The Count of Monte Cristo

Albert’s Defense of the Count

Albert dismisses all of Franz’s concerns, explaining that wealthy Englishmen commonly own yachts and that Monte Cristo purchasing the island was a wise precaution against government interference. He argues that Corsican bandits are simply fugitives, not villains, and that he cannot condemn the count for connections that saved his life and 4,000 piastres.

The Final Farewell

The count bids farewell, as he must depart for Naples and will not return before Sunday. Franz reveals he will remain in Italy for another year or two, bound for Venice. They part with the count’s cold, corpse-like handshake sending an unconscious shudder through Franz.

The Reminder Card

Before departing for Paris, Albert leaves a reminder card with the hotel waiter to be delivered to the count, inscribed with the appointment details: “27, Rue du Helder, on the 21st May, half-past ten A.M.”

第三十九章 The Guests

On the morning of May 21st, everything is prepared at Albert de Morcerf’s pavilion on the Rue du Helder, where he has invited the Count of Monte Cristo to breakfast. The text provides an extensive description of Albert’s dwelling and its furnishings, including the mysterious small door that secretly bypasses the concierge’s vigilance, the successive rooms filled with evidence of Albert’s passing interests in music, painting, and the martial arts, and the eclectic collection of old furniture and rich fabrics that grace his atelier. At a quarter to ten, Albert receives his letters—including one from Madame Danglars—and makes arrangements for the evening, while summoning his valet Germain to prepare for the appointed breakfast at half past ten. Lucien Debray arrives punctually at five minutes to ten, a young man of official bearing whose conversation reveals his insider knowledge of the ministry’s political machinations regarding Don Carlos and Spain, and his own recent honor of the Order of Charles III.