Page:The Count of Monte-Cristo (1887 Volume 2).djvu/334

316 The count bowed.

"And I of speaking to Baron Danglars, Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur, and Member of the Chamber of Deputies?"

With an air of extreme gravity, Monte-Cristo slowly enumerated the various titles engraved on the card left at his hotel by the baron.

Danglars felt all the irony contained in the address of his visitor. For a minute or two he compressed his lips as though seeking to conquer his rage ere he trusted himself to speak. Then, turning to his visitor, he said:

"You will, I trust, excuse my not having called you by your title when I first addressed you, but you are aware we are living under a popular form of government, and that I am myself a representative of the liberties of the people."

"So much so," replied Monte-Cristo, "that while preserving the habit of styling yourself baron, you have lost that of styling others count."

"Upon my word," said Dauglars, with affected carelessness, "I attach no sort of value to such empty distinctions; but the fact is, I was made baron, and also Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur, in consequence of some services I had rendered government, but"

"You have abdicated your titles, after the example set you by Messrs. de Montmorency and Lafayette? It was a good example to follow."

"Why," replied Danglars, "not altogether. With the servants, for instance."

"I see: for your domestics you are 'my lord!' for the journalists, 'monsieur!' and for your constituents, 'citizen!'"

Again Danglars bit his lips with baffled spite; he saw well enough that he was no match for Monte-Cristo in an argument of this sort, and he therefore hastened to turn to subjects more familiar to him.

"M. le Comte," said he, bowing, "I have received a letter of advice from Thomson and French."

"I am glad to hear it, M. le Baron, for I must claim the privilege of so addressing you as well as your servants; I have acquired the bad habit in a country where barons are still met with, simply because none are ever made. But, as regards the letter of advice, I am charmed to find it has reached you; that will spare me the task of coming to you myself, which is always disagreeable. You have received a regular letter of advice, you say?"

"There is one slight difficulty," said Danglars, "and that consists in my not precisely comprehending the letter itself!"

"Indeed?"

"And for that reason I did myself the honor of calling upon you, in order to beg you would explain some part of it to me."