The Count of Monte Cristo

Death of General d’Épinay

The duel takes place on the frozen, snow-covered steps leading down to the river. The president, a far more skilled fencer, wounds General de Quesnel three times. When witnesses approach to help the fallen general, they find him bleeding, and he dies five minutes later. Franz is deeply shaken by reading the full account of his father’s previously mysterious murder, while Noirtier watches Villefort with an expression of undisguised contempt.

CHAPITRE 75. A Signed Statement

This chapter centers on the revelation of the identity of the man who killed Franz d’Épinay’s father, unfolding after Franz reads a signed witness statement detailing the circumstances of the general’s death, and culminating in a shocking confession from Noirtier de Villefort.

The Signed Statement

The Signed Statement Franz reads a formal, signed account from duel witnesses Beaurepaire, Duchampy, and Lecharpal, which confirms his father died in a fair, pre-agreed duel rather than an ambush, and was signed to prevent future accusations of murder or honor violations against the duel’s participants.

Franz Reads the Duel Account

Franz Reads the Duel Account Visibly shaken, Franz reads the full witness statement aloud to the assembled group, pausing to brush tears from his eyes as he processes the dreadful details of his father’s final moments.

The Body in the River

The Body in the River The witness account details that after confirming the general was dead, the duel witnesses threw his body into the river, leaving a trail of blood on the snow that marked the duel president’s path as he left the scene.

Franz Demands the President’s Name

Franz Demands the President’s Name After finishing the statement, Franz directly asks Noirtier de Villefort to reveal the name of the duel’s president, the man responsible for his father’s death, as his final request for closure.

The Alphabet and the Dictionary

The Alphabet and the Dictionary Noirtier confirms he can communicate the president’s identity, so Franz retrieves a dictionary and recites the alphabet aloud; when he reaches the letter “M”, Noirtier signals that this is the first letter of the name.

The Word Revealed

The Word Revealed Franz runs his finger over dictionary entries starting with M, with Noirtier rejecting each candidate word, until Franz lands on the word “MYSELF”, which Noirtier confirms is the correct answer.

Noirtier’s Confession

Noirtier’s Confession Noirtier explicitly confirms that he is the man who killed Franz’s father, fixing a steady, majestic gaze on the young man as he admits his role in the duel.

Franz’s Shock

Franz’s Shock Overwhelmed by the revelation that his host Noirtier de Villefort is his father’s killer, Franz collapses powerless onto a chair, unable to process the devastating news.

Villefort’s Flight

Villefort’s Flight Terrified that Noirtier’s confession will destroy his own reputation and standing, Villefort flees the room immediately, even considering murdering the old man to silence him permanently.

CHAPITRE 76. Progress of Cavalcanti the Younger

The elder Cavalcanti had returned to his true element at the gaming-tables of Lucca, having squandered every farthing of his traveling allowance while maintaining the elaborate fiction of fatherhood. His son Andrea, meanwhile, inherited the documents confirming his aristocratic lineage and launched himself into Parisian society with remarkable speed, requiring only tolerable French, a good appearance, skill at cards, and ready cash to gain acceptance among the credulous capital. A learned man even corroborated the tale of the Cavalcanti fortune supposedly buried in the quarries of Saravezza, lending an air of reality to assertions that might otherwise have seemed dubious. The Count of Monte Cristo’s evening visit to the Danglars household found Andrea already installed there, dressed in black with varnished shoes and white silk stockings, surreptitiously displaying a diamond ring and directing killing glances toward Mademoiselle Eugénie, who remained cold, beautiful, and thoroughly satirical in her reception of his advances. While Eugénie escaped to practice piano with her singing instructor Louise d’Armilly, Monte Cristo discussed with Madame Danglars both the recent Saint-Méran deaths and her husband’s remarkable composure despite substantial financial losses. Albert de Morcerf’s arrival revealed the bank’s preferred suitor to be entirely indifferent to the match, prompting Danglars to seek Monte Cristo’s counsel about breaking off the arrangement. A messenger from Greece unsettled the banker considerably, and during their private conference, Danglars revealed his discovery of the damning connection between the name Fernand and Yanina, prompting him to ask Monte Cristo to remove Andrea from the premises while he considered his options.