Chapter 164: Chapter 164

The evening finally wound down. Madame de Villefort announced she wanted to head back to the city, something Madame Danglars had been too anxious to suggest herself, despite her growing unease. At his wife’s request, Monsieur de Villefort was the first to signal it was time to leave. He offered Madame Danglars a seat in his carriage so she could ride under his wife’s care. As for Monsieur Danglars, he was so absorbed in conversation with Monsieur Cavalcanti that he barely noticed anything else happening around him.

While Monte Cristo had been fetching smelling salts for Madame de Villefort, he’d caught sight of Villefort approaching Madame Danglars. Though their words were whispered too quietly for even Madame Danglars to hear properly, Monte Cristo had guessed what passed between them. Without interfering with their arrangements, he allowed Morrel, Château-Renaud, and Debray to leave on horseback while the ladies departed in Villefort’s carriage.

Danglars, increasingly charmed by Major Cavalcanti, offered him a ride in his own carriage. As for Andrea Cavalcanti, his two-wheeled carriage waited at the door, complete with a groom who looked like a comical imitation of English fashion, standing on his toes to hold the reins of a large iron-gray horse.

Andrea had barely spoken during dinner. He was clever enough to know he should keep quiet around so many important people, especially when he’d spotted the prosecutor among the guests. After the meal, Danglars had cornered him and his father. With quick glances at the stiff-necked old major and his modest son, and considering the Count’s hospitality, Danglars concluded he was dealing with some wealthy foreigner who’d come to the capital to finish his son’s education among high society.

Danglars had been particularly mesmerized by the large diamond glittering on the major’s pinky finger. The major, being cautious, had immediately converted his cash into something more portable in case of emergencies. During their after-dinner conversation, supposedly about business, Danglars had questioned father and son about their lifestyle. The pair, already informed that Danglars would be handling their substantial yearly allowances, had been so eager to please they would have gladly shaken hands with the banker’s servants. Their gratitude needed somewhere to go.

One thing above all had earned Danglars’ respect, almost veneration, for Cavalcanti. The major had shown his sophistication by casually mentioning which lake produced the finest lampreys, then eating some without another word. Danglars concluded that such delicacies must be everyday fare for this illustrious descendant of the Cavalcanti family, probably dining on trout from Switzerland and lobsters from England, just as the Count imported lampreys from Lake Fusaro and sterlet from the Volga.

So it was with great politeness that Danglars heard Cavalcanti announce, "Tomorrow, sir, I’ll have the honor of visiting you on business matters."

"And I, sir," Danglars replied, "will be delighted to receive you."

He even offered to drive Cavalcanti to his hotel, if it wouldn’t deprive him of his son’s company. The major explained that his son had been living independently for some time now, with his own horses and carriages. Since they hadn’t arrived together, leaving separately would be no problem.

The major settled into the seat beside Danglars, who grew more impressed by the orderly, economical mindset of this man who could afford to give his son an annual allowance that suggested a family fortune in the hundreds of thousands.

Meanwhile, Andrea made a show of scolding his groom for bringing the carriage to the outer gate instead of the front steps, forcing him to walk an extra thirty paces. The groom accepted the rebuke humbly, gripping the impatient horse’s bit with his left hand while extending the reins with his right. Andrea took them and placed one polished boot lightly on the step.

That’s when a hand touched his shoulder.

The young man spun around, thinking Danglars or Monte Cristo had forgotten to tell him something. But instead of either familiar face, he saw a stranger, skin weathered dark by the sun, surrounded by a scraggly beard, with eyes that glittered like red gems and a smile that revealed perfect white teeth, sharp and pointed like a wolf’s. A red cloth wrapped his gray hair. Torn, filthy rags covered his large, bony frame that looked like it would rattle when he walked, like a skeleton’s. The hand resting on Andrea’s shoulder, the first thing Andrea had noticed, seemed enormous.

Did the young man recognize that face in the lantern light from his carriage, or was he simply struck by the horrible appearance of this interrogator? We can’t say for certain. We can only report that he shuddered and stepped back abruptly.

"What do you want from me?" he demanded.

"Sorry to bother you, my friend," said the man with the red headscarf, "but I need to talk to you."

"You can’t panhandle at night," the groom said, trying to get rid of the troublesome intruder. Follow current novels on N0v3l.Fiɾe.net

"I’m not begging, pretty boy," the stranger told the servant with such an ironic look and frightening smile that the groom backed away. "I just need a couple words with your master. He gave me a job to do about two weeks ago."

"Fine," Andrea said, keeping his voice steady enough that his servant wouldn’t notice his agitation. "What do you want? Speak quickly."

The man lowered his voice. "I want you to save me the walk back to the city. I’m exhausted, and since I haven’t eaten as well as you tonight, I can barely stand."

The young man shuddered at this disturbing familiarity.

"Just tell me what you want," he said.

"Simple. I want you to give me a ride in your fancy carriage."

Andrea went pale but said nothing.

"That’s right," the man said, shoving his hands in his pockets and staring impudently at the youth. "I’ve decided that’s what I want. Understand me, Master Benedetto?"

At that name, the young man seemed to think carefully. He turned to his groom. "This man is right. I did give him a task, and he needs to tell me how it went. Walk to the gate and catch a cab so you won’t be late getting home."

The surprised groom left.

"Let me at least get somewhere private," Andrea said.

"Oh, I’ll take you to a perfect spot," said the man with the headscarf. Grabbing the horse’s bit, he led the carriage to a place where no one could possibly witness the honor Andrea was about to bestow upon him.

"Don’t think I’m after the glory of riding in your fine carriage," he said. "No, it’s just because I’m tired, and I have some business to discuss with you."

"Get in," the young man said.

It was unfortunate this scene didn’t happen in daylight, it would have been quite a sight to see this scoundrel throwing himself heavily onto the cushion beside the young, elegant driver.

Andrea drove past the last house in the village without speaking to his companion, who smiled contentedly, clearly pleased to be traveling in such comfort. Once beyond the village, Andrea looked around to make sure they couldn’t be seen or heard. Then he stopped the horse, crossed his arms, and faced the man.

"Now tell me why you’re here disturbing my peace."

"Let me ask why you deceived me first."

"How did I deceive you?"

"’How?’ you ask? When we parted at Pont du Var, you told me you were traveling through Piedmont and Tuscany. Instead, you came here."

"How does that concern you?"

"It doesn’t, actually, I think it works in my favor."

"So you’re trying to exploit me?" Andrea said.

"I’m warning you, Caderousse, you’re making a mistake."

"Now, now, don’t get angry, boy. You know what it’s like to be down on your luck, and misfortune makes people jealous. I thought you were scraping by in Tuscany or Piedmont, working as a porter or tour guide, and I honestly pitied you like you were my own son. You know I always called you my boy."