010 - The Count of Monte Cristo - The King's Closet at the Tuileries

Episode Transcript

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Chapter ten of the Count of MonteCristo by Alexandre Dumar. This LibriVox recording
is in the public domain. Chapterten The King's Closet at the Tuileries.
We will leave Villefort on the roadto Paris, traveling thanks to trebled fees,
with all speed, and passing throughtwo or three apartments, enter at

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the Tuileries, the little room withthe arched window, so well known as
having been the favorite closet of Napoleonand Louis the eighteenth, and now of
Louis Philippe. There seated before awalnut table he had brought with him from
Hartwell, and to which, fromone of those fancies not uncommon to great
people, he was particularly attached.The King Louis eighteenth was carelessly listening to

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a man of fifty or fifty twoyears of age, with gray hair,
aristocratic bearing, and exceedingly gentlely attire, and meanwhile making a marginal note in
a volume of Griffith is rather inaccuratebut much sought after edition of Horace,
a work which was much indebted tothe sagacious observations of the philosophical monarch.

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You say, sir, said theKing, that I am exceedingly disquieted,
Sire. Really, have you hada vision of the seven fat kine and
the seven lean kine? No,Sire, for that would only be taken
for us seven years of plenty andthe seven years of s scarcity. And
with a king as full of foresightas your majesty, scarcity is not a

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thing to be feared. Then ofwhat other scourge are you afraid, my
dear blackhr Sire, I have everyreason to believe that a storm is brewing
in the south. Well, mydear duke, replied Louis eighteenth, I
think you are wrongly informed, andknow positively that, on the contrary,

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it is very fine weather in thatdirection. Man of ability, as he
was, Louis eighteenth liked a pleasantjest, Sire, continued Monsieur de Blaca.
If it only be to reassure afaithful servant, will your majesty send
into a longer duck Provence and Dauphine. Trusty men will bring you back a

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faithful report as to the feeling inthese three provinces. Caninus soordis, replied
the king, continuing the annotations inhis horrace. Sire replied the courtier,
laughing, in order that he mightseem to comprehend the quotation. Your majesty
may be perfectly right in relying onthe good feeling of France. But I

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fear I am not altogether wrong indreading some desperate attempt by whom by Bonaparte,
or at least by his adherents.My dear Blaccard said the King,
you, with your alarms, preventme from working, and you, sire,

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prevent me from sleeping with your security. Wait, my dear sir,
wait a moment, for I havesuch a delightful note on the pastor cum
trajeert o. Wait and I willlisten to you. Afterwards, there was
a brief pause during which Louis eighteenthwrote in a hand as small as possible

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another note on the margin of hishorace, and then, looking at the
Duke with the air of a manwho thinks he has an idea of his
own while he is only commenting uponthe idea of another, said go on,
my dear duke, go on,I listen, sire, said Blacard,
who had for a moment the hopeof sacrificing Villefort to his own profit.

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Ay, I'm compelled to tell youthat these are not mere Romo's destitute
of foundation, which thus discube me, but a serious minded man deserving all
my confidence, and charged by meto watch over the south. The Duke,
hesitated as he pronounced these words,has arrived by post to tell me

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that a great peril threatens the king, and so I hastened to you,
sire Mala ducci's avi domum, continuedLouis eighteen, still annotating. Does your
majesty wish me to drop the subjectby no means, my dear Duke,

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But just stretch out your hand,which whichever you please. There to the
left, yes, sire, Itell you the left, and you are
looking to the right, I meanon my left. Yes, there you
will find yesterday's report of them Ministerof police. But here is mister d'andre
himself and Monsieur d'andres, announced bythe chamberlain waiting entered Cumene, said Louis

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eighteenth, with repressed smile, acummingbaron, and tell the Duke all you
know the lyttious news of Monsieur deBonaparte. I do not conceal anything however
serious. Let us see the islandof elbas Is a volcano, and we
may expect to have issuing thence flamingand bristling warbella horida bella. Monsieur d'andres

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leaned very respectfully on the back ofa chair with his two hands, and
said, has your majesty perused yesterday'sropport? Yes? Yes, But tell
the Duke himself, who cannot findanything, what the report contains, and
give him the particulars of what theusurper is doing in his islet a monsieur,

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said the baron to the Duke,all the servants of his majesty must
approve of the latest intelligence which wehave from the island of Elbas. Bonaparte.
Mister Dendres looked at Louis eighteenth,who employed in writing a note,
did not even raise his head.Bonaparte continued, the Baron is mortally wearied

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and passes all days in watching hisminers at work at porcteaux Longonne, and
scratches himself for amusement. Added theking scratches himself, inquired the Duke,
what does your majesty mean? Yes, indeed, my dear Duke, did

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you forget that this great man,this hero, this demi god is attacked
with a malady of the skin whichworries him to death pruigo. And moreover,
my dear duke, continued the Ministerof Police, we are almost assured
that in a very short time theusurper will be insane, insane, raving

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mad. His head becomes a weaker. Sometimes he weeps bitterly, sometimes laughs
boisterously. At other times he passeshours on the sea shore, flinging stones
in the water, And when theflint makes duck and drake five or six
times, he appears as delighted asif he had gained another Marengo or ostolis.

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And now you must agree that theseare indubitable symptoms of insanity or of
wisdom, my dear baron or ofwisdom, said Louis eighteenth, laughing.
The greatest captains of antiquity amuse themselvesby casting pebbles into the ocean see Plutarch's

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Life of Scipio Africanus. Monsieur deBlaca pondered deeply between the confident monarch and
the truthful minister. Villefort, whodid not choose to reveal the whole secret
lest another should reap all the benefitof the disclosure, had yet communicated enough
to cause him the greatest uneasiness,Well well, Dandre, said Louis eighteenth

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BLACKA is not yet convinced. Letus proceed therefore to the usurp as conversion.
The Minister of Police bowed the musurper'sconversion, murmured the Duke, looking
at the King and Andre, whospoke alternatively, like Virgil shepherds, the
Usurper converted decidedly, my dear Duke, in what way converted to good principles?

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Tell him all about it, Baron, Why this is the way of
it? Said the minister with thegravest air in the world. Napoleon lately
at a review, and as twoor three of his old veterans expressed a
desire to return to France, hegave them their dismissal and exhorted them to

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serve the good King. These werehis own words of that. I am
certain well blacker. Or what thinkyou of this? Inquired the King triumphantly,
and pausing for a moment from thevoluminous scoliast before him, I say,
sire, that the Minister of Policeis greatly deceived, or I am,

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and as it is impossible it canbe the Minister of Police, as
he has the guardianship of the safetyand honor of your Majesty. It is
probable that I am in error.However, Sire, if I might advise,
your Majesty will interrogate the person ofwhom I spoke to you, and
I will urge your Majesty to dohim this honor. Most willingly duke under

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your auspices. I will receive anyperson you please, but you must not
expect me to be too confiding.Baron, have you any report more recent
than this dated the twentieth of February. This is the fourth of March.
No, sire, but I amhourly expecting one. It may have arrived

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since I left my office. Gothither, and if there have been none,
well, well, continued Louis eighteenth. Make one. That is the
usual way, is it not?And the King laughed facetiously. Oh,
sire, replied the minister. Wehave no occasion to invent any every Day

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our desks alluded with most circumstantial denunciationscoming from hosts of people who hope for
some return for services which they seekto render but cannot. They trust to
fortune and rely upon some unexpected eventin some way to justify their predictions.

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Will sir, go, said Louiseighteenth. And remember that I am waiting
for you. I will but goand return, Sire. I shall be
back in ten minutes. And I, sire, said Monsieur de Blacker.
We'll go and find my messenger.Wait, sir, wait, said Louis

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eighteenth. Really, Monsieur de Blacker, I must change your armorial bearings.
I will give you an eagle withoutstretched wings, holding in its claws a
prey which tries in vain to escape, and bearing this device ten acts,
Sire, I listen, said theblacker, biting his nails with impatience.

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I wish to consult you on thispassage. Molly foodians Ann held it too.
You know it refers to a stagflying from a wolf. Are you
not a sportsman and a great wolfhunter? Well, then what do you
think of the molly annahale too admirable, sire, But my messenger is like

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the stagger you refer to, forhe has posted two hundred and twenty leagues
in scarcely three days, which isundergoing a great fatigue and anxiety. My
dear duke, when you have atelegraph which transmits messages in three or four
hours and that without getting in theleast out of breath. Oh, Sire,

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you are recompense but badly this spooryoung man who has come so far
and with so much ardor to giveyour majesty useful information, if only for
the sake of Monsieur de Salvieux,who recommends him to me. I entreat
your Majesty to receive him graciously.Monsieur de Salvier, my brother's chamberlain.

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Yes, sire, he is atMarseilles and writes me. Thence as he
speak to you of this conspiracy.No, but strongly recommends a Monsieur de
Villefort and begs me to present himto your Majesty. Monsieur de Villefort,

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cried the King. Is the messenger'sname, Monsieur de Villefort, Yes,
sir, and he comes from Marseillein person. Oh, I did you
not mention his name at once,replied the King, betraying some uneasiness,
Sire, I thought his name wasunknown to your majesty. No, no,

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black car. He is a manof strong and elevated understanding, ambitious
too, and Pardieu, you knowhis father's name is father? Yes,
Noirtier, Noirtier the girondin noirtier,the senator, he himself and your majesty

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as employees, the son of sucha man Blackair, My friend, you
have but limited comprehension. I toldyou Villefort was ambitious, and to attain
his ambition, Villefort would sacrifice everything, even his father. Then, Sire,

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may I present him this instant duke? Where is he waiting below in
my carriage? Seek him at once? I hastened to do so. The
Duke left the royal presence with thespeed of a young man. His really
sincere royalism made him youthful again.Louis eighteenth remained alone, and, turning

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his eyes on his half opened Horace, muttered, justum et tanakem propositi virum.
Monsieur de Blacar returned as speedily ashe had departed, but in the
ante chamber he was forced to appealto the King's authority. Villefort's dusty garb,
his costume, which was not ofcourtly cut, excited the susceptibility of

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Monsieur de Bres, who was allastonishment at finding that this young man had
the audacity to enter before the Kingin such attire. The Duke, however,
overcame all difficulties with a word hisMajesty's order, and in spite of
the protestations which the Master of Ceremoniesmade for the honor of his office and

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principles, Villefort was introduced. TheKing was seated in the same place where
the Duke had left him. Onopening the door, Villefort found himself facing
him, and the young magistrate's firstimpulse was to pause. Come in,
Monsieur de Villefort said, the King. Come in. Villefort bowed and,

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advancing a few steps, waited untilthe King should interrogate him. Monsieur de
Villefort said, Louis eighteenth, theDuc du blacars assume use me. You
have some interesting information to communicate,Sire. The Duke is right, and
I believe your Majesty will think itequally important in the first place, and

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before everything else, Sir, isthe news as bad in your opinion as
I am asked to believe? Sire? I believe it to be most urgent,
But I hope for the speed Ihave used that it is not irreparable.
Speak as fully as you please,sir, said the King, who

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began to give way to the emotionwhich had showed itself in Blackha's face and
affected Villefort's voice, speak, Sir, and prayer begin at the beginning.
I like order in everything, Sire, said Villefort. I will render a
faithful report to your Majesty, butI must entreat your forgiveness if my anxiety

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leads to some obscurity in my language. A glance, said the King.
After this discreet and subtle Exodium assuredVillefort of the benignity of his august auditor,
and he went on, Sire,I have come as rapidly to Paris
as possible to inform your Majesty thatI have discovered, in the exercise of

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my duties, not a commonplace andinsignificant plot, such as is every day
got up in the lower ranks ofthe people and in the army, but
an actual conspiracy, a storm whichmenaces no less than your Majesty's throne.
Sire. The Usurppa is arming threeships. He meditates some project, which,

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however mad, is yet perhaps terrible. At this moment he will have
left Elba to go whither I knownot, but assuredly to attempt a landing,
either at the Naples or on thecoast of Tuscany, or perhaps on
the shores of France. Your Majestyis well aware that the surf of the
island of Elba has maintained his relationswith Italy and France. I am,

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sir, said the King much agitated, and recently we have had information that
the bonapartist clubs have had meetings inRue Saint Jacques. But proceed I beg
of you, how did you obtainthese details, Sire? They are the
results of an examination which I havemade of a man of Marseilles, whom
I have watched for some time andarrested on the day of my departure.

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This persona a sailor of turbulent characterand whom I suspected of bonapartism, has
been secretly to the island of Elba. There he saw the Grand Marshal,
who charged them with an oral messageto a bonapartist in Paris, whose name
I could not extract from him.But this mission was to prepare men's minds

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for a return. It is theman who says this, Sire, which
will soon occur. And where isthis man in prison? Sir sire?
And the matter seems serious to you, so serious, Sire, that when
the circumstance surprised me in the midstof a family festival. On the very

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day of my betrothal, I leftmy bride and friends, postponing everything that
I might hasten to lay at yourMajesty's feet, the fears which impressed me,
and the assurance of my devotion true, said Louis eighteen. Or was
there not a marriage engagement between youand Mademoiselle de Saint Meran, daughter of

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one of your Majesty's most faithful servants. Yes, yes, but let us
talk of this plot, Monsieur devillefort Sire. I fear it is more
than a plot. I fear itis a conspiracy. A conspiracy in these
times, said Louis. A smilingis a thing very easy to meditate,

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but more difficult to conduct to anend. Inasmuch as re established so recently
on the throne of our ancestors,we have our eyes open at once upon
the past, the present, andthe future. For the last ten months,
my ministers have redoubled their vigilance inorder to watch the shore of the

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Mediterranean. If Bonaparte landed at Naples, the whole coalition would be on foot
before he could even reach Pioremono.If he landed Tuscany, he would be
in an unfriendly territory. If helanded in France, it must be with
a handful of men, and theresult of that would be easily foretold.

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Execrated as he is by the population. Take courage, sir, but at
the same time rely on our royalgratitude. Ah here is a monsieur d'andres,
cried de Blacas. At this instant, the Minister of Police appeared at
the door, pale trembling, andis ready to faint. Villefort was about

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to retire, but Monsieur de Blacar, taking his hand, restrained him.
End of Chapter ten.