of Dantes, united with the effect of the excellent wine he had partaken
of, had effaced every feeling of envy or jealousy at Dantes' good
fortune,--"upon my word, Dantes is a downright good fellow, and when I
see him sitting there beside his pretty wife that is so soon to be. I
cannot help thinking it would have been a great pity to have served him
that trick you were planning yesterday."
"Oh, there was no harm meant," answered Danglars; "at first I certainly
did feel somewhat uneasy as to what Fernand might be tempted to do; but
when I saw how completely he had mastered his feelings, even so far as
to become one of his rival's attendants, I knew there was no further
cause for apprehension." Caderousse looked full at Fernand--he was
ghastly pale.
"Certainly," continued Danglars, "the sacrifice was no trifling one,
when the beauty of the bride is concerned. Upon my soul, that future
captain of mine is a lucky dog! Gad, I only wish he would let me take
his place."
"Shall we not set forth?" asked the sweet, silvery voice of Mercedes;
"two o'clock has just struck, and you know we are expected in a quarter
of an hour."
"To be sure!--to be sure!" cried Dantes, eagerly quitting the table;
"let us go directly!"
His words were re-echoed by the whole party, with vociferous cheers.
At this moment Danglars, who had been incessantly observing every change
in Fernand's look and manner, saw him stagger and fall back, with an
almost convulsive spasm, against a seat placed near one of the open
windows. At the same instant his ear caught a sort of indistinct sound
on the stairs, followed by the measured tread of soldiery, with the
clanking of swords and military accoutrements; then came a hum and buzz
as of many voices, so as to deaden even the noisy mirth of the bridal
party, among whom a vague feeling of curiosity and apprehension quelled
every disposition to talk, and almost instantaneously the most deathlike
stillness prevailed.
The sounds drew nearer. Three blows were struck upon the panel of the
door. The company looked at each other in consternation.
"I demand admittance," said a loud voice outside the room, "in the name
of the law!" As no attempt was made to prevent it, the door was opened,
and a magistrate, wearing his official scarf, presented himself,
followed by four soldiers and a corporal. Uneasiness now yielded to the
most extreme dread on the part of those present.
"May I venture to inquire the reason of this unexpected visit?" said
M. Morrel, addressing the magistrate, whom he evidently knew; "there is
doubtless some mistake easily explained."
"If it be so," replied the magistrate, "rely upon every reparation being
made; meanwhile, I am the bearer of an order of arrest, and although I
most reluctantly perform the task assigned me, it must, nevertheless, be
fulfilled. Who among the persons here assembled answers to the name of
Edmond Dantes?" Every eye was turned towards the young man who, spite of
the agitation he could not but feel, advanced with dignity, and said, in
a firm voice, "I am he; what is your pleasure with me?"
"Edmond Dantes," replied the magistrate, "I arrest you in the name of
the law!"
"Me!" repeated Edmond, slightly changing color, "and wherefore, I pray?"
"I cannot inform you, but you will be duly acquainted with the
reasons that have rendered such a step necessary at the preliminary
examination."
M. Morrel felt that further resistance or remonstrance was useless. He
saw before him an officer delegated to enforce the law, and perfectly
well knew that it would be as unavailing to seek pity from a magistrate
decked with his official scarf, as to address a petition to some cold
marble effigy. Old Dantes, however, sprang forward. There are situations
which the heart of a father or a mother cannot be made to understand.
He prayed and supplicated in terms so moving, that even the officer
was touched, and, although firm in his duty, he kindly said, "My worthy
friend, let me beg of you to calm your apprehensions. Your son has
probably neglected some prescribed form or attention in registering his
cargo, and it is more than probable he will be set at liberty directly
he has given the information required, whether touching the health of
his crew, or the value of his freight."
"What is the meaning of all this?" inquired Caderousse, frowningly, of
Danglars, who had assumed an air of utter surprise.
"How can I tell you?" replied he; "I am, like yourself, utterly
bewildered at all that is going on, and cannot in the least make out
what it is about." Caderousse then looked around for Fernand, but he had
disappeared.
The scene of the previous night now came back to his mind with startling
clearness. The painful catastrophe he had just witnessed appeared
effectually to have rent away the veil which the intoxication of the
evening before had raised between himself and his memory.
"So, so," said he, in a hoarse and choking voice, to Danglars, "this,
then, I suppose, is a part of the trick you were concerting yesterday?
All I can say is, that if it be so, 'tis an ill turn, and well deserves
to bring double evil on those who have projected it."
"Nonsense," returned Danglars, "I tell you again I have nothing whatever
to do with it; besides, you know very well that I tore the paper to
pieces."
"No, you did not!" answered Caderousse, "you merely threw it by--I saw
it lying in a corner."
"Hold your tongue, you fool!--what should you know about it?--why, you
were drunk!"
"Where is Fernand?" inquired Caderousse.
"How do I know?" replied Danglars; "gone, as every prudent man ought to
be, to look after his own affairs, most likely. Never mind where he is,
let you and I go 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 sympathizing friends, had surrendered
himself to the officer sent to arrest him, merely saying, "Make
yourselves quite easy, my good fellows, there is some little mistake to
clear up, that's all, depend upon it; and very likely I may not have to
go 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 magistrate, and followed
by the soldiers. A carriage awaited him at the door; he got in, followed
by two soldiers and the magistrate, and the vehicle drove off towards
Marseilles.
"Adieu, adieu, dearest Edmond!" cried Mercedes, stretching 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 meet again!" 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!" exclaimed a multitude of voices, "go, 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 who were left behind. The old
father and Mercedes remained for some time apart, each absorbed in
grief; but at length the two poor victims of the same blow raised their
eyes, and with a simultaneous burst of feeling rushed into each other's
arms.
Meanwhile Fernand made his appearance, poured out for himself a glass
of water with a trembling hand; then hastily swallowing 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 imagine such
a scheme. I only hope the mischief will fall upon the head of whoever
wrought 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 downward on somebody's
head."
Meantime the subject of the arrest was being canvassed in every
different form.
"What think you, Danglars," said one of the party, turning towards him,
"of this event?"
"Why," replied he, "I think it just possible Dantes may have been
detected with some trifling article on board ship considered here as
contraband."
"But how could he have done so without your knowledge, Danglars, since
you are the ship's supercargo?"
"Why, as for that, I could only know what I was told respecting the
merchandise with which 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 Smyrna from Pascal's; that is all I was obliged to
know, and I beg I may not be asked for any further particulars."
"Now I recollect," said the afflicted old father; "my poor boy told me
yesterday he had got a small case of coffee, and another of tobacco for
me!"
"There, you see," exclaimed Danglars. "Now the mischief is out; depend
upon it the custom-house people went rummaging about the ship 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 murmured Fernand, but the word seemed to die away on his
pale agitated lips, and a convulsive spasm passed over his countenance.
"Good news! good news!" shouted forth one of the party stationed in the
balcony on the lookout. "Here comes M. Morrel back. No doubt, now, we
shall hear that our friend is released!"
Mercedes and the old man rushed to meet the shipowner and greeted him at
the door. He was very pale.
"What news?" exclaimed a general burst of voices.
"Alas, my friends," replied M. Morrel, with a mournful shake of his
head, "the thing has 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 man sank
into a chair.
"Ah, Danglars!" whispered Caderousse, "you have deceived me--the trick
you spoke of last night has been played; but I cannot suffer a poor
old man or an innocent girl to die of grief through your fault. I am
determined to tell them all about it."
"Be silent, you simpleton!" cried Danglars, 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 documents of a compromising character be found upon him, will it
not be taken for granted that all who uphold him are his accomplices?"
With the rapid instinct of selfishness, Caderousse readily perceived the
solidity of this mode of reasoning; he gazed, doubtfully, wistfully, on
Danglars, and then caution supplanted generosity.
"Suppose we wait a while, and see what comes of it," said he, casting a
bewildered look on his companion.
"To be sure!" answered Danglars. "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 my heart!" replied Danglars, 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 become the friend and
protector of Mercedes, led the girl to her home, while the friends of
Dantes conducted the now half-fainting man back to his abode.
The rumor of Edmond's arrest as a Bonapartist agent was not slow in
circulating throughout the city.
"Could you ever have credited such a thing, my dear Danglars?" 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
circumstance of his having anchored at the Island of Elba as a very
suspicious circumstance."
"And did you mention these suspicions to any person beside myself?"
"Certainly not!" returned Danglars. Then added in a low whisper, "You
