A Father’s Refusal
Villefort refuses utterly to accuse his daughter, declaring he would as soon accuse himself. He begs the doctor to spare Valentine and offers to suffer and await death himself rather than betray her. He threatens that if the doctor is wrong, he will kill himself, calling the doctor an assassin.
The Doctor’s Ultimatum
After a moment’s silence, d’Avrigny agrees to wait rather than act immediately. However, he delivers an ultimatum: if anyone falls ill in the house again, Villefort must not send for him, for he will not return. He will share the dreadful secret but refuses to allow shame and remorse to consume his conscience as crime and misery will consume the house. With this, he departs, leaving Villefort in horror.
A Sudden Apoplexy
Before leaving, d’Avrigny provides the servants with a public explanation for Barrois’s death—apoplexy from a sedentary life, thickened blood, and a stout, short neck. He warns Villefort in a low voice to discard the cup of syrup of violets.
The Servants’ Flight
That same evening, the terrified servants gather in the kitchen and inform Madame de Villefort they must leave. No promises of increased wages or entreaties can persuade them to remain. They depart, expressing regret at leaving their kind master and mistress, especially Mademoiselle Valentine, whom they describe as good, kind, and gentle.
A Gloomy Smile
Villefort watches Valentine in tears as the servants depart. Yet when he glances at Madame de Villefort, he perceives something unsettling—a faint, gloomy smile crossing her thin lips, like an ominous meteor passing between two clouds in a stormy sky.
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