Stories to remember - Chapter 38

THE SUICIDE

As he travelled home in his carriage, Monte Cristo thought of the courage of Mercedes. He had offered to sacrifice his own life so that her son should not die. Now she had saved the Count's life by telling Albert the dreadful family secret which must destroy all that young man's love for his father.

Not long after he arrived home, there was a knock at his door. A servant said that the Count Morcerf was there.

'Show him in!' said Monte Cristo.

When Morcerf entered, Monte Cristo exclaimed, 'Well, it really is the Count Morcerf. I thought my servant must have made a mistaken when he said it was you.'

'Yes, it is I,' replied Morcerf. 'I've just heard that, instead of fighting you, my son apologised to you this morning.'

'That is right.'

'If he will not fight you for my honour, I shall have to do it myself. Don't you agree?'

'Certainly,' replied Monte Cristo, 'and I am ready at any time.'

'Let's go now then; we don't need anyone else, do we?'

'Oh no! After all, we know one another so well.'

'Just the opposite!' replied Morcerf. 'We know almost nothing about each other.'

'Ha!' said Monte Cristo. 'Let me see! Aren't you the soldier Fernand who ran away at the battle of Waterloo? Aren't you the Lieutenant Fernand who, with his friend Danglars, stole money from the French Army in Spain? Aren't you the Captain Fernand who betrayed and murdered his master Ali Tebelin? And aren't all these Fernands now called Lieutenant-General the Count Morcerf?'

Morcerf shrank away, as if branded by a hot iron.

'Wretch!' he said. 'Who are you, that you know so much about me? Tell me your real name!'

'I will, if you'll wait here a minute,' replied Monte Cristo. He disappeared into another room, where he quickly took off his tie, his coat and his waistcoat. In a few seconds, he put on a sailor's jacket and hat and returned to the room where Morcerf was standing.

'Now you must recognise me,' said Monte Cristo. 'Surely you have thought about me many times after your marriage with Mercedes; the girl I should have married.'

Morcerf leaned against the wall, gasping with fear and amazement.

'Edmond Dante!' he almost choked. He began to move away from the Count of Monte Cristo, then turned and ran outside. He fell into his carriage and told the coachman to drive home. He could hardly believe what he had just seen.

Still shocked, he staggered out of his carriage when he arrived home and opened the front door. As he did so, he heard two people coming down the stairs, so he hid behind a curtain. He did not want them to see him.

Mercedes and Albert were leaving the house. Morcerf, behind the curtain, heard Albert say to his mother as they passed him, 'Come, mother, this is no longer our home. We'll go away and never come back here.'

Now Morcerf had lost everything. When his wife and son had left the house, he went upstairs to his bedroom. After a few minutes, a loud bang was heard. The servants rushed into his room and they found the Count Morcerf lying dead on his bed, a smoking pistol in his hand.

Later, when Monte Cristo was told that Morcerf had shot himself, he said mysteriously to himself, 'Number two!'