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"So that you have lived for three months on sixty francs," `
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muttered Edmond. `
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"You know how little I require," said the old man. `
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"Heaven pardon me," cried Edmond, falling on his knees `
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before his father. `
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"What are you doing?" `
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"You have wounded me to the heart." `
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"Never mind it, for I see you once more," said the old man; `
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"and now it's all over -- everything is all right again." `
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"Yes, here I am," said the young man, "with a promising `
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future and a little money. Here, father, here!" he said, `
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"take this -- take it, and send for something immediately." `
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And he emptied his pockets on the table, the contents `
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consisting of a dozen gold pieces, five or six five-franc `
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pieces, and some smaller coin. The countenance of old Dantes `
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brightened. `
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"Whom does this belong to?" he inquired. `
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"To me, to you, to us! Take it; buy some provisions; be `
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happy, and to-morrow we shall have more." `
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"Gently, gently," said the old man, with a smile; "and by `
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your leave I will use your purse moderately, for they would `
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say, if they saw me buy too many things at a time, that I `
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had been obliged to await your return, in order to be able `
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to purchase them." `
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"Do as you please; but, first of all, pray have a servant, `
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father. I will not have you left alone so long. I have some `
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smuggled coffee and most capital tobacco, in a small chest `
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in the hold, which you shall have to-morrow. But, hush, here `
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comes somebody." `
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"'Tis Caderousse, who has heard of your arrival, and no `
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doubt comes to congratulate you on your fortunate return." `
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"Ah, lips that say one thing, while the heart thinks `
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another," murmured Edmond. "But, never mind, he is a `
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neighbor who has done us a service on a time, so he's `
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welcome." `
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As Edmond paused, the black and bearded head of Caderousse `
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appeared at the door. He was a man of twenty-five or six, `
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and held a piece of cloth, which, being a tailor, he was `
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about to make into a coat-lining. `
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"What, is it you, Edmond, back again?" said he, with a broad `
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Marseillaise accent, and a grin that displayed his `
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ivory-white teeth. `
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"Yes, as you see, neighbor Caderousse; and ready to be `
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agreeable to you in any and every way," replied Dantes, but `
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ill-concealing his coldness under this cloak of civility. `
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"Thanks -- thanks; but, fortunately, I do not want for `
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anything; and it chances that at times there are others who `
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have need of me." Dantes made a gesture. "I do not allude to `
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you, my boy. No! -- no! I lent you money, and you returned `
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it; that's like good neighbors, and we are quits." `
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"We are never quits with those who oblige us," was Dantes' `
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reply; "for when we do not owe them money, we owe them `
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gratitude." `
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"What's the use of mentioning that? What is done is done. `
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Let us talk of your happy return, my boy. I had gone on the `
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quay to match a piece of mulberry cloth, when I met friend `
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Danglars. `You at Marseilles?' -- `Yes,' says he. `
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"`I thought you were at Smyrna.' -- `I was; but am now back `
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again.' `
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"`And where is the dear boy, our little Edmond?' `
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"`Why, with his father, no doubt,' replied Danglars. And so `
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I came," added Caderousse, "as fast as I could to have the `
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pleasure of shaking hands with a friend." `
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"Worthy Caderousse!" said the old man, "he is so much `
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attached to us." `
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"Yes, to be sure I am. I love and esteem you, because honest `
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folks are so rare. But it seems you have come back rich, my `
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boy," continued the tailor, looking askance at the handful `
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of gold and silver which Dantes had thrown on the table. `
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The young man remarked the greedy glance which shone in the `
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dark eyes of his neighbor. "Eh," he said, negligently. "this `
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money is not mine. I was expressing to my father my fears `
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that he had wanted many things in my absence, and to `
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convince me he emptied his purse on the table. Come, father" `
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added Dantes, "put this money back in your box -- unless `
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neighbor Caderousse wants anything, and in that case it is `
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at his service." `
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"No, my boy, no," said Caderousse. "I am not in any want, `
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thank God, my living is suited to my means. Keep your money `
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-- keep it, I say; -- one never has too much; -- but, at the `
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same time, my boy, I am as much obliged by your offer as if `
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I took advantage of it." `
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"It was offered with good will," said Dantes. `
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"No doubt, my boy; no doubt. Well, you stand well with M. `
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Morrel I hear, -- you insinuating dog, you!" `
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"M. Morrel has always been exceedingly kind to me," replied `
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Dantes. `
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"Then you were wrong to refuse to dine with him." `
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"What, did you refuse to dine with him?" said old Dantes; `
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"and did he invite you to dine?" `
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"Yes, my dear father," replied Edmond, smiling at his `
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father's astonishment at the excessive honor paid to his `
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son. `
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"And why did you refuse, my son?" inquired the old man. `
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"That I might the sooner see you again, my dear father," `
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replied the young man. "I was most anxious to see you." `
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"But it must have vexed M. Morrel, good, worthy man," said `
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Caderousse. "And when you are looking forward to be captain, `
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it was wrong to annoy the owner." `
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"But I explained to him the cause of my refusal," replied `
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Dantes, "and I hope he fully understood it." `
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"Yes, but to be captain one must do a little flattery to `
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one's patrons." `
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"I hope to be captain without that," said Dantes. `
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"So much the better -- so much the better! Nothing will give `
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greater pleasure to all your old friends; and I know one `
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down there behind the Saint Nicolas citadel who will not be `
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sorry to hear it." `
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"Mercedes?" said the old man. `
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"Yes, my dear father, and with your permission, now I have `
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seen you, and know you are well and have all you require, I `
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will ask your consent to go and pay a visit to the `
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Catalans." `
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"Go, my dear boy," said old Dantes: "and heaven bless you in `
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your wife, as it has blessed me in my son!" `
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"His wife!" said Caderousse; "why, how fast you go on, `
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father Dantes; she is not his wife yet, as it seems to me." `
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"So, but according to all probability she soon will be," `
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replied Edmond. `
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"Yes -- yes," said Caderousse; "but you were right to return `
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as soon as possible, my boy." `
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"And why?" `
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"Because Mercedes is a very fine girl, and fine girls never `
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lack followers; she particularly has them by dozens." `
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"Really?" answered Edmond, with a smile which had in it `
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traces of slight uneasiness. `
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"Ah, yes," continued Caderousse, "and capital offers, too; `
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but you know, you will be captain, and who could refuse you `
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then?" `
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"Meaning to say," replied Dantes, with a smile which but `
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ill-concealed his trouble, "that if I were not a captain" -- `
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"Eh -- eh!" said Caderousse, shaking his head. `
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"Come, come," said the sailor, "I have a better opinion than `
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you of women in general, and of Mercedes in particular; and `
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I am certain that, captain or not, she will remain ever `
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faithful to me." `
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"So much the better -- so much the better," said Caderousse. `
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"When one is going to be married, there is nothing like `
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implicit confidence; but never mind that, my boy, -- go and `
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announce your arrival, and let her know all your hopes and `
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prospects." `
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"I will go directly," was Edmond's reply; and, embracing his `
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father, and nodding to Caderousse, he left the apartment. `
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Caderousse lingered for a moment, then taking leave of old `
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Dantes, he went downstairs to rejoin Danglars, who awaited `
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him at the corner of the Rue Senac. `
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