The Count of Monte Cristo

Fates of Mercédès, Old Dantès, Morrel, Caderousse, and Danglars

The chapter closes by outlining the immediate fates of all characters connected to Dantès following his imprisonment: Mercédès returns to the Catalan quarter in deep despair, and Fernand Mondego stays by her side, though she pays no mind to his attempts at comfort, lost entirely in grief for Dantès. M. Morrel, Dantès’ kindly employer, exhausts all his connections and appeals to influential figures in Marseille to try to secure Dantès’ release, but the widespread belief that Dantès is a Bonapartist spy means all his efforts fail, and he returns home in despair, convinced nothing more can be done for his former employee. Caderousse, equally uneasy about Dantès’ fate, does not try to help him, instead shutting himself away with two bottles of black currant brandy to drown his guilty thoughts, though he remains too aware of his role in the events to find any relief in drink. Danglars, by contrast, is entirely content and at peace: he has eliminated a rival for the first mate position on the Pharaon and secured his own standing on the ship. He views Dantès’ imprisonment as a simple numerical gain to his own interests, and goes to bed at his usual time, sleeping soundly. Old Dantès, Edmond’s father, is dying of anxiety over his son’s disappearance, unaware of the fate that has befallen him.

CAPÍTULO 10. The King’s Closet at the Tuileries

This chapter opens in the royal closet at the Tuileries Palace, a room known for its arched window and having served as the favorite chamber of Napoleon, Louis XVIII, and now Louis Philippe. King Louis XVIII sits before a walnut table he brought from Hartwell, annotating a volume of Horace while listening to the Duc de Blacas express deep concerns about unrest brewing in the south of France. The king responds with his characteristic wit and classical references, quoting Latin phrases as he continues his scholarly annotations. Blacas insists that a trusted informant has arrived from the south warning of great peril to the king, but Louis XVIII remains unconvinced, suggesting his minister is merely alarmist. The scene establishes the tension between Blacas’s genuine worry and the monarch’s apparent complacency.

Tuileries Closet Opening: Blacas Raises Unrest Concerns, Dandré Enters

M. de Blacas has come to the king with urgent warnings about a storm brewing in the south of France. He begs Louis XVIII to send trustworthy men to Languedoc, Provence, and Dauphiné to report on the true feelings in these provinces. The king, however, dismisses these concerns with his characteristic dry humor, suggesting the weather is fine in that direction. Blacas presses on, mentioning a serious-minded man charged to watch over the south has arrived by post with alarming intelligence. At this point, M. Dandré, the Minister of Police, is announced and enters the closet. Louis XVIII greets him with a witty remark about wanting the latest news of M. de Bonaparte, noting that “the Island of Elba is a volcano.”

Discussion of Bonaparte’s Status on Elba with Minister Dandré

Dandré reports that all servants of his majesty should approve of the latest intelligence from Elba. He describes Bonaparte as mortally wearied, spending his days watching miners work at Porto-Longone. The king interjects with a sardonic comment about Bonaparte’s skin disease, “prurigo,” which torments him. Dandré adds that they are almost assured Bonaparte will soon be insane—sometimes weeping bitterly, sometimes laughing boisterously, spending hours on the seashore skipping stones. Louis XVIII counters that these might equally be symptoms of wisdom, recalling how great captains of antiquity like Scipio Africanus amused themselves similarly. The king then reveals the supposed “conversion” of Napoleon—how at a recent review, Napoleon dismissed veterans wishing to return to France, exhorting them to “serve the good king.” Blacas remains skeptical of these reassurances, insisting that either the minister is deceived or he himself is, though he cannot decide which.

Blacas Secures Approval to Present Marseilles Informant Villefort

Blacas informs the king that his messenger, who has traveled two hundred and twenty leagues in barely three days, is comparable to the stag fleeing the wolf in Horace’s poetry. He compares the young man to the stag for enduring such hardship to bring useful information. Louis XVIII jokes about rewarding poorly this poor young man when he has a telegraph that transmits messages in three or four hours. Blacas mentions that M. de Salvieux, his brother’s chamberlain, has recommended this messenger from Marseilles. Upon hearing the name “Villefort,” Louis XVIII betrays sudden uneasiness. He reveals he knows Villefort as a man of strong and elevated understanding who is ambitious, and to attain his ambition would sacrifice everything—even his own father. The king confirms that this is Noirtier’s son—Noirtier the Girondin, the senator. Despite this damning heritage, Louis XVIII agrees to receive Villefort immediately, and Blacas departs to fetch him.