World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 126 Investigation (1)
M. de Villefort kept his promise to Mrs. Tanglars, and especially to himself, and tried every means to understand the means by which the Count of Monte Cristo had grasped the past of the Villa Auteuil.On the same day, he wrote to a Mr. Poweller to ask him about the situation.Mr Powell, a former prison superintendent who was later promoted to the Sheriff's Detective Agency, asked for two days to find out exactly who had access to the investigation.Two days later Villefort received a reply saying:

Monsieur the Count of Monte Cristo is known by one person, Lord Weimar, a foreigner, very wealthy, who is occasionally seen in Paris, and is in Paris at the moment.Elder Buzzoni is also familiar with the count. This elder is a Sicilian priest who has done a lot of good deeds in the East and has a good reputation there.

Villefort wrote back ordering an immediate inquiry into the exact circumstances of the two foreigners, and when the inquiries were completed the next evening, Villefort received a report saying:
The elder came to Paris for only one month, and now lives in a small building behind the Saint-Sulpice church.The building has only two floors, with a total of four rooms, that is, two rooms upstairs and two rooms downstairs. The four rooms can be lived in, all of which are rented by the elders alone.There are two rooms downstairs, one is the dining room, with walnut tables, chairs and dining cabinets; the other is the living room, with white wainscots on the walls, no other decorations, no carpets, wall clocks, it can be seen that the elder himself only uses what is absolutely necessary .There is also a living room upstairs, which is actually the favorite living room of the elders.Theological books and parchment volumes are piled up like a mountain in the room. According to the elder's servant, the owner is usually seen buried in the mountains of books for several months, so this room is called the living room, but it is actually a study.If a guest comes to visit, the servant must first peep through a narrow window. If the appearance is unfamiliar or not pleasing to him, he will answer that Mr. Elder is not in Paris.Most of the guests gave up on this, because they all knew that the elder traveled frequently, and once he went out, he would never return.Moreover, whether the elders live at home or not, whether in Paris or Cairo, their alms is never interrupted. The above-mentioned narrow window also serves as a revolving cabinet for alms, through which servants constantly distribute alms in the name of their masters.The adjacent room of the study is the bedroom, which contains only one bed without curtains and four chairs. Utrecht, the city of textile industry in the Netherlands.A yellow velvet couch and a prayer bench, but no other furniture.

Lord Waymar lives in Fontaine-St. Georges Street, and is an Englishman who spends his fortune and travels.Their rooms and furniture are all rented, and they only stay here for two or three hours a day, and rarely stay overnight.This man has his eccentricities, one of which is that he never converses in French, but people say that his French is quite pure.

The day after the prosecutors received these precious reports, a man got out of his carriage at the corner of Via Ferrou, knocked on a door painted olive green, and said he wanted to see Elder Buzzoni.

"Mister Elder went out early in the morning," replied the servant.

"Such an answer does not count for me," said the visitor, "because the man who sent me is at home if he asks for it. Please take the trouble to convey it to Elder Buzzoni..."

"I told you that he is not at home." Bo She said.

"Then when he comes back, please pass this business card and this secret letter to the elder. Is Mr. Elder at home at 8 o'clock tonight?"

"Oh, sure, sir, but if Mr. Elder is working, it's the same as not being there."

"I'll be back tonight at eight o'clock," said the visitor, and withdrew.

Sure enough, when the agreed time came, the same person arrived, in the same carriage, but this time the carriage did not stop at the corner of Ferru Street, but drove straight to the Green Gate.The man knocked on the door, and the door opened, and he walked in.The visitor saw the servant's respectful attitude towards him, and knew that his letter had received the desired effect.

"Is Mr. Elder at home?" the visitor asked.

"Yes, he is working in the study, but he is waiting for the arrival of the master." The servant replied.

The visitor climbed a rather steep staircase, entered the door and saw the elder sitting at a table, a large lampshade concentrated all the light on the table, while the rest of the room was in darkness.The elder was dressed in priestly attire, with the hood of a medieval pedant.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Buzzoni?" the visitor asked.

"Exactly, sir," replied the elder. Are you the ex-superintendent of prisons, Mr. Powell, who was sent to see me by the order of the police chief? "

"Exactly, sir."

"The police officer in charge of the security of Paris?"

"Yes, sir," replied the visitor, with a seeming hesitation, and a little blush on his cheeks which was more pronounced.

The elder held up the big glasses on the brackets, which not only covered his eyes, but also covered his sideburns on both sides.Then he sat down by himself and motioned for the guests to take their seats. "What's your business sir?" said the elder with a thick Italian accent.

"My mission, sir," said the visitor word by word, as if every word was forced out, "whether to the executor of the mission or to the interviewees whose mission is to be fulfilled, It's all extremely confidential." The elder nodded. "Yes," the visitor went on, "you are a man of integrity, Mr. Elder, and the Chief of Police is well respected. In his capacity as Chief Executive, and in the name of security, the Chief has sent me to ask you a question about security. Therefore, we hope that, Mr. Elder, you will not conceal the truth from the judiciary because of friendship or human considerations."

"But, sir, nothing you wish to know should disturb my conscience. I am a priest, sir, and therefore, for example, the secret of the confession should only be brought before the courts of God, and I cannot be compelled to communicate it to the world. court."

"Oh, don't worry, Monsieur the Presbyterian," said the visitor, "in any case we shall not trouble your conscience."

Hearing this, the elder pushed down the side of the lampshade against himself, and lifted the opposite side up, so that the light just shone on the visitor's face, while the elder's own face was always in the dark.

"Excuse me, Monsieur Elder," said the man sent by the prefect of police, "this light is too blinding."

The elder lowered the green lamp shade, "Now, sir, I am willing to listen with all my ears, please speak."

"Now to the point, do you know the Count of Monte Cristo?"

"I presume you mean Mr. Zakona?"

"Zacona! . . . Isn't his name Monte Cristo?"

"Monte Cristo is a place-name, or rather, the name of a rock, but not a surname."

"Well, well, there is no need to argue literally. Anyway, Mr. Monte Cristo and Mr. Zaccona are all one person..."

"Definitely the same person."

"Let's talk about Mr. Zakona."

"Ok."

"I asked you just now, do you recognize this person?"

"Very familiar."

"Who is he?"

"He is the son of a very rich shipowner in Malta."

"Yes, I know that, that's what they say. But, you know, the police can't be like everyone else."

"However," the elder said with a kind smile on his face, "if people say it is true, everyone should say so, and the police station should be the same as everyone."

"But are you sure of your own words?"

"What, I can't be sure of my own words?"

"Please note, sir, that I have no doubts about your sincerity, but I am only asking you, are you sure?"

"Listen, I know his father, Mr. Zakona."

"Ah! Ah!"

"Yes, I used to play with his son on the docks when I was little."

"But what about the earl's title?"

"You know, you can buy it for money."

"In Italy?"

"It's the same everywhere."

"But that property, people always say it's endless..."

"Well, as for property," replied the elder, "infinite, that's apt."

"You know him, so what do you think his property is?"

"Ah! 15 to 20 livres a year!"

"Ah, that figure is reasonable," said the visitor, "but they say he has three or four million!"

"Annual interest of two hundred thousand livres, sir, is exactly four million principal."

"But people say he has an annuity of 400 million!"

"Oh, that's not believable."

"Do you know his island of Monte Cristo?"

"Of course I know. Anyone who comes to France by sea from Palermo, Naples or Rome knows this island, because they pass by the side of the island and can see it from the road."

"I've heard it's a very charming resting place."

"It's a rock."

"Then why did the count buy a rock?"

"I just want to be an earl. If you want to be an earl in Italy, you must have a territory."

"You must have heard of the adventures of Mr. Zakona in his youth?"

"Old Zakona?"

"No, little Zakona."

"Well, I'm not sure at this point, since I haven't seen my young companion all this time."

"Did he go to war in the army?"

"I think he served."

"Which branch of the military are you in?"

"navy."

"Then you are not his confessor?"

"No, sir, I think he is a Protestant Christian church that believes in Lutheranism and follows Martin Luther's religious thought."

"What, Lutheran?"

"I said I felt it, but I didn't say how it would be. Besides, I thought religion was free in France."

"Of course, so now we're not talking about his beliefs, but about his actions. On behalf of the Chief of Police, I ask you to tell me all you know."

"He can be regarded as a benevolent person. In view of his outstanding contributions to Eastern Christians, the priest Pope named him a Christian Knight. This kind of grace is usually only bestowed on princes. He has made great contributions to the royal family or the country. He has won five Six high-level medals."

"Does he wear these medals?"

"Not wearing it, but he is very proud of it. He said he cherishes the rewards for the benefit of mankind, and despises the rewards for the destroyers of mankind."

"So this man is a Quaker, a sect of Christianity founded in the seventeenth century. A believer?"

"That's right. He's a Quaker. Of course he doesn't wear that kind of broad hat, and he doesn't wear that brown robe."

"Does he have any friends?"

"Yes, anyone who knows him well is his friend."

"But, he will always have some enemies, right?"

"only one person."

(End of this chapter)