The Count of Monte Cristo

The Crowd at the Assizes

An autumn day of remarkable beauty brought enormous crowds to the courthouse. From seven o’clock in the morning, people gathered at the iron gates, and the hall was filled with privileged attendees an hour before proceedings began. The atmosphere resembled a drawing-room where acquaintances recognized each other and conversed freely.

A Meeting of Friends

Among the attendees were Beauchamp (renowned press figure), Château-Renaud, and Debray (minister’s secretary), who had secured prime positions through a sympathetic sergeant-at-arms. These well-connected gentlemen passed the time before the trial with characteristic wit and social commentary.

The Fate of Benedetto

The friends discussed Benedetto’s likely fate. The court president had privately assured Debray that despite Benedetto’s reputation for cunning and subtlety, he was in reality a commonplace, foolish rascal, unworthy of the phrenological experiments planned after his execution. While Château-Renaud detected aristocratic qualities in the accused, Beauchamp remained skeptical of the entire Cavalcanti pretense.

Villefort’s Domestic Afflictions

The conversation turned to M. de Villefort, who had secluded himself for the past week due to a strange chain of domestic afflictions, including the deaths of several household members. The prosecutor’s residence had been draped in mourning for three months, and the minister’s wife had made inquiries about the house’s dark reputation.

The Arrival of Madame Danglars

Beauchamp spotted Madame Danglars in the courtroom, a surprising appearance given her daughter’s recent flight and her husband’s bankruptcy mere days before. Debray attempted to deflect attention from the obvious connection to his own relationship with Eugénie Danglars.

The Mysterious Deaths

Beauchamp revealed a disturbing theory: there was an assassin within Villefort’s household. The deaths of Monsieur and Madame de Saint-Méran, old Barrois, and finally Valentine were not natural occurrences but the result of systematic poisoning by a young family member.

The Infant Phenomenon

According to Beauchamp’s source—his newly hired servant recently departed from Villefort’s household—young Edward had discovered poisons in his mother’s laboratory and used them against those who displeased him. The child administered three drops of an elixir to the Saint-Mérans, to Barrois who sometimes rebuffed him, and to Valentine whom he envied. Beauchamp defended this extraordinary claim by noting Edward’s earlier tendency to harm siblings by sticking pins in their ears while they slept, suggesting the younger generation was disturbingly precocious.

The Absence of Monte Cristo

The friends observed that Count de Monte Cristo was notably absent from the proceedings. Debray suggested the Count was worn out and perhaps reluctant to appear publicly after being deceived by the Cavalcanti impostors, who had presented false letters of credit and cheated him of approximately 100,000 francs. Beauchamp added that Monte Cristo could not easily appear as an actor in the drama, since Caderousse had been murdered leaving his house and the famous blood-stained waistcoat containing the incriminating letter had been found at his residence.

Caderousse’s Bloody Waistcoat

The blood-stained waistcoat, containing the letter that had stopped the signature of the marriage contract, served as damning testimony against Benedetto. It connected the false Cavalcanti directly to Caderousse’s murder and served as physical evidence of the crime.

The Court Convenes

The proceedings began as the court officials announced the magistrates’ arrival, prompting the assembled observers to return to their designated places and the formal trial to commence.

CAPÍTULO 110. The Indictment

Chapter 110 depicts a dramatic courtroom spectacle where Benedetto stands trial for his crimes. The chapter chronicles his unexpected revelation that M. de Villefort is his father, leading to Villefort’s public confession and collapse. The trial adjourns as the courtroom erupts in chaos following these shocking disclosures.

The Court Convenes

The Court Convenes The judges and jury take their places in profound silence. M. de Villefort draws unusual attention and general admiration as he sits in the armchair, casting a tranquil glance around him. His grave and severe face, unmoved by personal griefs, excites something like terror in the observers, who note that he appears to be a stranger to all human emotions.