World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 15 The Little Study at the Tuileries

Not to mention that Villefort hired three coachmen and drove non-stop all the way to Paris. Let us first come to the Tuileries Palace and look at the small study with arched windows that we can pass through two or three drawing rooms.Although the study is small, it is famous far and wide because it was favored by Napoleon, Louis XVIII and the current Saint Louis Philippe.

In the study King Louis XVIII was sitting at a walnut table which he had brought from Hartwell, and which he had a particular fondness for, as every great man has his quirks.At this moment he was listening casually to a speaker, 50-52 years old, with gray hair, an aristocratic appearance, and very well-dressed clothes.While listening to the king, he was reading the ancient Roman poet Horace (65-8 BC) in Griffith's edition.Make eyebrows in a collection.This edition is famous, but it is full of mistakes, but most of the king's wise and learned insights come from this book.

"What do you say, sir?" said the King.

"I say, I am extremely disturbed, Your Majesty."

"Really? Did you also see seven fat cows and seven lean cows in a dream?"

"No, Your Majesty, that dream only foretells seven years of good harvest and seven years of famine, and with a wise monarch like Your Majesty, the famine is not terrible."

"Then what disaster will come, my dear Plaka?"

"My lord, I think, and have every reason to think, that a storm is brewing in the south."

"Ah, my dear duke, I don't think your information is accurate. On the contrary, I know the situation is very good. It's sunny and sunny over there." Louis XVIII is very funny and likes to make a few jokes casually.

"Your Majesty," said the Duke of Braca, "even if it is to reassure your loyal ministers, can the Holy Majesty send some reliable people to Languedoc, Provence and Dauphiné to explain to you the conditions of the people of these three provinces?"

"We sing softly," replied the king, making notes on Horace's volume.

"Your Majesty," said the courtier, smiling again, meaning that he could understand the half-line of Horace's poem, "the Holy Majesty can fully trust that France will be safe and peaceful, but I think it is not unreasonable for my minister to worry about some kind of desperate attempt." reason."

"Which people?"

"Bonaparte is Napoleon's surname. Himself, or at least his best friend."

"My dear Braca, you are so disturbed that I cannot work."

"And I, Your Majesty, you are so calm that I can't sleep peacefully."

"Wait a moment, my dear duke, a moment, for this "When the Shepherds Pass."

The conversation was interrupted for a while, and Louis XVIII wrote a sentence in very small letters on the edge of the volume of Horace's poetry; Insights. "Go on, my dear prince," said he, "go on, please, and I will listen."

"Your Majesty," said Braca, who wished to claim credit for not mentioning Villefort, "I must tell you that my uneasiness is not due to any nonsense or hearsay. There is an orthodox man, I trust him very much, and I want him to pay close attention to the movement in the south." At this point, the Duke hesitated, "He has come to report to me in a stagecoach, saying that the Holy Majesty may be in great danger, so I hurried Come to see His Majesty."

"There is no greater misfortune than being half-witted and half-foolish." Louis was still writing his notes.

"Does Your Majesty mean that I don't want to talk about it anymore?"

"No, my dear duke, please reach out and take it yourself."

"Which hand?"

"As you like, there, on the left."

"Here, Your Majesty?"

"I told you it was on the left, but you looked to the right, I mean to my left, yes, there you were looking for yesterday's report from the Minister of Public Security... Oh, when Mr. Derley himself came... you mean when Mr. Dre, right?" Louis XVIII interrupted himself and asked the head officer, who was indeed the Minister of Public Security who came in to inform him just now.

"Yes, Your Majesty, it is Baron Dandrey," replied the master.

"Well done, Baron," said Louis XVIII with a slight smile, "Please come in, Baron, and tell the Duke the latest situation you know about Bonaparte. No matter how serious the situation is, there is no need to hide anything. Let's see, is Elba a volcano? Is there going to be smoke and fire from there—war, terrible war."

When Baron Drey put his hands on the chair, his upper body swayed gracefully against the back of the chair, and said, "Has His Majesty reviewed yesterday's report?"

"I have read it. Tell the Duke about the contents of the report. He can't find it. It tells in detail what the usurpers did on his island."

"Duke," said the baron, "we have recently received news from the island of Elba, which should applaud your Majesty's servants, Bonaparte..." At this point, when Baron Drey looked at the king, Louis XVIII Written with an eyebrow, without raising his head, the Baron went on, "Bonaparte is suffocating, watching the miners at the port of Longona all day long."

"And for the pleasure of tickling," said the King.

"Itch?" asked the Duke. "What does His Majesty mean by that..."

"Oh, that's what it means, my dear Duke, don't you remember? This great man, this hero, this demigod, suffered from a painful skin disease—prurigo."

"Besides," continued the Minister of Public Security, "Duke, we are almost certain that the usurper will soon be mad."

"go Ape?"

"He was so mad that he had to be tied up, his brain was exhausted, he would cry and laugh wildly, and sometimes he would spend hours on the beach chopping water with stones, and if the stones were on the water After playing five or six times, he was as happy as if he played again like Marengo, where Napoleon defeated the Austrian army in 1800. The Battle of Austerlitz, where Napoleon defeated Austria and Russia in 1805. Allies. Great victory at the Battle of the Confederates. You must admit that all this is a sign of madness."

"Or it's a sign of wisdom, Monsieur Baron, a sign of wisdom," said Louis XVIII with a smile. "The famous ancient captains also went to the seaside to chop stones for entertainment. If you don't believe it, you can read the ancient Greek writer Protarch ( 50-125). Written by "Great Scipio, the ancient Roman commander (236-184 BC), served as consul in 205 BC. Biography."

Facing the king and the minister of public security who talked and laughed freely, the duke couldn't help thinking.Villefort was afraid that others would take away the credit, so he didn't tell the whole secret, but what he said did make the duke restless.

"Come, come, be Dre," Louis XVIII said, "Plaka still doesn't believe it, tell me how the usurper and the traitor got his refuge."

The Minister of Public Security bowed.

"The usurper has taken refuge?" the Duke murmured, looking at the king and Dandre who were singing and singing together. "Has the usurper really gone?"

"It is absolutely true, my dear duke."

"It's the order of the day, Baron, explain it to me."

"The thing is, duke," said the Minister of Public Security, with the utmost seriousness, "that two or three veterans of Napoleon's visit to his island recently expressed a desire to return to France, and he granted his permission, and encouraged them to do their best for their own sake. At the king's service, those are his words, I'm sure, duke."

"Well, Braca, what do you think?" said the King, momentarily putting down the tome that lay before him.

"I said, Your Majesty, either the Minister of Public Security or I will always make a mistake. However, the Minister of Public Security is responsible for safeguarding His Majesty's safety and honor. He cannot make a mistake. It is very likely that I am wrong. But, Your Majesty, I am willing to replace your Majesty." Come forward and ask the person I mentioned, I even suggested that your majesty might as well ask the person himself."

"I am very willing, duke, as long as it is the person you introduce, I can meet, but the person I want to meet should have real ammunition in his hand. Baron, do you have a newer report than this in hand? This is 2 It was on March 20th, and today is March 3rd."

"No, Your Majesty, but I am always waiting for a new report. I have been out since the morning, and it may happen that there is another report in my absence."

"Go to the Paris police station, if there is no one there, hey, hey," Louis XVIII said with a smile, "then make one up, isn't this a common thing?"

"Ah, your Majesty," said the Minister, "thankfully we need not invent any false reports in this respect. Every day our desks are filled with informants of the utmost detail, and the poor gang of informers always hope I can see their achievements to some extent. In fact, they are all busy with nothing. Of course, their willingness to do their best is true. These people are counting on luck, hoping that some unexpected event will happen one day to make their lives The prophecy came true."

"Very well, go, sir," said Louis XVIII, "don't forget that I am waiting for you."

"I'm going to be right back, Your Majesty, I'll be back to see you in ten minutes."

"As for me, Your Majesty," said the Duke of Braca, "I will go now to the gentleman who brought me the letter."

"Wait a moment," said Louis XVIII. "Really, Braca, I must change your weapon. I want to send you an eagle in flight. The prey caught in the eagle's claws wants to I can't escape, and I will send you a word: Tenax (Latin: stubborn.)."

"Your Majesty, I understand." Duke Braca said, biting his nails impatiently.

"I would like to discuss with you this sentence: The weak man who is out of breath and fleeing, you know, here refers to a stag fleeing from a wolf. Aren't you a hunter, and a royal wolf hunter? These two double entendres : 'Breathless weakling', what do you think?"

"Excellent, Your Majesty. The gentleman who reported to me was the deer you mentioned, because he traveled a full 220 miles in a stagecoach in three days."

"It must have been very wearisome, and very anxious, my dear duke. But now we have a telegram, which arrives in three or four hours, and takes no breath."

"Your Majesty, you have given too little reward to this young man. He came from such a long distance, and with such great enthusiasm, just to say something to His Majesty. He was recommended by the Earl of Salvieux. Yes, I implore Your Majesty to see this young man just for Count Salvieux's sake."

"Count Salviejo, are you my brother's chief attendant?"

"Yes."

"Yes, he is at Marseilles."

"He wrote to me from Marseilles."

"Did he mention the treason in his letter?"

"No, but he recommended M. de Villefort to me, and hoped that I could introduce him to His Majesty."

"Monsieur de Villefort?" asked the king aloud, "is the M. de Villefort the messenger?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Is he coming from Marseilles?"

"It's him."

"You should have mentioned his name long ago!" continued the king, with a look of a little uneasiness on his face.

"Your Majesty, I thought His Majesty would not know his name."

"Wrong, you are wrong, Braca, this man is conscientious, well-bred, and above all ambitious, indeed. Do you know his father's name?"

"His father?"

"Yes, his name is Noirquier."

"That Noirquier, the Girondist? Noirquier, a member of the Senate?"

"Yes, this is the person."

"Your Majesty uses the son of such a man?"

"Blaka, my friend, you don't understand. I told you that Villefort has ambitions. He will sacrifice everything, even his own father, to achieve his goals."

"Then, my lord, shall I bring him in?"

"Bring him at once, duke, where is he?"

"Wait below in my carriage."

"You go to him to see me."

"I'll go right away." The Duke walked out of the study as quickly as a young man. He was utterly loyal to the royal family. At this moment, he seemed to be a 20-year-old youth again.Louis XVIII stayed alone in the small study, his eyes returned to the half-opened collection of Horace's poems again, and he whispered softly: "Justum et tenacem propositi virum (Latin: justice and steadfast tempering) people.)."

The Duke of Braca hurried down the stairs and up again, but when he returned to the reception hall he was stopped to wait for the announcement.Villefort looked dusty, and his clothes did not meet the dress requirements of the court. Mr. Blazer, the ceremonial officer, was surprised when he found that the young man came to see the king in such a dress, and he became suspicious.But the duke pushed aside the barrier by saying only the words "By Holy Order," and Villefort was ushered into the small study, despite the ceremonial officer's insistence on royal protocol.

The King still sat where the Duke had left him.As soon as he opened the door, Villefort stopped short when he saw the king facing him.

"Come in, M. de Villefort," said the king, "come in." So Villefort bowed to the king, and then stepped forward, waiting for the king to ask him a question.

"Monsieur de Villefort," continued Louis XVIII, "the Duke of Braca says you have something important to tell me."

"Your Majesty, the Duke's words are correct. I hope His Majesty understands the importance of the matter."

"Sir, tell me first before you report, is the problem, in your opinion, as serious as they make it out to me?"

"Your Majesty, I think the matter is extremely urgent, but I haven't had any delays, and the matter is not irreversible."

"Tell me in as much detail as possible, sir," said the King, who was beginning to be affected by the excitement of the Duke of Braca and the strained tone of Villefort, "go ahead and start from the beginning, I like everything to be in order. "

"Your Majesty," said Villefort, "I would like to report the truth to Your Majesty, but I hope that Your Majesty will forgive me if I have been too excited to express my words." , seeing that the king was indeed listening with good looks, he went on: "Your Majesty, I have come to Paris with great haste to report to the Holy Father a case I have personally handled. This is not one of those perpetrators that occur every day in the homes of the low class or in the army." The case is a piece of shit, no big deal, the case is a real treason, a storm that threatens the Holy Majesty's throne. Your Majesty, the usurper has armed three ships with guns, and he is planning some kind of plan. , of course, the plan is most likely to be absurd, but because of the extreme madness, it may also be extremely terrible. At this moment he may have set out from Elba. Where is he going? I don't know, but I am sure, He tried to land, either in Naples, or on the coast of Tuscany, or even as far as France. Your Majesty must know that the owner of Elba has always been in touch with Italy and France."

"Yes, Monsieur, I know," said the king with great emotion. "Recently I have received information that the Napoleonic party has secretly met in the Rue Saint-Jacques. But go on, how did you get these details?"

"Your Majesty, I was interrogated from a Maasai man. I had noticed this man a long time ago. He was arrested on the day I came out. This man is a sailor and has a troublesome nature. I have always suspected that he is a A Napoleonist. He made a secret trip to the Isle of Elba, met the Marshal, and was ordered to deliver an oral instruction to a Napoleonist in Paris. As for the name of the Napoleonist in Paris, I can’t ask. The content is to order that partisan to stir up people's hearts and prepare to return, Your Majesty, these are the original words explained during the interrogation. It seems that this comeback is just around the corner."

"Where is that man?" asked Louis XVIII.

"Return to Your Majesty, he is in prison."

"Do you think the situation is very serious?"

"Extremely serious, Your Majesty, when the incident happened, my family was entertaining guests. This day happened to be the day of my engagement. I was shocked when I found out, and immediately bid farewell to my fiancée and friends. I will talk about it later after putting everything aside. In this way, I came to the foot of Your Majesty." Before, state my concerns and express my allegiance to the Holy One."

"By the way," said Louis XVIII, "I remember talking about your marriage to Mademoiselle Saint-Méran."

"It is the daughter of one of His Majesty's loyal ministers."

"Yes, yes. But let us return to the conspiracy, M. de Villefort."

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid they're not just conspiring to rebel, I'm afraid they're conspiring to rebel."

"At this time," the king said with a slight smile, "it is easy to plan any rebellion, but it is much more difficult to succeed. The reason is that I have just restored the throne of my ancestors, and all the past, present and future have been presided over by me." For ten months the vigilance of the ministers has been doubled against the shores of the Mediterranean. If Napoleon lands in Naples, all the ministries of the Allies are mobilized before he reaches Piombino; ​​if he lands in Tuscany, He'll be attacked on every side; and if he lands in France, hated by the people himself, with a mere number of men, we'll take it easy, you needn't worry, sir. Believe me, you I have written down my loyalty."

"Ah, when Baron de Rey comes!" cried the Duke of Braca.At this moment, the Minister of Public Security had appeared at the door, his face pale and trembling, his legs swaying constantly, as if he was dizzy and about to faint.Villefort took a step back to exit the small study, but the Duke of Braca took his hand and kept him.

(End of this chapter)