登陆注册
5382900000302

第302章

"What an appetite you used to have! Is it as good now?""Oh, yes," replied Andrea, laughing.

"How did you come to be dining with that prince whose house you have just left?""He is not a prince; simply a count."

"A count, and a rich one too, eh?"

"Yes; but you had better not have anything to say to him, for he is not a very good-tempered gentleman.""Oh, be easy! I have no design upon your count, and you shall have him all to yourself.But," said Caderousse, again smiling with the disagreeable expression he had before assumed, "you must pay for it -- you understand?""Well, what do you want?"

"I think that with a hundred francs a month" --"Well?"

"I could live" --

"Upon a hundred francs!"

"Come -- you understand me; but that with" --"With?"

"With a hundred and fifty francs I should be quite happy.""Here are two hundred," said Andrea; and he placed ten gold louis in the hand of Caderousse.

"Good!" said Caderousse.

"Apply to the steward on the first day of every mouth, and you will receive the same sum.""There now, again you degrade me."

"How so?"

"By making me apply to the servants, when I want to transact business with you alone.""Well, be it so, then.Take it from me then, and so long at least as I receive my income, you shall be paid yours.""Come, come; I always said you were a line fellow, and it is a blessing when good fortune happens to such as you.But tell me all about it?""Why do you wish to know?" asked Cavalcanti.

"What? do you again defy me?"

"No; the fact is, I have found my father.""What? a real father?"

"Yes, so long as he pays me" --

"You'll honor and believe him -- that's right.What is his name?""Major Cavalcanti."

"Is he pleased with you?"

"So far I have appeared to answer his purpose.""And who found this father for you?"

"The Count of Monte Cristo."

"The man whose house you have just left?""Yes."

"I wish you would try and find me a situation with him as grandfather, since he holds the money-chest!""Well, I will mention you to him.Meanwhile, what are you going to do?""I?"

"Yes, you."

"It is very kind of you to trouble yourself about me.""Since you interest yourself in my affairs, I think it is now my turn to ask you some questions.""Ah, true.Well; I shall rent a room in some respectable house, wear a decent coat, shave every day, and go and read the papers in a cafe.Then, in the evening, I shall go to the theatre; I shall look like some retired baker.That is what I want.""Come, if you will only put this scheme into execution, and be steady, nothing could be better.""Do you think so, M.Bossuet? And you -- what will you become? A peer of France?""Ah," said Andrea, "who knows?"

"Major Cavalcanti is already one, perhaps; but then, hereditary rank is abolished.""No politics, Caderousse.And now that you have all you want, and that we understand each other, jump down from the tilbury and disappear.""Not at all, my good friend."

"How? Not at all?"

"Why, just think for a moment; with this red handkerchief on my head, with scarcely any shoes, no papers, and ten gold napoleons in my pocket, without reckoning what was there before -- making in all about two hundred francs, -- why, Ishould certainly be arrested at the barriers.Then, to justify myself, I should say that you gave me the money;this would cause inquiries, it would be found that I left Toulon without giving due notice, and I should then be escorted back to the shores of the Mediterranean.Then Ishould become simply No.106, and good-by to my dream of resembling the retired baker! No, no, my boy; I prefer remaining honorably in the capital." Andrea scowled.

Certainly, as he had himself owned, the reputed son of Major Cavalcanti was a wilful fellow.He drew up for a minute, threw a rapid glance around him, and then his hand fell instantly into his pocket, where it began playing with a pistol.But, meanwhile, Caderousse, who had never taken his eyes off his companion, passed his hand behind his back, and opened a long Spanish knife, which he always carried with him, to be ready in case of need.The two friends, as we see, were worthy of and understood one another.Andrea's hand left his pocket inoffensively, and was carried up to the red mustache, which it played with for some time."Good Caderousse," he said, "how happy you will be.""I will do my best," said the inn-keeper of the Pont du Gard, shutting up his knife.

"Well, then, we will go into Paris.But how will you pass through the barrier without exciting suspicion? It seems to me that you are in more danger riding than on foot.""Wait," said Caderousse, "we shall see." He then took the great-coat with the large collar, which the groom had left behind in the tilbury, and put it on his back; then he took off Cavalcanti's hat, which he placed upon his own head, and finally he assumed the careless attitude of a servant whose master drives himself.

"But, tell me," said Andrea, "am I to remain bareheaded?""Pooh," said Caderousse; "it is so windy that your hat can easily appear to have blown off.""Come, come; enough of this," said Cavalcanti.

"What are you waiting for?" said Caderousse."I hope I am not the cause.""Hush," said Andrea.They passed the barrier without accident.At the first cross street Andrea stopped his horse, and Caderousse leaped out.

"Well!" said Andrea, -- "my servant's coat and my hat?""Ah," said Caderousse, "you would not like me to risk taking cold?""But what am I to do?"

"You? Oh, you are young while I am beginning to get old.Au revoir, Benedetto;" and running into a court, he disappeared."Alas," said Andrea, sighing, "one cannot be completely happy in this world!"

同类推荐
  • 太上黄箓斋仪

    太上黄箓斋仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 正名

    正名

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 北峰教义

    北峰教义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 天童弘觉忞禅师北游集

    天童弘觉忞禅师北游集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上元始天尊说北帝伏魔神咒妙经

    太上元始天尊说北帝伏魔神咒妙经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 乱古

    乱古

    少年以战重生,吞万灵精血,战无上神魔,一路高歌,杀尽血海,成就无上战帝。
  • 梦游眠剧场·祈祷

    梦游眠剧场·祈祷

    “明修鲁!听到了吗?这里是子午线太空站,我现在要对你发送讯号,S-P-O-T-L-I-G-H-T,接受后请覆诵一遍。”坐在地面航天指挥中心的明修鲁,头部戴着心电感应接收装置,成功地将那一排英文字拼出来,旁边围绕着研究人员与长官都高兴欢呼。“成功了!这项透过心电感应传输系统成功了!”大家都过来跟明修鲁鼓掌致意,航天总署的部长也过来拍拍他的肩膀说:“恭喜你跟你的哥哥明修义,获选为类地球行星开拓计划的成员。”明修鲁微笑地透过感应器,向远在子午线太空站的哥哥报告这个好消息。
  • 出门在外

    出门在外

    上班时,郑平接到一个电话,是老家父亲打来的。父亲说,你结婚时借的一笔钱,人家来要了。家里一时没有,只能打电话给你,想想办法,能否立即汇过来?郑平拿着话筒愣了许久,才含糊其词地答应了父亲。郑平高中毕业,做了两年代课教师,后一直在乡广播站工作。其间,又自考了文科十几门专业,成绩门门优异。去年下半年,乡政府机构改革,人员精简,一时弄得风吹草动,人心惶惶。你找关系,他跑门路,都恋着窝不放手。郑平没什么靠山,两眼一抹黑;再之,他又是聘用人员,没有正式编制,自然就被刷下来了。正当他为今后的出路愁虑不堪时,年初,市广播电台招聘采编人员。
  • 一寸河山一寸血2

    一寸河山一寸血2

    本书以全新的视角,讲述了中国正面抗日全史。它也是离新中国最近的历史,那是个社会结构、思想经济全面动荡转型的时代,新中国就是从那里走来,而我们就生活在新中国里,我们之所以会是现在这个样子,与那个时代密不可分。了解它,有助于我们了解自己这个时代。本书以皇姑屯事件和“九一八”事变为发端,以东北沦丧为起点,再现十四年抗战历史背景下的风云人物、精彩往事。本书犹如一部恢宏的画卷,作者以或幽默、或深沉、或激越、或悲壮的笔调,带你走近张作霖,走近蒋介石,走近汪精卫,领略他们曾经有过的铁甲与鲜花,情义与权谋,眼泪与欢笑,欣慰与悲怆。本册为第2册,主要讲述了1933年到1937年,日军由局部侵华到全面侵华的历史。
  • 绝代无双:废柴大小姐

    绝代无双:废柴大小姐

    刑场上,重斧落下,腰斩重生。重生之后的叶罗瑶本想跳出所有是是非非,不料还是被卷入明争暗斗之中。幸运的事,因为她的‘未卜先知’让她占尽先机。……小时候意外救了个小包子,没想到他竟然就是后来世人敬仰的大星司。分离了十年,他一直在寻她,只希望在他仅有的一年寿命里找到她。终于,他找到了她,他惜她如宝,宠她入骨……然而,时间不多了,他的生命不断的在流逝…………叶罗瑶不相信,救得了他一次,还救不了他第二次!
  • 告诉别人我不想输

    告诉别人我不想输

    每一个人都会在人生的路途上遇到挫折和失败,可是,认真想,如果没有他们,我们就不会坚强和勇敢。感谢他们,对于这些困难,我只会说‘我不会输’!
  • 西游八十一案:西域列王纪

    西游八十一案:西域列王纪

    贞观三年的冬月,一匹瘦马驮着一名僧人,踉踉跄跄地倒在沙漠边缘。玄奘,终于来到了西域。此时的西域,动荡不安。庞大的波斯帝国,深陷拜占庭与西突厥的围攻,引来西域诸国群狼环伺。危急时刻,波斯不惜以秘宝“大卫王瓶”换取大唐的援助。而在丝绸之路的起点,玄奘遇到了他的第二个弟子——高昌王子麴智盛。作为西游里“猪八戒”的原型,麴智盛早已深深陷入情网,爱上了敌国公主,日趋癫狂,竟截走波斯秘宝,以偿夙愿。卷入是非的玄奘浑然不知,他的到来正是大唐的一着妙棋,意图扰动四方。一时间,大唐、突厥、波斯、焉耆、高昌,诸多势力汇聚,劫杀、复仇、叛国各种罪案接踵而来,彼此纠缠,互为因果……茫茫大漠,一场颠覆西域格局、左右丝绸之路的阴谋诡局,离奇上演。
  • 网游之争锋天下

    网游之争锋天下

    划时代的游戏,争锋天下的发布所引起的将是一场血雨腥风,谁将在这个游戏之中主宰沉浮,谁又将在这个游戏之中俯首称臣?
  • 夜萝莉精灵梦之另一个自己

    夜萝莉精灵梦之另一个自己

    更新不定,打字较慢。如果有人喜欢愿的这本书的话,建议一个星期查看一次。愿较懒,望莫急。幽是一个全能型的女孩,但是她为人淡漠,心里冰冷,她总是在脸上挂着36度的微笑。在一个黄昏,她来到了那个神奇的世界!
  • 江隆基的最后十四年

    江隆基的最后十四年

    《江隆基的最后十四年》不是一本普通的传记,而是一本奇特之书、感人之书,承载着丰厚的社会历史内涵和文化哲理思考。江隆基不仅是当之无愧的教育家,还是坚定的马克思主义者、革命家。他对是非有很高的判别能力,敢于实事求是、坚持真理;不随声附和,听风办事;不愿做违心之事、发违心之论。他尊重知识,爱惜人才,懂得高等教育的规律。平日工作不图虚名,不摆“花架子”,有基于“定见”的“定功”。北大七年,他尊重马寅初、周培源、汤用彤、侯仁之等一大批著名学者,办出了北大“发展最好的时期”;兰大七年,他排除各种干扰,不顾“左”的威压,办出该校历史上第一个“黄金时代”。