World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 9 Acting Prosecutor (2)
"Well," said the Marchioness, "we have decided that the Holy Alliance will drive Napoleon out of Europe, and that his followers at Marseilles will be purged by Villefort. Regardless of whether the king is in power or not, if the king is in power, the royal government should be strong and powerful. Government officials should be mighty and unyielding, otherwise the disaster will never be eliminated."

"Unfortunately, madame," said Villefort, smiling, "the deputy prosecutor always arrives after the disaster has happened."

"Then he will make up for the disaster."

"I also want to remind you, ma'am, our duty is not to make up for it but to punish it, and the authority is nothing more than that."

"Oh, Monsieur de Villefort," cried a pretty girl, daughter of the Comte de Salvieux, and close friend of Mademoiselle de Saint-Méran, "try to get a good case while we are in Marseilles. I have never I’ve been to the court and I heard it’s very interesting to have the court session.”

"It's interesting indeed, ma'am," said the Deputy Prosecutor, "that what's being played out in the courtroom is not a fabricated tragedy but a real tragedy, where the pain is not acted out but genuine. The characters you see there, It's impossible to go home after the curtain falls, have dinner with the family, get some sleep, and perform again the next day. There the characters are taken back to jail after the play is over and handed over to the executioner. You must have seen that, for For nervous people who are looking for excitement, no play is as exciting as there. Please rest assured, miss, if there is any good opportunity, I will definitely arrange it for you."

"He made us tremble... and he's still laughing!" said René palely.

"It's not a matter of whether we want to... This is a duel... I have already sentenced five or six political prisoners and other criminals to death... Oh, who knows how many people are secretly sharpening their knives at this moment, or Already threw the dagger at me?"

"Oh, my God!" said René, her face becoming more and more gloomy. "Is it true what you say, M. de Villefort?"

"I am quite telling the truth, ma'am," continued the young judge, smiling. "To bring the case to justice, the ma'am wished to gratify her curiosity, while I myself, in order to fulfill my ambition, have only It will become more and more difficult. The soldiers of Napoleon's army are used to rushing blindly, but do you think that when they fired guns or advanced with bayonets, these soldiers thought and considered? Well, when they were about to Do they think more about killing a Russian, Austrian, or Hungarian whom they consider a personal enemy than a Russian, an Austrian, or a Hungarian whom they have never known? What? And, as you may have seen, these questions must be answered, or our profession is meaningless. Personally, I feel inspired when I see the gleam of anger in the accused's eyes , get excited. This is no longer a lawsuit, but a battle. I attack him, he counterattacks me, I double the attack, and finally the battle is over, and like all battles, it is either won or lost. This is the rebuttal in court! Eloquence comes only when there is danger. The defendant just smiled slightly at my words, and I thought that I did not speak well, my words were pale and not strong enough to force people. Just imagine, when a prosecutor is convinced that the defendant is guilty, when he sees How proud he will feel when the defendant is pale under the blows of his tongue, sword, lip and gun, and bows his head to plead guilty. That bowed head will surely fall to the ground."

Rene sighed softly.

"Well said," said one of the guests.

"It's just the talent that our time needs!" Someone else said.

"Oh," said the third, "you have done very well in your last case, my dear Villefort. You know, too, that the man who murdered his father, oh, indeed, has not yet fallen into the hands of the executioner, You were already killed."

"Well, those wicked sons who killed their parents," said René, "well, I have no sympathy. No sentence is too great for such people. But those unfortunate political prisoners..."

"However, René, there is nothing worse than this man. The king is the father of the people, and plotting to overthrow the throne or kill the king is no different from killing the father of a nation of 3200 million people."

"Well, there is no difference between the two, Monsieur de Villefort," said René; "if I make it clear to you about certain persons, will you be merciful?"

"Don't worry," said Villefort, with an extremely charming smile on his face, "we can discuss and write the indictment together."

"My darling," said the Marchioness, "you play with your hummingbirds, your puppies, your needlework, and let him take care of your fiancé's business. These days, it's really not good at martial arts, civil servants To be favored, there is a Latin saying that speaks to the point and speaks very deeply."

"Cedantarmatogae in Latin: Abandon the sword and unarmor, and enter the robe and wat," said Villefort, bowing.

"I dare not speak Latin," said the Marchioness.

"I think, if I wish, you'd better be a doctor," René went on. "The angels of death are serious angels, and don't always frighten me."

"Oh, my dear René!" murmured Villefort, looking affectionately at the girl.

"My son," said the Marquis, "M. de Villefort will be the moral and political doctor of the province. Take my word for it. It is a very rewarding position."

"In this way, his father's past behavior can be erased." The Marquise, whose nature is hard to change, continued.

"Madame," said Villefort, with a wry smile, "I have the great honor to say to you that my father has publicly renounced his false claims, at least that is what I hoped, and that he has become a religious believer and zealously supports the defense of Order, a royalist who may be better than me, because in him he needs repentance, but in me it is only out of passion." After finishing this finely crafted sentence, Villefort glanced at the table full of guests , as if he was in the prosecutor's office, after giving a similar speech, he looked around the gallery, and he wanted to observe the effect of his words.

"Very well! my dear Villefort," said the Comte de Salvieux, "you are saying exactly what I said the day before yesterday to my chancellor at the Tuileries. The chancellor felt that a son of a Girondist and a soldier of Condé The marriage of an officer's daughter is really strange. He asked me about the details, and finally the minister fully understood. This kind of marriage is exactly what Louis XVIII advocated. Unexpectedly, the conversation between me and the minister was also listening, and he interrupted: , 'Villefort will do something.' Please note that the saint does not mention the name Noirquier, but Villefort. The saint said, 'Villefort is a young man who is mature, he is my man. I am very happy, The Marquis of Saint-Méran will marry their daughter to him. If they hadn't come first to announce my consent to this marriage, I would propose marriage for them.'"

"Did your Majesty say so, count?" asked Villefort, delighted.

"What I'm telling you is the original words of the Holy Majesty. If the Marquis is willing to tell you the truth, he will definitely agree. At this moment, I told you the truth; six months ago, the Marquis visited the Holy Majesty and mentioned the daughter of the Marquis's mansion." My Majesty has said about my plan to marry you, what I told you is exactly the same as what His Majesty said."

"That's right," said the Marquis.

"Ah! Your Majesty is wise, and my gratitude is as heavy as a mountain. To serve His Majesty, I will definitely die."

"Very well," said the Marchioness, "I like you now. Now is the time for a traitor against the party."

"As for me, mother," said René, "I pray that God will not listen to you, but that God will send M. de Villefort only petty thieves, poor bankrupts, petty swindlers." .Isn’t this the best of both worlds? I can also sleep with peace of mind.”

"It means," said Villefort, laughing, "that what you want a doctor to do is headaches, measles, wasp stings, and other minor ailments that scratch the surface. If you want me to be a prosecutor, it will be exactly the same as what you just said On the contrary, I should be allowed to treat dangerous and serious diseases, and doctors can only be successful if they cure serious diseases."

At this moment, as if luck could grant Villefort's wish only by uttering it, a servant entered the dining-room and whispered something in his ear. He returned to the hall with a smile on his face.René cast him a loving look.His eyes were green, and his slightly dark face was full of sideburns. In the eyes of the girl, he was indeed an elegant and beautiful young man.The girl seemed to be gazing intently at the young man's lips, waiting for him to explain the reason for his hasty departure just now.

"Oh, madam," said Villefort, "you just wished your husband was a doctor. I have at least a little resemblance to the disciple of the ancient Roman god of medicine, Aesculap. Time has never belonged to me, even when I am with you." When you are here, even at my engagement banquet, I will have no peace."

"And what's disturbing you, sir?" asked the girl with a slightly disturbed air.

"Oh, there is a patient. If I heard what I heard correctly, he is dying. This time, the patient is very sick. It can be said that he is dying."

"Oh, my God!" cried René, pale.

"Is this really the case?" the people at the table asked in unison.

"It seems that a little conspiracy of the Napoleonic party has just been discovered very neatly."

"Really?" asked the Marchioness.

"Here is the letter of indictment," said Villefort, and read:

Prosecutor's Taijian:

I support the royal family and love religion, and the disclosure is as follows:
There is Edmond Dantès, the first mate of the "King of Egypt", who returned to Hong Kong from Smyrna this morning, and stopped at Naples and Portoferraio on the way.This person was ordered by Mira to deliver a letter to the rebel usurper, and was ordered by the rebel to carry a secret letter to the Napoleonic Party in Paris.

If he is arrested and brought to justice, he can obtain criminal evidence.If the secret letter is not with him, it must be in his father's house, or in the cabin of the "King of Egypt".

"But," said René, "it is only an anonymous letter, and besides, it is not addressed to you, but to the prosecutor."

"Yes, but the prosecutor was away. When he was away, his secretary was in charge of receiving the letter, so the secretary opened the letter and sent for me. Since he couldn't find me, he issued a warrant for my arrest. "

"Then the prisoner has been arrested," said the Marchioness.

"It should be said that it is the defendant," René said.

"Arrested, Madame," said Villefort, "as I have just had the honor to say to Mademoiselle René, if the secret letter in question is found, the patient is indeed very ill."

"Where is this unfortunate man?" René asked.

"at my house."

"Come on, son," said the Marquis. "Your Majesty's business is at your service. Don't miss your official business in order to accompany us. To serve the Majesty, you must go wherever you are."

"Oh, Monsieur de Villefort," said René, clasping his hands, "you must be lenient. Today is the day of our engagement."

Villefort went around the table to the girl's chair, and leaning on the back of the chair, he said: "I will do my best to reassure you, my dear René, but if the crime is proved and the charge is established, the tree must be Napoleon cut down the poisonous weeds." Rene couldn't help but shudder when he heard the word "cut down", because cutting up the poisonous weeds meant beheading.

"Forget it, forget it," said the Marchioness, "don't listen to the little girl. Villefort, she'll get used to it later on." She stretched out her withered hand to Villefort.While kissing, the young man looked at René and said to her with his eyes: "It is your hand that I am kissing now, or at least I hope I am kissing your hand."

"Bad omen!" murmured René.

"Really, my lady," said the Marchioness, "you are so disappointing with your childishness, that I would like to ask you, what has the fate of the country to do with your whims and sentiments?"

"Oh, mother!" whispered René.

"Please spare this ignorant royalist, Marquise," said Villefort, "I assure you that I will perform my duties as deputy prosecutor with all sincerity, and I will punish severely." Villefort While speaking to the Marchioness as a judge, Fu secretly cast a wink at his fiancée as a fiancé, as if to say: "Don't worry, René, for your love, I will deal with it leniently." He stole a glance and returned the sweetest smile, and Villefort left with heaven in his heart.

(End of this chapter)