Reading Help The Count of Monte Cristo Ch.1-10
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assures me you have some interesting information to `
` communicate." `
` `
` "Sire, the duke is right, and I believe your majesty will `
` think it equally important." `
` `
` "In the first place, and before everything else, sir, is the `
` news as bad in your opinion as I am asked to believe?" `
` `
` "Sire, I believe it to be most urgent, but I hope, by the `
` speed I have used, that it is not irreparable." `
` `
` "Speak as fully as you please, sir," said the king, who `
` began to give way to the emotion which had showed itself in `
` Blacas's face and affected Villefort's voice. "Speak, sir, `
` and pray begin at the beginning; I like order in `
` everything." `
` `
` "Sire," said Villefort, "I will render a faithful report to `
` your majesty, but I must entreat your forgiveness if my `
` anxiety leads to some obscurity in my language." A glance at `
` the king after this discreet and subtle exordium, assured `
` Villefort of the benignity of his august auditor, and he `
` went on: -- `
` `
` "Sire, I have come as rapidly to Paris as possible, to `
` inform your majesty that I have discovered, in the exercise `
` of my duties, not a commonplace and insignificant plot, such `
` as is every day got up in the lower ranks of the people and `
` in the army, but an actual conspiracy -- a storm which `
` menaces no less than your majesty's throne. Sire, the `
` usurper is arming three ships, he meditates some project, `
` which, however mad, is yet, perhaps, terrible. At this `
` moment he will have left Elba, to go whither I know not, but `
` assuredly to attempt a landing either at Naples, or on the `
` coast of Tuscany, or perhaps on the shores of France. Your `
` majesty is well aware that the sovereign of the Island of `
` Elba has maintained his relations with Italy and France?" `
` `
` "I am, sir," said the king, much agitated; "and recently we `
` have had information that the Bonapartist clubs have had `
` meetings in the Rue Saint-Jacques. But proceed, I beg of `
` you. How did you obtain these details?" `
` `
` "Sire, they are the results of an examination which I have `
` made of a man of Marseilles, whom I have watched for some `
` time, and arrested on the day of my departure. This person, `
` a sailor, of turbulent character, and whom I suspected of `
` Bonapartism, has been secretly to the Island of Elba. There `
` he saw the grand-marshal, who charged him with an oral `
` message to a Bonapartist in Paris, whose name I could not `
` extract from him; but this mission was to prepare men's `
` minds for a return (it is the man who says this, sire) -- a `
` return which will soon occur." `
` `
` "And where is this man?" `
` `
` "In prison, sire." `
` `
` "And the matter seems serious to you?" `
` `
` "So serious, sire, that when the circumstance surprised me `
` in the midst of a family festival, on the very day of my `
` betrothal, I left my bride and friends, postponing `
` everything, that I might hasten to lay at your majesty's `
` feet the fears which impressed me, and the assurance of my `
` devotion." `
` `
` "True," said Louis XVIII., "was there not a marriage `
` engagement between you and Mademoiselle de Saint-Meran?" `
` `
` "Daughter of one of your majesty's most faithful servants." `
` `
` "Yes, yes; but let us talk of this plot, M. de Villefort." `
` `
` "Sire, I fear it is more than a plot; I fear it is a `
` conspiracy." `
` `
` "A conspiracy in these times," said Louis XVIII., smiling, `
` "is a thing very easy to meditate, but more difficult to `
` conduct to an end, inasmuch as, re-established so recently `
` on the throne of our ancestors, we have our eyes open at `
` once upon the past, the present, and the future. For the `
` last ten months my ministers have redoubled their vigilance, `
` in order to watch the shore of the Mediterranean. If `
` Bonaparte landed at Naples, the whole coalition would be on `
` foot before he could even reach Piomoino; if he land in `
` Tuscany, he will be in an unfriendly territory; if he land `
` in France, it must be with a handful of men, and the result `
` of that is easily foretold, execrated as he is by the `
` population. Take courage, sir; but at the same time rely on `
` our royal gratitude." `
` `
` "Ah, here is M. Dandre!" cried de Blacas. At this instant `
` the minister of police appeared at the door, pale, `
` trembling, and as if ready to faint. Villefort was about to `
` retire, but M. de Blacas, taking his hand, restrained him. `
`
` communicate." `
` `
` "Sire, the duke is right, and I believe your majesty will `
` think it equally important." `
` `
` "In the first place, and before everything else, sir, is the `
` news as bad in your opinion as I am asked to believe?" `
` `
` "Sire, I believe it to be most urgent, but I hope, by the `
` speed I have used, that it is not irreparable." `
` `
` "Speak as fully as you please, sir," said the king, who `
` began to give way to the emotion which had showed itself in `
` Blacas's face and affected Villefort's voice. "Speak, sir, `
` and pray begin at the beginning; I like order in `
` everything." `
` `
` "Sire," said Villefort, "I will render a faithful report to `
` your majesty, but I must entreat your forgiveness if my `
` anxiety leads to some obscurity in my language." A glance at `
` the king after this discreet and subtle exordium, assured `
` Villefort of the benignity of his august auditor, and he `
` went on: -- `
` `
` "Sire, I have come as rapidly to Paris as possible, to `
` inform your majesty that I have discovered, in the exercise `
` of my duties, not a commonplace and insignificant plot, such `
` as is every day got up in the lower ranks of the people and `
` in the army, but an actual conspiracy -- a storm which `
` menaces no less than your majesty's throne. Sire, the `
` usurper is arming three ships, he meditates some project, `
` which, however mad, is yet, perhaps, terrible. At this `
` moment he will have left Elba, to go whither I know not, but `
` assuredly to attempt a landing either at Naples, or on the `
` coast of Tuscany, or perhaps on the shores of France. Your `
` majesty is well aware that the sovereign of the Island of `
` Elba has maintained his relations with Italy and France?" `
` `
` "I am, sir," said the king, much agitated; "and recently we `
` have had information that the Bonapartist clubs have had `
` meetings in the Rue Saint-Jacques. But proceed, I beg of `
` you. How did you obtain these details?" `
` `
` "Sire, they are the results of an examination which I have `
` made of a man of Marseilles, whom I have watched for some `
` time, and arrested on the day of my departure. This person, `
` a sailor, of turbulent character, and whom I suspected of `
` Bonapartism, has been secretly to the Island of Elba. There `
` he saw the grand-marshal, who charged him with an oral `
` message to a Bonapartist in Paris, whose name I could not `
` extract from him; but this mission was to prepare men's `
` minds for a return (it is the man who says this, sire) -- a `
` return which will soon occur." `
` `
` "And where is this man?" `
` `
` "In prison, sire." `
` `
` "And the matter seems serious to you?" `
` `
` "So serious, sire, that when the circumstance surprised me `
` in the midst of a family festival, on the very day of my `
` betrothal, I left my bride and friends, postponing `
` everything, that I might hasten to lay at your majesty's `
` feet the fears which impressed me, and the assurance of my `
` devotion." `
` `
` "True," said Louis XVIII., "was there not a marriage `
` engagement between you and Mademoiselle de Saint-Meran?" `
` `
` "Daughter of one of your majesty's most faithful servants." `
` `
` "Yes, yes; but let us talk of this plot, M. de Villefort." `
` `
` "Sire, I fear it is more than a plot; I fear it is a `
` conspiracy." `
` `
` "A conspiracy in these times," said Louis XVIII., smiling, `
` "is a thing very easy to meditate, but more difficult to `
` conduct to an end, inasmuch as, re-established so recently `
` on the throne of our ancestors, we have our eyes open at `
` once upon the past, the present, and the future. For the `
` last ten months my ministers have redoubled their vigilance, `
` in order to watch the shore of the Mediterranean. If `
` Bonaparte landed at Naples, the whole coalition would be on `
` foot before he could even reach Piomoino; if he land in `
` Tuscany, he will be in an unfriendly territory; if he land `
` in France, it must be with a handful of men, and the result `
` of that is easily foretold, execrated as he is by the `
` population. Take courage, sir; but at the same time rely on `
` our royal gratitude." `
` `
` "Ah, here is M. Dandre!" cried de Blacas. At this instant `
` the minister of police appeared at the door, pale, `
` trembling, and as if ready to faint. Villefort was about to `
` retire, but M. de Blacas, taking his hand, restrained him. `
`