004 - The Count of Monte Cristo - Conspiracy

Episode Transcript

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Chapter four of The Count of MonteCristo by Alexandre Dumard. This LibriVox recording
is in the public domain. Chapterfour Conspiracy. Danglars followed Edmond and Mercedes
with his eyes until the two loversdisappeared behind one of the angles of Fort

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Saint Niguola. Then, turning round, he perceived Fernand, who had fallen
pale and trembling into his chair,while Caderousse stammered out the words of a
drinking song. Well, my dearsir, said Danglars to Fermond. Here
is a marriage which does not appearto make everybody happy. It drives me

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to despair, said Fermond. Doyou love Mercedes? I adore her for
long, as long as I haveknown her always, And you sit there
tearing your hair instead of seeking toremedy your condition. I did not think

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that was the way of your people. What would you have me do?
Said Fernand, How do I know? Is it my affair? I am
not in love with Mademoiselle Mercedes.But for you, in the words of
the Gospel, seek and you shallfind. I have found already what I

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would stabbed the man. But thewoman told me that if any misfortune happened
to her betrothed, she would killherself. Pooh, you mean say those
things but never do them. Youdo not know Mercedes what she threatens she
would do, idio, muttered Danglars. Whether she kill herself or not,

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what matter? Provided DON'TE is notcaptain before Mercedes should die, replied Ferrand,
with the accents of unshaken resolution.I would die myself. That's what
I call love, said Caderousse,with a voice more tipsy than ever.

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That's love, or I don't knowwhat love is. Come, said Danglars.
You appear to me a good sortof fellow, and angy I should
like to help you. But yes, said Caderousse. But ahow, my
dear fellow, replied Danglars, youare three parts drunk. Finish the bottle

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and you will be completely So drinkthen, and do not meddle with what
we are discussing, for that requiresall one's wit and cool judgment. I
drunk, said Caderousse. Well that'sa good one. I could drink four

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more such butters. They are nobigger than a cologne. The flasks pertain
feel more wine, and Cadarousse rattledhis glass upon the table. You are
saying, sir, said Fernand,awaiting with great anxiety the end of this

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interrupted remark, What was I saying? I forget this, drunken Cadarousse has
made me lose the thread of mysentence. Drunk, if you like so
much. The worse for those whofear wine, for it is because they
have bad thoughts which they are afraidthe liquor will extract from their arts.

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And Cadarousse began to sing the twolast lines a song very popular at that
time, to le may chonp songBeauvodu sibium pooh parla deluge. The wicked
are great drinkers of water, asthe flood proved once for all. You

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said the sir, you would likedto help me, But yes, but
I added, to help you.It would be sufficient that Dante did not
marry her your love, and themarriage may easily be thwarted, methinks.
And yet Dante need not die.Death alone can separate them, remarked Fernand.

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You talk like a noodle, myfriend, said Caderousse. And here
is a Danglars who is a wideawake, clever, deeper fellow who will
prove move to you that you arewrong. Goove it, Danglars, I
have answered for you say there wasno need why Dante should die. It

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would indeed be a pity he should. Dante is a good fellow. I
like Dante. Don'te your health,fernand Rose impatiently. Let him run on,
said Danglars, restraining the young man. Brunk as he is, he

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is not much out in what hesays. Absence serves as well as death.
And if the walls of a prisonwere between Edmond and Mercedes, they
would be as effectually separated as ifhe lay under a tombstone. Yes,
but one gets out of prison,said Cadorous, who, with what sense

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was left him, listened eagerly tothe conversation. And when one gets out,
and one's name is Edenander Dante,one a siks revenge? What matters?
That? Muttered fennand and away Ishould like to know, persisted Caderousse.

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Should they put Dante in prison?He is not robbed or killed or
murdered. Hold your tongue, saidDanglars. I won't tell them my tongue,
replied cadorusse I say I wanted toknow why they should put a Dante

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in prison. I like Dante,Dante your health, and he swallowed another
glass of wine. Danglars saw inthe muddled look of the tailor the progress
of his intoxication, and turning towardsFernand, said, well you understand there
is no need to kill him,certainly, not if, as you said

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just now, you have the meansof having Dante arrested, have you That
means it is to be found forthe searching. But why should I meddle
in the matter. It is noaffair of mine. I know not why
you meddle, said Fernand, seizinghis arm. But this I know you

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have some motive of personal hatred againstDantes, for he himself hates is never
mistaken in the sentiments of others.I motives of hatred against the Dantes.
None, o, my word.I saw you were unhappy, and your
unhappiness interested me, that's all.But since you believe I act for my

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own account, Adieu, my dearfriend. Get out of the affair as
best you may. And Danglars roseas if he meant to depart. No,
no, said Fernand, restraining him. Stay. It is of very
little consequence to me. At theend of the matter whether you have any

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angry feeling or not against the Dantes. I hate him, I confess it
openly. Do you find the means? I will execute it, provided it
is not to kill the man,for Mercedes has declared she will kill herself
if Dantes is killed. Caderousse,who had let his head drop on the

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table, now raised it and lookedat Fernand with his dull and fishy eyes.
He said, quill Dantes, whotalks of killing Dantes? I won't
have him killed. I won't.He is my friend at this morning offered
to share his money with me,as I shared mine with him. I

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won't have Dantes killed. I won't. And who has said a word about
killing him? Madeled, replied Danglars. We were merely joking. Drink to
his health, he added, fellingCaderouse's glass, and do not interfere with
us. Yes, yes, Dante, good health, said Caderousse, emptying

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his glass. He hears to hishealth, his health. Hurrah. But
that means that means, said Fernand, Have you not eat upon any asked
Danglars. No, you want theDuke to do so, true, replied

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Danglars. The French have the superiorityover the Spaniards. That the Spaniards ruminate
while the French invent. Do youinventor, then said Ferland impatiently. A
waiter said Danglars, A pen inkand paper, pen ink and a paper,

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muttered Fernand, Yes, I ama supercago. Pen ink and paper
are my tools, and without mytools I am fit for nothing. Pen
ink and a paper, then calledFerland loudly. There's what you want on
that table, said the waiter.Bring them here. The waiter did as

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he was desired. When one hethinks, said Calarousse, letting his hand
drop on the paper. There isthe well revolved to kill a man,
more sure than if we waited atthe corner of a wood to assassinate him.
I've always had more dread of apin, a bottle of ink,

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and a sheet of paper than asword or pistol. The fellow is not
so drunk as he appears to be, said Danglars. Give him some more
wine. Fermand. Fermand filled Calarousse'sglass, who, like the confirmed toper
he was, lifted his hand fromthe paper and seized the glass. The

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Catalan watched him until Caderousse almost overcomeby this fresh assault on his senses,
rested, or rather dropped his glassupon the table, well, assumed the
Catalan, as he saw the finalglimmer of Caderousse's reason vanishing before the last
glass of wine. Well, thenI should say, for instance, resumed

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Danglars, that if after a voyagesuch as a Dante has just made,
in which he touched at the islandof Elba, some one were to denounce
him to the King's procureur as abonapartist agent, I will denounce him,
exclaimed the young man hastily. Yes, but they will make you then sign

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your declaration and confront you with him. You you have denounced, I will
supply you with the means of supportingyour accusation, for I know the fact
well, But DON'TE cannot remain forever in prison, and one day or
other he will leave it. Andthe day when he comes out, oh

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betide him who was the cause ofhis incarceration. Oh, I should wish
nothing better than that he would comeand seek a quarrel with me. Yes,
and Mercedes, Mercedes, who willdetest you if you have only the
misfortune to scratch the skin of adaily beloved? Edmond true, said Fernand.

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No. No, continued Danglars.If we resolve on such a step,
it would be much better to takeas I now do, this pen,
dip it into this ink and writewith the left hand, that the
writing may not be recognized the denunciationwe propose, and Donglars, uniting practice

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with theory, wrote with his lefthand and in a writing reversed from his
usual style and totally unlike it,the following lines, which he handed to
Fermand, and which Fernand read inan undertone. The Honorable the King's Attorney
is informed by a friend of theThrone and Religion that one Edmond Dante,

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made of the ship of Froin,arrived this morning from Smyrna, after having
touched at Naples and Porto Ferrao,has been entrusted by Murat with the letter
for the Usurper, and by theUsurper with a letter for the Bonapartist committee
in Paris. Proof of this crimewill be found on arresting him, for

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the letter will be found upon himor at his father's or in his cabin
on board the Pharaoh. Very good, resumed Danglars. Now your revenge looks
like a common sense for in noway can it revert to yourself, and
the matter will thus work its ownway. There is nothing to do now

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but fold the letter as I amdoing, and write upon it to the
King's attorney. And that's all settled. And Doanglars wrote the address as he
spoke. Yes, and that's allsettled, exclaimed Calarousse, who by a
last effort of intellect had followed thereading of the letter and instinctively comprehended all

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the misery which such a denunciation mustentail. Yes, and that's all settled.
Only it there will be an infamousshame. And he stretched out his
hand to reach the letter, Yes, said Danglars, taking it from beyond
his reach. And as what Isay and do is merely in jest,

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and I, amongst the first andforemost, should be sorry if anything happened
to Dante, the worthy Dante lookhere, and taking the letter, he
squeezed it up in his hands andthrew it into a corner of the arbor.
All right, said Carderousse. Danteis my friend, and I won't

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have him ill used. And whothinks of using him ill? Certainly neither
I nor Fermand, said Danglars,rising and looking at the young man,
who still remained seated, but whoseeye was fixed on a denunciatory sheet of
paper flung into the corner in thisa case, replied Caderousse. Let's have

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some more wine. I wish todrink to the health of Edmund and the
lovely Mercedes. You have had toomuch already, drunkard, said Danglars,
And if you continue, you willbe compelled to sleep here because unable to
stand on your legs, I saidCaderousse, rising with all the offended dignity

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of a drunken man. I can'tkeep on my legs. Why I'll a
waite here, I can go upinto the belfry of the cool and without
just staggering. Too done, saidDanglars. I'll take your but tomorrow.

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Today it is time to return,give me your arm and let us go.
Very well, let us go,said Caderousse. But I don't want
your arm at all. Come ferinandwon't you return to Marseille with us?
No, said Fernand, I shallreturn to the Catalans. You're wrong,

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Come with us to Marseille. Comealong, I will not What do you
mean you will not? Well,just as you like, my prince,
there's a liberty for all the world. Come along, Danglars, and let

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the young gentleman return to Catalans ifhe chooses. Danglars took advantage of Caderousse's
temper at the moment to take himoff towards Marseille by the Port Saint Victor,
staggering as he went. When theyadvanced about twenty yards, Danglars looked
back and saw Fernand stoop, pickup the crumpled paper and putting it into

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his pocket, then rush out ofthe arbor towards Pion. Well, said
Caderousse. Why what a lie hetold? He said he was going to
the Catalans, and he is goingto the city. Hello, Fernand,

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Oh you don't see straight, saidDanglars. He's gone right enough, well,
said Caderousse. I should have saidnought. How treacherous wine is Come?
Come, said Danglars to himself.Now the work is at work,

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and it will affect its purpose unassisted. End of Chapter four