The Count of Monte Cristo

The Temptation of Bank Notes

Monte Cristo offers the gardener 15,000 francs to alter a single telegraph signal, explaining the sum would let him purchase a 2-acre garden and earn 1,000 francs a year in passive income. When the gardener hesitates, Monte Cristo adds another 10,000 francs, for a total of 25,000 francs, and presses him to accept the offer.

The Gardener’s Betrayal

Overcome by the prospect of owning a large, productive garden and financial security, the gardener accepts the 25,000 francs and agrees to send the false telegraph signal Monte Cristo has prepared, despite the risk of being fined, fired, and losing his pension.

The False Telegram

The gardener executes the three altered telegraph signals provided by Monte Cristo, ignoring the frantic signals from his right-hand correspondent, who believes the gardener has gone mad. The left-hand correspondent conscientiously repeats the false signals, which are ultimately transmitted to the Minister of the Interior.

Debray Warns the Baroness

Five minutes after the false telegram is sent, Debray rushes to Danglars’ house to warn the baroness that Danglars must sell all his Spanish bonds immediately, claiming Don Carlos has fled his guardians at Bourges and returned to Spain. The baroness does not question the source of the news and immediately alerts her husband.

Danglars Sells His Spanish Bonds

Danglars instructs his agent to sell all 6 million francs worth of his Spanish bonds at any price. The large sale triggers a sharp drop in Spanish fund values, and Danglars loses 500,000 francs, though he successfully offloads all his Spanish shares.