World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 105 Alfalfa Field (1)
Now readers are invited to follow us to the enclosed open space adjacent to M. Villefort's mansion. Behind the iron gate hidden by the chestnut grove, there are people we are familiar with.This time it was Maximilian who arrived first. His eyes were stuck to the cracks in the partition, and he was spying out whether there were any figures among the bushes in the depths of the garden, and whether there was a sound of half-heeled boots walking on the sandy path.

The long-awaited footsteps finally sounded, but there were not one but two figures walking over.It turned out that Valentine's late arrival was due to Mrs. Tangra and Eugenie's visit, and Valentine still refused to leave when it was time for a date. So in order not to miss the appointment, the girl had no choice but to invite Miss Tangra to take a walk in the garden and wait for the opportunity. Showed to Maximilian that he was really anxious that he couldn't come for a while, but the girl herself was helpless.

With the keen intuition unique to lovers, Maximilian understood everything at once, and he was relieved.Moreover, although Valentine did not come too close, he still could not hear the voice, but the girl always walked up and down within Maximilian's sight, and every time she walked up and down, she took advantage of her girlfriend. Pay attention to cast a glance towards the iron gate.Maximilian understood, and the girl's eyes seemed to say: "Don't be restless, my friend, you see, I am also helpless." Maximilian was really relieved, and while waiting, he carefully compared the two girls different grooming.I saw a blond hair, with gloomy eyes, and a slightly forward figure like a weeping willow; the other brown hair, with self-admiring eyes, stood proudly like a tall and straight poplar.The demeanor of the two is simply Nan "Yes, I recognized Miss Tangla. I didn't expect you to be so close to her."

"Who told you that we were close, Maximilian?"

"No one told me, I thought of it myself. You can tell by the way you are arm in arm and whispering. You are like two girls in a boarding school whispering."

"We were indeed speaking our own minds," said Valentine; "she told me that she was troubled and did not want to marry M. Monsieur Epinet is very unfortunate."

"Dear Valentine!"

"And so, my dear friend," continued the girl, "you see that Eugenie and I seem to agree together, while I am talking about the one whom I do not want to love, but I am thinking of another whom I am attached to. "

"You are so lovely in everything, Valentine. You have your characteristics, which Miss Tangera will never possess. This is a kind of faint charm. Whether a woman has this charm is like a flower. Whether it is fragrant, whether the fresh fruit is sweet, because the perfect flower is not only about the color, and the best fruit is not only about the color."

"You see it that way out of the love in your heart."

"No, Valentine, I can swear to you, er, I saw both of you just now, and I swear on my honor, to be fair, Miss Tangera is beautiful, but I can't figure out how There are men in love with her."

"It's because, Maximilian, as you said yourself, I'm by your side, and as long as I'm around, you'll be biased."

"No...but please tell me...this is purely a question out of curiosity, and it's because I have some thoughts about Miss Tanglar."

"Oh, I don't know what you have in mind, but it's certainly not fair. We shouldn't expect tolerance for your comments about us poor girls."

"You tolerate each other, but are you really fair to each other?"

"That's because we are almost always driven by emotion when we comment. But let's talk about your problem."

"Is it because Miss Tanglar is worried about her marriage to Mr. Moserf that she is already in love with someone else?"

"I told you, Maximilian, that I am not a bosom friend of Eugenie."

"Oh, my God!" said Morrel, "ladies don't need to be bosom friends to confide in each other's secrets, you admit, did you ask her about it? Ah, I see you smile secretly."

"If you really saw it, Maximilian, there would be no need for this wooden wall between us."

"Tell me, what did she tell you?"

"She told me that she loved no one," said Valentine, "that she was disgusted with marriage, and that her greatest joy was to be able to lead a free and independent life, and that she almost expected her father to go bankrupt." so she can be an artist like her friend Louise Amily."

"Ah, look!"

"Well, what does that mean?" asked Valentine.

"No explanation." Maximilian said with a slight smile.

"Then," said Valentine, "why are you also secretly laughing?"

"Ah," said Maximilian, "you see, aren't you looking in my direction too, Valentine?"

"Do you mean I should go?"

"Oh, no, no! Let's talk about yourself anyway."

"Ah, yes, you're right, we're only together for 10 minutes."

"My God!" cried Maximilian dejectedly.

"Yes, Maximilian, you are right," said Valentine sadly. "Your friend is a poor girl. You could have been very happy on good terms, but because of me you What a life I lived! I was very sad, and I was blaming myself, really."

"Hey, Valentine, why should you be sad as long as I am happy myself! Although my waiting is endless, I think I can look at you for five minutes, and I can hear you say a few words In other words, I can firmly believe that God has never created two hearts like ours, and it can be said that he has never connected them so miraculously, let alone tear them apart."

"That's very well said, thank you. Expect it for both of us, Maximilian, and my life will be half the fun."

"What has happened to you, Valentine? Why have you left me in such haste?"

"I don't know either. Madame de Villefort sent to tell me that she wanted me to come and talk to me about some of my property. Oh, my God, they can take my property if they want, I Too rich to be. They should have set me quiet and free when they took my property, and if I were poor, you would love me, wouldn't you, Morrel?"

"Oh! I will always love you. As long as my Valentine is with me, as long as I am sure that no one can take you away from me, I don't care about wealth or poverty! But this conversation, Valentina Are you really not at all worried, Londina, about what news this might be about your marriage?"

"I don't think so."

"But, listen to me, Valentine, you need not be alarmed, for in this life I belong to no one else."

"Do you think that can reassure me, Maximilian?"

"I'm sorry! You're right, I'm too superficial. That's right, I want to tell you that I met Mosef that day."

"how?"

"Mr. Franz is his friend, as you know."

"Yes, so what?"

"Well, he has a letter from Franz, who says he will be back soon."

Valentine's face turned pale, and she held the iron gate tightly with one hand. "Oh, my God," said she, "it is so! No, that would not be Madame de Villefort's conversation with me."

"why?"

"Why . . . I don't know what it is . . . but I feel that Madame de Villefort, though she did not expressly disapprove of the marriage, actually disapproved of it."

"Yes! Well, Valentine, it seems that Madame de Villefort is indeed worthy of my admiration."

"Ah, wait and see, Maximilian." Valentine said with a wry smile.

"Anyway, if she objects to this marriage, even if it's just for the purpose of annulling the engagement, she will listen to Jin and propose another marriage."

"Don't think so, Maximilian, it's not my husband that bothers her, but my marriage."

"What, marriage? If she is so upset, why should she marry herself?"

"You don't understand me, Maximilian. I said a year ago that I wanted to leave home and go to a convent. She said a few words on the surface that she thought were morally necessary, but she was very happy. I The plan was exactly what she wanted. She also provoked my father, and finally my father agreed, really, I know it well. Only my poor grandfather was determined not to let me go. You can't imagine that at that time What a look in the eyes of the poor old man, Maximilian. He loves me alone in the world, and he, oh, God forgive me if I speak blasphemously, he has only I love him. Do you know how he looked at me when he knew I was determined to run away from home! What reproach was in his eyes! He didn't groan, he didn't sigh, he was numb. But there were two lines of hot tears rolling down my cheeks, and what kind of despair was in those tears! Ah, Maximilian, I was so remorseful that I threw myself at his feet and cried out to him:' Forgive me, forgive me, dear grandfather, no matter what people do to me, I will never leave you'. So he raised his eyes and looked up to the sky... Maximilian, I can suffer no matter how much I suffer I don't hesitate, because I haven't suffered yet, but I have already received compensation from my grandfather's eyes."

"Dear Valentina, you are an angel. I don't know how I can match. I was in North Africa with a saber in my hand and swung the Bedouins. Does God really think that these are heretics? I don't know What merit do I have to deserve the presence of an angel like you! But tell me, Valentine, what will Madame de Villefort do herself if she refuses to let you marry?"

"Didn't you hear me tell you just now that I am rich, even too rich, Maximilian? I have an annuity of 5 livres from my mother's name, and my grandparents, the Marquis and Marquise of Saint-Meran would give me as much property, and my grandfather M. Noirquier evidently intended me to be his sole heir. But my brother Edward received nothing from his mother, and he has no money compared with me. But Madame de Villefort is very fond of the child, and if I really go to the convent, then all my property will go to my father, because he can inherit the property of the Marquis and Marquise, and take over my own property, and finally fall His son has it."

"Oh, it's inexplicable that a young and beautiful woman should be so greedy."

"You should see, Maximilian, that she is not looking out for herself, but for her son. You accuse her of being greedy, but from a mother's point of view it is almost a virtue."

"But let us see, Valentine," said Morrel, "that you will not give part of your property to her son?"

"The question is how to say that?" said Valentine, "especially to a woman who keeps professing her utter disinterestedness."

"Valentine, love has always been sacred in my heart, and like all things sacred, I respect love and keep it secret, and I keep it deep in my heart. There is no one in this world, not even My sister never imagined that I had given my love to someone. Will you promise me, Valentine, that I will speak of my love to a friend?"

Valentine could not help but startled. "A friend?" she said. "Oh, my God! Maximilian, I tremble when I hear you say that. Talk to a friend? Who is this friend?"

"Listen, Valentine. Have you ever had such an irresistible affection for someone that you felt you knew him already, even though you saw him for the first time, and you ask yourself When and where did you meet him, but you can't remember when and where, so you feel that you have known him in the previous life, and the current good impression is just a relapse of the past?"

"Had."

"Well, that's how I felt when I first met this strange man."

"A strange person?"

"Yes."

"Have you known him for a long time?"

"Just over a week, 10 days at most."

"You call someone you have just known for eight or nine days a friend? Oh, Maximilian, I thought you were very cautious in making friends."

(End of this chapter)