Chapter 3. The Catalans (5) Capítulo 3. Los catalanes Los catalanes (5) 3 skyrius. Katalonai (5)

"Poor fellow!" remarked Danglars, affecting to pity the young man from the bottom of his heart. "Why, you see, he did not expect to see Dantes return so suddenly--he thought he was dead, perhaps; or perchance faithless! « Pourquoi, voyez-vous, il ne s'attendait pas à voir Dantès revenir si soudainement, il se croyait mort, peut-être ; ou peut-être infidèle ! These things always come on us more severely when they come suddenly." "Ah, ma foi, under any circumstances," said Caderousse, who drank as he spoke, and on whom the fumes of the wine began to take effect,--"under any circumstances Fernand is not the only person put out by the fortunate arrival of Dantes; is he, Danglars?" — Ah, ma foi, en aucun cas, dit Caderousse, qui buvait en parlant, et sur qui les vapeurs du vin commençaient à faire effet, en aucun cas Fernand n'est le seul contrarié par les heureux arrivée de Dantès, c'est lui Danglars ? "No, you are right--and I should say that would bring him ill-luck." "Well, never mind," answered Caderousse, pouring out a glass of wine for Fernand, and filling his own for the eighth or ninth time, while Danglars had merely sipped his. "Never mind--in the meantime he marries Mercedes--the lovely Mercedes--at least he returns to do that." "Peu importe, en attendant, il épouse Mercedes, la belle Mercedes, au moins il revient pour le faire." During this time Danglars fixed his piercing glance on the young man, on whose heart Caderousse's words fell like molten lead. Pendant ce temps, Danglars fixa son regard perçant sur le jeune homme, sur le cœur duquel les paroles de Caderousse tombèrent comme du plomb fondu. "And when is the wedding to be?" he asked.

"Oh, it is not yet fixed!" murmured Fernand.

"No, but it will be," said Caderousse, "as surely as Dantes will be captain of the Pharaon--eh, Danglars?" Danglars shuddered at this unexpected attack, and turned to Caderousse, whose countenance he scrutinized, to try and detect whether the blow was premeditated; but he read nothing but envy in a countenance already rendered brutal and stupid by drunkenness.

"Well," said he, filling the glasses, "let us drink to Captain Edmond Dantes, husband of the beautiful Catalane!" Caderousse raised his glass to his mouth with unsteady hand, and swallowed the contents at a gulp. Caderousse porta son verre à sa bouche d'une main chancelante et en avala le contenu d'un trait. Fernand dashed his on the ground.

"Eh, eh, eh!" stammered Caderousse. "What do I see down there by the wall, in the direction of the Catalans? « Qu'est-ce que je vois là-bas près du mur, en direction des Catalans ? Look, Fernand, your eyes are better than mine. I believe I see double. You know wine is a deceiver; but I should say it was two lovers walking side by side, and hand in hand. Vous savez que le vin est un trompeur ; mais je dirais que c'étaient deux amants marchant côte à côte et main dans la main. Heaven forgive me, they do not know that we can see them, and they are actually embracing!" Danglars did not lose one pang that Fernand endured. Danglars n'a pas perdu un seul pincement que Fernand a enduré.

"Do you know them, Fernand?" he said.

"Yes," was the reply, in a low voice. "It is Edmond and Mercedes!" "Ah, see there, now!" said Caderousse; "and I did not recognize them! Hallo, Dantes! hello, lovely damsel! bonjour, belle demoiselle! Come this way, and let us know when the wedding is to be, for Fernand here is so obstinate he will not tell us." Venez par ici, et dites-nous quand le mariage doit être, car Fernand ici est si obstiné qu'il ne nous le dira pas." "Hold your tongue, will you?" said Danglars, pretending to restrain Caderousse, who, with the tenacity of drunkards, leaned out of the arbor. dit Danglars en feignant de retenir Caderousse, qui, avec la ténacité des ivrognes, se pencha à la tonnelle. "Try to stand upright, and let the lovers make love without interruption. "Essaye de te tenir droit et laisse les amants faire l'amour sans interruption. See, look at Fernand, and follow his example; he is well-behaved!" Fernand, probably excited beyond bearing, pricked by Danglars, as the bull is by the bandilleros, was about to rush out; for he had risen from his seat, and seemed to be collecting himself to dash headlong upon his rival, when Mercedes, smiling and graceful, lifted up her lovely head, and looked at them with her clear and bright eyes. Fernand, excité sans doute au-delà de toute capacité, piqué par Danglars, comme le taureau par les bandilleros, allait sortir en courant ; car il s'était levé de son siège et semblait se rassembler pour foncer tête baissée sur son rival, lorsque Mercédès, souriante et gracieuse, leva sa belle tête et les regarda de ses yeux clairs et brillants. At this Fernand recollected her threat of dying if Edmond died, and dropped again heavily on his seat. A ce moment, Fernand se rappela sa menace de mourir si Edmond mourait, et se laissa retomber lourdement sur son siège. Danglars looked at the two men, one after the other, the one brutalized by liquor, the other overwhelmed with love.

"I shall get nothing from these fools," he muttered; "and I am very much afraid of being here between a drunkard and a coward. Here's an envious fellow making himself boozy on wine when he ought to be nursing his wrath, and here is a fool who sees the woman he loves stolen from under his nose and takes on like a big baby. Voilà un envieux qui s'enivre de vin alors qu'il devrait s'emporter, et voilà un idiot qui se voit voler la femme qu'il aime sous son nez et s'en prendre comme un gros bébé. Yet this Catalan has eyes that glisten like those of the vengeful Spaniards, Sicilians, and Calabrians, and the other has fists big enough to crush an ox at one blow. Pourtant ce Catalan a des yeux qui brillent comme ceux des Espagnols, Siciliens et Calabrais vengeurs, et l'autre a des poings assez gros pour écraser un bœuf d'un seul coup. Unquestionably, Edmond's star is in the ascendant, and he will marry the splendid girl--he will be captain, too, and laugh at us all, unless"--a sinister smile passed over Danglars' lips--"unless I take a hand in the affair," he added.