The Count of Monte Cristo

CAPÍTULO 50. The Morrel Family

The count arrives at No. 7 Rue Meslay, a white stone house with flower beds and a fountain called “The Little Versailles.” The concierge Cocles, who has become dim-sighted over nine years, does not recognize the count. Emmanuel Herbault purchased the entire property—house, workshops, and garden—and let portions for profit while reserving the main residence.

Arrival at Rue Meslay

Monte Cristo’s carriage stops at the gate where Cocles admits him. Maximilian Morrel eagerly greets the count, throwing away his cigar and hastening to welcome him. The young officer expresses warmth and gratitude for the promised visit.

The Little Versailles

The fountain’s rockwork basin with gold and silver fish has earned the property its nickname throughout the quarter. Emmanuel’s business acumen transformed the estate into a profitable investment, yet he remains as well-lodged and private as the finest mansions in the Faubourg St. Germain. The house features oak breakfast room, mahogany salon with blue velvet furnishings, citronwood bedroom with green damask, a study Emmanuel never uses, and a music room for Julie who never plays.

Maximilian Morrel

Maximilian, a young officer, was superintending his horse’s grooming and smoking at the garden entrance when the count arrived. He warmly offers to serve as guide, noting his sister Julie tends the roses while Emmanuel reads nearby.

Julie Herbault

Julie, now Madame Emmanuel Herbault, wears a silk morning gown while tending her noisette rose-trees. She utters a cry of surprise at the stranger and calls for Penelon to inform her husband. She disappears to make herself presentable for the guest.

Emmanuel Herbault

Emmanuel enters wearing proper hat and coat after changing from his jacket. He examines the house through the same window, showing his devotion to his wife. The count observes the domestic contentment that surrounds him.

Penelon the Gardener

The old sailor-turned-gardener still maintains his maritime habits, keeping tobacco in his cheek and calling Julie “Mademoiselle Julie” despite her marriage. His bronzed features and thick, graying hair mark him as weathered by tropical storms and equatorial heat.

The Happy Family

Monte Cristo observes they want nothing that could render them happy—they are young, cheerful, tenderly attached, and with twenty-five thousand francs yearly, they fancy themselves as wealthy as Rothschild. Everything about the charming retreat breathes tranquility and repose.

The Business Success

M. Morrel left 500,000 francs divided between his two children. Emmanuel, possessing only noble probity and first-rate ability at marriage, labored for six years to amass 250,000 francs—a touching spectacle of talent and determination. The business eventually sold to Delaunay for 300,000 francs, leaving the family with their modest but comfortable income.

The Angel’s Gift

Julie speaks of God’s intervention, crediting divine assistance for their fortune. She describes the mysterious benefactor as one of God’s angels sent in their time of need.

The Letter and Diamond

A silken purse rests beneath a crystal cover on a black velvet cushion, containing a letter and a brilliant diamond valued at 100,000 francs. These precious family treasures commemorate the unknown benefactor who saved their father from suicide, the family from ruin, and their name from disgrace.

Searching for the Benefactor

The mysterious benefactor remains unknown to them despite years of searching. Penelon spotted an Englishman in Trieste who matches the visitor from 1829. Maximilian connects this to the count’s mention of Thomson & French as his bankers, creating a suspicious link.

Lord Wilmore

Monte Cristo mentions Lord Wilmore, an eccentric Englishman who performed such noble actions but never revealed himself. He claims to have parted from Lord Wilmore two years prior in Palermo, as the man was departing for remote regions. Julie’s eyes swim with tears at this revelation.

The Father’s Last Words

M. Morrel believed the action was miraculously performed—a benefactor risen from the grave. His dying words to Maximilian were: “It was Edmond Dantès!” The count’s paleness becomes alarming at hearing this name.

Edmond Dantès Named

Maximilian recalls how his father cherished this conviction as a touching superstition, musing over the name of a dear friend lost forever. The count remains visibly shaken by the identification.