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The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, Chapter 1. Marseilles - The Arrival (3)

Chapter 1. Marseilles - The Arrival (3)

"Pardieu, and that is true!" cried the owner, greatly delighted. "And that was Policar Morrel, my uncle, who was afterwards a captain. Dantes, you must tell my uncle that the emperor remembered him, and you will see it will bring tears into the old soldier's eyes. Come, come," continued he, patting Edmond's shoulder kindly, "you did very right, Dantes, to follow Captain Leclere's instructions, and touch at Elba, although if it were known that you had conveyed a packet to the marshal, and had conversed with the emperor, it might bring you into trouble." "How could that bring me into trouble, sir?" asked Dantes; "for I did not even know of what I was the bearer; and the emperor merely made such inquiries as he would of the first comer. But, pardon me, here are the health officers and the customs inspectors coming alongside." And the young man went to the gangway. As he departed, Danglars approached, and said,--

"Well, it appears that he has given you satisfactory reasons for his landing at Porto-Ferrajo?" "Yes, most satisfactory, my dear Danglars." "Well, so much the better," said the supercargo; "for it is not pleasant to think that a comrade has not done his duty." "Dantes has done his," replied the owner, "and that is not saying much. It was Captain Leclere who gave orders for this delay." "Talking of Captain Leclere, has not Dantes given you a letter from him?" "To me?--no--was there one?" "I believe that, besides the packet, Captain Leclere confided a letter to his care." "Of what packet are you speaking, Danglars?" "Why, that which Dantes left at Porto-Ferrajo." "How do you know he had a packet to leave at Porto-Ferrajo?" Danglars turned very red.

"I was passing close to the door of the captain's cabin, which was half open, and I saw him give the packet and letter to Dantes." "He did not speak to me of it," replied the shipowner; "but if there be any letter he will give it to me." Danglars reflected for a moment. "Then, M. Morrel, I beg of you," said he, "not to say a word to Dantes on the subject. I may have been mistaken." At this moment the young man returned; Danglars withdrew.

"Well, my dear Dantes, are you now free?" inquired the owner.

"Yes, sir." "You have not been long detained." "No. I gave the custom-house officers a copy of our bill of lading; and as to the other papers, they sent a man off with the pilot, to whom I gave them." "Then you have nothing more to do here?" "No--everything is all right now." "Then you can come and dine with me?" "I really must ask you to excuse me, M. Morrel. My first visit is due to my father, though I am not the less grateful for the honor you have done me." "Right, Dantes, quite right. I always knew you were a good son." "And," inquired Dantes, with some hesitation, "do you know how my father is?" "Well, I believe, my dear Edmond, though I have not seen him lately." "Yes, he likes to keep himself shut up in his little room." "That proves, at least, that he has wanted for nothing during your absence." Dantes smiled. "My father is proud, sir, and if he had not a meal left, I doubt if he would have asked anything from anyone, except from Heaven." "Well, then, after this first visit has been made we shall count on you." "I must again excuse myself, M. Morrel, for after this first visit has been paid I have another which I am most anxious to pay." "True, Dantes, I forgot that there was at the Catalans some one who expects you no less impatiently than your father--the lovely Mercedes." Dantes blushed.

"Ah, ha," said the shipowner, "I am not in the least surprised, for she has been to me three times, inquiring if there were any news of the Pharaon. Peste, Edmond, you have a very handsome mistress!" "She is not my mistress," replied the young sailor, gravely; "she is my betrothed." "Sometimes one and the same thing," said Morrel, with a smile. "Not with us, sir," replied Dantes. "Well, well, my dear Edmond," continued the owner, "don't let me detain you. You have managed my affairs so well that I ought to allow you all the time you require for your own. Do you want any money?"


Chapter 1. Marseilles - The Arrival (3) Capítulo 1. Marsella - La llegada (3) 1 skyrius. Marselis - atvykimas (3)

"Pardieu, and that is true!" cried the owner, greatly delighted. "And that was Policar Morrel, my uncle, who was afterwards a captain. Dantes, you must tell my uncle that the emperor remembered him, and you will see it will bring tears into the old soldier's eyes. Come, come," continued he, patting Edmond's shoulder kindly, "you did very right, Dantes, to follow Captain Leclere's instructions, and touch at Elba, although if it were known that you had conveyed a packet to the marshal, and had conversed with the emperor, it might bring you into trouble." "How could that bring me into trouble, sir?" asked Dantes; "for I did not even know of what I was the bearer; and the emperor merely made such inquiries as he would of the first comer. demanda Dantès ; « car je ne savais même pas de qui j'étais le porteur ; et l'empereur se contenta de se renseigner comme il le ferait auprès du premier venu. But, pardon me, here are the health officers and the customs inspectors coming alongside." And the young man went to the gangway. Et le jeune homme se dirigea vers la passerelle. As he departed, Danglars approached, and said,--

"Well, it appears that he has given you satisfactory reasons for his landing at Porto-Ferrajo?" — Eh bien, il paraît qu'il vous a donné des raisons satisfaisantes pour son débarquement à Porto-Ferrajo ? "Yes, most satisfactory, my dear Danglars." "Oui, très satisfaisant, mes chers Danglars." "Well, so much the better," said the supercargo; "for it is not pleasant to think that a comrade has not done his duty." — Eh bien, tant mieux, dit le supercargo ; "car il n'est pas agréable de penser qu'un camarade n'a pas fait son devoir." "Dantes has done his," replied the owner, "and that is not saying much. It was Captain Leclere who gave orders for this delay." "Talking of Captain Leclere, has not Dantes given you a letter from him?" — À propos du capitaine Leclère, Dantès ne vous a-t-il pas remis une lettre de lui ? "To me?--no--was there one?" "I believe that, besides the packet, Captain Leclere confided a letter to his care." — Je crois qu'outre le paquet, le capitaine Leclère a confié une lettre à ses soins. "Of what packet are you speaking, Danglars?" "Why, that which Dantes left at Porto-Ferrajo." "How do you know he had a packet to leave at Porto-Ferrajo?" Danglars turned very red.

"I was passing close to the door of the captain's cabin, which was half open, and I saw him give the packet and letter to Dantes." "He did not speak to me of it," replied the shipowner; "but if there be any letter he will give it to me." Danglars reflected for a moment. "Then, M. Morrel, I beg of you," said he, "not to say a word to Dantes on the subject. – Alors, monsieur Morrel, je vous prie, dit-il, de ne pas dire un mot à Dantès à ce sujet. I may have been mistaken." At this moment the young man returned; Danglars withdrew.

"Well, my dear Dantes, are you now free?" inquired the owner.

"Yes, sir." "You have not been long detained." "No. I gave the custom-house officers a copy of our bill of lading; and as to the other papers, they sent a man off with the pilot, to whom I gave them." J'ai donné aux douaniers une copie de notre connaissement ; et quant aux autres papiers, ils envoyèrent un homme avec le pilote, à qui je les donnai. "Then you have nothing more to do here?" "No--everything is all right now." "Then you can come and dine with me?" "I really must ask you to excuse me, M. Morrel. My first visit is due to my father, though I am not the less grateful for the honor you have done me." "Right, Dantes, quite right. I always knew you were a good son." "And," inquired Dantes, with some hesitation, "do you know how my father is?" "Well, I believe, my dear Edmond, though I have not seen him lately." "Yes, he likes to keep himself shut up in his little room." "That proves, at least, that he has wanted for nothing during your absence." — Cela prouve au moins qu'il n'a manqué de rien pendant votre absence. Dantes smiled. "My father is proud, sir, and if he had not a meal left, I doubt if he would have asked anything from anyone, except from Heaven." "Well, then, after this first visit has been made we shall count on you." "I must again excuse myself, M. Morrel, for after this first visit has been paid I have another which I am most anxious to pay." "True, Dantes, I forgot that there was at the Catalans some one who expects you no less impatiently than your father--the lovely Mercedes." — C'est vrai, Dantès, j'oubliais qu'il y avait chez les Catalans quelqu'un qui ne vous attend pas moins impatiemment que votre père, la belle Mercedes. Dantes blushed.

"Ah, ha," said the shipowner, "I am not in the least surprised, for she has been to me three times, inquiring if there were any news of the Pharaon. Peste, Edmond, you have a very handsome mistress!" "She is not my mistress," replied the young sailor, gravely; "she is my betrothed." — Ce n'est pas ma maîtresse, répondit gravement le jeune matelot ; "elle est ma fiancée." "Sometimes one and the same thing," said Morrel, with a smile. "Not with us, sir," replied Dantes. "Well, well, my dear Edmond," continued the owner, "don't let me detain you. You have managed my affairs so well that I ought to allow you all the time you require for your own. Do you want any money?"