Stories to remember - Chapter 30

THE MURDER

'Father Busoni!' cried Caderousse in surprise. He couldn't understand how the priest had come into the room when he had so carefully bolted all the doors.

'I am glad you recognise me,' said Monte Cristo. 'I see you have not changed. Last time you were robbing a jeweller and now you are robbing the Count of Monte Cristo. Why aren't you still in prison?'

'I escaped.'

'So that you could rob people again? What a pity!'

'Mercy, Father Busoni! You saved my life once. Please save me again.'

'How have you escaped from prison?'

'We were working near Toulon. It was the hour of rest, between noon and one o'clock---'

'Prisoners having a nap after lunch!' interrupted Father Busoni, 'We may well pity the poor fellows.'

'We can't work all the time. We are not dogs,' said Caderousse.

'So much the better for the dogs,' said the priest. 'Go on, tell me what happened.'

'While the others were sleeping, my friend and I escaped.'

'And who was this friend of yours?'

'He called himself Benedetto. He didn't know his real name, because he never knew who his parents were.'

'Where is he now?'

'He is in Paris. The Count of Monte Cristo, who owns this house, has taken a fancy to him. He's going to leave all his money to Benedetto when he dies.'

'Oh, really?' said the priest. 'And by what name does this Benedetto call himself now?'

'Andrea Cavalcanti.'

'But that's the young man whom my friend the Count has been taking around Paris and who is also friendly with Baron Danglars and his family. I must warn them about him.'

'Oh no, don't do that, Father Busoni. You would spoil everything for Benedetto and for me.'

'What do I care about you?' said the priest. 'I must warn them.'

'Oh no, you won't,' said Caderousse, pulling out a long knife and raising it in the air to stab the priest.

Father Busoni quickly seized Caderousse and twisted his wrist with such force that the knife fell with a clatter to the floor. Caderousse cried out in pain and surprise as the priest twisted his arm still further.

'I ought to kill you,' said Busoni.

'Mercy!' cried Caderousse.

'Now you will write a letter to Baron Danglars,' said the priest. 'Take this pen and paper and write what I tell you!'

Caderousse sat down and wrote :-

'To Baron Danglars---The man who comes to your house, calling himself Andrea Cavalcanti, is really an escaped prisoner, named Benedetto, who ran away from the prison at Toulon with me.

                                                                                                    

                                                                                                       Signed---GASPARD CADEROUSSE

The priest took the letter. 'Now go!' he said.

Caderousse climbed out of the window and started to go down the ladder which he had placed there. Father Busoni held out his candle, so that anyone standing in the street could see that he was getting out of the window.

'Put the light out. Someone might see me,' cried Caderousse.

Monte Cristo went back to his bedroom and looked out of the window. He saw Caderousse take his ladder and put it against the garden wall. The man waiting outside in the street ran towards the place. Caderousse climbed slowly and looked over the top of the wall to see if all was quiet. Everything seemed to be safe.

Caderousse sat on the wall and pulled his ladder over, letting it down on the other side. He began to climb down to street. Too late, he noticed a man spring from the shadows. A long dagger glinted in the light from a street lamp. Before Caderousse could defend himself the knife was struck into his back. He fell to the ground, crying, 'Help! murder!' The other man grabbed him by the hair and stabbed him a second and a third time in the chest. Then, seeing that he no longer called out and that his eyes were closed, the man ran quickly away.