The Count of Monte Cristo

Benedetto

When Bertuccio spots Andrea Cavalcanti looking at a Murillo painting, he would have uttered an exclamation had not a look from Monte Cristo silenced him. He mutters “Benedetto? fatality!”—revealing that the young Count Andrea Cavalcanti is in fact Benedetto, whom Bertuccio believed he had murdered. The supernatural recognition of this “ghost” strikes terror into the steward’s heart as he leans against the wall.

Dinner is Announced

At half-past six o’clock, Bertuccio appears at the drawing-room doors and announces dinner with a violent effort. The Count of Monte Cristo offers his arm to Madame de Villefort and asks M. de Villefort to conduct the Baroness Danglars. Villefort complies, and the party proceeds to the dining-room.

KAPITEL 63. The Dinner

Monte Cristo hosts a magnificent dinner at his newly acquired house, drawing Parisian elite despite their unease about his mysterious reputation. The guests assemble with underlying anxiety, curiosity overcoming prudence and decorum. Villefort offers his arm to Madame Danglars, both appearing nervous, while Monte Cristo observes all with keen attention.

An Uneasy Assembly

A singular nervousness pervades every guest upon entering the dining-room. Each wonders what strange influence brought them to this eccentric count’s home. Madame Danglars startles when Villefort offers his arm, and Villefort’s gaze remains uneasy beneath his gold spectacles. The count misses nothing of their mutual unease, understanding that mere contact between individuals has already lent the scene considerable interest.

An Oriental Feast

The repast surpasses Parisian expectations entirely. Monte Cristo provides a feast fit for Arabian fairies, with fruits from four continents displayed in Chinese vases and Japanese jars. Rare birds with brilliant plumage and enormous fish adorn massive silver dishes, accompanied by wines from the Archipelago, Asia Minor, and the Cape in grotesque bottles designed to enhance flavor.

The Pursuit of the Impossible

Monte Cristo explains his philosophy of life to the assembled guests. The marvelous consists of what we do not understand, and we truly desire what we cannot obtain. He claims his study is seeing incomprehensible things and procuring impossibilities, satisfying his wishes through will and money alone. He cites the two fish before them as examples—one from beyond St. Petersburg, the other from Naples—caught fifty leagues and five leagues away respectively.

The Impossible Procured

Château-Renaud identifies a sterlet from the Volga while Cavalcanti recognizes a lamprey from Lake Fusaro. When the guests cry “Impossible!” Monte Cristo reveals his method: each fish traveled in a specially built wagon filled with river plants, the sterlet surviving twelve days, the lamprey eight. He then commands Baptistin to bring in four more live fish in casks, demonstrating his impossible procurements to astonished guests.

The Miraculous Renovation

Château-Renaud marvels at the house’s transformation. Only five or six days ago the house had a different entrance and an empty paved courtyard; now a splendid lawn bordered by ancient-looking trees has appeared. Monte Cristo explains his love for grass and shade. When Madame de Villefort mentions her miraculous escape through the old entrance, the count reveals he prefers seeing the Bois de Boulogne from his gate.

The House of Saint-Méran

The conversation turns to the house’s previous owner. Château-Renaud recalls that M. de Saint-Méran advertised the property for sale two or three years ago, prompting Madame de Villefort to recognize it as belonging to her father-in-law. Monte Cristo admits his steward handled the purchase without informing him of the former owner. The house had been unoccupied for ten years with weeds and closed blinds.

The Dramatic Room

Monte Cristo mentions one room that struck him as particularly dramatic—a plain chamber hung with red damask. He wonders aloud at the instinct that recognizes places where we seem to breathe sadness, comparing it to the chamber of the Marquise de Ganges or Desdemona. He offers to show this room to his guests, promising coffee in the garden afterward.

The Sinister Chamber

The guests enter the room, which remains unlit despite disappearing daylight and maintains old-fashioned furnishings unlike the rest of the redecorated house. Madame de Villefort cries that it appears frightful. The gloomy bed with blood-colored hangings and faded crayon portraits with staring eyes create an ominous atmosphere that unanimsously impresses everyone as sinister.