World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 199 Judge (1)
The reader will remember that the abbot Bouzoni stayed alone with Noirquier in Valentine's room, so the old man and the abbé joined the vigil for the girl.Perhaps it was because of the elder’s persuasion according to the teachings, perhaps because of the elder’s kindness and sincerity, perhaps because of his sincerity and sincerity, and gold and stones are the same. In short, he restored the old man’s courage, because after he had a long talk with the priest, he changed his mind. Those who thought of the old man's love for Valentine were surprised to see the old man's ashen and ashen look when he first heard the bad news, showing a resigned and calm look.

M. de Villefort had not seen the old man since the morning of Valentine's death.The servants were all new, M. de Villefort had a new valet, the valet who waited on Noirquier was new, and Madame de Villefort had two new maids.All the servants, down to the porter and the coachman, can be said to be strange faces that suddenly appeared to the masters of this haunted house, and the originally rather indifferent relationship between the masters became even more indifferent .Besides, the court was to begin in three days' time, and Villefort shut himself up in his study all day, trying frantically to prepare the charges against Cuderosse's murderer.This case, like others involving the Count of Monte Cristo, caused a great sensation in Parisian society.The existing evidence is not convincing, because it is only a denunciation letter written by a convict before his death. He denounced another prisoner who was imprisoned in the same convict prison with him. It may be out of anger or revenge. But the prosecutor has his own intentions. He has firmly concluded that Benedetto is guilty. He should gain a little consolation for his self-esteem from this difficult victory, so as to wake up his old heart a little bit. Cool heart.

Thanks to Villefort's untiring work, the preliminaries of the case went so well that Villefort intended to make this the first case of the general trial.As a result, he had to keep his door shut even more, trying to avoid those people rushing over to ask him for court hearing evidence.Besides, poor Valentine was only recently buried, and the family is still in great grief, and the only way for a father to get rid of his sorrow is to see him working so hard. I don't think it's strange either.

Only one day, the day after Beticio went to see Benededo again in prison, the day after Beticio was supposed to tell Benededo the name of Benededo's biological father - it was a Sunday, On this day, Villefort saw his father.At that time, the prosecutor felt that he was exhausted, so he went downstairs to the back garden for a walk.His face was gloomy, and his heart was suffocating.It seems that the ancient Roman tyrant of Tarcan, the seventh dynasty, was the last Roman king (534-509 BC).With his cane M. de Villefort beats the long, slender twigs of the hollyhocks, as he beats the corolla of the tall poppies.The hollyhocks that flanked the garden path were in full bloom not so long ago, but the season has passed, and the withered branches and leaves seem to be ghosts of the original flowers.

More than once he walked to the end of the garden, that is to say, to the familiar iron gate that opened into the barren clover field, and then walked back along the same path every time, always so lightly. He paces unsteadily, always smoking flowers and plants while walking, while his eyes can't help but look towards the small building.There were bursts of laughing and playing in the building. It was his son, who usually lived in school and only returned to his mother on Sunday and Monday.

At this time, from the open window, he saw Mr. Noirquier sitting in a wheelchair, and the servant had pushed him to the window. The old man wanted to take advantage of the sunset to bask in the sun.The afterglow of the setting sun is still somewhat warm, shining on the remaining flowers and leaves of the morning glory and the red leaves of the ivy that climbed all over the balcony.The old man gazed closely, almost intently, at a place which Villefort could not quite see clearly.Nouakier's eyes were full of hatred, anger and anxiety.The prosecutor was familiar with his father's face and understood the meaning of each expression, so he took a few steps to the side of the path he was walking to see who the old man's stern gaze fell on.

At this moment, he saw Madame de Villefort sitting under a linden grove with all its leaves fallen, holding a book, and every now and then raising her head from the book she was reading, smiling at her son, or The ball that the child threw from the living room into the garden was thrown back to him again and again.Villefort turned pale, for he understood the old man's meaning.Noirquier was still looking at his object, but in an instant his eyes were turned from his wife to his husband, and Villefort himself was now the object of both terrified glances.Not only has the object of the gaze changed, but also the connotation in it has changed, but the aggressive expression has not changed at all.

Madame de Villefort's eyes were full of anger, but she didn't know it. At this time, she was holding the ball thrown by her son, beckoning him to come and let her kiss him. ball.Edward dawdled for a while and refused to go there, probably because he thought it would not be worthwhile to make such a trip just to get a kiss from his mother.At last he consented, climbed out of the window, jumped among a clump of heliotrope and asters, and ran, dripping with sweat, to Madame de Villefort's side.Madame de Villefort wiped the sweat off his face, kissed his sweaty, ivory-white forehead, and let him go away with a ball in one hand and a handful of sweets in the other.

The bird, paralyzed with fright at the sight of the snake, and Villefort, seized by an irresistible force, made his way towards the building.He walked forward step by step, Noirquier's eyes gradually lowered, and he stared at Villefort closely. The flash of anger in his eyes seemed to have reached an incandescent level. Villefort felt that he was swallowed by this anger, and his heart to be burned.Indeed, what the old man's eyes expressed was not only a dire warning, but a severe condemnation.Noirquier raised his eyelids and looked up at the sky, as if reminding his son that once a vow is made, it must never be ignored.

"Well, sir," said Villefort, looking up as he reached the vestibule, "well, please be patient one more day, and I will do what I say."

Noirquier seemed to have calmed down after hearing Villefort's words, and calmly turned his eyes away.Villefort jerked off his blouse, which was suffocating him, wiped his brow with a bloodless hand, and went upstairs to his study.

The night was quiet and cold.Everyone in the family was in bed as usual, and Villefort, as usual, stayed up alone when the family was sleeping, working at his desk until five o'clock in the morning.He re-read the interrogation record of the last pre-trial held the day before, reviewed all the testimony from beginning to end, and made some deletions, revisions and polishes to the indictment he drafted. This indictment can be said to be the indictment he drafted. It is the proudest work with the sharpest words and the most sophisticated conception in the book.

The next day, Monday, the court officially opened.At dawn on this day, Villefort felt the sky was pale and sad.The morning light was faint, and Yingying turned blue, and the lines written in red ink on the white paper were clearly visible.When the candlelight was crackling and about to go out, the prosecutor fell asleep for a while, but the crackling sound of the candle woke him up again, and he saw that the sweaty fingers were stained red by the candlelight, as if the candlelight was pouring on the finger. Spread red blood.He opened the window, and there was an orange-red morning glow at the corner of the sky, and a black and slender poplar forest appeared on the horizon, split in two by the colorful glow.Outside the iron gate next to the chestnut grove, a skylark fluttered its wings and flew from the clover field to the sky, singing its clear morning song.The dampness of dawn rushed towards Villefort, and his drowsy mind suddenly cleared up a lot. "Today," he said sonorously and passionately, "today, the warriors who wield the sword of justice will strike with their swords, and will never spare any sinners."

His eyes involuntarily looked towards the protruding corner of the opposite wall, looking for the window through which he had seen Nouakier yesterday.The curtains were still drawn over the windows.But the face of his father has clearly appeared in his mind. Although the window in front of him is still closed, it seems to be open. When he talks to the window, he seems to see the The old man who is still angry. "Yes," he said softly, "Yes, you can rest assured!"

His head hung down to his chest, and then he walked around the study room with his head down like this for a few times, and finally fell down on a couch with his clothes on.He didn't want to sleep, but he felt very tired from working at his desk all night, and a chill went straight to the marrow of his bones, and he wanted to relax his stiff and numb limbs.The people in the small building gradually woke up, and Villefort gradually heard various sounds in the study, which can be said to be indispensable to daily life.He heard doors being opened and closed, heard Madame de Villefort ringing the rope bell for her maid, and heard his son, like all children of his age, waking up with a cry of joy.Then Villefort himself rang the bell, and the new valet entered the study, bringing him the papers.In addition to the newspaper, he brought a cup of chocolate.

"What do you have in your hand?" asked Villefort.

"A cup of chocolate."

"I didn't ask for it. Who thought of it for me?"

"It's Madam, she said that today's trial is a murder case, sir must be able to talk a lot, so I need something to eat in the morning." After the servant finished speaking, he put the gold-plated silver cup in his hand on the coffee table in front of the couch , Just like the writing desk and other tables, the coffee table is covered with documents.The attendant put down his cup and backed out.

For a moment Villefort looked anxiously at the glass, then he took it up suddenly and nervously, and drank all the chocolate in it, so to speak, that he wished it It can poison people to death, and I really want to die, to be freed from that more painful thing than death.After drinking, he stood up from the sofa and walked back and forth in the study with square steps, with a smile on his mouth that made people feel chills.The chocolate he drank was not poisonous, and M. de Villefort felt no discomfort.When it was time for lunch, M. de Villefort did not go to the dining room, but his valet went into the study again. "Madame wants me to tell sir," said he, "that eleven o'clock has struck, and the court is at twelve o'clock."

"Well!" said Villefort, "is there anything else?"

"The madam has changed her clothes and is ready to go out. The madam asked if she wanted to go with the husband."

"where to?"

"Go to court."

"What is she going to do?"

"Madame said she would like to attend."

(End of this chapter)