World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 162 Judgment (2)
"The chairman of the committee frowned slightly and said: 'Gentlemen, you have all listened carefully to the explanations of the Earl of Mossef. Could you, Mr. Earl, give some witness to corroborate your statement?'

"'It is with great regret that I cannot give witnesses, sir,' replied the Earl. 'those who were close to the Governor-General and whom I knew in the Governor-General's House are either dead or separated. I am the only one who survived. The only evidence I have is the letter from Ali-Tuberan-I have presented it to you in person, and this ring, which is a token of Governor Ali's will. Please see , the ring is here. In addition, the strongest evidence I can provide now is that the person who criticized me dared not disclose his name, and after the attack, no one came out to speak openly to me and treat me clean. Dare to say half a word in the military career.'

"There was a faint approbation in the chamber. Albert, if there is no further disturbance at this time, your father's defense will be successful. A final vote by the committee will settle the matter, but at this moment, the chairman Begin to speak.'Gentlemen,' said he, 'and you, Monsieur Earl, I do not think you will have any objection to hearing the testimony of a witness who, according to himself, is of great importance. Yes! In view of what the earl himself has just stated, there can be no doubt that that witness must further prove the complete innocence of our colleague. Here is a letter which I have just received in connection with this case, and I beseech you to decide whether or not Read it in public, or ignore it, can such side issues be ignored?" Mr. Moserf turned pale immediately, his hands clenched tightly on the documents in his hands as if in convulsions, only to hear the rustling of the sheets of paper, The hearing committee unanimously agreed to read the letter, and as for the Earl himself, he meditated and made no comments. So the chairman began to read the letter:
Mr.president:

I can give very true and reliable information to the hearing committee charged with investigating the conduct of Major General Mr. Count Mosef in Epirus and Macedonia.

"The chairman paused for a moment. Count Mosef turned pale, and the chairman looked at the members with questioning eyes. 'Go on!' The members shouted in unison, so the chairman continued to read:

I was at the scene when Governor Ali was martyred, and personally experienced the tragic moment when Governor Ali died. I also know the whereabouts of Waziliji and Edai.I am willing to listen to the hearing committee summons, and I implore the committee Yu Yun to testify at the meeting.When Mr. Chairman received this letter, I was already waiting in the vestibule of the House of Lords.

"'Who is this witness, or this enemy?' asked the count, evidently in a different voice.

"'We shall know in a moment, sir,' replied the chairman, 'does the committee agree to hear the witness statement?'

"'Agreed! Agreed!' said the members unanimously.

"The bailiff was called in. 'Bailiff,' asked the chairman, 'is there anyone waiting in the lobby?'

"'Yes, sir.'

"'Who is this person?'

"'A lady, with an accompanying servant.'

"The committee members were very surprised and couldn't help but look at each other in blank dismay.

"'Please come in this lady,' said the chairman.

"Five minutes later, the bailiff came to the conference hall again, and all the committee members were staring at the door of the conference hall. As for me," Beauchamp said, "I was waiting anxiously just like everyone else. Following the executive The woman who walked in behind Da Yuan was covered with tulle, which was so large that it covered her whole body, but from the figure tightly wrapped in the tulle and the fragrance from her body, it was not difficult to see that it was a woman. She is a curvaceous young woman, but nothing else can be seen for a while. The chairman asked the woman to take off the tulle. Only then did everyone see her in Greek attire and well-groomed."

"Ah!" said Albert, "it is she."

"Her? Who?"

"It's her, Eddie."

"Who told you?"

"Hey! I guessed. But go on, Beauchamp, go on. You see, I'm not only calm, but I'm also strong. The matter is coming to the end, isn't it?"

"Mr. Mecerf looked at the woman in horror," Beauchamp went on to say, "for him, the words spoken by that mouth with red lips and white teeth are tantamount to pronouncing his life or death. However, for For others, this was a surprising and little-known anecdote. As for whether Mr. Moserf was personally saved or not, it became a foil to the big event of the hearing. The chairman pointed out the seat for the young woman. But the woman only nodded her head, indicating that she had better stand. As for the count, he collapsed in his chair, apparently his legs were weak and he could no longer stand.

"'Madame,' said the chairman, 'you have written to this committee to give you information concerning the incident at Ioannina, which you claim to have witnessed.'

"'I am indeed a Witness,' replied the unknown woman, speaking in a melancholy, melodious voice, full of oriental charm.

"'But,' continued the Chairman, 'with all due respect, you were a young child then.'

"'I was four years old at the time, but it was such a big deal for me that I still remember it so well that I never forgot any of the details.'

"'Why are these things so important to you? Who are you, please, that this catastrophe has made such an impression on you?'

"'My father's life and death are directly connected with this matter,' answered the girl. 'I am Ede, and Ali-Tuberan, governor of Ioannina, is my father, and Vaziliki, the governor's favorite, is my mother.'

"There was a blush on the girl's cheeks, showing both her humility and the pride in her heart. Her piercing eyes and her extraordinary life experience left an impression on the committee members that is beyond words. At this time, if a thunderbolt fell from the sky and formed an abyss at the Earl's feet, the Earl would not necessarily appear so distraught.

"'Madame,' said the chairman, bowing respectfully, 'permit me to ask a simple question, but I ask it not out of suspicion, and this is the last question, please, can you show evidence .to prove that your statement is entirely true?'

"'I can show proof, sir,' said Ede, taking from under her veil a little satin sachet rich in fragrance, 'here is my birth certificate, written in my father's hand, and signed by the governor's office. Attested by the joint signatures of two ministers; here is my baptismal certificate issued at the same time as my birth certificate, my father granted me to practice the religion of my mother from my childhood, and the baptismal certificate bears the seal of the chief bishop of Macedonia and Epirus. In addition, this certificate must be the most important document. It is the deed of sale issued by the French officer when he sold me and my mother to an Armenian businessman named Al-Kobir. A foreign officer made a sordid deal with the Turkish court, and stole his benefactor's wife and daughter as spoils of war, and sold them to slave-traders for 2000 sacks of coin, equal to almost 40 francs.'

"The conference hall was solemn and desolate, and the committee members listened to this heinous accusation silently. Upon hearing these words, Earl Mosef's face turned livid, and his eyes were red and bloodshot. Eddie's expression remained constant. Very calm, but this calm was more forbidding than some people's anger. She presented the Arabic deed of prostitution to the chairman of the committee. The committee has considered that some of the documents produced may be in Arabic, modern Greek or It was in Turkish, so the Interpreter of the House of Peers was notified beforehand, when the Committee called the Interpreter into the chamber. A virtuous member of Parliament knew Arabic, for in that remarkable Egyptian campaign in 1798 Napoleon led thousands of The others went to Egypt. He had studied during the period, and at this time he was also looking at the deed written on the finest lambskin to monitor whether the translation was accurate. The interpreter translated:
I, Al Corbill, a slave trader and supplier to His Majesty's harem, confirm today that I have received an emerald from the European nobleman, the Count of Monte Cristo, on behalf of the Supreme Emperor.This emerald is worth two thousand sacks of coins and is a ransom for a young slave.The young slave is a Christian, only 12 years old, named Edai, whose father is the late Lord Ali-Terberan, governor of Ionina, and whose mother is Ali-Terberan's favorite concubine Vaziliki.I bought this daughter and her mother seven years ago, but her mother died as soon as she arrived in Constantinople.The original seller was a European colonel under the command of Ali Taberan, named Fernand Mondego.At the beginning, I was ordered by Your Majesty, and I bought this mother and daughter for Your Majesty with 7 bags of coins.

This contract has been approved by His Majesty, and it was established in Constantinople in 1247 of the Islamic calendar.

Contractor Al Corbill
In order to prevent forgery, this contract should be affixed with the imperial seal to show its credibility.This is the responsibility of the buyer.

"Sure enough, the slave trader's signature is stamped with the great seal of the supreme emperor.

"After reading it, I showed the deed to all committee members. Afterwards, the meeting hall was silent, which made people feel intimidated. The count couldn't help himself, his eyes turned blood red as if burning, and he just stared blankly at Ai. Day. 'Madame,' said the chairman of the committee, 'can the committee inquire of the Count of Monte Cristo? I suppose he is with you in Paris.'

"'Sir,' replied Ede, 'my reborn father, the Count of Monte Cristo, left for Normandy three days ago.'

"'Then, madam,' said the chairman, 'who persuaded you to testify? Of course, the Commission is very grateful to you for your testimony. Besides, in view of your life and the misfortunes you have suffered, you yourself come to this Commission. It is reasonable to testify.'

"'Sir,' replied Ede, 'I come to testify out of my reverence for the gods and my own pain. May God forgive me. Although I am a Christian, I always think of To avenge my illustrious father. My eyes and ears have been alert day and night since I set foot on French soil and knew that this traitor lived in Paris. I lived a secluded life in the apartment of my noble protector. life, but I live this way because I like the shadows and the silence, so that I may spend my days in contemplation. But M. the Count of Monte Cristo has taken care of me like a father, and the conditions of social life are beyond me. I know everything, but all I hear is a faint sound from afar. I can read all the newspapers, all kinds of albums are sent to me, and I hear all kinds of music. They can also be collected. I will never follow the trend of other people's lives, but I am always paying attention, so I know what happened in the House of Nobles this morning, and I also know what will happen in the House of Lords tonight... So I wrote to the hearing committee.'

"'Then,' asked the chairman, 'the Count of Monte Cristo has nothing to do with your coming here to testify, does he?'

"'He doesn't know at all, sir, and I can't help worrying that he won't let me do it if he finds out. But it's a fine day for me,' went on the girl, looking up into the sky with shining eyes,' Because today I finally get the chance to avenge my father.'

"The earl was silent during this time, and his colleagues looked at him, obviously they were all sorry for him, his life's achievements were only melted by the fragrance of a woman. The bitterness in his heart was already in him. The haggard face was gradually outlined.

"'Mr. Mocerf,' asked the Chairman, 'do you deny that this lady is the daughter of Ali-Tuberan, governor of Ioannina?'

"'No,' said Mercerf, forcing himself to his feet, 'this is the plot of my enemy.'

"Ede seemed to be waiting for someone, and was staring fixedly at the door of the meeting hall, when she turned around suddenly, and seeing the count standing before her, she couldn't help roaring. 'You don't know me,' she said,' Ah, but I, fortunately I still know you! You are Fernand Mondego, the European officer who was an instructor in the army commanded by my noble father. It is you who handed over the castle of Ioannina! Yes You were ordered to meet the Emperor of Turkey in Constantinople to discuss the life and death of your benefactor, but what you brought back was a false decree of so-called amnesty! It was you who used this false decree to deceive the governor's ring and force the guards to fire Selim obeyed your orders, you stabbed Selim to death! You sold my mother and me to the slave trader Al-Korbil! Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! Your forehead is still stained With the blood of your master! Behold, gentlemen.'

"These words were so forcefully and well-founded that all eyes were turned on the count's brow, and the count himself raised his hand to touch his own brow, as if he felt that it was still hot with Ali's blood. .

"'So, are you absolutely sure that Count Mercef is the officer named Fernand Mondego?'

"'I can't be mistaken!' exclaimed Eddie. 'Oh! my mother! You said to me: You were a free man too, you had a father you loved, you could have been like a queen Noble! Take a good look at this man, he made you a slave, he took your father's head off with a spear, he betrayed us, he handed us over to the slave trader! Look carefully On his right hand, there is a wide scar on this hand. If you don't remember his face later on, you can recognize him by his hand. This is the man who the gold coins of the slave trader, El-Korbil One after another fell from my hand! How could I not recognize him? Oh! Now let him speak for himself, doesn't he know me?'

"These words were like sharp knives thrown at Moserf, and he was smitten with one knife after another. When he heard the last few words, he couldn't help but hurriedly hid his hands in his chest.

Only when a person is beaten to the ground, will he not fight back in self-defense.In addition, you should also think that the silence at this time is like a deep sleep. Once you wake up, it will be a bolt from the blue.

"'Excuse me,' said the chairman, 'what do you think?"

"'No!' said the count, rising up, in a hoarse voice.

"'Then,' said the chairman, 'is the testimony of the daughter of Ali-Tuberlan completely true? Is she not a witness who makes the guilty man so distraught that he dare not say a word? Have you committed a crime? All charges against you?"

"The count looked around, his dejected look would soften even a tiger, but he couldn't impress the hearts of the members of the committee that judged him, so he raised his eyes to the ceiling, but immediately lowered his eyes, As if afraid that the roof would split open, another court called heaven and another judge called God would be revealed in the ten thousand rays of light. At this moment, he pulled all the buttons and loosened them. He took off his coat, which suffocated him, and hurried out of the meeting room like a sad lunatic. For a while, the sound of his mournful footsteps echoed on the vault of the meeting room, and after a while, he heard his hurrying away in a carriage. The rumbling sound shook the colonnade of this Florentine-style building and echoed everywhere.

"'Gentlemen,' said the chairman when the chamber fell silent again, 'has Mr. Earl Mercerf been guilty of infidelity, treason, and abuse of the family of his superiors?'

"'Yes!' said the hearing committee unanimously.

"Edai sat on the sidelines and watched the closing of the meeting. When she heard the hearing committee's final conclusion on the Earl, her face was still very calm, showing neither joy nor pity. At this time, she re- Put on the veil, salute gracefully to all the committee members, and then walk out of the conference hall with the steps of the goddess Virgil had seen walking."

(End of this chapter)