World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 44
"First," said Caderousse, "I must ask you to promise me something, sir."

"What's the matter?" the elder asked.

"I will tell you everything, but if you use these situations in the future, you must not let people know that I said it, because the people I am going to talk about are rich and powerful, and they only need to move their fingers head, and crushed me like a shattered glass."

"Be at ease, my friend," said the elder, "I am a priest, and the confessions of men shall always be in my heart. Please remember that our purpose is only the respectful fulfillment of our friend's last wishes, so please speak as you speak Please tell the truth without any scruples and without any jealousy. I don't know the people you're talking about, and I don't know them in the future. Besides, I'm Italian, not French. , I belong to God and not to mortals, I want to go back to my monastery, and this time I come out only to fulfill the wish left by a person when he was dying."

The elder's words were very affirmative, and Caderos felt a little more at ease after hearing it. "Well, that being the case, I will say," said he, "that, among other things, Edmond thought his friend was sincere and faithful to him, and I must let you know the truth."

"Please begin with his father," said the elder. "Edmond was very fond of his father, and told me many things about the old man."

"It's a sad thing to say, sir," said Cuderosse, shaking his head, "you know how it all started, I guess."

"Yes," replied the elder, "Edmond told me all that happened before he was arrested in a hotel near Marseilles."

"At the Reservoir Hotel! Oh, my God! That's right! Thinking about it now seems like it just happened."

"It was his engagement feast, wasn't it?"

"Yes, everyone was very happy at the beginning of the meal, but the ending was too tragic. A police officer and four soldiers broke in, and Dantès was arrested."

"That is all I know, monsieur," said the abbé; "and Dantès himself, too, knows nothing of the future except his own case, for I have told you of the five persons you have mentioned. He was neither seen nor heard of afterward."

"Well, after Dantès was arrested, M. Morrel immediately went to inquire about the news. The news was very bad. The old man returned home alone, crying and folding up the clothes he wore for the engagement party. He walked up and down the room all day, and didn't go to bed for a while at night, because I lived on the floor below him, and heard him walk up and down the room all night. As for myself, I should also say that In short, I couldn't sleep that night, because the pain of the poor old man made me very sad, and every step he took seemed to stab me in the heart, so to speak, his foot was on my chest. The next day, Mercedes came to Marseilles to ask M. de Villefort to save him, but when he refused, she came to see the old man. She found that the old man was very depressed, and she knew that the old man hadn't gone to bed all night and hadn't eaten since the day before. After a little something, she wanted to take the old man away so that he could take care of him, but the old man refused to say anything. The old man said, "No, I will never leave this house. My poor child loves me more than anything. He always When he gets out of prison, he must have come to see me first, and what would he think if I wasn't here waiting for him?" I heard these words with my own ears on the landing. I hoped that Mercedes would Persuade the old man to go with her, because the old man walks on top of my head like this every day, which makes me not have a moment of peace."

"But, can't you go up and see the old man yourself, and comfort him?" asked the priest.

"Hey, sir," replied Cuderos, "some people don't listen, so don't try to persuade the old man. And, I don't know why, I always think he doesn't like to see To me. But one night, I heard him whimpering, and I couldn't bear it anymore, so I went up to have a look. But when I got to his door, he stopped crying and was praying. He Some very good words were said, and all those entreaties, sir, I don't know how to repeat them to you, his prayers were more than pious and mournful! I am not a hypocrite, and I don't like hypocrites, I said to myself that day that I was all alone, and that it was my good fortune that good God had not sent me children, because if I were a father, if I had such a heart like this poor old man, Sad, I can't find the words he said to the gracious God in my memory and my heart, I can only go straight to the sea and jump in to finish the job, stop torturing myself like this."

"Poor father!" whispered the priest.

"He lived alone, and became more and more lonely. M. Morrel and Mercedes often came to see him, but his door was always shut. I knew very well that he was always in the house, but not Ken opened the door. One day he made an exception and let Mercedes enter the house. The poor girl was so disappointed that she had to make up some words to comfort the old man. The old man said to the girl: "Listen to me, dear girl, he is no longer alive." Now, it is not us who are looking forward to him, but he is looking forward to us. I am very lucky, I am the oldest, and I can meet him first.' The one who makes you sad, so old Dantès was alone in the end. I used to see strangers go up to his room from time to time, and come down half-covered with their bags, Later, no one came, and gradually the old man had nothing to exchange for money to live on. In the end, the old man was desperate and could not pay the rent for three seasons. The landlord threatened him and said that he would be fired. He begged for another week, and the landlord agreed. .The landlord came out of his house and stayed at my house for a while, so I know about it. In the first three days, I still heard him walking back and forth in the house as usual. On the fourth day, there was no sound. I went up to see what happened. What happened. The door was closed, so I looked through the keyhole and saw him pale and completely collapsed. I went and told M. Morrel, and then ran to Mercedes. The two of them Immediately, Mr. Morrel brought a doctor, and the doctor said it was gastroenteritis, and he couldn't eat. Sir, I was there at the time, and I will never forget the old man's smile when he heard the doctor talk about fasting. From here He left the door open from day one, and he had a reason for not eating, because the doctor told him to fast."

The elder sighed, but it seemed to be moaning again.

"You don't tire of hearing these things, do you, sir?" asked Cuderosse.

"It doesn't bother you," replied the elder, "it's very touching."

"Mercedes came to see the old man again, and found that he had become disreputable, so, as at the beginning, she was going to take the old man to her, and M. Morrel also meant the same thing, whether the old man agreed or not. Agreed, and forced to send him there. But the old man kept yelling and refused to go, so they didn't dare. Mercedes stayed at his bedside, and when M. Morrel left, he went to Catalonia. The girl beckoned and told her that he had left the purse on the fireplace, but the old man refused to eat anything on the pretext of the fasting cure the doctor had said, and at last he died after nine days of despair and fasting, and when he died he cursed those who had killed him. He said to Mercedes, who had suffered so much: 'If you ever see my Edmond again, tell him that I was dying to bless him.'"

The elder stood up, held his parched throat tightly with his trembling hands, and walked back and forth in the room twice.

"You think he died of..."

"Hunger, sir, he died of starvation," said Caderousse. "I can assure you that I am as sure as you and I are Christians."

The elder took up the half-full glass with twitching hands and drank it in one gulp, then sat down again, his eyes were red and his cheeks were white.Then he asked in a hoarse voice: "Can you say that this is not a catastrophe?"

"That's right, sir, and it's not God's will, it's man's doing."

"Tell me more about these people," said the elder, "but don't forget," he continued in a tone that was almost threatening, "you have promised me to tell the whole story. Now please tell me." , Who are these people who actually caused the son to die of despair and forced the father to die of hunger?"

"Two people are jealous of him, sir. One is for love, the other is for ambition. One is named Fernan and the other is Tangla."

"What did they do out of jealousy? Tell me."

"Falsely accusing Edmond of being a Napoleonian."

"Who told the secret? Who is the real sinner?"

"Both, sir. The informant letter was written by one and sent by the other."

"Where was the letter written?"

"The night before the engagement at the Reserve Hotel."

"As expected, as expected," the elder said softly, "Faria, Faria, you know everything about people and things like the back of your hand."

"What do you say, sir?" said Cuderosse.

"Nothing," replied the priest, "go on."

"Dangla wrote the informant letter with his left hand, so his handwriting will not be recognized. It was Fernan who sent the letter."

"So," cried the elder suddenly, "you were there yourself!"

"Myself!" said Caderousse, startled. "Who told you that I was there?"

The elder saw that he had slipped his tongue, so he said, "No one said anything, but you know the situation so well, you must be there to see it with your own eyes."

"Yes," said Cuderos, choked out, "I was there."

"Why don't you come out to stop this kind of dirty and despicable thing?" the elder said, "So, you are one of them."

"Sir," said Cuderos, "they have confused me with both of them, and I just feel like I'm flying, and even then, I've said everything I can think of, but they both told me that they just started It's a joke, nothing will happen."

"The next day, sir, the next day you saw the joke go, and you were there when he was arrested, and yet you didn't say a word."

"Yes, sir, I was there, and I meant to say, to tell the whole truth, but Tangra stopped me from speaking. 'If it happens that he is really guilty,' he said to me, 'he is really guilty. He was moored at the island of Elba, and he was really ordered to bring a letter to the Napoleon Party Committee in Paris. If the letter was really found on him, then anyone who spoke for him would be regarded as an accessory.'The political situation at that time made me afraid , I don't have to hide it, so I didn't say anything, it was an act of cowardice, and I have nothing to refute, but it is not a criminal act."

"I see, you just let it go, nothing else."

"Yes, sir," said Caderousse, "I think about it day and night, I regret it day and night, and I often ask God to forgive me. Besides, I can swear to you that this alone has become my lifelong hatred. is why I've been unlucky all my life, and I've been atoning for this moment of selfishness. So whenever my 'Calconte' complains, I always say to her, 'Stop it, woman , This is the will of God.'" After finishing speaking, Caderos lowered his head, showing a repentant look.

"Very well, sir," said the elder, "you speak so sincerely that you deserve forgiveness for your guilt."

"Unfortunately," said Caderousse, "Edmond is dead, and I have not been able to obtain his forgiveness."

"It's a good thing he doesn't know..." said the elder.

"But he may know now," continued Cuderosse. "They say the dead know everything."

No one spoke for a moment, the elder stood up, paced the room while meditating, then walked back to the original seat and sat down.

"You mentioned a M. Morrel two or three times. Who is he?"

"He is the captain of the King of Egypt, the employer of Dantès."

"After this tragic incident happened, how did he deal with it?" the elder asked.

"Done the duties of an upright man, not only with courage but with sincerity, sir. He has had countless times to intercede for Edmund. In the days of the Emperor's return, he wrote again, Another petition, and threats, but after the second restoration, he suffered a lot from being regarded as a Napoleonic party member. As I told you just now, he often came to see old Dantès and was going to take the old man to his house Live. One or two days before the old man passed away, as I said just now, he left his purse on the fireplace. Thanks to this purse, the old man’s debts were paid off and his funeral affairs were settled. There is nothing wrong with people after death. The money bag is still hidden with me, it is a big money bag woven with red silk thread."

"Well," asked the elder, "is this M. Morrel still alive?"

"Alive," said Cudeross.

"Since that is the case," the elder went on, "God must have blessed him. He must be rich and very happy..."

Caderos smiled wryly. "Yes, as happy as I am," he said.

"Has M. Morrel's misfortune come to pass?" cried the elder.

"He is almost impoverished, sir, almost to the point of disrepute."

"How could this be?"

"Really," went on Caderos, "that's how M. Morrel worked for twenty-five years and was a prominent figure in the business world of Marseilles, but now he's completely lost. In two years he lost five ships and three The bill has made him completely defeated, and now the only hope is to see what happened to the "King of Egypt" that poor Dantès commanded back then. This ship should bring carmine and indigo back from India. Sunk like those ones, and he's done."

"Well," said the elder, "does the unfortunate gentleman have a wife and children?"

"Yes, he has a wife. With such a family background, that wife is still as virtuous as a saint. He has a daughter who is about to marry the person she loves, but the man's family is not allowed to marry a daughter whose family is in decline. He also has a Son, he is a lieutenant in the army. But you will also understand that having a family does not relieve his distress, but makes it worse. The poor good man, if he is alone, a shot in the head would be enough. It's over."

"It's terrible!" the elder murmured.

"Well, that's how God rewards virtue, Monsieur," said Caderousse; "you see, I am a man who has never done anything wrong in my life except as I have just told you, but I have been poor all my life. My poor wife always has a fever, but I have no ability to cure her. When I watch her die crookedly, I will starve to death like Father Dantès, but Fernand And Tangra are both rich enough to roll in the pile of money."

"What's going on here?"

"Because they are people whose fortunes come and go, but honest people just have a bad time."

"That bad thing was instigated by Tang Gela. He is the worst offender, isn't he? How is he doing now?"

(End of this chapter)