The Count of Monte Cristo

The Count Meets Grieving Morrel at the Cemetery

Upon landing, the Count heads to the cemetery, certain of finding Morrel there. He reflects on his own fruitless search ten years earlier for his father’s grave—his father having died of hunger and left no trace—and notes that Morrel’s father was more fortunate, dying in his children’s arms and being buried beside his wife beneath two marble slabs shaded by four cypress-trees. Morrel leans against a tree, his grief so deep that he is nearly unconscious, mechanically staring at the graves.

The Count Shares His Tragic Past with Morrel

The Count tells Morrel to look upward rather than at the graves, and when Morrel confesses he has no wishes and only seeks to suffer less painfully in Marseilles, the Count secures his promise. The Count then narrates the life of a man far more wretched than Morrel: one who lost his betrothed through a stroke of fate, was imprisoned for fourteen years, emerged transformed and powerful, and discovered upon his return that his father had died in despair and his tomb had vanished. Worse still, the woman he loved had proven faithless and married one of his persecutors. Despite all this, the man found peace and hopes for happiness—a revelation that moves Morrel deeply.

The Count Arranges a Monte Cristo Island Meeting with Morrel

After a brief silence, Morrel extends his hand and renews his promise to the Count. The Count arranges precise details for their future meeting: on October 5th, Morrel is to be expected on the Island of Monte Cristo; a yacht named the Eurus will await him on the 4th in the port of Bastia, where he is to give his name to the captain who will convey him. The Count reminds Morrel of the significance of the date and of a man’s word, reaffirming his willingness to assist him should he still wish to die that day, then bids him farewell.