Read Online The Count of Monte Cristo (The Wild and Wanton Edition) by Monica Corwin - Free Book Online Page A

you again I have nothing whatever to do with it; besides, you know very well that I tore the paper to pieces.”
    “No, you did not!” answered Caderousse, “you merely threw it by — I saw it lying in a corner.”
    “Hold your tongue, you fool! — what should you know about it? — why, you were drunk!”
    “Where is Fernand?” inquired Caderousse.
    “How do I know?” replied Danglars; “gone, as every prudent man ought to be, to look after his own affairs, most likely. Never mind where he is, let you and I go and see what is to be done for our poor friends.”
    During this conversation, Dantes, after having exchanged a cheerful shake of the hand with all his sympathizing friends, had surrendered himself to the officer sent to arrest him, merely saying, “Make yourselves quite easy, my good fellows, there is some little mistake to clear up, that’s all, depend upon it; and very likely I may not have to go so far as the prison to effect that.”
    “Oh, to be sure!” responded Danglars, who had now approached the group, “nothing more than a mistake, I feel quite certain.”
    Dantes descended the staircase, preceded by the magistrate, and followed by the soldiers. A carriage awaited him at the door; he got in, followed by two soldiers and the magistrate, and the vehicle drove off towards Marseilles.
    “Adieu, adieu, dearest Edmond!” cried Mercedes, stretching out her arms to him from the balcony.
    The prisoner heard the cry, which sounded like the sob of a brokenheart, and leaning from the coach he called out, “Good-by, Mercedes — we shall soon meet again!” Then the vehicle disappeared round one of the turnings of Fort Saint Nicholas.
    “Wait for me here, all of you!” cried M. Morrel; “I will take the first conveyance I find, and hurry to Marseilles, whence I will bring you word how all is going on.”
    “That’s right!” exclaimed a multitude of voices, “go, and return as quickly as you can!”
    This second departure was followed by a long and fearful state of terrified silence on the part of those who were left behind. The old father and Mercedes remained for some time apart, each absorbed in grief; but at length the two poor victims of the same blow raised their eyes, and with a simultaneous burst of feeling rushed into each other’s arms.
    Meanwhile Fernand made his appearance, poured out for himself a glass of water with a trembling hand; then hastily swallowing it, went to sit down at the first vacant place, and this was, by mere chance, placed next to the seat on which poor Mercedes had fallen half fainting, when released from the warm and affectionate embrace of old Dantes. Instinctively Fernand drew back his chair.
    “He is the cause of all this misery — I am quite sure of it,” whispered Caderousse, who had never taken his eyes off Fernand, to Danglars.
    “I don’t think so,” answered the other; “he’s too stupid to imagine such a scheme. I only hope the mischief will fall upon the head of whoever wrought it.”
    “You don’t mention those who aided and abetted the deed,” said Caderousse.
    “Surely,” answered Danglars, “one cannot be held responsible for every chance arrow shot into the air.”
    “You can, indeed, when the arrow lights point downward on somebody’s head.”
    Meantime the subject of the arrest was being canvassed in every different form.
    “What think you, Danglars,” said one of the party, turning towards him, “of this event?”
    “Why,” replied he, “I think it just possible Dantes may have been detected with some trifling article on board ship considered here as contraband.”
    “But how could he have done so without your knowledge, Danglars, since you are the ship’s supercargo?”
    “Why, as for that, I could only know what I was told respecting the merchandise with which the vessel was laden. I know she was loaded with cotton, and that she took in her freight at Alexandria from Pastret’s warehouse, and at Smyrna from