The Count of Monte Cristo

Madame de Villefort Requests Noirtier Bequeath Fortune to Valentine

While Valentine meets with Morrel, Madame de Villefort visits Noirtier. She states she knows he opposed Valentine’s marriage to Franz, which was arranged without his consent, and asks him to restore his full fortune to Valentine, his only legitimate heir, framing the request as selfless since she will receive no personal benefit from the transaction. Noirtier is initially suspicious of her motive, but eventually signals he agrees to her request.

Noirtier Rewrites Will Leaving Entire Estate to Valentine

The next day, Noirtier summons a notary, tears up his original will, and creates a new one that leaves his entire fortune to Valentine, on the condition that she never leaves his side. Rumors quickly spread that Valentine, already heir to the Saint-Méran marquis and marchioness’s fortune, will now have an annual income of 300,000 livres.

Morcerf Proposes Marriage for Son to Danglars

While the Villefort family handles the broken engagement, Count Morcerf visits Baron Danglars to formalize a long-discussed marriage proposal for his son, Viscount Albert de Morcerf, to Danglars’s daughter Eugénie. Morcerf, dressed in his full lieutenant-general uniform adorned with all his crosses, assumes Danglars will accept the proposal, as the match had been discussed for eight years.

Danglars Rebuffs Morcerf’s Marriage Proposal

Danglars refuses to give a definite answer to Morcerf’s proposal, citing unforeseen circumstances that have changed his mind in the last fortnight. When Morcerf presses for an explanation, Danglars hints at calumnies against Morcerf but refuses to elaborate, eventually suggesting they delay the match indefinitely. Morcerf is furious but leaves without forcing a full explanation, as Danglars avoids confirming if his refusal is personal to Morcerf.

CHAPITRE 78. We hear From Yanina

Chapter 78, “We hear From Yanina,” opens after Danglars’s evening gathering and centers on the fallout from a newspaper article published in Beauchamp’s journal. The article reports that a French officer named Fernand betrayed the castle of Yanina to the Turks, and Albert de Morcerf recognizes this as an attack on his father’s honor. The chapter traces Albert’s urgent search for Monte Cristo, their meeting at a shooting gallery, their extended counsel in the count’s study, and Albert’s subsequent demand for a retraction at Beauchamp’s office. Throughout, Monte Cristo advises restraint and suggests Albert consult Haydée for the truth, foreshadowing a deeper revelation about the past.

Cavalcanti Leaves Danglars’ Evening Gathering

After the evening gathering at Danglars’s house, M. Cavalcanti remains in the drawing-room with the ladies and is the last to leave the banker’s home. Danglars holds a long conference with several friends before retiring.

Danglars Reads the Yanina Newspaper Article

The next morning, Danglars asks for newspapers and selects l’Impartial, the paper edited by Beauchamp. He hastily scans past the Parisian items and stops with a malicious smile at a miscellaneous paragraph headed “We hear from Yanina.” Danglars notes with satisfaction that this article about Colonel Fernand would render any explanation the Comte de Morcerf had previously required of him unnecessary.

Albert Confronts Monte Cristo Over the Slander

At nine o’clock the same morning, Albert de Morcerf, dressed in a black coat buttoned to his chin, walks with an agitated step toward Monte Cristo’s house in the Champs-Élysées. The porter informs him that the count left about half an hour earlier. After speaking with the valet Baptistin, who confirms the count is out and not expected until ten for breakfast, Albert decides to walk in the Champs-Élysées until the appointed hour, asking Baptistin to ensure the count does not leave again without seeing him. While passing the Allée des Veuves, Albert spots the count’s carriage at Gosset’s shooting-gallery, enters, and is told the count prefers to practice alone. When Albert identifies himself as a friend, Philip announces him, and Monte Cristo appears.

Monte Cristo Demonstrates Marksmanship

Albert explains he followed Monte Cristo here and intended to wait for him at home. When Albert reveals he has come to fight that day for the sake of honor and asks the count to be his second, Monte Cristo insists they discuss the matter at home rather than in the gallery. Before leaving, Philip invites Albert in to see something “droll”: playing cards are pinned to the wall in place of the usual target, and Monte Cristo’s shots have pierced the cards so precisely that the bullet holes align with the positions where the painted values would be, completing a full suit from the ace through the ten. The count’s shots have also struck down two or three swallows flying through the gallery. After this display, both men enter Monte Cristo’s carriage and ride to No. 30.