1001 Stories For The Road

SPOILER  CAUTION Chapter 91: The Meeting Monte Cristo confides to Maximilian and Emmanuel that he plans to let himself be killed. He then demonstrates his almost superhuman skill with the pistol so that there will be no doubt as to whether he lost the duel on purpose. Albert finally arrives at the site of the duel, but rather than pick up his pistol he apologizes to Monte Cristo, telling him that he was right to avenge Fernand for wronging him. Monte Cristo realizes that Mercédès has told her son the entire story. Chapter 92: The Mother and Son Albert and Mercédès both plan to leave all their worldly possessions behind and create a new life away from the sins of Fernand. As they are about to depart their home forever, a letter from Monte Cristo arrives. Monte Cristo instructs Mercédès to travel to Marseilles, to the house in which Louis Dantès once lived. Buried under a tree in front of that house is the money that Dantès once planned to use to start a family with Mercédès. He writes that this money, though a pittance, is rightfully hers and should be enough to support her comfortably for the rest of her life. Mercédès accepts the gift and declares that she will use it as a dowry to gain entrance to a convent. Catch ALL our shows and episodes at one place at www.bestof1001stories.com!  and sign up for our newsletter

Two dramatic chapters no summary to give away the plot.......

CHAP 87  THE CHALLENGE SummaryAnalysis Infuriated, Morcerf says that he must go to the man who set all these things in motion. He asks Beauchamp if he knows who could have planted the story at the rival paper, and Beauchamp says that during his trip to Janina, he heard that an emissary of Danglars' was there just two weeks previously. Albert is instantly convinced that Danglars is behind the attack on his father's name, and he goes to Danglars' house to confront him. Albert finds himself angry at the man who once plotted, along with his own father Fernand, to put Dantes in prison. The Count, though not directly involved in any of this activity, has nevertheless made it so that the families of the plotters have turned against each other. Now, it seems, the Count's desire to stay out of active roles in these machinations makes more sense: he wants the other characters to avenge themselves on each other, as if he's entirely uninvolved.   In front of Andrea, who is standing in the main receiving room, Albert challenges Danglars to admit to his wrongdoing against Fernand. Danglars says that it was really nothing personal, that he was only checking up on the family of the man who wished to marry his only daughter—and that, at any rate, he was encouraged to take this investigative step by the Count. Albert immediately puts together the Count's role in this (living with Haydee, and ensuring that Albert and Haydee could meet and talk) and vows to Beauchamp to confront the Count before returning to Danglars. In an intriguing turn, Danglars indicates that his investigation into Albert's family was not entirely of his own initiative, and that the Count really is involved in the machinations from which he's tried so hard to absent himself. Albert feels betrayed by a friend to whom he was devoted, and thus his dueling impulse has moved from Beauchamp, then to Danglars, and finally to the man to whom he's closest: the Count.   CHAP 88 THE INSULT SummaryAnalysis Albert goes to the Count's home, but the Count is bathing and then napping before the opera. Albert quickly goes home to see his mother, who is devastated by Fernand's social reversals. Albert tells Mercedes he has realized that the Count never eats in the home of his sworn enemies, thus explaining why he took no food at the Morcerfs' July party, despite Mercedes' urging. At this, Albert tells his mother he is off to meet the Count at the opera to challenge him to a duel. Finally, Albert has put together the fact that the Count is not exactly his friend. Instead, the Count believes that he has a blood-feud with the Morcerf family, and Albert recognizes that what he thought was a friendship was, in fact, a sham. This raises an interesting moral question: is it fair or "just" for the Count to have misled Albert in order to exact revenge on Albert's father?     At the opera, Albert and Beauchamp find the Count in his box. Albert challenges him to a duel, says that Beauchamp will be his second, and declares that they will meet the next morning before 10 am. The Count, sitting with Maximilien in the box, says that it is all a matter of "perfect indifference" to him, that he will win the duel regardless of the time or instrument. Beauchamp, shocked, conveys this information back to Albert, and Morrel asks the Count in private if he really believes that he is on the right side. The Count says that this is indeed the case, that they will absolutely win, and Morrel agrees to be his second. Morrel says he will also ask Emmanuel to join them the next morning at seven, before meeting Albert in the forest at eight. The Count, as is characteristic of him, appears to have no concern whatsoever about his ability to win the duel. This faith in his abilities seems to be a more pronounced version of that same skill he demonstrated many years ago as the first mate on the Pharaon, and then again in prison, under the tutelage of the Abbe Faria. Although the Count feels it would not necessarily be a good thing to wound or kill Albert, he, like Albert, knows that a gentleman must participate in a duel if he is called to do so.    

SummaryAnalysis  CHAP 85  THE JOURNEY When the two men reach the Count, they do not tell him what has happened, although the Count can sense that Albert is out of sorts. At this, the Count suggests that Albert travel with him, this time to Normandy, where he has just bought a house and a boat. Bertuccio has previously arranged for post horses to be available all along the way so the Count can reach his home in eight hours. Albert thinks over this proposal for a while, and at the thought of spending time with his friend the Count by the seaside, he agrees. To this end, Albert agrees to go away with the Count. Although very little of their time together is described, it is another of the moments when the Count disappears from the narrative for a while. This happened previously when Dantes first came upon the gold of Monte Cristo, and was moving about Marseille in a variety of disguises, paying visits to places he remembered from his youth.  Active Themes Justice, Revenge, and God's Will Theme Icon Love, Devotion, and Redemption Theme Icon Debt and Gratitude Theme Icon   The Count and Albert set off that night, while Beauchamp stays back in Paris to mind the newspaper for any further news about Fernand. For three days, Albert delights in the hunting and fishing of the Normandy home, and the Count believes that some good is indeed coming to Albert there. But on the third day, one of Mercedes' footmen reaches Albert at the Normandy home, saying that a piece has run in another newspaper, not run by Beauchamp, clarifying that the "Fernand" of the previous story of the Ali Pasha is indeed Albert's father. Albert asks the Count and Ali for post-horses right away so he might travel back to Paris and see to his distraught mother, about whom he is deeply worried. It seems that Albert and Beauchamp cannot prevent the knowledge of Fernand's deceit from coming out. The preparations the Count has made for his travel are a somewhat curious development in the text. As far as the novel is concerned, this house in Normandy is no longer important, and it appears that the Count has purchased it solely as a retiring-place for Albert – as though the Count had expected precisely this public humiliation of the Morcerf family.   SummaryAnalysis Albert heads directly to the office of Beauchamp, who has been in Paris the last three days and followed the events closely. First Beauchamp visited the competing newspaper that ran the story connecting Fernand de Morcerf to the Ali Pasha incident—they confirmed that they had documentation supporting the event. Then Beauchamp went to the Upper House of the Chamber of Deputies, where Morcerf was called upon to defend himself. Although Morcerf's occupation was previously that of a soldier, at the present time he is a member of the political and ruling class in Paris, something of a gentleman-politician. For this reason, then, it is of the utmost importance that he publicly argues that he is not a treacherous and bloodthirsty individual, as these newspaper accounts claim. Active Themes Justice, Revenge, and God's Will Theme Icon Changes of Identity and Station Theme Icon Debt and Gratitude Theme Icon   Morcerf requests that a commission be set up to adjudicate these claims, and the commission quickly comes into power, gathering information that day and meeting again that night. Morcerf defends himself, as Beauchamp reports to Albert, but he cannot produce a witness to say he was indeed faithful to the Ali Pasha until the end. At this, a witness against Fernand is announced—Haydee herself, the daughter of the Ali Pasha, and the Count's slave. Finally Haydee is granted an opportunity to tell her story publicly, just as she has told part of her story to Albert in the Count's home on the Champs-Elysees. Here, the crowd seems at rapt attention, waiting for this mysterious woman to speak. Since Haydee's debut in Paris society, she has only sat quietly beside the Count at public functions. Active Themes Justice, Revenge, and God's Will Theme Icon Changes of Identity and Station Theme Icon Debt and Gratitude Theme Icon   Haydee recounts for the Chamber of Deputies the story she told Albert several chapters before, in which she witnessed Fernand's treachery in selling over the Ali Pasha to the Turks to enrich himself. This story, which Haydee tells passionately and which accords with the independent and mysterious evidence the rival newspaper has received, prompts Fernand to flee the Chamber in anguish. The remaining members vote for him to be convicted of high treason, for going against the Greeks and consorting with the Turks, and Haydee walks very calmly out of the building, having exacted, as she says, revenge for the murder of her beloved father. Haydee believes that she has fulfilled her own plot of vengeance – she has avenged her father's death, after having been granted an opportunity to plead her case at the Chamber of Deputies. This vengeance of Haydee's coincides, of course, with the vengeance of the Count, who also wishes for Fernand to be punished, although for a different crime – the crime of plotting against Dantes. This shared satisfaction in vengeance is yet another bond that unites the Count and Haydee.SummaryAnalysis Albert heads directly to the office of Beauchamp, who has been in Paris the last three days and followed the events closely. First Beauchamp visited the competing newspaper that ran the story connecting Fernand de Morcerf to the Ali Pasha incident—they confirmed that they had documentation supporting the event. Then Beauchamp went to the Upper House of the Chamber of Deputies, where Morcerf was called upon to defend himself. Although Morcerf's occupation was previously that of a soldier, at the present time he is a member of the political and ruling class in Paris, something of a gentleman-politician. For this reason, then, it is of the utmost importance that he publicly argues that he is not a treacherous and bloodthirsty individual, as these newspaper accounts claim.     Morcerf requests that a commission be set up to adjudicate these claims, and the commission quickly comes into power, gathering information that day and meeting again that night. Morcerf defends himself, as Beauchamp reports to Albert, but he cannot produce a witness to say he was indeed faithful to the Ali Pasha until the end. At this, a witness against Fernand is announced—Haydee herself, the daughter of the Ali Pasha, and the Count's slave. Finally Haydee is granted an opportunity to tell her story publicly, just as she has told part of her story to Albert in the Count's home on the Champs-Elysees. Here, the crowd seems at rapt attention, waiting for this mysterious woman to speak. Since Haydee's debut in Paris society, she has only sat quietly beside the Count at public functions.     Haydee recounts for the Chamber of Deputies the story she told Albert several chapters before, in which she witnessed Fernand's treachery in selling over the Ali Pasha to the Turks to enrich himself. This story, which Haydee tells passionately and which accords with the independent and mysterious evidence the rival newspaper has received, prompts Fernand to flee the Chamber in anguish. The remaining members vote for him to be convicted of high treason, for going against the Greeks and consorting with the Turks, and Haydee walks very calmly out of the building, having exacted, as she says, revenge for the murder of her beloved father. Haydee believes that she has fulfilled her own plot of vengeance – she has avenged her father's death, after having been granted an opportunity to plead her case at the Chamber of Deputies. This vengeance of Haydee's coincides, of course, with the vengeance of the Count, who also wishes for Fernand to be punished, although for a different crime – the crime of plotting against Dantes. This shared satisfaction in vengeance is yet another bond that unites the Count and Haydee.

Beauchamp visits Albert after their agreed-upon three weeks have passed, and reveals that he has spent these three weeks traveling out to Janina and back, to see whether there is any truth in the story touching on the reputation of his friend's family. Albert is anxious to hear the news, and Beauchamp breaks it as gently as he can, and as a friend: that it is in fact true that Fernand betrayed the Ali Pasha to the Turks for "two thousand purses" and took that money to buy his title in Paris and establish his initial fortune. Beauchamp has done the work that is necessary to verify his information. He is a punctilious man, and not unlike the Count in this regard, although Beauchamp is motivated only by a desire for knowledge of the truth, and not for vengeance. Nevertheless, Beauchamp understands that this information will come as a great blow to Albert, who is proud of his father and his family name. Active Themes Changes of Identity and Station Theme Icon Debt and Gratitude Theme Icon The Domestic and the Foreign Theme Icon   Albert is dumbstruck at this news and does what he can to control himself as he thinks of a next step. Beauchamp implies that perhaps the Danglars family has been involved in this, hoping to discredit the marriage between Albert and Eugenie, and Albert does in fact relay that Eugenie and Andrea appear to be more or less officially engaged. Beauchamp suggests that the two go for a walk and check in on the Count, who is so good, Beauchamp says, at raising the spirits of those who are in need of help. It is to Albert's credit that he does not immediately lose his temper at Beauchamp, despite the latter being the bearer of truly horrible news. Both Beauchamp and Albert seem inherently to trust the Count, whom they believe to be a wise and fair judge of all things. Thus Albert, perhaps without even acknowledging it, believes the Count to be his ally in this affair.

 CHAP 82 SUMMARY Monte Cristo does indeed go to Auteuil to try out some horses. There, however, Baptistin informs him that an anonymous letter has arrived saying that the Count's house in Paris is to be burgled that night. The Count wonders if this note isn't a trap designed to murder him instead. Despite this fear, he tells his servants he will be off in the woods, and goes to Paris straightaway that evening, meeting Ali at the door and then changing into the clothes of Abbe Busoni. Upstairs, he meets Caderousse, who with an accomplice waiting outside has tried his best to steal from his former "friend"—although he does not recognize the Count, but instead thinks it is the Abbe from ten years ago. This is the first time have actually seen the Count transform into the Abbe Busoni. Previously, the novel has strongly implied that they are the same person, but it is with a certain coyness that the narrator shifts between the identities of the Count and the Abbe, as though leaving open the possibility that they might in fact be two separate people. Caderousse, of course, has met the Abbe before, receiving the diamond from him long ago at the inn, and the Count appears to be setting a particular kind of trap for the man he believes to be breaking into his home. CHAP83 SUMMARY While Ali goes out in search of a doctor, the Abbe Busoni tends to the mortally wounded Caderousse. Caderousse asks why the Abbe didn't tell him he could see his accomplice outside, lying in wait to kill him. The Abbe replies that he was waiting for the will of God to be done, and though Caderousse denies that there is anything like God in the world, the Abbe insists that there is, and that it was the Hand of God that resulted in Caderousse's murder. Caderousse then signs another paper, saying he has been hurt by Benedetto while attempting to burgle the Count, and Caderousse says that this Benedetto would indeed have come to murder the Count if given the opportunity. The Count, disguised here as the Abbe, learns that both Caderousse and Benedetto (or Andrea) had only blood and spoils on their minds. The Abbe makes sure here, as Dantes/the Count has done throughout the novel, to acquire written proof of a statement, which he can then use against the assailant at a later time. This proof helps the Count to build the moral justification for his revenge, which, he believes, carries out the divine will for vengeance against the aggressor, Caderousse.  

CHAPTER 81   THE ROOM OF THE RETIRED BAKER  Andrea receives his monthly installment from his "father," via the Count, who is managing the income for him by drawing on Danglars' bank. Danglars is convinced that Andrea comes from not one but two rich families, maternal and paternal fortunes both, and so he is growing increasingly willing to marry Eugenie to Andrea. Although the Count appears to be in favor of this match for obscure reasons, he does not wish actually to broker it between Danglars and Andrea. This is another important yet nearly unnoticeable feature of the Count's behavior during his revenge plot. He does not wish to be the active agent who causes the marriage between Danglars's daughter and Andrea. It's not immediately clear why this is, but as we have seen in the Count's behavior toward Mercedes, it must have something to do with his desire to appear as merely an observer rather than an agent in the vengeance that falls upon the plotters.   Andrea gets word back home that Caderousse has refused his monthly "stipend" of 200 francs. Andrea goes to visit him in his little hut, where he is living as a "retired baker." There, Caderousse says that he has known Danglars and Fernand for many years, although Andrea cannot believe this is true. He says that he wishes to leave Paris, and to do this he needs a nest egg. He asks Andrea to draw a plan of the Count's house for him, which he does—it seems Caderousse is resolved to rob the Count while the Count is at Auteuil. Before Andrea leaves, Caderousse also asks that his monthly allowance be raised to 500 francs, and Andrea grudgingly agrees. Caderousse has turned from a passive participant in the villainy of others – as during the initial plot against Dantes – to an active plotter himself. He believes that the Count possesses enormous wealth, and he wants some of that wealth. He is willing to do anything he can to grab some of it, even if it means manipulating Andrea into being his accomplice. It seems that a life of crime suits Caderousse after all, and that in Paris he is willing to live out-and-out as a criminal.

CHAP 79 THE LEMONADE still in a good mood, Maximilien walks to the Villefort home, where he is scheduled to meet with Valentine (who is now free of her engagement to Franz) and Noirtier. Valentine interprets for her grandfather and says that, either when she reaches the age of eighteen or if her father consents, she and Noirtier will move out of the house and Noirtier will serve as her protector. In these new lodgings, with Valentine's independent means from Noirtier and her maternal grandparents, she will receive Morrel as her official suitor, and if their relationship progresses, they can marry. Morrel is overwhelmed at this news and he thanks Noirtier deeply and profusely. Morrel believes he is one step closer to marrying Valentine. Morrel is frustrated that events do not move more quickly, but he is also motivated by conflicting desires. On the one hand, he loves and is devoted to Valentine because of her firmness of moral resolve; he does not want them to elope. On the other, he feels his love quite passionately, and worries that something might happen in the coming days that will make their marriage impossible – that other people might interfere with their happiness somehow.     Barrois, who is overheated from the summer's day, has a drink of the lemonade found in a jug in Noirtier's room. Suddenly, without warning, he falls over of a stroke, similar to that experienced by the Saint-Merans. The same doctor who warned Villefort of poisoning before happens to be in the house, tending to Edouard, and so he comes down to care for Barrois, but it is too late—he cannot be saved, and he dies of his seizure. The doctor confirms that the lemonade is poisoned by pouring it onto another chemical tincture, causing it to change color. At this incontrovertible proof, Villefort collapses into a chair, for there is "death in his house." This is an instance of vengeance that has been misplaced. The poisoner in the home, of course, did not intend to harm the servant Barrois, but instead to kill off Noirtier, who stands in the way of Valentine's marriage and her relationship to the other characters in the Villefort home. Although the reader might suspect that Mme de Villefort is the culprit, since she has much to gain from all these poisonings, Villefort himself remains baffled by the events in his home. CHAP 80  THE ACCUSATION' In this brief chapter, the doctor continues in his reasoning with Villefort, saying that it must be the case that someone in the house has poisoned the Saint-Merans and Barrois, trying, in the latter case, to poison and finally kill Noirtier. The doctor says that the only logical killer is Valentine—that she apparently did not wish to be married, and was disinherited for a time by Noirtier, and so must have been protecting whatever money would be coming her way from both parties. But while Villefort is momentarily swayed by this, he concludes that Valentine cannot be responsible for these murders, for she is too pure a spirit. The doctor leaves, saying he cannot work in that house anymore, as it is a house of death. A powerful instance of dramatic irony. While the reader may have guessed that Mme de Villefort is the culprit, the doctor seems to understand Valentine as the only logical answer. It is not clear why Valentine, who till this point has exhibited not a single negative emotion, could be a more plausible killer than Mme de Villefort, who seems devoted to her son's happiness above all else (including Valentine's wellbeing), but this is only to say that both the doctor and Villefort are blind to the events that are unfolding right in front of their eyes. Active Themes Justice, Revenge, and God's Will Theme Icon Love, Devotion, and Redemption Theme Icon Debt and Gratitude Theme Icon   The servants, too, begin to leave, and Villefort wonders what will become of the family. He notes that Valentine is desperately sad at what has taken place, thus confirming that she was not in fact responsible for the death. But at the very close of the chapter, Villefort sees a "thin smile" curl across his wife's lips, and he begins to wonder if it is perhaps Heloise who has been orchestrating the poisonings that are ruining his household and threatening its inhabitants.    

The chapter opens with Fernand de Morcerf meeting Danglars at the latter's home. Morcerf is there, finally, to confirm what the two men have discussed between themselves for eight years: that Albert is to marry Eugenie. But Morcerf is shocked to find out from Danglars that the banker is asking for a pause on the betrothal; it seems that Danglars wishes to marry Eugenie to another man. Morcerf is flabbergasted by Danglars' claim and wonders if it has something to do with his daughter (the narrator notes that Morcerf does not consider it might have something to do with him). Morcerf agrees to a deferral of the engagement until Danglars is allowed time to think matters through. Up until this point, Morcerf and Danglars have had an uneasy truce in Parisian society. It is hard to imagine that, many years ago, both these men were involved in a plot against Dantes, back when Danglars was just a ship's manager and Fernand a mere fisherman. Now, both men have their own reputations in Parisian society to protect. Like the Count, they have come very far from their humble origins—but both men realize that their individual reputations are at stake in a potential marriage between their kin, and Danglars wants to be sure he guarantees what he perceives to be a high position in society for his daughter.     In parallel, Albert finds the Count at a shooting range and asks him to be his second for a duel with Beauchamp, his former friend and a newspaper editor. The Count asks what is the matter, and Albert shows the Count a blind item from a recent edition saying that an officer named Fernand betrayed the Ali Pasha to the Turks, thus ensuring that the Greeks would lose decisively in their battle for independence. Albert declares that this item refers to his father, that it cannot be true, and that he therefore needs the Count to support him in dueling Beauchamp. The Count, however, advises caution, and says that Albert should first meet with Beauchamp and see if there is any truth to the accusation. Albert has uncovered a piece of important information regarding his father. Albert believes it is his duty, out of an abundance of devotion to his father, to fight a duel on Fernand's behalf. But the Count demonstrates a shade of complexity in his plot – for he realizes that he does not want Albert to fight a duel under false pretenses. In other words, the Count doesn't want Albert to die defending the honor of a man whom the Count really does want to suffer. This is a wrinkle in the revenge plot, which the Count may or may not have intuited from the beginning, but which he attempts now to influence.     At the newspaper office, Albert finds Beauchamp and aggressively asks that he retract the item, which Beauchamp himself didn't write. The journalist asks for three weeks to check the facts: if the item is correct, Beauchamp will stand by the story and duel with Albert; and if it is incorrect, he will apologize to Albert and issue a full retraction. Albert leaves impatiently, and spots Maximilien on the street, walking very happily along. Beauchamp is pulled in two directions, by divided loyalties. On the one hand, as a newspaper editor he believes he must be devoted to the truth at all costs, even if that truth puts a friend in a difficult position. On the other, Beauchamp is a good friend to Albert, and both men wish to preserve their social standing.  

Analysis Albert de Morcerf returns to the house of the Count of Monte Cristo, where, after some discussion, he says that he wishes to speak with Haydee, whose guzla-playing he hears in the other room. The Count warns Albert not to mention that his father, Fernand, served with Haydee's father, the Ali Pasha, in the Greek wars against the Turks—the Count intimates that this might cause Haydee to become upset. The Count repeats what he has told other characters throughout the novel to this point—that Haydee is his slave, and that he bought her to save her from another master in Constantinople after her father and mother died. Of course, Count the knows full well that by introducing Haydee and Albert he is setting in motion another stage of his plot. Once Albert realizes what his father has allegedly done to Haydee's father, he will begin to be curious about his family's lineage. The Count depends upon Albert's, and other citizens', investigations into the crimes Fernand has committed as a way of outing him as a fraud among Parisian high society. Active Themes Justice, Revenge, and God's Will Theme Icon Love, Devotion, and Redemption Theme Icon Debt and Gratitude Theme Icon The Domestic and the Foreign Theme Icon   The Count and Albert find Haydee in her chambers, where she is smoking her pipe and drinking coffee. Albert asks her about her life in Paris, but the Count directs Albert to ask instead about her childhood in the East. Haydee tells a story about fleeing with her mother from operatives who were spying on her father. These men, working for the Turks, wound up stabbing the Ali Pasha dead in front of Haydee, and eventually Haydee's mother died of grief from the ill treatment her husband received. This is another embedded narrative in the text. Here Haydee is the storyteller, and once again she supplies details of her life with which the characters in the room, and the reader, are not yet acquainted. Like Dantes, Haydee has suffered a great deal at a young age, and although the Count never states this directly, their misfortunes in youth are another bond linking these two figures together.     Haydee says that she is eternally grateful to the Count for saving her from whatever ill fate awaited her at the hands of the Turks in Constantinople. Albert apologizes for prompting so sad a tale as this, but the Count replies that Haydee likes to speak of her past, and that Albert, perhaps, has learned something about the Count's relationship to her. They finish their coffee and Albert departs. Now the Count has made sure that Albert knows just what happened to Haydee's family. All that is missing is the key link between Fernand and Haydee – which, the Count believes, will be supplied in short enough order. The Count understands that his plot against the Morcerfs has come close to fruition.

One episode this week - voice bad due to pre-back surgery meds. Will be 100% next week. Danglers entertains the Count and tries to push young Cavalcanti on his daughter Eugenie even though he proised her to the patient Morcerf.

Afterward, Villefort finds Franz and asks him to come to the Villefort residence very shortly, where he will be briefed on the situation with Valentine. When Franz does arrive there, Villefort tells him that Valentine has no objections to the match, that it was the dying wish of both Villefort grandparents that Franz be married to Valentine, and that the marriage can take place that day, as soon as Franz brings along as witnesses Albert and Chauteau-Renaud. Franz agrees to all this, returns with his witnesses in thirty minutes, and the notary stands before Franz, Valentine, and the Villefort family, ready to read out the contract to be signed. Villefort's wife, present in the corner of the room, looks especially pale during the proceedings. Franz is ready to move forward in the marriage, and does not know that anything might be standing in his way. It is important to note that Franz and Valentine barely know one another, and that their "romance," therefore, has been almost entirely arranged, so as to benefit both families. Villefort is largely responsible for this. Such a marriage stands in sharp contrast to the genuine romance between Young Morrel and Valentine, and to the long-ago romance that Dantes and Mercedes once shared.

CHAP 71 The Count and Mercedes walk outside together and into a greenhouse on the Morcerf property. There Mercedes asks the Count if he's suffered many "sorrows," and to this the Count assents, saying that he once loved a woman in Malta, that he went away to war and, when he returned, she was married to another—but that this is a "common story." Mercedes seems affected by this answer, but she says little. She also begs the Count to eat with her, some grapes from the greenhouse or other fruits, but he says no, that he cannot. Nevertheless, he says, they are and will remain friends. Here, Mercedes really does put into practice her avowed test, and indeed the Count claims there is nothing he can do about it—he cannot eat in front of her—but he wishes that they remain civil to one another. In a strange double twist of dramatic irony, the reader intuits that both Mercedes and the Count know each others' true identities, but neither is willing to speak this truth aloud in the context of the ball, thus adding to the tension of the conversation. CHAP 72  MDME DE VILLAFORT Villefort is at home when his family returns from the ball with the news that his former father in law, M. de Saint-Meran, has died of a stroke after taking his "normally prescribed" pills while en route to Paris with his wife. The couple had come to visit the Villeforts to bring about the marriage of Franz and Valentine, and Valentine, as ever, is as reluctant to carry out the wedding as Villefort is determined to make it final. The reader might remember Mme de Villefort's demonstrated interest in poisons, which she discussed with the Count many chapters earlier. The death here is also reminiscent of Noirtier's stroke, which occurred many years previously under mysterious circumstances. CHAP 73  THE ROMANCE When the lovers speak, Valentine relays that, though there is nothing she can do to help it, she will be forced to sign a marriage contract with Franz as soon as he enters Paris, since it is the wish of her grandmother. Maximilien replies that Franz has just that day arrived in Paris, and so the contract will be signed as quickly as possible, then. He asks that Valentine elope with him, but she says she cannot go against her father's and grandmother's wishes; that she must do as the family demands. At this, Maximilien says that the only honorable course for him is to commit suicide. Valentine loves Maximilien, but her loyalty to her father and family's wishes are also deeply important to her. In other words, she is being made to choose between these different devotions, and she is not sure to whom she should accord her utmost loyalty. It is striking that, as a response, Maximilien says exactly what his father said, many years ago – that, in order to avoid dishonor, he must take his own life. Active Themes Justice, Revenge, and God's Will Theme Icon Love, Devotion, and Redemption Theme Icon Debt and Gratitude Theme Icon   At this, however, Valentine says that she will in fact elope with Maximilien—that she cannot be responsible for his death, and that she is struck by his honor. She plans to meet with him at 9 pm the next night, by the garden wall, and he will escort her away in a carriage where they can be wed outside Paris. They part without even a kiss, and Morrel goes about the next day worrying that the plan will not in fact take place. Just as Old Morrel did not commit suicide and was saved from ruin, Maximilien is saved, too, this time by Valentine's kindness. Valentine believes that, though it will be terrible to disobey her father, it would be worse to force Maximilien to kill himself (although one might also argue that he is emotionally blackmailing her with his threat of suicide). Active Themes  

The Morcerf ball is held on a hot July night, and many gather to celebrate, though they complain of the heat. Danglars learns from the Count, when he makes his much-anticipated arrival, that some of his German debtors have lost their fortunes too, meaning increasing losses for Danglars. But Danglars warns the Count not to speak of his fortune in front of Andrea Cavalcanti, whom Danglars hopes to marry to Eugenie. It is revealed that the Count has continued to erode the Baron's fortunes through further manipulation of the foreign stock markets. Incredibly, the Count's machinations only make the Baron more willing to marry his daughter to Andrea, because the Baron believes that Andrea is worth a good deal of money and comes from a noble family. Active Themes Justice, Revenge, and God's Will Theme Icon Changes of Identity and Station Theme Icon Love, Devotion, and Redemption Theme Icon Debt and Gratitude Theme Icon   The Count finally makes his way to Mercedes, who greats him kindly if formally. The Count offers to open the windows and doors and walk out together into the garden, to which Mercedes agrees. Previously, Mercedes had noted to her son that the Count has never eaten or drunk anything in anyone's presence in Paris, and she wonders aloud if there is some reason for this mystery. She vows to test it. Once again, it's made clear that the Count never eats or drinks when he is before Mercedes. This mystery is now freshly in the reader's mind, as Mercedes prepares to have a conversation with the Count, but it is unclear why the Count would insist on so strange a scruple as this. Active Themes Justice, Revenge, and God's Will Theme Icon Changes of Identity and Station Theme Icon Love, Devotion, and Redemption Theme Icon Debt and Gratitude Theme Icon

My apologies to all of you great fans for how long this story has taken-  I have been putting the word out there for a second voice to help me with some of the work but so far no luck. Soon I will add some longer readings so we can get to the end- and in the future I will keep these selections shorter! Thanks again for your patience. Meanwhile- in the coming chapter (70) you will find The Count and his long lost love taking a long walk in the garden where they finally get a chance to talk.

The Count received an unexpected visit from Albert Morcerf , who tells him that he and his mother (The Count's old flame, Mercedes) were talking about him the past four days, and that she would like the Count to attent a summer ball that Albert's father has arranged. Albert returns from his trip to the country with his mother, Mercedes, and visits with the Count to invite him to a ball he's planning on throwing in the next few days. For this, Albert has two reasons: first, because he wishes very much to arrange a marriage between Eugenie Danglars and Andrea Cavalcanti (which Baron Danglars also wants); and second, because Mercedes has mentioned she wants to speak more intimately with the Count. At this second piece of information, the Count shudders but tries to maintain his composure. It is not exactly clear to the reader at this stage why the Count is unwilling to meet with Mercedes face-to-face. It can be intuited that the Count is simply avoiding Mercedes because the thought of their interaction is too great for his heart to bear. Or, it could be that the Count understands that his desire for revenge against Fernand will indirectly harm Mercedes and Albert, and there is nothing he can do about this. Active Themes Justice, Revenge, and God's Will Theme Icon Changes of Identity and Station Theme Icon Love, Devotion, and Redemption Theme Icon Debt and Gratitude Theme Icon Literary Devices Allusions Hyperbole   Albert argues that Eugenie would make a wonderful mistress but a terrible wife, and so he feels that it's best if she does marry Andrea. The Count, after some cajoling, says that he will in fact go to the ball because Mercedes requests his attendance. Albert feels that he has been freed of a social obligation to Eugenie, allowing Danglars to continue to push for Eugenie's marriage to Andrea.  

Baroness Danglars visits Villefort at his offices, coming in incognito so as to avoid the attention of others. Villefort does not mince words: he tells her that someone seems to be onto both the details of their affair twenty years ago and the death of the child. Based on the dinner at Auteuil, Villefort believes that the Count must know all, although he's not sure how Monte Cristo could have found out, as neither Villefort nor Baroness Danglars has told anyone about their tryst. Villefort demonstrates some of his abilities as a prosecutor, noting what the reader already knows: that the Count is aware of his and Hermine's past misdeeds. Villefort nevertheless really believes that their secret is still hidden – that no one alive could have knowledge of it. But it appears strange that Villefort does not think of the man who tried to kill him, who might still be alive. Active Themes Justice, Revenge, and God's Will Theme Icon Changes of Identity and Station Theme Icon Love, Devotion, and Redemption Theme Icon Debt and Gratitude Theme Icon   Villefort reveals that, when Bertuccio stabbed him, he crawled inside to the Baroness, able to survive the wound. After his convalescence in the south, Villefort tells the Baroness, who was not aware before, how he dug in the garden to try to find the body of their illegitimate child, only to discover that Bertuccio had taken it. Villefort was able to track the child to a foundling hospital nearby, but he found no information on the family who adopted him. Villefort wonders if the child is still alive and, if so, where he is living—he also wonders how the Count could have figured out the sordid tale of Villefort's life, which, as he tells the Baroness mysteriously, is filled with other deeds of which he'd rather not speak. What is striking is that Villefort was indeed nearly able to track down Bertuccio, but after Bertuccio's common-law wife Assunta adopted Benedetto, the trail went cold for Villefort. In these pages, Villefort emerges as a man haunted by the things he's done in the past, but also a man unwilling to atone for these misdeeds. Instead, he only wishes to continue covering them up, to do what he can to keep them from ruining his and Hermine's reputations in Paris.    Join us at our new weebsite www.bestof1001stories.com~Browse shows and episodes~ sign up for newsletter~ leave a kind review~ Thanks!

The Baron Danglars comes to the Count's home in Paris to meet with him about business matters regarding the Cavalcantis. The Count says that Abbe Busoni has just arrived in Paris, and that he has been meeting with him, excusing himself for being late for the Baron. The Baron complains that, in recent days, his fortune has taken a significant hit on the Spanish question, and the Count, mocking the Baron but pretending to sympathize with him, says that the Baron's is a "third-class fortune" because it can be affected by fluctuations in the stock or bond markets, or by changes in and garbled messages on the telegraph wires. The Baron insists that he has plenty of money to survive more stock turbulence, but the Count isn't so sure. The Count uses his meeting with the Baron as another opportunity to bring Danglars down a peg. The Count's revenge on Danglars, as revealed here and in ensuing chapters, will involve the slow erosion of his wealth and status, and the mockery of that erosion as it occurs. Danglars seems not to be surprised that the Count knows of his misfortune, and still appears to suspect that it is Lucien and his wife, and not the Count, who are involved in his losses. The Count also uses this as a chance to indicate just how well-preserved and safe his own fortune is, compared to Danglars'.   They turn to the Cavalcantis, with the Count insisting that that family comes from ancient money, that the Major has a great deal of wealth to his name, and that the Baron would be in a good position if he were to do business with Andrea as a "sound investment." The Baron wonders, too, if a young lad like that might not be a good investment for his daughter, Eugenie, who does not want to marry Albert de Morcerf. A second part of the Count's plan regarding Danglars is revealed. The Count knows that Eugenie, Danglars' daughter, does not wish to marry Albert, and the Count wants to do all he can to link Eugenie to an even more reprobate and unsatisfactory match than Albert – whose reputation he also plans to ruin, as he ruins Fernand's. Thus the Count plants the seed of a union between Andrea/Benedetto and Eugenie.    When the Count asks whether the name of Morcerf is an ancient heraldry, the Baron admits to him that the Morcerf family "bought" its name with wealth acquired through a shady dealing with the Ali Pasha during the Greek wars, and that Fernand, Albert's father, was nothing more than a fishmonger in Marseille. The Count says that this information about the Morcerf family could be of great use to the Baron, and he gives the Baron a name of a source in Greece to whom he can write in order to confirm this information about the Morcerfs' wealth, which the Baron can use to blackmail Morcerf. With luck, the Baron says, he can force his daughter into marrying Andrea, whom he believes to be a better match than Albert. The Count is delighted at this. The Count is so devilishly cunning that he uses one of Danglars' old methods against him. As the reader might remember from the beginning of the novel, Danglars managed to convince Fernand to send the letter even as he pretended he wasn't involved – that the act was somehow Fernand's, and not Danglars', ultimate responsibility. Here, although the Count wishes very much that Andrea and Eugenie be betrothed, he encourages Danglars to believe that this plan is his own, thus making this turn of the revenge plot all the more satisfying for the Count. Sign up for our newsletter at www.bestof1001stories.com

SummaryAnalysis The narrator turns to the Danglars' home, where Lucien Debray visits the Baroness, asking what is on her mind after the events at Auteuil earlier that day. The Baroness says that it was nothing, that she is simply feeling faint, but she asks that Debray stay with her and read to her in the night. At this, however, the Baron comes in and tells Lucien to leave—that the younger man will have plenty of time to discuss matters with the Baroness the next day. Hermine is surprised, because typically the Baron does not interfere in her affairs so directly and brusquely. The affair between Lucien and Hermine has been referred to for some time in the novel, but has not been shown "on stage," as an event unfolding in the text itself. Here, however, their affair is again referenced only glancingly, when the Baron appears to acknowledge that he knows what has been going on, and that he wishes, contrary to normal procedures in the family, to spend some time alone with his wife.   The Baron then has a private conversation with Hermine in her chambers. He reveals that he has long known about her affair with Lucien, just as Hermine, surely, has known about his own affairs, and that they have decided to live "no longer as man and wife" for four years, only pretending to maintain a normalcy in marriage. Danglars says that this arrangement has been fine for him so long as he has not lost out financially. But the Baron strongly implies that Lucien, with his diplomatic connections in Paris, arranged the mix-up in the telegram that resulted in the Baron's enormous financial loss. The Baron seems to understand that someone has been behind the malfeasance with the telegraph operator. Of course, the reader knows that this bungling was caused by the Count, not Lucien, and so we have another instance of dramatic irony. Nevertheless, the Baron seems to sense that his fortune is under attack in some way, and he wishes to do what he can to preserve the money upon which his reputation rests.   Join us at www.bestof1001stories.com, listen and browse our shows, leave an easy review, and sign up for our newsletter!  Thanks

Andrea Cavalcanti leaves the party at Auteuil alone, as his "father," the Major, has his own cab and servants. On his way out the door with his own servant, however, Andrea is stopped by a man dressed as a beggar, revealed to the reader to be none other than Caderousse, who is on the run since murdering La Carconte many years before in the botched scheme with the jeweler. It is revealed that Andrea/Benedetto and Caderousse know each other from the past, in the south of France, when Caderousse was on the lam for his crime and Benedetto for starting the fire that led to his stepmother's death. It has been unclear what has happened to Caderousse in the time since he was sentenced to hard labor in a prison colony for the murders of La Carconte and the jeweler. As it turns out, Benedetto/Andrea and Caderousse know each other from the colony, as will be described in detail later. This is another of the novel's many coincidences, for, of course, Bertuccio (unbeknownst to Caderousse) is the only witness to the murders in the inn so many years ago, when Bertuccio was drenched in the jeweler's blood.   Enjoy a rich collection of short stories and classic novels at our website at www.bestof1001stories.com