Chapter 75. A Signed Statement
This chapter centers on Noirtier de Villefort convening a meeting with Villefort, his granddaughter Valentine, and Franz d’Épinay to reveal long-buried details about the 1815 murder of Franz’s father, General d’Épinay, while also laying bare the political machinations that led to the general’s death.
Noirtier Receives His Visitors
Noirtier, dressed in black and seated in his armchair, receives his three expected visitors. He signals his valet to close the door once all have entered. Villefort whispers a warning to Valentine, forbidding her to interpret any communication from Noirtier that would delay her upcoming marriage, and she blushes without responding. Villefort then introduces Franz d’Épinay to Noirtier, stating the meeting was requested to address Noirtier’s objections to the marriage.
Valentine Retrieves the Hidden Key
Noirtier motions for Valentine to approach, and she, accustomed to communicating with her grandfather, understands he is asking for a key. He directs her gaze to a drawer in a small chest positioned between the windows, which she opens to find the key he needs.
The Secret Spring in the Secretaire
Noirtier next directs Valentine to an old, long-neglected secretaire that is assumed to hold only useless documents. He confirms she should open the piece of furniture and its middle drawer specifically. After Valentine empties the middle drawer of all its papers without finding what he wants, Noirtier directs her to a dictionary, stopping her at the letter “S” to find the word “secret”, revealing a hidden spring exists in the drawer. He signals that the servant Barrois knows the location of the spring, so Valentine calls Barrois, who opens the false bottom of the drawer to reveal a bundle of papers tied with a black string.
The Mysterious Papers for Franz
Noirtier instructs Barrois to give the bundle of papers exclusively to Franz d’Épinay, rather than to Villefort or Valentine. Franz takes the packet, which bears an inscription stating it is to be delivered to General Durand after Noirtier’s death, to be passed to his son as a document of great importance. Noirtier insists Franz read the contents of the packet aloud immediately.
The Bonapartist Club Report
Franz begins reading the document aloud: it is an extract from the official report of a Bonapartist Club meeting held on February 5, 1815, the exact day his father disappeared. The report is signed by three high-ranking club officials, and details the club’s efforts to recruit Franz’s father, General Flavien de Quesnel, to their cause.
General de Quesnel’s Initiation
The report outlines General de Quesnel’s initiation into the club: he received an unsigned note summoning him to a meeting the following day, with the condition that he would be blindfolded for the entire journey and not attempt to discover the meeting location. He agreed to the terms, was driven to the meeting by a club member serving as coachman, and upon arrival removed his blindfold to find many familiar faces among the assembled club members.
A Clash of Loyalties
When pressed on his political allegiances, General de Quesnel openly declares himself a royalist loyal to King Louis XVIII, noting the king had granted him a barony and the rank of field marshal. The club president rebukes him, stating the organization only recognizes Napoleon as the rightful ruler of France, and accuses de Quesnel of being sent to infiltrate their ranks.
The Oath Under Duress
The club president informs de Quesnel that as he now knows the club’s secret, he must either swear a binding oath to never reveal any details of the meeting or face execution. De Quesnel initially refuses, citing his oath of loyalty to Louis XVIII, but after being threatened and reminded that he has a young son to consider, he reluctantly takes the coerced oath, promising on his honor to never disclose what he saw or heard between 9 and 10 p.m. on February 5, 1815.
The Duel on the Quai des Ormes
After taking the oath, de Quesnel is allowed to leave the club in a carriage with three members, including the president. During the ride, de Quesnel insults the club members, prompting the president to challenge him to a duel. The carriage stops on the Quai des Ormes, where the president reveals his sword is concealed in his cane, and the two men prepare to fight in the dark, icy conditions with only a lantern for light.
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