71. Bread and Salt -

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 In this chapter, Madame de Morcerf, also known as Mercédès, and the Count of Monte Cristo engage in a deeply emotional conversation as they walk through a grove of trees leading to a conservatory. Mercédès, feeling the tension in the air, initiates a conversation with the Count, commenting on the warmth of the room they left and his comfort with the coolness outside. As they walk, Mercédès leads the Count to a greenhouse where she attempts to share some Muscatel grapes with him, but he declines, which visibly saddens her.

The conversation between the two is laden with unspoken feelings and regrets from their shared past. Mercédès presses the Count with personal questions about his life, his happiness, and whether he is married, to which the Count reveals his deep loneliness and past heartbreak. He recounts a story of lost love, explaining how he once loved a woman in Malta who married another while he was away. This woman is, in fact, Mercédès herself, though this is not explicitly stated in the conversation.

Mercédès' attempts to reconnect with the Count and evoke a sense of their old friendship are met with coldness and distance. The Count remains emotionally guarded, refusing her offerings and maintaining a formal tone. This distance pains Mercédès, who is clearly struggling with guilt and sorrow over their past.

Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Mercédès' son, Albert, who brings news of a family tragedy. M. de Villefort has come to take his wife and daughter away because M. de Saint-Méran, the grandfather of Mademoiselle Valentine de Villefort, has died. This news shifts the mood from the personal and emotional exchange between Mercédès and the Count to the immediate concerns of the Villefort family.

Despite the news, Mercédès tries once more to affirm the bond between herself and the Count, but he remains distant, offering only his respectful service rather than friendship. Mercédès leaves the scene with a heavy heart, hiding her tears as she departs. Albert, noticing the tension, questions the Count about his relationship with his mother, to which the Count gives a noncommittal answer, reinforcing the emotional distance that now defines their relationship.

The chapter closes with a return to the drawing-room, where the weight of unspoken emotions and unresolved pasts continues to hang heavily over the characters. The encounter highlights the deep and enduring pain of lost love and the difficulty of reconciling with the past.

 In this chapter, we witness a deeply introspective and tense scene centered around M. de Villefort, a man burdened by the weight of his past actions and the secrets he harbors. As the chapter opens, Villefort is alone in his study, ostensibly surrounded by official papers but in reality, lost in reflection. His mind is consumed by the fear of past misdeeds being uncovered, particularly in relation to a mysterious figure, M. de Monte Cristo, whom Villefort suspects might be aware of a dangerous secret. Villefort’s paranoia leads him to review a hidden list of his enemies, contemplating the possibility that one of them might be responsible for the current threat he feels.

As Villefort tries to calm his fears, he is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of his mother-in-law, Madame de Saint-Méran, who is overwhelmed with grief and brings devastating news: her husband, M. de Saint-Méran, has died suddenly while they were traveling. The suddenness of the death, which is attributed to an apoplectic stroke, leaves Villefort in shock, and he tries to process the implications of this event.

Madame de Saint-Méran, distraught and nearly delirious, insists on seeing her granddaughter, Valentine. She reveals her desire to hasten Valentine’s marriage to M. Franz d’Épinay, fearing that she herself will not live much longer and wanting to ensure that Valentine is settled before she dies. Villefort, who had already arranged the marriage, is taken aback by the urgency of her request, especially given the recent tragedy.

Throughout the chapter, the atmosphere is heavy with impending doom. Madame de Saint-Méran experiences what she believes to be a supernatural visitation from her deceased husband, further adding to the sense of foreboding. She insists that she saw a white figure in her room and heard it move her glass, which she interprets as a sign from beyond the grave. Villefort and Valentine are both deeply troubled by her words, unsure whether to attribute them to feverish delirium or something more sinister.

As the chapter progresses, Madame de Saint-Méran’s health rapidly deteriorates, and she becomes increasingly insistent on seeing a notary to finalize her will, ensuring that all her possessions are left to Valentine. Valentine, meanwhile, is deeply conflicted, fearing the consequences of her grandmother’s death and the impact it will have on her secret relationship with Maximilian Morrel, a man of plebeian origins whom she knows her grandmother would never approve of.

The chapter concludes with Valentine stepping out into the garden, seeking a moment of respite from the overwhelming emotions and events. There, she hears a voice calling her name, and recognizes it as Maximilian’s, bringing a glimmer of hope and solace amidst the surrounding gloom.

Overall, this chapter encapsulates a moment of intense personal and familial turmoil, with themes of death, fear, and the haunting presence of past sins weighing heavily on the characters.

 In this chapter, Maximilian Morrel, tormented by fears and forebodings, meets Valentine de Villefort under a chestnut tree, where they discuss the dire circumstances surrounding Valentine's impending marriage to Baron Franz d'Épinay. Valentine reveals that her grandmother, Madame de Saint-Méran, who was previously supportive of her relationship with Maximilian, is now insistent on the marriage, urging that the contract be signed as soon as Franz arrives in Paris.

Maximilian, distraught by the thought of losing Valentine, suggests they elope. He proposes that Valentine escape with him to live with his sister, away from the oppressive influence of her family. Valentine, however, is hesitant to disobey her father's orders or disturb her grandmother's dying wishes. She expresses her inner turmoil, torn between her love for Maximilian and her duty to her family.

As they speak, Maximilian's desperation grows. He contemplates various ways to prevent the marriage, even considering provoking Franz to a duel. Valentine, seeing Maximilian's despair, finally agrees to a plan: if the marriage contract is forced upon her, she will refuse to sign and instead escape with Maximilian. They agree to wait and see if circumstances might delay the marriage, relying on the hope that something will happen to prevent it.

Later, Valentine and Maximilian discuss the possibility of seeking the help of her grandfather, Noirtier, a paralyzed man who communicates through eye movements. They believe that Noirtier might support their cause, as he has shown kindness to Maximilian in the past. Valentine confides in Noirtier, explaining her love for Maximilian and her resolve to be with him despite her father's wishes.

Noirtier, understanding their situation, signals his support. He assures Maximilian that the marriage contract will not be signed, though he does not reveal how he intends to prevent it. Maximilian, swayed by Noirtier's confidence, promises to wait for Noirtier's intervention.

The chapter ends with Maximilian, filled with hope but also trepidation, leaving the Villefort residence. He spends the night anxiously awaiting the outcome of the events that are set to unfold the next day.

 In this chapter, a large crowd gathers around the house of M. de Villefort to attend a funeral, which unexpectedly turns into a double funeral. The Marquis de Saint-Méran's coffin arrives from a distance, and by coincidence, it arrives on the same day as his wife’s funeral. Both coffins are prepared for interment in the Père-Lachaise cemetery, where the Villefort family tomb is located. The Marquis and the Marchioness de Saint-Méran are being laid to rest, and the mood is somber as they are mourned by many, reflecting their status and influence.

Amid the solemnity, some attendees discuss the sudden death of the Marchioness, speculating on her cause of death, which is rumored to be apoplexy, though there are doubts about this diagnosis. The conversation also touches on the inheritance that Valentine, Villefort's daughter, is set to receive, and how this fortune will eventually pass on to Franz d’Épinay, Valentine’s fiancé. The dialogue reveals a mix of curiosity, speculation, and the recognition of the financial implications of the deaths for the living, particularly for Franz and Valentine.

This chapter from "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas revolves around a dramatic revelation during a tense meeting between Noirtier, Valentine, Franz d'Épinay, and Villefort. The scene takes place in Noirtier's room, where he is prepared to communicate something crucial through a series of gestures and eye movements, as he is unable to speak.

Villefort, Valentine’s father, has brought Franz d'Épinay, Valentine’s fiancé, to meet with Noirtier in the hope that the meeting will help resolve Noirtier’s objections to their marriage. Villefort warns Valentine not to understand anything that Noirtier might say that could delay the marriage, revealing his determination to see the marriage go through despite Noirtier's opposition.

Noirtier, who communicates through eye movements with the help of Valentine, directs her to open a secret drawer in an old secretaire (a type of writing desk). Inside, they find a bundle of papers that Noirtier insists Franz should read. These papers contain a detailed account of a meeting of a Bonapartist club held on February 5, 1815—the day Franz's father was murdered.

As Franz reads the document aloud, it becomes clear that his father, General de Quesnel, was killed in a duel following his refusal to join the Bonapartist conspiracy against Louis XVIII. The document reveals the events leading up to the duel, where General de Quesnel stood firm in his loyalty to the king, despite pressure from the conspirators. The duel was conducted with honor, but it ultimately resulted in General de Quesnel’s death, after which his body was disposed of in the river.

The climax of the chapter arrives when Franz, desperate to know the identity of the man who killed his father, is led by Noirtier to discover that it was Noirtier himself who was the president of the Bonapartist club and the one who killed General de Quesnel. This revelation is shocking, especially as Noirtier admits to the killing through a series of signals, confirming his role in Franz’s father’s death.

Villefort, who has been growing increasingly anxious throughout the scene, is horrified by the revelation and hastily leaves the room, overwhelmed by the tension and the realization of what has just been uncovered.

This chapter is pivotal as it not only reveals the depth of Noirtier’s past and his involvement in the Bonapartist cause but also puts Franz in a difficult position, knowing that his potential grandfather-in-law is responsible for his father's death. The chapter builds intense suspense and sets the stage for further conflicts between the characters.