English
DanglarsfollowedEdmondandMercedeswithhiseyesuntilthetwoloversdisappearedbehindoneoftheanglesofFortSaintNicolas,thenturninground,heperceivedFernand,whohadfallen,paleandtrembling,intohischair,whileCaderoussestammeredoutthewordsofadrinking–song.
“Well,mydearsir,”saidDanglarstoFernand,“hereisamarriagewhichdoesnotappeartomakeeverybodyhappy.”
“Itdrivesmetodespair,”saidFernand.
“Doyou,then,loveMercedes?”
“Iadoreher!”
“Forlong?”
“AslongasIhaveknownher—always.”
“Andyousitthere,tearingyourhair,insteadofseekingtoremedyyourcondition;Ididnotthinkthatwasthewayofyourpeople.”
“Whatwouldyouhavemedo?”saidFernand.
“HowdoIknow?Isitmyaffair?IamnotinlovewithMademoiselleMercedes;butforyou—inthewordsofthegospel,seek,andyoushallfind.”
“Ihavefoundalready.”
“What?”
“Iwouldstabtheman,butthewomantoldmethatifanymisfortunehappenedtoherbetrothed,shewouldkillherself.”
“Pooh!Womensaythosethings,butneverdothem.”
“YoudonotknowMercedes;whatshethreatensshewilldo.”
“Idiot!”mutteredDanglars;“whethershekillherselfornot,whatmatter,providedDantesisnotcaptain?”
“BeforeMercedesshoulddie,”repliedFernand,withtheaccentsofunshakenresolution,“Iwoulddiemyself!”
“That’swhatIcalllove!”saidCaderoussewithavoicemoretipsythanever.“That’slove,orIdon’tknowwhatloveis.”
“Come,”saidDanglars,“youappeartomeagoodsortoffellow,andhangme,Ishouldliketohelpyou,but”—
“Yes,”saidCaderousse,“buthow?”
“Mydearfellow,”repliedDanglars,“youarethreepartsdrunk;finishthebottle,andyouwillbecompletelyso.
Drinkthen,anddonotmeddlewithwhatwearediscussing,forthatrequiresallone’switandcooljudgment.”
“I—drunk!”saidCaderousse;“wellthat’sagoodone!
Icoulddrinkfourmoresuchbottles;theyarenobiggerthancologneflasks.PerePamphile,morewine!”
andCaderousserattledhisglassuponthetable.
“Youweresaying,sir”—saidFernand,awaitingwithgreatanxietytheendofthisinterruptedremark.
“WhatwasIsaying?Iforget.ThisdrunkenCaderoussehasmademelosethethreadofmysentence.”
“Drunk,ifyoulike;somuchtheworseforthosewhofearwine,foritisbecausetheyhavebadthoughtswhichtheyareafraidtheliquorwillextractfromtheirhearts;”andCaderoussebegantosingthetwolastlinesofasongverypopularatthetime,—
‘Touslesmechantssontbeuveursd’eau;C’estbienprouveparledeluge.(*)Yousaid,sir,youwouldliketohelpme,but”—
*“Thewickedaregreatdrinkersofwater
Asthefloodprovedonceforall.”
“Yes;butIadded,tohelpyouitwouldbesufficientthatDantesdidnotmarryheryoulove;andthemarriagemayeasilybethwarted,methinks,andyetDantesneednotdie.”
“Deathalonecanseparatethem,”remarkedFernand.
“Youtalklikeanoodle,myfriend,”saidCaderousse;“andhereisDanglars,whoisawide–awake,clever,deepfellow,whowillprovetoyouthatyouarewrong.Proveit,Danglars.Ihaveansweredforyou.
SaythereisnoneedwhyDantesshoulddie;itwould,indeed,beapityheshould.Dantesisagoodfellow;IlikeDantes.Dantes,yourhealth.”
Fernandroseimpatiently.“Lethimrunon,”saidDanglars,restrainingtheyoungman;“drunkasheis,heisnotmuchoutinwhathesays.
Absenceseversaswellasdeath,andifthewallsofaprisonwerebetweenEdmondandMercedestheywouldbeaseffectuallyseparatedasifhelayunderatombstone.”
“Yes;butonegetsoutofprison,”saidCaderousse,who,withwhatsensewaslefthim,listenedeagerlytotheconversation,“andwhenonegetsoutandone’snameisEdmondDantes,oneseeksrevenge”—
“Whatmattersthat?”mutteredFernand.
“Andwhy,Ishouldliketoknow,”persistedCaderousse,“shouldtheyputDantesinprison?hehasnotrobbedorkilledormurdered.”
“Holdyourtongue!”saidDanglars.
“Iwon’tholdmytongue!”repliedCaderousse;“IsayIwanttoknowwhytheyshouldputDantesinprison;IlikeDantes;Dantes,yourhealth!”andheswallowedanotherglassofwine.
Danglarssawinthemuddledlookofthetailortheprogressofhisintoxication,andturningtowardsFernand,said,“Well,youunderstandthereisnoneedtokillhim.”
“Certainlynot,if,asyousaidjustnow,youhavethemeansofhavingDantesarrested.Haveyouthatmeans?”
“Itistobefoundforthesearching.ButwhyshouldImeddleinthematter?itisnoaffairofmine.”
“Iknownotwhyyoumeddle,”saidFernand,seizinghisarm;“butthisIknow,youhavesomemotiveofpersonalhatredagainstDantes,forhewhohimselfhatesisnevermistakeninthesentimentsofothers.”
“I!—motivesofhatredagainstDantes?None,onmyword!
Isawyouwereunhappy,andyourunhappinessinterestedme;that’sall;butsinceyoubelieveIactformyownaccount,adieu,mydearfriend,getoutoftheaffairasbestyoumay;”andDanglarsroseasifhemeanttodepart.
“No,no,”saidFernand,restraininghim,“stay!
ItisofverylittleconsequencetomeattheendofthematterwhetheryouhaveanyangryfeelingornotagainstDantes.Ihatehim!Iconfessitopenly.
Doyoufindthemeans,Iwillexecuteit,provideditisnottokilltheman,forMercedeshasdeclaredshewillkillherselfifDantesiskilled.”
Caderousse,whohadlethisheaddroponthetable,nowraisedit,andlookingatFernandwithhisdullandfishyeyes,hesaid,—”KillDantes!whotalksofkillingDantes?Iwon’thavehimkilled—Iwon’t!
He’smyfriend,andthismorningofferedtosharehismoneywithme,asIsharedminewithhim.Iwon’thaveDanteskilled—Iwon’t!”
“Andwhohassaidawordaboutkillinghim,muddlehead?”repliedDanglars.“Weweremerelyjoking;drinktohishealth,”headded,fillingCaderousse’sglass,“anddonotinterferewithus.”
“Yes,yes,Dantes’goodhealth!”saidCaderousse,emptyinghisglass,“here’stohishealth!hishealth—hurrah!”
“Butthemeans—themeans?”saidFernand.
“Haveyounothituponany?”askedDanglars.
“No!—youundertooktodoso.”
“True,”repliedDanglars;“theFrenchhavethesuperiorityovertheSpaniards,thattheSpaniardsruminate,whiletheFrenchinvent.”
“Doyouinvent,then,”saidFernandimpatiently.
“Waiter,”saidDanglars,“pen,ink,andpaper.”
“Pen,ink,andpaper,”mutteredFernand.
“Yes;Iamasupercargo;pen,ink,andpaperaremytools,andwithoutmytoolsIamfitfornothing.”
“Pen,ink,andpaper,then,”calledFernandloudly.
“There’swhatyouwantonthattable,”saidthewaiter.
“Bringthemhere.”Thewaiterdidashewasdesired.
“Whenonethinks,”saidCaderousse,lettinghishanddroponthepaper,“thereisherewherewithaltokillamanmoresurethanifwewaitedatthecornerofawoodtoassassinatehim!
Ihavealwayshadmoredreadofapen,abottleofink,andasheetofpaper,thanofaswordorpistol.”
“Thefellowisnotsodrunkasheappearstobe,”saidDanglars.“Givehimsomemorewine,Fernand.”
FernandfilledCaderousse’sglass,who,liketheconfirmedtoperhewas,liftedhishandfromthepaperandseizedtheglass.
TheCatalanwatchedhimuntilCaderousse,almostovercomebythisfreshassaultonhissenses,rested,orratherdropped,hisglassuponthetable.
“Well!”resumedtheCatalan,ashesawthefinalglimmerofCaderousse’sreasonvanishingbeforethelastglassofwine.
“Well,then,Ishouldsay,forinstance,”resumedDanglars,“thatifafteravoyagesuchasDanteshasjustmade,inwhichhetouchedattheIslandofElba,someoneweretodenouncehimtotheking’sprocureurasaBonapartistagent”—
“Iwilldenouncehim!”exclaimedtheyoungmanhastily.
“Yes,buttheywillmakeyouthensignyourdeclaration,andconfrontyouwithhimyouhavedenounced;Iwillsupplyyouwiththemeansofsupportingyouraccusation,forIknowthefactwell.
ButDantescannotremainforeverinprison,andonedayorotherhewillleaveit,andthedaywhenhecomesout,woebetidehimwhowasthecauseofhisincarceration!”
“Oh,Ishouldwishnothingbetterthanthathewouldcomeandseekaquarrelwithme.”
“Yes,andMercedes!Mercedes,whowilldetestyouifyouhaveonlythemisfortunetoscratchtheskinofherdearlybelovedEdmond!”
“True!”saidFernand.
“No,no,”continuedDanglars;“ifweresolveonsuchastep,itwouldbemuchbettertotake,asInowdo,thispen,dipitintothisink,andwritewiththelefthand(thatthewritingmaynotberecognized)thedenunciationwepropose.”
AndDanglars,unitingpracticewiththeory,wrotewithhislefthand,andinawritingreversedfromhisusualstyle,andtotallyunlikeit,thefollowinglines,whichhehandedtoFernand,andwhichFernandreadinanundertone:—
“Thehonorable,theking’sattorney,isinformedbyafriendofthethroneandreligion,thatoneEdmondDantes,mateoftheshipPharaon,arrivedthismorningfromSmyrna,afterhavingtouchedatNaplesandPorto–Ferrajo,hasbeenintrustedbyMuratwithaletterfortheusurper,andbytheusurperwithaletterfortheBonapartistcommitteeinParis.
Proofofthiscrimewillbefoundonarrestinghim,fortheletterwillbefounduponhim,orathisfather’s,orinhiscabinonboardthePharaon.”
“Verygood,”resumedDanglars;“nowyourrevengelookslikecommon–sense,forinnowaycanitreverttoyourself,andthematterwillthusworkitsownway;thereisnothingtodonowbutfoldtheletterasIamdoing,andwriteuponit,‘Totheking’sattorney,’andthat’sallsettled.”
AndDanglarswrotetheaddressashespoke.
“Yes,andthat’sallsettled!”exclaimedCaderousse,who,byalasteffortofintellect,hadfollowedthereadingoftheletter,andinstinctivelycomprehendedallthemiserywhichsuchadenunciationmustentail.
“Yes,andthat’sallsettled;onlyitwillbeaninfamousshame;”andhestretchedouthishandtoreachtheletter.
“Yes,”saidDanglars,takingitfrombeyondhisreach;“andaswhatIsayanddoismerelyinjest,andI,amongstthefirstandforemost,shouldbesorryifanythinghappenedtoDantes—theworthyDantes—lookhere!”
Andtakingtheletter,hesqueezeditupinhishandsandthrewitintoacornerofthearbor.
“Allright!”saidCaderousse.“Dantesismyfriend,andIwon’thavehimill–used.”
“Andwhothinksofusinghimill?CertainlyneitherInorFernand,”saidDanglars,risingandlookingattheyoungman,whostillremainedseated,butwhoseeyewasfixedonthedenunciatorysheetofpaperflungintothecorner.
“Inthiscase,”repliedCaderousse,“let’shavesomemorewine.IwishtodrinktothehealthofEdmondandthelovelyMercedes.”
“Youhavehadtoomuchalready,drunkard,”saidDanglars;“andifyoucontinue,youwillbecompelledtosleephere,becauseunabletostandonyourlegs.”
“I?”saidCaderousse,risingwithalltheoffendeddignityofadrunkenman,“Ican’tkeeponmylegs?Why,I’llwagerIcangoupintothebelfryoftheAccoules,andwithoutstaggering,too!”
“Done!”saidDanglars,“I’lltakeyourbet;butto–morrow—to–dayitistimetoreturn.Givemeyourarm,andletusgo.”
“Verywell,letusgo,”saidCaderousse;“butIdon’twantyourarmatall.Come,Fernand,won’tyoureturntoMarseilleswithus?”
“No,”saidFernand;“IshallreturntotheCatalans.”
“You’rewrong.ComewithustoMarseilles—comealong.”
“Iwillnot.”
“Whatdoyoumean?youwillnot?Well,justasyoulike,myprince;there’slibertyforalltheworld.Comealong,Danglars,andlettheyounggentlemanreturntotheCatalansifhechooses.”
DanglarstookadvantageofCaderousse’stemperatthemoment,totakehimofftowardsMarseillesbythePorteSaint–Victor,staggeringashewent.
Whentheyhadadvancedabouttwentyyards,DanglarslookedbackandsawFernandstoop,pickupthecrumpledpaper,andputtingitintohispocketthenrushoutofthearbortowardsPillon.
“Well,”saidCaderousse,“why,whataliehetold!HesaidhewasgoingtotheCatalans,andheisgoingtothecity.Hallo,Fernand!”
“Oh,youdon’tseestraight,”saidDanglars;“he’sgonerightenough.”
“Well,”saidCaderousse,“Ishouldhavesaidnot—howtreacherouswineis!”
“Come,come,”saidDanglarstohimself,“nowthethingisatworkanditwilleffectitspurposeunassisted.”
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