基督山伯爵 英文版 The Count of Monte Cristo
大仲马 Alexandre Dumas père
Chapter 40 Page 3
"Boulevard de l'Opera," said Beauchamp; "the second floor --a house with a balcony. The count will have his cushions ofsilver cloth brought there, and as he smokes his chibouque,see all Paris pass before him."
"You have no idea, then, Morrel?" asked Chateau-Renaud; "youdo not propose anything."
"Oh, yes," returned the young man, smiling; "on thecontrary, I have one, but I expected the count would betempted by one of the brilliant proposals made him, yet ashe has not replied to any of them, I will venture to offerhim a suite of apartments in a charming hotel, in thePompadour style, that my sister has inhabited for a year, inthe Rue Meslay."
"You have a sister?" asked the count.
"Yes, monsieur, a most excellent sister."
"Married?"
"Nearly nine years."
"Happy?" asked the count again.
"As happy as it is permitted to a human creature to be,"replied Maximilian. "She married the man she loved, whoremained faithful to us in our fallen fortunes -- EmmanuelHerbaut." Monte Cristo smiled imperceptibly. "I live thereduring my leave of absence," continued Maximilian; "and Ishall be, together with my brother-in-law Emmanuel, at thedisposition of the Count, whenever he thinks fit to honorus."
"One minute," cried Albert, without giving Monte Cristo thetime to reply. "Take care, you are going to immure atraveller, Sinbad the Sailor, a man who comes to see Paris;you are going to make a patriarch of him."
"Oh, no," said Morrel; "my sister is five and twenty, mybrother-in-law is thirty, they are gay, young, and happy.Besides, the count will be in his own house, and only seethem when he thinks fit to do so."
"Thanks, monsieur," said Monte Cristo; "I shall contentmyself with being presented to your sister and her husband,if you will do me the honor to introduce me; but I cannotaccept the offer of any one of these gentlemen, since myhabitation is already prepared."
"What," cried Morcerf; "you are, then, going to an hotel --that will be very dull for you."
"Was I so badly lodged at Rome?" said Monte Cristo smiling.
"Parbleu, at Rome you spent fifty thousand piastres infurnishing your apartments, but I presume that you are notdisposed to spend a similar sum every day."
"It is not that which deterred me," replied Monte Cristo;"but as I determined to have a house to myself, I sent on myvalet de chambre, and he ought by this time to have boughtthe house and furnished it."
"But you have, then, a valet de chambre who knows Paris?"said Beauchamp.
"It is the first time he has ever been in Paris. He isblack, and cannot speak," returned Monte Cristo.
"It is Ali!" cried Albert, in the midst of the generalsurprise.
"Yes, Ali himself, my Nubian mute, whom you saw, I think, atRome."
"Certainly," said Morcerf; "I recollect him perfectly. Buthow could you charge a Nubian to purchase a house, and amute to furnish it? -- he will do everything wrong."
"Undeceive yourself, monsieur," replied Monte Cristo; "I amquite sure, that, on the contrary, he will choose everythingas I wish. He knows my tastes, my caprices, my wants. He hasbeen here a week, with the instinct of a hound, hunting byhimself. He will arrange everything for me. He knew, that Ishould arrive to-day at ten o'clock; he was waiting for meat nine at the Barriere de Fontainebleau. He gave me thispaper; it contains the number of my new abode; read ityourself," and Monte Cristo passed a paper to Albert. "Ah,that is really original," said Beauchamp.
"And very princely," added Chateau-Renaud.
he rob you every year?
"What, do you not know your house?" asked Debray.
"No," said Monte Cristo; "I told you I did not wish to bebehind my time; I dressed myself in the carriage, anddescended at the viscount's door." The young men looked ateach other; they did not know if it was a comedy MonteCristo was playing, but every word he uttered had such anair of simplicity, that it was impossible to suppose what hesaid was false -- besides, why should he tell a falsehood?"We must content ourselves, then," said Beauchamp, "withrendering the count all the little services in our power. I,in my quality of journalist, open all the theatres to him."
"Thanks, monsieur," returned Monte Cristo, "my steward hasorders to take a box at each theatre."
"Is your steward also a Nubian?" asked Debray.
"No, he is a countryman of yours, if a Corsican is acountryman of any one's. But you know him, M. de Morcerf."
"Is it that excellent M. Bertuccio, who understands hiringwindows so well?"
"Yes, you saw him the day I had the honor of receiving you;he has been a soldier, a smuggler -- in fact, everything. Iwould not be quite sure that he has not been mixed up withthe police for some trifle -- a stab with a knife, forinstance."
"And you have chosen this honest citizen for your steward,"said Debray. "Of how much does he rob you every year?"
"On my word," replied the count, "not more than another. Iam sure he answers my purpose, knows no impossibility, andso I keep him."
"Then," continued Chateau-Renaud, "since you have anestablishment, a steward, and a hotel in the Champs Elysees,you only want a mistress." Albert smiled. He thought of thefair Greek he had seen in the count's box at the Argentinaand Valle theatres. "I have something better than that,"said Monte Cristo; "I have a slave. You procure yourmistresses from the opera, the Vaudeville, or the Varietes;I purchased mine at Constantinople; it cost me more, but Ihave nothing to fear."
"But you forget," replied Debray, laughing, "that we areFranks by name and franks by nature, as King Charles said,and that the moment she puts her foot in France your slavebecomes free."
"Who will tell her?"
"The first person who sees her."
"She only speaks Romaic."
"That is different."
"But at least we shall see her," said Beauchamp, "or do youkeep eunuchs as well as mutes?"
"Oh, no," replied Monte Cristo; "I do not carry brutalism sofar. Every one who surrounds me is free to quit me, and whenthey leave me will no longer have any need of me or any oneelse; it is for that reason, perhaps, that they do not quitme." They had long since passed to dessert and cigars.
"My dear Albert," said Debray, rising, "it is half-past two.Your guest is charming, but you leave the best company to gointo the worst sometimes. I must return to the minister's. Iwill tell him of the count, and we shall soon know who heis."
"Take care," returned Albert; "no one has been able toaccomplish that."
"Oh, we have three millions for our police; it is true theyare almost always spent beforehand, but, no matter, we shallstill have fifty thousand francs to spend for this purpose."
"And when you know, will you tell me?"
"I promise you. Au revoir, Albert. Gentlemen, good morning."
As he left the room, Debray called out loudly, "Mycarriage."
"Bravo," said Beauchamp to Albert; "I shall not go to theChamber, but I have something better to offer my readersthan a speech of M. Danglars."
"For heaven's sake, Beauchamp," returned Morcerf, "do notdeprive me of the merit of introducing him everywhere. Is henot peculiar?"
"He is more than that," replied Chateau-Renaud; "he is oneof the most extraordinary men I ever saw in my life. Are youcoming, Morrel?"
"Directly I have given my card to the count, who haspromised to pay us a visit at Rue Meslay, No. 14."
"Be sure I shall not fail to do so," returned the count,bowing. And Maximilian Morrel left the room with the Baronde Chateau-Renaud, leaving Monte Cristo alone with Morcerf.