English
Villeforthad,aswehavesaid,hastenedbacktoMadamedeSaint–Meran’sinthePlaceduGrandCours,andonenteringthehousefoundthattheguestswhomhehadleftattableweretakingcoffeeinthesalon.
Reneewas,withalltherestofthecompany,anxiouslyawaitinghim,andhisentrancewasfollowedbyageneralexclamation.
“Well,Decapitator,GuardianoftheState,Royalist,Brutus,whatisthematter?”saidone.“Speakout.”
“ArewethreatenedwithafreshReignofTerror?”askedanother.
“HastheCorsicanogrebrokenloose?”criedathird.
“Marquise,”saidVillefort,approachinghisfuturemother–in–law,“Irequestyourpardonforthusleavingyou.Willthemarquishonormebyafewmoments’privateconversation?”
“Ah,itisreallyaseriousmatter,then?”askedthemarquis,remarkingthecloudonVillefort’sbrow.
“SoseriousthatImusttakeleaveofyouforafewdays;so,”addedhe,turningtoRenee,“judgeforyourselfifitbenotimportant.”
“Youaregoingtoleaveus?”criedRenee,unabletohideheremotionatthisunexpectedannouncement.
“Alas,”returnedVillefort,“Imust!”
“Where,then,areyougoing?”askedthemarquise.
“That,madame,isanofficialsecret;butifyouhaveanycommissionsforParis,afriendofmineisgoingthereto–night,andwillwithpleasureundertakethem.”Theguestslookedateachother.
“Youwishtospeaktomealone?”saidthemarquis.
“Yes,letusgotothelibrary,please.”Themarquistookhisarm,andtheyleftthesalon.
“Well,”askedhe,assoonastheywerebythemselves,“tellmewhatitis?”
“Anaffairofthegreatestimportance,thatdemandsmyimmediatepresenceinParis.Now,excusetheindiscretion,marquis,buthaveyouanylandedproperty?”
“Allmyfortuneisinthefunds;sevenoreighthundredthousandfrancs.”
“Thensellout—sellout,marquis,oryouwillloseitall.”
“ButhowcanIsellouthere?”
“Youhaveabroker,haveyounot?”
“Yes.”
“Thengivemealettertohim,andtellhimtoselloutwithoutaninstant’sdelay,perhapsevennowIshallarrivetoolate.”
“Thedeuceyousay!”repliedthemarquis,“letuslosenotime,then!”
And,sittingdown,hewrotealettertohisbroker,orderinghimtoselloutatthemarketprice.
“Now,then,”saidVillefort,placingtheletterinhispocketbook,“Imusthaveanother!”
“Towhom?”
“Totheking.”
“Totheking?”
“Yes.”
“Idarenotwritetohismajesty.”
“Idonotaskyoutowritetohismajesty,butaskM.deSalvieuxtodoso.
Iwantaletterthatwillenablemetoreachtheking’spresencewithoutalltheformalitiesofdemandinganaudience;thatwouldoccasionalossofprecioustime.”
“Butaddressyourselftothekeeperoftheseals;hehastherightofentryattheTuileries,andcanprocureyouaudienceatanyhourofthedayornight.”
“Doubtless;butthereisnooccasiontodividethehonorsofmydiscoverywithhim.
Thekeeperwouldleavemeinthebackground,andtakealltheglorytohimself.
Itellyou,marquis,myfortuneismadeifIonlyreachtheTuileriesthefirst,forthekingwillnotforgettheserviceIdohim.”
“Inthatcasegoandgetready.IwillcallSalvieuxandmakehimwritetheletter.”
“Beasquickaspossible,Imustbeontheroadinaquarterofanhour.”
“Tellyourcoachmantostopatthedoor.”
“YouwillpresentmyexcusestothemarquiseandMademoiselleRenee,whomIleaveonsuchadaywithgreatregret.”
“Youwillfindthembothhere,andcanmakeyourfarewellsinperson.”
“Athousandthanks—andnowfortheletter.”
Themarquisrang,aservantentered.
“SaytotheComtedeSalvieuxthatIwouldliketoseehim.”
“Now,then,go,”saidthemarquis.
“Ishallbegoneonlyafewmoments.”
Villeforthastilyquittedtheapartment,butreflectingthatthesightofthedeputyprocureurrunningthroughthestreetswouldbeenoughtothrowthewholecityintoconfusion,heresumedhisordinarypace.
Athisdoorheperceivedafigureintheshadowthatseemedtowaitforhim.
ItwasMercedes,who,hearingnonewsofherlover,hadcomeunobservedtoinquireafterhim.
AsVillefortdrewnear,sheadvancedandstoodbeforehim.
DanteshadspokenofMercedes,andVillefortinstantlyrecognizedher.
Herbeautyandhighbearingsurprisedhim,andwhensheinquiredwhathadbecomeofherlover,itseemedtohimthatshewasthejudge,andhetheaccused.
“Theyoungmanyouspeakof,”saidVillefortabruptly,“isagreatcriminal,andIcandonothingforhim,mademoiselle.”
Mercedesburstintotears,and,asVillefortstrovetopassher,againaddressedhim.
“But,atleast,tellmewhereheis,thatImayknowwhetherheisaliveordead,”saidshe.
“Idonotknow;heisnolongerinmyhands,”repliedVillefort.
Anddesirousofputtinganendtotheinterview,hepushedbyher,andclosedthedoor,asiftoexcludethepainhefelt.
Butremorseisnotthusbanished;likeVirgil’swoundedhero,hecarriedthearrowinhiswound,and,arrivedatthesalon,Villefortutteredasighthatwasalmostasob,andsankintoachair.
Thenthefirstpangsofanunendingtortureseizeduponhisheart.
Themanhesacrificedtohisambition,thatinnocentvictimimmolatedonthealtarofhisfather’sfaults,appearedtohimpaleandthreatening,leadinghisaffiancedbridebythehand,andbringingwithhimremorse,notsuchastheancientsfigured,furiousandterrible,butthatslowandconsumingagonywhosepangsareintensifiedfromhourtohouruptotheverymomentofdeath.Thenhehadamoment’shesitation.
Hehadfrequentlycalledforcapitalpunishmentoncriminals,andowingtohisirresistibleeloquencetheyhadbeencondemned,andyettheslightestshadowofremorsehadnevercloudedVillefort’sbrow,becausetheywereguilty;atleast,hebelievedso;butherewasaninnocentmanwhosehappinesshehaddestroyed:inthiscasehewasnotthejudge,buttheexecutioner.
Ashethusreflected,hefeltthesensationwehavedescribed,andwhichhadhithertobeenunknowntohim,ariseinhisbosom,andfillhimwithvagueapprehensions.
Itisthusthatawoundedmantremblesinstinctivelyattheapproachofthefingertohiswounduntilitbehealed,butVillefort’swasoneofthosethatneverclose,oriftheydo,onlyclosetoreopenmoreagonizingthanever.
IfatthismomentthesweetvoiceofReneehadsoundedinhisearspleadingformercy,orthefairMercedeshadenteredandsaid,“InthenameofGod,Iconjureyoutorestorememyaffiancedhusband,”hiscoldandtremblinghandswouldhavesignedhisrelease;butnovoicebrokethestillnessofthechamber,andthedoorwasopenedonlybyVillefort’svalet,whocametotellhimthatthetravellingcarriagewasinreadiness.
Villefortrose,orrathersprang,fromhischair,hastilyopenedoneofthedrawersofhisdesk,emptiedallthegolditcontainedintohispocket,stoodmotionlessaninstant,hishandpressedtohishead,mutteredafewinarticulatesounds,andthen,perceivingthathisservanthadplacedhiscloakonhisshoulders,hesprangintothecarriage,orderingthepostilionstodrivetoM.deSaint–Meran’s.
ThehaplessDanteswasdoomed.
Asthemarquishadpromised,VillefortfoundthemarquiseandReneeinwaiting.
HestartedwhenhesawRenee,forhefanciedshewasagainabouttopleadforDantes.
Alas,heremotionswerewhollypersonal:shewasthinkingonlyofVillefort’sdeparture.
ShelovedVillefort,andheleftheratthemomenthewasabouttobecomeherhusband.
Villefortknewnotwhenheshouldreturn,andRenee,farfrompleadingforDantes,hatedthemanwhosecrimeseparatedherfromherlover.
MeanwhilewhatofMercedes?ShehadmetFernandatthecorneroftheRuedelaLoge;shehadreturnedtotheCatalans,andhaddespairinglycastherselfonhercouch.
Fernand,kneelingbyherside,tookherhand,andcovereditwithkissesthatMercedesdidnotevenfeel.Shepassedthenightthus.
Thelampwentoutforwantofoil,butshepaidnoheedtothedarkness,anddawncame,butsheknewnotthatitwasday.
Griefhadmadeherblindtoallbutoneobject—thatwasEdmond.
“Ah,youarethere,”saidshe,atlength,turningtowardsFernand.
“Ihavenotquittedyousinceyesterday,”returnedFernandsorrowfully.
M.Morrelhadnotreadilygivenupthefight.
HehadlearnedthatDanteshadbeentakentoprison,andhehadgonetoallhisfriends,andtheinfluentialpersonsofthecity;butthereportwasalreadyincirculationthatDanteswasarrestedasaBonapartistagent;andasthemostsanguinelookeduponanyattemptofNapoleontoremountthethroneasimpossible,hemetwithnothingbutrefusal,andhadreturnedhomeindespair,declaringthatthematterwasseriousandthatnothingmorecouldbedone.
Caderoussewasequallyrestlessanduneasy,butinsteadofseeking,likeM.Morrel,toaidDantes,hehadshuthimselfupwithtwobottlesofblackcurrantbrandy,inthehopeofdrowningreflection.
Buthedidnotsucceed,andbecametoointoxicatedtofetchanymoredrink,andyetnotsointoxicatedastoforgetwhathadhappened.
Withhiselbowsonthetablehesatbetweenthetwoemptybottles,whilespectresdancedinthelightoftheunsnuffedcandle—spectressuchasHoffmannstrewsoverhispunch–drenchedpages,likeblack,fantasticdust.
Danglarsalonewascontentandjoyous—hehadgotridofanenemyandmadehisownsituationonthePharaonsecure.
Danglarswasoneofthosemenbornwithapenbehindtheear,andaninkstandinplaceofaheart.
Everythingwithhimwasmultiplicationorsubtraction.
Thelifeofamanwastohimoffarlessvaluethananumeral,especiallywhen,bytakingitaway,hecouldincreasethesumtotalofhisowndesires.
Hewenttobedathisusualhour,andsleptinpeace.
Villefort,afterhavingreceivedM.deSalvieux’letter,embracedRenee,kissedthemarquise’shand,andshakenthatofthemarquis,startedforParisalongtheAixroad.
OldDanteswasdyingwithanxietytoknowwhathadbecomeofEdmond.ButweknowverywellwhathadbecomeofEdmond.
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