World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 119 The Scene Between the Five Couples (1)
The three young men parted at the Place Louis XV, that is to say, Morrel took the Boulevard, Chateau-Renoir took the Pont de la Revolution, and Debray followed the Rue des Ripes.Morrel and Châteaux-Renoir went straight to their houses nine times out of ten-a term that is still used today in the beautiful speeches in the Chamber and the well-written plays in the theater on the Rue Richelieu.As for Debray, that's not the case.He turned left when he reached the gallery of the Louvre, galloped across the Circus, crossed the Rue Saint-Léroque, and finally emerged from the Rue Michoudier to the door of Monsieur Tangra's house.The Baroness Tangra took M. de Villefort's open carriage to Saint-Honoré to take the Villeforts back, so the baroness and Debray arrived at the gate of the mansion at the same time.Debray seemed to be a frequent visitor to the baron's mansion. He entered the courtyard first, threw the horse's dead rope to the servant, and then turned around to pick up Mrs. Tanglar.He stretched out his arm and led the baroness into the inner room.After the gate was closed, the baroness and Debray were alone in the courtyard.

"What is the matter with you, Hermina?" said Debray. "The count's tales are nothing short of grotesque fables. How can you be so astonished?"

"I am not in very good spirits to-night, my friend," answered the baroness.

"No, Elmina," said Debray, "you can't fool me with your words. On the contrary, you were in a very good mood when you first arrived at the Earl's Villa. Mr. Tanglar's appearance is a bit unpopular. It's true, but I know you'll deal with his temper. Someone must be offending you, tell me. You know I won't allow anyone to speak ill of you."

"You are mistaken, Lucien. I beg you to rest assured," Madame Tanglar continued, "it is what I have just said. As for his bad temper, you have also seen it, and I do not think it worth mentioning to you."

Apparently, Mrs. Tangera had some troubles in her heart, and when women were so depressed, they often didn't even understand why they were so depressed.Or, as Debray suspected, she had been aroused by something which she had been keeping in her heart and would not reveal to anyone.Debray has always understood that it is a common thing in a woman's life to get angry and dizzy for a while, so she doesn't ask her any more questions, thinking that it will not be too late to ask her again when there is an appropriate time in the future, or she may speak out on her own initiative.When the baroness came to the door of her bedroom, she met Mademoiselle Cornelli.Mademoiselle Cornelli was the Baroness's confidant.

"What is my daughter doing?" Mrs. Tangla asked.

"She practiced all night," replied Miss Cornelli, "and then she went to bed."

"But I seem to hear her playing the piano."

"Miss is in bed, and now Miss Louise Amery is at the piano."

"Well," said Madam Tanglar, "come here and undress me."

All three entered the bedroom.Debray reclined on a couch, and Mrs. Donglas and Miss Cornelli went into the bathroom together.

"My dear Monsieur Lucien," said Madame Tangra through the bathroom door, "don't you always complain that Mademoiselle Eugenie doesn't want to talk to you?"

"Madame," said Lucien, stroking the Baroness's little dog, which, knowing that he was a guest of the house, wagged its head and tail to please him, "I am not the only one who makes such complaints, I think I heard Moserf complain to you the other day that he could hardly get a word out of his betrothed."

"Exactly," said Madame Tangera, "but I think that one morning things will change and you will see Eugenie come into your office."

"my office?"

"I mean the minister's office."

"Go for what?"

"Please help her get a letter of appointment from the opera house! To be honest, I have never seen anyone who is so obsessed with concerts. People in the upper class are so nondescript."

Debray smiled. "Okay!" he said, "as long as the baron and you both agree, let her go, and we will definitely get her a letter of appointment. We are poor, and an artist as talented as her may not be able to afford this. a fee, but we'll make sure to try to hire her on the merits."

"You may go, Cornelia," said Madame Tanglars, "I have nothing to do here."

Cornelli went out, and after a while, Mrs. Tanglar came out of the bathroom in a charming pajamas and sat down beside Lucien.Then she thought, petting her spaniel.Lucien looked at her for a while in silence. "Well, Elmina," he said at last, "answer me frankly, what's bothering you, isn't it?"

"No," said the baroness.But she felt bored again, so she stood up and took a deep breath, then went to look in the mirror. "I'm a little bit scary tonight," she said.

Debray smiled slightly, stood up, and was about to comfort her with these words, when the door suddenly opened.Mr Tanglar was standing at the door, and Debray sat down again.When Mrs. Tanglar heard the door open, she turned around and looked at her husband with astonishment on her face, and she didn't bother to hide it.

"Good night, madam," said the banker, "good night, Mr. Debray."

The baroness may have thought that she would have something to say in such a sudden intrusion. It may be that the baron felt that the words blurted out during the day were too sharp, and now he wanted to make up for it.She then put on an air of domineering, and instead of answering her husband, turned away to her friend. "Please read me something, Mr. Debray," she said.

When Tangra first came in, Debray was a little uneasy, but quickly calmed down like a baroness, so he reached out to pick up a book with a paper knife inlaid with mother-of-pearl and gold in the middle of the book.

"Excuse me," said the banker, "for studying so late, Baroness, you will soon be tired. It is already eleven o'clock, and Mr. Debray lives far away."

Debray was stunned for a moment. What surprised him was not that Tangla's tone was so calm and polite this time, but that through this calmness and politeness, he saw some kind of unusual determination. Guerra is about to sing the opposite stage with his wife.The baroness was also very surprised. She couldn't help but glared at her husband, which showed the fear in her heart. At this moment, Tangra's eyes were fixed on the newspaper to find the closing price of today's public debt. After thinking about it for a while, the bluffing gaze was ignored, and it didn't have any effect.

"Monsieur Lucien," said the baroness, "I can tell you that I am not sleepy at all. I have many things to tell you tonight. Even if you doze off standing up, you will have to listen to me this night."

"I am at your command, Madame," said Lucien calmly.

"My dear Mr. Debray," went on the banker, "I beg you not to make yourself hard on listening to Mrs. Donglas' nonsense all night long, because you could come and hear them to-morrow, but today I'll have the evening at my disposal. If you don't mind, I'll take care of the whole evening, and I'll have a long talk with my wife about some very important matters."

This time the words were so straightforward and crisp that both Lucien and the baroness were stunned.The two looked at each other, as if they were asking each other for help to fight back, but the irresistible authority of the head of the family won, and it was the husband who was really powerful after all.

"But in any case don't think I'm driving you away, my dear Debray," Tangra went on, "no, absolutely not, for some unexpected reason, I have to talk to the baroness this evening. , I seldom do such a thing, presumably you won't hold grudges against me for this."

Debray muttered a few words, then turned around with a bow and walked out, like "Adaly" in a play by the French playwright Racine (1639-1999).Just like Nadang in the first play, he slammed into the door frame. "It's incredible," he said to himself as soon as he came out, as the door closed behind him; "we think these husbands are ridiculous, but how easy it is for them to really get the upper hand on us!"

After Lucien left, Tangra sat down on the sofa, closed the open book, put on a majestic posture, and then petted the puppy.But the dog didn't know him as well as Debray, and wanted to bite him, so he grabbed the hide by the neck and threw it far across the room toward a bench.The flung animal howled, but curled up behind a cushion as soon as it was thrown onto the bench.This unusual treatment frightened him into a petrified state, and he dared not speak out or move.

"You know, sir," said the baroness calmly, "that you have grown, have you not? Usually you are only vulgar, but to-night you have been rough."

"That's because I'm in a worse mood than usual tonight."

Elmina glanced at the banker with extreme contempt.Under normal circumstances, this glance would definitely make the arrogant Tangla furious, but tonight he didn't seem to pay much attention. "What does your bad mood hinder me?" She said, her husband's expressionless expression irritated her, "Is this kind of thing related to me too? You can hold back your bad mood, or else Take it to your office, since your employees are hired with money, you should vent your emotions to them!"

"No," Tangra said, "you have made a mistake, madam, I will not listen to you. It is like the French high priest of Demtier (1742-1829). Sir, my offices are mine Pactole River (a river in ancient Asia Minor, it is said that there are thin gold flakes in the river.), I don't want to muddy the river, and I don't want to make any waves for this river. My staff are honest people, my The property is what they earn me, but the reward I pay them, if I compare this reward with what they bring me, it is far less than their contribution, so I will not lose my temper at them The people I want to scold in anger are those guys who eat my food, count my horses, and take out my silver cabinet."

"Who was it that took out your silver cabinet? Sir, I beg you to speak clearly."

"Oh, don't worry! Although I'm still playing riddles, I don't intend to make you spend a lot of time trying to figure out the answer to this riddle." Tangra continued, "The one who took out my silver cabinet was within an hour. Those who took half a million francs out of it."

"I don't understand you, sir," said the baroness, trying to conceal the excitement in her voice and the flush on her cheeks.

"On the contrary, you know very well," Tangra said, "but if you still refuse to admit it, I can tell you that I have just lost 70 francs on Spanish bonds."

"Oh, that's unreasonable!" said the baroness with a sneer. "Should I be responsible for this loss?"

"Why shouldn't it be?"

"Is it my fault that you lost 70 francs?"

"It's not my fault anyway."

"For the last time, sir," said the baroness sharply, "I told you long ago that you should never come to tell me that you are not in a hurry to close the silver cabinet. This kind of talk is still in my parents' house. My ex-husband’s family has never heard of it.”

"Of courseⅢI completely believe what you said," Tangla said, "neither of these two families can take advantage of a big brother."

(End of this chapter)