003 - The Count of Monte Cristo - The Catalans

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Chapter three of the Count of MonteCristo by Alexandro Duma. This LibriVox recording
is in the public domain. Chapterthree the Catalans. Beyond the bare weather
worn wall, about a hundred pacesfrom the spot where the two friends sat,
looking and listening as they drank theirwine, was the village of the

(00:23):
Catalans. Long ago, this mysteriouscolony quitted Spain and settled on the tongue
of land, on which it isto this day. Whence it came,
no one knew, and it spokean unknown tongue. One of its chiefs,
who understood promonsal, begged the Communeof Marseilles to give them this bare
and barren promontory, where like thesailors of old, they had run their

(00:47):
boats ashore. The request was granted, and three months afterwards, around the
twelve or fifteen small vessels which hadbrought those gypsies of the sea, a
small village sprang up. This village, constructed in a singular and picturesque manner,
half Moorish, half Spanish, stillremains and is inhabited by descendants of

(01:08):
the first comers, who speak thelanguage of their fathers. For three or
four centuries, they have remained uponthis small promontory on which they had settled,
like a flight of sea birds,without mixing with the Marseilles's population,
intermarrying and preserving their original customs andthe costume of their mother country, as

(01:29):
they have preserved its language. Ourreaders will follow us along the only streets
of this little village and enter withus one of the houses, which is
sunburned to the beautiful dead leaf colourpeculiar to the buildings of the country,
and within coated with whitewash like aSpanish posada. A young and beautiful girl,

(01:52):
with hair as black as jet,her eyes as velvety as the gazelles,
was leaning with her back against thewainscot, rubbing in her slender,
delicately molded fingers a bunch of heathblossoms, the flowers of which she was
picking off and strewing on the floor. Her arms bare to the elbow,

(02:12):
brown and modeled after those of theArlesian venus, moved with a kind of
restless impatience, and she tapped theearth with her arched and supple foot,
so as to display the pure andfull shape of her well turned leg in
its red cotton gray and blue clockedstocking. At three paces from her,
seated in a chair which he balancedon two legs, leaning his elbow on

(02:36):
an old worm eaten table, wasa tall young man of twenty or two
and twenty who was looking at herwith an air in which vexation and uneasiness
were mingled. He questioned her withhis eyes, but the firm and steady
gaze of the young girl controlled hislook. Oh yo, see, Mercedes,
said the young man. Here isease to come round again. Tell

(03:00):
me is this the moment for awedding? I have answered you a hundred
times, fernand and really you mustbe very stupid to ask me again.
Well repeat it, repeat it.I beg of you that I may at
last believe it. Tell me forthe hundred time that you refuse on my

(03:23):
love, which had your mother's sanction. Make me understand once for all that
you are trifling with my happiness,that my life or death are nothing to
you. Oh to have dreamed forten years of being your husband, Mercedes,
and to lose at that hope whichwas the only stay of my existence.

(03:47):
At least it was not I whoever encouraged you in that hope,
Fernand replied Mercedes, you cannot reproachme with the slightest coquetry. I have
always said to you a love youris a brother. But do not ask
from me more than ceasterly affection,For my heart is another's, is not

(04:10):
his true? Fernand? Yes,that is very true, Mercedes replied the
young man. Yes, you havebeen cruelly franko with me. But do
you forget that it is among theCatalans a sacred law to intermarry you mistake
of Fernand. It is not alaw, but merely accustomed, and I

(04:34):
pray of you do not ascite thiscustom in your favor. You are included
in the conscription, Fernand, andare only at liberty on sufferns, liable
at any moment to be called uponto take up arms once a soldier.
What would you do with me,a poor orphan, forlorn without fortune,

(04:57):
with nothing but a half ruined hutand a few ragged nets, the miserable
inheritance left by my father to mymother and by my mother to me.
She has been dead a year,and you know, Fernand, I have
subsisted almost entirely on public charity.Sometimes you pretend I am useful to you,

(05:19):
and that is an excuse to sharewith me the produce of your for
fishing. And I accept it,ferinand because you are the son of my
father's brother, because we were broughtup together, and still more because it
would give you so much pain ifI refuse. But I feel very deeply
that this fish which I go andsell, and with the produce of which

(05:43):
I buy the flax I spin,I feel very keenly, Fernand that this
is charity. And if it were, Mercedes, poor and lone as you
are, you suit me as wellas the daughter of the first oh ship
owner or the rich spanker of Marseilles. What do you such as we desire
but a good wife and a carefulhousekeeper? And where can I look for

(06:08):
these better than in you, Fernandanswered Mercedes, shaking her head. A
woman becomes a bad manager, andwho shall say she will remain an honest
woman when she loves another man betterthan her husband? Rest content with my
friendship. Afore I say once more, that is all I can promise,

(06:31):
and I will promise no more thanI can bestow. I understand, replied
Fernand you can endure your own wretchednesspatiently, but you are afraid to share
mine. Well, Mercedes, belovedby you, I would attempt fortune.
You would bring me good luck,and I should become rich. I could

(06:55):
extend my occupation as a fisherman,might get a place as cl in a
warehouse, and become in time adealer myself. You could do no such
thing, Fernand. You are asoldier, and if you remain at the
Catalans, it is because there isno war. So remain a fisherman and
contented with my friendship. As Icannot give you more, well, I

(07:21):
will do better, Mercedes. Iwill be a sailor. Instead of the
costume of our fathers, which youdespise, I will wear a varnished hat,
a striped shirt, and a bluejacket with an anchor on the buttons.
Would not that dress please you?What do you mean? Asked Mercedes

(07:42):
with an angry glance. What doyou mean? I do not understand you.
I mean, Mercedes, that youare thus harsh and cruel with me,
because you are expecting someone who isthus attired. But perhaps he whom
your wait is in concertant, orif he is not, the sea is

(08:03):
so to him, Fernand cried MescedesI believed you were good hearted, and
I was mistaken. Fernand you arewicked to call your aid jealousy and the
anger of God. Yes, Iwill not deny it. I do await,
and I do love of him ofwhom you speak. And if he

(08:24):
does not return, instead of accusinghim of the inconstancy which you insinuate,
I will tell you that he diedloving me and me only. The young
girl made a gesture of rage.I understand you, Fernand. You would
be revenged on him because I donot love you. You would cross your

(08:46):
Catalan knife with his duck. Whatend would that answer? To lose you
my friendship if he were conquered,and see that friendship changed into hate?
If you are victor, believe meto seek a quarrel with a man is
a bad method of pleasing the womanwho loves the man. No, Fernand,

(09:07):
you will not thus give way toeve the thoughts unable to have me
for your wife. You would contentto yourself with having me for your friend
and Ceaster. And besides, sheadded, her eyes troubled and moistened with
tears. O wait, wait,Fernand, you said just now that the
sea was treacherous and he has beengone for four months, and during those

(09:31):
four months there have been some terriblestorms. Fernand made no reply, nor
did he attempt to check the tearswhich flowed down the cheeks of Mercedes,
although for each of these tears hewould have shed his heart's blood. But
these tears flowed for another. Hearose, paced awhile up and down the

(09:52):
hut, and then suddenly stopping beforeMercedes, with his eyes glowing and his
hands clenched. I say, merhe said, once and for all.
Is this your final determination? Ilove Edmond Dante. The young girl calmly
replied, and none but Edmond shallever be my husband, and you will

(10:18):
always love him as long as Ileave. Fernand left fall his head like
a defeated man. Heaved a sighthat was like a groan, and then,
suddenly, looking her full in theface, with clenched teeth and expanded
nostrils, said, but if heis dead, if he is dead,

(10:41):
I shall die too. If hehas forgotten you, Mercedes called a joyous
voice from without. Mercedes, Oh, exclaimed the young girl, blushing with
delight and fairly leaping in excess oflove. You see, he has a

(11:01):
not have forgotten me, for herehe is, And rushing towards the door,
she opened it, saying, here, Edmond, here I am Fernand.
Pale and trembling, drew back,like a traveler the sight of a
serpent, and fell into a chairbeside him. Edmond and Mercedes were clasped

(11:24):
in each other's arms. The burningMarseilles san which shot into the room through
the open door, covered them witha flood of light. At first they
saw nothing around them. Their intensehappiness isolated them from all the rest of
the world, and they only spokein broken words, which are the tokens
of a joy so extreme that theyseem rather the expression of sorrow. Suddenly

(11:50):
Edmond saw the gloomy, pale andthreatening countenance of Fernand, as it was
defined in the shadow by a movementfor which she could scarcely account to himself.
The young Catalan placed his hand onthe knife at his belt. Ah,
your pardon, said Dantes, frowningin his turn, I did not

(12:13):
perceive that there were three of us. Then, turning to Mercedes, he
inquired, who is this gentleman,one who would be or best a friend?
Dantes, for he is my friend, my cousin my brother. It
is ferinand the man whom after you, Edmond, I love at the best
in the world. Do you notremember him? Yes, said Dantes,

(12:39):
and without relinquishing Mercedes's hand clasped inone of his own, he extended the
other to the Catalan with a cordialair. But Fernand, instead of responding
to this amiable gesture, remained muteand trembling. Edmond then cast his eyes
scrutinizingly at the age, hated andembarrassed Mercedes, and then again on the

(13:03):
gloomy and menacing Fernand. This looktold him all, and his anger waxed.
Hot. I did not know,oh, when I came with such
aiste to you, that I wasto meet an enemy here, an enemy,
cried Mercedes, with an angry lookat her cousin, an enemy in
my house. Do you say,Edmond, if I believed that, I

(13:26):
would place my arm under yours andgo with you to Marseilles, leaving the
house to return to it no more? Fernand's eye darted lightning. And should
any misfortune occur to you, dearEdmond, She continued with the same calmness,
which proved to Fernand that the younggirl had read the very innermost depths

(13:46):
of his sinister thought, if misfortuneshould occur to you, I would ascend
at the highest point of the Capde Morgien and cast myself headlong from it.
Fernand became deadly pale. But youare deceived. To Edmond, she
continued, you have no enemy here. There is no one but Fernand,

(14:11):
my brother, who will grasp yourhand as a devoted friend. And at
these words, the young girl fixedher imperious look on the Catalan, who,
as if fascinated by it, cameslowly towards Edmond and offered him his
hand. His hatred, like apowerless though furious wave, was broken against
the strong ascendancy which Mercedes exercised overhim. Scarcely, however, had he

(14:37):
touched Edmond's hand, then he felthe had done all he could do,
and rushed hastily out of the house. Oh, he exclaimed, running furiously
and tearing his hair. Oh,who will delive a me from this man?
Wretched, wretched that I am.Hallo Catalan, Hallo Fernand. Oh

(14:58):
where are you glading? To exclaimeda voice. The young man stopped,
suddenly looking around him, and perceivedCaderousse sitting at table with Danglars under an
arbor well, said Caderousse, Oh, why don't you come? Are you
really in such a hurry that youhave no time to pass the time of
day with your friends, particularly whenthey have still a full bottle before them,

(15:24):
added Danglars. Fernand looked at themboth with a stupefied air, but
did not say a word. Heseems besotted, said Danglars, pushing Caderousse
with his knee. Are we missDickon? And is a Dantes a trimphant?
In spite of all we have believed? Why we must inquire into that?

(15:46):
Was Caderousse's reply, and, turningtowards the young man, said,
well, Cadaline, can't you makeup your mind? Fernand wiped away the
perspiration steaming from his brow and slowlyentered the arbor, whose shades seemed to
restore somewhat of calmness to his senses, and whose coolness somewhat of refreshment to

(16:08):
his exhausted body. Good day,said he are you called me? Didn't
you? And he fell rather thansat down on one of the seats which
surrounded the table. I called youbecause you were running like a madman,
and I was afraid you would throwyourself into the sea, said Caderouse,

(16:29):
laughing, why when a man hasfriends, they are not only to offer
him a glass of wine, butmoreover to prevent his swallowing three or four
pints of water unnecessarily. Fernand gavea groan which resembled a sob, and
dropped his head into his hands,his elbows leaning on the table. Well,
Fernand, I must say, saidCaderousse, beginning the conversation with that

(16:55):
brutality of the common people, inwhich curiosity destroys all diploma. You look
uncommonly like a rejected lover. Haha ha ha. He burst into a
hoarse laugh. Bah, said Danglars. A lad of his make was not
born to be unhappy in love.You are laughing at him, Cadorous,

(17:18):
No, he replied, only harkhow he sighs. Come, come,
Fernand, said Caderous. Hold upyour head and answer us. It's not
polite not to reply to friends whoask news of your health. My health
is well enough, said Fernand,clenching his hands without raising his head.

(17:40):
Ah, you see, Danglars,said Cadorus, winking at his friend.
This is how it is a Fernandwhom you see here is a good and
brave Catalan, one of the bestfishermen in Marseilles, and he is in
love with a very fine girl namedMercedes. But it appears, unfortunately that
the fine girl is in love withthe mate of the Pharaohon. And as

(18:03):
the Pharaohon arrived to day, whyyou understand, No, I do not
understand, said Danglars. Poor Fernandhas been dismissed, continued Caderouse. Well
I know what, then, saidFernand, lifting up his head and looking
at Caderousse, like a man wholooks for some one on whom to vent

(18:26):
his anger. Mercedaise is not accountableto any person, is she Is she
not free to love whom, sir, she will? Oh, if you
take it in that sense, saidCaderousse, it is another thing. But
I thought you were a Catalan.And they told me the Catalans were not
the men to allow themselves to besupplanted by arrival. It was even told

(18:51):
me that Fernand especially was terrible inhis vengeance. Fernand smiled piteously. Alova
is never terrible, he said,poor fellow, remarked Danglars, affecting to
pity the young man from the bottomof his heart. Why you see,

(19:12):
he did not expect to see Dantesreturn, so soonly he thought he was
dead, perhaps, or perchance faithless. These things always come on us more
severely when they come suddenly. AhMa foi, under any circumstance, said

(19:33):
Caderous, who drank as he spoke, and on whom the fumes of the
wine began to take effect. Underany circumstance, fernand is not the only
person but out by the unfortunate arrivalof Dante, is he? Danglars,
No, you are right, andI should say that would bring him ill
luck Well, never mind, answeredCaderousse, pouring out a glass of wine

(19:59):
for fair and then filling his ownfor the eighth or ninth time, while
Danglars had merely sipped his never mind. In the meantime, he marries Mercedes,
the lovely Mercedes. At least hereturns to that. During this time,
Danglars fixed his piercing glance on theyoung man on whose heart Carderousse's words

(20:22):
fell like molten lead. And whenis the wedding to be? He asked?
Oh it is not yet fixed,murmured Finand no boy to hill be,
said Caderousse as surely as the Dantewill be captain of the ferohen eh
Danglars. Danglars shuddered at his unexpectedattack and turned to Caderousse, whose countenance

(20:48):
he scrutinized to try and detect whetherthe blow was premeditated. But he read
nothing but envy in a countenance alreadyrendered brutal and stupid by drunkenness. Well
said he filling the glasses, letus drink to Captain Edmond de Dante,
husband of the beautiful Catalan. Caderousraised his glass to his mouth with unsteady

(21:14):
hand and swallowed the contents at agulp. Fernand dashed his on the ground.
Hey, hey, hey, stammeredcalorousse. What do I see them?
There by the wall, in thedirection of the Catalans. Look,
Fernand, your eyes are bit ofthe man. I believe us see double.

(21:36):
You know Ane is a deceiver,but I would say it was the
two lovers walking side by side andand in hand. Heaven forgive me.
They do not know that we cansee them, and they are actually embracing.
Danglars did not lose one pang thatFernand endured. Do you know them,

(22:00):
Fernand, he said, yes,was the reply, in a low
voice. It is Edmond and Mercedes. Ah see there now, said Caderousse,
and I did not recognize them.Hallo Dante, Hallo, lovely damosel

(22:22):
come this away and let us knowwhen the wedding is to be. For
Fernand here is so obstinate, hewill not tell us. Hold your tongue,
will you, said Danglars, pretendingto restrain Caderousse, who with the
tenacity of drunkards, leaned out ofthe arbor. Try to stand upright and

(22:44):
let the lovers make love without interruption. See look at Fernand and follow his
example. He is well behaved.Fernand, probably excited beyond bearing, pricked
by Danglars as the bull is bythe bandoleros, was about to rush out,
for he had risen from his seatand seemed to be collecting himself to

(23:07):
dash headlong upon his rival. WhenMercedes, smiling and graceful, lifted up
her lovely head and looked at themwith her clear and bright eyes. At
this, Fernand recollected her threat ofdying if Edmond died, and dropped again
heavily on his seat. Danglars lookedat the two men, one after the

(23:30):
other, the one brutalized by liquor, the other overwhelmed with love. I
should get nothing from these fools,he muttered, And I am very much
afraid of being here between a drunkardand a coward. He is an endious
fellow, making himself boozy and winewhen he ought to be nursing his wrath.

(23:52):
And here is a fool who seesthe woman he loves stolen from under
his nose and takes on like ababy. Yet at this Catalan has eyes
that glisten like those of the vengefulSpaniards, Sicilians and Calabrians, And the
other has fists big enough to crushan Ox at one blow. Unquestionably,

(24:15):
Edmond Star is in the ascendant,and he will marry the splendid girl.
You will be captain too, andlaugh at us all unless a sinister smile
passed over Danglars's lips. Unless Itake a hand in the affair, he
added. Hallo continued Caderousse, halfrising and with his fist on the table,

(24:41):
Hallo, Edmond, do you notsee your friends or are you too
proud to speak to them? No, my dear fellow, replied, Dantes.
I am not proud, but Iam happy, and happiness blinds I
think more than pride. Ha verywell, that's an explanation, said Cadorous.

(25:04):
How do you do, Madame Dantes. Mercedes curtsied gravely and said,
that is not my name, andin my country it bodes ill fortune.
They say to call a young girlby the name of a betrothed before he
becomes a husband. So call meMercedes, if you please. We must

(25:27):
excuse our worthy neighbor Caderous, saidDantes. He is so easily mistaken.
So then the wedding is to takeplace immediately, Monsieur Dantes, said Danglars,
bowing to the young couple. Assoon as possible, Monsieur Danglars.

(25:47):
To day, all preliminaries will bearranged at my father's and tomorrow or next
day at latest, the wedding festivalhere at La raz Erne. My friends
will be there. I hope thatis to say, you are invited,
Monsieur Danglars, and you Caderousse.And Fernand said Caderousse with a chuckle.
Fernand, it too is invited.My wife's brother is my brother, said

(26:14):
Edmond, and we Mercedes and Ishould be very sorry if he were absent
at such a time. Fernand openedhis mouth to reply, but his voice
died on his lips, and hecould not utter a word to day,
the preliminaries, to morrow, ornext day the ceremony. You are in

(26:34):
a hurry, Captain Danglars, saidEdmond, smiling. I will say to
you, as Mercedes said just nowto Caderousse, do not give me a
title which does not belong to me, that may bring me bad luck.
Your pardon, replied Danglars. Imerely said, you seemed in a hurry,

(26:56):
and we have lots of time.The pharaoh and not be under way
again in less than three months.We are always in ourry to be happy,
Monsieur Danglars, for when we havesuffered a long time, we have
great difficulty and believing in good fortune. But it is not selfishness alone that
makes me thus in haste. Imust go to Paris, ah, really

(27:22):
to Paris. And will it bethe first time you have ever been there?
Dante, Yes, have you businessthere? Not of my own?
The last commission of poor Captain leClair. You know to what I allude
Danglars. It is sacred. Besides, I shall only take the time to
go and return. Yes, yes, I understand, said Danglars, and

(27:48):
then in a low tone, headded to Paris, no doubt, to
deliver the letter which the Grand Marshalgave him. Ah. This letter gives
me an idea, a capital idea. Ah, Dante, my friend,
you are not yet registered number oneon board the good ship Ferohin. Then,
turning toward Edmond, who was walkingaway a pleasant journey, he cried,

(28:15):
thank you, said Edmond, witha friendly nod, and the two
lovers continued on their way as calmand joyous, as if they were the
very elect of Heaven. End ofChapter three