World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 132 Madame Saint-Méran (2)
The next day Valentine came to her grandmother's room and found her still lying on the bed.Instead of calming down, the aged Marchioness had a melancholy fire in her eyes, on the contrary. "Oh, my God! Are you suffering more, grandmother?" cried Valentine, seeing her grandmother's distress.

"No, my child, no," said Madame de Saint-Meran, "but I am anxiously awaiting your arrival, and send for your father at once."

"My father?" asked Valentine anxiously.

"Yes, I have something to tell him."

Valentine did not dare to disobey her grandmother in the slightest, and she did not know what the old man wanted to talk about.Presently Villefort entered.

"Monsieur, you have written to say that it is time to consider the marriage of my child, have you not?" said Madame de Saint-Méran, as if she feared that her time was running out.

"Yes, madame," replied Villefort, "not merely considered, but settled."

"Is your son-in-law Franz Epinet?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"His father was General Epinet on our side, and was assassinated a few days before the rebel returned to France from Elba?"

"Exactly."

"Doesn't he dislike being married to a Jacobin's granddaughter?"

"It is a relief that our partisanship has subsided, mother," said Villefort; "M. d'Epinet, who was almost a boy when his father died, knew about M. Noirquier. In the future, if he is not happy with the old man, at least he won't mind."

"Is this marriage a good match?"

"It's a good match in every way."

"This young man...?"

"Everyone thinks highly of him."

"Is he a nice man?"

"He's one of the most outstanding young men I've ever known."

Valentine, who was listening to the conversation, remained silent.

"Very well, monsieur," said Madame de Saint-Meran after a moment's thought, "you must hasten, for I shall not live long."

"You, Madame!" "You, grandmother!" cried M. de Villefort and Valentine at the same time.

"I didn't say this casually, so you have to hurry up so that when she gets married, although she doesn't have a mother, at least she has a grandmother who can bless her. On René's side, I am the only relative of this child .Poor, my René, you have so quickly forgotten her, monsieur."

"Ah, madame!" said Villefort, "you cannot help thinking that the poor child must find a mother, now that she has lost her natural mother."

"A stepmother was never a mother, monsieur! But now we are talking about Valentine, so let's not talk about those things, let the dead rest in peace."

These words are very special, and they are fast like a cannonball. It seems that the old lady's words are not normal, as if she is about to start raving.

"It will be done according to your wishes, madame," said Villefort, "and you mean exactly what I think. As soon as M. Herné arrives in Paris..."

"Grandmother," said Valentine, "there is a funeral for reasons of etiquette... Do you really want to marry at such an inauspicious time?"

"My child," the grandmother interrupted the girl very unhappy, "don't mention such vulgar views, it will only restrain the mediocre people from making a solid future. I am myself I was married when my mother died, but I'm not unlucky for that."

"Again, madame!" said Villefort.

"Go on! Go on!... Let me tell you, I'm dying, understand? Well, before I die, I want to see my grandson-in-law. I want to tell him I must make my granddaughter happy, I want to see through his eyes whether he listens to me, in a word, I want to see what kind of person he is!" The old lady continued, with a terrible expression on her face, "If he doesn't behave according to the rules or do things according to the rules in the future, I'll crawl out of the grave and ask him to settle the score."

"Madame," said Villefort, "don't get too excited. One would be mad to think about it. When a dead man lies in his grave, he sleeps there, never to rise again."

"Oh, yes, yes, grandmother, don't get excited."

"But I must tell you, sir, that it is not what you think it is. I had a terrible sleep last night, because I thought I was asleep, but my spirit seemed to be wandering in my body." .I struggle to open my eyes, but I can't help them, they are always closed tightly. I know, you will not believe it, especially you, sir. Ah, I have closed eyes, but I see from the pass From the corner of the door leading to Madame de Villefort's dressing room, a white shadow crept in, and I saw it come again to the place where you are now."

Valentine could not help screaming.

"You are too excited to sleep well, madame," said Villefort.

"You may not believe it, but I am sure that what I say is absolutely true. I saw a white shadow, and it was as if God was afraid that I would not believe the evidence I had from only one sense. I also heard the sound of my cup being turned, look, look, it's this cup, the one on this table."

"Oh, grandma, this is a dream."

"It was not a dream at all, for I stretched out my hand to ring the bell, and the shadow disappeared as soon as I stretched out my hand. Then the maid came in with a lamp. The ghost appeared only to those who were supposed to see the ghost, and I saw What arrived was my husband’s soul. Ah! If my husband’s soul can come back and call me, why can’t my own soul come back to protect my granddaughter? I think the relationship between our grandparent and granddaughter is more direct.”

"Oh, Madame," said Villefort, deeply moved, "these thoughts are painful, and you must stop thinking about them. You will live with us in the future, and you will live long and happy, and we will love and respect you." You, will make you forget..."

"No! No! No!" said the Marchioness. "When will M. d'Epinay come back?"

"We're always waiting for him."

"Very well, come and tell me as soon as he arrives. We must hurry, hurry. Also, I want to see the notary, all our property belongs to Valentine, and I must be safe. Row."

"Oh, grandma," murmured Valentine, pressing her lips to her grandmother's hot brow, "are you trying to scare me to death? My God! You have a fever, and it is time to ask, isn't it?" What a notary, but a doctor!"

"A doctor?" said Madame de Saint-Meran, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm not sick, I'm just thirsty, everything else is fine."

"What would you like to drink, Grandma?"

"As usual, drink my orange juice, you know. My glass is here on the table. Bring it to me, Valentine."

Valentine picked up a carafe and poured a glass of orange juice, then took the glass and handed it to her grandmother.She couldn't help being a little apprehensive, because she heard from her grandmother that it was this cup that the shadow moved.The Marchioness drank the orange juice from her glass, then leaned her head on the pillow and kept saying, "Notary! Notary!"

M. de Villefort went out, and Valentine sat down by the bedside of her grandmother, whom the poor girl had just persuaded to send for a doctor, and who, it seemed, needed a doctor herself.Her cheeks were hot with a flush of flame, and her breathing was short and her pulse was pounding as if she had a fever.The poor girl was thinking how disappointed Maximilian would be if Madame de Saint-Méran didn't help Maximilian, let alone help him, and she didn't even know who she was.More than once Valentine wanted to tell her grandmother that if Maximilian Morrel had been like Albert Mocerf or Raoul Chateau-Renoir, she would not have hesitated for a moment.However, Morrel was of commoner origin, and Valentine knew that the Marquise de Saint-Méran was arrogant by nature and despised all people who were not of noble origin.When she was about to reveal her thoughts, they were buried deeply in her heart again, because she knew painfully and soberly that even if she revealed her heart, it would be useless, and once her secret was known by her father and grandmother, everything would be destroyed. It's all over.

After almost two hours in this way, Madame Saint-Meran was tossing and turning, and fell into a drowsy sleep.The servant announced the arrival of the notary.The voice of the servant announced was very soft, but Madame Saint-Meran immediately raised her head from the pillow.

"Notary?" she said. "Bring him in, let him in!"

The notary had come to the door, and entered the room.

"Go away, Valentine," said Madame de Saint-Meran, "and let me speak to this gentleman alone."

"But, grandma..."

"let's go."

The girl kissed her grandmother on the forehead, then took out her handkerchief, covered her eyes and left.She went to the door of the room and met M. de Villefort's valet, who told her that the doctor was waiting in the living room.Valentine hurried downstairs.The doctor was a family friend and a brilliant man of his day.He had delivered Valentine, a girl whom he had always been fond of.He had a daughter of his own, about the same age as Mademoiselle Valentine.But when his daughter was born, the child's mother was suffering from lung disease, so because of this daughter, he was not at ease all his life.

"Oh!" said Valentine, "my dear Monsieur Avrini, we are anxiously awaiting you. But tell me first, how are Madeleine and Antoinette?"

Madeleine was the daughter of M. Affrigny, and Antoinette his niece.Mr. Affini smiled wryly. "Antoinette is in good health," he said, "and as for Madeleine, she is in good health. Did you send for me, my dear child?" he continued, "probably not." Is your father or Madame de Villefort ill? As for us, it is self-evident that we are all bound to be troubled, but I think that when you come to me, it is only for me to talk to you, and it is better not to think about it. Too much is good, right?"

Valentine's face flushed.Mr. Avrini's diagnosis is almost to the degree of perfection. A doctor like him always treats the heart disease first.

"No," said Valentine, "my poor grandmother is ill. You know the misfortune of our family, don't you?"

"I don't know a thing," Affini said.

"Unfortunately," said Valentine, suppressing her sobs, "my grandfather has passed away."

"Monsieur Saint-Meran?"

"Yes."

"Sudden death?"

"Death from a fulminant stroke."

"Stroke?" the doctor asked again.

"Yes. My poor grandmother was always inseparable from her husband, so she always felt that he was calling her, that she was going to go to him. Ah, Mr. Avrini, the matter of my poor grandmother is please."

"What about her?"

"In her room, talking to the notary."

"How is Monsieur Noirquier?"

"It's still the same, my mind is very clear, but I still can't move or speak."

"But always love you, don't you, my dear boy?"

"Yes," said Valentine, with a sigh, "he really loves me."

"Who doesn't love you?"

Valentine smiled sadly.

"What's the matter with your grandmother?"

"The nerves are extremely excited, and it's not normal to have restless sleep. She said this morning that when she fell asleep, her soul was wandering above her body. The soul watched the body sleep. This is delirium. She said that she saw a ghost walking around. Going into her room, she also heard this so-called ghost moving her glass."

"That's strange," said the doctor. "I didn't know that Madame de Saint-Méran had hallucinations."

"It was the first time I saw her like this, too," said Valentine. "She frightened me this morning, and I thought she was crazy. And my father, of course, Monsieur Avrini, you know that I Father is very sensible, very measured, and oh, he seems to be panicking too."

"Let's go and see," said Mr. Avrini, "I think the things I've told you are queer."

At this moment the notary came down, and the servant came and told Valentine that her grandmother was alone in the room.

"Come upstairs, please," said the girl to the doctor.

"and you?"

"Oh, I dare not go up, she won't let me send someone to pick you up. Besides, as you said, I feel very bored, can't calm down, and I'm not in a good mood. I want to take a walk in the garden and take a walk." Relax."

The doctor shook hands with Valentine, and went upstairs to see the old lady, who came down the front steps.We need not repeat what part of the garden Valentine liked to walk in.Usually, she first turns around the flower beds around the building two or three times, plucks a rose and puts it in her belt or plugs in her hair. She walked towards the iron gate.This time, as usual, she walked around among the flowers two or three times, but did not pick the flowers.Though she for a moment neglected to express her condolences in dress, her heart was too distressed to adorn herself with such little adornments.She walked towards the path, and as she walked, she seemed to hear someone calling her name, and she couldn't help being startled, and the person stopped.Now the shout reached her more distinctly, and at last she recognized Maximilian's voice.

(End of this chapter)