Part 5 (1/2)
”Where is Fernand?” inquired Caderousse
”How do I know?” replied Danglars; ”gone, as every prudent ht to be, to look after his own affairs, o 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 sy friends, had surrendered hi, ”Make yourselves quite easy, ood fellows, there is some little mistake to clear up, that's all, depend upon it; and very likely I o 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 e awaited hiistrate, and the vehicle drove off towards Marseilles
”Adieu, adieu, dearest Ed out her arms to him from the balcony
The prisoner heard the cry, which sounded like the sob of a broken heart, and leaning from the coach he called out, ”Good-by, Mercedes--we shall soon ain!” 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!” exclaio, 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 ere left behind The old father and Mercedes rerief; but at length the two poor victims of the same blow raised their eyes, and with a si rushed into each other's arms
Meanwhile Fernand lass of water with a tre 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 iine such a scheme I only hope the ht 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 doard on somebody's head”
Meanti canvassed in every different forlars,” said one of the party, turning towards him, ”of this event?”
”Why,” replied he, ”I think it just possible Dantesarticle on board shi+p considered here as contraband”
”But how could he have done so without your knowledge, Danglars, since you are the shi+p's supercargo?”
”Why, as for that, I could only knohat I was told respecting the merchandise hich 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 Sed to know, and I beg I may not be asked for any further particulars”
”Now I recollect,” said the afflicted old father; ”ot a small case of coffee, and another of tobacco for lars ”Now the mischief is out; depend upon it the custo about the shi+p in our absence, and discovered poor Dantes' hidden treasures”
Mercedes, however, paid no heed to this explanation of her lover's arrest Her grief, which she had hitherto tried to restrain, now burst out in a violent fit of hysterical sobbing
”Come, come,” said the old man, ”be comforted, my poor child; there is still hope!”
”Hope!” repeated Danglars
”Hope!” faintly muritated lips, and a convulsive spasood news!” shouted forth one of the party stationed in the balcony on the lookout ”Here comes M Morrel back No doubt, noe shall hear that our friend is released!”
Mercedes and the old reeted him at the door He was very pale
”What news?” exclaieneral burst of voices
”Alas, my friends,” replied M Morrel, with ahas assumed a more serious aspect than I expected”
”Oh, indeed--indeed, sir, he is innocent!” sobbed forth Mercedes
”That I believe!” answered M Morrel; ”but still he is charged”-- ”With what?” inquired the elder Dantes
”With being an agent of the Bonapartist faction!” Many of our readers may be able to recollect how formidable such an accusation became in the period at which our story is dated
A despairing cry escaped the pale lips of Mercedes; the old lars!” whispered Caderousse, ”you have deceived ht has been played; but I cannot suffer a poor old h your fault I am determined to tell thelars, grasping him by the arm, ”or I will not answer even for your own safety Who can tell whether Dantes be innocent or guilty? The vessel did touch at Elba, where he quitted it, and passed a whole day in the island Now, should any letters or other docu character be found upon hiranted that all who uphold him are his accomplices?”
With the rapid instinct of selfishness, Caderousse readily perceived the solidity of this lars, and then caution supplanted generosity
”Suppose ait a while, and see what co a bewildered look on his colars ”Let us wait, by all means If he be innocent, of course he will be set at liberty; if guilty, why, it is no use involving ourselves in a conspiracy”
”Let us go, then I cannot stay here any longer”
”With all lars, pleased to find the other so tractable ”Let us take ourselves out of the way, and leave things for the present to take their course”
After their departure, Fernand, who had now again becoirl to her home, while the friends of Dantes conducted the now half-fainting man back to his abode
The ruent was not slow in circulating throughout the city
”Could you ever have credited such a thing, lars?” asked M Morrel, as, on his return to the port for the purpose of gleaning fresh tidings of Dantes, from M de Villefort, the assistant procureur, he overtook his supercargo and Caderousse ”Could you have believed such a thing possible?”
”Why, you know I told you,” replied Danglars, ”that I considered the circu anchored at the Island of Elba as a very suspicious circumstance”
”And did you mention these suspicions to any person beside lars Then added in a lohisper, ”You understand that, on account of your uncle, M Policar Morrel, who served under the other governether conceal what he thinks on the subject, you are strongly suspected of regretting the abdication of Napoleon I should have feared to injure both Eded h a subordinate, likethat occurs, there are ht most carefully to conceal frolars--'tis well!” replied M Morrel ”You are a worthy fellow; and I had already thought of your interests in the event of poor Ed become captain of the Pharaon”
”Is it possible you were so kind?”