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“Then,”continuedBeauchamp,“Itookadvantageofthesilenceandthedarknesstoleavethehousewithoutbeingseen.
Theusherwhohadintroducedmewaswaitingformeatthedoor,andheconductedmethroughthecorridorstoaprivateentranceopeningintotheRuedeVaugirard.
Ileftwithmingledfeelingsofsorrowanddelight.
Excuseme,Albert,—sorrowonyouraccount,anddelightwiththatnoblegirl,thuspursuingpaternalvengeance.
Yes,Albert,fromwhateversourcetheblowmayhaveproceeded—itmaybefromanenemy,butthatenemyisonlytheagentofprovidence.”
Albertheldhisheadbetweenhishands;heraisedhisface,redwithshameandbathedintears,andseizingBeauchamp’sarm,“Myfriend,”saidhe,“mylifeisended.
Icannotcalmlysaywithyou,‘Providencehasstrucktheblow;’butImustdiscoverwhopursuesmewiththishatred,andwhenIhavefoundhimIshallkillhim,orhewillkillme.
Irelyonyourfriendshiptoassistme,Beauchamp,ifcontempthasnotbanisheditfromyourheart.”
“Contempt,myfriend?Howdoesthismisfortuneaffectyou?
No,happilythatunjustprejudiceisforgottenwhichmadethesonresponsibleforthefather’sactions.
Reviewyourlife,Albert;althoughitisonlyjustbeginning,didalovelysummer’sdayeverdawnwithgreaterpuritythanhasmarkedthecommencementofyourcareer?No,Albert,takemyadvice.
Youareyoungandrich—leaveParis—allissoonforgotteninthisgreatBabylonofexcitementandchangingtastes.
YouwillreturnafterthreeorfouryearswithaRussianprincessforabride,andnoonewillthinkmoreofwhatoccurredyesterdaythanifithadhappenedsixteenyearsago.”
“Thankyou,mydearBeauchamp,thankyoufortheexcellentfeelingwhichpromptsyouradvice;butitcannotbe.
Ihavetoldyoumywish,orrathermydetermination.
Youunderstandthat,interestedasIaminthisaffair,Icannotseeitinthesamelightasyoudo.
Whatappearstoyoutoemanatefromacelestialsource,seemstometoproceedfromonefarlesspure.
Providenceappearstometohavenoshareinthisaffair;andhappilyso,forinsteadoftheinvisible,impalpableagentofcelestialrewardsandpunishments,Ishallfindonebothpalpableandvisible,onwhomIshallrevengemyself,Iassureyou,forallIhavesufferedduringthelastmonth.
Now,Irepeat,Beauchamp,Iwishtoreturntohumanandmaterialexistence,andifyouarestillthefriendyouprofesstobe,helpmetodiscoverthehandthatstrucktheblow.”
“Beitso,”saidBeauchamp;“ifyoumusthavemedescendtoearth,Isubmit;andifyouwillseekyourenemy,Iwillassistyou,andIwillengagetofindhim,myhonorbeingalmostasdeeplyinterestedasyours.”
“Well,then,youunderstand,Beauchamp,thatwebeginoursearchimmediately.
Eachmoment’sdelayisaneternityforme.
Thecalumniatorisnotyetpunished,andhemayhopethathewillnotbe;but,onmyhonor,ithethinksso,hedeceiveshimself.”
“Well,listen,Morcerf.”
“Ah,Beauchamp,Iseeyouknowsomethingalready;youwillrestoremetolife.”
“IdonotsaythereisanytruthinwhatIamgoingtotellyou,butitis,atleast,arayoflightinadarknight;byfollowingitwemay,perhaps,discoversomethingmorecertain.”
“Tellme;satisfymyimpatience.”
“Well,IwilltellyouwhatIdidnotliketomentiononmyreturnfromYanina.”
“Sayon.”
“Iwent,ofcourse,tothechiefbankerofthetowntomakeinquiries.Atthefirstword,beforeIhadevenmentionedyourfather’sname”—
”’Ah,’saidhe.‘Iguesswhatbringsyouhere.’
”’How,andwhy?’
”’BecauseafortnightsinceIwasquestionedonthesamesubject.’
”’Bywhom?’—’ByaParisbanker,mycorrespondent.’
”’Whosenameis’—
”’Danglars.’”
“He!”criedAlbert;“yes,itisindeedhewhohassolongpursuedmyfatherwithjealoushatred.
He,themanwhowouldbepopular,cannotforgivetheCountofMorcerfforbeingcreatedapeer;andthismarriagebrokenoffwithoutareasonbeingassigned—yes,itisallfromthesamecause.”
“Makeinquiries,Albert,butdonotbeangrywithoutreason;makeinquiries,andifitbetrue”—
“Oh,yes,ifitbetrue,”criedtheyoungman,“heshallpaymeallIhavesuffered.”
“Beware,Morcerf,heisalreadyanoldman.”
“Iwillrespecthisageashehasrespectedthehonorofmyfamily;ifmyfatherhadoffendedhim,whydidhenotattackhimpersonally?Oh,no,hewasafraidtoencounterhimfacetoface.”
“Idonotcondemnyou,Albert;Ionlyrestrainyou.Actprudently.”
“Oh,donotfear;besides,youwillaccompanyme.
Beauchamp,solemntransactionsshouldbesanctionedbyawitness.
Beforethisdaycloses,ifM.Danglarsisguilty,heshallceasetolive,orIshalldie.
Pardieu,Beauchamp,mineshallbeasplendidfuneral!”
“Whensuchresolutionsaremade,Albert,theyshouldbepromptlyexecuted.DoyouwishtogotoM.Danglars?Letusgoimmediately.”Theysentforacabriolet.
Onenteringthebanker’smansion,theyperceivedthephaetonandservantofM.AndreaCavalcanti.
“Ah,parbleu,that’sgood,”saidAlbert,withagloomytone.
“IfM.Danglarswillnotfightwithme,Iwillkillhisson–in–law;Cavalcantiwillcertainlyfight.”
Theservantannouncedtheyoungman;butthebanker,recollectingwhathadtranspiredthedaybefore,didnotwishhimadmitted.
Itwas,however,toolate;Alberthadfollowedthefootman,and,hearingtheordergiven,forcedthedooropen,andfollowedbyBeauchampfoundhimselfinthebanker’sstudy.
“Sir,”criedthelatter,“amInolongeratlibertytoreceivewhomIchooseinmyhouse?Youappeartoforgetyourselfsadly.”
“No,sir,”saidAlbert,coldly;“therearecircumstancesinwhichonecannot,exceptthroughcowardice,—Iofferyouthatrefuge,—refusetoadmitcertainpersonsatleast.”
“Whatisyourerrand,then,withme,sir?”
“Imean,”saidAlbert,drawingnear,andwithoutapparentlynoticingCavalcanti,whostoodwithhisbacktowardsthefireplace—”Imeantoproposeameetinginsomeretiredcornerwherenoonewillinterruptusfortenminutes;thatwillbesufficient—wheretwomenhavingmet,oneofthemwillremainontheground.”
Danglarsturnedpale;Cavalcantimovedastepforward,andAlbertturnedtowardshim.
“Andyou,too,”saidhe,“come,ifyoulike,monsieur;youhaveaclaim,beingalmostoneofthefamily,andIwillgiveasmanyrendezvousofthatkindasIcanfindpersonswillingtoacceptthem.”
CavalcantilookedatDanglarswithastupefiedair,andthelatter,makinganeffort,aroseandsteppedbetweenthetwoyoungmen.
Albert’sattackonAndreahadplacedhimonadifferentfooting,andhehopedthisvisithadanothercausethanthathehadatfirstsupposed.
“Indeed,sir,”saidhetoAlbert,“ifyouarecometoquarrelwiththisgentlemanbecauseIhavepreferredhimtoyou,Ishallresignthecasetotheking’sattorney.”
“Youmistake,sir,”saidMorcerfwithagloomysmile;“Iamnotreferringintheleasttomatrimony,andIonlyaddressedmyselftoM.Cavalcantibecauseheappeareddisposedtointerferebetweenus.
Inonerespectyouareright,forIamreadytoquarrelwitheveryoneto–day;butyouhavethefirstclaim,M.Danglars.”
“Sir,”repliedDanglars,palewithangerandfear,“Iwarnyou,whenIhavethemisfortunetomeetwithamaddog,Ikillit;andfarfromthinkingmyselfguiltyofacrime,IbelieveIdosocietyakindness.
Now,ifyouaremadandtrytobiteme,Iwillkillyouwithoutpity.
Isitmyfaultthatyourfatherhasdishonoredhimself?”
“Yes,miserablewretch!”criedMorcerf,“itisyourfault.”Danglarsretreatedafewsteps.“Myfault?”saidhe;“youmustbemad!WhatdoIknowoftheGrecianaffair?HaveItravelledinthatcountry?
DidIadviseyourfathertosellthecastleofYanina—tobetray”—
“Silence!”saidAlbert,withathunderingvoice.“No;itisnotyouwhohavedirectlymadethisexposureandbroughtthissorrowonus,butyouhypocriticallyprovokedit.”
“I?”“Yes;you!Howcameitknown?”
“IsupposeyoureaditinthepaperintheaccountfromYanina?”
“WhowrotetoYanina?”
“ToYanina?”
“Yes.Whowroteforparticularsconcerningmyfather?”
“IimagineanyonemaywritetoYanina.”
“Butonepersononlywrote!”
“Oneonly?”
“Yes;andthatwasyou!”
“I,doubtless,wrote.Itappearstomethatwhenabouttomarryyourdaughtertoayoungman,itisrighttomakesomeinquiriesrespectinghisfamily;itisnotonlyaright,butaduty.”
“Youwrote,sir,knowingwhatansweryouwouldreceive.”
“I,indeed?Iassureyou,”criedDanglars,withaconfidenceandsecurityproceedinglessfromfearthanfromtheinteresthereallyfeltfortheyoungman,“Isolemnlydeclaretoyou,thatIshouldneverhavethoughtofwritingtoYanina,didIknowanythingofAliPasha’smisfortunes.”
“Who,then,urgedyoutowrite?Tellme.”
“Pardieu,itwasthemostsimplethingintheworld.
Iwasspeakingofyourfather’spasthistory.
Isaidtheoriginofhisfortuneremainedobscure.
ThepersontowhomIaddressedmyscruplesaskedmewhereyourfatherhadacquiredhisproperty?Ianswered,‘InGreece.’—’Then,’saidhe,‘writetoYanina.’”
“Andwhothusadvisedyou?”
“Nootherthanyourfriend,MonteCristo.”
“TheCountofMonteCristotoldyoutowritetoYanina?”
“Yes;andIwrote,andwillshowyoumycorrespondence,ifyoulike.”
AlbertandBeauchamplookedateachother.
“Sir,”saidBeauchamp,whohadnotyetspoken,“youappeartoaccusethecount,whoisabsentfromParisatthismoment,andcannotjustifyhimself.”
“Iaccusenoone,sir,”saidDanglars;“Irelate,andIwillrepeatbeforethecountwhatIhavesaidtoyou.”
“Doesthecountknowwhatansweryoureceived?”
“Yes;Ishowedittohim.”
“Didheknowmyfather’sChristiannamewasFernand,andhisfamilynameMondego?”
“Yes,Ihadtoldhimthatlongsince,andIdidonlywhatanyotherwouldhavedoneinmycircumstances,andperhapsless.
When,thedayafterthearrivalofthisanswer,yourfathercamebytheadviceofMonteCristotoaskmydaughter’shandforyou,Idecidedlyrefusedhim,butwithoutanyexplanationorexposure.
Inshort,whyshouldIhaveanymoretodowiththeaffair?
HowdidthehonorordisgraceofM.deMorcerfaffectme?
Itneitherincreasednordecreasedmyincome.”
Albertfeltthebloodmountingtohisbrow;therewasnodoubtuponthesubject.
Danglarsdefendedhimselfwiththebaseness,butatthesametimewiththeassurance,ofamanwhospeaksthetruth,atleastinpart,ifnotwholly—notforconscience’sake,butthroughfear.Besides,whatwasMorcerfseeking?
ItwasnotwhetherDanglarsorMonteCristowasmoreorlessguilty;itwasamanwhowouldanswerfortheoffence,whethertriflingorserious;itwasamanwhowouldfight,anditwasevidentDanglarswouldnotfight.
And,inadditiontothis,everythingforgottenorunperceivedbeforepresenteditselfnowtohisrecollection.
MonteCristokneweverything,ashehadboughtthedaughterofAliPasha;and,knowingeverything,hehadadvisedDanglarstowritetoYanina.
Theanswerknown,hehadyieldedtoAlbert’swishtobeintroducedtoHaidee,andallowedtheconversationtoturnonthedeathofAli,andhadnotopposedHaidee’srecital(buthaving,doubtless,warnedtheyounggirl,inthefewRomaicwordshespoketoher,nottoimplicateMorcerf’sfather).
Besides,hadhenotbeggedofMorcerfnottomentionhisfather’snamebeforeHaidee?
Lastly,hehadtakenAlberttoNormandywhenheknewthefinalblowwasnear.
Therecouldbenodoubtthatallhadbeencalculatedandpreviouslyarranged;MonteCristothenwasinleaguewithhisfather’senemies.
AlberttookBeauchampaside,andcommunicatedtheseideastohim.
“Youareright,”saidthelatter;“M.Danglarshasonlybeenasecondaryagentinthissadaffair,anditisofM.deMonteCristothatyoumustdemandanexplanation.”Albertturned.
“Sir,”saidhetoDanglars,“understandthatIdonottakeafinalleaveofyou;Imustascertainifyourinsinuationsarejust,andamgoingnowtoinquireoftheCountofMonteCristo.”
Hebowedtothebanker,andwentoutwithBeauchamp,withoutappearingtonoticeCavalcanti.
Danglarsaccompaniedhimtothedoor,whereheagainassuredAlbertthatnomotiveofpersonalhatredhadinfluencedhimagainsttheCountofMorcerf.
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