Volume I Part 49 (2/2)
When the young girl had, in the afternoon, seen the count at Mercedes', she had becoer; the way and manner, however, Mercedes answered her questions in nowise satisfied her curiosity
The count was an old friend of the family, was Mercedes' answer; he had known her son, previous to going to Africa, and he had always felt a lively interest for hi confidence in it; she saw that Mercedes tried to hide so from her and that vexed her
Madaee_, and in walking hoether, she said:
”Do you know, Clary, what I have heard to-day--the Count of Monte Cristo is said to be in Marseilles”
”Well, what is there remarkable in that?” Clary calmly asked ”Have you not seen him then?”
”Seen him--where?” responded Madame Caraman, stupefied
”Dear me, he just left as I ca outside the house and could not have failed to see hientleman who rode off with the Zouave have been the count?” remarked Madame Caraman, quickly
”No doubt; a slender, pale man, with dark hair”
”That I should not have known it!--where must my eyes have been?”
lamented Madame Caraman, and in the meantime both had reached the villa, and Clary said carelessly:
”Please coarden, Madame Caraman; I like to hear more particulars about this Count of Monte-Cristo”
”But, Clary,” said the French lady with astonishment, ”have you never heard of the count? What do they read yonder in England?”
”Oh, various matters--but what has this to do with the count?”
”More than you think of; you have stocked in your little heart a great deal of ballast, and neglected the s Do you know the author Alexandre Dumas?”
”Only as far as the naht so; yes--France does not for no purpose possess the credit of being at the head of civilization”
”But Mamma Caraman, when are we then to return to our subject, the count?” asked Clary, impatiently
”At once Alexandre Du is 'The Count of Monte-Cristo'”
”Mamma Caraman,” said Clary, vexed, ”how is it that you intend to dish up forseriously; Dueneral education of the people than ten ets thoroughly acquainted with the histories of Richelieu, Anna of Austria and Louis XIII, in a very interesting s and faults of the governly exposed, and in the sareat novelist offers special merits The more I think of it the more clearly I understand it, that we also have in your friend, Madame Joliette, a character of the novel before us Her name is Mercedes, and she is no doubt Madame de Morcerf And the name of her son?”
”Albert”
”Well, there it is; the father was a scaned their possessions and then disappeared from society It will perhaps be best if I send the servant to a library to get the roer that you will not put the book aside till you have perused it all through?”