1001 Stories For The Road

Pirates will return at a later date! For now- Agatha Christie's 1929 novel The Seven Dials Mystery, the story kicks off with a mix of high-society high jinks and a sudden, sobering tragedy. Set against the vibrant, slightly reckless backdrop of the 1920s, this is one of Christie's more "light-hearted" thrillers. It leans into the "bright young things" trope of the era, blending a comedic, adventurous tone with a classic whodunnit structure. Chapter 1: The Alarm Clocks The story begins at Chimneys, a grand country estate currently being rented by Sir Oswald and Lady Coote. A group of young houseguests, including the likable but lazy Gerry Wade, is staying there. Gerry is notoriously difficult to wake up in the morning, so his friends—led by Jimmy Thesiger—decide to play a prank. They purchase eight alarm clocks and hide them in Gerry's room, timed to go off at intervals starting early the next morning to ensure he finally gets up on time. Chapter 2: Death at Chimneys The prank takes a dark turn the following morning. While the alarm clocks go off as planned, Gerry doesn't emerge. When the guests eventually enter his room, they find Gerry Wade dead in his bed from an apparent overdose of sleeping draught. Curiously, seven of the alarm clocks are lined up on the mantelpiece, but the eighth is missing (later found discarded in the garden). The chapter introduces the vibrant and sharp-witted "Bundle" Brent, daughter of the estate's owner, who returns home to find the police and a brewing mystery.

Chapm3 begins with Virginia Governor Spotswood's decree that a reward was in effect for the capture of Blackbeard and his crew and ends with the battle between Blackbeard and Capt. Maynard at Ocracoke Inlet. BONUS: Source "The Last Days of Bladckbeard The Pirate" by Kevin Dufus The "Local Legend" Theory (Edward Beard) •    True Identity: Claims Blackbeard was Edward Beard, not "Edward Teach." He was a colonial native, likely the son of Captain James Beard (who owned land in Bath, NC and Goose Creek, SC). Kevin Duffus Official Site •    The "Black" Alias: Argues "Black" was a nickname or nom de guerre added to his real surname (Beard) to protect his family's social standing. North Carolina Historical Review •    Local Knowledge: His ability to navigate the treacherous, shallow waters of the Pamlico Sound and hide in Bath (50 miles inland) proves he was a local mariner, not a stranger from England. North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources The "Survival" Narrative (The Crew) Duffus challenges the "General History" claim that the crew was largely wiped out, suggesting many used their social status and spoils to buy their way home. •    Edward Salter (The Legislator): o    The Myth: Reported as hanged in Virginia. o    The Reality: Duffus found he was released, returned to Bath, and became a wealthy cooper, landowner, and member of the Colonial Assembly. o    Legacy: He was a founding warden of St. Thomas Episcopal Church. His remains were recovered and re-interred there in 2011. St. Thomas Episcopal Church History •    William Howard (The Island Owner): o    The Near-Miss: Blackbeard's quartermaster was sentenced to hang but saved by a last-minute Royal Pardon in December 1718. o    Legacy: He eventually purchased Ocracoke Island in 1759. His descendants, the Howard family, still reside on the island today. Ocracoke Island History •    Caesar (The Trusted Associate): o    The Survival: Though often said to have been executed, Duffus cites evidence of a "Caesar" of matching description appearing in the estate inventory of Tobias Knight in 1719. •    Samuel Odell: o    Aquitted after proving he was a local man forced into service just the night before the battle at Ocracoke. The Political Connection (The "Shield") •    Tobias Knight: North Carolina's Secretary and Chief Justice who acted as a legal shield for the pirates. •    The Evidence: A letter from Knight was found on Blackbeard's body after his death, proving a direct "pay-to-play" relationship between the pirate and the NC government. North Carolina History Project Key Departures from "A General History" •    Characterization: Duffus views them as "Pamlico mariners" and "sons of plantation owners" rather than the bloodthirsty monsters described by Captain Charles Johnson. •    Motivation: Suggests the pirates were motivated by local economic pressures and political Jacobite sympathies rather than pure nihilism.   

The story of Capt.Martel, who was notable in 1716 and 1717 until his disappearance, and of Capt "Teach", also known as Blackbeard, who raided ships from 1716 until his demise at Ocracoke NC in the fall of 1718. There is much to learn anout Blackbeard outside of DeFoe's account so we are adding my research to next week's episode. Cjeck out all our shows at www.bestorf1001stories.com

   This book is an excellent choice! Episode Overview Title: A General History of the Pyrates by Daniel Defoe (Chap 1) Henry Avery & Crew Duration: 43:02 Key Figures: Henry Avery (the "Arch-Pirate" who famously vanished with his loot) and Daniel Defoe (widely believed to be the true author behind the pseudonym "Capt. Charles Johnson"). Quick Historical Context The Author Mystery: While the book was originally attributed to Captain Charles Johnson in 1724, most modern scholars credit Daniel Defoe. Defoe's background as a journalist and his fascination with criminals (seen in Moll Flanders) makes him the prime suspect for having the "inside scoop" from Newgate Prison.   Music Credits Pixabay Spanish Ladies-m ebUNNY Leave Her Johnny  Nascara da Alexander The Sailor's Bargain  Kaazoom Ocean Fluite  Universfield   Browse/listen to any/allof our 12  1001 podcasts here:   www.bestof1001stories.com

The Count of Monte Cristo was an enormous commercial and critical success, captivating readers with its intricate plot and universal themes. Following its publication, Alexandre Dumas earned a fortune but died poor due to an extravagant lifestyle, chronic overspending, and political upheaval.  Success of the Novel The novel, published in serial form from 1844 to 1846, was an immediate sensation and remains one of the most widely read French authors globally.  Popularity: The serialization format, coupled with Dumas' ability to create suspenseful, page-turning narratives, ensured massive popularity among the 19th-century reading public. Themes: Its exploration of justice, vengeance, mercy, and forgiveness, along with a complex plot and well-developed characters, resonated strongly with readers and secured its place as a classic of world literature. Enduring Legacy: The book has been translated into numerous languages and adapted into countless films, TV series, and stage productions, demonstrating its lasting cultural influence.  Life of Dumas After Publication Dumas became one of the most famous and wealthy Frenchmen of his day, but his life after the novel's publication was marked by extravagance and financial difficulty.  Flamboyant Lifestyle: He lived a life as dramatic as his heroes, engaging in numerous love affairs and foreign adventures. He was known for his extreme generosity, often granting money and gifts to anyone who asked. Château de Monte-Cristo: A testament to his success, Dumas built an extravagant mansion on the outskirts of Paris, which he named the Château de Monte-Cristo, along with a theater, the Théâtre Historique, specifically for his plays. Financial Ruin: Despite earning millions, his lavish spending habits outpaced his income, leading to significant debt. He eventually had to sell the Château de Monte-Cristo property just two years after its completion. Exile and Travel: In 1851, to escape his creditors, Dumas fled to Brussels. He later traveled to Russia and then Italy, where he founded a newspaper, Indipendente, and supported Garibaldi's campaign for Italian independence. Later Years and Death: Dumas returned to France in 1864 and continued to write prolifically. He died of a stroke at his son's home near Dieppe in December 1870, far from a rich man, despite his monumental literary success.     

CHAP 115 SUMMARY Peppino, the jailor in the catacombs, announces to Danglars the next day that, if the banker would like to eat, he must pay 100,000 francs for a chicken, or 100,000 francs for a loaf of bread. Peppino says he knows that Danglars is carrying over 5 million francs worth of banknotes on his person, and so he asks that, for each individual item, Danglars pay out 100,000 francs so that he might survive. Danglars realizes this is how his ransom is to be meted out, and he does in fact pay 100,000 francs for a chicken, which he considers rather "thin" as he eats it angrily in the cave. This is a small, humorous episode in Danglars capture, allowing Vampa, Peppino, and their men to slowly peel away Danglars' money. It should be noted that this money has effectively been stolen from Boville, who was to use it for charitable ends. Thus, though Vampa is stealing it for himself, he is at least stealing from a thief, one who is doing all he can to maintain his social standing in the face of public shaming.   CHAP 116 SUMMARY   Danglars continues bargaining his money, thousands by thousands, so that he might eat in the prison for five days. The Count of Monte Cristo finally appears with Vampa when Danglars is down to his last 50,000 francs, and the Count says that he is now pardoning Danglars—and that Villefort and Fernand were not so lucky, as the first is now mad with grief, and the second is dead by suicide. The Count announces that he is actually Edmond Dantes, and that Danglars' utter financial ruin is for the sake of punishment, but the Count allows Danglars to start his life anew somewhere else upon release by Vampa. He also states that the 5 million francs "paid out" to the bandits have been given to the hospice account of Boville, from which Danglars first drew them under criminal circumstances in Rome.   This shows that, though he could exact even more damning revenge on Danglars by killing him, the Count has chosen not to – he has placed a limit on his desire for vengeance.    

113 THE PAST SUMMARY the Count returns to Marseilles with Maximilien Morrel, witnessing Albert's departure for Africa before visiting Mercédès, who accepts her fate, and then revisiting his old prison cell at the Château d'If, where he receives Abbé Faria's manuscript and reflects on his past before telling Max to meet him on the Isle of Monte Cristo on October 5th for their final encounter, signaling the end of his vengeance and the start of a new path.  114 PEPPINOKey Events in Chapter 114: The Withdrawal: After fleeing Paris, Baron Danglars goes to the banking firm of Thomson and French in Rome to cash a receipt for five million francs from the Count, planning to use the money to rebuild his fortune. Peppino's Role: Peppino, a young man connected to Vampa, works at the bank and informs Vampa of Danglars's large withdrawal, setting the trap. The Ambush: The next day, as Danglars travels by carriage towards Venice, he is intercepted by Vampa's bandits, led by Peppino, and taken to the catacombs. False Security: Danglars is placed in a comfortable cell with a bed and, remembering Albert de Morcerf's experience, assumes he'll be held for a reasonable ransom, believing he'll still have plenty of money left, and falls asleep contentedly. The Count's Indirect Vengeance: This event is part of Monte Cristo's broader plan, as Vampa and his bandits are essentially working for the Count, systematically stripping Danglars of his wealth.  In essence, Chapter 114 marks Danglars's capture and the beginning of his financial ruin at the hands of the Count, though Danglars remains blissfully ignorant

In chapters 111 and 112 of The Count of Monte Cristo, titled "Expiation" and "The Departure," the story reaches a critical psychological turning point as the Count's quest for revenge results in unintended tragedy. Chapter 111: Expiation Following the public disgrace of his trial, Villefort rushes home. He has realized that he is no more virtuous than his wife and intends to forgive her so they can flee France together with their son, Edward. The Discovery: Upon arriving, Villefort finds that his wife has already followed his earlier command to commit suicide. Horrifically, she has also poisoned Edward, refusing to leave her son behind to face a world of shame. The Confrontation: A broken Villefort encounters the Count (disguised as Abbé Busoni) in his father Noirtier's room. The Count reveals his true identity as Edmond Dantès, expecting a moment of triumph. The Turning Point: Instead of triumph, Dantès is met with the sight of Edward's corpse. Shaken to his core by the death of an innocent child, he tries and fails to revive the boy with his elixir. He begins to doubt if he has overstepped his role as the hand of "Divine Providence." Villefort's Fate: The chapter ends with Villefort losing his mind completely, seen digging in his garden for his dead son. Chapter 112: The Departure This chapter focuses on the emotional aftermath and the transition away from Paris. Leaving Paris: The Count picks up a grieving Maximilian Morrel from the home of Julie and Emmanuel. As they leave the city, the Count looks back at Paris and declares his work of vengeance is finally done. Return to Marseille: They travel to Marseille, where they witness Albert de Morcerf boarding a ship to begin his new life as a soldier. The Meeting with Mercédès: The Count visits his father's old house and finds Mercédès living there in solitude. Their meeting is deeply bittersweet. While he offers her his fortune, she refuses most of it, choosing a life of quiet penance. Resolution: The Count encourages her to live, but Mercédès remains a shell of her former self, resigned to her fate. This encounter reinforces the Count's growing sense of remorse for the collateral damage caused by his long-plotted revenge.

CHAP 109   THE ASSIZES   Chateau-Renaud, Debray, and Beauchamp are in court to see the beginning of the famous Benedetto Affair. They discuss the rumor that the murderer in the house of Villefort is young Edouard, who has become increasingly jealous of his stepsister and her grandparents. But others in the group dismiss this as nonsense and wait for the excitement of the case to begin, with Villefort drawing up evidence against the accused "Prince," Cavalcanti. CHAP110  THE INDICTMENT Villefort is called as the crown prosecutor before the court, and the judges similarly call Andrea to testify. He admits that he lived a life of petty crime before causing the murder of Caderousse, and when the court asks him for his identity, he pauses and says he does not really know his "actual" name, for he was abandoned as a very young infant by his father. When the court asks who this father might be, Andrea/Benedetto declares that it is the crown prosecutor himself, Villefort. Villefort understands instantly that, from this point on, there is nothing he can do to protect his good name. Like Fernand and Danglars, he too will suffer in shame, and will need to determine some way to slide nobly off the public stage of French civic life. The crimes Villefort committed so many years ago have finally come back to light, causing the criminal to be punished.   AT OUR WEBSITE:  WWW.BESTOF1001STORIES.COM  GO TO 1001 STORIES FOR THE ROAD  

The scene shifts to the prison, called the Lion's Pit, where violent criminals are kept awaiting trial. This includes Andrea, who still insists to the other prisoners that he is of royal birth, although they make fun of him, harry him, and threaten him. Late one day, Bertuccio pays off the guards to visit his adoptive son, telling him he has information related to Benedetto's real father. Bertuccio promises to return with this information in due course, and Andrea says he awaits it with great eagerness. This important interstitial chapter shows that Andrea is once again in prison, a place he's become accustomed to at this stage of the novel. It is not entirely clear to the reader what Bertuccio intends to do to his "son."n this brief chapter, Villefort finally confronts his wife Heloise after many days spent going over evidence—evidence not only of the poisonings in his own home, but also in the case regarding Benedetto, now known publicly as the Benedetto Affair (because it involves the famous Count). This affair has taken over Paris, and indeed every affair involving the Count seems to be of citywide, and indeed national, importance. In the space of only a few months, the Count has placed himself in the center of French social life.    Villefort abruptly asks Heloise if she still has the poison she has used on the Saint-Merans, Barrois, and Valentine. He says that he asks not because he will denounce her publically, but instead because he expects her to do the honorable thing and commit suicide at her earliest convenience. If she does not do this in the next day, he warns, he will send her to prison, which will result in her eventual execution.

The Count heads to Pere Lachaise where the funeral is taking place, and finds Maximilien off to the side of the funeral ceremony itself, overcome with grief. The Count then follows Morrel back to the home of Julie and Emmanuel, and his fears are justified, for as he walks into Morrel's room unannounced, he finds the young soldier drafting a suicide note. The Count begs Morrel not to do this, but Morrel insists that without Valentine, life is no longer worth living. The Count realizes the effect that his ruse with Valentine will have on Young Morrel. And though he wants to tell Morrel the plot he has concocted, he also wants to make sure this plot can succeed. Thus, to protect Maximilien, he asks only that the young man promise him to hold off on the thought of suicide for some time.    To stay his hand, the Count blurts out that he is Edmond Dantes, and that he is the man responsible for saving Old Morrel exactly ten years ago when that man was afraid he would become bankrupt. Julie and Emmanuel come upstairs, but the Count asks Morrel to reveal only that he is the benefactor, not that he is Edmond Dantes. His reasons for this discretion are unclear. The Count has, by now, revealed his identity to Mercedes, Caderousse, and Fernand. He reveals it here to try to convince Morrel that he has a plan in place to help him – that he is not simply a man of society in Paris, but a person with a deep connection to the Morrel family, going back to their days in Marseille.   Catch all 1001 Road stories in order at www.bestof1001stories.com

CHAPTER 103  MAXIMILIAN Analysis Maximilien flies into a hysterical rage on hearing the news that his intended, Valentine, is dead. He does this in the presence of Villefort, the doctor, and Noirtier. When Villefort and the doctor ask who Morrel is, and why he has been admitted to the house in which the murder has taken place, Morrel asks Noirtier to confirm that he, Morrel, was engaged to Valentine before her death, and that he loved her dearly. Young Morrel is finally able to reveal to Villefort that he has been in love with Valentine all along, and that the two were to be married. Although Young Morrel believes that Valentine has already died, this admission of their love feels like a victory for him, a confirmation that their love, while it lasted, was real. CHAPTER 104  DANGLER'S SIGNATURE The funeral for Valentine commences, and the narrator shifts his attention to a commercial interaction between the Baron Danglars and the Count, who spots him outside his home. The Count says he would like to take up the balance of his initially-requested credit with the Baron, for a sum of 5 million francs, assuming that the Baron has it on hand. The Baron pretends that this is no issue, that he will be able to cash out the receipts the Count holds; but when the Count heads to the Bank of France with these receipts, the Baron is met by Boville, the former inspector of prisons, who is collecting money for a charity hospice. The Count wishes to allow himself the joy of collecting a final amount of money from Danglars that Danglars himself is unable to pay out. This is a mirror and an opposite to the scene far earlier in the text, when the Count, as Lord Wilmore, offers Old Morrel sufficient money to remain open and in business. The Count seems to delight just as much, if not more, in viewing the financial ruin of one family as the financial security of another.     It turns out that this hospice also has 5 million francs drawn on the Baron. This rather complex set of banking conversations reduces to the simple fact that the Baron does not have enough money to cover his debts. He is, in fact, bankrupt. The Count of course knows this, but Boville does not yet, and so the Baron tries to maintain his composure with him during their conversation. He tells Boville, headed to the funeral, that he himself will not be going, that he must instead go back to the office. At home, Danglars takes his remaining funds (about 50,000 francs) and his passport and prepares to leave the country as his daughter Eugenie has just done, presumably to avoid financial ruin. Fernand has committed suicide rather than accept public humiliation for the treachery he engaged in overseas. Caderousse has died, not being given the option to atone for his past crimes, after the Count determined that he was fundamentally beyond redemption. But Danglars tries to take his chances abroad, figuring that if he escapes Paris, he at least has a chance of speculating whatever money he retains in another market, with the hope of regaining some of what he's lost.      

In 101 and 102 the effort to kill Valentine continues....and that'sall I can say here. EXCEPT:PLEASE SEND REVIEWS AND SHARE WITH YOUR PALS !

CHAP 99-THE LAW The Baroness Danglars, unsure what to do with herself and believing that Eugenie and Danglars are both locked in their rooms, first goes to visit Debray. But she finds him out at the club, and so later that day she goes instead to the Villefort home, where she is greeted with suspicion by the servants before finally being allowed into Villefort's study. There, the two old friends and former lovers speak to each other about Benedetto, though they do not know the truth of that man's identity and relation to them. CHAP100   THE APPARITION The narrator moves to Valentine, who has been recuperating in her room at the Villefort home. One night, when Valentine is lying between sleep and wakefulness, the Count (who, as the Abbe, has recently purchased the land next door) comes out of the shadows in her room. He tells her not to fear, that he has been protecting her in the home for the sake of Maximilien Morrel. In the case of Valentine, the Count has turned from an avenging angel to a protector. He sees Valentine as a part of Young Morrel's family, and so the Count has committed himself to making sure that she will suffer no more harm at the hands of the phantom poisoner.     At this Valentine is confused and afraid, for she believes she was naturally sickened by some disease and not poisoned. But the Count convinces her that she has fallen ill of the same ailment that killed her grandparents, and he reminds her that Noirtier had asked her to drink the same drink he himself had been prescribed by the doctor. The Count reveals he has been providing her with another draught of this red potion, designed to counteract any possible poison that might be put into her food or drink. When Valentine asks who in the house could be doing this harm, the Count retreats into the shadows and tells Valentine to pay attention, for the criminal is about to attempt once more act of violence against Valentine.    

CHAP 97  THE DEPARTURE FOR BELGIUM Eugenie shears her hair and says she will dress as a man and accompany Louise to Belgium with what money they can grab. They will live together as partners and musicians, thus earning money to survive. Eugenie's relationship with Louise has, over the course of the novel, seemed like a particularly intense friendship. CHAP 98  THE BELL & BOTTLE TAVERN Analysis Andrea heads away from Paris in a mail coach as fast as he can, and winds up at an inn called the Bell and Bottle. There, he orders a room in the dress of a common bourgeois and makes a plan for the following day: he will move out into the countryside, rent a small shack or room from a peasant, and avoid contact with people as much as is possible. He wakes early in the morning to head out into the countryside. But when he does this, he notices that the inn is swarming with gendarmes. Alarmed, Andrea climbs up onto the roof, then tumbles down and hides in a room of the inn. There, to his surprise, he finds Eugenie and Louise, with Eugenie traveling as a man. Andrea believes, much to the girls' laughter, that they have followed him to the inn because Eugenie is still in love with him. Out of a mixture of condescension and basic fellow-feeling, they tell him to run, but he steps outside and is caught by the gendarmes to be taken back to Paris and tried. This allows Louise and Eugenie to continue their escape to Belgium later that day, as the commotion of the arrest of Andrea has caused enough of a distraction for them to sneak away. It is another of the novel's coincidences that Andrea and Eugenie wind up fleeing to the same inn. But Eugenie and Louise manage to maintain their low profile and to escape to Belgium, whereas Andrea, even though Eugenie tries to help him, will be caught by the authorities. This is an instance in the text where characters appear to receive their just desserts: Andrea, the criminal, will have trouble escaping the law, whereas Eugenie, who has only ever wanted her independence, is able to fight for it and gain it on her own terms. Catch 1001 Classic Short Stories aswe celebrate 2 million listens for the year and our new video ads at Instagram and Facebook~  www.bestof1001stories.com      

CHAP 95  FATHER AND DAUGHTER Eugenie requests a formal meeting with Danglars, in whom she confides that she no longer wishes to marry anyone, especially Andrea Cavalcanti, who seems fine enough to her but has no charm beyond his bare good looks. Danglars, for his part, says that he largely respects Eugenie's wishes, but says that he is ruined financially, and that he needs the capital Andrea can provide in order to guarantee his current loans and speculate on a railway with other investors. He asks Eugenie to go through the motions of signing the contract and marrying Andrea so that this loan and his good name can be secured. This is the first acknowledgment Danglars makes about his financial situation. For many chapters, it has seemed that Danglars has sustained heavy losses on the markets, but he has not yet admitted that these losses are more than he can bear. The Count, then, has succeeded in eroding the Baron's fortunes, forcing the Baron to look for other avenues for wealth – including a marriage to Andrea, whom he believes to be a nobleman.    Eugenie agrees to this, although she insists that she has her own secret plan, which she will not divulge to her father and that will not, she insists, interrupt his plan for obtaining the loan from Andrea. Danglars seems to appreciate this negotiation on Eugenie's part, and they shake hands before Eugenie readies herself to visit the Villeforts with her mother. Danglars seems to respect a certain kind of financial negotiation, as Eugenie has offered her father here. Eugenie seems to know this as well, and so has given herself some bargaining room as she figures out what to do with the idea of a potential marital match to Andrea. Active Themes  

CHAP 93  VALENTINE  Maximilien Morrel, fresh from the aborted duel, goes to visit Valentine at the Villefort home, where she announces that she has decided that finally she and Noirtier will move out together into their own quarters. Mme Danglars and Eugenie visit Mme de Villefort to announce that Eugenie will be marrying Andrea Cavalcanti, and though Eugenie says she does not wish to marry at all, she says it is at least better that she marry Andrea than a man disgraced. This is another instance of dramatic irony, for the reader understands that Andrea himself is an imposter, and as previous events in the novel have indicated, it seems only a matter of time until Andrea's past is also brought to light. Eugenie is a fascinating character, one who attempts to make her own life in a society where this kind of independence for women is rarely possible.    Valentine has been feeling faint and unwell, and she tells Maximilien that Noirtier has prescribed to her the same potion that he drinks in large quantities, as a medicine for his own condition. This same potion is what the doctor formerly described as a poison which, in preparatory doses, can be used actually to prevent poisoning, if one builds up resistance to it slowly. Coming to pay respects to the Danglars, Valentine excuses herself, falls ill again, and collapses in another room near Noirtier and Morrel, who immediately call for help. For many chapters the groundwork has seemingly been laid for Valentine's poisoning. Although it has not been stated explicitly that Mme de Villefort is the poisoner, it always seemed unlikely that Valentine was the culprit. Now that Valentine has fallen ill, this gives even more credence to the idea that it is Mme de Villefort who is to blame. The question now is the emergency of Valentine's condition, and whether she will be able to survive this sickness.\ CHAP 94 MAXIMILIAN'S RENEWAL Villefort calls on the doctor who had warned him about the poisoning in his family, and after hearing that it is Valentine who has now fallen ill—Valentine whom the doctor initially suspected of the crime—he agrees to help Villefort in finding the true criminal. The doctor arrives at the Villefort home and questions Noirtier, who admits in his sign-language to having prepared Valentine by administering to her protective doses of brucine, the poison, in order to inoculate her against possible attack. The doctor thanks Noirtier for saving Valentine's life. The doctor discovers practice the method that, long ago, the Count discussed with Mme de Villefort. Noirtier, in his wisdom, saw that Valentine was going to be a target of poisoning in the home, and so he used a small amount of poison to build up Valentine's tolerance, allowing her to suffer larger doses without immediately succumbing to them. The doctor recognizes how clever and compassionate Noirtier's care for Valentine has been.     In parallel, Maximilien runs to the house of the Count, begging him for help, since there is a murderer in the Villefort house. Morrel finally admits to the Count that he is in love with and wishes to marry Valentine. As devoted as the Count is to Morrel, this harms his plan, for the Count has sworn vengeance against Villefort and calls Valentine the child of a "dangerous breed." At this, however, the Count says he will ponder what best to do. After the doctor has finished checking up on Valentine and realizes that she will survive this poisoning attack, the narrator relates that the Abbe Busoni has purchased the house next to the Villeforts, the house whose garden Morrel has tended as a way of courting Valentine. This is another complication to the Count's plan. The Count wants to elevate Young Morrel, to name him as his son and heir, as indicated in previous chapters. But if Maximilien is joined to the Villefort family, the Count finds himself in a conundrum, for he wants to destroy the Villeforts. With this said, however, the episode with Albert and Mercedes has helped him to separate the innocent from the guilty, even within a family. Thus, after much thought, he seems open to the possibility that he can disentangle helping Valentine from harming Villefort.  

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.