World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 152 The Retired Baker's Room (1)
Earl Moserf was ignored by the banker, and he looked ashamed and angry when he came out of the Tangla mansion.On that evening, Mr. Andra Cavallecanti drove his open four-wheeled carriage into the courtyard of the banker's house in the Rue d'Antin almost standing. The beard was trimmed to be angular, and the snow-white gloves were tightly stretched on the hands, even the shape of the nails could be clearly seen.After arriving in the living room and talking for only 10 minutes, he dragged Tangra to the edge of the window, first made a preface obediently, and then the topic turned to his life, saying that since his noble father left Paris, He is alone in his sorrows.He said that after his father left, thanks to the banker family who treated him as a parent and child, he felt that he could get the happiness that a man expected before falling in love. As for the passion of love, he was also lucky. Met in Miss Tanglar's beautiful eyes.

Tang Gela listened intently. He had been waiting for two or three days for this confession. Now that he finally heard it, his eyes suddenly opened round and big. It's squinting, without any luster.But Tang Gela didn't want to just agree to the marriage proposal proposed by this young man, and had to check his sincerity beforehand.

"Monsieur Andra," he said, "are you a little too young to think of marriage now?"

"No, sir," said Cavalle-Conti, "at least I don't think so. In Italy, nobles generally get married relatively early. This custom is logical. A person's life is full of opportunities. When happiness passes us by, It must be caught immediately."

"Now, sir," Tangla said, "I am very honored for you to propose a marriage. If my wife and daughter can agree, who should we discuss with? I think it is a big deal to discuss such a matter, and it should be done by If the fathers of both sides come to talk, we can make more appropriate arrangements for the happiness of the children."

"Sir, my father is a shrewd man, thoughtful and reasonable. He considered that I might intend to start a family in France, so he has already made arrangements. When he left, he not only left me various documents to prove my identity , and also left a letter saying that as long as my choice is in line with his wishes, he will give me another 15 livres every year from the date of my marriage. According to my calculation, this annuity accounts for a quarter of my father's income .”

"I myself," said Tangra, "had already planned to give my daughter 50 francs when she got married, and she was the sole heir to my property."

"Excellent!" said Andra, "you see, if the Baroness Tangra and Mademoiselle Eugenie do not object to what I propose, then this matter is simply a match made in heaven. In terms of annuities alone, the two of us have 17.5 miles." Well, there's one more thing we can think of, that I won't pay me an annuity for the Marquis, but just a principal--it won't be easy, I know, but it might work , you can increase the value of our two or three million yuan, and when the two or three million yuan reaches the master, you can always make a profit."

"I never pay more than four per cent," said the banker, "even three and a half per cent, but to my son-in-law I can pay five per cent, and the profits are shared."

"Oh, that's great, father-in-law!" said Cavalle-Conti, who showed a somewhat vulgar nature without noticing. Although he tried to put on an aristocratic air, he would show his flaws from time to time.As soon as the words fell, he quickly changed his words again: "Oh, please forgive me, sir," he said, "I'm just hoping now, and I'm so flustered. In the future, things will really happen, and I really don't know what it will be like? "

"However," Tang La said, the conversation was still very detached and indifferent. Now that the topic changed to business, he didn't notice it at all. "Your father must give you a part of your property, right?"

"Which part?" Andra asked.

"The part that Ling Tang bequeathed."

"Ah, yes, the part bequeathed by my mother, Leonora Corcinari."

"How much can this part of property have?"

"Well," said Andra, "I'll tell you the truth, sir, I've never seriously thought about it, but I figure it's at least two million."

Tangra felt so overjoyed that he couldn't even breathe. At this moment, he felt like a miser seeing a lost and recovered treasure, or like a man who was about to drown suddenly felt that his feet were not a bottomless abyss, but a stepping stone. A piece of hard soil.

"Well, sir," said Andra, bowing respectfully to the banker, "may I say that I have hope..."

"Mr. Andra," Tangla said, "not only is there hope, but you can also be confident that if there is no obstacle on your side, the matter will be settled like this. However," Tangra said after thinking, "The Count of Monte Cristo Monsieur is your protector in Paris society, why didn't he accompany you to propose marriage?"

An imperceptible blush appeared on Andra's face. "I come from the Count, sir," he said, "and the Count is a very lovely man indeed, but he is also incredibly eccentric. He was very supportive of me, and even told me that he thought my father He will give me the principal very readily, instead of only giving an annuity as it is now. He promised to use his influence to help me win the principal from my father. But he told me clearly that talking about marriage for others, He has never done it before, and he will never do it again. However, I must do him justice, and I appreciate his attention, and he said that for his high-spirited attitude, if he felt that he had something to do with it. If you have any regrets, it is my marriage, because he thinks this marriage is very happy and well-suited. Besides, although he has no intention of making an official appearance, he told me that if you ask him anything, he will definitely Answer all questions."

"Ah, great."

"Now," Andra said with a smile on her face, "I have finished talking to my father-in-law, and I want to say a few more words to the banker."

"What do you want to say to the banker? Please tell me." Tang La also said with a smile.

"I have a sum of 4000 francs to be withdrawn in your bank the day after tomorrow, but the earl knows that my expenses may increase next month. The income I am living alone now is not enough. This is what he gave me. A check for [-] francs. I must make it clear that he gave me the check for money, not a gift, and it was signed by him. You are not inconvenient, are you?"

"If you give me a check like this for 100 million, I will accept it as it is," Tang La said, taking the check and putting it in his pocket. "Tell me, when is it appropriate to give it to you tomorrow? My cashier I must have brought a receipt for 2.4 francs to you on time."

"If you agree, it will be ten o'clock tomorrow morning. I think the sooner the better. Tomorrow I want to go to the country."

"It will be 10 o'clock. Are you still staying at the Prince Hotel?"

"Yes."

The punctuality of the banker was really impressive, and the 2.4 francs were delivered to the young man on time the next day. The young man left 200 francs for Cuderos, and then he really left the hotel.This day Andra left the hotel mainly to avoid his dangerous friend, so he didn't return to the hotel until late in the evening as much as possible.But no sooner had he stepped into the hotel's ashlar courtyard than he met the hotel porter, who was waiting for him with a peaked cap in his hand.

"Sir," said the porter, "that man has been here."

"Which person?" Andra asked casually, as if he had forgotten who that person was, but in fact, on the contrary, he remembered it clearly in his heart.

"The man to whom your Excellency gave this small pension."

"Ah, yes," said Andra, "a servant who served my father earlier. Well, did you give him the two hundred francs I left him?"

"Yes, sir, I gave it all."

Andra asked the people in the restaurant to address him as Your Excellency.

"But," went on the porter, "he won't take the money."

Andra's face suddenly turned pale. Fortunately, it was at night, and no one saw his face turn pale. "What? He won't take the money?" he said, looking a little restless.

"No! He wanted to see Your Excellency, and I told him you were out. He insisted on seeing you, but he seemed to believe it at last, and handed me this letter, which he brought with him, and was sealed long ago. .”

"Okay," Andra said.Then he read by the headlights of his hansom:

You know where I live, and I'll be waiting for you at nine o'clock tomorrow morning.

Andra carefully checked the seal again to see if anyone had opened it, and if anyone had peeked at the contents of the letter without knowing it, but the letter was folded well, with edges and corners, and if one wanted to peek, one had to remove the seal. Open it, but the seal is well sealed. "Very well," said he, "that's very poor, he's such a good fellow!"

The porter was so moved by this, that he did not know which one he should admire, the young master, or the old servant.

"Unhook the horse quickly, and go upstairs to find me immediately." Andra said to his little servant boy.

Andra walked upstairs into his room in two steps, and immediately lit a fire to burn Cuderos's letter to ashes.He had hardly burned the letter when the servant boy came into the room.

"You have the same figure as me, Pierre," said Andra.

"It is my pleasure, sir," replied the servant boy.

"Have you got the new livery that was sent to you yesterday?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'm going to deal with a chick who makes clothes now, but I don't want to tell her my title and identity. You lend me your livery and bring me your papers, in case you need it." , I can spend the night in a small inn."

Pierre immediately brought the livery and papers. Five minutes later, Andra walked out of the hotel after some disguise, but no one recognized him, and then he got into a covered two-wheeled carriage and came to the Red Horse Inn in Picopeace.The next day he left the Red Horse Inn, just as he left the Prince Hotel, without attracting any attention.Then he came to Saint-Antoine, followed the avenue to the Rue Menilmontant, and stopped at the third house on the left.The porter happened to be away, so he looked around for someone to ask.

"Who are you looking for, handsome boy?" asked a fruit woman across the street.

"Where does Mr. Partan live, my fat aunt?"

"Is that the retired baker?" asked the fruit woman.

"Yes, it's him."

"Live on the fourth floor on the left hand side at the end of this yard."

Andra walked along the path she pointed, and went up to the fourth floor. When she saw the rabbit's palm-shaped rope bell holding the handle, she pulled the rope bell full of anger, and the room suddenly rang loudly. Caderos's face peeped from behind the iron frame on the door.

"Oh, you're on time," he said, and drew the latch back.

"Of course!" said Andra as she entered the room.He threw the big cap boy he was wearing forward, but he didn't want to miss the chair, the hat fell to the ground, and rolled around in the room.

"Oh, oh," said Cuderos, "don't be mad, little boy! I'm really thinking of you, don't you see, don't we want a good meal? That's what you like to eat, Smell it yourself!"

Andra took a breath, and sure enough, she smelled the smell of dishes. Although she knew that it was just some crude food, it was enough to make her hungry.The smell is mixed, there is the smell of fresh fat meat stewed in garlic that the low class people in Provence love to eat, there is the smell of grilled fish with cheese, and the most offensive smell is the seasoning of cardamom and clove flowers. The covered deep-bottomed dinner plate, the contents of a pan are gurgling on the cast iron stove, and the smell of the dishes in the room is emitted from here.There was another room next to it, and Andra saw a fairly clean table in that room.On the table were two sets of cutlery, and two bottles of wine, both sealed with varnish, one green, the other yellow.In addition, a carafe was half full of spirits, and a glazed earthenware basin contained a heap of miscellaneous fruits, but a large cabbage leaf was neatly placed under the fruit.

"What do you think, my boy?" said Caderos, "Well, it tastes so good! But you know, I don't even tell you what I cook over there, and everyone licks their fingers. Do you remember? You were the first to taste the sauce I made, and I think you thought it tasted good at first, right?" Caderos said while picking up another onion and peeling it, ready to add it to the pot add.

"Very good, very good," Andra said angrily, "Really! You torment me like this, just asking me to come and have a meal with you? Go to hell!"

"My son," said Cuderosse, with an air of reprimand, "we ate and chatted. Besides, you ungrateful fellow, wouldn't you like to come and see your friend? I am Tears of joy filled my eyes.”

Cudeross did indeed shed tears, though it is hard to say whether this was from joy or from the onions that stimulated the tear ducts of the former owner of the Pont-Gardle inn.

"Stop talking nonsense, you are too fake." Andra said, "How are you with me, you?"

"Yes, I like you, or let the devil take me away. I am soft-hearted," said Caderousse, "I know it myself, but I can't help it."

"But don't you still hide evil intentions and trick me?"

"Hey, come on!" said Cuderos, wiping his big, broad kitchen knife on his apron, "you're making me miserable now, and if I don't love you, Can I bear it? Look for yourself, you are wearing the livery of your servant, so you have a servant to wait on you, but I don’t have one, so I have to pick vegetables myself. You don’t like my cooking, Because you dine at the VIP table at the Dauphin or at the Café de Paris. Hey! I could have a servant, I could have a buggy, I could eat where I wanted. Well, I Why are you picking on yourself? I don’t want to trouble my little brother Benedetto. Well, you have to be honest, it’s okay if I want to, huh?” When he said the last few words, Card A gleam flashed in Rose's eyes.

"Okay," said Andra, "Even if you love me, why do you insist on me having dinner with you?"

"Want to see you, little brother."

"If you want to see me, why bother? Our terms have already been negotiated."

"Well, my dear friend," said Caderos, "isn't it allowed to add more things after making a will? But you came to eat first, didn't you? Oh! You see, sit down, and we will eat first." The sardines and crème fraiche, I put a few grape leaves under it for you, you wretch. Oh, well, you're looking at my room, I have four chairs with grass stuffed upholstery, those few The paintings are only worth 3 francs each, alas! What can I do? This is not the Dauphin Hotel."

"Oh, you've got a big appetite now. You just wanted to look like a retired baker, and now you're not satisfied."

Caderos heaved a sigh.

"Well, you've seen your dreams come true, now, what more is there to say?"

"I say, it's still a dream. A retired baker, my poor Benededo, who must be a rich man with an annuity."

"That's right, you also get an annuity."

"I?"

"Yes, you, didn't I give you two hundred francs?"

Caderos shrugged. "It's really low-spirited to take this money," he said. "People give this money and they feel a hundred unhappy. Besides, this is a matter of today and no tomorrow. It is very likely that if there is no tomorrow, there will be no. You know, I have to Save yourselves, and if your luck ever comes to an end, I am prepared, alas, my friend! As the... chaplain said, fate is fickle. I know it well, You bastard is lucky now, and you are going to marry Tang Gela's daughter."

"What? Tangra?"

"Certainly, it's Tangra! Do I have to say Baron Tangla is not successful? Isn't that the same as asking me to talk about Count Benedetto? Tangla was still my friend earlier, if his memory is not as bad as it is now , when you got married, he had to ask me to go, you know, he was at my wedding... yes, yes, yes, he was at my wedding! Hey! How could he be so pompous then? He's just a boy in the firm of that good M. Morrel. I don't dine with him, and with the Count Mecerf... Hey, you see, my acquaintance There are also beautiful ones, as long as I walk around with them, maybe you and I will meet in some living room."

"Forget it, you're so envious that you don't know how high the sky is, Cuderos."

"What I say is true, Benedetto, I am not talking nonsense. Maybe one day, I will put on a frock coat and ride in a carriage to the gate of a deep house and shout: 'Please Open'! But now, sit down, and let's eat."

Caderos himself began to eat with relish, and when he served a dish to the guests, he praised how delicious it was.The guest seemed to be desperate, so he uncorked the wine bottle and ate Provence fish soup and braised cod with garlic oil.

"Ah, brother," said Caderos, "it seems you have made peace with the boss who served you?"

"Of course," Andra replied. He was young and strong, and it was more important for him to have a full stomach at this time.

"Does it taste good to you, motherfucker?"

"It's so delicious, so I don't understand. How can a person think that life is not good when he can have such good things to eat and drink?"

"You know," said Caderousse, "that when I think of something, my happy life takes a turn for the worse."

"what's up?"

"It's just that I rely on a friend to help me live now, but as a person, I have been earnestly supporting myself all my life."

"Oh! Oh! What does it matter?" said Andra. "I have enough money for two, and you needn't be sorry."

"No, really, believe it or not, I'm going to be quite ashamed at the end of the month."

"It's very kind of you, Caderousse!"

"So I didn't have the nerve to take the 200 francs yesterday."

(End of this chapter)