Stories to remember - Chapter 49

THE END OF THE STORY

It will be remembered that, when Dantes found his fortune on the island of Monte Cristo, he went to Marseilles calling himself Lord Wilmore. There, he purchased the house in which his father had lived; for this house was part of his youth and part of that happy time when he and Mercedes were betrothed, the time before he knew the agonies of life in the Chateau d'If.

It was here that he took Mercedes and Albert after they had fled from the home of the Count of Morcerf. In this house, Mercedes and her son found peace and solitude, away from the distress which they had recently suffered.

Dantes came here to say farewell to Mercedes. He walked through the house and into the garden beyond. He paused for a moment and looked towards a tree covered with white jasmine flowers. Under the tree a figure was sitting. It was Mercedes. The tree and its white blossoms and the figure seated beneath it formed a picture which seemed to hold Dantes so that he was unable to move. Then Mercedes looked up and saw him. She rose and came to him with her arms outstretched.

'Edmond,' she said and in her voice was all the sadness of her life.

Dantes took her hands and looked into her eyes.

'I have come to say goodbye, Mercedes.'

'You are going away, Edmond?'

'Yes, I am going away. The task which I set myself is finished. The vengeance I swore to take on those who wronged me is complete.'

'You say your vengeance is complete,' said Mercedes. 'Yet, am I not the one who wronged you most? You have caused the death or destruction of those men who betrayed you. Yet you have spared me. But I do not wish to be spared. I live only because I cannot die.'

'Mercedes!' cried Edmond. 'You have every reason to hate me. I am the cause of all your misery. Yet you do not seem to hate me, you seem only to pity me.'

'No, Edmond, I do not hate you. You spared my son's life and for that I thank you. It is myself I hate; for I am the miserable creature who had neither the strength nor the courage, nor faith enough to hope that you might one day return.'

As she spoke the tears poured down her face. Edmond tried to console her, but she would not be comforted. At last he said, 'Just tell me this, Mercedes, that one day somewhere we shall meet again.'

Mercedes turned to him and then raised her eyes to the sky above.

'Yes, Edmond, we shall meet again--in heaven.'

Dantes walked slowly from the house. His eyes were full of tears as he looked towards the golden madonna on the hill. Then he turned towards the harbour where his ship was waiting.

'Monte Cristo, I am coming back,' he murmured.

He walked slowly towards the quay-side and gazed at his ship. As he looked, he saw the figure of a woman on the deck, a woman in Eastern dress with a veil around her head. It was Haydee. He ran up the gang-way and on to the ship. Haydee came towards him.

'You are leaving, my lord?' she asked.

'Yes, Haydee, I am leaving. And you will stay here in France and take your rightful place in the world. You will have money and possessions, and all the things which are yours by right. You will be treated as the princess which you are. You are young and beautiful and you have a life of great happiness before you.'

Haydee turned towards him, an expression of longing on her face.

'There is no happiness without you,' she said. 'If you leave me, I shall no longer wish to live. I shall die.'

Dantes looked at her in amazement.

'Then you want to come with me?' he asked.

'Yes, my lord, for I love you. I have loved you as a  father and a brother, but I also love you as a husband and master. I love you as my own life.'

Edmond could hardly believe the words she spoke. He looked for a long time at the beautiful young girl before him. Then he sighed and took her hand.

'Then come with me! Come to Monte Cristo! Who knows, perhaps your love will make me forget all I do not wish to remember.'

And so it happened that, about six o'clock the next evening, a fine yacht was seen gliding out of the harbour of Marseilles. As she sailed gracefully out to sea, the amber rays of the setting sun seemed to turn her into a ship of fire.

Standing on the deck and looking back at Marseilles, were a tall dark man and a beautiful woman. They gazed at the church of Notre Dame de la Garde. The gilded statue on the top of the church glowed a brilliant red-gold which exactly matched the flame colour of the yacht. Only these two objects, the statue standing on high and the yacht out at sea were touched by the rays of the sun as it began to sink behind the surrounding hills. The statue seemed to be saying farewell to the yacht whilst the rest of Marseilles was already shrouded in the approaching night. The Chateau d'If, half hidden in growing darkness, was only part of the evening shadow.

Edmond and Haydee now turned away their eyes from Marseilles and looked towards the east; towards the island of Monte Cristo. 

END OF THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO

 

Stories to remember - Chapter 48

THE STARVING MAN

By noon the next day, Danglars was hungry again. So that he would not have to spend more money that day, he had hidden half the chicken and a piece of bread in his cell. But as soon as he had eaten, he felt thirsty. He hadn't thought of that. He tried to hold out, but in the end he had to call the guard and ask for something to drink. The guard made him pay twenty-five thousand francs for a jug of water.

'Why don't you say now that you want to take all my money? If that's what you want, why not do it at once?' he said.

'It's possible that my master wants to take all your money. I don't know what he wants with you,' replied the guard.

'Who is your master?'

'The bandit chief whom you saw when you  first came here.'

'Let me see him.'

'Certainly,' said the guard. Very soon afterwards the chief of the bandits appeared at Danglars' cell.

'How much do you want to set me free?' said Danglars.

'I want your five million francs.'

Danglars felt a pain in his heart. 'But that's all I have left in the world out of an immense fortune,' he said.

'If you take that, take my life also.'

'We are not allowed to kill you.'

'Who doesn't allow you?'

'Our chief.'

'But I thought you said you were the chief.'

'Yes, I am the chief of these men, but there is another over me.'

Danglars thought for a moment. Then he said, 'Why is your chief doing this to me?'

'I don't know.'

'He will take away everything I have.'

'Probably.'

'Come,' said Danglars, 'I'll give you a million.'

'No.'

'Two million? Three? Four? come, four! I'll give you four million francs if you'll let me go.'

'Why do you offer me four millions for what is worth five millions? Why are you trying to bargain with me, banker?'

'Well then, I'll defy you. You can kill me if you like, but I won't sign another cheque.'

'Just as you please, your Excellency,' said the bandit chief, and with that he left the cell.

Danglars' resolve not to sign again lasted for two days. After that, he offered a million for some food. The bandits sent him a wonderful meal and took his million.

At the end of twelve days, Danglars reckoned his accounts and found he had only fifty thousand francs left. He could not bear to lose his last fifty thousand. Again he decided he wouldn't sign any cheques and he began to starve. He became delirious and sometimes he imagined he saw a poor old man, lying on a bed, dying of hunger.

He starved himself like this for five days. Then he began to beg the guard to give him some food. He offered him a thousand francs for a mouthful of bread. But the guard took no notice of him. In the end, he asked to see the bandit chief once more.

When the chief came, Danglars fell to his knees.

'Take everything I have,' he moaned, 'only let me out of here. Just let me go free with no money at all.'

'You think you have suffered, but there are men who have suffered more than you,' said the chief.

'Oh, I don't think so.'

'Yes, there are those who have died of hunger.'

Danglars thought of the poor old man he had seen in his dreams the last few days.

'Yes, it's true,' he said, 'there have been some who have suffered more than I have.'

'Do you repent?' asked a deep voice, which caused Danglars' hair to stand on end.

'Indeed, I'm sorry for the evil I have done,' cried Danglars.

'Then I forgive you,' said the voice. The man who had spoken came up to the door of the cell and showed himself.

'The Count of Monte Cristo!' gasped Danglars.

'You are mistaken; I'm not the Count of Monte Cristo.'

'Then who are you?'

'I am he whom you betrayed and dishonoured; I am he whose betrothed you forced into marriage with another man; I am he on whom you trampled so that you could raise yourself to a better position; I am he whose father you caused to die of starvation. I am Edmond Dantes!'

Danglars cried out, and fell to the ground.

'Rise,' said the Count. 'I have forgiven you now. Keep the fifty thousand francs which you have left. The five millions you robbed have been given back to the hospital. You can now have a meal, and after that, you can go free.'

When Danglars was set free from the caves, he found that his hair had turned completely white.

Dantes' revenge was complete!

 

Stories to remember - Chapter 47

THE BILL OF FARE

Danglars looked up in surprise at the bandit who was still holding his wrist tightly.

'What! A hundred thousand francs for that chicken?' he said.

'Your Excellency, you can't imagine how difficult it is to raise chickens in these caves.'

'Come, come,' said Danglars, 'that's very funny-very amusing, I agree; but as I'm very hungry, please allow me to eat. Anyway, there's another piastre for you.'

'Now that leaves only 16,665 piastres you owe me,' said the guard calmly. 'I shall get them all in time.'

'Ah! if you think that,' shouted Danglars, now getting angry, 'then you don't know me. You'll never get all that money out of me.'

The guard made a sign, and the man who had brought the chicken hastily removed it. Danglars lay down on his bed in the corner and the guard began eating his food again. Danglars could smell the peas and bacon. He began to feel more and more hungry. He waited for half an hour, which seemed to him like a hundred years. Then he could stand it no more. He got up and went to the door.

'Come,' said he to the guard, 'don't keep me starving here any longer, but tell me what they want with me.'

'No, your Excellency! You must say what you want with us. Give us your orders, and we will carry them out.'

'Then give me something to eat, quickly. I want to eat-to eat; do you hear?'

'What would your Excellency like to eat?'

'A piece of dry bread, since the chickens are beyond all price in this dreadful place.'

'Very well,' said the guard. He called out, 'Some bread for his Excellency.'

When the bread came, Danglars asked how much it would cost him.

'Only, 16,665 piastres,' said the guard; 'you have already paid two piastres in advance.'

'What, a hundred thousand francs for a loaf?'

'One hundred thousand francs', said the guard.

'But you only asked a hundred thousand francs for a chicken!'

'We don't charge according to the bill of fare. We serve only at a fixed price. It makes no difference whether you eat a lot or a little, whether you have ten dishes or one; it's always the same price.'

'What ! Still keeping up this silly joke? My dear fellow, it is stupid ! You may as well tell me that you want me to die of starvation.'

'Oh no, your Excellency, we don't want you to do that. Pay and eat!'

'And what shall I pay with, fool? Do you think I carry a hundred thousand francs in my pocket?'

'Your Excellency, you have a cheque book in your pocket and five million francs in the bank. That's enough for fifty chickens at a hundred thousand francs each.'

Danglars now understood that this was no joke, but part of the ransom which the bandits were demanding for his release.

'If I pay you a hundred thousand francs,' he said, 'will you be satisfied and let me eat in peace?'

'Certainly,' said the guard.

Danglars decided to pay. He took out his cheque book and asked for a pen and ink. When it was brought to him, he wrote out a cheque for 16,665 piastres.

'Here you are,' he said, giving it to the guard.

'And here is your chicken,' said the guard.

Danglars sighed when he cut up the chicken. It looked very thin for the price it had cost him. As for the guard, he looked carefully at the cheque, put it in his pocket, and continued eating his peas and bacon. 

Stories to remember - Chapter 46

DANGLARS ORDERS A MEAL

After a good night's sleep, Danglars awoke. He did not realise at first where he was. Then he remembered.

'Yes, yes,' he murmured, 'I am in the hands of the same bandits who captured Albert Morcerf. They haven't killed or wounded me yet, but perhaps they've robbed me.' He put his hands in his pockets. The money he had with him was still there.

'What peculiar bandits!' he exclaimed. 'They have left me with my money and my watch. Still, I suppose they'll soon demand money to set me free.'

He looked at his watch and saw that it was six o'clock in the morning. He decided to wait and see what the bandits wanted.

At twelve o'clock, the guard outside his door went off duty and another one came and sat down there. Danglars could see him through a small hole in the door.

The man started eating some black bread, cheese, and onions. 'I don't know how he can eat such awful food,' said Danglars to himself.

But as he watched the man eating, Danglars also began to feel hungry.

'Come!' he called to the man, 'I think it's time somebody gave me something to eat also.'

The man outside the door took no notice of him.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, another guard came on duty. This man had brought with him some peas stewed with bacon, a basket of grapes and a bottle of wine. Danglars' mouth began to water. He tapped on the door of his cell and the guard came to see what he wanted. Danglars noticed that he was the same man who had told him so rudely, the evening before, to put his head back inside the carriage. But he decided that this was not the time for a quarrel. So, with a pleasant smile, he said politely, 'Excuse me, but aren't they going to give me any dinner?'

'Does your Excellency happen to be hungry?' said the guard.

'Happen to be hungry! That's good, when I haven't eaten for twenty-four hours,' muttered Danglars, but he said aloud, 'Yes, I'm very hungry.'

'And your Excellency would like to eat?'

'Yes, and quickly, if that's possible.'

''Of course, your Excellency. Here you can have whatever you wish for as long as you pay for it. That's the custom among all honest people.'

'Of course!' said Danglars, 'although those who capture you and imprison you ought at least to feed their prisoners.'

'Ah, your Excellency,' replied the guard, 'that is not the custom here.'

'That's a poor reason,' said Danglars, 'but anyway bring me something to eat.'

'What would your Excellency like? Just give your orders!'

''Have you kitchens and cooks here, then?'

'Yes, very good ones.'

'Why, it's just like being in Paris,' murmured Danglars. Then he said to the guard, 'Very well, then, bring me a roast chicken.'

The guard turned around and called out, 'A roast chicken for his Excellency!'

In a minute, a young man appeared, carrying a roast chicken on a silver dish.

'Here, your Excellency!' said the guard, taking the chicken and putting it on the table in the cell. Danglars asked for a knife and fork.

'Here, your Excellency!' said the guard, giving them to him.

Danglars took the knife in one hand and the fork in the other, and was about to cut up the chicken.

'Pardon me, your Excellency,' said the guard. 'People pay here before they eat. Otherwise, they might refuse to pay afterwards.'

'Ah!' thought Danglars. 'This is no longer like Paris. But I'll pay them well. Chickens can't cost much here.' He gave the guard one piastre, which he reckoned was enough to buy about a hundred chickens in Rome. The guard took the piastre and Danglars again prepared to cut up the chicken with his knife and fork.

'Just a moment, your Excellency,' said the guard, 'you still owe me something.'

'How do I owe you anything?' asked Danglars, surprised.

'Your Excellency has given me only one piastre.'

'Only one piastre for a chicken! Isn't that more than enough?'

'Oh no, your Excellency, you still owe me 16,666 piastres.'

Danglars opened his eyes wide when he heard this huge joke.

'Ah! very funny,' he murmured, 'very funny!' He got ready to cut the chicken again, but the guard seized his wrist with one hand and held out his other hand for the money. 'Come,' said he.

'Aren't you joking?' said Danglars.

'We never joke, your Excellency,' replied the guard.