World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 129 The Prom (2)
In any case, he walked forward under the eyes of everyone, greeted those around him now and then, and finally came to Mrs. Moserf.Mrs. Mocerf, who was standing before the flowered fireplace, had seen him come in from a large mirror just opposite the door, and was about to meet him.Mrs. Merserf turned to him with a smile on her face, and he bowed to Mrs. Merserf.Mrs. Merserf might have thought that the Earl would speak first, and the Earl thought Mrs. Merserf would speak first. As a result, both of them waited silently, and both felt that it would be inappropriate to find another meaningless sentence to deal with. So after saluting to each other, Christ Shan stepped towards Albert, who greeted him with open arms.

"Have you seen my mother?" asked Albert.

"I have just had the great honor of paying my respects to your lord," said the count, "but I have not seen your lord."

"Look! He's talking politics there with some famous people."

"Really," said Monte Cristo, "were the gentlemen I see over there now famous? I did not think of it! What? There are all kinds of famous, you know."

"First of all, there is a scholar. It is the tall and thin gentleman. He found a lizard on the outskirts of Rome with one more vertebra than the common one. After he came back, he reported this discovery to the French Research Institute, but people kept There were objections, but in the end this tall and thin gentleman won. This spine caused a great sensation in the academic world. This tall and thin gentleman originally only had a knighthood, and now he has a fourth class Medal of Honor."

"Excellent!" said Monte Cristo. "I think the award is very justified. So, if he finds another vertebra, he may be awarded the Legion of Honor of the Triple Pole?"

"It's possible," Mosef said.

"Then this one, who wears a blue coat with green flowers in a strange way, what kind of character is he?"

"It wasn't his idea to wear this strange suit, it was the idea of ​​the Republic. You know, the Republic also talks about art, and wanted to make a uniform for the members of the French Academy, so they hired the French painter Davide (1748-1825) ), who was a member of the National Convention in the early days of the bourgeois revolution. Designed the costume."

"Ah, so it is," said Monte Cristo. "Then this gentleman is an academician?"

"He became an academician last week."

"What did he contribute? What was his specialty?"

"Speciality? I think he can pierce a rabbit's head with a thin needle, use madder for chicken feed, and pick out the marrow of a dog's spine with whalebone."

"Judging from these specialties, he is from the Academy of Natural Sciences, right?"

"No, he is from the French Institute of Linguistics."

"What does the French Language Institute have to do with the content of his research?"

"Did I tell you straight, it seems..."

"His research is a big step forward for science, isn't it?"

"No, he has good handwriting."

"Such a thing," said Monte Cristo, "will make the rabbit whose head he stabs with a needle, the chicken whose bone he reddens with madder, and the dog whose spine he picks out the marrow." Al Beha laughed. "And this one?" continued the count.

"Who?"

"No, the third person."

"Ah, is it the one in the light blue dress?"

"Yes."

"He was a colleague of my father's who was firmly opposed to the uniform of members of the House of Lords, and he made a speech on the matter which was very honorable. He had had a bad relationship with the Liberal papers, but he was very righteous and opposed the wishes of the court. , so the Liberal newspapers have made peace with him. It is said that he will be appointed ambassador."

"What qualifications does he have to be a member of the House of Lords?"

"He wrote two or three operas with speeches, bought four or five shares in The Age, and voted for the Cabinet for five or six years."

"Very well, Viscount!" said Monte Cristo, laughing, "you are a very good guide. I need your help with something, will you?"

"what's up?"

"You don't need to introduce me to these gentlemen. If they want to meet me, please come and tell me first."

At this moment, the count felt someone put his arm on his arm, and when he looked back, it turned out to be Tangra. "Ah, it is you, baron!" said Monte Cristo.

"Why do you call me Baron?" Tangra said, "You know very well that I don't care about my title. I'm different from you, Viscount, you take it very seriously, don't you?"

"Of course," replied Albert, "if I am not a viscount, I am nothing, and you may not have the title of baronet, but you will still be a millionaire."

"I think this is the July Dynasty, also known as the "Orleans Dynasty", established after the July Revolution in 1830, representing the interests of the financial aristocracy. The most beautiful title."

"Unfortunately," said Monte Cristo, "a millionaire is not a title for life, unlike a baron, a member of the House of Peers or a member of the Academy of Sciences. The two great millionaires of Frankfurt, Franck and Polmann, have recently declared Bankruptcy, that's a proof."

"Really?" Tangra said, his face turned pale immediately.

"Indeed, the messenger just brought me the news this evening. I deposited some money with them, a million or so, but I got wind of it in time, and withdrew the money about a month ago."

"Oh, my God!" Tangra said, "they made me pay 20 francs."

"Oh, you have to know that the tickets they signed can only be redeemed at five per cent."

"Yes, I found out too late," Tangla said, "I paid for their tickets as soon as they arrived."

"Well!" said Monte Cristo, "another two hundred thousand francs, plus..."

"Shh!" Tangra said, "let's not talk about these things..." Then he took a step closer to Monte Cristo, "especially not in front of Mr. Cavalle-Conti Jr.," continued the banker, smiling. He turned to the young man.

Mecerf left the count to talk to his mother, and Tangra also went to greet little Cavalle-Conti, while Monte Cristo stood alone for a while.It was very hot in the hall at this time.Servants circle the living room with trays full of fruit and ice cream to entertain guests.Monte Cristo wiped the sweat from his face with his handkerchief, and he drew back when the servant passed him with the tray, not wanting any cold drink.Madame Mocerf never took her eyes off Monte Cristo. She saw Monte Cristo untouched when the servant passed by carrying the tray, and she saw clearly the way Monte Cristo receded.

"Albert," said she, "is there anything you have noticed?"

"What is it, mother?"

"The Count will never eat at Mr. Mocerf's."

"Yes, but he dined with me, and it was through that luncheon that he entered Parisian society."

"Being with you is not the same as being at the count's house." Mercedes said softly, "I have been paying attention to him since he came in."

"how?"

"What! He doesn't eat anything."

"The Earl is very restrained in his diet."

Mercedes had a wry smile on her face. "Go up to him," she said, "and treat him to something as soon as the tray comes."

"And why, mother?"

"Just do as I tell you, Albert," said Mercedes.

Albert kissed his mother's hand, and then went to stand beside the count.Another tray was brought, the same as before, filled with fruits and drinks.Mercedes saw Albert repeatedly asking the count for something to eat, and even took a cup of ice cream and offered it to the count, but the count refused to eat it.Albert returned to his mother, and the countess turned pale.

"Well," said she, "you see. He won't eat."

"Yes, but what worries you about it?"

"You know, Albert, women have a woman's queer temper. I should like to see the Count eat something at my house, even a pomegranate. Perhaps he is not yet accustomed to the French way of life, or he may eat. Rather picky."

"My God, no. I saw him eat everything when I was in Italy. He must be in a bad mood tonight."

"Besides," said the countess, "he has always lived in the tropics, and perhaps, unlike others, he is less afraid of the heat."

"I don't think so, because he said it was stuffy, and he asked why the shutters weren't drawn when the windows were open."

"That's true," said Mercedes, "that's the way to see if he doesn't eat anything on purpose." And she left the drawing room.After a while, the shutters were all opened, and through the jasmine and clematis on the window sill, one could see colorful lights hanging in the garden, and the tables under the awning were full of delicious food and wine.The guests, whether they were dancing, playing cards or talking, all shouted with joy, their suffocated chests eagerly inhaling the cool wind blowing in through the windows.At this moment Mercedes returned to the drawing-room, paler than when she had left, but with that resolute expression which on certain occasions distinguished her.She walked straight to the circle of guests centered on her husband. "Don't keep these gentlemen chained up here, Monsieur Earl," said she. "Since they don't play cards, they must prefer to go to the garden and get some fresh air, rather than being suffocated in the house all the time."

"Ah, ma'am!" said a flamboyant old general who, in 1809, sang "The March on Syria," "we can't just go to the garden."

"Well," said Mercedes, "I will go first." She turned towards Monte Cristo. "Monsieur," she said, "please accompany me."

The words were flat, but the earl felt weak when he heard it, and for a moment he just glanced at Mercedes.This moment was as short as lightning, but Mercedes felt it was a century long, and the look of Monte Cristo was full of mixed emotions.Monte Cristo stretched out his arms to the countess, who leaned against them, or rather, laid them lightly with her slender hands, and they walked down the steps lined with rhododendrons and camellias. Down.Following them, more than 20 guests jumped for joy and rushed down from the steps next to them.

(End of this chapter)