|
two swords appear like flashes of lightning; as for the men, `
`
they were scarcely perceptible, the darkness was so great. `
`
`
`
"`General d'Epinay passed for one of the best swordsmen in `
`
the army, but he was pressed so closely in the onset that he `
`
missed his aim and fell. The witnesses thought he was dead, `
`
but his adversary, who knew he had not struck him, offered `
`
him the assistance of his hand to rise. The circumstance `
`
irritated instead of calming the general, and he rushed on `
`
his adversary. But his opponent did not allow his guard to `
`
be broken. He received him on his sword and three times the `
`
general drew back on finding himself too closely engaged, `
`
and then returned to the charge. At the third he fell again. `
`
They thought he slipped, as at first, and the witnesses, `
`
seeing he did not move, approached and endeavored to raise `
`
him, but the one who passed his arm around the body found it `
`
was moistened with blood. The general, who had almost `
`
fainted, revived. "Ah," said he, "they have sent some `
`
fencing-master to fight with me." The president, without `
`
answering, approached the witness who held the lantern, and `
`
raising his sleeve, showed him two wounds he had received in `
`
his arm; then opening his coat, and unbuttoning his `
`
waistcoat, displayed his side, pierced with a third wound. `
`
Still he had not even uttered a sigh. General d'Epinay died `
`
five minutes after.'" `
`
`
`
Franz read these last words in a voice so choked that they `
`
were hardly audible, and then stopped, passing his hand over `
`
his eyes as if to dispel a cloud; but after a moment's `
`
silence, he continued: -- `
`
`
`
"`The president went up the steps, after pushing his sword `
`
into his cane; a track of blood on the snow marked his `
`
course. He had scarcely arrived at the top when he heard a `
`
heavy splash in the water -- it was the general's body, `
`
which the witnesses had just thrown into the river after `
`
ascertaining that he was dead. The general fell, then, in a `
`
loyal duel, and not in ambush as it might have been `
`
reported. In proof of this we have signed this paper to `
`
establish the truth of the facts, lest the moment should `
`
arrive when either of the actors in this terrible scene `
`
should be accused of premeditated murder or of infringement `
`
of the laws of honor. `
`
`
`
"`Signed, Beaurepaire, Deschamps, and Lecharpal.'" `
`
`
`
When Franz had finished reading this account, so dreadful `
`
for a son; when Valentine, pale with emotion, had wiped away `
`
a tear; when Villefort, trembling, and crouched in a corner, `
`
had endeavored to lessen the storm by supplicating glances `
`
at the implacable old man, -- "Sir," said d'Epinay to `
`
Noirtier, "since you are well acquainted with all these `
`
details, which are attested by honorable signatures, -- `
`
since you appear to take some interest in me, although you `
`
have only manifested it hitherto by causing me sorrow, `
`
refuse me not one final satisfaction -- tell me the name of `
`
the president of the club, that I may at least know who `
`
killed my father." Villefort mechanically felt for the `
`
handle of the door; Valentine, who understood sooner than `
`
anyone her grandfather's answer, and who had often seen two `
`
scars upon his right arm, drew back a few steps. `
`
"Mademoiselle," said Franz, turning towards Valentine, `
`
"unite your efforts with mine to find out the name of the `
`
man who made me an orphan at two years of age." Valentine `
`
remained dumb and motionless. `
`
`
`
"Hold, sir," said Villefort, "do not prolong this dreadful `
`
scene. The names have been purposely concealed; my father `
`
himself does not know who this president was, and if he `
`
knows, he cannot tell you; proper names are not in the `
`
dictionary." `
`
`
`
"Oh, misery," cried Franz: "the only hope which sustained me `
`
and enabled me to read to the end was that of knowing, at `
`
least, the name of him who killed my father! Sir, sir," `
`
cried he, turning to Noirtier, "do what you can -- make me `
`
understand in some way!" `
`
`
`
"Yes," replied Noirtier. `
`
`
`
"Oh, mademoiselle, -- mademoiselle!" cried Franz, "your `
`
grandfather says he can indicate the person. Help me, -- `
`
lend me your assistance!" Noirtier looked at the dictionary. `
`
Franz took it with a nervous trembling, and repeated the `
`
letters of the alphabet successively, until he came to M. At `
`
that letter the old man signified "Yes." `
`
`
`
"M," repeated Franz. The young man's finger, glided over the `
`
words, but at each one Noirtier answered by a negative sign. `
`
Valentine hid her head between her hands. At length, Franz `
`
arrived at the word MYSELF. `
`
`
`
"Yes!" `
`
`
`
"You?" cried Franz, whose hair stood on end; "you, M. `
`
Noirtier -- you killed my father?" `
`
`
`
"Yes!" replied Noirtier, fixing a majestic look on the young `
`
man. Franz fell powerless on a chair; Villefort opened the `
`
door and escaped, for the idea had entered his mind to `
`
stifle the little remaining life in the heart of this `
`
terrible old man. `
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
Chapter 76 `
`
Progress of Cavalcanti the Younger. `
`
`
`
Meanwhile M. Cavalcanti the elder had returned to his `
`
service, not in the army of his majesty the Emperor of `
`
Austria, but at the gaming-table of the baths of Lucca, of `
`
which he was one of the most assiduous courtiers. He had `
`
spent every farthing that had been allowed for his journey `
`
as a reward for the majestic and solemn manner in which he `
`
had maintained his assumed character of father. M. Andrea at `
`
his departure inherited all the papers which proved that he `
`
had indeed the honor of being the son of the Marquis `
`
Bartolomeo and the Marchioness Oliva Corsinari. He was now `
`
fairly launched in that Parisian society which gives such `
`
ready access to foreigners, and treats them, not as they `
`
really are, but as they wish to be considered. Besides, what `
`
is required of a young man in Paris? To speak its language `
`
tolerably, to make a good appearance, to be a good gamester, `
`
and to pay in cash. They are certainly less particular with `
`
a foreigner than with a Frenchman. Andrea had, then, in a `
`
fortnight, attained a very fair position. He was called `
`
count, he was said to possess 50,000 livres per annum; and `
`
his father's immense riches, buried in the quarries of `
`
Saravezza, were a constant theme. A learned man, before whom `
`
the last circumstance was mentioned as a fact, declared he `
`
had seen the quarries in question, which gave great weight `
`
to assertions hitherto somewhat doubtful, but which now `
`
assumed the garb of reality. `
`
`
`
Such was the state of society in Paris at the period we `
`
bring before our readers, when Monte Cristo went one evening `
`
to pay M. Danglars a visit. M. Danglars was out, but the `
`
count was asked to go and see the baroness, and he accepted `
`
the invitation. It was never without a nervous shudder, `
`
since the dinner at Auteuil, and the events which followed `
`
it, that Madame Danglars heard Monte Cristo's name `
`
announced. If he did not come, the painful sensation became `
`
most intense; if, on the contrary, he appeared, his noble `
`
countenance, his brilliant eyes, his amiability, his polite `
`
attention even towards Madame Danglars, soon dispelled every `
`
impression of fear. It appeared impossible to the baroness `
`
that a man of such delightfully pleasing manners should `
`
entertain evil designs against her; besides, the most `
`
corrupt minds only suspect evil when it would answer some `
`
interested end -- useless injury is repugnant to every mind. `
`
When Monte Cristo entered the boudoir, -- to which we have `
`
already once introduced our readers, and where the baroness `
`
was examining some drawings, which her daughter passed to `
`
her after having looked at them with M. Cavalcanti, -- his `
`
presence soon produced its usual effect, and it was with `
`
smiles that the baroness received the count, although she `
`
had been a little disconcerted at the announcement of his `
`
name. The latter took in the whole scene at a glance. `
`
`
`
The baroness was partially reclining on a sofa, Eugenie sat `
`
near her, and Cavalcanti was standing. Cavalcanti, dressed `
`
in black, like one of Goethe's heroes, with varnished shoes `
`
and white silk open-worked stockings, passed a white and `
`
tolerably nice-looking hand through his light hair, and so `
`
displayed a sparkling diamond, that in spite of Monte `
`
Cristo's advice the vain young man had been unable to resist `
`
putting on his little finger. This movement was accompanied `
`
by killing glances at Mademoiselle Danglars, and by sighs `
`
launched in the same direction. Mademoiselle Danglars was `
`
still the same -- cold, beautiful, and satirical. Not one of `
`
these glances, nor one sigh, was lost on her; they might `
`
have been said to fall on the shield of Minerva, which some `
`
philosophers assert protected sometimes the breast of `
`
Sappho. Eugenie bowed coldly to the count, and availed `
`
herself of the first moment when the conversation became `
`
earnest to escape to her study, whence very soon two `
`
cheerful and noisy voices being heard in connection with `
`
occasional notes of the piano assured Monte Cristo that `
`
Mademoiselle Danglars preferred to his society and to that `
`
of M. Cavalcanti the company of Mademoiselle Louise `
`
d'Armilly, her singing teacher. `
`
`
`
It was then, especially while conversing with Madame `
`
Danglars, and apparently absorbed by the charm of the `
`
conversation, that the count noticed M. Andrea Cavalcanti's `
`
solicitude, his manner of listening to the music at the door `
`
he dared not pass, and of manifesting his admiration. The `
`
banker soon returned. His first look was certainly directed `
`
towards Monte Cristo, but the second was for Andrea. As for `
`
his wife, he bowed to her, as some husbands do to their `
`
wives, but in a way that bachelors will never comprehend, `
`
until a very extensive code is published on conjugal life. `
`
`
`
"Have not the ladies invited you to join them at the piano?" `
`
said Danglars to Andrea. "Alas, no, sir," replied Andrea `
`
with a sigh, still more remarkable than the former ones. `
`
Danglars immediately advanced towards the door and opened `
`
it. `
`
`
`
The two young ladies were seen seated on the same chair, at `
`
the piano, accompanying themselves, each with one hand, a `
`
|