World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 17 Father and Son

It turned out that it was M. Noirquier who came, and he followed the servant until he saw him leave the room and close the door, and then he went to open the door again, no doubt afraid that the servant would overhear in the hall.His caution was not superfluous, and Germain hurried away, but it cannot be said that he was so innocent.M. Noirquier took the trouble to close the hall door, and when he came back he closed and bolted the bedroom door, and then he stretched out his hand towards Villefort.Villefort, still in shock, watched the opening and closing of the door.

"Well, my dear Gérard," said M. Noirquier to Villefort, looking at him with an inexplicable smile on his lips, "you know yourself, you see I can't seem to be happy?"

"How can it be, father," said Villefort, "I am very happy, but far from expecting you to come, I am rather bewildered."

"But, my dear boy," said M. Noirquier, sitting down, "it seems to me that I can tell you something that is not stupid. What? Tell me, February 2 at Marseilles." Engaged, but you will be in Paris on March 28rd?"

"Father, I'm coming to Paris," said Gérard, leaning closer to M. Noirquier. "Don't complain. I'm here for you. This trip may save you."

"Is that so?" said Noirquier, lazily reclining in his chair. "Is that so? Then tell me what happened, Mr. Judge. It must be very interesting."

"Father, have you ever heard of a Napoleonic party club in the Rue Saint-Jacques?"

"No. 53 Rue Saint-Jacques? Yes, I'm still the vice-chairman of the club!"

"Father, your calmness terrifies me."

"What are you afraid of, my dear child? If you are a democrat during the French bourgeois revolution by the Montagne, named after sitting on the highest point of the National Convention chamber. Expelled, once escaped from Paris in a hay cart, in Bordeaux If you're cornered by Robespierre's spies on the moors, you'll see a lot of the world. Go on, eh! What happened to the club in the Rue Saint-Jacques?"

"The thing is, they asked General Kennel to go there, and General Kennel left home at 9 o'clock in the evening, and his body was not found in the Seine until the third day."

"Who told you such an interesting story?"

"The king himself said it."

"Well, now that you've told your story," Noirquier went on, "I've got a piece of news for you."

"Father, I think I already know what you're going to say."

"Ah! You already know that His Majesty the Emperor has landed?"

"Don't shout, father, please speak in a low voice, first for your own sake and secondly for my own. Yes, I knew about it long ago, even before you. I set off from Marseilles three days ago and came here without stopping. I was in such a hurry all the way, Paris, that I hated myself for not being able to send the news that excited me 1600 miles away.”

"Three days ago? Are you crazy? Three days ago, the emperor didn't board the ship!"

"It doesn't matter if you get on the boat or not, anyway, I already know his plan."

"How do you know?"

"From a letter from Elba to you."

"Letter to me?"

"I found the letter for you in the messenger's bag. If this letter falls into someone else's hands, father, you may be shot at this time."

Villefort's father could not help laughing. "It's not easy," he said. "It seems that the restored royal family has learned to be swift and decisive from our emperor. Shoot! My dear boy, you are very happy! Where is the letter? I I know you so well that you won't let the letter go, and I'm not worried about that."

"I was afraid that a scrap of paper would be left behind, so I simply burned the letter. This letter is your verdict."

"And it will ruin your future," Nouakiye said coldly, "Yes, I know this kind of thing well, but with your protection, I have nothing to worry about."

"It's not just protection, I saved you."

"Ah! Ah! The more you talk about it, the more serious it becomes. Please explain again."

"We have to go back to the clubs on the Rue Saint-Jacques."

"It seems that this club is very attractive to the police gentlemen. Who told them not to search carefully? They can find it."

"They haven't found it, but there are already clues."

"This is a ready-made saying, and I know this trick. If the case fails, they say that they have found clues and are chasing them, so the government waits patiently. In the end, the police are dejected and say that the clues are broken."

"Yes, but they found a body. General Kennell committed suicide, which is called murder everywhere in the world."

"Murder? That's what you said. There is no evidence that the general died of murder. People are caught every day in the Seine River. Some jumped into the river in despair, and some couldn't swim and drowned."

"Father, you know very well that the general did not commit suicide by jumping into the river in despair, nor would he swim in the Seine in January. No, no, don't be confused. The general's death has been clearly identified as murder."

"Who identified it?"

"The king himself."

"King! I thought he was quite reasonable and understood that there is no murder in politics. My dear child, you and I both understand that politics only talks about ideas but not people, only interests and not feelings, politics does not kill people, it just moves people. Drop the block, that's politics. Do you want to know how it all works? Well, I might as well tell you. At first people thought we could rely on General Kenel, who was recommended to us by Elba. We One of them went to him and asked him to meet in the Rue Saint-Jacques, where we would meet friends. He went, and he was told the whole plan, from the island of Elba to the landing. But what waited for him? He heard everything, understood everything, and there was nothing more to explain to him, but he said that he was a royalist. Everyone looked at each other, and then asked him to swear not to reveal the secret, and he swore, but very reluctantly, what? By God only. In spite of this, he was allowed to go without any restraint. Who can you blame, my dear boy, for he did not come home? You speak of murder. In truth, Villefort, I am very surprised by your statement. How can you, as a deputy public prosecutor, make a false accusation? Did I say to you when I was in the office, 'My son, you're guilty of murder'? No, I just said, 'Well, sir, today you've got it right, but tomorrow we can turn it around.'"

"However, I hope father will be more careful. We will never show mercy when we turn defeat into victory."

"I don't understand what you mean by that."

"You're all counting on the usurper's comeback."

"I admit, I think so."

"You miscalculated, father. He will be hunted, rounded up, and captured alive like a beast within a hundred leagues of French territory."

"My dear boy, at this moment the Emperor is on his way to Grenoble, and on the 10th or 12th he will reach Lyons, and on the 20th or 25th he will be in Paris."

"The people will rise..."

"Rise up and meet the emperor."

"There are very few people around him, and we immediately sent heavy troops to encircle and suppress him."

"The heavy troops sent out will surely escort the emperor back to the capital. Seriously, my dear Gérard, you are only a child. Only when you saw a telegram three days after the emperor landed did you know what a traitor was and how many times he followed. They landed in Cannes, they've sent troops after them, etc., so you think you know the situation. But where are they? What are they doing? You don't know anything, what's being pursued, that's all you know A little bit? Haha! The pursuers chased him all the way to Paris without firing a single shot."

"The two cities of Grenoble and Lyon are loyal to the royal family, and they will definitely be two barriers that the rebels cannot overcome."

"Grenoble will open its gates to him with enthusiasm, and Lyon will come out to welcome him. Listen to me, our news is as good as yours, and our spies are as good as yours. Would you like to give Do you have evidence? You didn’t want me to know you were here, but I knew you were here half an hour after you passed the checkpoint. The address of your stay was only told to the coachman at the post station. Haha, didn’t I know it too? I came just as you sat down to dine, and here is the proof. Please ring the bell for another set of cutlery, and we shall dine together."

"Yes," replied Villefort, looking at his father in amazement, "yes, I think you are very well informed."

"Oh, my God, this is the easiest thing. You have the power in your hands, but you have no other way but to give money. We are only looking forward to power in the future, and with dedication we have a way. "

"Devotion?" said Villefort, laughing.

"Yes, it is devotion, and in plain words, it is ambition full of confidence." Having said this, Villefort's father stretched out his hand to ring the bell.The son refused to call the servant, so Lao Tzu called for it himself.

"Wait a minute, father," said the young man, "I will say one more word."

"Go ahead."

"No matter how incompetent the Royalist police may be, they still know a terrible situation."

"what's the situation?"

"On the morning of General Kennel's disappearance, someone went to the general, and the person's face was already known."

"Ah, the police already knew about it, and they did a pretty good job! What does that man look like?"

"Sun-complexioned, with black hair, temples, and eyes, in a blue large-breasted frock coat with a Medal of Honor rosette in the buttonhole, a wide-brimmed hat, and a white cane cane."

"Ah, ah, they all know?" asked Noirquier, "If that's the case, why didn't the man be arrested?"

"Because they lost him yesterday, or the day before yesterday, at the corner of the Rue Coque-Eron."

"I told you a long time ago that your spies are morons."

"Yes, but they'll find him soon."

"It will be found," said Noirquier, looking around indifferently. "If the man hadn't been reminded, he would have been found, but now he has been reminded," he continued with a slight smile, "he can change his appearance and clothing."

At this point he stood up, took off his coat and tie, went to the table where his son's toiletries were placed, picked up the razor, soaped his face, and neatly shaved off the troublesome sideburns, The spies could no longer find such a prominent mark.Villefort looked on, with a look of great horror, but also some admiration.After shaving his sideburns, Noirquier combed his hair a different way.Instead of wearing his own black cravat, he took a flowered cravat from an open trunk, and exchanged Villefort's maroon frock-coat for his own blue frock-coat, which was true. I tried on my son's roll-brimmed hat in the mirror and thought I looked good in it.The white rattan cane he had put on the corner of the fireplace was gone. He picked up a thin bamboo whip and broke it with his hands, listening to the creaking and vibrating sound of the bamboo whip.This small bamboo whip is used by the elegant deputy prosecutor to show his chic and other demeanor.

"How is it?" After putting on makeup, he turned around and said to his son who was stunned by the side, "How is it? Do you think your policemen can still recognize me now?"

"No, father," stammered Villefort; "at least, I hope they will not recognize it."

"Now, my dear Gérard," continued Noirquier, "I have no doubt of your prudence, please destroy all these things which I have left for your safekeeping."

"Well, don't worry, father," said Villefort.

"Yes, yes, now I think your words are reasonable. You may really have saved my life, but you can rest assured that there will be rewards, and I will do it soon."

Villefort shook his head.

"Don't you believe it?"

"At least, I hope you are mistaken."

"Will you see the king again?"

"possible."

"Would you like to say something prescient before the king?"

"A court may not like to hear disaster predictions, father."

"Yes, but one day the prophets will be judged fairly. Just imagine that there will be a second restoration of the royal family, and you will be considered a big man by then."

"Then what shall I say to the king?"

"Say to him, 'Your Majesty, they have not told your Majesty the truth about the state of France, about the public opinion and morale in the cities. The man whom His Majesty called in Paris a Corsican ogre, in Nazareth Vail is still called a usurper, but in Lyons he is called Bonaparte, in Grenoble he is venerated emperor. His Majesty thinks he is being chased and chased, that he is hiding, but in reality he is Advance, as fast as the eagle he brought back. Those soldiers, His Majesty thought they were about to starve to death, all of them were exhausted, and everyone wanted to desert and escape. In fact, the number of troops was increasing, like a snowball, The faster you roll, the more snow will be on it. Go, sire, and give France to the true master, who did not buy France with money, but won it by conquest. Go, sire, Not that your majesty will be in any danger, because your majesty's opponent is strong enough to be forgiven. But a grandson of St. Louis has gone to Acre, Marengo, Austerlitz by the grace of that man It's a disgrace to be able to stay alive'. Just tell him that, Gerard. Or forget it, don't tell him anything. You don't make a fuss all the way, and don't brag about why you came to Paris, Paris. Do those things again. You go back in a stagecoach. If you said that the road you came was non-stop, then you should have traveled day and night on the way back. You should enter Marseilles at night, sneak into your house through the back door, and you will be fine. be not rude, not disobedient, not credible, and above all not aggressive. This time, I am absolutely sure that we must be bold, and we know who the enemy is. Come, my son, come, my dear Gerard. As long as you obey the orders of your father, or, as you prefer, as long as you obey the advice of a friend, we can keep your seat. This is also a means," Noirquier continued with a slight smile Said, "If one day the political balance shows that you are superior to me again, you can save me again. Goodbye, my dear Gerard, and stay with me next time."

After saying these words, Nouakier turned and left, but his expression was very calm.This conversation has been very awkward, but Nouakier maintained a calm and poised posture from beginning to end.

Pale and anxious, Villefort hurried up to the window, and, drawing the curtain a little, saw his father, with an expressionless face, going his way leisurely.Beside them were two or three hideous-looking men who had been hiding by the corner of the road, and who had probably come to catch the man with the black sideburns, the blue coat, and the wide-brimmed hat.Villefort, panting heavily, stood by the window and watched his father disappear at the corner of the Rue de Bussy.Then he rushed to the things his father had thrown him, stuffed the black tie and blue jacket at the bottom of the box, crumpled and threw his hat into the bottom shelf of a large wardrobe, and folded his white cane cane into three pieces. Duan threw them all on the fire in the fireplace, and then he put on a traveling cap, called his servant, and glanced at them, suppressing all the thousands of questions the servant wanted to ask.After calculating the room fee, he immediately jumped into the carriage that had already harnessed the horses and was waiting for him to leave.As soon as he arrived in Lyon, he heard that Bonaparte had entered Grenoble, and he saw panic all the way, but when he finally returned to Marseilles, his ambitious and bewildered heart was already disturbed.

(End of this chapter)