World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 62
Franz had nothing to say, so he took his hat, opened the door of the box, and stretched out his arm to the countess.That's all he can do.The countess was indeed very disturbed, and Franz himself could not escape a certain superstitious fear, and his fear was more justified, because the countess's anxiety was only an instinctive feeling, but in Franz it was Due to remembrance.Franz helped the countess into the carriage, feeling that she was trembling.He sent the countess home, but there were no guests at home, and no one was waiting for her, so he complained to the countess.

"Honestly," she said, "I don't feel well, I need to be alone, and the sight of that person makes me lose my mind." Franz wanted to laugh. "Don't laugh," she went on, "and you don't really want to. Now promise me one thing."

"what's up?"

"Promise me first."

"You can ask me to promise anything, except not to ask me not to ask about that man. There are some reasons that I can't tell you now, but I want to find out who he is, where he came from, and where he is going."

"Where he came from I do not know, but where he went I can tell you: he went to hell, that is indisputable."

"Let's go back to what you asked me to promise," said Franz.

"Ah! You must go straight back to the hotel, and never pursue that person again tonight. We leave some people to meet others, and there will be some fate between the two groups. Please don't drag me with that person. To-morrow you can follow him all you like, but if you don't want to frighten me to death, never bring him to see me. That's all, I wish you a good night. Go back and get a good night's sleep, as for myself, it seems. Don't care!
After saying these words, the Countess left Franz and left, leaving Franz in a state of mist. It was not known whether she was joking with him, or was really as frightened as she said.Back at the hotel, Franz saw that Albert was already wearing pajamas and pajamas, lying comfortably on a sofa and smoking a cigar.

"Ah, it is you!" said Albert; "I thought you would not be back till tomorrow."

"My dear Albert," said Franz, "I am very glad to have this opportunity to tell you frankly that you are very mistaken about Italian women, but I always thought that after repeated disappointments in love you would Got it."

"What can you do? These ghost women are simply incomprehensible! They put out their hands for you to kiss, hold your arms tightly, whisper in your ear, and ask you to accompany them home. A Parisian woman, if With halves like them, her reputation is doomed."

"Well, it's precisely because they don't need to cover up at all, because they live in a bright and sunny environment, because their beautiful country, as Dante said, can be heard everywhere si (Italian, meaning "Yes," "Yes," expressing affirmation or agreement.), they hardly need to be pretentious. Besides, you must have seen that the countess is really frightened."

"Why? Did the polite gentleman with the beautiful Greek woman across from us frighten her? I wanted to inquire when they were gone, and later in the corridor of the theatre. They passed each other. Hell, I don't know how you think of hell! He is very beautiful and well-dressed. It seems that his clothes were made to order in France in two fashion houses in Boland or Humans. .Yes, a little pale, but you know that whiteness is a sign of nobility."

Franz smiled slightly. Albert really hoped that he would look fair. "Well," said Franz, "I am sure that the Countess' opinion of the man is unreasonable. Was he talking when you passed them? Did you hear him?"

"He was talking, but in modern Greek, and I heard a few inflected ancient Greek words, so I knew it was modern Greek. By the way, my dear friend, when I was at school, ancient Greek was pretty good."

"Does he speak modern Greek?"

"I think so."

"There is no doubt," said Franz to himself, "it is he."

"what did you say?"

"Nothing. What were you doing?"

"A surprise move is arranged for you."

"how is it like?"

"You know it's impossible to get a carriage, don't you?"

"No! We've tried everything a human being can do, but it's still in vain."

"Okay, I've come up with a brilliant idea."

Franz looked at Albert, as if he did not quite believe that he could come up with some clever scheme.

"My dear friend," said Albert, "I beg you to make an apology for having so looked upon me."

"My dear friend, as long as your idea is as ingenious as you say, an apology is not a problem."

"Please listen to me."

"I'm all ears."

"There's no way to get a carriage, is there?"

"Yes."

"Can't even get a horse?"

"Equally impossible."

"However, perhaps a large cart can be obtained?"

"perhaps."

"How about a pair of cows?"

"Probably."

"Well, my dear friend, we are all set. I will have the ox-cart decorated, and we will dress ourselves up as Neapolitan harvesters, and we will be able to give a true representation of the wonderful pictures of Leopold Robert. If you want to be more lifelike, if the countess is willing to dress up as a peasant woman from Pouzole or Solante, then the scene will be perfect, the countess is already beautiful, and people must think that she is the prototype of the statue of Siyu."

"That's right!" cried Franz. "You've got it right this time, Monsieur Albert. It's a very good idea."

"And it's full of national characteristics. It's really a lazy king. It refers to the last few kings of the Merovingian dynasty in French history who don't care about political affairs. The legacy is reappearing, my dear friends, this is not bragging! Ah, Roman princes, you are missing You don’t have horses and carts, do you think that others can only walk around the streets and alleys of your Roman city like a beggar in Naples? Look, people will invent and create.”

"Have you ever told anyone else about this proud thought?"

"Talked to the owner of our hotel. I asked him to come up when I got back to the hotel, and told him my plan. He reassured me that it would be the easiest thing to do. I was thinking of getting horns Gilded, but he said it would take three days, so we'll let that be the icing on the cake."

"Where is he now?"

"Who?"

"The hotel owner."

"I went looking for something, it will be a bit late until tomorrow."

"Then he can give us an answer tonight?"

"I'm waiting for him."

Just as the door opened, Boss Pastrini poked his head in. "Can I come in?" he asked.

"Of course, come in," cried Franz.

"Well?" said Albert. "Have we found all the carts and oxen we want?"

"I found a better one," replied the boss smugly.

"Well, my dear sir, please take care," said Albert, "that you will make things worse by trying to do better."

"The two gentlemen just leave the matter to me."

"But what have you accomplished?" asked Franz.

"Excuse me," said the proprietor, "do you know that the Count of Monte Cristo lives with you on this floor?"

"I am quite convinced," said Albert, "that it is because of him that we live here like two poor students in some back alley."

"Well, he knows your current predicament. He said that he can free up two seats for you in his carriage, and the two windows he rented in Rospoli Palace can also be used by you."

Albert and Franz looked at each other. "But," asked Albert, "he is an outsider, and we have never known each other. Can we accept his invitation?"

"Who is this Count of Monte Cristo?" Franz asked the proprietor.

"A grand duke, a Sicilian, maybe a Maltese, I'm not sure. He is as noble as the Borghez Italian family, Paul V (1605) and many other popes are from this family, The Camillo married Napoleon's sister, Pauline Napoleon. The family was neck and neck, and the wealth was as rich as the gold mines."

"It seems to me," said Franz to Albert, "that if this man is really as humble as M. Pastrini says, he should invite us in another way, by sending us a letter, for example. , or..." There was a knock at the door, "come in," continued Franz.

At the door came a servant, dressed in a very elegant livery. "The Count of Monte Cristo presents his compliments to Monsieur Franz d'Epinet and Monsieur Albert Mocerf," he said, and handed two cards to the proprietor, who in turn handed them to the two young men. "The Count of Monte Cristo begs the permission of the two gentlemen to visit him as a neighbor tomorrow morning," continued the servant, "when will the gentlemen see you tomorrow?"

"Oh," said Albert to Franz, "there is nothing more to show for presents, and everything is here."

"Please tell the count," replied Franz, "we shall go to the count first."

The servant stepped back.

"That's what it means to be courteous," said Albert. "Yes, Monsieur Pastrini, you are quite right. Your Count of Monte Cristo is a very educated man."

"So you accepted his invitation?" asked the boss.

"Of course I accept it," replied Albert, "but, to tell the truth, I really hate to give up the ox cart and the peasant dress. If it weren't for the windows of the Rospoli Palace to compensate us for the loss, perhaps I would have insisted on my Original idea. What do you think, Franz?"

"Let me tell you, I also agreed for the window of the Rospoli Palace."

Indeed, and speaking of two places for them at the window of the Rospoli Palace, Franz remembered the conversation he had heard in the ruins of the Hippodrome with the Strangler from Transtever, wearing a cloak. The man in the office promises to get reprieves for condemned inmates.If the man in the cape turned out to be what Franz suspected, the man he had seen at the Teatro Argentine, and who had disturbed him so much, Franz would have recognized him, so Franz had plenty of opportunity to satisfy himself. Use your own curiosity to figure out who this is.During the night Franz dreamed also of the man's two appearances and his own plans.Everything will come to light tomorrow.This time, unless the host who entertained him at Monte Cristo had only the king of Mediah, the king of the ancient kingdom of Asia Minor.The ring, you can hide away, otherwise he would never want to slip past.Franz awoke before eight o'clock the next day.Albert, however, who, unlike Franz, had no preoccupation with which to rise early, was still fast asleep.Franz asked the hotel owner to go upstairs, and the boss who followed his orders rushed over as usual.

"Mr. Pastrini," said Franz, "isn't he going to kill someone today?"

"Yes, sir, but you're asking about it to get a window, and you're too late."

"That's not what it means," said Franz. "Besides, I really want to see it, and I think I'll find a place on Mount Pencio."

"Oh, I guess your Excellency doesn't want to be disrespected by those low-class people who really use that mountain as a natural theater."

"I probably won't go," said Franz, "but there are some things I want to ask."

"What do you want to ask?"

"I would like to know how many prisoners on death row, their names, and what kind of death penalty they were sentenced to."

"What a coincidence, my lord, that they have just brought me the wooden plaque."

"What is the wooden sign?"

"This is a small wooden board on which the name of the prisoner, the crime and the type of death penalty are written. One day before the execution, a piece is hung on the corners of the streets and alleys of the city. This is a kind of notice, which means that believers are invited to pray. , pray to God to give the prisoner a sincere repentance."

"Is this wooden sign given to you, do you want you to pray with the believers?" Franz asked, with a look of disbelief in his tone.

"No, Your Excellency. I have already made an agreement with the person who listed the card. He sent me the card, just like sending a playlist. If any of the customers in my shop want to go to see the murder, they can know in advance."

"Oh, that's very thoughtful of you," cried Franz.

"Oh," said Boss Pastrini, "perhaps I can boast that as long as the distinguished foreign guests have the face and trust in me, I always try my best to make the guests happy and satisfied."

"I can also see that, my boss, as long as someone asks about your store, I will introduce it like this. Don't worry. But now, I want to see this wooden sign."

"It's so easy," said the boss as he opened the door. "I've put a sign on the landing on this floor." After speaking, he went out of the room, took off the sign, and returned to hand it to Franz.Prayer board notices are as follows:

Announcement: According to the order of the Inquisition Office, on Tuesday, February 2, the first day of the carnival, two death row inmates were sentenced to death in the National Square.The murderer Andra Rondolo, who murdered the priest Cesar Terrini, the revered priest of the church of Saint-Jean-Ladran; The bandit Lüri Wampa and his accomplices. No.22 was punished with hammer, and No.1 was punished with beheading.All my good believers should pray to God for sincere repentance for these two sinful people.

It was exactly the same as what Franz had heard the night before in the ruins of the arena. There was no inconsistency in the content. The names of the condemned prisoners, their charges, and the method of execution also all matched.So in nine cases out of ten the Transstevere is the robber Luge Wampa, and the man in the cloak is the sailor Samba, who is in Rome today as he was in Porto-Vecchio and in old days. Like the city of Tunis, to engage in his work of saving lives.Time was passing, it was already 9 o'clock, and Franz was about to wake Albert up, but unexpectedly he saw him coming from his room fully dressed, in fact, Albert's mind was full of carnival now Day, woke up much earlier than his friend expected.

"Well?" said Franz to the restaurant owner, "now that we are both ready, my dear Monsieur Pastrini, do you think we may go and see the Count of Monte Cristo?"

"Oh, of course!" he replied. "The Count of Monte Cristo always rises early, and I am sure he was up two hours ago."

"You don't think it would be presumptuous to call on him now?"

"Absolutely not."

"Well, Albert, if you are ready..."

"Quite ready," said Albert.

"Then let's go and thank this kind neighbor."

"Let's go."

Franz and Albert had just crossed the landing, and the proprietor of the restaurant went ahead of them, rang the bell for them, and a servant opened the door. "Mr. France is visiting," said the proprietor.The servant bowed and invited them in.They passed through two rooms, each of which was so luxuriously furnished that they had never imagined that there were such fine rooms in Pastrini's hotel.At last they came to a very elegant drawing-room, with a Turkish rug on the floor, and the most comfortable furniture, with puffy cushions on the chairs, and cushions on the backs of the chairs.On the walls were beautiful paintings by famous masters, and between the picture frames were hung dazzling ornaments of trophies and weapons, and there were large felt hangings on every door in the hall.The servant said: "Your Excellencies, please sit down, and I will inform Mr. Earl." After finishing speaking, he retreated from a door.As the servant opened the door, Franz and Albert heard the sound of a monochord violin on the other side of the door, but the sound disappeared as soon as it was heard, and the door closed as soon as it was opened, and only the A short, but very pleasant piano sound drifted into the living room.Franz and Albert looked at each other, and then each admired the furniture, oil paintings and weapons. They felt that everything here really looked better and better.

"Well," asked Franz to his friend, "how do you think it all goes?"

"Oh, my dear friend, I think our neighbor may be some stockbroker who has made a fortune on the decline of the Spanish public debt, or some traveling prince in disguise."

"Hush!" said Franz to him, "we'll know in a minute, he's coming."

Sure enough, the two visitors heard a door creak on its hinges, the curtain was lifted almost simultaneously, and the owner of all this wealth entered.Albert immediately went up to meet him, but Franz just sat still in his chair.The man who entered was the man in the trench coat in the arena, the stranger in the box at the Argentinian theater, the mysterious host on the island of Monte Cristo.

(End of this chapter)