Count of Monte Cristo

"Honey, it's time for us to go back to Marseille." This was the second time they talked about this topic, and it was only half a month since the appointment with Montlain.They also stayed in Paris for two weeks, during which Edmund was only at the castle for a while, the rest of the time he was not seen, and Jacob was nowhere to be seen.Only Linke, Heidi and a few servants took care of them in the castle.Lin Ke could probably guess what Edmund and Jacob were planning, but he didn't bother to ask if Edmund didn't say anything.Edmond probably loved Heidi as a daughter and raised him as a son...

"You decide." Lin Ke said lightly.In fact, he had this idea a long time ago, that is, after he returned from attending the banquet of the Viscountess de Komont, he proposed to return to Marseilles.But Edmund refused, and Lin Ke asked why, but he hugged Lin Ke and said that it was not time yet.Lin Ke didn't mention it again, but now he found that Edmond obviously treated him as a child, and would hide some things from him. Although it was well-intentioned, Lin Ke also vaguely understood Edmond's thoughts.But Lin Ke felt rejected.Although this feeling is absurd, because he didn't want to let himself fall into the quagmire of hatred, he chose to bear it by himself.

Edmund quickly noticed Lin Ke's emotional changes. "What's wrong?"

Lin Ke was silent, flipping through a picture album on the desk.They are in the study now.There are nearly two thousand books in the study, which are arranged on both sides of the room.On the one hand there is entirely modern romance, and even new books published the day before can be found in this stately procession of gold and red covers.The layout of the room is full of oriental sentiment, with cushions and benches instead of beds, and the most precious masterpieces of ancient masters are hung on the walls.

"How is Heidi doing this week?" Edmund hugged him in his arms and said with a smile, "This is the first time I've seen you like this. Are you wronged?"

"You think I'm immature, childish and ridiculous, right?" His tone was complaining.

"Why do you think so?" Edmund turned his body around and asked solemnly face to face.

Lin Ke said in a low voice, "Because you didn't tell me what you're doing now, I think you treat me like Heidi, you only need your warmth and can't touch your other side."

"Fool." Edmund sighed deeply, "You are worrying too much. I don't tell you just because I don't want you to worry. I have told you about those dark days before. They are always in my mind. No Once I think of it without pain and hatred. It is this force that sustains my vengeance. Father Faria gave me all kinds of knowledge and thousands of riches. He also taught me kindness and fraternity, but he failed to make me Learn to be tolerant. Father Faria is a man with a heart like God. I am ashamed of his teachings. I escaped from death row by the power of hatred and longing, and regained wealth and identity by the power of hatred. This is the motivation for me to live. Lin Ke, you are young, simple, and kind, and you can't understand how terrifying the power of hatred and resentment is. Heidi is different from you, Heidi..." said Heidi, he paused , Lin Ke knew that he was organizing the language.

"Although Heidi is younger than you, she has a deep memory of her early experiences. The seeds of hatred have been buried in her heart. Has she ever talked to you about revenge?"

When Lin Ke denied it, Edmond showed a strange smile, "Look, this is the difference between you and her. Although she is young, she is very mature in her mind. She never showed any resentment. She suffered After so much, leaving home from a princess to a slave, what you see is her young and pitiful drifting. But this is Heidi's tenacity and perseverance. She deeply knows that her vengeance has not been avenged, so she will not give up Any experience that can break away from slavery. She knows that she is weak and her enemies are missing, so she buries everything in her heart and waits for the opportunity. I admire Heidi very much."

Lin Ke said: "Heidi is only 12 years old, I am eighteen."

"I know you. I personally inspected the coming-of-age ceremony." Edmund said ambiguously, and Lin Ke's face immediately turned red when he said this.

Seeing that Lin Ke was going to blow his hair, Edmond immediately said: "Okay, okay, my fault, baby, what's your menu for tonight?" It's a pity that this didn't work to change the topic.

Edmund made a decisive decision, pressed the back of his head, found his lips, and kissed them hard.

Use this trick again!

It's a pity that Lin Ke took this trick, and his body soon weakened.

After the kiss was over, Lin Ke's eyes were watery, and he gasped for a long time, "Then when shall we leave?"

"Cadrousse wants the Abbe Busoni." Edmond's words were wrong.

Lin Ke didn't know, so, "Are you going to see him?" It turned out that he still remembered the murder that Franz said. Strictly speaking, Caderos could also be one of Edmond's enemies. He participated in the whole process but chose to There was silence.

Edmond's eyes were complicated, "I saw him as Father Busoni. This murder case is weird."

Lin Ke remembered one thing. "Do you remember when I told you that when we went to the Dubonga Inn, there was still a man living there?"

Edmond nodded, "You mean the smuggler was already in the inn at that time, so he and Caderos should know each other."

"You plan to meet the smuggler too?"

"Yes." Edmund played with Lin Ke's hand, "Maybe there will be unexpected gains." The look on his face when he said this made Lin Ke think of those old foxes in the movie who were wily and calculating.

"It seems that you have found out something?" Lin Ke smiled slyly and pulled out his hand.

Edmund was noncommittal, as he admitted Lin Ke's guess.

"How is Heidi's French practice?"

"You are too harsh on Heidi." Edmond found a tutor for Heidi to teach her French, and asked Heidi to learn to communicate with them in French within a month.Heidi is also a serious child. During this period of time, she has been practicing French hard every day. Sometimes it is very late, and Lin Ke still sees that her room is lit.This end of hard work is worse than some high school students, and Heidi has obviously lost weight during this time, and her face is also a little pale.Heidi has never complained of suffering, and even her tutor has advised her not to be so tired more than once, but Heidi has no plans to relax.Lin Ke would make a lot of desserts for her, but they would all be returned in the end because she didn't have time to eat them.At last the governess couldn't stand it anymore, but Heidi persisted.Hard work pays off. Although she has only learned French for half a month, she is already able to communicate with them in simple daily life.Lin Ke admired Heidi very much while being distressed. He was learning Greek himself, and of course Edmund taught him himself, but now he only knows some simple expressions and his pronunciation is not authentic.

"She asked for it herself." Edmund said blankly, "Where's your Greek?"

"Hey..." Lin Ke smiled a little fake, and Edmund nodded his nose, "You, if only you are half as eager to learn as Heidi." Why does this tone sound like someone else's child is so good, why do you Don't you know that the taste of parents who study and study is in it?

Lin Ke complained, "Do you really think I'm your son?" He really dared to think about the 15-year-old gap.

Edmund was stunned, and suddenly burst out laughing. He stood up, and Lin Ke was already in his arms. He got up suddenly, and Lin Ke had to hug his neck quickly. Edmond looked down at him, his tone Narrow and intimate. "Lord! I don't dare to be this father, but I am capable of being a lover! Now we should discuss the topic of lovers." He hugged Lin Kexiang and walked to the bedroom.

"... When are we going back?" Lin Ke was going crazy.

"Don't move around, we're leaving the day after tomorrow." The voice was all wrong, and finally a strange voice came from the bedroom, and Lin Ke's menu for tonight was probably out of order again.

Edmond and Lin Ke returned to Marseille, where they still lived in the former hotel.

Edmund dressed up as a priest, and Lin Ke was of course his priestly attendant.

The two of them are going to the police station today to meet the smuggler, who they say is the murderer of Cuderos' wife and the jeweler, named Bertuccio.

They met him in a confessional, and he and Edmund sat in a dark room, with curtains at the windows to block each other's view.Bertuccio is confessing.

"Dear God, forgive my ignorance and greed. I should not have been so foolish as to jeopardize my devotion to God, Lord! Please allow your people to kiss you."

Edmond glanced at Bertuccio through the gap between the curtains, and saw that Bertuccio was leaning against the wall so as not to fall, his face whiter than the wall against which he was leaning.

Edmond coughed and said in a majestic and holy voice: "Poor man, do you have anything you want to tell God? God forgives all your sins with his tolerant emotion."

Bertuccio knelt on the ground with a trembling voice, his hands tightly clasped together.

"Who? The priest?"

Edmond said, "It's my priest, Bertuccio. Your name is Bertuccio, isn't it? How dare you make such a threat?"

"Yes, venerable priest, have you come to pray for me? Thank you very much for coming. May I ask your name?"

"You can call me Father Busoni." Edmond said, "Next, you can continue to tell your story..."

"Ah! Father Busoni!" cried Bertuccio. "Are you the priest who gave Caderousse the diamond?"

"Yes."

"God! You are so cruel and ruthless. How can the poor live in peace when they get riches!"

"Really? If a poor person has a kind and quiet heart, how can he be unhappy, but greed ruins him." Edmund said coldly.

"I have told the judge many times that the jeweler and the woman were not killed by me, they were killed by Cuderos."

"Have you any proof? Cuderos accuses you of killing his wife and guests."

Bertuccio hugged his head and groaned in pain, "Oh my God! How dare this shameless tailor say that? Your Excellency, let me tell you what happened that day from the beginning. I have told you countless times. ... I am a smuggler, oh, I will explain these things later, I have already lived in the Dubanga Inn, I hid there to avoid the gendarme, and Cuderos knew me , I told him I was only there for one day and left at night, but I didn't leave that night, I hid in a cubicle, you know, I was afraid that the military police would catch me, Kade Ross will betray me. There is a small hole in the wall of my cubicle, and I can see what happened. It was the diamond you gave him, the priest, that made this tragedy happen. No, I was wrong, it was theirs Greed and tyranny made this crime play out before my eyes. Cuderos brought a jeweler and said that he would sell him a diamond. The diamond was very large and the jeweler liked it very much. After many bargains, they finally settled on [-] Five francs, and Caderousse and his wife each got the gold necklace and silver buttons they wanted. The jeweler was about to leave, and when Caderousse persuaded him to stay here for the night, the woman also Persuade him. The jeweler was hesitant. It was windy and raining outside at this time, and they said there were robbers there, so the jeweler stayed. The woman was very happy and took him to a room on the top floor. I thought That's the end of the matter. But it wasn't. The matter was more evil than I thought. After the merchant fell asleep, Cuderos and his wife were still sitting in their chairs. They were silent. I don't know what's in their hearts. What are you thinking about?"

"What happened next?"

"Oh, that must be cruelty beyond your imagination! Caderos's wife is a very wicked woman, just like Medusa, and she even had a sinful idea to kill the jeweler and take the gem Diamonds again for his own! It was a sinful thought, and Cudeross was frightened, and he reprimanded his wife. But he too was shaken by the sly smile on her face. Then they put their heads together and said After a lot of talking, both of them had satisfied smiles on their faces in the end. I was stunned and wanted to go out, but I was afraid of their betrayal. Just when I was hesitating, Caderos went upstairs. The woman returned to the kitchen , not long after, she also went upstairs, and then I heard a scream! It was a man's voice, I rushed upstairs, and when I got to the stairs, I heard a woman's scream again! I was almost stunned Is this the devil coming? I rushed to the jeweler's room and saw him lying on his back with a knife in his chest! And the woman was shot dead with the muzzle on her chest, and the blood flowed from her She was dying. I was looking for the murderer, Cuderos was holding a gun, and the gun was still smoking, and I shouted loudly, going to snatch his gun! God! At that moment, my heart beat so hard. Jumped out! I struggled with him and he was about to fire a second time, and I kicked his gun away and ran away, but the gendarme caught me before I could get out of the gate of the inn. Ka Dross came after him with a gun, saw the gendarme, and immediately said that I had killed his wife and his guests. God, this wicked man deserves to die!"

Bertuccio trembled, his face flushed with anger, and his limbs danced.

"You were brought before the prosecutor, did you tell him that too?"

"Yes, my venerable priest, I cannot bear to face such an accusation. This is Caderousse's crime, and he deserves to be punished. And what about Caderousse? Caderousse has also been brought before the judge." , he is also suspected, but he still enjoys freedom. He is required to stay in the city and must be on call. I guess there must be an official who has been following me, and lost my track when he followed me near the inn. He missed me Must have been going to spend the night there, went back and called his men, and when they arrived, they just heard the gunshot, and then they saw me running out, and I got blood on my body when I fought with Cuderos , Now I really can't explain. Oh, God, although I have done many wrong things, I am not willing to bear such a serious charge as murder."

"You haven't killed anyone?" asked Edmund.

Bertuccio shuddered, suddenly lowered his head, and his shoulders shook violently.

"My dear priest, I can answer this question for you. With your heart, I will definitely forgive my sins. I have killed people!"

"Who is it? Before God, you don't have to hide it, and I will keep it secret from others."

"Almighty Lord, please forgive me. It is a long time ago... I am Corsican, we all love our Emperor, I have a brother, he is 13 years older than me, he raised me Daddy, we were very happy to live together, and my sister-in-law, she is also a kind woman, my brother joined the army out of honor, and served His Majesty the emperor, everything went smoothly. But one day I accepted When I got a letter, my brother said that the army had been disbanded, and he needed money to come back, so I pooled up a sum of money and rushed to the agreed place with my brother, but it was too late, and my brother was killed!" Speaking of which, Bertuccio was panting violently. After a long time, he continued, "I went to find my enemy, but no one could tell me who killed my brother. I had no choice but to go to the court. I hope the prosecutor can give me an answer." I'm fair. But the prosecutor thinks my brother should die and doesn't say anything to help me investigate. He said my brother is a Napoleonist and should die, and he won't give a pension. God, my sister-in-law is alone But how to live! That woman is helpless, and the government doesn't even give her a pension... The prosecutor is tough and threatens to put me in jail. We Corsicans are never threatened, we are born Brave, so I said to the prosecutor, if you say my brother deserves to die, then you deserve to die, starting today, I will avenge you for my brother's sister-in-law and honor and dignity. You must always remember There is someone waiting to kill you!"

God!Lin Ke was shocked from the bottom of his heart. He pressed his lips tightly to prevent Bertuccio from discovering that there was a third person in the secret room who could hear their conversation.

"What's the name of this prosecutor?" asked Edmund.

"Villefort! I will not forget the name, I killed him to avenge my brother. Ha ha... We Corsicans do things without regret, but I did one wrong." This incident, I still regret it when I think about it now.”

"whats the matter?"

"Dear priest, please don't interrupt me all the time. I need time to sort out my thoughts. After all, it's been a long time and my memory is a little confused."

Lin Ke made a gesture of shutting up to Edmund.

Edmund said coldly: "Then after you finish speaking, please don't hide anything, God is omniscient and omniscient."

Bertuccio's eyes widened, panting for a long time, and said: "Villefort got scared when he heard my threats. He always brought his guards with him when he went out, and sent people to hunt me down, but I was very good at hiding. He couldn't find me." I can always follow him. Maybe this is a skill honed by a smuggler in life and death. I followed him, looked for opportunities to kill him, and finally let me find his flaw again Yes, I found out that he was having an affair with a young woman in a villa in Paris. By the way, because he was afraid of my pursuit during this period, he asked for a transfer, and he ran to Paris, but how could he get rid of it? I, I followed him to Paris, always ready for his funeral. I stole away to the villa, which is easy for a man at sea, and there I waited for his arrival, and that night he finally Here, I hid in the small garden and watched him dating that woman on the second floor. I hid there for three days in a row and found an interesting thing. The woman had a husband, and the servants called her the Baroness. They are having an affair, and they have a child! My God! Villefort, with so much crime on his shoulders, can sit as his prosecutor without shame!"

"and then?"

"I watched there for a long time, and finally let me seize a chance. That night, I followed my old route and hid in the small garden. The dark bushes, if people hide in these dense bushes, it is absolutely impossible. I shall not be found. I hid myself in a grove nearest the road that Villefort must pass. He was wearing a cloak that night. He came to me, and I did not move. He had a shovel in his hand, There was also a small wooden box, and then he started digging the soil, and I waited beside him, guessing that he was going to bury some treasures or gold coins, he put the wooden box in the dug hole, and then stepped on the soil, and finally He looked around and was about to bend down to get a shovel when I rushed up with a knife and stuck it in his chest, I said my name out loud and told him I was out for revenge! I fell down without shouting, blood sprayed my face, I was very excited, took the shovel and started digging, dug out the box, then I filled the hole again, I escaped overnight I went to the city, and before dawn, I walked to a small river and opened the box. I guessed that it must be money from his embezzlement and bribery. But when I opened the box, I was frightened! I I actually saw something that was impossible!"

"What is it?"

"You can't even imagine how I stopped the beating of my heart. It was a baby, a baby just making sounds! My God! If God knew that Villefort was going to bury a baby, wouldn't he have struck him with lightning? The baby’s face was purple and his little hands were blue, obviously he was smothered to death, but he was obviously still breathing weakly, so I breathed on him according to the method given to me by the doctor when I was an assistant in the hospital. , about ten minutes later, I cried aloud, and I saved him! I immediately felt relieved, although I killed someone for the revenge of my family, but this kind of guilt is still tormenting me, and now I have saved him again. A newborn baby is a boy who can cry and laugh, so my sins should be offset. God is fair! Mr. Priest, do you think I am right?

"That's right, you are God's most loyal people. Then what did you do to the child? Did you adopt him?"

"I didn't, I couldn't escape with a burden. I put him in a Parisian hospital, which was an adoption home. But when I handed the baby over to the hospital, there was a piece of gauze left behind by a ghost, that piece of gauze It was originally wrapped around the baby, with two letters on it, I think it should be the first or initials of Villefort and his mistress, I tore the gauze into two pieces, kept one on the baby, and took the other with myself. , when I got home, I told all this to my sister-in-law, she is a kind woman, she appreciates everything I have done for my brother, and she also said that I should bring the baby back and give it to her to raise, so that I Then I can wash away my crime of murder. I heard her say this, so I gave her the piece of gauze, and comforted her by saying that if we have money, we can adopt him. My sister-in-law didn’t say anything. But when I came back one day and saw a baby cradle in the middle of the room. I was so surprised that my sister-in-law told me that she brought the baby back and named him Benedetto. The baby grew and began to show Showing his evil personality, as cunning and evil as his father, my sister-in-law doted on him very much, because she had no children of her own, so she took this child as her sustenance, and she tried her best to meet all the needs of this boy, Benedet When Toto was about 12 years old, he was already a well-known leader of children in a few miles around. He was good at stealing and abducting almost everything. He didn't listen to my discipline, because he knew that I was not his father and had no right to punish him. When I was at home He is still restrained, but when I have something to leave home, he can hardly be controlled by anyone. I want to send him to the boat to let him know the hard work, but he is not willing at all. When he is 15 years old , I'm going to force him to leave the house because the neighbors can't tolerate him anymore, he does all kinds of evil, they all hate him, only my sister-in-law loves him. I took him to my partner and wanted Benedetto He lived with me at sea, but he escaped, and one night he disappeared."

"Where did he go?"

"I don't know, I've been busy outside, and when I return home from sea, to my native Corsica, everything has changed, everything has changed!" cried Bertuccio, "My My sister-in-law is dead! I asked my neighbors like crazy, and they told me that it was the villain Benedetto who killed my sister-in-law! It was he, the villain, who came back with a group of people, forced her, and demanded money from her, but Where did my sister-in-law have money, she couldn't come up with the money, the villain tied her up and ransacked in the room. They blocked the doors and windows, and then burned her feet with a brazier to ask where the money was hidden A terrible thing happened, my sister-in-law's clothes caught fire, and the gang of villains ran away in a swarm when they saw that something was wrong, and my poor sister-in-law was burned alive... This damn devil, if I If I catch him, I will make him pay for his life! But I have never heard of him again, he seems to be dead, but I know he is definitely not dead, and he must be doing evil in some corner!"

Edmund said: "The wicked will not die like that, because God seems to care about them, and he wants to use them as tools for his revenge."

"God! I wish he was dead!"

Edmund sighed, "It's such a sad story, a dreadful story, dreadful child."

"Yes, he is a villain, a devil like his father, and God will make him pay the price sooner or later!" Bertuccio buried his head in his chest, his voice filled with anger, "Dear priest, thank you You will hear my prayers, I hope God will forgive you. Do you believe what I say? I am not a murderer."

"There are but two medicines for all evil—time and silence. I believe in you. I will testify for you in court. A man of such sincerity would not have killed a woman and a stranger. If you could After the crime is released, do you still want to be a smuggler?"

Bertuccio said loudly: "I don't want to, I don't want to."

"Perhaps I can give you a little help. I have a friend, his name is the Count of Monte Cristo. Maybe you can be his housekeeper. I can write you a letter of recommendation. But I can't see you again until after the court session. You need wait."

"Can I? Is the Earl willing to hire me?

"I think he should be willing."

"Okay, my lord, I am willing to wait."

"I'll see you in court then. Good luck to you."