基督山伯爵 英文版 The Count of Monte Cristo
大仲马 Alexandre Dumas père
Chapter 5 Page 1
The Marriage-Feast.
resplendent, touching thefoamy waves into a network of.
The morning's sun rose clear and resplendent, touching thefoamy waves into a network of ruby-tinted light.
The feast had been made ready on the second floor at LaReserve, with whose arbor the reader is already familiar.The apartment destined for the purpose was spacious andlighted by a number of windows, over each of which waswritten in golden letters for some inexplicable reason thename of one of the principal cities of France; beneath thesewindows a wooden balcony extended the entire length of thehouse. And although the entertainment was fixed for twelveo'clock, an hour previous to that time the balcony wasfilled with impatient and expectant guests, consisting ofthe favored part of the crew of the Pharaon, and otherpersonal friends of the bride-groom, the whole of whom hadarrayed themselves in their choicest costumes, in order todo greater honor to the occasion.
Various rumors were afloat to the effect that the owners ofthe Pharaon had promised to attend the nuptial feast; butall seemed unanimous in doubting that an act of such rareand exceeding condescension could possibly be intended.
Danglars, however, who now made his appearance, accompaniedby Caderousse, effectually confirmed the report, statingthat he had recently conversed with M. Morrel, who hadhimself assured him of his intention to dine at La Reserve.
In fact, a moment later M. Morrel appeared and was salutedwith an enthusiastic burst of applause from the crew of thePharaon, who hailed the visit of the shipowner as a sureindication that the man whose wedding feast he thusdelighted to honor would ere long be first in command of theship; and as Dantes was universally beloved on board hisvessel, the sailors put no restraint on their tumultuous joyat finding that the opinion and choice of their superiors soexactly coincided with their own.
With the entrance of M. Morrel, Danglars and Caderousse weredespatched in search of the bride-groom to convey to him theintelligence of the arrival of the important personage whosecoming had created such a lively sensation, and to beseechhim to make haste.
Danglars and Caderousse set off upon their errand at fullspeed; but ere they had gone many steps they perceived agroup advancing towards them, composed of the betrothedpair, a party of young girls in attendance on the bride, bywhose side walked Dantes' father; the whole brought up byFernand, whose lips wore their usual sinister smile.
Neither Mercedes nor Edmond observed the strange expressionof his countenance; they were so happy that they wereconscious only of the sunshine and the presence of eachother.
Having acquitted themselves of their errand, and exchanged ahearty shake of the hand with Edmond, Danglars andCaderousse took their places beside Fernand and old Dantes,-- the latter of whom attracted universal notice. The oldman was attired in a suit of glistening watered silk,trimmed with steel buttons, beautifully cut and polished.His thin but wiry legs were arrayed in a pair of richlyembroidered clocked stockings, evidently of Englishmanufacture, while from his three-cornered hat depended along streaming knot of white and blue ribbons. Thus he camealong, supporting himself on a curiously carved stick, hisaged countenance lit up with happiness, looking for all theworld like one of the aged dandies of 1796, parading thenewly opened gardens of the Tuileries and Luxembourg. Besidehim glided Caderousse, whose desire to partake of the goodthings provided for the wedding-party had induced him tobecome reconciled to the Dantes, father and son, althoughthere still lingered in his mind a faint and unperfectrecollection of the events of the preceding night; just asthe brain retains on waking in the morning the dim and mistyoutline of a dream.
As Danglars approached the disappointed lover, he cast onhim a look of deep meaning, while Fernand, as he slowlypaced behind the happy pair, who seemed, in their ownunmixed content, to have entirely forgotten that such abeing as himself existed, was pale and abstracted;occasionally, however, a deep flush would overspread hiscountenance, and a nervous contraction distort his features,while, with an agitated and restless gaze, he would glancein the direction of Marseilles, like one who eitheranticipated or foresaw some great and important event.
Dantes himself was simply, but becomingly, clad in the dresspeculiar to the merchant service -- a costume somewhatbetween a military and a civil garb; and with his finecountenance, radiant with joy and happiness, a more perfectspecimen of manly beauty could scarcely be imagined.
Lovely as the Greek girls of Cyprus or Chios, Mercedesboasted the same bright flashing eyes of jet, and ripe,round, coral lips. She moved with the light, free step of anArlesienne or an Andalusian. One more practiced in the artsof great cities would have hid her blushes beneath a veil,or, at least, have cast down her thickly fringed lashes, soas to have concealed the liquid lustre of her animated eyes;but, on the contrary, the delighted girl looked around herwith a smile that seemed to say: "If you are my friends,rejoice with me, for I am very happy."
As soon as the bridal party came in sight of La Reserve, M.Morrel descended and came forth to meet it, followed by thesoldiers and sailors there assembled, to whom he hadrepeated the promise already given, that Dantes should bethe successor to the late Captain Leclere. Edmond, at theapproach of his patron, respectfully placed the arm of hisaffianced bride within that of M. Morrel, who, forthwithconducting her up the flight of wooden steps leading to thechamber in which the feast was prepared, was gayly followedby the guests, beneath whose heavy tread the slightstructure creaked and groaned for the space of severalminutes.
"Father," said Mercedes, stopping when she had reached thecentre of the table, "sit, I pray you, on my right hand; onmy left I will place him who has ever been as a brother tome," pointing with a soft and gentle smile to Fernand; buther words and look seemed to inflict the direst torture onhim, for his lips became ghastly pale, and even beneath thedark hue of his complexion the blood might be seenretreating as though some sudden pang drove it back to theheart.
During this time, Dantes, at the opposite side of the table,had been occupied in similarly placing his most honoredguests. M. Morrel was seated at his right hand, Danglars athis left; while, at a sign from Edmond, the rest of thecompany ranged themselves as they found it most agreeable.
Then they began to pass around the dusky, piquant, Arlesiansausages, and lobsters in their dazzling red cuirasses,prawns of large size and brilliant color, the echinus withits prickly outside and dainty morsel within, the clovis,esteemed by the epicures of the South as more than rivallingthe exquisite flavor of the oyster, -- all the delicacies,in fact, that are cast up by the wash of waters on the sandybeach, and styled by the grateful fishermen "fruits of thesea."
"A pretty silence truly!" said the old father of thebride-groom, as he carried to his lips a glass of wine ofthe hue and brightness of the topaz, and which had just beenplaced before Mercedes herself. "Now, would anybody thinkthat this room contained a happy, merry party, who desirenothing better than to laugh and dance the hours away?"
"Ah," sighed Caderousse, "a man cannot always feel happybecause he is about to be married."
you did not!" answered Caderousse, "you merely threw itby -- I saw .
"The truth is," replied Dantes, "that I am too happy fornoisy mirth; if that is what you meant by your observation,my worthy friend, you are right; joy takes a strange effectat times, it seems to oppress us almost the same as sorrow."
Danglars looked towards Fernand, whose excitable naturereceived and betrayed each fresh impression.
"Why, what ails you?" asked he of Edmond. "Do you fear anyapproaching evil? I should say that you were the happiestman alive at this instant."
"And that is the very thing that alarms me," returnedDantes. "Man does not appear to me to be intended to enjoyfelicity so unmixed; happiness is like the enchanted palaceswe read of in our childhood, where fierce, fiery dragonsdefend the entrance and approach; and monsters of all shapesand kinds, requiring to be overcome ere victory is ours. Iown that I am lost in wonder to find myself promoted to anhonor of which I feel myself unworthy -- that of being thehusband of Mercedes."
"Nay, nay!" cried Caderousse, smiling, "you have notattained that honor yet. Mercedes is not yet your wife. Justassume the tone and manner of a husband, and see how shewill remind you that your hour is not yet come!"
The bride blushed, while Fernand, restless and uneasy,seemed to start at every fresh sound, and from time to timewiped away the large drops of perspiration that gathered onhis brow.
"Well, never mind that, neighbor Caderousse; it is not worthwhile to contradict me for such a trifle as that. 'Tis truethat Mercedes is not actually my wife; but," added he,drawing out his watch, "in an hour and a half she will be."
A general exclamation of surprise ran round the table, withthe exception of the elder Dantes, whose laugh displayed thestill perfect beauty of his large white teeth. Mercedeslooked pleased and gratified, while Fernand grasped thehandle of his knife with a convulsive clutch.
"In an hour?" inquired Danglars, turning pale. "How is that,my friend?"
"Why, thus it is," replied Dantes. "Thanks to the influenceof M. Morrel, to whom, next to my father, I owe everyblessing I enjoy, every difficulty his been removed. We havepurchased permission to waive the usual delay; and athalf-past two o'clock the mayor of Marseilles will bewaiting for us at the city hall. Now, as a quarter-past onehas already struck, I do not consider I have asserted toomuch in saying, that, in another hour and thirty minutesMercedes will have become Madame Dantes."
Fernand closed his eyes, a burning sensation passed acrosshis brow, and he was compelled to support himself by thetable to prevent his falling from his chair; but in spite ofall his efforts, he could not refrain from uttering a deepgroan, which, however, was lost amid the noisy felicitationsof the company.
"Upon my word," cried the old man, "you make short work ofthis kind of affair. Arrived here only yesterday morning,and married to-day at three o'clock! Commend me to a sailorfor going the quick way to work!"
"But," asked Danglars, in a timid tone, "how did you manageabout the other formalities -- the contract -- thesettlement?"
"The contract," answered Dantes, laughingly, "it didn't takelong to fix that. Mercedes has no fortune; I have none tosettle on her. So, you see, our papers were quickly writtenout, and certainly do not come very expensive." This jokeelicited a fresh burst of applause.
"So that what we presumed to be merely the betrothal feastturns out to be the actual wedding dinner!" said Danglars.
"No, no," answered Dantes; "don't imagine I am going to putyou off in that shabby manner. To-morrow morning I start forParis; four days to go, and the same to return, with one dayto discharge the commission intrusted to me, is all the timeI shall be absent. I shall be back here by the first ofMarch, and on the second I give my real marriage feast."
This prospect of fresh festivity redoubled the hilarity ofthe guests to such a degree, that the elder Dantes, who, atthe commencement of the repast, had commented upon thesilence that prevailed, now found it difficult, amid thegeneral din of voices, to obtain a moment's tranquillity inwhich to drink to the health and prosperity of the bride andbride-groom.
Dantes, perceiving the affectionate eagerness of his father,responded by a look of grateful pleasure; while Mercedesglanced at the clock and made an expressive gesture toEdmond.
Around the table reigned that noisy hilarity which usuallyprevails at such a time among people sufficiently free fromthe demands of social position not to feel the trammels ofetiquette. Such as at the commencement of the repast had notbeen able to seat themselves according to their inclinationrose unceremoniously, and sought out more agreeablecompanions. Everybody talked at once, without waiting for areply and each one seemed to be contented with expressinghis or her own thoughts.
Fernand's paleness appeared to have communicated itself toDanglars. As for Fernand himself, he seemed to be enduringthe tortures of the damned; unable to rest, he was among thefirst to quit the table, and, as though seeking to avoid thehilarious mirth that rose in such deafening sounds, hecontinued, in utter silence, to pace the farther end of thesalon.
Caderousse approached him just as Danglars, whom Fernandseemed most anxious to avoid, had joined him in a corner ofthe room.
"Upon my word," said Caderousse, from whose mind thefriendly treatment of Dantes, united with the effect of theexcellent wine he had partaken of, had effaced every feelingof envy or jealousy at Dantes' good fortune, -- "upon myword, Dantes is a downright good fellow, and when I see himsitting there beside his pretty wife that is so soon to be.I cannot help thinking it would have been a great pity tohave served him that trick you were planning yesterday."
"Oh, there was no harm meant," answered Danglars; "at firstI certainly did feel somewhat uneasy as to what Fernandmight be tempted to do; but when I saw how completely he hadmastered his feelings, even so far as to become one of hisrival's attendants, I knew there was no further cause forapprehension." Caderousse looked full at Fernand -- he wasghastly pale.
"Certainly," continued Danglars, "the sacrifice was notrifling 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 ofMercedes; "two o'clock has just struck, and you know we areexpected in a quarter of an hour."
"To be sure! -- to be sure!" cried Dantes, eagerly quittingthe table; "let us go directly!"
His words were re-echoed by the whole party, with vociferouscheers.
At this moment Danglars, who had been incessantly observingevery change in Fernand's look and manner, saw him staggerand fall back, with an almost convulsive spasm, against aseat placed near one of the open windows. At the sameinstant his ear caught a sort of indistinct sound on thestairs, followed by the measured tread of soldiery, with theclanking of swords and military accoutrements; then came ahum and buzz as of many voices, so as to deaden even thenoisy mirth of the bridal party, among whom a vague feelingof curiosity and apprehension quelled every disposition totalk, and almost instantaneously the most deathlikestillness prevailed.
The sounds drew nearer. Three blows were struck upon thepanel of the door. The company looked at each other inconsternation.
"I demand admittance," said a loud voice outside the room,"in the name of the law!" As no attempt was made to preventit, the door was opened, and a magistrate, wearing hisofficial scarf, presented himself, followed by four soldiersand a corporal. Uneasiness now yielded to the most extremedread on the part of those present.
"May I venture to inquire the reason of this unexpectedvisit?" said M. Morrel, addressing the magistrate, whom heevidently knew; "there is doubtless some mistake easilyexplained."
"If it be so," replied the magistrate, "rely upon everyreparation being made; meanwhile, I am the bearer of anorder of arrest, and although I most reluctantly perform thetask assigned me, it must, nevertheless, be fulfilled. Whoamong the persons here assembled answers to the name ofEdmond Dantes?" Every eye was turned towards the young manwho, spite of the agitation he could not but feel, advancedwith dignity, and said, in a firm voice, "I am he; what isyour pleasure with me?"
"Edmond Dantes," replied the magistrate, "I arrest you inthe name of the law!"
"Me!" repeated Edmond, slightly changing color, "andwherefore, I pray?"
"I cannot inform you, but you will be duly acquainted withthe reasons that have rendered such a step necessary at thepreliminary examination."
M. Morrel felt that further resistance or remonstrance wasuseless. He saw before him an officer delegated to enforcethe law, and perfectly well knew that it would be asunavailing to seek pity from a magistrate decked with hisofficial scarf, as to address a petition to some cold marbleeffigy. Old Dantes, however, sprang forward. There aresituations which the heart of a father or a mother cannot bemade to understand. He prayed and supplicated in terms somoving, that even the officer was touched, and, althoughfirm in his duty, he kindly said, "My worthy friend, let mebeg of you to calm your apprehensions. Your son has probablyneglected some prescribed form or attention in registeringhis cargo, and it is more than probable he will be set atliberty directly he has given the information required,whether touching the health of his crew, or the value of hisfreight."
"What is the meaning of all this?" inquired Caderousse,frowningly, of Danglars, who had assumed an air of uttersurprise.
"How can I tell you?" replied he; "I am, like yourself,utterly bewildered at all that is going on, and cannot inthe least make out what it is about." Caderousse then lookedaround for Fernand, but he had disappeared.
The scene of the previous night now came back to his mindwith startling clearness. The painful catastrophe he hadjust witnessed appeared effectually to have rent away theveil which the intoxication of the evening before had raisedbetween himself and his memory.
"So, so," said he, in a hoarse and choking voice, toDanglars, "this, then, I suppose, is a part of the trick youwere concerting yesterday? All I can say is, that if it beso, 'tis an ill turn, and well deserves to bring double evilon those who have projected it."
"Nonsense," returned Danglars, "I tell you again I havenothing whatever to do with it; besides, you know very wellthat I tore the paper to pieces."
"No, you did not!" answered Caderousse, "you merely threw itby -- I saw it lying in a corner."
"Hold your tongue, you fool! -- what should you know aboutit? -- why, you were drunk!"
"Where is Fernand?" inquired Caderousse.
"How do I know?" replied Danglars; "gone, as every prudentman 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 tobe done for our poor friends."
During this conversation, Dantes, after having exchanged acheerful shake of the hand with all his sympathizingfriends, had surrendered himself to the officer sent toarrest him, merely saying, "Make yourselves quite easy, mygood fellows, there is some little mistake to clear up,that's all, depend upon it; and very likely I may not haveto go so far as the prison to effect that."
"Oh, to be sure!" responded Danglars, who had now approachedthe group, "nothing more than a mistake, I feel quitecertain."