Notes

The months pass like this. One morning, the viscount of Morcerf, who frequents the count assiduously, comes to find him. He is very pale and seems nervous.

"What is happening to you?" asked Monte Cristo.

"I want to fight."

"With whom?"

"With Beauchamp.

"The journalist? But is he one of your best friends? You must have a good reason?"

"Yes, read this in his diary last night."

Albert gives Monte Cristo a newspaper where he reads these words:

“We are told by Janina that a fact hitherto ignored has come to our knowledge; the castles that defended the city were delivered to the Turks by a French officer in whom Ali Tebelin had placed all his trust, and whose name was Fernand.”

"Well!" asked Monte Cristo, "what do you see in this that shocks you?"

'The fact that my father served Ali-Pasha and his name is Fernand, and he seems to be accused.

– No one knows your father’s name is Fernand, and besides, we forgot that Janina was taken, which happened a long time ago. Calm down, this is not very serious and the best thing to do is not to give importance to this story.

Albert eventually accepted what Monte-Cristo said and did not fight with Beauchamp. Very quickly, he recognizes that Monte-Cristo gave him good advice because time passes and no one seems to have associated the name of Fernand with that of his father. On the other hand, Beauchamp has become untraceable and is said to have gone abroad.

Two weeks later, Albert was awakened one morning by his valet, who told him of Beauchamp’s visit. Albert dresses quickly and goes to the living room where he finds Beauchamp who walks from side to side; upon seeing him, Beauchamp stops.

'Albert,' said Beauchamp, 'I have just come from Janina.'

"Of Janina, you?"

– Yeah, me. I wanted to check this news I had published in the newspaper and apologize to you if everything had been a mistake; but alas!

"But what?"

"The newspaper was right, my friend."

'How! this French officer... this Fernand... this traitor who delivered the castles of the man in whose service he was...

– Forgive me for telling you what I’m telling you, my friend: this man is your father! Here, he adds, drawing a piece of paper from his pocket, here is the proof.

Albert takes the paper: it is an attestation of four important inhabitants of Janina, noting that Colonel Fernand Mondego, in the service of Ali-Tebelin, delivered the castle of Janina in exchange for a large sum of money. Albert falls into a chair.

"And what will happen now?" said he.

– I do not know, my friend, do not lose heart. The scandal soon breaks out. A man arrives one day from Janina with a huge file on the case and publishes in a newspaper the name of the traitor: «Monsieur le comte de Morcerf, pair of France.»

The count will be tried. The day of judgment is coming. At eight o'clock in the evening, the count of Morcerf enters the room. He seems calm. A bailiff enters and gives a letter to the president.

'You have the floor, Mr. de Morcerf,' said the President, opening the letter.

The Count wants to show his good faith. He produces pieces that prove that Janina’s vizier had, until the last hour, honored him with his trust. He added that his confidence was such that, at the time of his death, he had entrusted him with his wife and daughter but that Vasiliki and his daughter Haydée had unfortunately disappeared and that he had been unable to do anything for them.

"Did you know them?" asked the president.

"I had seen them at least twenty times."

"Do you know what has become of them?"

"I have heard that they have died of grief."

– I think it’s time to hear from a very important witness, says the chair. I just received a letter. According to her, a person can tell us exactly what happened to Janina. Bailiff, bring in the witness!

A woman, wrapped in a large veil that hides her whole, soon enters
the room. The president asks him to remove his veil and we can see that it is Haydée, the protégé of the Count of Monte-Cristo.

"Madam, can you tell us about Janina’s case?"

– I can, sir, because these events were very important to me, even though I was only four years old at the time. My name is Haydée and I am the daughter of Ali-Tebelin, pasha of Janina, and Vasiliki, his wife. Here is the proof of my identity, she says, giving her birth certificate to the president, and here is the sales contract that was made on my person and that of my mother. The French officer Fernand Mondego sold us as slaves to an Armenian merchant. My mother died of grief and I was redeemed at the age of eleven to the slave dealer by the Count of Monte-Cristo, who restored my taste for life and gave me back my freedom. This is the act of redemption.

Hearing all this, the Count de Morcerf became extremely pale. The evidence of his infamy is in the president’s hands; everything is over for him. However, the president asks Haydée:
"Madam, do you recognize M. de Morcerf as being the same person as Officer Fernand Mondego?"

– If I recognize him! cried Haydée. Oh! my mother! You told me you were free, you had a father you loved, you were almost destined to be a queen! Look at this man, he made you a slave. Look closely at his right hand, the one with the large scar; if you forgot his face, you would recognize him by that hand in which the gold coins of the slave dealer fell one by one. Everything is said. Fernand ends up confessing.

Albert blames Monte Cristo for this fall and wants to fight with him. Mercedes and Monte Cristo discuss the circumstances of his imprisonment, and Mercedes asks him not to kill his son, even after learning the truth. Mercedes explains everything to Albert just before the duel. Albert, who wanted to fight with Monte Cristo, apologizes and turns his back on his father. After this scandal, Fernand shoots himself in the head. Mercedes and Albert give their fortune to the poor and leave Paris forever, to try to forget the past and start a new life in Marseilles in the old house of Dantes' father.
****
Monte-Cristo will also soon leave Paris. Part of his revenge has been accomplished and he wants to finish it and leave France.

Two weeks after these events, he went to Danglars. Danglars recently lost a lot of money and is on the verge of ruin. From his window, he saw the Count’s car entering the courtyard and he will welcome him.

'When you arrived,' he said to Monte Cristo, 'I was doing five little maids; I have already signed two; allow me to do the other three.'

There is a moment of silence during which Danglars finishes his work.

"From Spain," said Monte Cristo, "from Naples?"

– No, says Danglars, bearer bonds on the bank of France. Each of these papers is worth a million. Now, Count, you who are the Emperor of Finance, as I am the King of Finance, have you seen much paper of this magnitude worth a million each?

Monte-Cristo takes in his hand the five papers presented to him by Danglars and reads: Please Mr. Regent of the Bank to charge to my order, and on the funds deposited by me, the sum of one million. Baron Danglars»

'One, two, three, four, five, does Monte Cristo! Impressive. And this sum is paid in cash?

"Indeed. Do you doubt that?"

– Absolutely not, answers Monte-Cristo by folding the five papers; besides, I will do the experiment myself. My credit with you is six million, I’ve already taken one, so I can still take five million. So I keep these papers and here’s a $6 million receipt that regularizes our account. I prepared it in advance, because I have to tell you that I really need the money today.

And, with one hand, Monte-Cristo puts the five papers in his pocket, while with the other he hands the banker the following receipt: "Received from Baron Danglars the sum of six million, from which he will repay himself on the house of Thomson and French of Rome." Upon hearing this, Danglars becomes livid.

– What! he said, what! Count, you take this money? But, I’m sorry, it’s money I owe the hospices and I promised to pay tomorrow.

'Ah!' said Monte-Cristo, 'it’s different. I don’t particularly like these five bills, pay me in other values.'

Danglars is very pale. He doesn’t know what to do anymore: between the hospices and Monte-Cristo, he really runs to ruin. He will take the papers that the count gives him but changes his mind.

"By the way," said he, "your receipt is money."

'Oh, my God, yes, and if you were in Rome, on my receipt, the house of Thomson and French would pay you immediately.

'Pardon, Count, pardon!

"May I keep this money?"

'Yes,' said Danglars, wiping the sweat from his forehead, 'keep it.'

'Perfect,' said Monte Cristo. 'Well, I’m leaving you.

After his departure, Danglars remains a thoughtful moment. Then he gets up, goes to empty all the drawers of his cashier, takes his passport and whispers:

'You can always come and get the money from the hospices, I won’t wait for you... tomorrow, I’ll be far away.