World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 137 The Tomb of the Villefort Family (1)
Two days later, near ten o'clock in the morning, a large crowd gathered in front of the mansion of M. de Villefort, and saw the whole district of Saint-Honoré and the whole Rue Nursery lined with mourning carriages and private carriages. , driving forward in an endless stream.Among the funeral carriages, one was different in shape from the others, as if it had arrived after a long journey.It was a large caravan, painted black, and had come here with the first carriages to take the funeral.Everyone was asking what was going on, and finally figured it out. It turned out that it was a rare coincidence. The car contained the remains of the Marquis of Saint-Méran. Everyone came to give a funeral to a person. Now the funeral convoy In front of them were two corpses.There were many mourners.The Marquis of Saint-Méran was one of the dignitaries who devoted their allegiance to the two kings, Louis XVIII and Charles X, and made many friends during his lifetime.In addition, out of social etiquette, those who had contacts with Villefort also came.In this way, the funeral procession is indeed very impressive.

The town authorities have already said hello, and with the approval of the authorities, the two funerals can be held at the same time.Therefore, another carriage arranged as a hearse drove up to M. de Villefort's house, and the coffin was carried from the station caravan to this magnificent four-wheeled carriage converted into a hearse.Both bodies were to be interred in the Pere Lachaise cemetery, where M. de Villefort had already found a cemetery for his family and built a grave.Poor René had already rested in that grave, and now her parents were about to join her there after an absence of ten years.

Parisians are always very curious, and they always feel sad when they see the funeral scene.At this time, the two old aristocrats who had just died maintained traditional thinking, treated people with awe-inspiring righteousness, and were well-known for their righteousness.The Parisians saw each one piously and solemnly, silently watching the funeral procession pass by.Beauchamp, Albert, and Chateau-Renoir traveled in the same carriage.The death of Mrs. Saint-Meran was very sudden, and the three of them discussed in the carriage.

"I saw Madame de Saint-Méran last year at Marseilles," said Chateau-Renaud, "when I had just returned from Algeria, and I saw her in very good health, with a clear head and a flexible body, and she could live a lifetime." Hundred years old. How old is she?"

"Seventy," answered Albert, "at least that's what Franz told me. But she died not because of old age, but because she was too sad after the death of the Marquis. It seems that after the death of the Marquis, she was very sad, The spirit has never fully recovered."

"But what disease did she die of?" asked Beauchamp.

"It seems to be cerebral congestion, and it may also be a fulminant stroke. Isn't this all the same thing?"

"Not too much."

"Stroke?" said Beauchamp. "It's unbelievable. I've seen Madame de Saint-Méran once or twice, and she's small and slender, with a constitution that seems neurotic rather than sanguine, isn't she? Like Saint-Méran." It's rare for Madam Meilan's constitution to cause a stroke because of too much sadness."

"In a word," said Albert, "whether she died of illness or was cured by a doctor, M. de Villefort, or Mademoiselle Valentine, or rather our friend Franz A large inheritance, I suppose eighty thousand livres a year."

"When the old Jacobin, Nouakier, is a hundred years old, this legacy may be doubled."

"He's a stubborn old man," said Beauchamp. "Tenac empropositi virum is Latin: a strong-willed man. I think he's betting death that he'll be the old one for the young one. My fellow, He really could do it. It was this 93-year-old member of the National Convention who told Napoleon in 1814 that Napoleon was defeated by the Anti-French Alliance and exiled to the island of Elba. So it will sink, because your empire is a young plant that grows too fast and has no stamina. You may as well protect the Republic, and we can return to the battlefield after recharging our strength. I guarantee you will have an army of 50. One more battle of Marengo, one more victory at Austerlitz. Thoughts do not perish, sometimes they sleep, but wake up stronger than before the sleep.'”

"It seems so," said Albert, "for him a man and an idea are the same. But there is one thing that makes my heart pound. Franz's wife is the old man's inseparable part. How can I deal with Franz after I know it. But this Franz, where is he?"

"In the first carriage, with M. de Villefort, who already considers him a family member."

The contents of the conversations in each of the funeral carriages were similar, and everyone felt strange that the two old people died so close to each other, and all of them died so suddenly, but in these carriages, no one Suspected of the terrible secret which M. Affini had revealed to M. de Villefort during that midnight walk.The funeral procession walked for almost an hour and arrived at the gate of the cemetery.The weather was mild and gloomy, a good time for a funeral.Chateau-Renoir recognized Morrel in the crowd as the mourners approached the tomb of the Villefort family.Morrel, who came by himself in a buggy, was pale and walked silently along the path lined with yew trees.

"Here you are!" said Chateau-Renoir, taking the young captain's arm. "So you know M. de Villefort? If so, why have I never met you at his house?"

"I do not know M. de Villefort," replied Morrel, "but I know Madame de Saint-Meran."

At this moment, Albert and Franz came together.

"This is not really the place for an introduction," said Albert, "but it does not matter, we are not superstitious people. Permit me, M. Morrel, to introduce you to M. Franz d'Epinet, a very fine man. My dear Franz, this is M. Maximilian Morrel, a wonderful friend I made in your absence, and whenever I speak of You'll hear me mention his name when he's heart, head, and boldness."

For a moment Morrel hesitated.He couldn't help asking himself, the person in front of him was his secret rival in love, and now he greeted him with an almost friendly gesture, was this too hypocritical and should be condemned?But he remembered his oath again, and how solemn it was when he swore it, and trying to control his emotions, he bowed to Franz without showing any emotion.

"Mademoiselle de Villefort must be very sad, isn't she?" said Debray to Franz.

"Ah, sir," said Franz, with indescribable sadness, "she is so dead this morning that I hardly recognize her."

This sentence sounded ordinary, but it deeply hurt Morrel's heart.So this man has seen Valentine and spoken to her?The young officer's heart was filled with anger, how much perseverance he needed to restrain himself and not violate his oath!He took Chateau-Renoir's arm, and led him hastily toward the grave.Funeral workers have placed two coffins in the grave.

"What a magnificent dwelling," said Beauchamp, glancing at the whole tomb, "this is a palace warm in winter and cool in summer, and you will live in it too, my dear Épinet, because you will soon be part of the family." I, being a philosopher, want only a cottage in the country, like a little cottage under the bushes over there, and I don't like so many square stones to weigh on my poor body. When dying, I want to say something to those who came to die. Voltaire wrote to Piron French poet and playwright (1689-1773). What the letter said: Eorus (Latin: Go to the country.), from now on, everything will stop... . . . Oh, what the hell, Franz, take heart, your wife has an inheritance."

"To tell you the truth, Beauchamp," said Franz, "you are a pain in the ass. Politics has got you into the bad habit of being sarcastic about everything, so that the real man of business is afraid of everything." Credulity. But at the end of the day, Beauchamp, when you have the opportunity to be among the common people, and have the honor of being away from politics for a moment, you must take back the heart that you have left in the cloakroom of the House of Commons or the House of Lords."

"Oh, my God!" said Beauchamp, "what is life? It is only a moment in the antechamber of death."

"I think Beauchamp is a nuisance," said Albert, stepping back a little with Franz, while Beauchamp was giving Debray his philosophic discourse.

Villefort's family tomb is square in shape, surrounded by white stones of the same color. The tomb is about 20 feet high. The tomb is divided into two caves, one for Saint-Meran's family and the other for Villefort's family. Each cave is separate. open a door.Ordinary tombs are very ugly partitioned into layers of drawers, and the dead only get a small piece of pitiful space, on which the epitaph is engraved like a label.This is not the case with Villefort's family tomb. From the bronze door, one can see at a glance a dark and forbidding sacrificial room, behind which there is a partition wall, behind which is the real tomb.The two doors mentioned above are opened in this partition wall, respectively, the tombs of the house of Tongvillefort and the house of Saint-Meran.You can pour out your sorrow here. Some people who come to Père Lachaise Cemetery are just outings, and some are meeting lovers. They sing, shout, and run around, but the silent mourning in this tomb And tearful prayers without being disturbed by these laughers.

The two coffins have been placed on the right side, leaving the tomb of the Saint-Meran family. Under the coffins, there is a support that has been prepared and specially used for placing the coffin.Only Villefort, Franz, and a few close relatives entered the sacristy.The religious ceremony had already been held at the door of the tomb, and there was no eulogy at the time of burial, so the mourners left quickly.Chateau-Renoir, Albert, and Morrel went three together, Debray and Beauchamp two.Franz and Villefort stayed together at the door of the tomb, so Morrel found some excuse to stay, seeing Franz and Villefort coming out of the cemetery in the same mourning carriage, he felt that they Being alone can only be bad luck for him.On the way back to Paris, although he was in the same carriage with Chateau-Renoir and Albert, he did not hear a word of what they said.

Sure enough, when Franz bid farewell to Mr. Villefort, Mr. Villefort asked him: "Monsieur Baron, when can I see you again?"

"Anytime, sir," replied Franz.

"The sooner the better."

"You are welcome, sir. Shall we go back in the same car?"

"Is there any inconvenience to you?"

"Absolutely not."

(End of this chapter)