World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 43 The Bridge of Gard Inn (2)
"You seem to really like the lad, sir?" asked the elder.

"Yes, I liked him very much," said Caderousse, "and I hated myself for once being jealous of his good fortune. But I swear to you on Caderousse's honor, and since then I have never regretted his misfortune." It has been very difficult.”

The two of them didn't speak for a while, but the elder watched the innkeeper intently, examining his ever-changing expression.

"You know the poor boy?" asked Caderos.

"When he was dying, I was called to his bedside to give him his last prayers," replied the elder.

"What did he die of?" asked Cuderos in a choked voice.

"He died in prison at the age of 30. If it wasn't caused by the prison, what could it be?"

Cuderos wiped the sweat from his brow.

"There is something inexplicable," continued the abbot, "that Dantès, kissing the feet of Christ at the end of his life, swore to me in the name of Christ that he never knew why he was imprisoned." Go to prison."

"Yes, yes," murmured Cuderos, "it is impossible for him to know. Yes, sir, the poor little boy is not lying."

"So, he asked me to understand the reason why he suffered such bad luck without knowing until his death, and if his reputation is tarnished, help him restore it." The elder watched Caderos more and more carefully, He saw the almost gloomy and mournful expression on his face one by one. "There is a rich Englishman," continued the elder, "who was his fellow prisoner, and was released during the Second Restoration. This Englishman had a very valuable diamond. When he was released from prison, he gave the diamond to To Dantès, because once he fell ill, Dantès took care of him like a brother, so as a token of gratitude, I left the diamond to Dantès. Dantès didn't want to bribe the guards with this gem. These guys took If he got something, he would report it, so he carefully hid the gem, planning to use it when he gets out of prison. If he can really get out of prison, relying on this gem, he is sure to make a fortune."

"I hear you," said Caderos, with eyes that were shining with fire, "that this diamond must be worth a lot of money?"

"Everything is relative," continued the elder. "To Edmond, of course, it is very valuable. This diamond is estimated to be worth fifty thousand francs."

"Fifty thousand francs!" said Caderousse. "As big as a walnut?"

"No, it's not that big." The elder said, "You can see the size for yourself. The diamond is on my body."

Caderos seemed to be looking at the elder's clothes, wondering where the diamond was tucked.The elder took out a small black leather box from his pocket, and then opened the box. Cadross felt the sparkle and dazzling, and saw a ring inlaid with the brilliant diamonds.

"It's worth fifty thousand francs?"

"Not counting the bracket, it is worth a lot of money." The elder said.After speaking, he closed the jewelry box and put the diamond and the box in his pocket, but in the depths of Caderos' heart, the diamond was still shining.

"However, Mr. Elder, how did the diamond come into your hands?" Caderos asked, "Did Edmond appoint you to inherit his inheritance?"

"No, but entrusted me to be the executor of his last words. He said to me like this: 'Besides his fiancée, I have three friends. I am convinced that the four of them must miss me very painfully. One of the friends is named Caderos.'"

Caderos could not help but shudder.

"'Another one,'" the elder didn't seem to notice Caderos's emotions, and just went on talking to himself, "'The other one is called Tangla. Although the third one is my rival in love, he is also very close to me.'"

There was a sinister smile on Caderos' face, and he waved his hand to interrupt the elder's words.

"Wait until I finish," said the elder, "if you have anything to remind me, you can tell me later. The following is the original words of Dantès: "Although the third one is my rival in love, he is also very close to me." , His name is Fernan. My fiancée's name is...'Well,' the elder asked, "How do you say it? I forgot his fiancée's name."

"Mercedes," Caderos replied.

"Well, that's right, that's the name." The elder continued with a slight sigh.

"Go on, please," Caderos said.

"Bring me a bottle of water," said the elder.

Caderos hurried to get water, the elder poured water into the glass, took a few sips, then put the empty glass on the table, and asked:

"Where did you just say?"

"The fiancee's name is Mercedes."

"Yes, that's the point. 'You go to Marseilles...' These are Dantès' words, do you understand?"

"Very clear."

"'Sell this diamond, and the money you get will be divided into five parts. Please distribute it to these friends. They are the only people in the world who love me!'"

"How five?" said Caderos. "You mentioned only four."

"Because the fifth person is dead, so I heard. The fifth person is Dantès' father."

"Oh, yes," said Cuderousse excitedly, already overwhelmed by all the mixed emotions, "oh, poor thing, he's dead."

"I heard about it in Marseilles," said the elder, trying to put on an indifferent look, "but the old man died a long time ago, so I haven't been able to find out any specific circumstances. Do you know something about the old man's deathbed? ?”

"Well," said Cuderos, "who knows better than I do? Our house is door to door with the old man. . . . Oh, my God! The poor old man died just a year after his disappearance. "

"What disease did you die of?"

"The doctor said his illness was... gastroenteritis, probably like this, but people who knew him said he was dying... But I almost watched him die, and I knew he died because of... Caderos stopped suddenly.

"For what?" asked the priest anxiously.

"Oh, because of hunger."

"Hungry?" the elder jumped up from the bench and shouted loudly, "starve to death! The most depraved beast will not starve to death, and a wild dog wandering on the street will meet a merciful hand throwing a piece of bread. And yet a man, a Christian, should die of starvation while all around him profess to be Christians like him! Impossible, oh, impossible!"

"I'm telling the truth," Caderos said.

"You're wrong," said a voice on the stairs, "what's your business?"

Both turned their heads and saw through the banister of the stairs the sickly head of the Calconte.It turned out that she dragged herself sickly to the stairs, and sat down on the last step, with her head on her knees, listening to their conversation.

"What are you meddling with yourself, old woman?" said old Dross. "Sir, ask something, be polite, and I'll tell him."

"That's right, but be careful, you can't listen to him. Do you know what he's trying to trick you into? You're an idiot."

"I can assure you, madam, that I do so with good intentions," said the elder. "As long as your husband speaks the truth, he has nothing to fear."

"There's nothing to be afraid of, that's right! First, I promised sweetly, and then said dryly that there was nothing to be afraid of. Finally, when I left, the good things I said didn't count. So I don't know which day I woke up. The catastrophe is coming, and we poorly don't know where the catastrophe will come from."

"Don't worry, women, bad luck will never come to you because of me, I can assure you."

The "Calconte man" muttered a few more words indistinctly, and his head, which had been raised just now, drooped down on his knees, and his body trembled again with a low-grade fever.Although she let her man talk to the elder, she still sat there and listened to every word.At this time, the elder drank a few sips of water, calmed down, and then asked:

"Since this poor old man died like this, he must have been abandoned by everyone?"

"Well, sir," said Caderousse, "it's not that Mercedes and M. Morrel of Catalonia have neglected him, but the poor old man hates Fernand. Fernand ,” Caderos continued, with a sneer on his lips, “Dantès told you that he is his friend.”

"Could it be that he is not?" asked the elder.

"Gaspar, Gaspar," the woman muttered from across the stairs, "we'll think it over."

Cuderos waved his hand impatiently, but ignored the woman's interruption, and just went on saying:
"Since he has evil thoughts about his wife, can he be his friend? Dantès is so kind-hearted, he regards these people as friends... Poor Edmond!... However, he was rejected It's good to be in the dark, or it will be difficult for him to forgive them when he is dying... Hey, no matter what you say," Cuderos continued, with some ironic lines in his words, "I always feel that the dead The curse of the living is more terrible than the hatred of the living."

"Fool!" said the Calconte.

"Then, do you know how Fernand harmed Dantès?"

"I know it, it can't be wrong."

"Please tell me."

"Gaspar, take it for yourself, you are the head of the family," said the woman, "but you must listen to me, and it is best not to say anything."

"This time, I believe you are right, old lady," said Cuderosse.

"So you don't want to talk about it?" the elder asked.

"Why bother!" said Cuderos, "if this little boy is still alive, come to me and ask me to find out who is really close to him, who hates him and hurts him, I will not tell. But he is already in Jiuquan Now, since you told me, he won't hold grudges and revenge, let's forget about these things."

"Do you mean," said the elder, "that I should give this gift, which rewards a sincere heart, to those friends who you consider despicable and false?"

"Well, you are right," said Caderousse; "and besides, poor Edmond's bequest, what is it to these people now? It is but a drop in the ocean!"

"Not to mention that these people can crush you with just a little movement," the woman said.

"How could it be? Could it be that they have all become rich and powerful families?"

"It seems that you don't know their life experience yet?"

Cuderos seemed to think about it for a while, and finally said: "Stop talking, really, it's a long story."

"It's up to you, my friend," said the elder, fully expressing in his tone that he didn't want to care about the rights and wrongs, "You have your scruples, and I won't force you. You have indeed done what a good-hearted person should do. .Let’s stop here! I was also entrusted by someone to perform a formality, and I have to sell this diamond.” Then, he took out the diamond from his pocket and opened the small box.Cuderos could not help feeling dizzy at the sight of the sparkling diamond.

"Come here, old lady," said Caderos, his voice hoarse.

"Diamond!" said the "Calconte man," standing up, and descending the stairs with rather firm steps, "what's the matter with the diamond?"

"Didn't you hear, old woman?" said Cuderos, "the diamond was left to us by that little brother, his father, his three friends, Fernand, Tangra and me, and him. Fiancée Mercedes, this diamond is worth 5 francs."

"Oh, what a beautiful gem!" the woman exclaimed.

"One-fifth of the money goes to us, doesn't it?" asked Cuderos.

"Yes, sir," replied the elder, "and Dantès's father's share, which I think I can distribute between the four of you."

"Why us four points?" asked the Calconte.

"Because you four are friends of Edmund."

"If you are a friend, you won't break your promise!" the woman murmured.

"Yes, yes," said Caderousse, "that's what I meant. It would be blasphemy to repay those who have broken their promises and even committed crimes."

"That's your own idea," said the elder calmly, putting the diamond in the pocket of his priest's robe, "now please give me the addresses of some of Edmond's friends, and I will follow his last wish. .”

There were big drops of sweat on Cuderos' forehead, and he saw the elder get up and go towards the gate, as if to see how his horse was doing, but then turned and came back.Caderos and his wife looked at each other, their expressions were indescribable.

"The diamonds could all be ours," Caderos said.

"Do you believe it?" the woman asked.

"The people of the church will not lie to us."

"You figure it out," said the woman, "I don't care about this business." Then she went towards the stairs.Although it was very hot, she was shivering all over her body, and her teeth were gritting.He stopped slightly when he reached the last step of the stairs.

"Think it over, Gaspar!" she said.

"I've made up my mind," said Caderos.

The "Carl Conte" let out a long breath, and walked back to her room. The ceiling downstairs was rattling with her footsteps, and she finally walked to the chair and sat down with a plop.

"Have you made up your mind?" the elder asked.

"I will tell you everything," replied Caderos.

"Really, I think it is better," said the priest, "not that I want to know what you don't want to tell me, but if you will help me to divide the testator's estate according to his wishes, it is not a problem. Is it better?"

"I think so too," said Caderos, his cheeks flushed with hope and greed.

"Please speak," said the elder.

"Wait a minute," said Cuderos, "perhaps it would be a disappointment if someone interrupted us at the most interesting moment, and you don't need to let others know that you have been here." He went to the door of the inn, closed the door, and bolted the door with more care.At this time, the elder found a place where he could listen to the person's speech comfortably. He sat down in a corner of the room, and he happened to be in the dark, with all the light shining on the face of the person who was speaking opposite.So he lowered his head, clasped his hands together, or clasped his hands tightly together, and waited for someone to speak, while he listened attentively.Cuderos moved a bench and sat down across from him.

"Remember clearly, I didn't force you to tell." The trembling voice of the "Calconte" came from upstairs, as if the woman could see what was going on downstairs through the floor.

"That's enough, that's enough," said Cuderos, "it's nothing more to say, I'll take care of it." And he began to talk.

(End of this chapter)