The Count of Monte Cristo

The Auteuil House Inquiry

When questioned about the Count’s purchase of the Auteuil house, the abbé reveals that Monte Cristo confided his purpose: to establish a lunatic asylum similar to the one founded by the Count of Pisani in Palermo. The abbé presents this as a magnificent charitable undertaking. During this exchange, the abbé carefully maintains his priestly integrity, refusing to violate the secrets of confession while otherwise cooperating with the inquiry.

Visit to Lord Wilmore

Following the interview with the Abbé Busoni, the agent travels to Rue Fontaine-Saint-Georges, stopping at number five where Lord Wilmore resides. Lord Wilmore, described as one of those wealthy English tourists who spend fortunes traveling, occupies a furnished apartment but spends few hours there daily and rarely sleeps there. He notably refuses to speak French, though he writes it fluently. The agent arrives ten minutes before their appointed ten o’clock meeting, and is shown into a conventional furnished drawing room.

Lord Wilmore’s Account

Lord Wilmore appears at exactly ten o’clock, dressed in antiquated English fashion—a blue coat with gilt buttons from the 1812 era, white waistcoat, and too-short nankeen trousers. He initially insists on communicating only in English despite the agent’s offer to converse in French. Unlike the restrained Abbé, Lord Wilmore proves more forthcoming, partly because he harbors animosity toward the Count as his sworn enemy.

The Count’s Youth

Lord Wilmore provides a detailed account of the Count’s early life. The Count entered service at age ten with an Indian prince opposed to British interests, where Wilmore first encountered and fought against him. During this conflict, the Count was captured, transported to England, and imprisoned on prison hulks until he escaped by swimming to freedom. His subsequent adventures included numerous duels and travels before he joined the Greek cause during the insurrection against Ottoman rule.