Notes

On February 24, 1815 the lookout at Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde reported the arrival of the three-masted Pharaoh from Smyrna, Trieste and Naples. The boat advances slowly in the port of Marseille. Near the pilot, there is a young man who watches every movement of the ship. He is about twenty years old, tall, thin, with beautiful black eyes and ebony hair: there is in all his person this calm air and decided particular to men accustomed since their childhood to fight against the danger.

Soon, a small boat approached the vessel, which continued to manoeuvre. Seeing her arrive, the young man leaves his post next to the pilot and comes to greet the man in the boat who is none other than Mr. Morrel, the owner of the three-mast.

"Ah, it is you, Dantes!" cried Mr. Morrel. "Where is Captain Leclère?"

"He is dead."

"What are you saying? But what happened?"

-Captain Leclère had a long conversation with the harbour commander and then
left Naples very agitated; after twenty-four hours he began to have a high fever and three days later he was dead. We have given him a funeral and he rests at the height of the island of El Giglio. And now, if you’d like to come up, Mr. Morrel, this is Mr. Danglars, your accountant, who will give you all the information you want.

The owner immediately seized the cable which Dantes threw at him and boarded the ship. Danglars then advanced towards him, while the young sailor returned to his post. The newcomer is a man of about twenty-five years, with an unpleasant appearance.

"Well, Mr. Morrel," said he (Danglars), "you know the misfortune, don’t you?"

"Yes, yes, poor Captain Leclère! He was a brave and honest man!"

"And an excellent sailor, who knew his trade well," added Danglars.

"That’s right," replied Mr. Morrel, "but I see that it’s not just him."

In saying this, he shows Dantes looking for his anchorage.

"Yes," said Danglars, glancing at Dantes, "he is young and not afraid of
nothing. The captain was barely dead that he took command without consulting anyone: but he made us lose a day and a half on the island of Elba instead of returning directly to Marseille.

"Dantes," said the shipowner, turning to the young man, "come here."

"Excuse me, sir," said Dantes. "I’ll be with you in a moment."

Then, addressing the crew:

"Wet," said he.

He watches the maneuver and then comes to find Mr. Morrel.

"Now that the ship is moored, I am all yours. You wanted to talk to me?"

Danglars is taking a step back.

"I wanted to ask you why you stopped at Elba.

-I don’t know, sir, it was to carry out one last order of Captain Leclère, who, in
Died, gave me a package for the great Marshal Bertrand.

"And you saw him?"

"The great marshal?" Yes.

Morrel keeps his voice down and says:

"And how is the Emperor?"

"Well," I thought.

"Have you seen him?"

"I saw him and spoke to him, or, more precisely, he spoke to me."

"Come on," continued the shipowner, smiling amicably on the young man’s shoulder.
You did well, Dantes, to follow the instructions of Captain Leclère and stop at the island of Elba. However, I hope it will never be known that you delivered a package to the Marshal and spoke with the Emperor, as you could be in serious trouble.

-And why do you think I can get in trouble? I don’t even know what I was wearing….

The young man moves away and, instinctively, Danglars moves closer to the shipowner.

"So he gave you good reasons for his stop on the island of Elba?" he asked.

-Excellent, my dear Mr Danglars.

"Good. Did he give you a letter from the captain?"

"Who, Dantes?"

"Yes."

"To me, no! He had one?"

"I thought that in addition to the package, the captain had given him a letter."

"He didn’t tell me," said the shipowner.

So, Mr. Morrel, please don’t talk to Dantes about that. I must have been mistaken.

At this point, the young man returns; Danglars moves away.

"Well, my dear Dantes, are you free? Ask the shipowner."

"Yes, sir."

"Then you can come and have dinner with us?"

Excuse me, Mr. Morrel, excuse me, but I owe my first visit to my father.

-That’s right, that’s right. I know you’re a good son. Well, after this first visit, we’re counting on you.

-Excuse me again, Mr. Morrel, but after this visit, I must make another one…

"Ah! It is true, Dantes; I forgot that there is someone in the Catalans who must wait for you: the beautiful Mercédès. When will the engagement take place?"

-Soon, sir. In fact, I will have a leave to ask you--

-For that, indeed, and then to go to Paris.

"Good, good! You will take the time you want, Dantes. Only in three months will you have to be there." Pharaoh can’t leave without his captain.

"Without his captain!" cried Dantes, with eyes bright with joy. "Do you intend to make me captain of the Pharaoh?"

-Yes Edmond.

"Oh!" Mr Morrel, cries the young sailor, seizing, tears in the eyes, the hands of the shipowner, I thank you, on behalf of my father and Mercédès.

Edmond said his goodbyes and then jumped into the boat and walked away.

The shipowner follows him for a moment with his eyes then turns around and sees behind him Danglars, who, in appearance, seems to be waiting for his orders, but who, in reality, follows the young sailor with his gaze. Only, there is a big difference in the expression of this double look that follows the same man.