The Count of Monte Cristo

Jeweller Departs in Thunderstorm

Jeweller Departs in Thunderstorm A tremendous clap of thunder and a blinding flash of lightning erupt as the jeweller prepares to leave. Caderousse warns him of the terrible weather, and La Carconte cautions about robbers on the road during fair time. Joannes casually produces a pair of loaded pistols, declaring they will serve any would-be thieves. Caderousse and his wife exchange another meaningful look, both seemingly struck by the same horrible thought. The jeweller takes his cane, steps out into the raging storm, asks directions, and disappears into the darkness, his voice fading into the distance.

Couple Urges Jeweller to Stay Overnight

Couple Urges Jeweller to Stay Overnight After closing and double-locking the door, the couple returns to the table and counts their gold and banknotes a third time by lamplight. La Carconte’s face is described as livid and feverish, her eyes like burning coals. She bitterly asks why Caderousse invited the jeweller to stay the night, suspecting he intended to rob and murder him on the road. She urges Caderousse to act—to let the man reach Beaucaire by no means—but Caderousse recoils, accusing her of offending God. Another tremendous peal of thunder interrupts them, and a horrified Caderousse crosses himself.

Jeweller Returns, Accepts Hospitality

Jeweller Returns, Accepts Hospitality In the terrifying silence following the thunderclap, a knock comes at the door. Caderousse, pale and breathless, gathers up the gold and notes with trembling hands. The voice outside identifies itself as Joannes the jeweller. La Carconte, with a horrid smile, mocks her husband for thinking he had offended the good God. She opens the door to the drenched jeweller, who explains that the storm has made his return to Beaucaire impossible, and that he has come back to accept their offer of hospitality. Caderousse, sweating and stammering, can barely speak, while La Carconte double-locks the door behind the unsuspecting guest, sealing his fate.

CAPÍTULO 45. The Rain of Blood

This is Chapter 45, “The Rain of Blood”, which chronicles the violent murder of a jeweller at the inn of Caderousse and La Carconte, the narrator’s wrongful arrest for the crime, and his eventual exoneration with the help of Abbé Busoni. Bertuccio continues his confession to the Count of Monte Cristo, recounting how he obtained his position through an abbé’s recommendation and then returning to Corsica to find his sister Assunta murdered by his adopted son Benedetto, who, aided by two accomplices, tortured her over a brazier to force her to reveal her money; she died of her burns after they locked the house and fled with the stolen cash, never to be seen again. The Count absolves Bertuccio but reminds him that his true guilt lay in failing to restore the Villefort infant to its mother, then dismisses him to wander the garden alone, murmuring over the very spot where the child’s grave was dug. The party returns to Paris, where the Count surveys his new Champs-Élysées residence with an uncanny familiarity, instructs Ali to keep his Greek and French attendants strictly separate, and welcomes the beautiful Haydée, who is escorted by a tapestried passage to a concealed suite within the house.

CAPÍTULO 45. The Rain of Blood

This is Chapter 45, “The Rain of Blood”, which chronicles the violent murder of a jeweller at the inn of Caderousse and La Carconte, the narrator’s wrongful arrest for the crime, and his eventual exoneration with the help of Abbé Busoni.

The Jeweller’s Return

A jeweller returns to Caderousse and La Carconte’s apartment and casts a scrutinizing glance around the space, finding no immediate cause for suspicion. Caderousse clutches the gold and banknotes the pair recently obtained, while La Carconte greets the jeweller with unusually warm, welcoming smiles.

Counting the Fortune

The jeweller jokes that the pair seem to have doubted the accuracy of their money, given how carefully they counted it while he was away. Caderousse explains their sudden, unexpected wealth felt so unreal that they needed to physically count the cash and gold to convince themselves it was not a dream.