almost given them away, as it is; but, as I before said, I was anxious
to get rid of them upon any terms. They were only fit for a young man."
"I am much obliged by your kind intentions towards me," said Monte
Cristo; "but this morning I purchased a very excellent pair of
carriage-horses, and I do not think they were dear. There they are.
Come, M. Debray, you are a connoisseur, I believe, let me have your
opinion upon them." As Debray walked towards the window, Danglars
approached his wife. "I could not tell you before others," said he in a
low tone, "the reason of my parting with the horses; but a most enormous
price was offered me this morning for them. Some madman or fool, bent
upon ruining himself as fast as he can, actually sent his steward to
me to purchase them at any cost; and the fact is, I have gained 16,000
francs by the sale of them. Come, don't look so angry, and you shall
have 4,000 francs of the money to do what you like with, and Eugenie
shall have 2,000. There, what do you think now of the affair? Wasn't
I right to part with the horses?" Madame Danglars surveyed her husband
with a look of withering contempt.
"Great heavens?" suddenly exclaimed Debray.
"What is it?" asked the baroness.
"I cannot be mistaken; there are your horses! The very animals we were
speaking of, harnessed to the count's carriage!"
"My dappled grays?" demanded the baroness, springing to the window.
"'Tis indeed they!" said she. Danglars looked absolutely stupefied. "How
very singular," cried Monte Cristo with well-feigned astonishment.
"I cannot believe it," murmured the banker. Madame Danglars whispered
a few words in the ear of Debray, who approached Monte Cristo, saying,
"The baroness wishes to know what you paid her husband for the horses."
"I scarcely know," replied the count; "it was a little surprise prepared
for me by my steward, and cost me--well, somewhere about 30,000 francs."
Debray conveyed the count's reply to the baroness. Poor Danglars looked
so crest-fallen and discomfited that Monte Cristo assumed a pitying air
towards him. "See," said the count, "how very ungrateful women are. Your
kind attention, in providing for the safety of the baroness by disposing
of the horses, does not seem to have made the least impression on her.
But so it is; a woman will often, from mere wilfulness, prefer that
which is dangerous to that which is safe. Therefore, in my opinion, my
dear baron, the best and easiest way is to leave them to their fancies,
and allow them to act as they please, and then, if any mischief follows,
why, at least, they have no one to blame but themselves." Danglars made
no reply; he was occupied in anticipations of the coming scene between
himself and the baroness, whose frowning brow, like that of Olympic
Jove, predicted a storm. Debray, who perceived the gathering clouds,
and felt no desire to witness the explosion of Madame Danglars' rage,
suddenly recollected an appointment, which compelled him to take his
leave; while Monte Cristo, unwilling by prolonging his stay to destroy
the advantages he hoped to obtain, made a farewell bow and departed,
leaving Danglars to endure the angry reproaches of his wife.
"Excellent," murmured Monte Cristo to himself, as he came away. "All
has gone according to my wishes. The domestic peace of this family is
henceforth in my hands. Now, then, to play another master-stroke, by
which I shall gain the heart of both husband and wife--delightful!
Still," added he, "amid all this, I have not yet been presented to
Mademoiselle Eugenie Danglars, whose acquaintance I should have been
glad to make. But," he went on with his peculiar smile, "I am here in
Paris, and have plenty of time before me--by and by will do for that."
With these reflections he entered his carriage and returned home. Two
hours afterwards, Madame Danglars received a most flattering epistle
from the count, in which he entreated her to receive back her favorite
"dappled grays," protesting that he could not endure the idea of making
his entry into the Parisian world of fashion with the knowledge that
his splendid equipage had been obtained at the price of a lovely woman's
regrets. The horses were sent back wearing the same harness she had seen
on them in the morning; only, by the count's orders, in the centre of
each rosette that adorned either side of their heads, had been fastened
a large diamond.
To Danglars Monte Cristo also wrote, requesting him to excuse the
whimsical gift of a capricious millionaire, and to beg the baroness to
pardon the Eastern fashion adopted in the return of the horses.
During the evening, Monte Cristo quitted Paris for Auteuil, accompanied
by Ali. The following day, about three o'clock, a single blow struck on
the gong summoned Ali to the presence of the count. "Ali," observed
his master, as the Nubian entered the chamber, "you have frequently
explained to me how more than commonly skilful you are in throwing the
lasso, have you not?" Ali drew himself up proudly, and then returned a
sign in the affirmative. "I thought I did not mistake. With your lasso
you could stop an ox?" Again Ali repeated his affirmative gesture. "Or a
tiger?" Ali bowed his head in token of assent. "A lion even?" Ali sprung
forwards, imitating the action of one throwing the lasso, then of a
strangled lion.
"I understand," said Monte Cristo; "you wish to tell me you have hunted
the lion?" Ali smiled with triumphant pride as he signified that he
had indeed both chased and captured many lions. "But do you believe
you could arrest the progress of two horses rushing forwards with
ungovernable fury?" The Nubian smiled. "It is well," said Monte Cristo.
"Then listen to me. Ere long a carriage will dash past here, drawn by
the pair of dappled gray horses you saw me with yesterday; now, at the
risk of your own life, you must manage to stop those horses before my
door."
Ali descended to the street, and marked a straight line on the pavement
immediately at the entrance of the house, and then pointed out the line
he had traced to the count, who was watching him. The count patted him
gently on the shoulder, his usual mode of praising Ali, who, pleased
and gratified with the commission assigned him, walked calmly towards a
projecting stone forming the angle of the street and house, and, seating
himself thereon, began to smoke his chibouque, while Monte Cristo
re-entered his dwelling, perfectly assured of the success of his plan.
Still, as five o'clock approached, and the carriage was momentarily
expected by the count, the indication of more than common impatience and
uneasiness might be observed in his manner. He stationed himself in a
room commanding a view of the street, pacing the chamber with restless
steps, stopping merely to listen from time to time for the sound of
approaching wheels, then to cast an anxious glance on Ali; but the
regularity with which the Nubian puffed forth the smoke of his chibouque
proved that he at least was wholly absorbed in the enjoyment of his
favorite occupation. Suddenly a distant sound of rapidly advancing
wheels was heard, and almost immediately a carriage appeared, drawn by
a pair of wild, ungovernable horses, while the terrified coachman strove
in vain to restrain their furious speed.
In the vehicle was a young woman and a child of about seven or eight
clasped in each other's arms. Terror seemed to have deprived them even
of the power of uttering a cry. The carriage creaked and rattled as it
flew over the rough stones, and the slightest obstacle under the wheels
would have caused disaster; but it kept on in the middle of the road,
and those who saw it pass uttered cries of terror.
Ali suddenly cast aside his chibouque, drew the lasso from his pocket,
threw it so skilfully as to catch the forelegs of the near horse in its
triple fold, and suffered himself to be dragged on for a few steps by
the violence of the shock, then the animal fell over on the pole, which
snapped, and therefore prevented the other horse from pursuing its way.
Gladly availing himself of this opportunity, the coachman leaped from
his box; but Ali had promptly seized the nostrils of the second horse,
and held them in his iron grasp, till the beast, snorting with pain,
sunk beside his companion. All this was achieved in much less time
than is occupied in the recital. The brief space had, however, been
sufficient for a man, followed by a number of servants, to rush from
the house before which the accident had occurred, and, as the coachman
opened the door of the carriage, to take from it a lady who was
convulsively grasping the cushions with one hand, while with the other
she pressed to her bosom the young boy, who had lost consciousness.
Monte Cristo carried them both to the salon, and deposited them on a
sofa. "Compose yourself, madame," said he; "all danger is over." The
woman looked up at these words, and, with a glance far more expressive
than any entreaties could have been, pointed to her child, who still
continued insensible. "I understand the nature of your alarms, madame,"
said the count, carefully examining the child, "but I assure you there
is not the slightest occasion for uneasiness; your little charge has not
received the least injury; his insensibility is merely the effects of
terror, and will soon pass."
"Are you quite sure you do not say so to tranquillize my fears? See
how deadly pale he is! My child, my darling Edward; speak to your
mother--open your dear eyes and look on me once again! Oh, sir, in pity
send for a physician; my whole fortune shall not be thought too much for
the recovery of my boy."
With a calm smile and a gentle wave of the hand, Monte Cristo signed to
the distracted mother to lay aside her apprehensions; then, opening
a casket that stood near, he drew forth a phial of Bohemian glass
incrusted with gold, containing a liquid of the color of blood, of which
he let fall a single drop on the child's lips. Scarcely had it reached
them, ere the boy, though still pale as marble, opened his eyes, and
eagerly gazed around him. At this, the delight of the mother was almost
frantic. "Where am I?" exclaimed she; "and to whom am I indebted for so
happy a termination to my late dreadful alarm?"
"Madame," answered the count, "you are under the roof of one who esteems
himself most fortunate in having been able to save you from a further
continuance of your sufferings."
"My wretched curiosity has brought all this about," pursued the lady.
"All Paris rung with the praises of Madame Danglars' beautiful horses,
and I had the folly to desire to know whether they really merited the
high praise given to them."
"Is it possible," exclaimed the count with well-feigned astonishment,
"that these horses belong to the baroness?"
"They do, indeed. May I inquire if you are acquainted with Madame
Danglars?"
"I have that honor; and my happiness at your escape from the danger that
threatened you is redoubled by the consciousness that I have been
the unwilling and the unintentional cause of all the peril you have
incurred. I yesterday purchased these horses of the baron; but as the
baroness evidently regretted parting with them, I ventured to send them
back to her, with a request that she would gratify me by accepting them
from my hands."
"You are, then, doubtless, the Count of Monte Cristo, of whom Hermine
has talked to me so much?"
"You have rightly guessed, madame," replied the count.
"And I am Madame Heloise de Villefort." The count bowed with the air of
a person who hears a name for the first time. "How grateful will M. de
Villefort be for all your goodness; how thankfully will he acknowledge
that to you alone he owes the existence of his wife and child! Most
certainly, but for the prompt assistance of your intrepid servant, this
dear child and myself must both have perished."
"Indeed, I still shudder at the fearful danger you were placed in."
"I trust you will allow me to recompense worthily the devotion of your
man."
"I beseech you, madame," replied Monte Cristo "not to spoil Ali, either
by too great praise or rewards. I cannot allow him to acquire the habit
of expecting to be recompensed for every trifling service he may render.
Ali is my slave, and in saving your life he was but discharging his duty
to me."
"Nay," interposed Madame de Villefort, on whom the authoritative style
adopted by the count made a deep impression, "nay, but consider that to
preserve my life he has risked his own."
"His life, madame, belongs not to him; it is mine, in return for my
having myself saved him from death." Madame de Villefort made no further
reply; her mind was utterly absorbed in the contemplation of the
person who, from the first instant she saw him, had made so powerful
an impression on her. During the evident preoccupation of Madame de
Villefort, Monte Cristo scrutinized the features and appearance of
the boy she kept folded in her arms, lavishing on him the most tender
endearments. The child was small for his age, and unnaturally pale. A
mass of straight black hair, defying all attempts to train or curl
it, fell over his projecting forehead, and hung down to his shoulders,
giving increased vivacity to eyes already sparkling with a youthful love
of mischief and fondness for every forbidden enjoyment. His mouth
was large, and the lips, which had not yet regained their color,
were particularly thin; in fact, the deep and crafty look, giving a
predominant expression to the child's face, belonged rather to a boy of
twelve or fourteen than to one so young. His first movement was to free
