World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 172 Suicide (2)
The Count's eyes widened.He knew that Albert had insulted Monte Cristo so violently that in every country of the world such insults must lead to a duel to the death.And Albert can come back safe and sound, which means that the earl has been avenged.There was an indescribable joy on this sad face, like the last ray of light from the sun before it was covered by dark clouds. However, this dark cloud was hardly the valley where the sun lay dormant, but more like the grave where the sun slept forever.However, as we have already said, the count was only waiting wishfully, and the young man did not come to the count's apartment to tell how he had triumphed.It is reasonable for the son to go to a duel for his father's honor, and he does not want to see his father before leaving, but since he has already avenged his father, why doesn't the son come over and throw himself into his father's arms?At this time, the count did not see Albert coming to him, so he sent someone to find Albert's servant.The reader will recall that Albert immediately ordered his valet not to conceal anything from the count. Ten minutes later, General Mosef came to the front steps of the building. He was seen wearing a black coat with a military uniform collar, black trousers, and black gloves on his hands.From the way he looked at that time, it seemed that he had given his order, because the carriage that was ready immediately drove out of the garage and stopped in front of him as soon as he stepped on the bottom step.At this moment his valet came up and threw a military duffle coat into the carriage.The military overcoat looked stiff, and it turned out that the servant had wrapped two swords in it.The attendant then closed the door, got into the car and sat down beside the driver.The coachman in the front seat bent over for orders. "The Champs-Elysées," said the general, "the residence of the Count of Monte Cristo, quick!"

The whip came down with a snap, and the shaft horse galloped immediately. Five minutes later, the carriage stopped in front of the residence of the Count of Monte Cristo.Mr. Moserf opened the door without waiting for the carriage to stop, jumped out like a young man, rang the rope bell, and led his valet together through the wide open doorway.In the space of a second Baptistan informed Monsieur Monte Cristo of the visit of Count Mocerf.So Monte Cristo sent Eddie upstairs, and at the same time ordered Count Mosef to wait in the living room first.When the general walked the third circle in the drawing-room, he turned his head and saw Monte Cristo standing in the doorway.

"Ah! M. Mocerf," said Monte Cristo calmly, "I thought I had misheard."

"Yes, it's me." Count Messef said, his lips twitched terribly, and he couldn't even speak clearly.

"Then I cannot help asking," said Monte Cristo, "that for what reason should I have had the honor of seeing Monsieur the Count de Mocerf so early in the morning?"

"Didn't you meet my son this morning?" said the general.

"You already know that?" asked the Count of Monte Cristo.

"I also know that my son has every reason to decide to fight you, and to kill you as best he can."

"Yes, sir, his reasons are very good indeed! But see for yourself that, despite all these reasons, he did not kill me, or even fight me."

"But he believes that it was you who caused his father to suffer great disgrace, and it was you who caused my family to destroy the nest at this moment because of this innocent disaster."

"True, sir," said Monte Cristo, with his always so calm and chilling tone, "that may be said to be a secondary reason, not the main one."

"You must have made some kind of apology to him, or some kind of explanation?"

"I didn't give him any explanation, but he apologized to me."

"But please, why is he apologizing?"

"Because he was convinced, and probably he already knew, that it was someone else, not me, who was guilty in this matter."

"Who is this person?"

"His father."

"Never mind," said Count Mercerf, turning pale. "But, you know, a guilty man doesn't like to be exposed."

"I know... so I have expected everything now."

"You have expected my son to be a coward!" cried Count Mercerf.

"Monsieur Albert Mocerf is not at all a coward," said Monte Cristo.

"A person with a sharp sword in his hand can stab an mortal enemy, but he dares not fight. This person is a coward! Even if he is here, I will say that to his face!"

"Monsieur," said Monte Cristo icily, "I don't think you have come to tell me about your domestic affairs. Tell M. Albert about that, and perhaps he will know how to answer you."

"Oh, no, no," replied the general, with a fleeting smile on his face, "no, you're right, I didn't come to say such a thing! I came to tell you that I think you too My enemy! I have come to tell you that I hate you instinctively! I seem to have known you and hated you long ago! In short, I will tell you that since young people today refuse to fight, Then let us duel . . . Is that what you mean, sir?"

"Exactly. That's why I said just now that I expected something to happen. I was talking about your presence."

"Great...so, are you ready?"

"Always be ready, sir."

"You know, a duel between you and me can only be terminated by death!" the general said angrily, gnashing his teeth.

"It must be terminated by death," repeated Monte Cristo, with a slight nod.

"Come on, then, we don't need witnesses."

"Yes," said Monte Cristo, "it is unnecessary; you and I know each other very well."

"On the contrary," said Count Mercerf, "you and I do not know each other."

"Hmph!" said Monte Cristo, whose expression was always so calm and composed that it was almost helpless, "open your eyes and see. Aren't you the Sentinel Fernand who ran away on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo? Aren't you the one in Spain? Lieutenant Fernand who acted as a guide and spy for the French army? Aren’t you the Colonel Fernand who betrayed, betrayed and killed his benefactor Ali? Aren’t all these Fernands together equal to members of the French House of Nobles? , Major General, Count Mosef?"

"Oh!" cried the general, as if he had been scalded by a red-hot iron, when he heard these words, "Oh, despicable! Maybe you're going to kill me, and you're going to humiliate me by recounting the past! No! , I didn't say you don't know me. I know very well, devil, that the dark past has been penetrated by you, and you have read every page of my life by the light of some unknown torch, but I am humbled There may be far more honor in the dark past than you have under your finery. No, no, you know me, and I know it. But you, gold and jeweled adventurer, are a Who, I don't know! In Paris you call yourself the Count of Monte Cristo, in Italy you're Samba the Sailor, in Malta I know what your name is? I've forgotten anyway. But I'm asking you now, I want to know now, Among your hundreds of names, what is your real name? What is your original name? In the duel field, when I stab the sword into your chest, I can also call out your name. "

The Count of Monte Cristo's face suddenly became pale and terrible, and his fawn eyes were burning with burning fire. He rushed into the bathroom next to the bedroom, and in just a second, he quickly untied his tie and took off his coat. and vest, and put on a pea coat and a sailor cap, showing his long black hair.He returned to the drawing room, with his hands folded on his chest, and with a majestic and terrible step, he approached the general without mercy.At first the general did not understand why Monte Cristo had gone away suddenly, so he was still waiting in the living room. At this time, he felt his teeth chattering, his legs gave way, and he took a step back, only because his convulsive hand touched him. A table supported his body, and he barely stood still.

"Fernand!" cried Monte Cristo, "out of a hundred of my names, I need only say one to scare you out of your wits. You guessed it now, didn't you? Or did you remember it?" ?Because, although I have been miserable and weathered, I let you see this face today, and I became young because of the joy of revenge. But this face, you will often see it in your sleep. Back then, you were the same Is my fiancee Mercedes married?"

The general tilted his head back, opened his hands, and stared silently at the terrifying scene in front of him with dull eyes.Then, as if he was looking for something to support him, he walked to the wall, stuck his whole body against the wall, and slowly rubbed against the door. While stepping backwards and stepping out of the door, he couldn't help shouting a sad, sad and mournful cry. Cry: "Edmond Dantès!" Then, groaning like a ghost, he dragged his weak legs to the entrance hall, crossed the vestibule like a drunkard, and fell down in the arms of his valet , mumbled indistinctly: "Go back to the house! Go back to the house!"

Along the way, the fresh air blew in his face, and he felt ashamed to see the servant staring at him, but he could concentrate on thinking instead.But the journey back was short, and as the carriage gradually approached the mansion, the earl once again felt a sharp pain in his heart.A few steps away from the mansion, the count ordered to stop and got out of the car by himself.The gate of the mansion was open, and there was a rented carriage parked in the center of the vestibule. The coachman was still wondering, not understanding that such a luxurious mansion would hire a rented carriage.The earl was terrified when he saw the rental carriage, but he didn't dare to ask anyone, and just ran quickly to his apartment.

There were two people going up and down the stairs, and the earl hurriedly hid in a small room so as not to bump into each other face to face.The people who came down were Mercedes and Albert who helped her down the stairs.The unlucky fellow was hidden behind a brocade curtain, not more than two inches away from them, equal to 1/12th of a French inch, or about 2.25 millimeters.He heard them pass by him, and Mercedes's silk dress seemed to be brushing against him, and he felt the hot breath of Albert's breath on his face when he spoke to his mother. The son was saying, "Hold on, mother! Come on, let's go, this is not our home anymore." At last the voices died away, and the footsteps gradually faded away.The general grabbed the brocade curtain with convulsed hands and stood up. He wanted to sob aloud--a terrible sob unheard of from the heart of a husband and father abandoned by his wife and son at the same time, but he finally suppressed it. Living……

After a while, he heard the iron door of the carriage slammed shut, the coachman yelled, and then the heavy wheels of the carriage rumbled and rattled the panes on the windows.At this time, he hurried to his bedroom, wanting to take another look at the person he once loved in this world.But he only saw the carriage driving outside, but he did not see Mercedes and Albert looking up, casting a farewell, that is, a last glimpse of forgiveness to the lonely building, to the abandoned husband and father through the window .Then, just as the carriage rumbled through the stone path under the arch, a shot was fired, and from a glass window in the bedroom that was shattered by the gunshot, a faint plume of blue smoke drifted out.

(End of this chapter)