Chapter 5. The Marriage Feast-3
1134 Words
solidity of this mode of reasoning; he gazed, doubtfully, wistfully, on
Danglars, and then caution supplanted generosity.
“Suppose we wait a while, and see what comes of it,” said he, casting a
bewildered look on his companion.
“To be sure!” answered Danglars. “Let us wait, by all means. If he be
innocent, of course he will be set at liberty; if guilty, why, it is no
use involving ourselves in a conspiracy.”
“Let us go, then. I cannot stay here any longer.”
“With all my heart!” replied Danglars, pleased to find the other so
tractable. “Let us take ourselves out of the way, and leave things for
the present to take their course.”
After their departure, Fernand, who had now again become the friend and
protector of Mercédès, led the girl to her home, while some friends of
Dantès conducted his father, nearly lifeless, to the Allées de Meilhan.
The rumor of Edmond’s arrest as a Bonapartist agent was not slow in
circulating throughout the city.
“Could you ever have credited such a thing, my dear Danglars?” asked M.
Morrel, as, on his return to the port for the purpose of gleaning fresh
tidings of Dantès, from M. de Villefort, the assistant procureur, he
overtook his supercargo and Caderousse. “Could you have believed such a
thing possible?”
“Why, you know I told you,” replied Danglars, “that I considered the
circumstance of his having anchored at the Island of Elba as a very
suspicious circumstance.”
“And did you mention these suspicions to any person beside myself?”
“Certainly not!” returned Danglars. Then added in a low whisper, “You
understand that, on account of your uncle, M. Policar Morrel, who served
under the other government, and who does not altogether conceal what he
thinks on the subject, you are strongly suspected of regretting the
abdication of Napoleon. I should have feared to injure both Edmond and
yourself, had I divulged my own apprehensions to a soul. I am too well
aware that though a subordinate, like myself, is bound to acquaint the
shipowner with everything that occurs, there are many things he ought
most carefully to conceal from all else.”
“’Tis well, Danglars—’tis well!” replied M. Morrel. “You are a worthy
fellow; and I had already thought of your interests in the event of poor
Edmond having become captain of the Pharaon.”
“Is it possible you were so kind?”
“Yes, indeed; I had previously inquired of Dantès what was his opinion
of you, and if he should have any reluctance to continue you in your
post, for somehow I have perceived a sort of coolness between you.”
“And what was his reply?”
“That he certainly did think he had given you offence in an affair which
he merely referred to without entering into particulars, but that
whoever possessed the good opinion and confidence of the ship’s owners
would have his preference also.”
“The hypocrite!” murmured Danglars.
“Poor Dantès!” said Caderousse. “No one can deny his being a noble-
hearted young fellow.”
“But meanwhile,” continued M. Morrel, “here is the Pharaon without a
captain.”
“Oh,” replied Danglars, “since we cannot leave this port for the next
three months, let us hope that ere the expiration of that period Dantès
will be set at liberty.”
“No doubt; but in the meantime?”
“I am entirely at your service, M. Morrel,” answered Danglars. “You know
that I am as capable of managing a ship as the most experienced captain
in the service; and it will be so far advantageous to you to accept my
services, that upon Edmond’s release from prison no further change will
be requisite on board the Pharaon than for Dantès and myself each to
resume our respective posts.”
“Thanks, Danglars—that will smooth over all difficulties. I fully
authorize you at once to assume the command of the Pharaon, and look
carefully to the unloading of her freight. Private misfortunes must
never be allowed to interfere with business.”
“Be easy on that score, M. Morrel; but do you think we shall be
permitted to see our poor Edmond?”
“I will let you know that directly I have seen M. de Villefort, whom I
shall endeavor to interest in Edmond’s favor. I am aware he is a furious
royalist; but, in spite of that, and of his being king’s attorney, he is
a man like ourselves, and I fancy not a bad sort of one.”
“Perhaps not,” replied Danglars; “but I hear that he is ambitious, and
that’s rather against him.”
“Well, well,” returned M. Morrel, “we shall see. But now hasten on
board, I will join you there ere long.”
So saying, the worthy shipowner quitted the two allies, and proceeded in
the direction of the Palais de Justice.
“You see,” said Danglars, addressing Caderousse, “the turn things have
taken. Do you still feel any desire to stand up in his defence?”
“Not the slightest, but yet it seems to me a shocking thing that a mere
joke should lead to such consequences.”
“But who perpetrated that joke, let me ask? neither you nor myself, but
Fernand; you knew very well that I threw the paper into a corner of the
room—indeed, I fancied I had destroyed it.”
“Oh, no,” replied Caderousse, “that I can answer for, you did not. I
only wish I could see it now as plainly as I saw it lying all crushed
and crumpled in a corner of the arbor.”
“Well, then, if you did, depend upon it, Fernand picked it up, and
either copied it or caused it to be copied; perhaps, even, he did not
take the trouble of recopying it. And now I think of it, by Heavens, he
may have sent the letter itself! Fortunately, for me, the handwriting
was disguised.”
“Then you were aware of Dantès being engaged in a conspiracy?”
“Not I. As I before said, I thought the whole thing was a joke, nothing
more. It seems, however, that I have unconsciously stumbled upon the
truth.”
“Still,” argued Caderousse, “I would give a great deal if nothing of the
kind had happened; or, at least, that I had had no hand in it. You will
see, Danglars, that it will turn out an unlucky job for both of us.”
“Nonsense! If any harm come of it, it should fall on the guilty person;
and that, you know, is Fernand. How can we be implicated in any way? All
we have got to do is, to keep our own counsel, and remain perfectly
quiet, not breathing a word to any living soul; and you will see that
the storm will pass away without in the least affecting us.”
“Amen!” responded Caderousse, waving his hand in token of adieu to
Danglars, and bending his steps towards the Allées de Meilhan, moving
his head to and fro, and muttering as he went, after the manner of one
whose mind was overcharged with one absorbing idea.
“So far, then,” said Danglars, mentally, “all has gone as I would have
it. I am, temporarily, commander of the Pharaon, with the certainty of
being permanently so, if that fool of a Caderousse can be persuaded to
hold his tongue. My only fear is the chance of Dantès being released.
But, there, he is in the hands of Justice; and,” added he with a smile,
“she will take her own.” So saying, he leaped into a boat, desiring to
be rowed on board the Pharaon, where M. Morrel had agreed to meet him.
- Writer
