[Count of Monte Cristo] Love and hatred

chapter136

The Theater Royal was more attractive than usual this evening.

In the past, when the curtain opened, the theater was almost empty. This is also one of the absurd customs in Parisian aristocratic circles, and they would never appear in the theater until the play began.This time, however, is different, because the French version of the Italian playwright Henri's famous play "The Vengeance" will be screened at the Royal Theater in Paris.

Henry is good at historical dramas, because he created the famous plays "Henry VII" and "Henry VIII", some people nicknamed him "Her Majesty the King".Nowadays, in the upper class of Europe, there is no one who has not heard his name.And this "The Goddess of Love" is his first and most classic work, which was a sensation in Rome, Brussels and other places.

In order to ensure that the performance will continue the success of other places, the Royal Theater also invited the famous actor Li Fansai, who was recovering from a serious illness, to reappear on the stage and play the role of the villain in the play.

As always, the announcement of the most adored work by a living playwright draws crowds.Therefore, shortly after the show was announced, the seats were sold out, including those seats in the back row that no one cared about in the past.Boxes in theaters are even rarer.

In addition to the special box that once belonged to the Russian ambassador, the Count of Monte Cristo also booked two other similar boxes, which he presented to his friends the Count of Morcerf and the Baron Danglars respectively.He raised the binoculars and found that the former box was still empty, while three or four figures appeared in the latter box, but Danglars was not among them.

In fact, Danglars has never been interested in watching opera. In his opinion, this kind of boring activity has delayed his precious opportunity to make money.Besides, he happened to be hit financially during this period, and he was neither in the mood nor in the time to go to the theater.However, he was very happy when he received this expensive gift.After all, the more it is like this, the less he can let outsiders see the clues.Besides, there was no one in the world more willing to accept a free theater box than a millionaire like himself.

So Danglars gave the box ticket to his wife Ermini, and told her to take her daughter there.The latter immediately wrote a letter to her lover Lucien, inviting him to come and visit, because she could not appear in the theater alone with Eugenie and her close friend Rosie.If they don't bring an escort, it will be misinterpreted in society.

Morcerf, who was not there yet, was a frequent visitor to the theater.Although he didn't know how to appreciate the opera, it didn't matter, because listening to the opera was an important social activity in the upper class of Paris.It was therefore his habit always to arrive at the boxes between the acts, because between the closing and opening of the curtain there was a customary interval, and the spectators were free to receive guests in their boxes, or to visit their friends' boxes.

Less than a minute before the start of the opera, the Count of Monte Cristo turned his binoculars again and looked at the box diagonally opposite.Following the earl's gaze, we can see that the ornately decorated box belongs to his "enemy" Lord Weimar.

However, this time only the lord came to see the performance, and the beautiful Greek girl who usually accompanied him did not appear.

With a burst of passionate music, the curtain slowly opened.

The audience quickly discovered that, perhaps because the playwright wanted the play to be more localized, the background of the story was changed from India to Greece, and the officer who betrayed the king was also changed from the Englishman Robert to the Frenchman Fernand. many.Apart from the dissatisfaction of some viewers with a strong sense of honor, this change did not cause any special attention.That's because in Paris, there are only a handful of people who know the details of Fernand, and one of them, Danglars, has not yet arrived on the scene.

However, this voice of dissatisfaction quickly disappeared as the plot progressed.The performance was unexpectedly wonderful. The audience was engrossed in staring at the stage, and the individual discussions were quickly stopped by others. Even the singing and dancing between the scenes did not come out, which was extremely rare in the past of.

No one, therefore, noticed that Morcerf and his son Albert appeared in the box until the last scene.

Morcerf arrived later than expected, having found it a little unpleasant to be caught up in the road by a member of the opposition faction.Perhaps because no one greeted him or paid attention to his box, the earl seemed a little dissatisfied.

But it didn't take long before the arrogant expression on his face disappeared, and everything on the stage made him feel very familiar, the set of the Greek royal palace, the costume of the royal maid, and the uniform of the Yanina soldiers... And when When he heard that the name of the villain general was Fernand, his face instantly turned pale and terrifying.

Also surprised was Albert beside him.These days, he sent people to monitor every move of the newspaper, and tried every means to prevent Beauchamp from entering the parliament. However, he never expected that Morcerf's disgraceful history would be exposed in such a dramatic place.

Already anticipating what would happen next, he quietly exited the box.After looking around for a week, he pretended to be nonchalant and came to the empty seat next to Baron Renaud.

"Oh, dear Baron Renault, I'm late." Albert evoked a forced smile, "Unfortunately, I found a lovely lady sitting in the seat that belongs to me."

"It's okay, please sit down. Albert, I don't think you want to miss such a wonderful opera." Leno said immediately, "Actually, I reserved this seat for Mr. Morel, but he didn't come. "

"I'm really sorry for M. Morel," said Albert carelessly, and seated himself beside Renault.He glanced at Morcerf's box pretending to be inadvertent, and found that his father was still there.

Albert was already powerless to stop the coming storm, but at least he was far away from the center of the storm. In this way, he also bought some time to think about whether to leave or stay in order to preserve his reputation to the greatest extent.

As the last scene ended with the sad music, there was endless applause at the scene. No one was shocked by it, and even many women shed tears.

At this moment, a man in a black dress came to the front of the stage, and someone in the audience recognized him as the playwright Henry, so the audience burst into applause again.

Henry first expressed his gratitude to the audience in French with an Italian accent, and then he told an amazing fact that the story in the play actually happened in reality.

He succeeded in arousing the audience's curiosity.Immediately afterwards, the playwright turned around and made a gentlemanly gesture of invitation.A veiled girl was invited to walk slowly onto the stage.Her attire is very similar to the actor who played the role of the Greek princess in the play. The difference is that her shawl and clothes are covered with star-like diamonds, and her demeanor and temperament are exactly like a real princess.

"Permit me to introduce this noble lady. As I said earlier, this play is based on a true story which she had another respected friend tell me." Henry pondered for a while, "She is the princess of Greece, the orphan of Governor Ali. The only difference between her experience and the story of "Madame" is that she has not been able to avenge her father and mother like the princess in the play. ,until today..."

Henry turned his head, cast an encouraging glance at the little princess he had watched grow up, then turned and left, leaving the stage to Haidee.

"I am Haidee, the daughter of the governor of Yanina Ali and his beloved wife, Vanesseliki," Haidee stepped forward and said in a solemn voice, "as Mr. Henry said, I am here today only For one thing, and that is to avenge my father and mother! I want to expose a terrible crime, and expose a despicable sinner, and that sinner is sitting among you!"

Her words shocked the audience. "Who is it?" Several noble youths with a strong sense of justice asked loudly.

Haiidee pointed to one of the boxes, with vengeful anger in her eyes, "I swear in the name of my father, Governor Ali, that traitor Fernand is now the Count of Morcerf!"

Her words immediately ignited the audience, and all eyes began to search the auditorium.

It was soon discovered that Count Morcerf was standing in front of a box stand.Evidently, this unexpected accident overwhelmed Morcerf, so that, as he looked round the room with a bewildered expression, he could scarcely utter a word.

Immediately afterwards, Haiidee began to tell about what happened in Yanina. Although the audience already knew all this in the play just now, it is another matter to hear from the parties involved.Of course there were those who doubted Haidee's words, but they did not say so, for no one wanted to interrupt this strange and sad story.

The whole hall listened in an eerie silence to this terrifying denunciation.Morcerf's cheeks were bluish-white, his pain was outlined in the sinister line of his face, and the eyes that fixed unconsciously on Haidee had become a mass of fire and blood.

"Please don't trust this woman," he said in a hoarse voice, interrupting Haidee. "This is a vile conspiracy, devised by my enemies, and I don't know her at all!"

Haidee remained calm, but this tranquility was more terrifying than the anger of others.

"You don't know me?" She slowly lifted the veil, "but I will never forget you. You are Fernand, the judge who commanded my noble father's army, you betrayed me My father! betrayed Yanina!"

The face that resembled Valysej instantly destroyed the defense line in Morcerf's heart. His pale lips squirmed, but he could no longer utter a strong rebuttal, "No, no...I didn't..."

"You have! You were the one who was ordered to negotiate with the Turkish emperor in Constantinople, but you brought back a fake pardon to deceive the Governor's trust, and then killed him together with the Turks!" Haiide excitedly Said, "It was you who sold my mother, Vanesserki, and me to the Armenian slave trader. Traitor! Murderer! Behold, you have your master's blood on your brow!"

These words produced great persuasiveness, and every eye was fixed on Morcerf's brow.Even Morcerf wiped it with his hands, as if he felt that Ali's blood was still sticking to it.

"Look at me, look at your benefactor's daughter!" Haidee's eyes seemed to be burning with vengeance, "Who on earth do I remind you of, that you are so afraid. Morcerf, you still have to say you Don't you know me?"

This final blow was like a sharp knife, straight into Morcerf's heart, and he almost fell backward.He looked around, and like all upstarts, he had often feigned an excess of pride in order to maintain his position.Old aristocrats laughed at him, intellectuals rejected him, and venerable people instinctively loathed him.

Morcerf was now in the state of a victim on the altar, condemned and judged by all eyes, without sympathy or mercy.He couldn't stand it anymore, tore off the jacket that seemed to suffocate him, rushed out of the box like a sad lunatic, and fled across the road.

Undoubtedly, all the dignified upper-class people present have witnessed this scene, and Morcerf will be greeted by the trial of the House.However, Haidee did not show any expression of joy. She just covered her veil again, bowed solemnly to the audience, and left the stage with goddess-like steps.

However, the curtain of revenge did not fall.Just outside the gate of the theater, Beauchamp's men were already waiting at the gate.They borrowed equipment from another newspaper, printed a batch of newspapers overnight, and distributed them outside the theater.All of Morcerf's crimes at Yanina, and all the evidence they had, were reported at length in Beauchamp's column.

Looking at Morcerf, who fled in a hurry, the venerable reporter couldn't help being happy that the noble girl had finally fulfilled her long-cherished wish.Although he can't be by her side at the moment, at least he can fight for her in his own way!

As the audience in the theater began to leave, Albert could sit still no longer.He moved slowly to the box belonging to Haidee's adoptive father, Lord Weimar, ready to duel with the mastermind behind the conspiracy.

He knew that the Parisians wanted to see it, just as they wanted to see Haidee's revenge.He also knew that only in this way could he save a bit of his reputation.

The Count of Monte Cristo had already noticed Albert's actions.

He quickly rushed into Mei Tess's box, and challenged Mei Tess before Albert, "Lord Weimar, because of my invitation today, my friend Albert has suffered humiliation. For this reason , I want to duel with you, for my friend, and for my old and new enmity with you!"

He had thought that Mai Tess would refuse, and then take the opportunity to withdraw from Parisian society, so that he could save her.

But what he didn't expect was that Mei Tess stood up slowly, her amber eyes flickering.

"I accept!"

The author has something to say: Thank you for the landmines at the end of the game, it’s a waste of money, okay~

Thank you Midnight Meow, Sakura Han, and Yunkong for their nutrient solution, okay~

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