Part 4 (1/2)
”Pen, ink, and paper, then,” called Fernand loudly
”There's what you want on that table,” said the waiter
”Bring them here” The waiter did as he was desired
”When one thinks,” said Caderousse, letting his hand drop on the paper, ”there is here ithal to kill a man more sure than if aited at the corner of a wood to assassinate him! I have always had more dread of a pen, a bottle of ink, and a sheet of paper, than of a sword or pistol”
”The fellow is not so drunk as he appears to be,” said Danglars ”Give hilass, who, like the confirmed toper he was, lifted his hand frolass
The Catalan watched him until Caderousse, almost overcome by this fresh assault on his senses, rested, or rather dropped, his glass upon the table
”Well!” resulilass of wine
”Well, then, I should say, for instance,” resue such as Dantes has just made, in which he touched at the Island of Elba, so's procureur as a Bonapartist agent”-- ”I will denounce hi n your declaration, and confront you with him you have denounced; I will supply you with theyour accusation, for I know the fact well But Dantes cannot remain forever in prison, and one day or other he will leave it, and the day when he comes out, woe betide him as the cause of his incarceration!”
”Oh, I should wish nothing better than that he would come and seek a quarrel with me”
”Yes, and Mercedes! Mercedes, ill detest you if you have only the misfortune to scratch the skin of her dearly beloved Edmond!”
”True!” said Fernand
”No, no,” continued Danglars; ”if we resolve on such a step, it would be much better to take, as I now do, this pen, dip it into this ink, and write with the left hand (that the writing lars, uniting practice with theory, wrote with his left hand, and in a writing reversed fro lines, which he handed to Fernand, and which Fernand read in an undertone:-- ”The honorable, the king's attorney, is inforion, that one Edmond Dantes,fro touched at Naples and Porto-Ferrajo, has been intrusted by Murat with a letter for the usurper, and by the usurper with a letter for the Bonapartist committee in Paris Proof of this cri him, for the letter will be found upon him, or at his father's, or in his cabin on board the Pharaon”
”Very good,” resue looks like common-sense, for in no way can it revert to yourself, and theto do now but fold the letter as I a's attorney,' and that's all settled” And Danglars wrote the address as he spoke
”Yes, and that's all settled!” exclaimed Caderousse, who, by a last effort of intellect, had followed the reading of the letter, and instinctively comprehended all the misery which such a denunciation must entail ”Yes, and that's all settled; only it will be an infamous shame;” and he stretched out his hand to reach the letter
”Yes,” said Danglars, taking it from beyond his reach; ”and as what I say and do is st the first and fore happened to Dantes--the worthy Dantes--look here!” And taking the letter, he squeezed it up in his hands and threw it into a corner of the arbor
”All right!” said Caderousse ”Dantes is my friend, and I won't have hi hi and looking at the young man, who still remained seated, but whose eye was fixed on the denunciatory sheet of paper flung into the corner
”In this case,” replied Caderousse, ”let's have some more wine I wish to drink to the health of Edmond and the lovely Mercedes”
”You have had too lars; ”and if you continue, you will be cos”
”I?” said Caderousse, rising with all the offended dignity of a drunken o up into the belfry of the Accoules, and without staggering, too!”
”Done!” said Danglars, ”I'll take your bet; but to-morrow--to-day it is tio”
”Very well, let us go,” said Caderousse; ”but I don't want your arm at all Come, Fernand, won't you return to Marseilles with us?”
”No,” said Fernand; ”I shall return to the Catalans”
”You're wrong Co”
”I will not”
”What do you mean? you will not? Well, just as you like, lars, and let the young gentlelars took advantage of Caderousse's temper at the moment, to take hiering as he went
When they had advanced about twenty yards, Danglars looked back and saw Fernand stoop, pick up the cru it into his pocket then rush out of the arbor towards Pillon
”Well,” said Caderousse, ”hat a lie he told! He said he was going to the Catalans, and he is going to the city Hallo, Fernand!”
”Oh, you don't see straight,” said Danglars; ”he's gone right enough”
”Well,” said Caderousse, ”I should have said not--how treacherous wine is!”
”Co is at work and it will effect its purpose unassisted”
Chapter 5
The Marriage-Feast
Thethe foaht
The feast had been made ready on the second floor at La Reserve, hose arbor the reader is already familiar The aparthted by a nuolden letters for some inexplicable reason the name of one of the principal cities of France; beneath these ooden balcony extended the entire length of the house And although the entertainment was fixed for twelve o'clock, an hour previous to that tiuests, consisting of the favored part of the crew of the Pharaon, and other personal friends of the bride-groom, the whole of whom had arrayed thereater honor to the occasion
Various rumors were afloat to the effect that the owners of the Pharaon had promised to attend the nuptial feast; but all see that an act of such rare and exceeding condescension could possibly be intended
Danglars, however, who now made his appearance, accompanied by Caderousse, effectually confir that he had recently conversed with M Morrel, who had himself assured him of his intention to dine at La Reserve
In fact, a moment later M Morrel appeared and was saluted with an enthusiastic burst of applause from the crew of the Pharaon, who hailed the visit of the shi+powner as a sure indication that the hted to honor would ere long be first in command of the shi+p; and as Dantes was universally beloved on board his vessel, the sailors put no restraint on their tu that the opinion and choice of their superiors so exactly coincided with their own
With the entrance of M Morrel, Danglars and Caderousse were despatched in search of the bride-grooence of the arrival of the i had created such a lively sensation, and to beseech hilars and Caderousse set off upon their errand at full speed; but ere they had gonetowards theirls in attendance on the bride, by whose side walked Dantes' father; the whole brought up by Fernand, whose lips wore their usual sinister se expression of his countenance; they were so happy that they were conscious only of the sunshi+ne and the presence of each other