Signs of Poisoning
Morrel questions why Valentine takes medicine prepared for Noirtier. Valentine acknowledges it is very bitter, so much so that everything she drinks afterward tastes the same. Noirtier turns pale at this statement and signals his desire to speak urgently. Valentine rises to fetch the dictionary for communication, but by this time the blood is rushing to her head and her cheeks are becoming red. She passes off her symptoms cheerfully, noting the peculiarity of her vision as if the sun had shone in her eyes, though she leans against the window. Morrel grows more alarmed by Noirtier’s expression than by Valentine’s slight indisposition.
The Empty Decanter
Once Valentine departs to greet the Danglars’ carriage, Noirtier signals Morrel to bring the dictionary. Through the laborious process of finding each word—requiring ten minutes of letter-by-letter translation—the old man’s message emerges: “Fetch the glass of water and the decanter from Valentine’s room.” Morrel sends the servant immediately. When the servant returns, both the decanter and glass are completely empty. Noirtier asks why they are empty when Valentine said she only drank half the glassful. The servant explains that the housemaid had been in Valentine’s room, and when Valentine passed through earlier, she drank what remained. As for the decanter, Master Edward had emptied it to make a pond for his ducks. Noirtier raises his eyes to heaven like a gambler staking everything on one final throw. From that moment, his eyes remain fixed on the door.
The Danglars’ Visit
The carriage belongs to Madame Danglars and her daughter Eugénie, who have come for a formal visit. They are received in Madame de Villefort’s room with official stiffness that presages a formal communication. Valentine enters as the formalities resume. Madame Danglars announces that she and Eugénie have come to be the first to announce the approaching marriage of her daughter with Prince Cavalcanti—the banker insists on the princely title as it serves him better than count.
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