The Count of Monte Cristo

Mercédès Contrasts Past and Present Hardship

The narrator reflects on how Mercédès had never truly known want. As a young Catalan girl, she wished for a thousand things but never genuinely needed any, living contentedly as long as the nets caught fish. Now, however, there are two to support and nothing to live upon. Winter approaches, and Mercédès, once accustomed to stoves heating the house and a conservatory of costly exotics, has no fire in her cold, naked room and not even a single flower. The initial excitement of fulfilling a duty has faded, obliging mother and son to descend from dreams to reality and speak of actual, pressing matters.

Albert Proposes Dividing Their Remaining Funds

Albert announces his plan to “reckon our riches” and to divide their remaining resources. He maintains that their 3,000 francs are an enormous sum and intends to build upon it a “miraculous certainty for the future.” When Mercédès questions whether they ought to accept this buried money, coloring slightly, Albert answers firmly in the affirmative. He outlines that 200 francs will be sufficient to reach Marseilles, and with a smile, he presents a careful itemization of the journey to reassure her.

Albert Details Travel Expenses and Budget

Albert produces a written breakdown of travel costs: 35 francs for the coupé to Châlons, 6 francs by steamboat from Châlons to Lyons, 16 francs from Lyons to Avignon, and 7 francs from Avignon to Marseilles, plus 50 francs for expenses on the road. He rounds the total up to 120 francs, joking that he is being generous. For himself, he reserves 80 francs, and he has already arranged the 200 francs by selling his watch for 100 francs and the guard and seals for 300. After deducting 30 francs owed to the landlord, he shows that they actually possess 250 francs for a journey that requires only 114—proof, he claims, that they are rich.