
40:14
Speaker 2: la carte compte had been bestowed on Madeleine Riddell from
40:17
Speaker 2: the fact that she had been born in a village
40:19
Speaker 2: so-called situated between Salon and Lombesque, and as a custom
40:23
Speaker 2: existed among the inhabitants of that part of France where
40:26
Speaker 2: Cadreuse lived, of styling every person by some particular and
40:30
Speaker 2: distinctive appellation, her husband had bestowed on her the name
40:33
Speaker 2: of La Carconte, in place of her sweet and euphonious
40:36
Speaker 2: name of Madeleine, which in all probability his rude, guttural
40:40
Speaker 2: language would not have enabled him to pronounce. Still, let
40:45
Speaker 2: it not be supposed that amid this affected resignation to
40:48
Speaker 2: the will of Providence, The unfortunate innkeeper did not writhe
40:51
Speaker 2: under the double misery of seeing the hateful canal carry
40:54
Speaker 2: off his customers and his profits, and the daily infliction
40:57
Speaker 2: of his peevish partners' murmurs and lamentations. Like other dwellers
41:02
Speaker 2: in the South, he was a man of sober habits
41:05
Speaker 2: and moderate desires, but fond of external show, vain and
41:09
Speaker 2: addicted to display. During the days of his prosperity, not
41:13
Speaker 2: a festivity took place without himself and wife being among
41:16
Speaker 2: the spectators. He dressed in the picturesque costume worn upon
41:20
Speaker 2: grand occasions by the inhabitants of the south of France,
41:24
Speaker 2: bearing equal resemblance to the style adopted both by the
41:27
Speaker 2: Catalans and Andalusians, while la carconte displayed the charming fashion
41:32
Speaker 2: prevalent among the women of Arles, a mode of attire
41:35
Speaker 2: borrowed equally from Greece and Arabia. But by degrees, watch-chains, necklaces,
41:41
Speaker 2: party-coloured scarves, embroidered bodices, velvet vests, elegantly worked stockings, striped gaiters,
41:48
Speaker 2: and silver buckles for the shoes, all disappeared, and Gaspar Cadrus,
41:52
Speaker 2: unable to appear abroad in his pristine splendour, had given
41:55
Speaker 2: up any further participation in the pomps and vanities, both
41:59
Speaker 2: for himself and wife, although a bitter feeling of envious
42:02
Speaker 2: discontent filled his mind, as the sound of mirth and
42:05
Speaker 2: merry music from the joyous revelers reached even the miserable
42:09
Speaker 2: hostelry to which he still clung, more for the shelter
42:12
Speaker 2: than the profit it afforded. Cadrus then was as usual
42:15
Speaker 2: at his place of observation before the door, his eyes
42:19
Speaker 2: glancing listlessly from a piece of closely shaven grass, on
42:22
Speaker 2: which some fowls were industriously, though fruitlessly, endeavouring to turn
42:26
Speaker 2: up some grain or insect suited to their palate, to
42:29
Speaker 2: the deserted road, which led away to the north and south.
42:33
Speaker 2: When he was aroused by the shrill voice of his wife,
42:36
Speaker 2: and grumbling to himself as he went, he mounted to
42:39
Speaker 2: her chamber, first taking care, however, to set the entrance
42:43
Speaker 2: door wide open, as an invitation to any chance traveller
42:46
Speaker 2: who might be passing, At the moment Cadrus quitted his
42:50
Speaker 2: sentry-like watch before the door. The road on which he
42:53
Speaker 2: so eagerly strained his sight was void and lonely as
42:55
Speaker 2: a desert at midday. There it lay, stretching out into
42:59
Speaker 2: one interminable line of dust and sand, with its sides
43:02
Speaker 2: bordered by tall, meagre trees, altogether presenting so uninviting an appearance,
43:07
Speaker 2: that no one in his senses could have imagined that
43:10
Speaker 2: any traveller, at liberty to regulate his hours for journeying,
43:13
Speaker 2: would choose to expose himself in such a formidable Sahara. Nevertheless,
43:18
Speaker 2: had Cadrus but retained his post a few minutes longer,
43:21
Speaker 2: he might have caught a dim outline of something approaching
43:23
Speaker 2: from the direction of Bellegarde. As the moving object drew nearer,
43:27
Speaker 2: he would easily have perceived that it consisted of a
43:30
Speaker 2: man and horse, between whom the kindest and most amiable
43:33
Speaker 2: understanding appeared to exist. The horse was of Hungarian breed,
43:38
Speaker 2: and ambled along at an easy pace. His rider was
43:41
Speaker 2: a priest, dressed in black, and wearing a three-cornered hat.
43:46
Speaker 2: and spite of the ardent rays of a noonday sun,
43:48
Speaker 2: the pair came on with a fair degree of rapidity.
43:51
Speaker 2: Having arrived before the pont du Gard, the horse stopped,
43:55
Speaker 2: but whether for his own pleasure or that of his
43:57
Speaker 2: rider would have been difficult to say. However that might
44:00
Speaker 2: have been, the priest, dismounting, led his steed by the
44:03
Speaker 2: bridle in search of some place to which he could
44:05
Speaker 2: secure him. Availing himself of a handle that projected from
44:09
Speaker 2: a half-fallen door, he tied the animal safely, and having
44:13
Speaker 2: drawn a red cotton handkerchief from his pocket, wiped away
44:16
Speaker 2: the perspiration that streamed from his brow, then, advancing to
44:20
Speaker 2: the door, struck thrice with the end of his iron-shod stick.
44:24
Speaker 2: At this unusual sound a huge black dog came rushing
44:27
Speaker 2: to meet the daring assailant of his ordinarily tranquil abode,
44:31
Speaker 2: snarling and displaying his sharp white teeth, with a determined
44:34
Speaker 2: hostility that abundantly proved how little he was accustomed to society.
44:39
Speaker 2: At that moment a heavy footstep was heard descending the
44:41
Speaker 2: wooden staircase that led from the upper floor. and with
44:45
Speaker 2: many bows and courteous smiles, mine host of the Pont
44:48
Speaker 2: du Gard besought his guest to enter.' You are welcome, sir,
44:52
Speaker 2: most welcome,' repeated the astonished Cadrus.' Now then, Margotin,' cried he,
44:56
Speaker 2: speaking to the dog,' will you be quiet? Pray don't
44:59
Speaker 2: heed him, sir. He only barks, he never bites. I
45:03
Speaker 2: make no doubt a glass of good wine would be
45:05
Speaker 2: acceptable this dreadfully hot day.' Then, perceiving for the first
45:08
Speaker 2: time the garb of the traveller he had to entertain,
45:11
Speaker 2: Cadrus hastily exclaimed, A thousand pardons! I really did not
45:15
Speaker 2: observe whom I had the honour to receive under my
45:18
Speaker 2: poor roof. What would the Abbe please to have? What
45:21
Speaker 2: refreshment can I offer? All I have is at his service.
45:25
Speaker 2: The priest gazed on the person addressing him with a
45:27
Speaker 2: long and searching gaze. There even seemed a disposition on
45:31
Speaker 2: his part to court a similar scrutiny on the part
45:33
Speaker 2: of the innkeeper. Then, observing in the countenance of the
45:36
Speaker 2: latter no other expression than extreme surprise at his own
45:39
Speaker 2: want of attention to an inquiry so courteously worded, He
45:43
Speaker 2: deemed it as well to terminate this dumb show, and
45:46
Speaker 2: therefore said, speaking with a strong Italian accent, You are,
45:49
Speaker 2: I presume, Monsieur Cadrous? Yes, sir, answered the host, even
45:53
Speaker 2: more surprised at the question than he had been by
45:55
Speaker 2: the silence which had preceded it. I am Gaspard Cadrous,
45:59
Speaker 2: at your service. Gaspard Cadrous, rejoined the priest. Yes, Christian
46:04
Speaker 2: and surname are the same. You formerly lived, I believe,
46:07
Speaker 2: in the Allée de Mayon, on the fourth floor.
46:10
Speaker 4: I did.
46:11
Speaker 2: And you followed the business of a tailor? True, I
46:14
Speaker 2: was a tailor till the trade fell off. It is
46:16
Speaker 2: so hot at Marseilles that really I believe that the
46:18
Speaker 2: respectable inhabitants will in time go without any clothing whatever.
46:22
Speaker 2: But talking of heat, is there nothing I can offer
46:25
Speaker 2: you by way of refreshment? Yes, let me have a
46:27
Speaker 2: bottle of your best wine, and then, with your permission,
46:30
Speaker 2: we will resume our conversation from where we left off.
46:34
Speaker 2: As you please, sir, said Cadrous, who, anxious not to
46:37
Speaker 2: lose the present opportunity of finding a customer for one
46:40
Speaker 2: of the few bottle of cowl still remaining in his possession,
46:43
Speaker 2: hastily raised a trap-door in the floor of the apartment
46:45
Speaker 2: they were in, which served both as parlour and kitchen.
46:49
Speaker 2: Upon issuing forth from his subterranean retreat at the expiration
46:52
Speaker 2: of five minutes, he found the abbé seated upon a
46:55
Speaker 2: wooden stool, leaning his elbow on a table, while Margotin,
46:59
Speaker 2: whose animosity seemed appeased by the unusual command of the
47:02
Speaker 2: traveller for refreshments, had crept up to him, and had
47:06
Speaker 2: established himself very comfortably between his knees, his long skinny
47:09
Speaker 2: neck resting on his lap. while his dim eye was
47:12
Speaker 2: fixed earnestly on the traveller's face.' Are you quite alone?'
47:15
Speaker 2: inquired the guest, as Cadreus placed before him the bottle
47:18
Speaker 2: of wine and a glass.' Quite, quite alone,' replied the man,
47:22
Speaker 2: or at least practically so,' for my poor wife, who
47:25
Speaker 2: is the only person in the house besides myself, is
47:28
Speaker 2: laid up with illness, and unable to render me the
47:30
Speaker 2: least assistance, poor thing.'' You are married, then?' said the priest,
47:34
Speaker 2: with a show of interest, glancing round as he spoke
47:36
Speaker 2: at the scanty furnishings of the apartment. Ah, sir, said
47:40
Speaker 2: Cadrus with a sigh, it is easy to perceive I
47:43
Speaker 2: am not a rich man. But in this world a
47:46
Speaker 2: man does not thrive the better for being honest. The
47:49
Speaker 2: Abbe fixed on him a searching, penetrating glance. Yes, honest,
47:53
Speaker 2: I can certainly say that much for myself, continued the innkeeper,
47:57
Speaker 2: fairly sustaining the scrutiny of the Abbe's gaze. I can
48:00
Speaker 2: boast with truth of being an honest man, and, continued
48:03
Speaker 2: he significantly, with a hand on his breast and shaking
48:06
Speaker 2: his head, That is more than every one can say nowadays.
48:10
Speaker 2: So much the better for you if what you assert
48:12
Speaker 2: be true, said the Abbe. For I am firmly persuaded
48:15
Speaker 2: that sooner or later the good will be rewarded and
48:18
Speaker 2: the wicked punished. Such words as those belong to your profession,
48:21
Speaker 2: answered Cadrus, and you do well to repeat them. But,
48:25
Speaker 2: added he, with a bitter expression of countenance, one is
48:28
Speaker 2: free to believe them or not, as one pleases. You
48:31
Speaker 2: are wrong to speak thus, said the Abbe, and perhaps
48:34
Speaker 2: I may, in my own person, be able to prove
48:36
Speaker 2: to you how completely you are in error. What mean you?
48:39
Speaker 2: inquired Cadrus, with a look of surprise. In the first place,
48:43
Speaker 2: I must be satisfied that you are the person I
48:45
Speaker 2: am in search of. What proofs do you require? Did you,
48:49
Speaker 2: in the year 1814 or 1815, know anything of a
48:52
Speaker 2: young sailor named Dons? Dons? Did I know poor dear Edmund? Why,
48:57
Speaker 2: Edmund Dons and myself were intimate friends, exclaimed Cadrus, whose
49:02
Speaker 2: countenance flushed darkly. as he caught the penetrating gaze of
49:06
Speaker 2: the Abbe fixed on him, while the clear, calm eye
49:08
Speaker 2: of the questioner seemed to dilate with feverish scrutiny.' You
49:12
Speaker 2: remind me,' said the priest,' that the young man concerning
49:15
Speaker 2: whom I asked you' was said to bear the name
49:17
Speaker 2: of Edmund?'' Said to bear the name,' repeated Cadrus, becoming
49:21
Speaker 2: excited and eager.' Why, he was so called as truly
49:24
Speaker 2: as I myself bore the appellation of Gaspar Cadrus. But
49:27
Speaker 2: tell me, I pray, what has become of poor Edmund?
49:30
Speaker 2: Did you know him? Is he alive and at liberty?
49:33
Speaker 2: Is he prosperous and happy?' He died a more wretched, hopeless,
49:37
Speaker 2: heart-broken prisoner than the felons who pay the penalty of
49:40
Speaker 2: their crimes at the galleys of Toulon. A deadly pallor
49:43
Speaker 2: followed the flush on the countenance of Cadreuse, who turned away,
49:47
Speaker 2: and the priest saw him wiping the tears from his
49:49
Speaker 2: eyes with the corner of the red handkerchief twisted round
49:52
Speaker 2: his head. Poor fellow! Poor fellow! murmured Cadreuse. Well there, sir,
49:57
Speaker 2: is another proof that good people are never rewarded on
50:00
Speaker 2: this earth, and that none but the wicked prosper.
50:03
Speaker 4: Ah!
50:03
Speaker 2: Continued Cadreuse. speaking in the highly coloured language of the South.
50:08
Speaker 2: The world grows worse and worse. Why does not God,
50:11
Speaker 2: if he really hates the wicked, as he is said
50:13
Speaker 2: to do, send down brimstone and fire and consume them altogether?
50:18
Speaker 2: You speak as though you had loved this young dance,
50:20
Speaker 2: observed the Abbe, without taking any notice of his companion's vehemence.
50:25
Speaker 2: And so I did, replied Cadrus, though once I confess
50:28
Speaker 2: I envied him his good fortune. But I swear to you, sir,
50:32
Speaker 2: I swear to you by everything a man holds dear,
50:34
Speaker 2: I have since then deeply and sincerely lamented his unhappy fate.
50:39
Speaker 2: There was a brief silence, during which the fixed, searching
50:42
Speaker 2: eye of the Abbe was employed in scrutinizing the agitated
50:45
Speaker 2: features of the innkeeper. You knew the poor lad, then,
50:48
Speaker 2: continued Cadrus. I was called to see him on his
50:51
Speaker 2: dying bed, that I might administer to him the consolations
50:54
Speaker 2: of religion. And of what did he die? asked Cadrus,
50:57
Speaker 2: in a choking voice. Of what, think you, do young
51:00
Speaker 2: and strong men die in prison, when they have scarcely
51:03
Speaker 2: numbered their thirtieth year? unless it be of imprisonment. Cadrus
51:07
Speaker 2: wiped away the large beads of perspiration that gathered on
51:09
Speaker 2: his brow. But the strangest part of the story is,
51:12
Speaker 2: resumed the Abbe, that Dantz, even in his dying moments,
51:16
Speaker 2: swore by his crucified Redeemer that he was utterly ignorant
51:19
Speaker 2: of the cause of his detention. And so he was,
51:22
Speaker 2: murmured Cadrus. How should he have been otherwise? Asked Sir,
51:26
Speaker 2: the poor fellow told you the truth. And for that
51:29
Speaker 2: reason he besought me to try and clear up a
51:31
Speaker 2: mystery he had never been able to penetrate. and to
51:34
Speaker 2: clear his memory should any foul spot or stain have
51:36
Speaker 2: fallen on it. And here the look of the Abbe,
51:39
Speaker 2: becoming more and more fixed, seemed to rest with ill-concealed
51:42
Speaker 2: satisfaction on the gloomy depression which was rapidly spreading over
51:46
Speaker 2: the countenance of Cardreuse. A rich Englishman, continued the Abbe,
51:51
Speaker 2: who had been his companion in misfortune, but had been
51:53
Speaker 2: released from prison during the second restoration, was possessed of
51:57
Speaker 2: a diamond of immense value. This jewel he bestowed on Dantz,
52:01
Speaker 2: upon himself quitting the prison. as a mark of his
52:04
Speaker 2: gratitude for the kindness and brotherly care with which Dantz
52:07
Speaker 2: had nursed him in a severe illness he underwent during
52:09
Speaker 2: his confinement. Instead of employing this diamond in attempting to
52:13
Speaker 2: bribe his jailers, who might only have taken it and
52:16
Speaker 2: then betrayed him to the governor, Dantz carefully preserved it
52:19
Speaker 2: that in the event of his getting out of prison
52:21
Speaker 2: he might have wherewithal to live, for the sale of
52:24
Speaker 2: such a diamond would have quite sufficed to make his fortune.
52:27
Speaker 2: Then I suppose, asked Hadrus with eager, glowing looks, that
52:31
Speaker 2: it was a stone of immense value, Why, everything is relative,
52:34
Speaker 2: answered the Abbe. To one in Edmund's position, the diamond
52:37
Speaker 2: certainly was of great value. It was estimated at fifty
52:41
Speaker 2: thousand francs. Bless me! exclaimed Cadreus. Fifty thousand francs! Surely
52:47
Speaker 2: the diamond was as large as a nut to be
52:49
Speaker 2: worth all that. No, replied the Abbe. It was not
52:52
Speaker 2: of such a size as that. But you shall judge
52:55
Speaker 2: for yourself. I have it with me. The sharp gaze
52:58
Speaker 2: of Cadreus was instantly directed towards the priest's garments. as
53:01
Speaker 2: though hoping to discover the location of the treasure. Calmly
53:05
Speaker 2: drawing forth from his pocket a small box covered with
53:07
Speaker 2: black chagrin, the Abbe opened it, and displayed to the
53:11
Speaker 2: dazzled eyes of Cadreus the sparkling jewel it contained, set
53:14
Speaker 2: in a ring of admirable workmanship. And that diamond, cried Cadreus,
53:18
Speaker 2: almost breathless with eager admiration, you say is worth fifty
53:22
Speaker 2: thousand francs? It is, without the setting, which is also valuable,
53:27
Speaker 2: replied the Abbe, as he closed the box and returned
53:30
Speaker 2: it to his pocket. while its brilliant hues seemed still
53:33
Speaker 2: to dance before the eyes of the fascinated innkeeper. But
53:36
Speaker 2: how comes the diamond in your possession, sir? Did Edmund
53:39
Speaker 2: make you his heir? No, merely his testamentary executor. I
53:43
Speaker 2: once possessed four dear and faithful friends, besides the maiden
53:46
Speaker 2: to whom I was betrothed, he said, and I feel
53:49
Speaker 2: convinced they have all unfeignedly grieved over my loss. The
53:52
Speaker 2: name of one of the four friends is Cardreuse. The
53:55
Speaker 2: innkeeper shivered. Another of the number, continued the Abbe, without
53:59
Speaker 2: seeming to notice the emotion of Cadrus, is called Donglar,
54:03
Speaker 2: and the third, in spite of being my rival, entertained
54:06
Speaker 2: a very sincere affection for me. A fiendish smile played
54:09
Speaker 2: over the features of Cadrus, who was about to break
54:12
Speaker 2: in upon the Abbe's speech, when the latter, waving his hand, said,
54:16
Speaker 2: Allow me to finish first, and then, if you have
54:18
Speaker 2: any observations to make, you can do so afterwards. The
54:22
Speaker 2: third of my friends, although my rival, was much attached
54:24
Speaker 2: to me. His name was Fernand, That of my betrothed
54:28
Speaker 2: was—'' Stay, stay,' continued the Abbe.' I have forgotten what
54:32
Speaker 2: he called her.'' Mercedes,' said Cadrus, eagerly.' Chew,' said the Abbe,
54:37
Speaker 2: with a stifled sigh.' Mercedes it was. Go on,' urged Cadrus.'
54:42
Speaker 2: Bring me a carafe of water,' said the Abbe.' Cadrus
54:46
Speaker 2: quickly performed the stranger's bidding, and after pouring some into
54:49
Speaker 2: a glass, and slowly swallowing its contents, the Abbe, resuming
54:53
Speaker 2: his usual placidity of manner, said, as he placed his
54:56
Speaker 2: empty glass on the table, Where did we leave off?
54:59
Speaker 2: The name of Edmund's betrothed was Mercedes. To be sure.
55:03
Speaker 2: You will go to Marseilles, said Dantz, for you understand
55:06
Speaker 2: I repeat his words just as he uttered them. Do
55:09
Speaker 2: you understand? Perfectly. You will sell this diamond, you will
55:12
Speaker 2: divide the money into five equal parts, and give an
55:15
Speaker 2: equal portion to these good friends, the only persons who
55:18
Speaker 2: have loved me upon earth. But why into five parts?
55:22
Speaker 2: asked Cadrus. You only mention four persons. Because the fifth
55:26
Speaker 2: is dead, as I hear. The fifth sharer in Edmund's
55:29
Speaker 2: bequest was his own father. Too true, too true, ejaculated Cadrus,
55:34
Speaker 2: almost suffocated by the contending passions which assailed him. The
55:38
Speaker 2: poor old man did die. I learned so much at Marseilles,
55:41
Speaker 2: replied the Abbe, making a strong effort to appear indifferent.
55:45
Speaker 2: But from the length of time that has elapsed since
55:47
Speaker 2: the death of the elder Dons, I was unable to
55:49
Speaker 2: obtain any particulars of his end. Can you enlighten me
55:52
Speaker 2: on that point? I do not know who could if
55:55
Speaker 2: I could not, said Cadrus. Why, I lived almost on
55:57
Speaker 2: the same floor with the poor old man. Ah, yes,
56:00
Speaker 2: about a year after the disappearance of his son, the
56:03
Speaker 2: poor old man died. Of what did he die? Why,
56:06
Speaker 2: the doctors called his complaint gastroenteritis, I believe. His acquaintances
56:11
Speaker 2: say he died of grief. But I who saw him
56:13
Speaker 2: in his dying moments, I say he died of— Cadrus paused.
56:18
Speaker 4: Of what?
56:18
Speaker 2: Asked the priest, anxiously and eagerly. Why, of downright starvation. Starvation!
56:24
Speaker 2: exclaimed the abbé, springing from his seat. Why, the vilest
56:28
Speaker 2: animals are not suffered to die by such a death
56:30
Speaker 2: as that. The very dogs that wander houseless and homeless
56:33
Speaker 2: in the streets find some pitying hand to cast them
56:36
Speaker 2: a mouthful of bread, and that a man, a Christian,
56:40
Speaker 2: should be allowed to perish of hunger in the midst
56:42
Speaker 2: of other men who call themselves Christians, is too horrible
56:45
Speaker 2: for belief. Oh, it is impossible, utterly impossible. What I
56:50
Speaker 2: have said, I have said, answered Cadrus. And you are
56:53
Speaker 2: fool for having said anything about it, said a voice
56:55
Speaker 2: from the top of the stairs. Why should you meddle
56:58
Speaker 2: with what does not concern you? The two men turned quickly,
57:01
Speaker 2: and saw the sickly countenance of La Carconte, peering between
57:05
Speaker 2: the baluster rails. Attracted by the sound of voices, she
57:08
Speaker 2: had feebly dragged herself down the stairs, and seated on
57:11
Speaker 2: the lower step, head on knees, she had listened to
57:14
Speaker 2: the foregoing conversation. Mind your own business, wife, replied Cadrous sharply.
57:19
Speaker 2: This gentleman asked me for information, which common politeness will
57:23
Speaker 2: not permit me to refuse.' Politeness, you simpleton,' retorted Lacarconte.'
57:27
Speaker 2: What have you to do with politeness, I should like
57:30
Speaker 2: to know? Better study a little common prudence. How do
57:34
Speaker 2: you know the motives that person may have for trying
57:36
Speaker 2: to extract all he can from you?'' I pledge you
57:39
Speaker 2: my word, madam,' said the abbé,' that my intentions are good,
57:43
Speaker 2: and that your husband can incur no risk, provided he
57:46
Speaker 2: answers me candidly.'' Ah, that's all very fine,' retorted the woman.'
57:49
Speaker 2: Nothing is easier than to begin with fair promises and
57:53
Speaker 2: assurance of nothing to fear.' but when poor silly folks
57:56
Speaker 2: like my husband there have been persuaded to tell all
57:59
Speaker 2: they know the promises and assurances of safety are quickly
58:02
Speaker 2: forgotten and at some moment when nobody is expecting it
58:06
Speaker 2: behold trouble and misery and all sorts of persecutions are
58:10
Speaker 2: heaped on the unfortunate wretches who cannot even see whence
58:13
Speaker 2: all their afflictions come nay nay my good woman make
58:17
Speaker 2: yourself perfectly easy i beg of you whatever evils may
58:20
Speaker 2: befall you they will not be occasioned by my instrumentality
58:24
Speaker 2: That I solemnly promise you. La Carcante muttered a few
58:27
Speaker 2: inarticulate words, then let her head again drop upon her knees,
58:31
Speaker 2: and went into a fit of ague, leaving the two
58:34
Speaker 2: speakers to resume the conversation, but remaining so as to
58:37
Speaker 2: be able to hear every word they uttered. Again the
58:40
Speaker 2: Abbe had been obliged to swallow a draught of water,
58:43
Speaker 2: to calm the emotions that threatened to overpower him. When
58:46
Speaker 2: he had sufficiently recovered himself, he said, It appears, then,
58:49
Speaker 2: that the miserable old man you were telling me of
58:52
Speaker 2: was forsaken by every one. Surely had not such been
58:55
Speaker 2: the case, he would not have perished by so dreadful
58:57
Speaker 2: a death. Why, he was not altogether forsaken, continued Cadrus,
59:02
Speaker 2: for Mercedes the Catalan and Monsieur Morel were very kind
59:05
Speaker 2: to him, but somehow the poor old man had contracted
59:08
Speaker 2: a profound hatred for Fernand. The very person, added Cadrus
59:12
Speaker 2: with a bitter smile, that you name just now as
59:14
Speaker 2: being one of Dante's faithful and attached friends. And was
59:18
Speaker 2: he not so? asked the Abbe. Gaspard, Gaspard, murmured the
59:22
Speaker 2: woman from her seat on the stairs. Mind what you
59:25
Speaker 2: are saying. Cadrus made no reply to these words. though
59:29
Speaker 2: evidently irritated and annoyed by the interruption. But addressing the Abbe,
59:34
Speaker 2: he said, Can a man be faithful to another whose
59:36
Speaker 2: wife he covets and desires for himself? But dance was
59:39
Speaker 2: so honourable and true in his own nature, that he
59:42
Speaker 2: believed everybody's professions of friendship. Poor Edmund, he was cruelly deceived.
59:47
Speaker 2: But it was fortunate that he never knew, or he
59:50
Speaker 2: might have found it more difficult when on his deathbed
59:52
Speaker 2: to pardon his enemies. And whatever people may say, continued
59:55
Speaker 2: Cadrus in his native language,' which is not altogether devoid
59:59
Speaker 2: of rude poetry.' I cannot help being more frightened' at
1:00:02
Speaker 2: the idea of the malediction of the dead' than the
1:00:04
Speaker 2: hatred of the living.'' Imbecile!' exclaimed Lacarconte.' Do you then
1:00:09
Speaker 2: know in what manner Fernand injured Donce?'' inquired the Abbe
1:00:12
Speaker 2: of Cadreuse.' Do I? No one better.' Speak out, then.
1:00:16
Speaker 2: Say what it was.'' Gaspard!' cried Lacarconte.' Do as you will.
1:00:20
Speaker 2: You are master.' But if you take my advice, you'll
1:00:23
Speaker 2: hold your tongue.' Well, wife, replied Cadrus, I don't know
1:00:26
Speaker 2: but what you are right. So you will say nothing?
1:00:29
Speaker 2: asked the Abbe. Why, what good would it do? asked Cadrus.
1:00:34
Speaker 2: If the poor lad were living and came to me
1:00:35
Speaker 2: and begged that I would candidly tell which were his
1:00:38
Speaker 2: true and which his false friends, why, perhaps I should
1:00:41
Speaker 2: not hesitate. But you tell me he is no more,
1:00:43
Speaker 2: and therefore can have nothing to do with hatred or revenge.
1:00:47
Speaker 2: So let all such feeling be buried with him. You prefer, then,
1:00:50
Speaker 2: said the Abbe, that I should bestow on men you
1:00:52
Speaker 2: say are false and treacherous, the reward intended for faithful friendship.
1:00:57
Speaker 2: That is true enough, returned Cadrus. You say truly the
1:01:00
Speaker 2: gift of poor Edmund was not meant for such traitors
1:01:03
Speaker 2: as Fernand and Donglas. Besides, what would it be to them?
1:01:06
Speaker 2: No more than a drop of water in the ocean. Remember,
1:01:09
Speaker 2: chimed in Lacarconte, those two could crush you at a
1:01:12
Speaker 2: single blow. How so? inquired the Abbe. Are these persons
1:01:16
Speaker 2: then so rich and powerful? Do you not know their history?
1:01:20
Speaker 2: I do not. Pray relate it to me. Cadreus seemed
1:01:23
Speaker 2: to reflect for a few moments, and said, No, truly,
1:01:26
Speaker 2: it would take up too much time. Well, my good friend,
1:01:29
Speaker 2: returned the Abbe, in a tone that indicated utter indifference
1:01:32
Speaker 2: on his part. You are at liberty either to speak
1:01:35
Speaker 2: or be silent, just as you please. For my own part,
1:01:38
Speaker 2: I respect your scruples and admire your sentiments. So let
1:01:42
Speaker 2: the matter end. I shall do my duty as conscientiously
1:01:45
Speaker 2: as I can, and fulfil my promise to the dying man.
1:01:48
Speaker 2: My first business will be to dispose of this diamond.
1:01:52
Speaker 2: So saying, the Abbe again drew the small box from
1:01:54
Speaker 2: his pocket, opened it, and contrived to hold it in
1:01:57
Speaker 2: such a light that a bright flash of brilliant hues
1:01:59
Speaker 2: passed before the dazzled gaze of Cadreus.' Wife!
1:02:03
Speaker 4: Wife!
1:02:04
Speaker 2: cried he, in a hoarse voice.' Come here!'' Diamond!' exclaimed
1:02:08
Speaker 2: La Carconte, rising and descending to the chamber, with a
1:02:11
Speaker 2: tolerably firm step.' What diamond are you talking about?'' Why
1:02:15
Speaker 2: did you not hear all we said?' inquired Cadreus.' It
1:02:18
Speaker 2: is a beautiful diamond left by poor Edmond Donce, to
1:02:20
Speaker 2: be sold.' and the money divided between his father, Mercedes,
1:02:23
Speaker 2: his betrothed bride, Fernand, Dongelard, and myself. The jewel is
1:02:28
Speaker 2: worth at least fifty thousand francs.'' Oh, what a magnificent jewel!'
1:02:32
Speaker 2: cried the astonished woman.' The fifth part of the profits
1:02:35
Speaker 2: from this stone belongs to us, then, does it not?'
1:02:37
Speaker 2: asked Cadrus.' It does,' replied the Abbe, with the addition
1:02:41
Speaker 2: of an equal division of that part intended for the
1:02:43
Speaker 2: Elder Dons, which I believe myself at liberty to divide
1:02:47
Speaker 2: equally with the four survivors.' And why among us four?
1:02:50
Speaker 2: inquired Cadreus. As being the friend's Edmund Esteem most faithful
1:02:54
Speaker 2: and devoted to him. I don't call those friends who
1:02:57
Speaker 2: betray and ruin you, murmured the wife in her turn,
1:03:00
Speaker 2: in a low, muttering voice. Of course not, rejoined Cadreus quickly.
1:03:05
Speaker 2: No more do I. And that was what I was
1:03:07
Speaker 2: observing to this gentleman just now. I said I looked
1:03:10
Speaker 2: upon it as a sacrilegious profanation, to reward treachery, perhaps crime.' Remember,'
1:03:16
Speaker 2: answered the Abbe calmly, as he replaced the jewel and
1:03:18
Speaker 2: its case in the pocket of his cassock,' it is
1:03:21
Speaker 2: your fault, not mine, that I do so. You will
1:03:23
Speaker 2: have the goodness to furnish me with the address of
1:03:25
Speaker 2: both Fernand and Denglas, in order that I may execute
1:03:29
Speaker 2: Edmund's last wishes.' The agitation of Cadrus became extreme, and
1:03:33
Speaker 2: large drops of perspiration rolled from his heated brow, as
1:03:37
Speaker 2: he saw the Abbe rise from his seat and go
1:03:38
Speaker 2: towards the door, as though to ascertain if his horse
1:03:41
Speaker 2: was sufficiently refreshed to continue his journey. Cadrus and his
1:03:45
Speaker 2: wife exchanged looks of deep meaning. There you see, wife,
1:03:49
Speaker 2: said the former, this splendid diamond might all be ours
1:03:52
Speaker 2: if you chose. Do you believe it? Why, surely a
1:03:55
Speaker 2: man of his holy profession would not deceive us. Well,
1:03:58
Speaker 2: replied La Carconte, do as you like. For my part
1:04:02
Speaker 2: I wash my hands of the affair. So saying, she
1:04:05
Speaker 2: once more climbed the staircase leading to her chamber, her
1:04:08
Speaker 2: body convulsed with chills, and her teeth rattling in her head,
1:04:12
Speaker 2: in spite of the intense heat of the weather. arrived
1:04:15
Speaker 2: at the top stair she turned round, and called out
1:04:18
Speaker 2: in a warning tone to her husband,' Gaspard, consider well
1:04:22
Speaker 2: what you are about to do.'' I have both reflected
1:04:25
Speaker 2: and decided,' answered he. Lacarconte then entered her chamber, the
1:04:29
Speaker 2: flooring of which creaked beneath her heavy uncertain tread, as
1:04:32
Speaker 2: she proceeded towards her armchair, into which she fell as
1:04:35
Speaker 2: though exhausted.' Well,' asked the Abbe, as he returned to
1:04:38
Speaker 2: the apartment below,' what have you made up your mind
1:04:41
Speaker 2: to do?'' To tell you all I know,' was the reply.
1:04:45
Speaker 2: I certainly think you act wisely in so doing, said
1:04:47
Speaker 2: the priest, not because I have the least desire to
1:04:50
Speaker 2: learn anything you may please to conceal from me, but
1:04:52
Speaker 2: simply that if, through your assistance, I could distribute the
1:04:56
Speaker 2: legacy according to the wishes of the testator, why, so
1:04:59
Speaker 2: much the better, that is all. I hope it may
1:05:01
Speaker 2: be so, replied Cadrus, his face flushed with cupidity. I
1:05:05
Speaker 2: am all attention, said the Abbe. Stop a minute, answered Cadrus.
1:05:10
Speaker 2: We might be interrupted in the most interesting part of
1:05:12
Speaker 2: my story, which would be a pity. and it is
1:05:15
Speaker 2: as well that your visit hither should be made known
1:05:17
Speaker 2: only to ourselves. With these words he went stealthily to
1:05:21
Speaker 2: the door, which he closed, and by way of still
1:05:23
Speaker 2: greater precaution bolted and barred it, as he was accustomed
1:05:27
Speaker 2: to do at night. During this time the Abbe had
1:05:29
Speaker 2: chosen his place for listening at his ease. He removed
1:05:33
Speaker 2: his seat into a corner of the room, where he
1:05:35
Speaker 2: himself would be in deep shadow, while the light would
1:05:38
Speaker 2: be fully thrown on the narrator, then, with head bent
1:05:41
Speaker 2: down and hands clasped, or rather clinched together, he prepared
1:05:45
Speaker 2: to give his whole attention to Cadrus, who seated himself
1:05:48
Speaker 2: on the little stool, exactly opposite to him.' Remember, this
1:05:53
Speaker 2: is no affair of mine,' said the trembling voice of
1:05:55
Speaker 2: La Carcante, as though through the flooring of her chamber
1:05:58
Speaker 2: she viewed the scene that was enacting below.' Enough, enough,'
1:06:01
Speaker 2: replied Cadrus.' Say no more about it. I will take
1:06:05
Speaker 2: all the consequences upon myself.' And he began his story.
1:06:10
Speaker 2: End of chapter twenty-six CHAPTER XXVII. THE STORY FIRST, SIR,
1:06:25
Speaker 2: SAID CADRUS, YOU MUST MAKE ME A PROMISE. What is that?
1:06:53
Speaker 2: inquired the Abbe. Why, if you ever make use of
1:06:57
Speaker 2: the details I am about to give you, that you
1:06:59
Speaker 2: will never let anyone know that it was I who
1:07:01
Speaker 2: supplied them. For the persons of whom I am about
1:07:05
Speaker 2: to talk are rich and powerful, and if they only
1:07:08
Speaker 2: laid the tips of their fingers on me, I should
1:07:10
Speaker 2: break to pieces like glass. Make yourself easy, my friend,
1:07:14
Speaker 2: replied the Abbe. I am a priest, and confessions die
1:07:18
Speaker 2: in my breast. Recollect. Our only desire is to carry
1:07:22
Speaker 2: out in a fitting manner the last wishes of our friend. Speak, then,
1:07:26
Speaker 2: without reserve, as without hatred. Tell the truth, the whole truth.
1:07:32
Speaker 2: I do not know, never may know, the persons of
1:07:35
Speaker 2: whom you are about to speak. Besides, I am an Italian,
1:07:38
Speaker 2: and not a Frenchman, and belong to God, and not
1:07:41
Speaker 2: to man, and I shall shortly retire to my convent,
1:07:45
Speaker 2: which I have only quitted to fulfil the last wishes
1:07:47
Speaker 2: of a dying man. This positive assurance seemed to give
1:07:51
Speaker 2: Cadreus a little courage. Well then, under these circumstances, said Cadreus,
1:07:56
Speaker 2: I will, I even believe I ought to undeceive you,
1:07:59
Speaker 2: as to the friendship which poor Edmund thought so sincere
1:08:02
Speaker 2: and unquestionable. Begin with his father, if you please, said
1:08:05
Speaker 2: the Abbe. Edmund talked to me a great deal about
1:08:08
Speaker 2: the old man, for whom he had the deepest love.
1:08:11
Speaker 2: The history is a sad one, sir, said Cadreus, shaking
1:08:13
Speaker 2: his head. Perhaps you know all the earlier part of it? Yes,
1:08:18
Speaker 2: answered the Abbe. Edmund related to me everything until the
1:08:21
Speaker 2: moment when he was arrested, in a small cabaret close
1:08:24
Speaker 2: to Marseilles. At La Reserve, oh yes, I can see
1:08:28
Speaker 2: it all before me this moment. Was it not his
1:08:31
Speaker 2: betrothal feast? It was, and the feast that began so
1:08:35
Speaker 2: gaily had a very sorrowful ending. A police commissary, followed
1:08:39
Speaker 2: by four soldiers, entered, and Dantz was arrested. Yes, and
1:08:44
Speaker 2: up to this point I know all, said the priest.
1:08:46
Speaker 2: Dantz himself only knew that which personally concerned him. for
1:08:50
Speaker 2: he never beheld again the five persons I have named
1:08:52
Speaker 2: to you, or heard mention of any one of them. Well,
1:08:56
Speaker 2: when Dantz was arrested, M. Morel hastened to obtain the particulars.
1:09:00
Speaker 2: and they were very sad. The old man returned alone
1:09:03
Speaker 2: to his home, folded up his wedding-suit with tears in
1:09:07
Speaker 2: his eyes, and paced up and down his chamber the
1:09:09
Speaker 2: whole day, and would not go to bed at all,
1:09:12
Speaker 2: for I was underneath him and heard him walking the
1:09:14
Speaker 2: whole night, and for myself I assure you I could
1:09:17
Speaker 2: not sleep either. for the grief of the poor father
1:09:20
Speaker 2: gave me great uneasiness and every step he took went
1:09:23
Speaker 2: to my heart as really as if his foot had
1:09:25
Speaker 2: pressed against my breast the next day mercedes came to
1:09:29
Speaker 2: implore the protection of m de she did not obtain
1:09:33
Speaker 2: it however and went to visit the old man when
1:09:36
Speaker 2: she saw him so miserable and heart-broken having passed a
1:09:39
Speaker 2: sleepless night and not touched food since the previous day
1:09:43
Speaker 2: she wished him to go with her that she might
1:09:45
Speaker 2: take care of him but the old man would not
1:09:47
Speaker 2: consent No, was the old man's reply, I will not
1:09:51
Speaker 2: leave this house, for my poor dear boy loves me
1:09:54
Speaker 2: better than anything in the world, and if he gets
1:09:57
Speaker 2: out of prison he will come and see me the
1:09:58
Speaker 2: first thing, and what would he think if I did
1:10:01
Speaker 2: not wait here for him? I heard all this from
1:10:04
Speaker 2: the window, for I was anxious that Mercedes should persuade
1:10:07
Speaker 2: the old man to accompany her, for his footsteps over
1:10:10
Speaker 2: my head night and day did not leave me a
1:10:12
Speaker 2: moment's repose. But did you not go upstairs and try
1:10:15
Speaker 2: to console the poor old man? asked the Abbe. Ah, sir,
1:10:19
Speaker 2: replied Cadrus, we cannot console those who will not be consoled,
1:10:24
Speaker 2: and he was one of these. Besides, I know not why,
1:10:27
Speaker 2: but he seemed to dislike seeing me. One night, however,
1:10:31
Speaker 2: I heard his sobs, and I could not resist my
1:10:33
Speaker 2: desire to go up to him, but when I reached
1:10:35
Speaker 2: his door he was no longer weeping, but praying. I
1:10:38
Speaker 2: cannot now repeat to you, sir, all the eloquent words
1:10:40
Speaker 2: and imploring language he made use of. It was more
1:10:43
Speaker 2: than piety, it was more than grief, and I who
1:10:46
Speaker 2: am no cantor, and hate the Jesuits, said then to myself,
1:10:50
Speaker 2: It is really well, and I am very glad that
1:10:52
Speaker 2: I have not any children, for if I were a
1:10:54
Speaker 2: father and felt such excessive grief as the old man does,
1:10:57
Speaker 2: and did not find in my memory or heart all
1:10:59
Speaker 2: he is now saying, I should throw myself into the
1:11:02
Speaker 2: sea at once, for I could not bear it. Poor father,
1:11:06
Speaker 2: murmured the priest. From day to day he lived on alone,
1:11:09
Speaker 2: and more and more solitary. Monsieur Morel and Mercedes came
1:11:12
Speaker 2: to see him, but his door was closed. and although
1:11:15
Speaker 2: I was certain he was at home, he would not
1:11:17
Speaker 2: make any answer. One day, when contrary to his custom
1:11:20
Speaker 2: he had admitted Mercedes, and the poor girl, in spite
1:11:23
Speaker 2: of her own grief and despair, endeavoured to console him,
1:11:26
Speaker 2: he said to her, Be assured, my dear daughter, he
1:11:29
Speaker 2: is dead, and instead of expecting him, it is he
1:11:32
Speaker 2: who is awaiting us. I am quite happy, for I
1:11:35
Speaker 2: am the oldest, and of course shall see him first.
1:11:38
Speaker 2: However well disposed a person may be, why, you see,
1:11:41
Speaker 2: we leave off after a time, seeing persons who are
1:11:44
Speaker 2: in sorrow. they make one melancholy. And so at last
1:11:47
Speaker 2: old Donce was left all to himself, and I only
1:11:50
Speaker 2: saw from time to time strangers go up to him,
1:11:52
Speaker 2: and come down again with some bundle they tried to hide.
1:11:55
Speaker 2: But I guessed what these bundles were, and that he
1:11:58
Speaker 2: sold by degrees what he had to pay for his subsistence.
1:12:01
Speaker 2: At length the poor old fellow reached the end of
1:12:03
Speaker 2: all he had. He owed three-quarters rent, and they threatened
1:12:06
Speaker 2: to turn him out. He begged for another week, which
1:12:08
Speaker 2: was granted to him. I know this because the landlord
1:12:11
Speaker 2: came into my apartment when he left his. For the
1:12:14
Speaker 2: first three days I heard him walking about as usual,
1:12:17
Speaker 2: but on the fourth I heard nothing. I then resolved
1:12:20
Speaker 2: to go up to him at all wrists. The door
1:12:22
Speaker 2: was closed, but I looked through the keyhole and saw
1:12:25
Speaker 2: him so pale and haggard that, believing him very ill,
1:12:28
Speaker 2: I went and told M. Morel, and then ran on
1:12:30
Speaker 2: to Mercedes. They both came immediately, M. Morel bringing a doctor,
1:12:34
Speaker 2: and the doctor said it was inflammation of the bowels,
1:12:37
Speaker 2: and ordered him a limited diet. I was there too,
1:12:39
Speaker 2: and I never shall forget the old man's smile at
1:12:41
Speaker 2: this prescription. From that time he received all who came.
1:12:45
Speaker 2: He had an excuse for not eating any more. The
1:12:47
Speaker 2: doctor had put him on a diet. The Abbe uttered
1:12:50
Speaker 2: a kind of groan. The story interests you, does it not, sir?
1:12:53
Speaker 2: inquired Cadreuse. Yes, replied the Abbe. It is very affecting.
1:12:58
Speaker 2: Mercedes came again, and she found him so altered that
1:13:01
Speaker 2: she was even more anxious than before to have him
1:13:04
Speaker 2: taken to her own home. This was M. Morel's wish also,
1:13:07
Speaker 2: who would fain have conveyed the old man against his consent.
1:13:10
Speaker 2: But the old man resisted and cried. so that they
1:13:13
Speaker 2: were actually frightened. Mercedes remained, therefore, by his bedside, and M.
1:13:18
Speaker 2: Morel went away, making a sign to the Catalan that
1:13:20
Speaker 2: he had left his purse on the chimney-piece. But availing
1:13:23
Speaker 2: himself of the doctor's order, the old man would not
1:13:26
Speaker 2: take any sustenance. At length, after nine days of despair
1:13:30
Speaker 2: and fasting, the old man died, cursing those who had
1:13:33
Speaker 2: caused his misery, and saying to Mercedes, If you ever
1:13:36
Speaker 2: see my Edmund again, tell him I die blessing him.
1:13:39
Speaker 2: The Abbe rose from his chair, made two turns round
1:13:42
Speaker 2: the chamber, and pressed his trembling hand against his parched throat.
1:13:46
Speaker 2: And you believe he died? Of hunger, sir, of hunger,
1:13:50
Speaker 2: said Cadrus. I am as certain of it as that
1:13:53
Speaker 2: we too are Christians. The Abbe, with a shaking hand,
1:13:58
Speaker 2: seized a glass of water that was standing by him
1:14:00
Speaker 2: half full, swallowed it at one gulp, and then resumed
1:14:03
Speaker 2: his seat, with red eyes and pale cheeks. This was
1:14:06
Speaker 2: indeed a horrid event, said he in a hoarse voice.
1:14:09
Speaker 2: The more so, sir, as it was men's and not
1:14:11
Speaker 2: God's doing. Tell me of those men, said the Abbe,
1:14:14
Speaker 2: and remember, too, he added, in an almost menacing tone,
1:14:18
Speaker 2: you have promised to tell me everything. Tell me, therefore,
1:14:22
Speaker 2: who are these men who kill the son with despair
1:14:25
Speaker 2: and the father with famine? Two men jealous of him, sir,
1:14:29
Speaker 2: one from love and the other from ambition, Fernand and Anglard.
1:14:34
Speaker 2: How has this jealousy manifested? Speak on. They denounce Edmond
1:14:38
Speaker 2: as a Bonapartist agent. Which of the two denounced him?
1:14:42
Speaker 2: Which was the real delinquent? Both, sir, one with a letter,
1:14:46
Speaker 2: and the other put it in the post. And where
1:14:49
Speaker 2: was this letter written? At La Réserve, the day before
1:14:52
Speaker 2: the betrothal feast? T'was so, then, murmured the Abbe. O Faria, Faria,
1:14:58
Speaker 2: how well did you judge men and things! What did
1:15:01
Speaker 2: you please to say, sir? asked Cadrus. Nothing, nothing, replied
1:15:05
Speaker 2: the priest.
1:15:06
Speaker 5: Go on.
1:15:07
Speaker 2: It was d'Anglard who wrote the denunciation with his left hand,
1:15:10
Speaker 2: that his writing might not be recognised. and Fernand, who
1:15:13
Speaker 2: put it in the post. But, exclaimed the Abbe, suddenly,
1:15:17
Speaker 2: you were there yourself. I, said Cadrus, astonished. Who told
1:15:21
Speaker 2: you I was there? The Abbe saw he had overshot
1:15:24
Speaker 2: the mark, and he added quickly, No one, but in
1:15:27
Speaker 2: order to have known everything so well, you must have
1:15:29
Speaker 2: been an eyewitness. True, true, said Cadrus, in a choking voice.
1:15:35
Speaker 2: I was there. And did you not remonstrate against such infamy?
1:15:38
Speaker 2: asked the Abbe. If not, you were an accomplice. Sir,
1:15:42
Speaker 2: replied Cadreuse, it made me drink to such an excess
1:15:45
Speaker 2: that I nearly lost all perception. I had only an
1:15:48
Speaker 2: indistinct understanding of what was passing around me. I said
1:15:51
Speaker 2: all that a man in such a state could say,
1:15:53
Speaker 2: but they both assured me that it was a jest
1:15:55
Speaker 2: they were carrying on, and perfectly harmless. Next day, next day, sir,
1:16:00
Speaker 2: you must have seen plain enough what they had been doing,
1:16:02
Speaker 2: yet you said nothing, though you were present when Dantz
1:16:05
Speaker 2: was arrested. Yes, sir, I was there, and very anxious
1:16:08
Speaker 2: to speak. But Donglar restrained me. If he should really
1:16:12
Speaker 2: be guilty, said he, and did really put in to
1:16:14
Speaker 2: the island of Elba, if he is really charged with
1:16:17
Speaker 2: a letter for the Bonapartist Committee at Paris, and if
1:16:20
Speaker 2: they find this letter upon him, those who have supported
1:16:22
Speaker 2: him will pass for his accomplices. I confess I had
1:16:26
Speaker 2: my fears, in the state in which politics then were,
1:16:29
Speaker 2: and I held my tongue. It was cowardly, I confess,
1:16:32
Speaker 2: but it was not criminal. I understand you allowed matters
1:16:35
Speaker 2: to take their course, that was all. Yes, sir, answered Cadreus.
1:16:40
Speaker 2: and remorse preys on me night and day. I often
1:16:42
Speaker 2: ask pardon of God, I swear to you, because this action,
1:16:46
Speaker 2: the only one with which I have seriously to reproach
1:16:48
Speaker 2: myself in all my life, is no doubt the cause
1:16:51
Speaker 2: of my abject condition. I am expiating a moment of selfishness,
1:16:55
Speaker 2: and so I always say to La Carconte when she complains,
1:16:59
Speaker 2: Hold your tongue, woman, it is the will of God.
1:17:01
Speaker 2: And Cadreuse bowed his head with every sign of real repentance. Well, sir,
1:17:06
Speaker 2: said the Abbe, you have spoken unreservedly. and thus to
1:17:09
Speaker 2: accuse yourself is to deserve pardon. Unfortunately, Edmund is dead,
1:17:13
Speaker 2: and has not pardoned me. He did not know, said
1:17:16
Speaker 2: the Abbe. But he knows it all now, interrupted Cadrus.
1:17:20
Speaker 2: They say the dead know everything. There was a brief silence.
1:17:23
Speaker 2: The Abbe rose and paced up and down pensively, and
1:17:26
Speaker 2: then resumed his seat. You have two or three times
1:17:29
Speaker 2: mentioned a Monsieur Morel, he said. Who was he? The
1:17:32
Speaker 2: owner of the Pharaon, and patron of dance. And what
1:17:35
Speaker 2: part did he play in this sad drama? inquired the Abbe.
1:17:38
Speaker 2: the part of an honest man full of courage and
1:17:40
Speaker 2: real regard. Twenty times he interceded for Edmund. When the
1:17:44
Speaker 2: Emperor returned he wrote, implored, threatened, and so energetically that
1:17:48
Speaker 2: on the second restoration he was persecuted as a Bonapartist.
1:17:52
Speaker 2: Ten times, as I told you, he came to see
1:17:54
Speaker 2: Daunt's father, and offered to receive him in his own house,
1:17:57
Speaker 2: and the night or two before his death, as I
1:17:59
Speaker 2: have already said, he left his purse on the mantelpiece,
1:18:02
Speaker 2: with which they paid the old man's debts and buried
1:18:04
Speaker 2: him decently, and Sir Edmund's father died as he had lived.
1:18:07
Speaker 2: without doing harm to anyone. I have the purse still
1:18:10
Speaker 2: by me, a large one, made of red silk. And,
1:18:14
Speaker 2: asked the Abbe, is Monsieur Morel still a liar? Yes,
1:18:17
Speaker 2: replied Cadreuse. In that case, replied the Abbe, he should
1:18:20
Speaker 2: be rich, happy. Cadreuse smiled bitterly. Yes, happy as myself,
1:18:26
Speaker 2: said he.
1:18:28
Speaker 5: What?
1:18:28
Speaker 2: Monsieur Morel unhappy, exclaimed the Abbe. He is reduced almost
1:18:32
Speaker 2: to the last extremity. Nay, he is almost at the
1:18:35
Speaker 2: point of dishonour.
1:18:37
Speaker 4: How?
1:18:38
Speaker 2: Yes continued cadruz so it is after five-and-twenty years of
1:18:42
Speaker 2: labour after having acquired a most honourable name in the
1:18:45
Speaker 2: trade of marseilles m Morel is utterly ruined. He has
1:18:48
Speaker 2: lost five ships in two years, has suffered by the
1:18:51
Speaker 2: bankruptcy of three large houses, and his only hope now
1:18:54
Speaker 2: is in that very far-on which poor Dantz commanded, and
1:18:58
Speaker 2: which is expected from the Indies with a cargo of
1:19:00
Speaker 2: cotoneal and indigo. If this ship founders, like the others,
1:19:04
Speaker 2: he is a ruined man. And has the unfortunate man
1:19:07
Speaker 2: wife or children? inquired the abbé. Yes, he has a wife,
1:19:11
Speaker 2: who through everything has behaved like an angel. He has
1:19:14
Speaker 2: a daughter, who was about to marry the man she loved,
1:19:17
Speaker 2: but whose family now will not allow him to wed
1:19:19
Speaker 2: the daughter of a ruined man. He has besides a son,
1:19:22
Speaker 2: a lieutenant in the army, and, as you may suppose,
1:19:25
Speaker 2: all this, instead of lessening, only augments his sorrows. If
1:19:29
Speaker 2: he were alone in the world, he would blow out
1:19:30
Speaker 2: his brains, and there would be an end.
1:19:33
Speaker 5: Horrible!
1:19:33
Speaker 2: Ejaculated the priest. And it is thus heaven recompenses virtue, sir,
1:19:38
Speaker 2: added Cadrus. You see, I, who never did a bad action,
1:19:41
Speaker 2: but that I have told you of, am in destitution,
1:19:44
Speaker 2: with my poor wife dying of fever before my very eyes,
1:19:47
Speaker 2: and I unable to do anything in the world for her.
1:19:50
Speaker 2: I shall die of hunger, as old Dantz did, while
1:19:53
Speaker 2: Fernand and Dengla are rolling in wealth. How is that?
1:19:57
Speaker 2: Because their deeds have brought them good fortune, while honest
1:20:00
Speaker 2: men have been reduced to misery. What has become of Dengla,
1:20:04
Speaker 2: the instigator, and therefore the most guilty? What has become
1:20:08
Speaker 2: of him? Why, he left Marseille and was taken on
1:20:10
Speaker 2: the recommendation of M. Morel, who did not know his crime,
1:20:14
Speaker 2: as cashier into a Spanish bank. During the war with
1:20:17
Speaker 2: Spain he was employed in the commissariat of the French army,
1:20:20
Speaker 2: and made a fortune, and then with that money he
1:20:22
Speaker 2: speculated in the funds, and trebled or quadrupled his capital.
1:20:26
Speaker 2: And having first married his banker's daughter, who left him
1:20:29
Speaker 2: a widower, he has married a second time a widow,
1:20:32
Speaker 2: a Madame de Nargon, daughter of M. de Servier, the
1:20:36
Speaker 2: King's Chamberlain, who is in high favour at court. He
1:20:39
Speaker 2: is a millionaire, and they have made him a baron,
1:20:41
Speaker 2: and now he is the baron d'Anglard, with a fine
1:20:44
Speaker 2: residence in the Rue de Montblanc, with ten horses in
1:20:47
Speaker 2: his stables, six footmen in his antechamber, and I know
1:20:50
Speaker 2: not how many millions in his strong-box. Ah, said the Abbe,
1:20:54
Speaker 2: in a peculiar tone, he is happy. Happy? Who can
1:20:59
Speaker 2: answer for that? Happiness or unhappiness is the secret known
1:21:02
Speaker 2: but to oneself and the walls. Walls have ears but
1:21:05
Speaker 2: no tongue. But if a large fortune produces happiness,' Donglas
1:21:09
Speaker 2: is happy.' And Fernand?' Fernand, why, much the same story.'
1:21:14
Speaker 2: But how could a poor Catalan fisher-boy' without education or
1:21:17
Speaker 2: resources make a fortune?' I confess this staggers me.' And
1:21:22
Speaker 2: it has staggered everybody.' There must have been in his
1:21:24
Speaker 2: life 'some strange secret that no one knows.' But then,
1:21:28
Speaker 2: by what visible steps' has he attained this high fortune
1:21:30
Speaker 2: or high position?' Both, sir, he has both fortune and position, both.'
1:21:35
Speaker 2: This must be impossible.' It would seem so, but listen
1:21:39
Speaker 2: and you will understand. Some days before the return of
1:21:42
Speaker 2: the Emperor, Fernand was drafted. The Bovins left him quietly
1:21:46
Speaker 2: enough at the Catalans, but Napoleon returned. A special levy
1:21:49
Speaker 2: was made, and Fernand was compelled to join. I went too,
1:21:53
Speaker 2: but as I was older than Fernand, and had just
1:21:55
Speaker 2: married my poor wife, I was only sent to the coast.
1:21:59
Speaker 2: Fernand was enrolled in the active troop, went to the
1:22:01
Speaker 2: frontier with his regiment, and was at the Battle of Ligny.
1:22:05
Speaker 2: The night after that battle he was sentry at the
1:22:07
Speaker 2: door of a general, who carried on a secret correspondence
1:22:10
Speaker 2: with the enemy. That same night the general was to
1:22:13
Speaker 2: go over to the English. He proposed to Fernand to
1:22:16
Speaker 2: accompany him. Fernand agreed to do so, deserted his post,
1:22:19
Speaker 2: and followed the general. Fernand would have been court-martialed if
1:22:22
Speaker 2: Napoleon had remained on the throne, but his action was
1:22:26
Speaker 2: rewarded by the Bourbons. He returned to France with the
1:22:29
Speaker 2: appellate of sub-lieutenant, and as the protection of the general,
1:22:32
Speaker 2: who is in the highest favour, was accorded to him,
1:22:35
Speaker 2: He was a captain in 1823 during the Spanish War,
1:22:39
Speaker 2: that is to say at the time when d'Anglard made
1:22:40
Speaker 2: his early speculations. Fernand was a Spaniard, and being sent
1:22:44
Speaker 2: to Spain to ascertain the feeling of his fellow countrymen,
1:22:47
Speaker 2: found d'Anglard there, got on very intimate terms with him,
1:22:51
Speaker 2: won over the support of the royalists at the capital
1:22:53
Speaker 2: and in the provinces, received promises and made pledges on
1:22:57
Speaker 2: his own part, guided his regiment by paths known to
1:23:00
Speaker 2: himself alone through the mountain gorges which were held by
1:23:03
Speaker 2: the royalists, and in fact rendered such services in this
1:23:06
Speaker 2: brief campaign that, after the taking of Trocadero, he was
1:23:10
Speaker 2: made colonel, and received the title of Count and the
1:23:12
Speaker 2: cross of an officer of the Legion of Honour. Destiny, destiny,
1:23:17
Speaker 2: murmured the Abbe. Yes, but listen, this was not all.
1:23:20
Speaker 2: The war with Spain being ended, Fernand's career was checked
1:23:23
Speaker 2: by the long peace which seemed likely to endure throughout Europe.
1:23:27
Speaker 2: Greece only had risen against Turkey, and had begun her
1:23:30
Speaker 2: war of independence. All eyes were turned towards Athens. It
1:23:34
Speaker 2: was the fashion to pity and support the Greeks. The
1:23:37
Speaker 2: French government, without protecting them openly, as you know, gave
1:23:40
Speaker 2: countenance to volunteer assistance. Fernand sought and obtained leave to
1:23:44
Speaker 2: go and serve in Greece, still having his name kept
1:23:46
Speaker 2: on the army roll. Some time after, it was stated
1:23:50
Speaker 2: that the Comte de Morcerf, this was the name he bore,
1:23:53
Speaker 2: had entered the service of Ali Pasha with the rank
1:23:55
Speaker 2: of instructor general. Ali Pasha was killed, as you know,
1:23:58
Speaker 2: but before he died, he recompensed the services of Fernand
1:24:01
Speaker 2: by leaving him a considerable sum. with which he returned
1:24:04
Speaker 2: to France, when he was gazetted Lieutenant-General. So that now,
1:24:09
Speaker 2: inquired the Abbe. So that now, continued Cadreuse, he owns
1:24:13
Speaker 2: a magnificent house, No. 27, Rue du Helder, Paris. The
1:24:17
Speaker 2: Abbe opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment, then making
1:24:21
Speaker 2: an effort at self-control, he said, A Mercedes! They tell
1:24:25
Speaker 2: me that she has disappeared. Disappeared, said Cadreuse. Yes, as
1:24:30
Speaker 2: the sun disappears to rise the next day with still
1:24:32
Speaker 2: more splendour. Has she made a fortune also? inquired the
1:24:35
Speaker 2: Abbe with an ironical smile. Mercedes is at this moment
1:24:39
Speaker 2: one of the greatest ladies in Paris, replied Cadreuse. Go on,
1:24:43
Speaker 2: said the Abbe. It seems as if I were listening
1:24:46
Speaker 2: to the story of a dream. But I have seen
1:24:48
Speaker 2: things so extraordinary that what you tell me seems less
1:24:51
Speaker 2: astonishing than it otherwise might. Mercedes was at first in
1:24:55
Speaker 2: the deepest despair at the blow which deprived her of Edmond.
1:24:59
Speaker 2: I have told you of her attempts to propitiate Monsieur
1:25:01
Speaker 2: de Villefort. her devotion to the elder Dons. In the
1:25:05
Speaker 2: midst of her despair a new affliction overtook her. This
1:25:08
Speaker 2: was the departure of Fernand, of Fernand whose crime she
1:25:11
Speaker 2: did not know, and whom she regarded as her brother.
1:25:15
Speaker 2: Fernand went, and Mercedes remained alone. Three months passed, and
1:25:19
Speaker 2: still she wept. No news of Edmond, no news of Fernand,
1:25:22
Speaker 2: no companionship save that of an old man, who was
1:25:25
Speaker 2: dying with despair, one evening after a day of accustomed
1:25:28
Speaker 2: vigil at the angle of two roads leading to Marseilles
1:25:31
Speaker 2: from the Catalans. she returned to her home more depressed
1:25:34
Speaker 2: than ever. Suddenly she heard a step she knew, turned
1:25:37
Speaker 2: anxiously round, the door opened, and Fernand, dressed in the
1:25:40
Speaker 2: uniform of a sub-lieutenant, stood before her. It was not
1:25:44
Speaker 2: the one she wished for most, but it seemed as
1:25:47
Speaker 2: if a part of her past life had returned to her.
1:25:50
Speaker 2: Mercedes seized Fernand's hands, with a transport which he took
1:25:52
Speaker 2: for love, but which was only joy at being no
1:25:55
Speaker 2: longer alone in the world, and seeing at last a
1:25:57
Speaker 2: friend after long hours of solitary sorrow. and then it
1:26:01
Speaker 2: must be confessed, Fernand had never been hated. He was
1:26:04
Speaker 2: only not precisely loved. Another possessed all Mercedes' heart. That
1:26:08
Speaker 2: other was absent, had disappeared, perhaps was dead. At this
1:26:12
Speaker 2: last thought, Mercedes burst into a flood of tears, and
1:26:15
Speaker 2: wrung her hands in agony. But the thought which she
1:26:17
Speaker 2: had always repelled before, when it was suggested to her
1:26:20
Speaker 2: by another, came now in full force upon her mind.
1:26:24
Speaker 2: And then too, old dance incessantly said to her, Our
1:26:27
Speaker 2: Edmund is dead. If he were not, he would return
1:26:29
Speaker 2: to us. The old man died, as I have told you.
1:26:33
Speaker 2: Had he lived, Mercedes perchance had not become the wife
1:26:36
Speaker 2: of another, for he would have been there to reproach
1:26:39
Speaker 2: her infidelity. Fernand saw this, and when he learned of
1:26:42
Speaker 2: the old man's death, he returned. He was now a lieutenant.
1:26:46
Speaker 2: At his first coming he had not said a word
1:26:48
Speaker 2: of love to Mercedes. At the second he reminded her
1:26:51
Speaker 2: that he loved her. Mercedes begged for six months more
1:26:54
Speaker 2: in which to await and mourn for Edmond. So that,
1:26:58
Speaker 2: said the Abbe, with a bitter smile, That makes eighteen
1:27:01
Speaker 2: months in all. What more could the most devoted lover desire?
1:27:05
Speaker 2: Then he murmured the words of the English poet, Frailty,
1:27:08
Speaker 2: thy name is woman. Six months afterwards, continued Cadrus, the
1:27:13
Speaker 2: marriage took place in the church of Acul. The very
1:27:16
Speaker 2: church in which she was to have married Edmund, murmured
1:27:18
Speaker 2: the priest. There was only a change of bridegrooms. Well,
1:27:22
Speaker 2: Mercedes was married, proceeded Cadrus. But although in the eyes
1:27:26
Speaker 2: of the world she appeared calm, she nearly fainted as
1:27:29
Speaker 2: she passed La Reserve. where eighteen months before the betrothal
1:27:32
Speaker 2: had been celebrated with him whom she might have known
1:27:34
Speaker 2: she still loved had she looked to the bottom of
1:27:36
Speaker 2: her heart, Fernand more happy, but not more at his ease,
1:27:40
Speaker 2: for I saw at this time he was in constant
1:27:42
Speaker 2: dread of Edmund's return. Fernand was very anxious to get
1:27:45
Speaker 2: his wife away, and to depart himself. There were too
1:27:49
Speaker 2: many unpleasant possibilities associated with the Catalans, and eight days
1:27:53
Speaker 2: after the wedding they left Marseilles. Did you ever see
1:27:57
Speaker 2: Mercedes again? inquired the priest. Yes, during the Spanish war,
1:28:01
Speaker 2: at Perpignan, where Fernand had left her. She was attending
1:28:04
Speaker 2: to the education of her son. The abbé started. Her son,
1:28:08
Speaker 2: said he? Yes, replied Cadreuse, little Albert. But then, to
1:28:13
Speaker 2: be able to instruct her child, continued the abbé, she
1:28:16
Speaker 2: must have received an education herself. I understood from Edmond
1:28:19
Speaker 2: that she was the daughter of a simple fisherman, beautiful,
1:28:22
Speaker 2: but uneducated. Oh, replied Cadreuse, did he know so little
1:28:26
Speaker 2: of his lovely betrothed? mercedes might have been a queen
1:28:29
Speaker 2: sir if the crown were to be placed on the
1:28:31
Speaker 2: heads of the loveliest and most intelligent fernand's fortune was
1:28:35
Speaker 2: already waxing great and she developed with his growing fortune
1:28:39
Speaker 2: She learned drawing, music, everything. Besides, I believe, between ourselves,
1:28:44
Speaker 2: she did this in order to distract her mind, that
1:28:47
Speaker 2: she might forget, and she only filled her head in
1:28:49
Speaker 2: order to alleviate the weight on her heart. But now
1:28:52
Speaker 2: her position in life is assured, continued Cadrus. No doubt
1:28:56
Speaker 2: fortune and honours have comforted her. She is rich, a countess,
1:28:59
Speaker 2: and yet— Cadreuse paused. And yet what? asked the Abbe. Yet
1:29:05
Speaker 2: I am sure she is not happy, said Cadreuse. What
1:29:08
Speaker 2: makes you believe this? Why, when I found myself utterly destitute,
1:29:12
Speaker 2: I thought my old friends would perhaps assist me. So
1:29:15
Speaker 2: I went to Denglas, who would not even receive me.
1:29:18
Speaker 2: I called on Fernand, who sent me a hundred francs
1:29:20
Speaker 2: by his valet de chambre. Then you did not see
1:29:23
Speaker 2: either of them? No, but Madame de Mosseur saw me.
1:29:27
Speaker 2: How was that? As I went away, a purse fell
1:29:29
Speaker 2: at my feet. It contained five-and-twenty louis. I raised my
1:29:33
Speaker 2: head quickly, and saw Mercedes, who at once shut the blind.
1:29:37
Speaker 2: And Monsieur de Villefort? asked the Abbe. Oh, he never
1:29:40
Speaker 2: was a friend of mine. I did not know him,
1:29:42
Speaker 2: and had nothing to ask of him. Do you not
1:29:45
Speaker 2: know what became of him, and the share he had
1:29:46
Speaker 2: in Edmond's misfortunes? No, I only know that some time
1:29:50
Speaker 2: after Edmond's arrest, he married Mademoiselle de Saint-Morin, and soon
1:29:54
Speaker 2: after left Marseille. No doubt he has been as lucky
1:29:57
Speaker 2: as the rest. No doubt he is as rich as Donglar,
1:30:00
Speaker 2: as high in station as Fernand. I only, as you see,
1:30:03
Speaker 2: have remained poor, wretched, and forgotten. You are mistaken, my friend,
1:30:07
Speaker 2: replied the Abbe. God may seem sometimes to forget for
1:30:11
Speaker 2: a time, while his justice reposes. But there always comes
1:30:14
Speaker 2: a moment when he remembers. And behold, a proof! As
1:30:18
Speaker 2: he spoke, the Abbe took the diamond from his pocket,
1:30:20
Speaker 2: and giving it to Cadreus, said, Here, my friend, take
1:30:23
Speaker 2: this diamond. It is yours. What, for me only? cried Cadreus. Ah, sir,
1:30:28
Speaker 2: do not jest with me. The diamond was to have
1:30:31
Speaker 2: been shared among his friends. Edmund had one friend only,
1:30:34
Speaker 2: and thus it cannot be divided. Take the diamond, then,
1:30:37
Speaker 2: and sell it. It is worth fifty thousand francs. And
1:30:40
Speaker 2: I repeat my wish that this sum may suffice to
1:30:42
Speaker 2: release you from your wretchedness. Oh, sir, said Cadrus, putting
1:30:47
Speaker 2: out one hand timidly, and with the other wiping away
1:30:49
Speaker 2: the perspiration which bedewed his brow. Oh, sir, do not
1:30:52
Speaker 2: make a jest of the happiness or despair of a man.
1:30:56
Speaker 2: I know what happiness and what despair are. and I
1:30:58
Speaker 2: never make a jest of such feelings. Take it, then,
1:31:01
Speaker 2: but in exchange—' Cadrus, who touched the diamond, withdrew his hand.
1:31:06
Speaker 2: The Abbe smiled.' In exchange,' he continued,' give me the
1:31:10
Speaker 2: red silk purse that Monsieur Morel left on old Don's chimney-piece,
1:31:13
Speaker 2: and which, you tell me, is still in your hands.' Cadrus,
1:31:16
Speaker 2: more and more astonished, went toward a large oaken cupboard,
1:31:20
Speaker 2: opened it, and gave the Abbe a long purse of
1:31:22
Speaker 2: faded red silk, round which were two copper runners that
1:31:25
Speaker 2: had once been gilt. The Abbe took it, and in
1:31:28
Speaker 2: return gave Cadrus the diamond. Oh, you are a man
1:31:31
Speaker 2: of God, sir, cried Cadrus, for no one knew that
1:31:34
Speaker 2: Edmund had given you this diamond, and you might have
1:31:36
Speaker 2: kept it. Which, said the Abbe to himself, you would
1:31:39
Speaker 2: have done. The Abbe rose, took his hat and gloves. Well,
1:31:43
Speaker 2: he said, all you have told me is perfectly true then,
1:31:46
Speaker 2: and I may believe it in every particular. See, sir,
1:31:49
Speaker 2: replied Cadrus, in this corner is a crucifix in holy wood.
1:31:53
Speaker 2: Here on this shelf is my wife's testament. Open this book.
1:31:57
Speaker 2: and i will swear upon it with my hand on
1:31:58
Speaker 2: the crucifix i will swear to you by my soul's
1:32:01
Speaker 2: salvation my faith as a christian i have told everything
1:32:05
Speaker 2: to you as it occurred and as the recording angel
1:32:08
Speaker 2: will tell it to the ear of god at the
1:32:09
Speaker 2: day of the last judgment tis well said the abbe
1:32:12
Speaker 2: convinced by his manner and tone that kadroos spoke the
1:32:15
Speaker 2: truth tis well and may this money profit you ah
1:32:19
Speaker 2: dear i go far from men who thus so bitterly
1:32:21
Speaker 2: injure each other The Abbe, with difficulty, got away from
1:32:24
Speaker 2: the enthusiastic thanks of Cadreuse, opened the door himself, got out,
1:32:29
Speaker 2: and mounted his horse, once more saluted the innkeeper, who
1:32:32
Speaker 2: kept uttering his loud farewells, and then returned by the
1:32:35
Speaker 2: road he had travelled in coming. When Cadreuse turned around,
1:32:39
Speaker 2: he saw behind him La Carconte, paler and trembling more
1:32:42
Speaker 2: than ever.' Is then all that I have heard really true?'
1:32:45
Speaker 2: she inquired.' What, that he has given the diamond to
1:32:48
Speaker 2: us only?' inquired Cadreuse, half bewildered with joy.' Yes, nothing
1:32:52
Speaker 2: more true.' See, here it is. The woman gazed at
1:32:56
Speaker 2: it a moment, and then said, in a gloomy voice,
1:32:59
Speaker 2: Suppose it's false. Cadrus started and turned pale. False, he muttered.
1:33:04
Speaker 5: False!
1:33:05
Speaker 2: Why should that man give me a false diamond? To
1:33:08
Speaker 2: get your secret without paying for it, you blockhead! Cadrus
1:33:11
Speaker 2: remained for a moment aghast under the weight of such
1:33:14
Speaker 2: an idea. Oh, he said, taking up his hat, which
1:33:17
Speaker 2: he placed on the red handkerchief tied round his head.
1:33:20
Speaker 2: We will soon find out. In what way? Why, the
1:33:23
Speaker 2: fair is on at Beaucaire. There are always jewellers from
1:33:26
Speaker 2: Paris there, and I will show it to them. Look
1:33:29
Speaker 2: after the housewife, and I shall be back in two hours.
1:33:32
Speaker 2: And Cadrus left the house in haste, and ran rapidly
1:33:35
Speaker 2: in the direction opposite to that which the priest had taken.
1:33:38
Speaker 2: Fifty thousand francs, muttered La Carcante, when left alone. It
1:33:42
Speaker 2: is a large sum of money, but it is not
1:33:45
Speaker 2: a fortune. End of chapter twenty-seven.
1:33:54
Speaker 6: CHAPTER XXVIII. THE PRISON REGISTER The day after that in
1:33:56
Speaker 6: which the scene we have just described had taken place
1:33:58
Speaker 6: on the road between Belgarde and A man of about thirty,
1:34:25
Speaker 6: or two-and-thirty, dressed in a bright blue frock coat, nankeen trousers,
1:34:30
Speaker 6: and a white waistcoat, having the appearance and accent of
1:34:33
Speaker 6: an Englishman, presented himself before the mayor of Marseilles.' Sir,'
1:34:39
Speaker 6: said he,' I am chief clerk of the House of
1:34:42
Speaker 6: Thompson and French of Rome. We are, and have been
1:34:45
Speaker 6: these ten years, connected with the House of Morell and
1:34:48
Speaker 6: Son of Marseilles. We have a hundred thousand francs or
1:34:51
Speaker 6: thereabouts loaned on their securities, and we are a little
1:34:55
Speaker 6: uneasy at reports that have reached us that the firm
1:34:57
Speaker 6: is on the brink of ruin. I have come, therefore,
1:35:00
Speaker 6: express from Rome to ask you for information. Sir, replied
1:35:05
Speaker 6: the mayor, I know very well that during the last
1:35:08
Speaker 6: four or five years misfortune has seemed to pursue Monsieur Morel.
1:35:13
Speaker 6: He has lost four or five vessels, and suffered by
1:35:15
Speaker 6: three or four bankruptcies. But it is not for me,
1:35:19
Speaker 6: although I am a creditor myself to the amount of
1:35:21
Speaker 6: ten thousand francs, to give any information as to the
1:35:25
Speaker 6: state of his finances. Ask of me, as mayor, what
1:35:28
Speaker 6: is my opinion of M. Morel, and I shall say
1:35:31
Speaker 6: that he is a man honorable to the last degree,
1:35:34
Speaker 6: and who has up to this time fulfilled every engagement
1:35:37
Speaker 6: with scrupulous punctuality. This is all I can say, sir.
1:35:41
Speaker 6: If you wish to learn more, address yourself to M.
1:35:44
Speaker 6: de Beauville, the Inspector of Prisons, No. 15, Rue de Noailles,
1:35:49
Speaker 6: He has, I believe, two hundred thousand francs in Morel's hands,
1:35:54
Speaker 6: and if there be any grounds for apprehension, as this
1:35:57
Speaker 6: is a greater amount than mine, you will most probably
1:36:00
Speaker 6: find him better informed than myself. The Englishman seemed to
1:36:05
Speaker 6: appreciate this extreme delicacy, made his bow, and went away,
1:36:09
Speaker 6: proceeding with a characteristic British stride towards the street mentioned.
1:36:14
Speaker 6: Monsieur de Beauville was in his private room, and the Englishman,
1:36:17
Speaker 6: on perceiving him, made a gesture of surprise, which seemed
1:36:21
Speaker 6: to indicate that it was not the first time he
1:36:23
Speaker 6: had been in his presence. As to Monsieur de Beauville,
1:36:27
Speaker 6: he was in such a state of despair that it
1:36:29
Speaker 6: was evident all the faculties of his mind, absorbed in
1:36:32
Speaker 6: the thought which occupied him at the moment, did not
1:36:34
Speaker 6: allow either his memory or his imagination to stray to
1:36:37
Speaker 6: the past. The Englishman, with the coolness of his nation,
1:36:41
Speaker 6: addressed him in terms nearly similar to those with which
1:36:44
Speaker 6: he had accosted the mayor of Marseilles. Oh, sir, exclaimed M.
1:36:49
Speaker 6: de Beauville, your fears are unfortunately but too well founded,
1:36:54
Speaker 6: and you see before you a man in despair. I
1:36:57
Speaker 6: had two hundred thousand francs placed in the hands of
1:36:59
Speaker 6: Morel and son. These two hundred thousand francs were the
1:37:02
Speaker 6: dowry of my daughter, who was to be married in
1:37:04
Speaker 6: a fortnight. And these two hundred thousand francs were payable
1:37:08
Speaker 6: half on the fifteenth of this month, and the other
1:37:10
Speaker 6: half on the fifteenth of the next month. I had
1:37:13
Speaker 6: informed M. Morel of my desire to have these payments punctually,
1:37:17
Speaker 6: and he has been here within the last half-hour to
1:37:19
Speaker 6: tell me that if his ship, the Faraon, did not
1:37:22
Speaker 6: come into port on the 15th, he would be wholly
1:37:24
Speaker 6: unable to make this payment. But, said the Englishman, this
1:37:29
Speaker 6: looks very much like a suspension of payment. It looks
1:37:33
Speaker 6: more like bankruptcy, exclaimed Monsieur de Beauville despairingly. The Englishman
1:37:38
Speaker 6: appeared to reflect a moment, and then said, From which
1:37:42
Speaker 6: it would appear, sir, that this credit inspires you with
1:37:45
Speaker 6: considerable apprehension. TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, I CONSIDER IT LOST. WELL, THEN,
1:37:51
Speaker 6: I WILL BUY IT OF YOU.
1:37:53
Speaker 5: YOU?
1:37:54
Speaker 4: YES, I.
1:37:55
Speaker 6: BUT AT A TREMENDOUS DISCOUNT, OF COURSE. NO, FOR TWO
1:37:59
Speaker 6: HUNDRED THOUSAND FRANKS. OUR HOUSE, ADDED THE ENGLISHMAN WITH A LAUGH,
1:38:03
Speaker 6: DOES NOT DO THINGS IN THAT WAY. AND YOU WILL PAY...
1:38:07
Speaker 6: READY MONEY. AND THE ENGLISHMAN DREW FROM HIS POCKET A
1:38:11
Speaker 6: BUNDLE OF BANK NOTES, WHICH MIGHT HAVE BEEN TWICE THE
1:38:13
Speaker 6: SUM M. DE BOUVILLE FEARED TO LOSE. a ray of
1:38:16
Speaker 6: joy passed across m de beauville's countenance yet he made
1:38:20
Speaker 6: an effort at self-control and said sir i ought to
1:38:24
Speaker 6: tell you that in all probability you will not realize
1:38:27
Speaker 6: six percent of this sum. That's no affair of mine,
1:38:31
Speaker 6: replied the Englishman. That is the affair of the House
1:38:34
Speaker 6: of Thompson and French, in whose name I act. They have, perhaps,
1:38:37
Speaker 6: some motive to serve in hastening the ruin of a
1:38:40
Speaker 6: rival firm. But all I know, sir, is that I
1:38:43
Speaker 6: am ready to hand you over this sum in exchange
1:38:46
Speaker 6: for your assignment of the debt. I only ask a brokerage.'
1:38:50
Speaker 6: Of course, that is perfectly just,' cried Monsieur de Beauville.'
1:38:53
Speaker 6: The commission is usually one and a half. We will
1:38:56
Speaker 6: have two, three, five percent, or even more.'' Whatever you say.'' Sir,'
1:39:04
Speaker 6: replied the Englishman, laughing,' I am like my house, and
1:39:07
Speaker 6: do not do such things. No, the commission I ask
1:39:09
Speaker 6: is quite different.'' Name it, sir.
1:39:12
Speaker 2: I beg.
1:39:12
Speaker 6: You are the Inspector of Prisons?'' I have been so
1:39:16
Speaker 6: these fourteen years.' You keep the registers of entries and departures?
1:39:21
Speaker 5: I do.
1:39:23
Speaker 6: To these registers there are added notes relative to the prisoners?
1:39:27
Speaker 6: There are special reports on every prisoner. Well, sir, I
1:39:32
Speaker 6: was educated at home by a poor devil of an
1:39:34
Speaker 6: abbey who disappeared suddenly. I have since learned that he
1:39:38
Speaker 6: was confined in the Chateau d'If, and I should like
1:39:40
Speaker 6: to learn some particulars of his death. What was his name?
1:39:45
Speaker 6: The Abbey Fariah. Oh, I recollect him perfectly, cried Monsieur
1:39:49
Speaker 6: de Beauville. He was crazy. So they said. Oh, he
1:39:53
Speaker 6: was decidedly. Very possibly. But what sort of madness was it?
1:39:58
Speaker 6: He pretended to know of an immense treasure and offered
1:40:01
Speaker 6: vast sums to the government if they would liberate him.
1:40:04
Speaker 6: Poor devil. And he is dead? Yes, sir, five or
1:40:08
Speaker 6: six months ago. Last February. You have a good memory, sir,
1:40:12
Speaker 6: to recollect dates so well. I recollect this because the
1:40:15
Speaker 6: poor devil's death was accompanied by a singular incident. May
1:40:19
Speaker 6: I ask what that was? said the Englishman with an
1:40:22
Speaker 6: expression of curiosity, which a close observer would have been
1:40:25
Speaker 6: astonished at discovering in his phlegmatic countenance. Oh, dear, yes, sir,
1:40:30
Speaker 6: the Abbey's dungeon was forty or fifty feet distant from
1:40:33
Speaker 6: that of one of Bonaparte's emissaries, one of those who
1:40:36
Speaker 6: had contributed the most to the return of the usurper
1:40:39
Speaker 6: in 1815, a very resolute and very dangerous man. Indeed,
1:40:44
Speaker 6: said the Englishman. Yes, replied Monsieur de Beauville. I myself
1:40:49
Speaker 6: had occasion to see this man in 1816 or 1817,
1:40:53
Speaker 6: and we could only go into his dungeon with a
1:40:55
Speaker 6: file of soldiers. That man made a deep impression on me.
1:40:59
Speaker 6: I shall never forget his countenance. The Englishman smiled imperceptibly.
1:41:05
Speaker 6: And you say, sir, he interposed, that the two dungeons
1:41:09
Speaker 6: were separated by a distance of fifty feet, But it
1:41:12
Speaker 6: appears that this Edmond Dantes, this dangerous man's name was
1:41:16
Speaker 6: Edmond Dantes. It appears, sir, that this Edmond Dantes had
1:41:20
Speaker 6: procured tools or made them, for they found a tunnel
1:41:23
Speaker 6: through which the prisoners held communication with one another. This
1:41:27
Speaker 6: tunnel was dug, no doubt, with an intention of escape?
1:41:31
Speaker 6: No doubt, but unfortunately for the prisoners, the Abbey Fariah
1:41:34
Speaker 6: had an attack of catalepsy and died. That must have
1:41:38
Speaker 6: cut short the projects of escape. For the dead man, yes,
1:41:42
Speaker 6: replied Monsieur de Beauville, but not for the survivor. On
1:41:45
Speaker 6: the contrary. This d'Antes saw a means of accelerating his escape.
1:41:50
Speaker 6: He no doubt thought that prisoners who died in the
1:41:53
Speaker 6: Chateau d'If were interred in an ordinary burial ground, and
1:41:56
Speaker 6: he conveyed the dead man into his own cell, took
1:41:58
Speaker 6: his place in the sack in which they had sewed
1:42:00
Speaker 6: up the corpse, and awaited the moment of interment. It
1:42:04
Speaker 6: was a bold step, and one that showed some courage,
1:42:07
Speaker 6: remarked the Englishman. As I have already told you, sir,
1:42:10
Speaker 6: he was a very dangerous man, and fortunately, by his
1:42:13
Speaker 6: own act, disembarrassed the government of the fears it had
1:42:17
Speaker 6: on his account. How was that?
1:42:20
Speaker 5: How?
1:42:21
Speaker 6: Do you not comprehend?
1:42:23
Speaker 4: No.
1:42:24
Speaker 6: The Chateau d'If has no cemetery, and they simply throw
1:42:27
Speaker 6: the dead into the sea after fastening a thirty-six pound
1:42:30
Speaker 6: cannonball to their feet. Well, observed the Englishman, as if
1:42:34
Speaker 6: he were slow of comprehension, Well, they fastened a thirty-six-pound
1:42:38
Speaker 6: ball to his feet and threw him into the sea. Really?
1:42:42
Speaker 6: exclaimed the Englishman. Yes, sir, continued the inspector of prisons.
1:42:46
Speaker 6: You may imagine the amazement of the fugitive when he
1:42:49
Speaker 6: found himself flung headlong over the rocks. I should like
1:42:52
Speaker 6: to have seen his face at that moment. That would
1:42:55
Speaker 6: have been difficult. No matter, replied de Beauville, in a
1:42:59
Speaker 6: supreme good humor at the certainty of recovering his two
1:43:01
Speaker 6: hundred thousand francs. No matter, I can fancy it. And
1:43:05
Speaker 6: he shouted with laughter. So can I, said the Englishman,
1:43:09
Speaker 6: and he laughed too, but he laughed as the English do,
1:43:12
Speaker 6: at the end of his teeth. And so, continued the Englishman,
1:43:16
Speaker 6: who first gained his composure, he was drowned? Unquestionably. So
1:43:21
Speaker 6: that the governor got rid of the dangerous and the
1:43:24
Speaker 6: crazy prisoner at the same time? Precisely. But some official
1:43:29
Speaker 6: document was drawn up as to this affair, I suppose,
1:43:32
Speaker 6: inquired the Englishman. Yes, yes, the mortuary depositions. You understand,
1:43:37
Speaker 6: Dante's relations, if he had any, might have some interest
1:43:41
Speaker 6: in knowing if he were dead or alive. So that now,
1:43:45
Speaker 6: if there were anything to inherit from him, they may
1:43:47
Speaker 6: do so with easy conscience. He is dead, and make
1:43:50
Speaker 6: no mistake about it. Oh, yes, and they may have
1:43:53
Speaker 6: the fact attested whenever they please. So be it, said
1:43:57
Speaker 6: the Englishman, but to return to these registers. True, the
1:44:01
Speaker 6: story has diverted our attention from them.
1:44:03
Speaker 5: Excuse me.
1:44:04
Speaker 6: Excuse you for what? for the story by no means
1:44:08
Speaker 6: it really seems to me very curious yes indeed so
1:44:12
Speaker 6: sir you wish to see all relating to the poor
1:44:14
Speaker 6: abbey who really was gentleness itself yes you will oblige
1:44:18
Speaker 6: me go into my study here and i will show
1:44:21
Speaker 6: it to you and they both entered m de beauville's
1:44:24
Speaker 6: study everything was here arranged in perfect order each register
1:44:28
Speaker 6: had its number each file of papers its place the
1:44:32
Speaker 6: inspector begged the Englishman to seat himself in an armchair
1:44:35
Speaker 6: and place before him the register and the documents relative
1:44:38
Speaker 6: to the Chateau d'If, giving him all the time he
1:44:40
Speaker 6: desired for the examination, while de Beauville seated himself in
1:44:43
Speaker 6: a corner and began to read his newspaper. The Englishman
1:44:47
Speaker 6: easily found the entries relative to the Abbey Fariah, but
1:44:50
Speaker 6: it seemed that the history which the inspector had related
1:44:53
Speaker 6: interested him greatly, for after having perused the first documents,
1:44:57
Speaker 6: he turned over the leaves until he reached the deposition
1:44:59
Speaker 6: respecting Edmond Dantès. There he found everything arranged in due order,
1:45:05
Speaker 6: the accusation, examination, Morel's petition, M. de Villefort's marginal notes.
1:45:11
Speaker 6: He folded up the accusation quietly, and put it as
1:45:14
Speaker 6: quietly in his pocket, read the examination, and saw that
1:45:18
Speaker 6: the name of Nortier was not mentioned in it. Peruse 2,
1:45:22
Speaker 6: the application dated 10th April 1815, in which Morel, by
1:45:26
Speaker 6: the deputy procurer's advice, exaggerated with the best intentions, for
1:45:30
Speaker 6: Napoleon was then on the throne, the services Dantès had
1:45:34
Speaker 6: rendered to the imperial cause, services which Villefort's certificates rendered indispensable.
1:45:40
Speaker 6: Then he saw through the whole thing. This petition to Napoleon,
1:45:44
Speaker 6: kept back by Villefort, had become, under the second restoration,
1:45:48
Speaker 6: a terrible weapon against him in the hands of the
1:45:51
Speaker 6: king's attorney. He was no longer astonished when he searched
1:45:54
Speaker 6: on to find in the register this note placed in
1:45:57
Speaker 6: a bracket against his name. Edmond Dantès, an inveterate Bonapartist,
1:46:03
Speaker 6: took an active part in the return from the island
1:46:05
Speaker 6: of Elba, to be kept in strict solitary confinement, and
1:46:08
Speaker 6: to be closely watched and guarded. Beneath these lines was written,
1:46:13
Speaker 6: in another hand, See note above, nothing can be done.
1:46:17
Speaker 6: He compared the writing in the bracket with the writing
1:46:19
Speaker 6: of the certificate placed beneath Morel's petition, and discovered that
1:46:23
Speaker 6: the note in the bracket was the same writing as
1:46:25
Speaker 6: the certificate, that is to say, was in Villefort's handwriting.
1:46:30
Speaker 6: As to the note which accompanied this, the Englishman understood
1:46:34
Speaker 6: that it might have been added by some inspector who
1:46:36
Speaker 6: had taken a momentary interest in Dante's situation, but who had,
1:46:40
Speaker 6: from the remarks we have quoted, found it impossible to
1:46:43
Speaker 6: give any effect to the interest he had felt. As
1:46:47
Speaker 6: we have said, the inspector, from discretion, and that he
1:46:50
Speaker 6: might not disturb the Abbe Ferraia's pupil in his researches,
1:46:54
Speaker 6: had seated himself in a corner and was reading Le
1:46:56
Speaker 6: Drapeau Blanc. He did not see the Englishman fold up
1:46:59
Speaker 6: and place in his pocket the accusation written by d'Anglars
1:47:02
Speaker 6: under the arbour of La Reserve, and which had the postmark, Marseille,
1:47:07
Speaker 6: 27th February, delivery, 6 o'clock p.m. But it must be
1:47:11
Speaker 6: said that if he had seen it, he attached so
1:47:14
Speaker 6: little importance to the scrap of paper, and so much
1:47:16
Speaker 6: importance to his 200,000 francs, that he would not have
1:47:20
Speaker 6: opposed whatever the Englishman might do, however irregular it might be. Thanks,
1:47:26
Speaker 6: said the latter, closing the register with a slam. I
1:47:29
Speaker 6: have all I want. Now it is for me to
1:47:31
Speaker 6: perform my promise. Give me a simple assignment of your debt,
1:47:35
Speaker 6: acknowledge therein the receipt of the cash, and I will
1:47:38
Speaker 6: hand you over the money. He rose, gave his seat
1:47:41
Speaker 6: to Monsieur de Beauville, who took it without ceremony, and
1:47:44
Speaker 6: quickly drew up the required assignment, while the Englishman counted
1:47:47
Speaker 6: out the banknotes on the other side of the desk.
1:47:51
Speaker 6: End of chapter 28.
1:47:57
Speaker 5: CHAPTER XXIX OF THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO to find
1:48:10
Speaker 5: out how you can volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by
1:48:17
Speaker 5: Eden Ray Hedrick. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.
1:48:22
Speaker 5: Chapter 29. The House of Morel and Son. Anyone who
1:48:28
Speaker 5: had quitted Marseille a few years previously, well acquainted with
1:48:32
Speaker 5: the interior of Morel's warehouse, and had returned at this date,
1:48:36
Speaker 5: would have found a great change. instead of that air
1:48:40
Speaker 5: of life, of comfort, and of happiness that permeates a
1:48:44
Speaker 5: flourishing and prosperous business establishment, instead of merry faces at
1:48:48
Speaker 5: the windows, busy clerks hurrying to and fro in the
1:48:51
Speaker 5: long corridors, instead of the court, filled with bales of goods,
1:48:56
Speaker 5: re-echoing with the cries and the jokes of porters, one
1:48:59
Speaker 5: would have immediately perceived all aspect of sadness and gloom.
1:49:04
Speaker 5: out of all the numerous clerks that used to fill
1:49:06
Speaker 5: the deserted corridor and the empty office but two remained
1:49:11
Speaker 5: one was a young man of three or four-and-twenty who
1:49:14
Speaker 5: was in love with m morrel's daughter and had remained
1:49:17
Speaker 5: with him in spite of the efforts of his friends
1:49:19
Speaker 5: to induce him to withdraw The other was an old,
1:49:22
Speaker 5: one-eyed cashier called Cocles, or Cacai, a nickname given him
1:49:27
Speaker 5: by the young men who used to throng this vast,
1:49:29
Speaker 5: now almost deserted beehive, and which had so completely replaced
1:49:33
Speaker 5: his real name that he would not, in all probability,
1:49:36
Speaker 5: have replied to any one who addressed him by it.
1:49:40
Speaker 5: Cocles remained in Monsieur Morel's service, and a most singular
1:49:43
Speaker 5: change had taken place in his position. He had, at
1:49:47
Speaker 5: the same time, risen to the rank of cashier, and
1:49:51
Speaker 5: sunk to the rank of a servant. He was, however,
1:49:54
Speaker 5: the same Colclès, good, patient, devoted, but inflexible on the
1:50:00
Speaker 5: subject of arithmetic, the only point on which he would
1:50:03
Speaker 5: have stood firm against the world, even against Monsieur Morel,
1:50:07
Speaker 5: and strong in the multiplication table, which he had at
1:50:09
Speaker 5: his fingers' ends, no matter what scheme or what trap
1:50:12
Speaker 5: was laid to catch him. In the midst of disasters
1:50:15
Speaker 5: that befell the house, Cocles was the only one unmoved.
1:50:19
Speaker 5: But this did not arise from want of affection. On
1:50:22
Speaker 5: the contrary, from a firm conviction. Like the rats that
1:50:26
Speaker 5: one by one forsake the doomed ship, even before the
1:50:28
Speaker 5: vessel weighs anchor, so all the numerous clerks had, by degrees,
1:50:33
Speaker 5: deserted the office and the warehouse. Cocles had seen them
1:50:37
Speaker 5: go without thinking of inquiring the cause of their departure.
1:50:41
Speaker 5: Everything was, as we have said, question of arithmetic to
1:50:45
Speaker 5: cocliss and during twenty years he had always seen all
1:50:48
Speaker 5: payments made with such exactitude that it seemed as impossible
1:50:52
Speaker 5: to him that the house should stop payment as it
1:50:54
Speaker 5: would to a miller that the river that had so
1:50:56
Speaker 5: long turned his mill should cease to flow nothing had
1:51:00
Speaker 5: as yet occurred to shake cocliss belief The last month's
1:51:03
Speaker 5: payment had been made with the most scrupulous exactitude. Coclès
1:51:07
Speaker 5: had detected an overbalance of fourteen sous in his cash,
1:51:11
Speaker 5: and the same evening he had brought them to M. Morel, who,
1:51:14
Speaker 5: with a melancholy smile, threw them into an almost empty drawer, saying.
1:51:18
Speaker 4: Thanks, Coclès, you are the pearl of cashiers.
1:51:23
Speaker 5: Coclès went away perfectly happy, for this eulogium of M. Morel,
1:51:27
Speaker 5: himself the pearl of the honest men of Marseille, flattered
1:51:30
Speaker 5: him more than a present of fifty crowns. but since
1:51:33
Speaker 5: the end of the month, Monsieur Morel had passed many
1:51:36
Speaker 5: an anxious hour. In order to meet the payments then due,
1:51:41
Speaker 5: he had collected all his resources, and, fearing lest the
1:51:45
Speaker 5: report of his distress should get bruited abroad at Marseilles,
1:51:48
Speaker 5: when he was known to be reduced to such an extremity,
1:51:51
Speaker 5: he went to the Boquer fair to sell his wife's
1:51:53
Speaker 5: and daughter's jewels, and a portion of his plate. By
1:51:57
Speaker 5: this means the end of the month was passed, but
1:51:59
Speaker 5: his resources were now exhausted. Credit, owing to the reports afloat,
1:52:04
Speaker 5: was no longer to be had, and to meet the
1:52:06
Speaker 5: one hundred thousand francs due on the fifteenth of the
1:52:09
Speaker 5: present month, and the one hundred thousand francs due on
1:52:12
Speaker 5: the fifteenth of the next month to M.
1:52:14
Speaker 4: De Beauville, M.
1:52:15
Speaker 5: Morel had, in reality, no hope but the return of
1:52:19
Speaker 5: the Farion, of whose departure he had learned from a
1:52:21
Speaker 5: vessel which had weighed anchor at the same time, and
1:52:24
Speaker 5: which had already arrived in harbour. But this vessel, which,
1:52:28
Speaker 5: like the Farallon, came from Calcutta, had been in for
1:52:31
Speaker 5: a fortnight, while no intelligence had been received of the Farallon.
1:52:37
Speaker 5: Such was the state of affairs when, the day after
1:52:39
Speaker 5: his interview with Monsieur de Beauville, the confidential clerk of
1:52:42
Speaker 5: the House of Thompson and French of Rome, presented himself
1:52:46
Speaker 5: at Monsieur Morel's. Emmanuel received him. This young man was
1:52:50
Speaker 5: alarmed by the appearance of every new face, for every
1:52:53
Speaker 5: new face might be that of a new creditor, come
1:52:56
Speaker 5: an anxiety to question the head of the house. The
1:52:59
Speaker 5: young man, wishing to spare his employer the pain of
1:53:01
Speaker 5: this interview, questioned the newcomer, but the stranger declared that
1:53:05
Speaker 5: he had nothing to say to M. Emmanuel, and that
1:53:08
Speaker 5: his business was with M. Morel in person. Emmanuel sighed
1:53:12
Speaker 5: and summoned Coclesse. Cocles appeared, and the young man bade
1:53:16
Speaker 5: him conduct the stranger to Monsieur Morel's apartment. Cocles went first,
1:53:20
Speaker 5: and the stranger followed him. On the staircase they met
1:53:23
Speaker 5: a beautiful girl of sixteen or seventeen, who looked with
1:53:27
Speaker 5: anxiety at the stranger.' Monsieur Morel is in his room,
1:53:32
Speaker 5: is he not, Mademoiselle Julie?' said the cashier.' Yes, I
1:53:36
Speaker 5: think so, at least,' said the young girl, hesitatingly. Go
1:53:40
Speaker 5: and see, Coclès, and if my father is there, announce
1:53:43
Speaker 5: this gentleman. It will be useless to announce me, mademoiselle,
1:53:48
Speaker 5: returned the Englishman. Monsieur Morel does not know my name.
1:53:51
Speaker 5: This worthy gentleman has only to announce the confidential clerk
1:53:54
Speaker 5: of the House of Thompson and French of Rome, with
1:53:57
Speaker 5: whom your father does business. The young girl turned pale
1:54:01
Speaker 5: and continued to descend, while the stranger and Coclès continued
1:54:04
Speaker 5: to mount the staircase. She entered the office where Emmanuel was,
1:54:09
Speaker 5: while Corclès, by the aid of a key he possessed,
1:54:11
Speaker 5: opened a door in the corner of a landing-place on
1:54:14
Speaker 5: the second staircase, conducted the stranger into an antechamber, opened
1:54:18
Speaker 5: a second door, which he closed behind him, and, having
1:54:21
Speaker 5: left the clerk of the House of Thompson and French alone,
1:54:24
Speaker 5: returned and signed to him that he could enter. The
1:54:27
Speaker 5: Englishman entered, and found Morel seated at a table, turning
1:54:30
Speaker 5: over the formidable columns of his ledger, which contained the
1:54:33
Speaker 5: list of his liabilities. at the sight of the stranger
1:54:36
Speaker 5: m morrel closed the ledger arose and offered a seat
1:54:39
Speaker 5: to the stranger and when he had seen him seated
1:54:43
Speaker 5: resumed his own chair fourteen years had changed the worthy
1:54:47
Speaker 5: merchant who in his thirty-sixth year at the opening of
1:54:50
Speaker 5: this history was now in his fiftieth His hair had
1:54:54
Speaker 5: turned white, time and sorrow had ploughed deep furrows on
1:54:57
Speaker 5: his brow, and his look, once so firm and penetrating,
1:55:01
Speaker 5: was now irresolute and wandering, as if he feared being
1:55:04
Speaker 5: forced to fix his attention on some particular thought or person.
1:55:08
Speaker 5: The Englishman looked at him with an air of curiosity,
1:55:11
Speaker 5: evidently mingled with interest. Monsieur, said Morel, whose uneasiness was
1:55:17
Speaker 5: increased by this examination, you wish to speak to me?
1:55:22
Speaker 4: Yes, monsieur. You are aware from whom I come?
1:55:24
Speaker 5: The House of Thompson and French. At least, so my
1:55:29
Speaker 5: cashier tells me.'' He has told you rightly. The House
1:55:33
Speaker 5: of Thompson and French has three hundred thousand or four
1:55:36
Speaker 5: hundred thousand francs to pay this month in France, and
1:55:39
Speaker 5: knowing your strict punctuality, have collected all the bills bearing
1:55:42
Speaker 5: your signature, and charged me as they become due to
1:55:45
Speaker 5: present them, and to employ the money otherwise.' morel sighed
1:55:49
Speaker 5: deeply and passed his hand over his forehead which was
1:55:52
Speaker 5: covered with perspiration so then sir said morel you hold
1:55:57
Speaker 5: bills of mine yes and for a considerable sum what
1:56:03
Speaker 5: is the amount asked morel with a voice he strove
1:56:07
Speaker 5: to render firm Here is, said the Englishman, taking a
1:56:10
Speaker 5: quantity of papers from his pocket, an assignment of two
1:56:13
Speaker 5: hundred thousand francs to our house by Monsieur de Beauville,
1:56:16
Speaker 5: the inspector of prisons, to whom they are due. You acknowledge,
1:56:20
Speaker 5: of course, that you owe the sum to him? Yes.
1:56:23
Speaker 5: He placed the money in my hands at four and
1:56:25
Speaker 5: a half percent nearly five years ago.
1:56:29
Speaker 4: When are you to pay? Half the fifteenth of this month.
1:56:36
Speaker 4: Just so.
1:56:37
Speaker 5: And now here are thirty-two thousand five hundred francs, payable shortly.
1:56:41
Speaker 5: They are all signed by you, and assigned to our
1:56:43
Speaker 5: house by the holders. I recognize them, said Morel, whose
1:56:48
Speaker 5: face was suffused, as he thought that for the first
1:56:51
Speaker 5: time in his life he would be unable to honor
1:56:53
Speaker 5: his own signature.
1:56:55
Speaker 4: Is that all?
1:56:57
Speaker 5: No, I have for the end of the month these
1:56:59
Speaker 5: bills which have been assigned to us by the House
1:57:01
Speaker 5: of Pascal and the House of Wilde and Turner of Marseille,
1:57:05
Speaker 5: amounting to nearly fifty-five thousand francs, in all two hundred
1:57:09
Speaker 5: eighty-seven thousand five hundred francs. It is impossible to describe
1:57:14
Speaker 5: what Morel suffered during this enumeration. Two hundred and eighty-seven
1:57:20
Speaker 5: thousand five hundred francs, repeated he. Yes, sir, replied the Englishman.
1:57:27
Speaker 5: I will not, continued he, after a moment's silence, conceal
1:57:31
Speaker 5: from you that while your probity and exactitude up to
1:57:34
Speaker 5: this moment are universally acknowledged, yet the report is current
1:57:38
Speaker 5: in Marseilles that you are not able to meet your liabilities.
1:57:42
Speaker 5: At this almost brutal speech Morel turned deathly pale. Sir,
1:57:46
Speaker 5: said he, up to this time, and it is now
1:57:49
Speaker 5: more than four and twenty years since I received the
1:57:52
Speaker 5: direction of this house from my father, who had himself
1:57:55
Speaker 5: conducted it for five and thirty years, never has anything
1:57:59
Speaker 5: bearing the signature of Morel and son been dishonoured. I
1:58:04
Speaker 5: know that, replied the Englishman, but as a man of
1:58:07
Speaker 5: honour should answer another, tell me fairly, shall you pay
1:58:10
Speaker 5: these with the same punctuality?' Morel shuddered and looked at
1:58:14
Speaker 5: the man, who spoke with more assurance than he had
1:58:16
Speaker 5: hitherto shown.' To questions frankly put,' said he,' a straightforward
1:58:22
Speaker 5: answer should be given. Yes, I shall pay if, as
1:58:26
Speaker 5: I hope, my vessel arrives safely.' for its arrival will
1:58:30
Speaker 5: again procure me the credit which the numerous accidents of
1:58:33
Speaker 5: which I have been the victim has deprived me.
1:58:36
Speaker 4: But if the Farion.
1:58:37
Speaker 5: Should be lost, and his last resource be gone—' The
1:58:41
Speaker 5: poor man's eyes filled with tears.' Well,' said the other,'
1:58:45
Speaker 5: if this last resource fail you—'' Well,' returned Morel,' it
1:58:49
Speaker 5: is a cruel thing to be forced to say, but,
1:58:53
Speaker 5: already used to misfortune.
1:58:55
Speaker 4: I must habituate myself I fear I shall be forced
1:58:59
Speaker 4: to suspend payment. Have you no friends who could assist you?
1:59:04
Speaker 4: Morel smiled mournfully.
1:59:06
Speaker 5: In business, sir, said he, one has no friends, only correspondence.
1:59:12
Speaker 5: It is true, murmured the Englishman. Then you have but
1:59:16
Speaker 5: one hope.
1:59:17
Speaker 4: But one. The last? The last.
1:59:21
Speaker 5: So that if this fail, I am ruined, completely ruined.
1:59:27
Speaker 5: As I was on my way here, a vessel was
1:59:29
Speaker 5: coming into port.
1:59:31
Speaker 4: I know it, sir.
1:59:32
Speaker 5: A young man who still adheres to my fallen fortunes
1:59:36
Speaker 5: passes a part of his time in a belvedere at
1:59:38
Speaker 5: the top of the house in hopes of being the
1:59:41
Speaker 5: first to announce good news to me. He has informed
1:59:44
Speaker 5: me of the arrival of this ship.
1:59:47
Speaker 4: And it is not yours?
1:59:49
Speaker 5: No, she is a Bordeaux vessel, La Gironde. She comes
1:59:52
Speaker 5: from India also, but she is not mine. Perhaps she
1:59:56
Speaker 5: has spoken to the Farion, and brings you some tidings
1:59:59
Speaker 5: of her?'' Shall I tell you plainly one thing, sir?
2:00:03
Speaker 5: I dread almost as much to receive any tidings of
2:00:06
Speaker 5: my vessel as to remain in doubt.
2:00:08
Speaker 4: Uncertainty is still hope.
2:00:11
Speaker 5: Then, in a low voice, Morel added,' This delay is
2:00:14
Speaker 5: not natural. The Farion left Calcutta the 5th of February.
2:00:18
Speaker 4: She ought to have been here a month ago.'' What
2:00:22
Speaker 4: is that?' said the Englishman.' What is the meaning of
2:00:24
Speaker 4: that noise?' Oh! Oh! cried Morel, turning pale. What is it?
2:00:29
Speaker 5: A loud noise was heard on the stairs, of people
2:00:32
Speaker 5: moving hastily, and half-stifled sobs. Morel rose and advanced to
2:00:37
Speaker 5: the door, but his strength failed him, and he sank
2:00:39
Speaker 5: into a chair. The two men remained opposite one another,
2:00:43
Speaker 5: Morel trembling in every limb, the stranger gazing at him
2:00:46
Speaker 5: with an air of profound pity. The noise had ceased,
2:00:49
Speaker 5: but it seemed that Morel expected something. Something had occasioned
2:00:53
Speaker 5: the noise, and something must follow. The stranger fancied he
2:00:57
Speaker 5: heard footsteps on the stairs, and that the footsteps, which
2:01:00
Speaker 5: were those of several persons, stopped at the door. A
2:01:04
Speaker 5: key was inserted in the lock of the first door,
2:01:07
Speaker 5: and the creaking of hinges was audible.' There are only
2:01:11
Speaker 5: two persons who have the key to that door,' murmured Morel.'
2:01:14
Speaker 5: Coclès and Julie.' At this instant the second door opened,
2:01:20
Speaker 5: and the young girl, her eyes bathed with tears, appeared.
2:01:25
Speaker 5: Morel rose tremblingly, supporting himself by the arm of the chair.
2:01:29
Speaker 5: He would have spoken, but his voice failed him.
2:01:31
Speaker 4: Oh, father!' said she, clasping her hands.
2:01:35
Speaker 5: Forgive your child for being the bearer of evil tidings!'
2:01:39
Speaker 5: Morel again changed color. Julie threw herself into his arms.' Oh, father, father!'
2:01:45
Speaker 5: murmured she.
2:01:46
Speaker 4: Courage!'' The.
2:01:49
Speaker 5: Faraon has gone down, then,' said Morel in a hoarse voice.
2:01:53
Speaker 5: The young girl did not speak, but she made an
2:01:55
Speaker 5: affirmative sign with her head as she lay on her
2:01:57
Speaker 5: father's breast.
2:01:59
Speaker 4: And the crew? asked Morel.
2:02:01
Speaker 5: Saved, said the girl. Saved by the crew of the
2:02:04
Speaker 5: vessel that has just entered the harbor. Morel raised his
2:02:08
Speaker 5: two hands to heaven with an expression of resignation and
2:02:11
Speaker 5: sublime gratitude.
2:02:13
Speaker 4: Thanks, my God, said he.
2:02:15
Speaker 5: At least thou strikest but me alone. A tear moistened
2:02:19
Speaker 5: the eye of the phlegmatic Englishman.
2:02:22
Speaker 4: Come in.
2:02:23
Speaker 5: Come in, said Morel, for I presume you are all
2:02:26
Speaker 5: at the door.
2:02:28
Speaker 4: Scarcely had he.
2:02:29
Speaker 5: Uttered those words than Madame Morel entered, weeping bitterly. Emmanuel
2:02:34
Speaker 5: followed her, and in the antechamber were visible the rough
2:02:36
Speaker 5: faces of seven or eight half-naked sailors. At the sight
2:02:40
Speaker 5: of these men, the Englishman started and advanced a step,
2:02:43
Speaker 5: then restrained himself, and retired into the furthest and most
2:02:46
Speaker 5: obscure corner of the apartment. Madame Morel sat down by
2:02:50
Speaker 5: her husband, and took one of his hands in hers.
2:02:53
Speaker 5: Julie still lay with her head on his shoulder. Emmanuel
2:02:56
Speaker 5: stood in the center of the chamber, and seemed to
2:02:58
Speaker 5: form the link between Morel's family and the sailors at
2:03:01
Speaker 5: the door.' How did this happen?
2:03:05
Speaker 4: said Morel.
2:03:05
Speaker 5: Draw near, Penelon,' said the young man,' and tell us
2:03:09
Speaker 5: all about it.' An old seaman, bronzed by the tropical sun, advanced,
2:03:14
Speaker 5: twirling the remains of a tarpaulin between his hands. Good day,
2:03:18
Speaker 5: Monsieur Morel, said he, as if he had just quitted
2:03:20
Speaker 5: Marseille the previous evening and had just returned from Aix-sur-Toulon.
2:03:24
Speaker 5: Good day, Penelope, returned Morel, who could not refrain from
2:03:28
Speaker 5: smiling through his tears.
2:03:30
Speaker 4: Where is the captain?
2:03:32
Speaker 5: The captain, Monsieur Morel, he has stayed behind sick at Palma,
2:03:36
Speaker 5: but please God it won't be much and you will
2:03:37
Speaker 5: see him in a few days all alive and hearty.
2:03:40
Speaker 4: Well, now tell your story, Penelope.
2:03:44
Speaker 5: Penelope rolled his quid in his cheek, placed his hand
2:03:46
Speaker 5: before his mouth, turned his head, and sent a long
2:03:49
Speaker 5: jet of tobacco juice into the antechamber, advanced his foot,
2:03:52
Speaker 5: balanced himself.
2:03:53
Speaker 4: And began.
2:03:55
Speaker 5: You see, Monsieur Morel,' said he,' we were somewhere between
2:03:58
Speaker 5: Cape Blanc and Cape Boyodore, sailing with a fair breeze,
2:04:01
Speaker 5: south-southwest after a week's calm, when Captain Gamard comes up
2:04:04
Speaker 5: to me— I was at the helm, I should tell you— and says,' Penelon,
2:04:08
Speaker 5: what do you think of those clouds coming up over there?'
2:04:10
Speaker 5: I was just then looking at them myself.' What do
2:04:13
Speaker 5: I think, Captain? Why, I think that they are rising
2:04:15
Speaker 5: faster than they have any business to do, and that
2:04:18
Speaker 5: they would not be so black if they didn't mean mischief.''
2:04:22
Speaker 5: That' s my opinion, too,' says the captain, and I'll take
2:04:24
Speaker 5: precautions accordingly. We are carrying too much canvas. Avast, there,
2:04:28
Speaker 5: all hands, take in the studs and soles, and lower
2:04:30
Speaker 5: the flying jib.' It was time. The squall was on us,
2:04:33
Speaker 5: and the vessel began to heel.' Ah,' says the captain,'
2:04:36
Speaker 5: we still have too much canvas set. All hands, lower
2:04:38
Speaker 5: the mainsail.' Five minutes after, it was down, and we
2:04:41
Speaker 5: sailed under mizzen topsails and to gallant sails.
2:04:44
Speaker 4: Well, Penelon,'.
2:04:45
Speaker 5: Says the captain,' what makes you shake your head?' why
2:04:48
Speaker 5: i says i still think you've got too much on
2:04:51
Speaker 5: i think you're right answered he we shall have a
2:04:53
Speaker 5: gale a gale more than that we shall have a
2:04:55
Speaker 5: tempest or i don't know what's what you could see
2:04:58
Speaker 5: the wind coming like the dust in montredon lucky the
2:05:00
Speaker 5: captain understood his business take in two reefs in the
2:05:04
Speaker 5: topsails cried the captain let go the bowlines haul the
2:05:07
Speaker 5: brace lower the two-gallon sails haul out the reef tackles
2:05:09
Speaker 5: on the yards' That was not enough for those latitudes,'
2:05:13
Speaker 5: said the Englishman.' I should have taken four reefs in
2:05:16
Speaker 5: the topsails, and furrowed the smanker.' His firm, sonorous, and
2:05:21
Speaker 5: unexpected voice made everyone start. Penelon put his hand over
2:05:24
Speaker 5: his eyes, and then stared at the man who thus
2:05:27
Speaker 5: criticized the maneuvers of his captain.' We did better than that, sir,'
2:05:31
Speaker 5: said the old sailor respectfully.' We put the helm up
2:05:33
Speaker 5: to run before the tempest. Ten minutes after, we struck
2:05:36
Speaker 5: our topsails and skedded under bare poles.' The vessel was
2:05:39
Speaker 5: very old to risk that, said the Englishman. Eh, that
2:05:43
Speaker 5: was what did the business. After pitching heavily for twelve hours,
2:05:46
Speaker 5: we sprung a leak. Penelon, says the captain, I think
2:05:48
Speaker 5: we are sinking. Give me the helm and go down
2:05:50
Speaker 5: into the hold. I gave him the helm and descended.
2:05:53
Speaker 5: There were already three feet of water. All hands to
2:05:55
Speaker 5: the pumps, I shouted, but it was too late, and
2:05:57
Speaker 5: it seemed the more we pumped, the more came in.
2:06:00
Speaker 5: ah said i after four hours work since we are
2:06:03
Speaker 5: sinking let us sink we can dive at once that's
2:06:06
Speaker 5: the example you set penelaw cried the captain very well
2:06:09
Speaker 5: wait a minute he went into his cabin and came
2:06:11
Speaker 5: back with a brace of pistols i will blow out
2:06:13
Speaker 5: the brains of the first man who leaves the pump
2:06:15
Speaker 5: said he well done said the englishman' There' s nothing gives
2:06:19
Speaker 5: you so much courage as good reasons,' continued the sailor.
2:06:23
Speaker 5: And during that time the wind had abated, and the
2:06:25
Speaker 5: sea had gone down, but the water kept rising. Not much,
2:06:28
Speaker 5: only two inches an hour, but still it rose. Two
2:06:31
Speaker 5: inches an hour does not seem much, but in twelve
2:06:34
Speaker 5: hours that makes two feet, and three we had before,
2:06:36
Speaker 5: that makes five.' Come,' says the captain,' we have done
2:06:40
Speaker 5: all in our power, and Monsieur Morel will have nothing
2:06:42
Speaker 5: to reproach us with. We have tried to save the ship.
2:06:44
Speaker 5: Now let us save ourselves. To the boats, my lads, as.
2:06:47
Speaker 4: Quick as you can!
2:06:49
Speaker 5: now continued penelon you see monsieur morrel a sailor is
2:06:52
Speaker 5: attached to his ship but still more to his life
2:06:55
Speaker 5: so we did not wait to be told twice the
2:06:57
Speaker 5: more so as the ship was sinking under us and
2:06:59
Speaker 5: seemed to say get along save yourselves We soon launched
2:07:02
Speaker 5: the boat, and all eight of us got into it.
2:07:05
Speaker 5: The captain descended last, or, rather, he did not descend.
2:07:08
Speaker 4: He would not quit the vessel.
2:07:09
Speaker 5: So I took him round the waist and threw him
2:07:11
Speaker 5: into the boat, and then I jumped after him. It
2:07:13
Speaker 5: was time, for just as I jumped, the deck burst
2:07:15
Speaker 5: with a noise like the broadside of a man-of-war.
2:07:18
Speaker 4: Ten minutes after, she pitched forward, then the.
2:07:20
Speaker 5: Other way, spun round and round, and then good-bye to
2:07:22
Speaker 5: the Farion. As for us, we were three days without
2:07:25
Speaker 5: anything to eat or drink, so that we began to
2:07:27
Speaker 5: think of drawing lots who should feed the rest. When
2:07:30
Speaker 5: we saw La Gironde, we made signs of distress. She
2:07:32
Speaker 5: perceived us, made for us, and took us all on board.
2:07:36
Speaker 5: There now, Monsieur Morel, that's the whole truth on the
2:07:38
Speaker 5: honor of a sailor. Is it not true, you fellows there?
2:07:41
Speaker 5: A general murmur of approbation showed that the narrator had
2:07:44
Speaker 5: faithfully detailed their misfortunes and sufferings. Well, well, said Monsieur Morel.
2:07:51
Speaker 5: I know that there was no one in fault but destiny.
2:07:54
Speaker 4: It was the will of God that this should happen.
2:07:56
Speaker 4: Blessed be his name. What wages are due to you?
2:07:59
Speaker 5: Oh, don't let us talk of that, Monsieur Morel.'' Yes,
2:08:04
Speaker 5: but we will talk of it.'' Well, then, three months,'
2:08:07
Speaker 5: said Penelon.' Cocles, pay two hundred francs to each of
2:08:11
Speaker 5: these good fellows,' said Morel. I should have said, give
2:08:17
Speaker 5: them besides two hundred francs over as a present, but
2:08:20
Speaker 5: times are changed, and the little money that remains to
2:08:23
Speaker 5: me is not my own. Penelope turned to his companions
2:08:27
Speaker 5: and exchanged a few.
2:08:28
Speaker 4: Words with them.
2:08:30
Speaker 5: As for that, Monsieur Morel, said he, turning again his quid,
2:08:34
Speaker 5: as for that— As for what?
2:08:36
Speaker 4: The money.
2:08:38
Speaker 5: Well— Well, we all say that fifty francs will be
2:08:41
Speaker 5: enough for us at present, and that we will wait
2:08:43
Speaker 5: for the rest—' Thanks, my friends, thanks!' cried Morel gratefully.'
2:08:48
Speaker 5: Take it, take it, and if you can find another employer,
2:08:52
Speaker 5: enter his service. You are free to do so.' These
2:08:55
Speaker 5: last words produced a prodigious effect on the seaman. Penelon
2:08:59
Speaker 5: nearly swallowed his quid. Fortunately, he recovered.' What, Monsieur Morel?'
2:09:04
Speaker 5: said he in a low voice.' You send us away.
2:09:06
Speaker 5: You are then angry with us.'' No, no,' said Monsieur Morel.'
2:09:11
Speaker 5: I am not angry, quite the contrary, and I do
2:09:13
Speaker 5: not send you away. But I have no more ships,
2:09:16
Speaker 5: and therefore I do not want any sailors.'' No more ships?'
2:09:21
Speaker 5: returned Penelon.' Well, then you'll build some.
2:09:23
Speaker 4: We'll wait for you.
2:09:24
Speaker 5: I have no money to build ships with, Penelon,' said
2:09:28
Speaker 5: the poor owner mournfully.
2:09:29
Speaker 3: So I cannot accept your kind offer.'' No more money?
2:09:33
Speaker 3: Then you must not pay us. We can scud like
2:09:35
Speaker 3: the farry on under bare poles.'' Enough, enough!' cried Morel,
2:09:40
Speaker 3: almost overpowered.' Leave me, I pray you. We shall meet
2:09:43
Speaker 3: again in a happier time. Emmanuel, go with them and
2:09:47
Speaker 3: see that my.
2:09:48
Speaker 4: Orders are executed.
2:09:49
Speaker 5: At least we shall see each other again, Monsieur Morel,'
2:09:53
Speaker 5: asked Penelon.
2:09:54
Speaker 4: Yes, I hope so, at least.
2:09:57
Speaker 5: Now go.' He made a sign to Coclès, who went first.
2:10:01
Speaker 5: The seaman followed him, and Emmanuel brought up the rear.
2:10:03
Speaker 4: Now,'.
2:10:05
Speaker 5: Said the owner to his wife and daughter, Leave me,
2:10:08
Speaker 5: I wish to speak with this gentleman. And he glanced
2:10:11
Speaker 5: toward the clerk of Thompson and French, who had remained
2:10:13
Speaker 5: motionless in the corner during this scene, in which he
2:10:16
Speaker 5: had taken no part except the few words we have mentioned.
2:10:19
Speaker 5: The two women looked at this person, whose presence they
2:10:22
Speaker 5: had entirely forgotten, and retired. But, as she left the apartment,
2:10:26
Speaker 5: Julie gave the stranger a supplicating glance, to which he
2:10:29
Speaker 5: replied by a smile that an indifferent spectator would have
2:10:32
Speaker 5: been surprised to see on his stern features. The two
2:10:35
Speaker 5: men were left alone.' Well, sir,' said Morel, sinking into
2:10:40
Speaker 5: a chair,' you have heard all, and I have nothing
2:10:43
Speaker 5: further to tell you.'' I see,' returned the Englishman,' that
2:10:47
Speaker 5: a fresh and unmerited misfortune has overwhelmed you,' and this
2:10:51
Speaker 5: only increases my desire to serve you.'' Oh, sir,' cried Morel.'
2:10:55
Speaker 5: Let me see,' continued the stranger.' I am one of
2:10:58
Speaker 5: your largest creditors.'' Your bills, at least, are the first
2:11:03
Speaker 5: that will fall due.
2:11:04
Speaker 4: Do you wish for time to pay?
2:11:07
Speaker 5: A delay would save my honor, and consequently my life.
2:11:11
Speaker 5: How long a delay do you wish for? Morel reflected.
2:11:15
Speaker 5: Two months, said he. I will give you three, replied
2:11:18
Speaker 5: the stranger. But, asked Morel, will the House of Thompson
2:11:22
Speaker 5: and French consent? Oh, I take everything on myself. Today
2:11:28
Speaker 5: is the 5th of June.' Well, renew these bills up
2:11:32
Speaker 5: to the 5th of September, and on the 5th of September,
2:11:35
Speaker 5: at eleven o'clock—' The hand at the clock pointed to eleven.'
2:11:37
Speaker 5: I shall come to receive the money.'' I shall expect you,'
2:11:42
Speaker 5: returned Morel,' and I will pay you, or I shall
2:11:45
Speaker 5: be dead.' These last words were uttered in so low
2:11:49
Speaker 5: a tone that the stranger could not hear them. The
2:11:51
Speaker 5: bills were renewed, the old ones destroyed, and the poor
2:11:54
Speaker 5: ship-owner found himself with three months before him to collect
2:11:57
Speaker 5: his resources. The Englishman received his thanks with the phlegm
2:12:01
Speaker 5: particular to his nation, and Morel, overwhelming him with grateful blessings,
2:12:05
Speaker 5: conducted him to the staircase. The stranger met Julie on
2:12:08
Speaker 5: the stairs. She pretended to be descending, but in reality
2:12:12
Speaker 5: she was waiting for him.' Oh, sir!' said she, clasping
2:12:15
Speaker 5: her hands.' Mademoiselle,' said the stranger,' one day you will
2:12:19
Speaker 5: receive a letter signed, Sinbad the Sailor. Do exactly what
2:12:23
Speaker 5: that letter bids you, however strange it may appear.' Yes, sir,
2:12:28
Speaker 5: returned Julie.
2:12:29
Speaker 4: Do you promise?
2:12:30
Speaker 5: I swear to you I will.
2:12:32
Speaker 4: It is well. Adieu, mademoiselle.
2:12:35
Speaker 5: Continue to be the good, sweet girl you are at present,
2:12:38
Speaker 5: and I have great hopes that heaven will reward you
2:12:41
Speaker 5: by giving you Emmanuel for a husband. Julie uttered a
2:12:44
Speaker 5: faint cry, blushed like a rose, and leaned against the baluster.
2:12:48
Speaker 5: The stranger waved his hand, and continued to descend. In
2:12:52
Speaker 5: the court he found Penelon, who, with a rouleau of
2:12:54
Speaker 5: a hundred francs in either hand, seemed unable to make
2:12:57
Speaker 5: up his mind to retain them. Come with me, my friend,
2:13:00
Speaker 5: said the Englishman. I wish to speak to you. All
2:13:17
Speaker 5: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information,
2:13:22
Speaker 5: or to find out how you can volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org.
2:13:27
Speaker 5: Recording by Eden Ray Hedrick. The Count of Monte Cristo
2:13:32
Speaker 5: by Alexandra Dumas. Chapter 30. The 5th of September. The
2:13:39
Speaker 5: extension provided for by the agent of Thompson and French,
2:13:43
Speaker 5: at the moment when Morel expected at least, was to
2:13:46
Speaker 5: the poor shipowner so decided a stroke of good fortune
2:13:49
Speaker 5: that he almost dared to believe that fate was at
2:13:51
Speaker 5: length grown weary of wasting her spite upon him. The
2:13:55
Speaker 5: same day he told his wife, Emmanuel, and his daughter
2:13:58
Speaker 5: all that had occurred, and a ray of hope, if
2:14:01
Speaker 5: not of tranquillity, returned to the family. Unfortunately, however, Morel
2:14:06
Speaker 5: had not only engagements with the House of Thompson and French,
2:14:09
Speaker 5: who had shown themselves so considerate towards him, and, as
2:14:13
Speaker 5: he had said, in business he had correspondents, and not friends.
2:14:18
Speaker 5: When he thought the matter over, he could by no
2:14:20
Speaker 5: means account for this generous conduct on the part of
2:14:22
Speaker 5: Thompson and French towards him, and could only attribute it
2:14:25
Speaker 5: to some such selfish argument as this. We had better
2:14:28
Speaker 5: help a man who owes us nearly three hundred thousand francs,
2:14:31
Speaker 5: and have those three hundred thousand francs at the end
2:14:33
Speaker 5: of three months, than hasten his ruin and get only
2:14:36
Speaker 5: six or eight percent of our money back again. Unfortunately,
2:14:41
Speaker 5: whether through envy or stupidity, all Morel's correspondents did not
2:14:44
Speaker 5: take this view, and some even came to a contrary decision.
2:14:48
Speaker 5: The bills signed by Morel were presented at his office
2:14:51
Speaker 5: with scrupulous exactitude. and thanks to the delay granted by
2:14:54
Speaker 5: the Englishman, were paid by Coquless with equal punctuality. Coquless
2:14:59
Speaker 5: thus remained in his accustomed tranquillity. It was Morel alone
2:15:02
Speaker 5: who remembered, with alarm, that if he had to repay
2:15:05
Speaker 5: on the 15th the fifty thousand francs of Monsieur de Beauville,
2:15:08
Speaker 5: and on the 30th the thirty-two thousand five hundred francs
2:15:11
Speaker 5: of bills, for which, as well as the debt due
2:15:14
Speaker 5: to the inspector of prisons, he had time granted, he
2:15:16
Speaker 5: must be a ruined man.
2:15:19
Speaker 4: The opinion of all.
2:15:20
Speaker 5: The commercial men was that, under the reverses which had
2:15:23
Speaker 5: successively weighed down Morel, it was impossible for him to
2:15:26
Speaker 5: remain solvent. Great, therefore, was the astonishment when, at the
2:15:30
Speaker 5: end of the month, he had cancelled all his obligations
2:15:33
Speaker 5: with his usual punctuality. Still confidence was not restored to
2:15:37
Speaker 5: all minds, and the general opinion was that the complete
2:15:40
Speaker 5: ruin of the unfortunate ship-owner had only been postponed until.
2:15:43
Speaker 4: The end of the month.
2:15:45
Speaker 5: The month passed, and Morel made extraordinary efforts to get
2:15:48
Speaker 5: in all of his resources. formerly his paper at any
2:15:52
Speaker 5: date was taken with confidence and was even in request
2:15:56
Speaker 5: morell now tried to negotiate bills at ninety days only
2:15:59
Speaker 5: and none of the banks would give him credit fortunately
2:16:03
Speaker 5: morell had some funds coming in on which he could
2:16:05
Speaker 5: rely and as they reached him he found himself in
2:16:08
Speaker 5: a condition to meet his engagements when the end of
2:16:10
Speaker 5: july came The agents of Thompson and French had not
2:16:13
Speaker 5: been seen again at Marseilles. The day after, or two
2:16:16
Speaker 5: days after, his visit to Morel, he had disappeared, and
2:16:19
Speaker 5: as in the city he had had no intercourse but
2:16:21
Speaker 5: with the mayor, the inspector of prisons, and M. Morel,
2:16:24
Speaker 5: his departure left no trace except in the memories of
2:16:27
Speaker 5: these three persons. As to the sailors of the Farallon,
2:16:31
Speaker 5: they must have found snug berths elsewhere, for they also
2:16:33
Speaker 5: had disappeared. Captain Gamard, recovered from his illness, had returned
2:16:39
Speaker 5: from Palma. He delayed presenting himself at Morel's, but the owner,
2:16:43
Speaker 5: hearing of his arrival, went to see him. The worthy
2:16:46
Speaker 5: shipowner knew, from Penelon's recital, of the captain's brave conduct
2:16:50
Speaker 5: during the storm, and tried to console him. He brought
2:16:53
Speaker 5: him also the amount of his wages, which Captain Gamard
2:16:55
Speaker 5: had not dared to apply for. As he descended the staircase,
2:17:00
Speaker 5: Morel met Penelon, who was going up. Penelon had, it
2:17:03
Speaker 5: would seem, made good use of his money, for he
2:17:06
Speaker 5: was newly clad. when he saw his employer the worthy
2:17:09
Speaker 5: tarr seemed much embarrassed drew on one side into a
2:17:12
Speaker 5: corner of the landing-place passed his quid from cheek to
2:17:14
Speaker 5: cheek stared stupidly with his great eyes and only acknowledged
2:17:18
Speaker 5: the squeeze of the hand which morrel as usual gave
2:17:20
Speaker 5: him by a slight pressure in return Morrel attributed Penelope's
2:17:24
Speaker 5: embarrassment to the elegance of his attire. It was evident
2:17:28
Speaker 5: the good fellow had not gone to such an expense
2:17:30
Speaker 5: on his own account. He was, no doubt, engaged on
2:17:33
Speaker 5: board some other vessel, and thus his bashfulness arose from
2:17:36
Speaker 5: the fact of his not having, if we may so
2:17:39
Speaker 5: express ourselves, worn mourning for the Friant longer. Perhaps he
2:17:43
Speaker 5: had come to tell Captain Gamard of his good luck,
2:17:45
Speaker 5: and to offer him employment from his new master. Worthy fellow!
2:17:50
Speaker 4: Said morel as he went away.
2:17:52
Speaker 5: May your new master love you as i loved you
2:17:55
Speaker 5: and be more fortunate than i.
2:17:56
Speaker 4: Have been.
2:17:58
Speaker 5: August rolled in unceasing efforts on the part of morel
2:18:01
Speaker 5: to renew his credit or revive the old on the
2:18:04
Speaker 5: twentieth of august it was known of merc that he
2:18:07
Speaker 5: had left town in the mail-coach and it was then
2:18:09
Speaker 5: said that the bills would go to protest at the
2:18:11
Speaker 5: end of the month and that morel had gone away
2:18:13
Speaker 5: and left his chief clerk emmanuel and his cashier cocles
2:18:18
Speaker 5: to meet the creditors But, contrary to all expectation, when
2:18:23
Speaker 5: the 31st of August came, the house opened as usual,
2:18:25
Speaker 5: and Coclès appeared behind the grating of the counter, examined
2:18:29
Speaker 5: all bills presented with the usual scrutiny, and, from first
2:18:32
Speaker 5: to last, paid all with the usual precision. There came in, moreover,
2:18:37
Speaker 5: two drafts which M. Morel had fully anticipated, and which
2:18:40
Speaker 5: Coclès paid as punctually as the bills which the shipowner
2:18:43
Speaker 5: had accepted. All this was incomprehensible, and then, with tenacity
2:18:47
Speaker 5: peculiar to prophets of bad news, the failure was put
2:18:50
Speaker 5: off until the end of September. On the first, Morel returned.
2:18:55
Speaker 5: He was awaited by his family with extreme anxiety, for,
2:18:58
Speaker 5: from this journey to Paris, they hoped great things. morel
2:19:02
Speaker 5: had thought of danglars who was now immensely rich and
2:19:05
Speaker 5: had lain under great obligations to morel in former days
2:19:08
Speaker 5: since it was to him owing that danglar entered the
2:19:10
Speaker 5: service of the spanish banker with whom he had laid
2:19:13
Speaker 5: the foundations of his vast wealth it was said at
2:19:16
Speaker 5: this moment that danglar was worth from six to eight
2:19:18
Speaker 5: millions of francs and had unlimited credit danglar then without
2:19:23
Speaker 5: taking a crown from his pocket could save morel he
2:19:26
Speaker 5: had but to pass his word for a loan and
2:19:28
Speaker 5: morel was saved morel had long thought of danglars but
2:19:31
Speaker 5: had kept away from some instinctive motive and had delayed
2:19:34
Speaker 5: as long as possible availing himself of this last resource
2:19:38
Speaker 5: and morel was right for he returned home crushed by
2:19:41
Speaker 5: the humiliation of a refusal yet on his arrival morel
2:19:44
Speaker 5: did not utter a complaint or say one harsh word
2:19:47
Speaker 5: he embraced his weeping wife and daughter pressed emmanuel's hand
2:19:50
Speaker 5: with friendly warmth and then going to his private room
2:19:53
Speaker 5: on the second floor had set for coclesse then said
2:19:57
Speaker 5: the two women to emmanuel we are indeed ruined it
2:20:01
Speaker 5: was agreed in a brief council held among them that
2:20:03
Speaker 5: julie should write to her brother who was in garrison
2:20:05
Speaker 5: at nima to come to them as speedily as possible
2:20:08
Speaker 5: the poor women felt instinctively that they required all their
2:20:11
Speaker 5: strength to support the blow that impended besides maximilien morrel
2:20:16
Speaker 5: though hardly two-and-twenty had great influence over his father He
2:20:20
Speaker 5: was a strong-minded, upright young man. At the time when
2:20:23
Speaker 5: he decided on his profession, his father had no desire
2:20:27
Speaker 5: to choose for him, but had consulted young Maximilien's taste.
2:20:30
Speaker 5: He had at once declared for a military life, and
2:20:33
Speaker 5: had in consequence studied hard, passed brilliantly through the polytechnic school,
2:20:37
Speaker 5: and left it as sub-lieutenant of the 53rd of the line.
2:20:40
Speaker 5: For a year he had held this rank, and expected
2:20:42
Speaker 5: promotion on the first vacancy. In his regiment, Maximilien Morel
2:20:46
Speaker 5: was noted for his rigid observance, not only of the
2:20:49
Speaker 5: obligations imposed on a soldier, but also of the duties
2:20:52
Speaker 5: of a man, and he thus gained the name of
2:20:55
Speaker 5: the Stoic. We need hardly say that many of those
2:20:58
Speaker 5: who gave him this epithet repeated it because they had
2:21:00
Speaker 5: heard it, and did not even know what it meant.
2:21:03
Speaker 5: This was the young man whom his mother and sister
2:21:05
Speaker 5: called to their aid, to sustain them under the serious
2:21:08
Speaker 5: trial which they felt they would soon have to endure.
2:21:11
Speaker 5: They had not mistaken the gravity of the event, for
2:21:14
Speaker 5: the evening after Morel had entered his private office with Coclès,
2:21:17
Speaker 5: Julie saw the latter leave it pale, trembling, and his
2:21:20
Speaker 5: features betraying the utmost consternation. She would have questioned him
2:21:24
Speaker 5: as he passed her by, but the worthy creature hastened
2:21:26
Speaker 5: down the stairs with unusual precipitation, and only raised his hands.
2:21:30
Speaker 4: To heaven and exclaimed,' Oh.
2:21:32
Speaker 5: Mademoiselle, mademoiselle, what a dreadful misfortune!
2:21:36
Speaker 4: Who could ever have believed it?
2:21:39
Speaker 5: A moment afterward, Julie saw him go upstairs carrying two
2:21:42
Speaker 5: or three heavy ledgers, a portfolio, and a bag of money.
2:21:46
Speaker 5: Morrel examined the ledgers, opened the portfolio, and counted the money.
2:21:51
Speaker 5: All his funds amounted to six thousand or eight thousand francs,
2:21:54
Speaker 5: his bills receivable up to the fifth, to four thousand
2:21:57
Speaker 5: or five thousand, which, making the best of everything, gave
2:22:00
Speaker 5: him fourteen thousand francs, to me debts amounting to two
2:22:03
Speaker 5: hundred eighty-seven thousand five hundred francs. He had not even
2:22:07
Speaker 5: the means for making a possible settlement on account. However,
2:22:11
Speaker 5: when Morel went down to his dinner, he appeared very calm.
2:22:14
Speaker 5: This calmness was more alarming to the two women than
2:22:16
Speaker 5: the deepest dejection would have been. After dinner, Morel usually
2:22:20
Speaker 5: went out and used to take his coffee at the
2:22:23
Speaker 5: Foucault Club and read the semaphore. This day he did
2:22:27
Speaker 5: not leave the house, but returned to his office. As
2:22:30
Speaker 5: to Coquless, he seemed completely bewildered. For part of the
2:22:34
Speaker 5: day he went into the courtyard, seated himself on a
2:22:37
Speaker 5: stone with his head bare and exposed to the blazing sun.
2:22:40
Speaker 5: Emmanuel tried to comfort the women, but his eloquence faltered.
2:22:44
Speaker 5: The young man was too well acquainted with the business
2:22:46
Speaker 5: of the house not to feel a great catastrophe hung
2:22:48
Speaker 5: over the Morel family.
2:22:51
Speaker 4: Night came.
2:22:52
Speaker 5: The two women watched, hoping that when he left his
2:22:54
Speaker 5: room Morel would come to them, but they heard him
2:22:56
Speaker 5: pass before their door and trying to conceal the noise
2:22:59
Speaker 5: of his footsteps.
2:23:00
Speaker 4: They listened.
2:23:01
Speaker 5: He went into his sleeping-room, and fastened the door inside.
2:23:05
Speaker 5: Madame Morel sent her daughter to bed, and half an
2:23:07
Speaker 5: hour after Julie had retired, she rose, took off her shoes,
2:23:11
Speaker 5: and went stealthily along the passage, to see through the
2:23:14
Speaker 5: keyhole what her husband was doing. In the passage, she
2:23:17
Speaker 5: saw a retreating shadow. It was Julie, who, uneasy herself,
2:23:21
Speaker 5: had anticipated her mother. The young lady went toward Madame Morel.
2:23:25
Speaker 4: He is.
2:23:26
Speaker 5: Writing,' she said. They understood each other without speaking. Madame
2:23:31
Speaker 5: Morel looked again through the keyhole. Morel was writing, but
2:23:34
Speaker 5: Madame Morel remarked what her daughter had not observed, that
2:23:38
Speaker 5: her husband was writing on stamped paper. The terrible idea
2:23:41
Speaker 5: that he was writing his will flashed across her. She shuddered,
2:23:45
Speaker 5: and yet had no strength to utter a word. Next day,
2:23:48
Speaker 5: Monsieur Morel seemed as calm as ever, went to his
2:23:50
Speaker 5: office as usual, came to his breakfast punctually, and then,
2:23:54
Speaker 5: after dinner, he placed his daughter beside him, took her
2:23:56
Speaker 5: head in his arms, and held her for a long
2:23:58
Speaker 5: time against his bosom. In the evening, Julie told her
2:24:02
Speaker 5: mother that although he was apparently so calm, she had
2:24:04
Speaker 5: noticed that her father's heart beat violently. The next two
2:24:08
Speaker 5: days passed in much the same way. On the evening
2:24:11
Speaker 5: of the 4th of September, Monsieur Morel asked his daughter
2:24:14
Speaker 5: for the key of his study. Julie trembled at this request,
2:24:18
Speaker 5: which seemed to her of bad omen. Why did her
2:24:20
Speaker 5: father ask for this key, which he had always kept,
2:24:23
Speaker 5: and which was only taken from her in childhood as
2:24:25
Speaker 5: a punishment? The young girl looked at Morel. What have
2:24:29
Speaker 5: I done wrong, father, she said, that you should take
2:24:31
Speaker 5: this key from me? Nothing, my dear, replied the unhappy man,
2:24:36
Speaker 5: the tears starting to his eyes at the simple question. Nothing,
2:24:40
Speaker 5: only I want it. Julie made a pretense to feel
2:24:44
Speaker 5: for the key. I must have left it in my room,
2:24:47
Speaker 5: she said, and she went out, but instead of going
2:24:49
Speaker 5: to her apartment, she hastened to consult Emmanuel. Do not
2:24:53
Speaker 5: give this key to your father, said he, and tomorrow morning,
2:24:57
Speaker 5: if possible, do not quit him for a moment. She
2:24:59
Speaker 5: questioned Emmanuel, but he knew nothing, or would say nothing,
2:25:02
Speaker 5: what he knew. During the night between the 4th and
2:25:06
Speaker 5: 5th of September, Madame Morel remained listening for every sound,
2:25:10
Speaker 5: and until three o'clock in the morning she heard her
2:25:11
Speaker 5: husband pacing the room in great agitation. It was three
2:25:15
Speaker 5: o'clock when he threw himself into bed. The mother and
2:25:18
Speaker 5: daughter passed the night together. They had expected Maximilien since
2:25:22
Speaker 5: the previous evening. At eight o'clock in the morning Morel
2:25:25
Speaker 5: entered their chamber. He was calm, but the agitation of
2:25:29
Speaker 5: the night was legible in his pale and careworn visage.
2:25:32
Speaker 5: They did not dare to ask him how he had slept.
2:25:35
Speaker 5: Morel was kinder to his wife, more affectionate to his daughter,
2:25:38
Speaker 5: than he had ever been. He could not cease gazing
2:25:40
Speaker 5: at and kissing the sweet girl. Julie, mindful of Emmanuel's request,
2:25:45
Speaker 5: was following her father when he quitted the room, but
2:25:47
Speaker 5: he said to her quickly,