World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 168 Duel (1)
Immediately after Mercedes left, Monte Cristo's apartment was plunged into darkness.His thoughts were all around him, frozen in the depths of his mind, his energies, like a body utterly exhausted, dulled.

"What?" he said alone, the lights and candles in the room became sad, and the servants waiting in the front hall were impatient. It was built bit by bit, and finally stood upright, but now it fell down all at once, just because of a word and a breath of breath! What? I thought I was some kind of person, and I was very proud of myself. Back then in the Chateau d'If I felt so insignificant in prison, and later I made myself so great, but tomorrow I will turn into a pile of dust! Oh, I don’t regret the death of my body, isn’t the annihilation of life functions just the result of the evolution of all things? Isn't it the rest that all unfortunate people want? Isn't it the peace of the body? I begged for this for a long time, and when Faria came to my cell, I was walking on the road of hunger in pain Step by step, step by step towards this tranquility? Death is nothing to me? It is just another step in this tranquility, or perhaps only two steps in this indifference and silence. No, life I don't care about the length of my plans, but it's a pity that all my plans were in vain. But for these plans, I have spent so much effort and effort. I thought God agreed with my plans, but now it seems that God In fact, I don't agree! So, it is against the will of God to carry out these plans!

"The burden I provoked was almost as heavy as the planet. I always thought that I could carry it all the way to the end. However, I was wishful thinking. I didn't think about how strong I was. This was completely wishful thinking. I didn't think about how capable I was. Now I'm halfway through the trip and I have to let go of this burden. Oh! After 14 years of despair and 10 years of hope, I feel that God is willing, but now I know that I still have to obey God and fate.

"And the reason, my God, is that my heart, which I thought was dead, was only dulled, because it came to life again, and beat again, because a woman's voice called it to life. Painfully throbbing deep in my chest, I flinched."

"But," continued the count to himself, and the more he thought about it, the appalling arrangements for tomorrow that Mercedes finally agreed to, "but it is impossible for such a noble woman to let I'm going to die because I'm still strong and full of life! She can't do it because of mother's love, or mother's madness! There are some virtues that become sins when they are too much. No, she may have After thinking of some kind of tragic arrangement, she will stand up and jump between our waving swords. It is ridiculous to do such a behavior in the duel field, but how noble the intention is." Out of self-esteem , the count couldn't help but blushed. "It's ridiculous," he went on, "that I, too, will be laughed at, ridiculed! Oh! I might as well be dead."

Since the Count had promised Mercedes that her son would live, the Count himself would be the one who would suffer the duel tomorrow. The more he thought about it, the worse he thought: "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! It's too magnanimous to stand in this young man's place." A man's pistol, what on earth is that for? The young man would never have thought that I would die by suicide, but it would be my honor after death--it's not vanity, is it, my God? This is purely out of legitimate self-esteem, and there is no other distraction. For the sake of my reputation after death, it must be known to the world that my hand is raised for a blow, but I Of my own will, I promised to let go of this hand. I also want to let the world know that I am holding a powerful weapon that can kill people, but in the end it is myself that I strike. The world should know the reason behind this, and I must let the world know."

He seized a quill, and from the dark cabinet of his writing-table took out a piece of paper on which he had written the will he had made after his arrival in Paris.He added the additional content of the will at the bottom of the paper, and explained the cause of his death, so that even the most ignorant people in the world will understand what is going on at a glance.

"I write these words, my God," he said, lifting his eyes to heaven, "in your honor and in my own. Oh my God! For ten years I thought I was your vengeful messenger , can't let Mocerf these shameless people, can't let Tang La Villefort and his ilk, in short, let Mocerf think that they have luck and finally get rid of the enemy. On the contrary, let them understand that God It has been announced to punish these guys, but because of my strong desire, God changed the original decision, although they can escape in this world, but the punishment is waiting for them in another world, they are just lingering, eternal The world will never spare them."

When he was lingering and wandering in the ups and downs of his thoughts, when he was awake all night because of the pain in his heart, and was cruising in nightmares, the morning light whitened the glass on the window and illuminated the things under his hands. That light blue paper.It was on this paper that he recorded God's final verdict.It's already 5 o'clock in the morning.Suddenly Monte Cristo heard a slight sound in his ear. He felt as if someone was secretly sighing, so he turned his head and looked around, but he saw no one.But the voice resounded again, and so clearly that Monte Cristo no longer doubted that he had misheard.The count then stood up, went to open the drawing-room door lightly, and saw Ede reclined in a chair, her arms hanging down, her pale and beautiful face thrown back motionless.It turned out that Edai had been sitting at the door, and she asked the earl to open the door and come out to see her, but she stayed up all night and waited for so long, and finally she was sleepy and exhausted, and her young body finally fell asleep.The sound of the door opening did not wake Ede, and Monte Cristo looked at her with kindness and compassion in his eyes. "She thought she had a son," said Monte Cristo, "but I forgot I had a daughter." Then he shook his head sadly and said: "Poor Eddie, she wants to see me, and wants to talk to me." Said that she was worried, and might have guessed what had happened... Oh! I can't go without saying goodbye to her, I can't die without entrusting her to someone." So he returned gently to the previous scene. place, and then the previous few lines continue to read:

I have decided to bequeath 2000 million to Maximilian Morrel, captain of the cavalry stationed in North Africa, the son of my former employer, Pierre Morel of Marseilles, if Maximilian thinks that his sister Julie and The brother-in-law, Emmanuel, will not be blessed by the disaster because of the increase in property, and part of the above-mentioned money can be donated to Julie and Emmanuel.The 2000 million are hidden in a cave on Monte Cristo Island under my name, and Beticio knows this secret cave.If Maximilian has no intention of falling in love and is willing to marry Ede, the daughter of Ali, the governor of Ionina, then his last hope—not to mention the last vow—can be realized.Ede was a daughter whom I brought up with paternal love, and who treated me like my own daughter with devotion.This will has stated that the rest of my property will be inherited by Edai alone, including the real estate and annuity of the three countries of England, Austria and the Netherlands, all of which are private?

The count had written the last line, when suddenly there was a shriek behind him, and the count was startled, and the pen dropped from his hand. "Ede," said he, "have you seen it all?"

It turned out that the girl had been awakened by the morning light shining on her eyelids. She got up from her chair and went to the count, but her steps were very soft, and there was no sound on the carpet, so the count did not hear her.

"Oh! my lord," said Ede, clasping her hands, "why do you write these words at this hour? Why do you bequeath me all your property, my lord? Are you going to leave me then?"

"I am going on a journey, my dear," said Monte Cristo, with an expression of infinite melancholy and tenderness. "If anything happens..." the count stopped.

"What is it?" said the girl, in a tone so severe that the count, who had never heard her speak like that, was shocked.

"Well, if anything should happen," continued Monte Cristo, "I wish my daughter a happy life."

Edai smiled sadly and shook her head again. "Do you wish to die, my lord?" she said.

"He who thinks of the dead finds his place, my child, this is what the sages say."

"Well, if you die," said Eddie, "all your property will be given to someone else, because if you are dead, I don't need anything." Then she took up the paper , tore it into four pieces and threw it in the middle of the living room.It was really unusual for a female slave to be so sharp. At this time, she was exhausted physically and mentally, and fell down, but this time it was not because of drowsiness, but fainted.

Monte Cristo bent down to Ede, lifted her up, and looked at the pale and beautiful face, the charming closed eyes, and the lifeless and graceful body, which seemed to be overwhelmingly graceful. It occurred to me for the first time that Edai's love for him might not be exactly the love of a daughter for her father. "Ah!" he murmured to himself in great despondency, "I should have been happy!"

Ede was still unconscious, and Monte Cristo carried her into Ede's own apartment in his arms, and left her in the care of the maid.Then Monte Cristo went back to his study, closed the door tightly behind him, and copied a piece of paper from the torn will.When the copy was almost finished, he heard the rattle of a carriage entering the vestibule, so Monte Cristo went to the window and saw Maximilian and Emmanuel getting out of the carriage. "Well," said he, "just in time!" And he sealed the will, and put three more large lacquer seals on it.After a while he heard footsteps on the stairs, and he went to open the door himself.Morrel was already at the door, twenty minutes earlier than the appointed time.

"I may be early, Monsieur Count," said Morrel, "to tell the truth, I did not sleep a minute that night, and no one in the house closed their eyes. It’s like you can put your mind at ease.”

Monte Cristo could not help hearing such an expression of affection, and he no longer stretched out his hands to the young man, but opened his arms to him. "Morrel," he said excitedly, "this is a wonderful day for me, because I feel deeply that a man like you has a deep affection for me. Good day, Emmanuel Mr. Hall. So you two are going with me, Maximilian?"

"Of course I will accompany you," said the young captain, "do you have any worries?"

"But, in case I'm unreasonable..."

"Listen, when people came to provoke you last night, I kept looking at you from the beginning to the end. I kept thinking about your calm look all night. I said to myself, the truth is on your side, otherwise people's faces will be ashamed." There's nothing more to reveal."

"But, Morrel, Albert is your friend."

"Just acquaintance, Count."

"Was the day you saw me also the first time you saw him?"

"Yes, that's right. This is also unexpected. If you don't remind me, I won't remember it."

"Thank you, Morrel," said the count.Then he rang the brass bell, and said to Ali, who came at once, "Well, you send this to my notary. This is my will, Morrel. When I die, you should go to take a look."

"What?" cried Morrel. "After you die?"

"Oh, don't you mean that everything is forewarned, my dear friend? What have you been doing since we parted yesterday?"

"I went to the Tortoni Club, and, as I expected, I met Beauchamp and Chateau-Renaud there. To tell you the truth, I went to find them."

"Why bother? Isn't everything settled?"

"Listen to me, Count, the matter is very serious, and it is imperative."

"Don't you still believe in something after the incident?"

"No, he provoked you in public, and everyone was talking about it afterwards."

"so?"

"So, I want to change my weapon, instead of a pistol, I'll use a sword. Pistols don't have eyes."

"Has it been agreed?" asked Monte Cristo hastily, with an imperceptible ray of hope.

"No, they know your sword skills very well."

"Oh! Who sold me?"

"The few swordsmanship teachers who were defeated by you."

"So you didn't make it?"

"They turned it down straight away."

"Morrel," said the count, "you never know how I shoot?"

"do not know."

"Well, we still have time, you might as well take a look."

Monte Cristo then took the two pistols which he was holding when Mercedes came in, pasted a grass flower A on the target board, and fired four shots in succession, destroying the three leaves of the grass flower and the flowers underneath. The handles were knocked off one after another.Monte Cristo fired a shot, and Morrel turned pale for a moment.Morrel looked again at the bullets with which Monte Cristo had shown his mastery, and saw that they were about the size of shot. said he, "look at it too, Emmanuel!" Then turning to Monte Cristo, he said: "Count, please don't kill Albert, the poor man has a mother." !"

"Exactly," said Monte Cristo, "but I have no mother."

Morrel shuddered when he heard the tone of Monte Cristo's words. "You are the insulted party."

"Of course, what do you mean by that?"

"It means you shoot first."

"Should I shoot first?"

"Oh! Yes, I won it with great difficulty, and you can say that I forced them to agree. We have made enough concessions to them, and we should ask them to make some concessions."

"How many steps are there between the two?"

"20 steps."

(End of this chapter)