MONTE CRISTO. ACT I. SCENE.-A Garret-window with climbing plants, B. C., door L. DANTES discovered seated B. C., LA CARCONTE standing L. c. LA CAR. You seem very melancholy to-day, Father Dantés. DANTES. I grow so impatient for my son's return, he has been so long absent. LA CAR. The voyage of "The Pharoah” always is a lengthy one, but its owner, Monsieur Morel, is expecting her now daily, in fact, does not know one hour from another but he may see her enter the harbour. DANTES. (rising) Ah! my dear Edmond, what joy to me when I shall again hold you to my heart. LA CAR. Well, well, have patience, and as I have told you, expect him every hour now. DANTES. Patience when awaiting the only stay-the only joy of my aged life! LA CAR. But, Father Dantés, I came to you now expecting that I should find here, my drunken rogue, Caderousse. DANTES. I have not seen him to-day. LA CAR. Then he is at the tavern again, the lazy — and such a good trade as he has, if he would but work, but he won't, and so all his customers are leaving him one after the other, and soon he will be without either money or credit. DANTES. Then why do you not quit Marseilles, you have a small property at Cales, your birthplace, and there LA CAR. I return to Cales-it would be the death of me; you know that I was nearly dead before I left it. DANTES. Yes, true, poor woman, the ague and feverbut you are better now? LA. Car. Oh, yes, quite recovered, and provided I do not return, to have another dose of that unwholesome air DANTES. Well, well, let us hope there may be no occasion for your return, Caderousse may reform LA CAR. Hark! I hear footsteps on the stairs, it is he perhaps. (EDMOND DANTES, without, "Father! father!") DANTES. Oh, heaven, my son, Edmond! Edmond! (music, EDMOND hurries on, and he and DANTÉS embraceDANTES staggers overpowered, EDMOND places him in chair R. C.) EDMOND. Father, dear father! LA CAR. Glad to see you safely back, Edmond. (shakes his hand) Oh! that villain Caderousse! (Exit L. DANTES. Oh! this sudden, unexpected happiness. I feel as though I were about to die! EDMOND. No, no, dear father, joy never kills; and what think you, father, I left you first mate of the good ship Pharoah," now, I am about to be her captain. 66 DANTES. What say you, Edmond? EDMOND. Yes, poor Captain Leclerc is dead; seized during our voyage home with an illness from which he could not recover, he has found a sailor's grave beneath the ocean, and with a captain's pay and a share in the profits of "The Pharoah's cargo, we shall be rich, father, ay, and happy! DANTES. (faintly) Yes, yes. EDMOND. But what ails you, you are not really ill ? EDMOND. A glass of wine will restore you; where do you keep your wine? (looking about.) DANTES. Your search would be useless. (with hesitation) There is no wine, I no longer possess EDMOND. HOW! have you wanted money, father? DANTÉS. I have wanted nothing, since I again behold you, my son ! EDMOND. Did not Monsieur Morel remit to you two hundred francs, three months ago, on the day of my departure? DANTES. Oh, yes, but you had forgotten a little debt due to our neighbour Caderousse; he reminded me of it, telling me that if I did not pay it for you, he would apply to Monsieur Morel, I thought such a step might do you harm, and so EDMOND. Well? DANTES. I paid the debt myself. EDMOND. But I owed to Caderousse a hundred and forty francs! DANTES. Yes. EDMOND. And you repaid them from the two hundred that I had left with you? DANTES. Yes. EDMOND. Oh, my poor father, you cleave my heart. EDMOND. Here, here, (emptying his purse on table) send instantly for DANTES. Gently, gently, with your permission, I shall use your money sparingly, or it will be said I was a beggar till you returned. Enter CADEROUSSE, L. CADE. So, 'tis true, and you really are back with us again? EDMOND. (C.) You are welcome, Master Caderousse, in former days you have served me, and now, if I can be of any use to you CADE. (L.) Oh, don't mention it, we are quits; I lent you money, and you have repaid it, and there's an end of that, you are an honest man, a great rarity now-a-days. (seeing money on table) Eh! it appears you have returned rich! EDMOND. Nay, neighbour, that money is not mine, it belongs to my father. CADE. (aside) And I know the old man was half starved! EDMOND. Put up your money, father, unless indeed, Master Caderousse CADE. Oh, no, no. (DANTÉS replaces money in purse) So you are going to be captain of "The Pharoah,” ah! I know somebody who will not be sorry for that! DANTES. (R.) You mean Mercedés, do you not? EDMOND. Yes; and now, father, I will, with your permission, leave you for awhile, that I may pay a visit to the Catalans. CADE. You do well to lose no time! EDMOND. How is that? CADE. Because Mercedés is a beautiful girl, and beautiful girls have always plenty of sweethearts, she especially. They follow her by dozens; but as you will soon be a captain, you will have the preference. EDMOND. Which means to say, that if I were not a captain CADE. (sniggling) He, he, he! EDMOND. Ah, then, neighbour Caderousse, I think better than you do of women in general, and of Mercedés in particular, and I am convinced, that captain or not, she would continue faithful to me. CADE. Faith, when we are about to marry, is a very necessary, and a very capital commodity; but, for all that, take my advice, and lose no time in personally announcing your arrival. EDMOND. Come, my father, one other word with you, and then I will hasten to Mercedés. (music, leads DANTES off R.) CADE. (calling after EDMOND) Give my kind regards to your young woman. To say that money was his father's, why I know he hadn't a sou; the old man is always trying to come it grand; yesterday I looked in his cupboard, and there was nothing except a hard crust, and an empty wine bottle. I hate empty bottles, and will never have one so long as I possess money to fill it; that she-devil Carconte, left home, of course, in search of me, and has taken the key with her, and now I am a houseless vagabond. Enter DANGLARS, L. DANG. Good, I was told I should find you here. Where is Edmond Dantés ? CADE. In yonder room, with his stuck up old father. DANG. I would advise him not to feel too certain. DANG. Yes, but I have told Master Morel something that perhaps You are not, I think, very partial to Edmond? CADE. I! I don't like arrogant upstarts; only just now he had the cursed impudence to offer to lend me money ! DANG. You have told me that a Catalan, a cousin of Mercedés, is paying court to her? CADE. Yes, and presently Edmond will go to her andDANG. Good; we will go then to "The Reserve tavern, and over a bottle of wine- Hush here is Monsieur Morel! Enter MOREL, L., Danglars bows. MOREL. Edmond Dantés, is he within? |