World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 98 Devil Robert (2)
It was indeed the Count and Eddie who entered the box.After a while, the girl became not only the audience in the back row, but also the audience in the main hall. The ladies leaned out of the box one after another, admiring the brilliant diamonds under the big chandelier, like flying white diamonds.From the beginning to the end of the second act, there was only a buzzing sound, as if something important had happened and a crowd of people had gathered, and no one thought of calling out to everyone to be quiet.That woman is young, pretty, and dazzling, and in the eyes of the audience at this time, she is more fascinating than any drama.This time, although Mrs. Tanglar was only a gesture, she had clearly told Albert that she hoped to visit her during the intermission after the second act.Albert, being a well-bred man, could not bear to see someone waiting for him, and as soon as the second act was over he hastened into the box next to the stage.He bowed to both mother and daughter, and then extended his hand to shake Debray's hand. The baroness welcomed him with a charming smile, while Eugénie was as cold as usual.

"Ah, my dear friend," said Debray, "you see, I am at the end of my rope, and I am asking you to come and replace me. Madame asked me many questions about the count, and asked me to tell her. Where is the count, where did he come from, and where will he go. Ah, I am not Cagliosterlo (Italian doctor (1743-1795), adventurer, occultist, because Marie-Antoinette I was implicated in the Queen's necklace case.), so I had to think of a way to get out, so I said: 'You have to ask Mocerf about these things, he knows his Monte Cristo like the back of his hand.' And so I greeted you."

"It's unbelievable," said the baroness, "that a man with half a million secret funds at his disposal should be so ignorant."

"Madame," said Lucien, "you can be sure that if I had half a million dollars at my disposal, I would spend it elsewhere than to inquire about M. India came back with a fortune, and he is a double rich man. However, I have asked my friend Mosef to answer, so you can talk to him, and I will leave the matter alone."

"A rich man coming back from India will certainly not give me a pair of horses worth thirty thousand francs, plus four diamonds in the ears of the horses, each worth five thousand francs."

"Oh, diamonds," said Mosev, laughing, "that's his eccentricity. I'm sure he'll always have diamonds in his pockets, like Potemkin, the Russian statesman and field marshal (1739-1791). The protagonist in the fairy tale of the same name by the French writer Perrault named Little Thumb. It’s like throwing stones to a child, and he scattered diamonds along the way.”

"He may have found some gold mine," said Mrs. Donglas. "You know, he opened an account with unlimited credit at the Baron's firm?"

"No, I do not know," replied Albert, "but it is possible."

"He also told Mr. Tanglar that he plans to live in Paris for a year and spend 600 million yuan, you know?"

"This is the king of Persia who travels in disguise."

"Look at that woman, Monsieur Lucien," said Eugenie, "have you noticed how beautiful she is?"

"To tell you the truth, madam, I think you are the only one who can judge women correctly," said Lucien, raising his binoculars. "It's charming!" he added.

"Then this woman, does Mr. Moserf know who she is?"

"Miss," said Mosef, who was almost asking him directly, so he leaned forward to answer, "like the mysterious person we are talking about, I only know a little bit about it, this woman It's Greek."

"Is it true that the Greeks can tell by looking at the clothes? If you tell me this sentence, the audience including us will know it."

"I'm sorry," said Moserf, "that I'm an amateur guide. To tell the truth, that's all I know. Besides, I know she's good at music, because I was lunching at the Earl one day. Hearing someone playing a single-string violin, it must be her playing."

"That earl of yours also entertains guests?" Madam Tanglar asked.

"And the hospitality was fantastic, I can assure you."

"I have to ask Tangra to invite him to dinner and dance, so that he can invite us back."

"What, you intend to call on him?" said Debray, laughing.

"What's wrong? My husband can accompany me!"

"But this mysterious earl is single."

"Wrong, you can see for yourself." The baroness also laughed, pointing to the Greek beauty and said.

"It's a slave girl. He told us about it himself. Do you remember, Mosef? At your luncheon."

"You must admit, my dear Lucien," said the baroness, "she looks like a princess."

"From "One Thousand and One Nights"."

"In "Arabian Nights," I didn't say. But what kind of person is called a princess, my dear friend? It is all diamonds, and this one is all jewels."

"She even wears them too much," said Eugenie. "She would be more beautiful without them, because you can see her neck and wrists, and they are so beautiful."

"Oh, you're an artist! Look," said Mrs. Tanglar, "she's in a trance. Do you see that?"

"I love everything that is beautiful," said Eugenie.

"And what do you say of the Count?" said Debray, "I think he's not bad."

"Count?" said Eugenie, as if she had not yet remembered to look at him. "Count? He is very pale."

"That's right," said Moserf, "the secret we're looking for is in this pale complexion. Countess Grizzly said, you know that he is a ghost who comes out of the grave at night and eats human blood. "

"Has Countess Grischi returned?" asked the baroness.

"She's in this side box," said Eugenie, "opposite us, mother, this one, and the fair-haired and very pretty one, that's her."

"Ah, yes," said Mrs. Donglas, "you don't know what to do, Mosef?"

"Please tell me, madam."

"You should go and see your Count of Monte Cristo, and come to us with him."

"Why?" said Eugenie.

"In order to talk to him, don't you have this curiosity and don't want to meet him?"

"Not at all."

"It's the boy!" murmured the baroness.

"Ah," said Mocerf, "he will probably come by himself. You see, he has seen you, ma'am, and he is greeting you."

The baroness also greeted the count with a charming smile on her face.

"Okay," Moserf said, "I'll do what's right, and I'll go now, and see if I can talk to him."

"Go to his box, it's very simple."

"But no one introduced me."

"Introduce to whom?"

"To the Greek beauty."

"Didn't you say this is a slave girl?"

"Yes, but you yourself assert that it is a princess... No, I think it would be better if he saw me come out, and he came out too."

"That's the way to go. Go for it!"

"I'll go."

Mosef bowed and left.Sure enough, when he was walking past the door of the earl's box, the door of the box opened. The earl said something in Arabic to Ali who was standing in the corridor, and then took Mosef's arm.Ali closed the door and stood guard in front of it, when a large group of people gathered around the Nubian black in the corridor.

"To tell the truth," said Monte Cristo, "you Paris is a strange city, and you Parisians are surprisingly rare. It seems that you are seeing Nubians for the first time. You see, they surround the poor Ali is crowded, Ali doesn't know what's going on. One thing I can tell you for sure, a Parisian will never have anyone by his side when he comes to Tunis, Constantinople, Baghdad or Cairo Onlookers."

"It's because you Orientals understand things, and your eyes only see what is worth seeing. But, believe me, Ali is popular only because he is your subordinate, because you are famous now. big shot."

"Really! Why did I get this honor?"

"Ah, by yourself. You gave away a horse worth a thousand louis, you saved the lives of the prosecutor's family, you assumed the name of Major Braque, you sent your thoroughbred horse and a rider as big as a monkey. Participating in horse racing, in the end, it is you who win the gold cup and give it to those beautiful ladies."

"Who told you this nonsense?"

"Oh, the first thing is what Mrs. Tanglar said. She is dying of anxiety, and she only hopes that you can go to her box; or let me put it this way, she really wants to see you in her box. The second thing is on. Beauchamp's newspaper, the third one, is my own idea. If you really want to remain anonymous, why did you name your horse Wampa?"

"Ah, indeed!" said the count, "I should have been negligent. But tell me, has Count Mecerf never come to the opera? I have looked all over, and I see him nowhere."

"He'll be here tonight."

"Where do you sit?"

"I think it's the baroness's box."

"The beauty next to her is her daughter, right?"

"Yes."

"congratulations."

Mosef smiled slightly. "We'll talk more about that later," he said. "What do you think of the music?"

"What music?"

"The music you just listened to."

"I thought the music was pretty good, because it was composed by a human composer after all, and, as the late ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes (410-323 B.C.) said, the two-legged hairless bird sing."

"Ah, indeed! But, my dear count, it seems that you can hear the seven harmony cantatas of heaven by your imagination."

"Almost. When I want to hear, Viscount, music that is never heard by mortal ears, I sleep."

"Ah, it is very good that you are here. Go to sleep, my dear count, go to sleep. Wasn't that what the opera house was built for?"

"No, to tell the truth, your band is too loud. To sleep like I said, you have to be quiet, and you have to have some kind of potion."

"Oh, that marvelous hashish?"

"That's right, Viscount, whenever you want to listen to music, please come and have dinner with me."

"I've heard music, though, when we had lunch together."

"Is it in Rome?"

"Yes."

"Ah, it's Edela's single-stringed violin. Yes, it's a pity that she is far away from her homeland. Sometimes she plays me a few pieces of music from her homeland. It's also a way of comforting her."

Viscount Mosef didn't ask any more questions, and the earl remained silent.Then the curtain bell rang.

"Without company!" said the count, going towards his box.

"So farewell?"

"Please convey the greetings of the vampire to Countess Grischi."

"And the baroness?"

"Please tell her that Yu Yun will go to greet her tonight, and I am deeply honored."

The third act begins.Mocerf came to the theater during the third act and entered Mrs. Tanglar's box as promised.A man like Count Mercerf would not cause an uproar in a certain hall, so no one noticed him except the box in which he was seated.But Monte Cristo watched, and a smile flitted across his lips.However, Edai, as long as the curtain rises, she can't care about anything. Like all interested people, as long as her eyes can see and her ears can hear, she will watch with interest and enjoy it. to listen.

During the third act, it was as usual up and down the stage.Miss Noble, Giulia and Leroux performed a leg dance as usual, Prince Granada was provoked by Robert-Mario, and finally there was a familiar scene, the mighty king took the princess by the arm and circled the stage , his velvet cape was able to show off his style, and then the curtain fell, and the audience in the main hall flocked to the foyer and corridor.The Count of Monte Cristo walked out of his box, and soon came to Madame Tanglar's box.The baroness couldn't help shouting, with some joy in her surprise.

"Ah, please come here, Monsieur Count," she cried; "indeed, although I have written to thank you, I should still like to see you, so that I can thank you in person."

"Oh, madam," said the count, "do you remember such trifles? I myself have long since forgotten."

"You are right, but one thing will never be forgotten, Monsieur Count. The next day the two horses drove my good friend, Madame de Villefort, and it was you who saved her from danger."

"It's the same this time, Madame. You are ashamed to thank me in this way. In fact, it was my Nubian slave Ali who had the honor to show his skills and serve Madame de Villefort."

"Then," said Count Mercerf, "was Ali also the one who saved my son from robbers?"

"No, Monsieur Count," said Monte Cristo, shaking the general's hand, "I will thank you this time for my own sake, but I will take it from you. To tell you the truth, would you like to thank me again?" I'm sorry to thank you so much. Baroness, I would also like to introduce you to Lingmei."

"Oh, you have already been introduced, at least by your name, because we have been talking about you alone for the past two or three days. Eugenie," said the baroness, turning to her daughter, "this is the Count of Monte Cristo."

The Earl bowed, but Miss Tanglar only nodded slightly.

"Is that beauty with you, Monsieur Count, your daughter?"

"No, madam," said Monte Cristo, astonished at such directness, or rather such astonishing audacity, "she is an unhappy Greek woman, and I am her protector."

"her name is……"

"Ede," replied Monte Cristo.

"Greeks!" murmured Count Mecerf.

"Yes, Count," said Madame Tangra, "you have served with honor under Ali-Tuberlan, tell me, have you ever seen a more splendid suit in his Governor's Palace than the one before us?" ?”

"Ah," said Monte Cristo, "you have been in the service of Ioannina, a city in the northwestern part of Greece, Monsieur Count?"

"I was once a general in the teaching corps of the governor's army," replied Mosef, "and a little of my property was, of course, a generous gift of this illustrious Albanian chieftain."

"Look!" Mrs. Tangla said loudly.

"Where?" Mosef asked vaguely.

"There," said Monte Cristo.He hugged Count Moserf by the waist, and leaned out of the box with him.At this moment, Eddie, who was looking for the Count of Monte Cristo, saw him hugging Mercerf tightly, and his very pale face was touching Mercerf's.As soon as the girl saw the two of them, she seemed to see Medusa's face. She leaned forward, as if she wanted to see them clearly, but almost as soon as she looked, she fell back again, powerlessly He yelled softly, and some people beside him and Ali heard it, and Ali immediately opened the door of the box.

"Well," said Eugenie, "what's the matter with your adopted girl, Monsieur Count? She seems unwell."

"It's uncomfortable," said the count, "but don't worry, miss. Eda is very nervous, so she is very sensitive to smells, and any scent she is not used to can make her faint. But," the count took out of his pocket. A small medicine bottle, and then said, "I have medicine with me." So he bowed to the baroness and lady at the same time, shook hands with Earl Mercerf and Debray, and then left Mrs. Tanglar box.When he returned to his box, Edai's face was still very pale, and she seemed to be very reluctant when she reached out to the count.Monte Cristo noticed that the girl's hands were wet and cold.

"Who are you talking to over there, master?" asked the girl.

"Oh," replied Monte Cristo, "speak to the Count Mecerf, who has served under your illustrious father, and acknowledges that he owes his estate to your father."

"Ah, the shameless man!" cried Ede, "it is he who sold my father to the Turk, and this property is his perfidious reward. Don't you know these things, my dear master?"

"Epirus, the northwestern part of Greece and the southern tip of Albania are collectively known as Epirus. I have heard about this history," said Monte Cristo, "but the details have never been clear. Well, boy, you can tell me, must It will be interesting."

"Oh, yes, let's go, let's go. I don't think I'll be able to live any longer with that man face to face."

After speaking, Edai stood up hastily, wrapped herself tightly in her white cashmere cloak embroidered with pearls and corals, and left the box in a hurry when the curtain opened.

"You see, this man is different in everything!" Countess Grischi said to Albert who came to see her again, "he listened very carefully to the third act of Robert the Devil, but the fourth act just To start, but he left."

(End of this chapter)