World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 174 The True Love (1)
At this moment, M. de Villefort was heard asking aloud from his study: "What's the matter?" Morrel looked at Noirquier.Noirquier, who had now recovered his composure, reminded Morrel with his eyes that there was another small room in the flat, in which Morrel had once taken refuge once under similar circumstances.At this time, Morrel had just taken his hat and rushed into the small room, panting, when he heard the steps of the prosecutor coming from the corridor.

Villefort hurried into the room, ran to Valentine, and took her in his arms. "Doctor! Doc! M. Affini!" cried Villefort. "No, we will do it ourselves." And he strode out of the apartment.

At the same moment Morrel rushed through another door.Just now he thought of a terrible past, and his heart was shaking. He remembered the conversation he had heard between Villefort and the doctor on the night of Madame Saint-Meran's death.These symptoms of Valentine's disease, although not so terrible, were exactly the same as those of Baroy before his death.As he thought to himself, the voice of Monte Cristo seemed to ring again in his ears. Just two hours ago, Monte Cristo said to him: "Whatever you need, Morrel, just come to me, and I can do many things." It will be done." He ran faster than he thought, and by this time he was running from Saint-Honoré to the Rue Matteon, and from the Rue Matteon to the Champs-Elysées.

It was at this time that Villefort arrived at the door of M. Affini's mansion in a cab, and rang the bell so violently that the porter turned pale when he came out to open the door.Villefort no longer cared about what to say, but ran upstairs by himself.The porter knew him, so he did not stop him, but only called out: "He is in the study, M. Prosecutor, he is in the study." At this time, Villefort had already reached the door of the study, and pushed the door open, or rather , knock the door open.

"Ah!" said the doctor, "it's you!"

"Yes," said Villefort, closing the door behind him, "yes, doctor, it is my turn to come and ask you, are we the only ones here? Doctor, my house is truly a haunted house!"

"What?" said the doctor, appearing indifferent on the surface, but in fact he was already in a panic. "Is anyone else in your family sick?"

"Yes, doctor!" cried Villefort, clutching his hair with convulsive hands. "Yes!"

Avrini's eyes seemed to say: "I've greeted you a long time ago." Then he pursed his lips and said slowly, "Who is going to die in your family now? Going to God to accuse us Who is this new victim of cowardice and incompetence?"

Villefort, heartbroken, uttered a wail, went up to the doctor, seized him by the arm, and said: "Valentine! This time it is Valentine's turn!"

"Your daughter!" Avrini was shocked and shouted in pain.

"Look, you are mistaken," murmured the judge, "go and see her, she is tortured in a hospital bed, and you should ask her forgiveness for doubting her."

"Every time you come to me," said Mr. Avrini, "it is always too late. I must go, whether it is late or not. Let us go, sir, since the enemy is making trouble in your house, we have no Time wasted."

"Oh! Doctor, this time you won't accuse me of cowardice. This time I will definitely find out the murderer and punish him severely."

"Think of a way to save people first, and think about revenge later," Avrini said, "Let's go."

At the same moment as the hansom that had brought Villefort was galloping away again, Morrel rang the bell of Monte Cristo's lodgings.

The count was in his study, anxiously reading a hastily written note from Beticio.Hearing the servant's announcement that Morrel, who had just left two hours ago, was coming to see him again, the count looked up.It seems that a series of events have taken place in the past two hours, whether on Morrel's side or on the count's side, because the young man was still smiling when he parted, but now he is back with a sad face. look.The count rose from his chair, and hurried to meet Morrel. "What's the matter, Maximilian?" asked the count, "you look pale and sweating profusely."

Morrel sat down in a chair, or rather he fell down on the chair with a thud. "Yes," said he, "I have come in a hurry to tell you something."

"Is the family all right?" the earl asked with a pleasing face, with sincerity in his voice, no one would be indifferent after hearing it.

"Thank you, Count, thank you," said the young man, visibly flustered, and not knowing where to begin. "Yes, everything is well at home."

"That's very good. Don't you have something to tell me?" The count gradually became uneasy, so he asked again.

"Yes," said Morrel, "it is true that there is death in the house, and I have just come out of them and come to you."

"So you come from Monsieur Mocerf's?" asked Monte Cristo.

"No," said Morrel, "is Mr. Mocerf's family dead?"

"The general has just shot himself," replied Monte Cristo.

"Oh! what a terrible misfortune!" exclaimed Maximilian.

"It is not really unfortunate for the Countess and Albert," said Monte Cristo, "that a father and husband, whose reputation is disgraced, would be better off dead, whose blood will wash away the disgrace."

"Poor Countess!" said Maximilian, "I sympathize with her most, what a noble woman she is!"

"Albert also deserves your sympathy, Maximilian, because, you must believe me, he is a good son of the countess. But let's talk about us. You said you came running to me." Yes, what can I have the honor of serving you?"

"Yes, I need your help, that is, I seem to have lost my mind and feel that only God can save me in this situation, but you can also help me."

"Go ahead," said Monte Cristo.

"Oh!" said Morrel, "I wondered if such a secret could be revealed to anyone else, but bad luck compelled me to, and necessity compelled me to, count." Having said this, Morrel stopped hesitatingly again.

"Do you think I am full of affection for you?" said Monte Cristo, shaking the young man's hand affectionately.

"Oh! you see, your words have given me courage, and here they are telling me," continued Morrel, laying his hand on his heart, "that I should have no secrets from you."

"You are right, Morrel. It is God who speaks to your heart, and your own heart which speaks to you. Tell me, what does your heart say to you?"

"Count, can you allow me to send Batistan to inquire about someone in your name? You know that person."

"I am willing to obey your orders, not to mention my servant."

"Oh! Because I can't live without definite news that this man is on the mend."

"Shall I ring the bell for Baptistan right away?"

"No, I'd better go and talk to him myself." Then Morrel came out of the study and called Battistan, said something to him in a low voice, and the valet hurried away.

"Well? Is he gone?" asked Monte Cristo, seeing Morrel return.

"After leaving, I can feel more at ease."

"I am waiting to hear from you, you know," said Monte Cristo, smiling.

"Well, I'll just say it. Well, one night I happened to be in a back garden, surrounded by a clump of trees, and no one would have guessed I was there. Two people walked past me, please allow me to Don't say their names. They were talking in low tones, but, as I was so interested in what they were talking about, I could hear every word they said."

"I see that you are pale and trembling. You seem to be telling some heart-wrenching story, Morrel."

"Oh, yes, heartbroken indeed, my friend. A man had just died in the house of the master of the garden where I was, and the two I heard them talking were the man of the garden and the other One was a doctor. The master confided to the doctor how terrified he was, and how much pain he had suffered, because the god of death had intruded into the house for the second time in a month. And each time he was caught off guard by accident, as if by the action of the angel who destroyed all things. This house has stirred the wrath of God."

"Ah! ah!" said Monte Cristo, fixing his eyes on Morrel, and turning slightly in his chair, he turned unconsciously into the backlight, so that the light fell directly on Maximilian. people's faces.

"Yes," continued Maximilian, "reaper broke into this house twice in one month."

"Then what did the doctor answer?" asked Monte Cristo.

"He replied that...he replied that it was not a natural death and that the cause of death should be..."

"What is it?"

"It's poison!"

"Is that so?" said Monte Cristo, with a slight cough, which he did whenever he was particularly agitated, to conceal a sudden flush or pallor, or to conceal his seriousness in listening. A look of concentration, "Really, Maximilian? Did you hear him say that?"

"Yes, my dear count, I heard all he said, and the doctor went on to say that if it happened again, he thought it necessary to go to the law."

Monte Cristo listened quietly, with an air of great composure, or rather an air of indifference.

"Well," Maximilian went on, "the god of death came to this house for the third time, but neither the master nor the doctor said a word. Maybe the god of death will come again for the fourth time." .Count, since I know this secret, what do you think I should do?"

"My dear friend," said Monte Cristo, "I feel that the story you have told me is very well known to you and to me. I know the house where you heard it, or I know of at least one house in a similar situation. The one with the garden, the head of the family, and the doctor, three of them died inexplicably and unexpectedly. Well! Look at me, I don't ask any secrets, but I know all this as well as you, and what troubles my conscience? No, it has nothing to do with me. You say that this house has aroused the wrath of God through the action of the angel who annihilated all things. Oh! Who says your conjectures are not facts? Those things are not even to be seen by those who have an interest, so you should ignore them. If it is not the wrath of God that haunts this house, but God's justice, then, Maximilian, you should turn your head and let God exercise justice."

Morrel shuddered involuntarily, and something sad, majestic, and terrifying could be vaguely heard in the count's voice.

"Besides," the Count went on, his tone of voice changed so obviously that it was hard to believe that the words just now came from the same mouth. "Besides, who told you that such a thing would happen again?"

"It's really happening again, count!" cried Morrel. "That's why I've come to you."

"Ah! What do you wish me to do, Morrel? For example, do you wish me to inform Monsieur the Prosecutor?"

The count spoke in a cadence, with a sonorous voice, and heard every word clearly, and Morrel couldn't help standing up and shouting: "Count! Count! You know who I'm talking about, don't you?"

"Oh! Of course I know, my dear friend, and in order to show you that I do know, I have simply stated the point, or rather the names. One night you slipped into The back garden of M. de Villefort's house. From what you have just told me, I presume that this was the night when Madame de Saint-Meran died. You heard M. de Villefort and M. and the sudden death of the Marchioness as well. Mr. Affini said he thought it was one, or even two, poisonings. You have a big heart, so from now on you are always asking yourself, always questioning your Conscience, don't know whether to reveal the secret, or keep silent. It's not the Middle Ages, my dear friend, there is no Inquisition, nor courts of morality, what can you expect from these guys? Stern UK Writer (1913-1968). Said: 'Conscience, what do you expect from me?' Ah! dear friends, if these fellows are sleeping, let them sleep soundly, and if they toss and turn, let them be pale, Worry and sleep. For the love of God, lie down and sleep with no regrets."

Morrel, terribly suffused with pain, seized the hand of Monte Cristo and said: "But, listen to me, it has begun again!"

"Well!" said the count, who was astonished at such obstinacy, and looking fixedly at Maximilian, he went on, "then let them do the same thing again, this family is the Atelier. Tes A family of cannibalism and incest in ancient Greek mythology. House, God has condemned them, and they will be punished. They are like monks that children fold out of thin cardboard, even if there are 200 So many, as long as the origami children blow a breath, they will fall one by one. Three months ago it was Monsieur Saint-Meran, two months ago it was Madame Saint-Meran, that day it was Barois, so today it should be Old Noirquier or young Valentine."

"You already know?" exclaimed Morrel, who was suddenly terrified, terrified, and Monte Cristo, who would be indifferent even if the sky were falling, shuddered at the sight of Morrel. "You already know, but what do you want?" Not to mention."

(End of this chapter)