The Count of Monte Cristo

Morrel’s Unsuccessful Plea to Danglars for Aid

Hoping to secure a loan from Danglars, a former acquaintance who owes his initial career success to Morrel and is now worth 6-8 million francs with unlimited credit, Morrel travels to Paris but is refused any support. He returns home crushed by the humiliation of the rejection, though he hides his distress from his family.

Morrel Family’s Distress Over Impending Bankruptcy

After Morrel reveals (through his silent distress and his clerk Cocles’ panicked reaction) that the family faces certain ruin, the Morrel household is thrown into despair. The family holds a brief council and agrees Julie should summon her brother Maximilian, a young army officer stationed in Nîmes, to join them, as they feel they need his strength to endure the coming catastrophe.

Summoning of Maximilian Morrel for Family Support

The Morrel family decides to send for Maximilian Morrel, Julie and Madame Morrel’s 22-year-old brother and a sub-lieutenant in the 53rd line regiment known for his rigid integrity and stoic demeanor, to provide support ahead of the impending bankruptcy they believe is unavoidable.

Maximilian Morrel’s Arrival to Comfort His Family

Maximilian arrives at the Morrel home the morning of September 5, responding to his family’s urgent letter. He is shocked by their distress and immediately asks what catastrophe has befallen them, providing comfort to his mother and sister as they prepare for the worst.

Julie Receives Sinbad the Sailor’s Urgent Letter

As Julie goes to tell her father Maximilian has arrived, a messenger with a strong Italian accent stops her on the stairs, handing her a letter signed “Sinbad the Sailor” that instructs her to go alone to 15 Allées de Meilhan, retrieve a red silk purse from the fifth-floor apartment, and deliver it to her father before 11 a.m. on September 5, reminding her of her promise to obey his instructions implicitly.