The Count of Monte Cristo

Haydée’s Music and the Request

Albert hears the sound of a guzla, a traditional stringed instrument, coming from an adjacent room, and Monte Cristo identifies the player as Haydée, his enslaved companion. Albert is charmed by the exotic name, and Monte Cristo explains it is a common baptismal name in Albania and Epirus, tied to meanings of virtue, similar to names like Chastity or Modesty. Albert jokes about the absurdity of Eugénie Danglars having a virtue-themed name, until Monte Cristo warns him not to speak loudly lest Haydée overhear and take offense. Albert then asks to be formally introduced to Haydée, and Monte Cristo agrees on two strict conditions: Albert must never reveal that the count granted him the introduction, and must never tell Haydée that his father once served her father. Albert swears to honor both vows immediately.

The Enchanting Haydée

Albert is captivated by the romantic, exotic image of Haydée, and asks how a woman of royal status came to be enslaved. Monte Cristo explains her fall from high status is the result of random “fortune of war,” the unpredictable caprice of fate that upends lives, comparing her situation to how the ancient tyrant Dionysius ended up working as a schoolmaster. Albert asks if Haydée’s true noble identity is a secret, and Monte Cristo confirms it is hidden from the general public, but he will share the details with Albert as a trusted friend, after Albert has already sworn the required oaths of secrecy.

Daughter of Ali Pasha

Monte Cristo reveals Haydée is the daughter of Ali Pasha (Ali Tepelini) of Yanina, and her mother was the renowned beauty Vasiliki. Albert is shocked to learn the count owns the daughter of the famous Ottoman pasha as an enslaved person, and Monte Cristo explains he purchased her at a slave market in Constantinople during his travels. Albert is awestruck by the count’s seemingly magical influence over all aspects of his life, and confirms his desire to be formally introduced to Haydée, which Monte Cristo affirms he will arrange now that the oaths have been sworn.

Haydée’s Childhood in Greece

Monte Cristo summons Ali to inform Haydée he will join her for coffee, and that he wishes to present a friend to her. When Albert and Monte Cristo enter Haydée’s private apartments, they find her seated on a silk sofa in traditional Eastern style, surrounded by her guzla and luxurious decor. Haydée greets Monte Cristo with a mix of deep, devoted love and implicit obedience, then asks in modern Greek (Romaic) who Albert is. Monte Cristo explains Albert is a friend, the same man he rescued from bandits in Rome. When Haydée learns Albert does not speak Greek, she offers to converse in either French or Italian; Monte Cristo chooses Italian. Haydée greets Albert in fluent Tuscan with a soft Roman accent, then orders Ali to bring coffee and pipes for the guests. Albert is overwhelmed by the immersive, Eastern atmosphere of the room, and asks Haydée about her memories of Greece. She reveals she left Greece at age five, and her earliest memory is from age three, when she and her mother Vasiliki (whose name means “royal”) went out veiled to solicit alms for prisoners, then donated the collected money to a convent to distribute to the incarcerated. The chapter ends as Albert asks if she holds more memories of her early childhood in Greece.

Chapter 77. Haydée

Chapter 77 centers on Haydée’s recounting of her traumatic early life to Albert de Morcerf, with the Count of Monte Cristo present and setting terms for her story: she may share the fate of her father, but is forbidden from naming the traitor or the act of treason that upended her family.

Request for Haydée’s Tale

Albert privately asks the Count of Monte Cristo to permit Haydée to share her personal history, expressing hope she will reference his father unprompted. Monte Cristo relays the request to Haydée in Greek, instructing her to tell the group the fate of her father while omitting the name of the traitor and the details of the treason. Haydée responds with a deep, sorrowful sigh. When Albert asks Monte Cristo what he said to her, the count replies he reminded Haydée that Albert is a trusted friend, so she need not conceal anything from him.