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