Albert: What are my
plans? Why, my first plan is to find out my enemy, and avenge the family
honour.
Monte Cristo: (a little amused) The family honour? Ah, I see!
Weak and fearful as your father is know to be, cruel as he has often been to
you and your mother, traitor as he has been proved in the eys of all his
countrymen, you will yet avenge his disgrace for the sake of your family name?
may I ask who the man is on whom you propose to revenge yourself?
Albert: (Seizing his hand) Ah, Count, if only you
could help me to find him out-the villain who brought about my father’s disgrace
by publishing evil reports in the newspapers! But it may be that I shall not
need your help to find him. Beauchamp has promised to assist me, and I believe
he is now very near to finding the name of my enemy.
Monte Cristo: And
when you have found him, this-this enemy, what will you do to him?
Albert: Can you ask it? I shall challenge him within
the hour, may I hope that your will be my second, Count?
Monte Cristo:
(Smilling and shaking his head) That might prove difficult, Besides, you know
my opinion of duels! I told it to you when we were in Rome. If a man has
insulted you, or struck a blow, then a duel may be a good way of dealing with him;
but (slowly and with deliberation) when a man has done you a deadly wrong, has
subjected you to slow, profound, eternal torture, then you must treat him as he
has treated you. An eye for an eye, a tooth for tooth, that is the rule I follow.
Albert: But you will at least help me to find my man?
Monte Cristo:
(smilling) that will not be in the least necessary, I assure you. Your friend
Beauchamp will find him easily enough. (Turning to the Countess of Morcerf) Madam,
I pray you to excuse me now. I called here for but a moment to pay my
compliments to you, and to speak a word of commiseration to my young friend
Albert.
Countess:
(protesting) But, Count, why need you leave us so son? You have not even rested
after your journey. Pray be seated, sir, while I summon my servants and order
them to set some refreshment before you.
Monte Cristo:
(Waving his hand) Pardon me, madam, I can not stay. (To Albert) Albert, au
revoir, and remember what I tell you. Do not put your trust in duels but in a
slow and surely planned revenge. Madam, (he turns to the Countess) your, most
abject slave! (He raises her hand to his lips, kisses it and then walks to the
door, which is opened for him by the valets. He goes out).
Countess: I was
not speaking of dueling or of revenge. It was another thing which struck me as
strange. Have you never observed, Albert, that in all his visits to our home,
the Count of Monte Cristo has never one broken bread? Often as I have begged
him to do so, he has never accepted refreshment of any kind whatsoever.
Albert: (who
has been pacing to and fro and who now stops short). That is indeed singular,
now that you have mentioned it.
Emoticon