[Count of Monte Cristo] Love and hatred

r007

"I'm sorry, but I can't give you an answer without evidence," the kind Morel obviously didn't want to suspect any member of the Queen of Egypt, "but whoever that person is, he must be a A person with a heart of snakes and scorpions, I think such a person would not dare to go to sea, because the Sea God will never let him go."

When Morrel said this, Danglars' eyes flickered unconsciously. Although it was only for a moment, it was still keenly captured by Mei Tess, which aggravated the suspicion in her heart.

She decided to test Danglars.

The informer knew that Edmund was carrying out Captain Lechler's last wish when he sent something to Marshal Bertrand, but he deliberately ignored this point when he informed, precisely because he knew that the authorities would not pursue a dead person.

At the same time, he is also very clear that since the letter Edmund brought back from the island involves the most sensitive person in this era, people are reluctant to mention it. In this way, after he framed Edmund, he can always Stay safe in the dark.

And what she had to do was to bring that letter to the surface again. She didn't believe that the real informer wouldn't feel guilty.

"No, what I'm talking about is not the report letter, but the Napoleon's personal letter that Edmund got on Elba Island," Maisette said, turning her eyes to Danglars.

Danglars' pupils suddenly dilated when he heard Elba Island, and he quickly covered it with a dry smile. His ten fingers were unconsciously intertwined, and the palm of his left foot tilted outwards unconsciously.He was nervous, his unnatural expression had given him away.

Mr. Morell, who was confused, obviously did not expect Maisette to ask such a question. Regarding the letter involving Napoleon that led to Edmund's arrest, they should have tacitly avoided talking about it. .But since Plum Tess is determined to bring it up, he can at least point her in the right direction:

"Edmund didn't mention that letter to me, and I only found out about it later, if you want to know the details..." Morrell pondered for a while, "The letter was supposed to be written by the late Captain Leclere sent it to me, and I just want to arrange for someone to go to Captain Leclere’s house to deliver the relic to his wife in the past two days. If you can help deliver it, you can also ask the captain’s wife.”

Mei Tess quickly thanked, this is the best opportunity to understand the matter clearly.

But Danglars impatiently took out his pocket watch and looked at it. He was not really looking at the time, because he checked it twice in a row.This subconscious action reveals a little flustered meaning.Obviously, he was eager to stay away from this conversation that made him feel a little uncomfortable, but the next development caught him unexpectedly.

"But I don't know the way to Captain Leclere's house, can I ask Mr. Escort to go with me?" Melissa Tess continued.She knew that after the ship arrived in Marseilles, the main work of the escort would have been completed, so it would not seem abrupt to make this request.

Sure enough, as she expected, Morel looked around for a week, and finally fixed his gaze on Danglars, "Danglars, since you are currently acting as the captain, it is most appropriate for you to go."

"This..." Danglars scratched the fluffy curly hair on his head, hesitant to speak.

"Is there any question?" asked Morrel.

"I think you know that Captain Leclere doesn't like me...Of course there must be some misunderstanding, and it's not a matter of my personal character," Danglars explained.He was telling the truth, in fact no one on the Queen of Egypt liked him but himself.

"Lechler does have strict requirements on the crew, which may have something to do with his military experience, but it also shows his seriousness and responsibility." Moreton continued after a while, "but he never complained to me about you. Danglars, I think you are overthinking."

At this moment, Danglars' complexion was already ugly, but he couldn't find any reason to refuse.Realizing that it was all caused by Plum Tess, he gave her a dissatisfied look, but immediately avoided her after meeting her sharp gaze.

Since Mr. Morel still had to inspect the goods, Maisette took her leave and left.There was still some time before the appointment to visit the captain's wife, but she asked a sailor in advance where the captain lived.

The captain's house was a beautiful big house with a garden in an alley on Canabier Street not far from the port.Plum Tess hid under the nearby pergola, observing what happened there.

Sure enough, it didn't take long for her to see Danglars sneaking into the captain's house, but he was kicked out soon, which made her suspect that he had something to do with Edmund's being framed.

At the time agreed with Danglars, she came to Oakland Pier again.It was noon, and the sun was bright but not scorching.Marseille has a typical Mediterranean climate, just after February, which is the mildest time of the year.I saw thousands of sailboats shuttle back and forth on the blue silk-like water surface of the port, and we could vaguely see the glory of Marseille port 200 years later.

Danglars was already waiting there, holding in his hand the sword and medal of Captain Leclere, which the captain had won in the Anglo-French war.Seeing Plum Tess, he waved hypocritically.

"Let's go, Mai Tess. I haven't seen Mrs. Claire for a long time, and I don't know how she is now. I think she needs comfort most now, but you know, men are not good at comfort... .”

Danglars' lies bored her, but she had no intention of exposing them. The most important thing now was to find evidence to exonerate Edmond.

What she didn't know was that, just before Danglars went quietly to Madame Leclere, he also met someone else - Caderousse the tailor, Edmond's neighbor.

To be precise, Caderousse took the initiative to approach Danglars because he wanted to question him about the report letter.

That's right, Danglars wrote the report letter against Edmond, and Caderousse was present.And after Maisette asked her neighbors to take care of old Dantès, it was Caderousse who hid in the corridor and overheard her conversation with Mr. Morel.

That conversation made him a little scared. He guessed that Maisette would soon find out who wrote the report letter to frame Edmund, and he himself, as an insider, couldn't get away with it.In addition, he also felt a little guilty because he was drunk and failed to stop the conspiracy, so it would be better to stand up now, play the role of justice, and draw a line with Danglars.

But Danglars didn't want to pay attention to him, and just told him to wait at Reserve's.He knew how to deal with someone like Caderousse, but Mai Tess took him by surprise.He once thought she was a beautiful vase, but he was wrong, she was a smart woman.And it did him no good that she and Mr. Morel seemed to draw near.

Because of this, he decided to go to Mrs. Leclere's house first, trying to convince her that Edmund had always wanted to replace the old captain, but he was kicked out by that ignorant woman.

When they arrived at the door of the captain's house, Danglars deliberately walked behind.

Because of the loss of the breadwinner of the family, Mrs. Lechler dismissed all the servants.Now she was reclining in a chair in the garden, looking at the hyacinths in bloom, the bulbs of which her husband had planted before his last trip to sea, and lost in endless mourning.

Therefore, she had no intention of receiving the two visitors who obviously disturbed her. She just took the sword and the medal lightly, and refused to say a word no matter how much Mei Tess begged.

"Maise Tess, let's go, Mrs. Leclere is just sad," Danglars on the side persuaded "kindly".

Mei Tess ignored his words, she still wanted to make a last effort, "Mrs. Lechler, I am very sorry about your husband. But if I don't clarify the matter, my fiancé will probably go to jail. So if you remember anything, please do let me know...I don't want to lose him."

Perhaps this sentence touched Mrs. Leclere's heart, she finally turned her head and looked at the girl with downcast eyes in front of her.Yes, such a heart-wrenching feeling is enough for me to bear it once, how can I let others suffer it too.

"The package...a general asked my husband to give it to Marshal Bertrand. He was his chief, but I don't know his name. I only know so much. I hope I can help you."

Mei Tess raised her head in disbelief, "Thank you, ma'am..."

"By the way, a man came to visit me earlier, and he said that your fiancé will be the next captain," said Madame Leclere, who glanced at Danglars, who turned pale at the glance. "I think Edmund would have some use for the sword."

Plum Tess picked up the sword carefully.She knew the origin of this sword, it was the captain's relic, and its significance to Madam Leclere was self-evident, "No, Madam Leclere, this is really too precious..."

"This is my wish, please accept it." Mrs. Leclere nodded slightly to her, and then buried her gentle eyes in the colorful flowers.

Every hyacinth in the garden is unique, and Captain Lechler collected all the hyacinths from all over the Mediterranean coast, just because it was his wife's favorite flower.

Every year when the hyacinths first bloom, Captain Lechler will sail back to his wife, but this time the Queen of Egypt returned, but he was the only one missing.

But these hyacinths are still in full bloom, even more brilliant than in previous years.Perhaps, the captain also came back with the Queen of Egypt, the difference is that this time, he will never leave again...

☆, the first confrontation

r008

They were back in the Rue Canabierre.

"Cannabier" means Matian in French, so this street is also called Matian Street.In the Middle Ages, the land at the end of the old port was dedicated to growing hemp, which is an important raw material for the manufacture of nautical cables.

Now, Rue Carnabierre has become the busiest place in Marseille, and its prosperity is even comparable to that of the Champs Elysees in Paris, the capital of France.

The street was full of traffic and bustle, and people's faces were full of laughter. Therefore, the beautiful and sad Catalan woman in the crowd seemed a little out of place. Walking forward, a saber was still tied around his waist.

A few people's width away from her, there was a man in black walking on the other side with his arms folded, his eyes were looking around, and the corners of his mouth were pursed into a straight line as if hiding some ulterior secret.

If they hadn't always been on the same line, people wouldn't think they were together.

This extremely disharmonious situation, just like a dark cloud passing over the fort on the top of the hill in the distance, seems to be another storm brewing.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, Danglars spoke first, breaking the tense silence, "Plum Tess, do you doubt me?"

"What are you talking about?" Mei Tess looked at Danglars in surprise, she didn't expect that the other party would point it out directly.

The escort had a playful smile on his face, and the expression on his face showed that he had already read her deepest thoughts, and now all he wanted was an affirmative answer, "You know what I'm talking about." In Mei Tess While testing him, he has also been testing her.

It seems that there is no need to hide.Mei Tess thought for a while, and decided to take the initiative, "Mr. Danglars, I just made a reasonable inference. If Edmund goes to prison, you will be the biggest beneficiary, right? Captain Leclere has passed away. You thought Mr. Morel would let you take over as captain, but he put the burden on Edmund. Maybe someone will do anything to squeeze Edmund out to be captain of the Queen of Egypt."

"If I am suspected, then you are also suspected." Danglars sneered, "I saw your dispute at the wedding, and there is something wrong with your relationship with Edmund, isn't it? Maybe You have a new love and want to get rid of this troublesome fiancé, so you forged a report letter to ruin the wedding. Didn't expect Edmund to actually deliver the letter to that person, so he has to spend the rest of his life in prison, how sad story..."

"It seems you're keeping an eye on the two of us while everyone else is having a good meal and wine," Maisette interrupted angrily.

"Indeed, because Edmund is my good friend." Danglars' indifferent tone revealed his insincerity.

"But that's not what I've heard from other sailors," Mei Tess shot back.

"Maise Tess, I haven't been in Marseilles these days, and I have no chance to submit a report letter. All the crew members can prove it." Danglars turned his gray-green eyes, "And you found out that report letter Or, I'm afraid it won't help Edmund much, will it?"

"No, it makes sense, I believe that people will be judged for everything they have done", Mei Tess's amber eyes flashed with fire, "and if one day Edmund comes out, he has the right to Know who the enemy is."

"I hope there will be that day," Danglars said mockingly.

In this way, the two broke up at the entrance of Senac Street.

After calming down a bit, Mei Tess regretted her impulsiveness just now, but at least this confrontation confirmed her doubts in her heart.But the whole thing seems to be in a mess again.She was very grateful for the clues provided by Mrs. Lechler, but it was of no direct help to rescue Edmund. She didn't even know the name of the general, let alone other information, so there was no way to find out.And Danglars said just now that he had never entered the city of Marseilles. If it is true, then he must have accomplices.

who can that be?

A call interrupted Mei Tess's thinking, she came back to her senses, and saw the man who gave her a headache.Fernand was standing at the entrance of the Catalan village waving to her, holding a few fish in the other hand. Those fish looked very fresh, as if they had just been fished out of the sea, with wet scales on them. There was still silver in the sun.

"Plum Tess, look, today's harvest is really good." Fernand excitedly picked out the two largest tails and handed them to her. "You can exchange them for flax yarn."

Mei Tess did not reach out to pick it up. She was very grateful to Fernand for taking care of her, but she hoped that Fernand would give up on her. It was impossible between them.But those incidents just now disturbed her mind, so she really didn't have the energy to educate him about the dangers of inbreeding, and he might not believe it, so she could only prevaricate, "Fernand, I'm sorry, I can't Accept your kindness again, after all, I am engaged now."

Fernand's hands froze, and the look on his face showed that he had been hit.After Mei Tess gave him a smile, he eased up a little.

"Fernand, anyway...thank you", Mei Tess waved goodbye to him, and turned into the path full of heather, "I have to go back first."

Fernand didn't respond to her, he just stood there in a daze, that smile made him intoxicated.He stared at Plum Tess's beautiful back in obsession, until she completely disappeared from his sight, and then he gradually woke up from the dream.

He knows exactly how he feels, yes he loves her, madly in love with her, he will do anything to get her.He thought that when Edmund went to prison, Maisette would fall into his arms, but now it seems that he was wrong.

Perhaps only a large jug of Lamargue can relieve the depression in my heart.So after Fernand disposed of the fish, he went straight to Reserve Restaurant.

At this time, Danglars had already arrived at Reserve's, and Caderousse had already been waiting there. His face was flushed red from drinking, but it looked more like annoyance. Because he was angrily questioning Danglars about the report letter at this time.

"Danglars, you liar," said Caderousse passionately, "you tell me that you destroyed the report, and it ended up in the hands of the prosecutor. You shouldn't have done it, Edmond is a man." Good man, how sad his father and his fiancée must be now."

However, Danglars didn't care about Caderousse's questioning at all, "Cadrouse, I advise you not to get involved in this matter, it will not do you any good."

"You wait, I don't need to tell them, they will know," Caderousse continued to yell, "Last night Mei Tess came to ask me to take care of Edmund's father, and then I saw her and Morey Mr. Erle was under the arbor, and quietly followed into the corridor. Melissa Tess asked Morel a lot of questions, just wait, she will guess you did it in a moment."

Hearing the name Maize Tess again, Danglars' face changed from sunny to cloudy. He didn't want to continue listening to Caderousse's nonsense, so he interrupted him angrily, "Enough, this matter has nothing to do with me .”

"No, I remember," Caderousse retorted immediately, "that night, you, me, and we were sitting here drinking. Then the young Catalonian came and you wrote That report letter, using his infatuation with Maisettes, tricked him into framing Edmund. God, if I wasn't drunk at the time, I would have stopped you."

"You were drunk at the time, so you don't remember. I didn't give the report to the Catalans, I tore it up," Danglars explained.

"No, you didn't tear it, you just crumpled it up and threw it in a corner." Caderousse shook his head, stimulated by similar circumstances, the situation that night became clearer, "It must be that Catalo The Nian picked it up again and threw it in the inspector's mailbox, it must be."

"Even if that is the case, what does it have to do with me? I just wanted to make a joke at the time." Danglars folded his hands and sneered. Meng's bad words, saying that you can't understand his air, have you forgotten?"

Caderousse immediately fell silent.

"Besides, if you speak for Edmund now, you will be in bad luck." Danglars blinked his gray-green eyes, "Edmund has not been released until now. If he is really convicted, anyone who helps Whoever he talks to will be suspected of being a Napoleonic party."

Out of selfish instinct, Caderousse immediately felt the weight of these words, and dared not say another word.Now, cold sweat broke out on his head, and he looked around in a panic, for fear that someone would hear what he said just now.At this moment, he saw an acquaintance, "Fernand?"

Danglars turned his head in the direction Caderousse pointed, and saw the Catalan youth Fernand coming in this direction.It was a strange coincidence that the three parties involved in the conspiracy against Edmund were in the same place again.

Fernand's eyes were red and his face was full of anger. When he saw Danglars, he touched the exquisite Catalan dagger on his waist and walked straight towards him.