Page:The Count of Monte-Cristo (1887 Volume 5).djvu/106

86 "Have you mentioned this death in your paper?"

"It has been mentioned; but the article is not mine; indeed, I doubt if it will please M. Villefort, for it says, that if four successive deaths had happened anywhere else than in the house of the procureur du roi, he would have interested himself somewhat more about it."

"Still," said Château-Renaud, "Dr. d'Avrigny, who attends my mother, declares he is in despair about it. But whom are you seeking, Debray?"

"I am seeking the Count of Monte-Cristo," said the young man.

"I met him on the Boulevard, on my road here," said Beauchamp. "I think he is about to leave Paris; he was going to his banker."

"His banker! Danglars is his banker, is he not?" asked Château-Renaud of Debray.

"I believe so," replied the secretary, with slight uneasiness. "But Monte-Cristo is not the only one I miss here; I do not see Morrel."

"Morrel! Does he know them?" asked Château-Renaud. "I think he had only been introduced to Madame de Villefort."

"Still, he ought to have been here," said Debray; "I wonder what will be talked about to-night; this funeral is the news of the day. But hush! here comes our minister of justice; he will feel obliged to make some little speech to the cousin," and the three young men drew near to listen.

Beauchamp told the truth when he said that on his road to the funeral he had met Monte-Cristo, who was directing his steps toward the Rue de la Chaussée d'Antin, to M. Danglars'. The banker saw the carriage of the count enter the court-yard, and advanced to meet him with a sad, though affable smile.

"Well!" said he, extending his hand to Monte-Cristo, "I suppose you have come to sympathize with me, for indeed misfortune has taken possession of my house. When I perceived you, I was just asking myself whether I had not wished harm toward those poor Morcerfs, which would have justified the proverb of 'He who wishes misfortunes to happen to others experiences them himself.' Well! on my word of honor, I answered, 'No!' I wished no ill to Morcerf; he was a little proud, perhaps, for a man who, like myself, had risen from nothing; who, like me, owed everything to himself; but we all have our faults. Do you know, count, that persons of our generation—not that you belong to the class, you are still a young man, but, as I was saying, persons of our generation—have been very unfortunate this year. For example, look at the puritanical procureur du roi, who has just lost his daughter. Let us sum up: Villefort, who has lost nearly all his family in so singular a manner; Morcerf, dishonored and dead; and then myself covered with ridicule through the villany of Benedetto; besides"