The Count of Monte Cristo

KAPITEL 4. Conspiracy

This chapter depicts the aftermath of Edmond Dantès and Mercédès’s departure from the tavern, revealing the jealousy and plotting of those left behind. The scene establishes the central conspiracy that will drive much of the novel’s plot, as three men—Fernand, Danglars, and Caderousse—react to the announcement of Dantès’s impending marriage and promotion to captain of the Pharaon.

Lovers’ Departure and Initial Reactions of Fernand and Caderousse

Danglars watches Edmond and Mercédès disappear behind Fort Saint Nicolas, then turns to observe Fernand, who has turned pale and trembles in his chair. Caderousse, increasingly drunk, merely stammers through a drinking-song. The contrast between the lovers’ happiness and the despair of the rejected suitor sets the stage for the treachery to follow. Danglars immediately perceives Fernand’s distress and recognizes an opportunity to exploit the young man’s jealousy for his own purposes.

Fernand Confesses His Desperate Love for Mercédès

When Danglars confronts Fernand about his obvious misery, Fernand openly declares his desperate passion for Mercédès, admitting he has loved her “as long as” he has known her—“always.” Despite his anguish, Fernand reveals that he cannot act against Dantès because Mercédès has threatened to kill herself if any misfortune befalls her betrothed. Danglars dismisses this concern as feminine exaggeration, muttering “Idiot!” to himself while calculating that his own advancement matters more than whether Mercédès lives or dies. Fernand remains resolute, declaring he would die himself before allowing harm to come to Mercédès.

Danglars Plots to Thwart the Marriage Without Killing Dantès

Danglars poses as a sympathetic friend willing to help Fernand, though his true motives remain hidden. He artfully suggests that death is not necessary to separate the lovers, proposing instead that imprisonment would serve equally well. When Caderousse, despite his intoxication, points out that one can escape from prison, Danglars dismisses this concern, implying that whatever consequences follow would be someone else’s problem. The schemer gradually reveals his willingness to sabotage Dantès while maintaining plausible deniability about his personal involvement.

Caderousse’s Drunken Opposition to Harming Dantès

Throughout the conversation, Caderousse serves as an obstacle to the conspiracy, his remaining faculties repeatedly protesting against harming Dantès. He declares Dantès to be a good fellow and reminds them that Dantès offered to share his money with him that morning, as Caderousse had shared his own with Dantès. Despite becoming increasingly drunk, Caderousse insists on drinking to Dantès’s health and threatens to prevent any harm to his friend. Even as his reason fades, he instinctively comprehends the “infamous shame” of the planned betrayal and reaches for the incriminating letter, though Danglars snatches it away.

The Plan to Falsely Denounce Dantès as a Bonapartist Agent

Danglars devises an elaborate scheme to have Dantès arrested on false charges of Bonapartism. He explains that after Dantès’s recent voyage, during which he touched at the Island of Elba, someone could denounce him to the king’s attorney as an agent of Murat. This accusation would be serious enough to warrant imprisonment without requiring any actual killing. Danglars emphasizes that the scheme allows for revenge that “will not revert to yourself,” meaning the conspirators can avoid direct consequences. The plan involves accusing Dantès of carrying letters from Murat to the Bonapartist committee in Paris, with the implication that such letters would be found either on his person, at his father’s home, or in his cabin aboard the Pharaon.

Danglars Writes the Disguised Denunciation Letter

To ensure the accusation cannot be traced back to the conspirators, Danglars proposes writing the letter with his left hand and in a reversed style totally unlike his normal handwriting. He demonstrates this technique by composing the denunciation, which he then hands to Fernand to read silently. The letter falsely accuses Edmond Dantès of being “intrusted by Murat with a letter for the usurper, and by the usurper with a letter for the Bonapartist committee in Paris.” Danglars further suggests folding the letter and addressing it to the king’s attorney to complete the scheme. He fills Caderousse’s glass with more wine, successfully clouding the tailor’s remaining judgment and preventing further interference.