for the scene of his princely extravagance. "And when did you
arrive here?" inquired she.
"Yesterday morning, madame."
"Coming, as usual, I presume, from the extreme end of the globe?
Pardon me — at least, such I have heard is your custom."
"Nay, madame. This time I have merely come from Cadiz."
"You have selected a most unfavorable moment for your first
visit. Paris is a horrible place in summer. Balls, parties, and
fetes are over; the Italian opera is in London; the French opera
everywhere except in Paris. As for the Theatre Francais, you know,
of course, that it is nowhere. The only amusements left us are the
indifferent races at the Champ de Mars and Satory. Do you propose
entering any horses at either of these races, count?"
"I shall do whatever they do at Paris, madame, if I have the
good fortune to find some one who will initiate me into the
prevalent ideas of amusement."
"Are you fond of horses, count?"
"I have passed a considerable part of my life in the East,
madame, and you are doubtless aware that the Orientals value only
two things — the fine breeding of their horses and the beauty of
their women."
"Nay, count," said the baroness, "it would have been somewhat
more gallant to have placed the ladies first."
"You see, madame, how rightly I spoke when I said I required a
preceptor to guide me in all my sayings and doings here." At this
instant the favorite attendant of Madame Danglars entered the
boudoir; approaching her mistress, she spoke some words in an
undertone. Madame Danglars turned very pale, then exclaimed, — "I
cannot believe it; the thing is impossible."
"I assure you, madame," replied the woman, "it is as I have
said." Turning impatiently towards her husband, Madame Danglars
demanded, "Is this true?"
"Is what true, madame?" inquired Danglars, visibly agitated.
"What my maid tells me."
"But what does she tell you?"
"That when my coachman was about to harness the horses to my
carriage, he discovered that they had been removed from the stablescarriage, he discovered that they had been removed from the stables
without his knowledge. I desire to know what is the meaning of
this?"
"Be kind enough, madame, to listen to me," said Danglars.
"Oh, yes; I will listen, monsieur, for I am most curious to hear
what explanation you will give. These two gentlemen shall decide
between us; but, first, I will state the case to them. Gentlemen,"
continued the baroness, "among the ten horses in the stables of
Baron Danglars, are two that belong exclusively to me — a pair of
the handsomest and most spirited creatures to be found in Paris.
But to you, at least, M. Debray, I need not give a further
description, because to you my beautiful pair of dappled grays were
well known. Well, I had promised Madame de Villefort the loan of my
carriage to drive to-morrow to the Bois; but when my coachman goes
to fetch the grays from the stables they are gone — positively
gone. No doubt M. Danglars has sacrificed them to the selfish
consideration of gaining some thousands of paltry francs. Oh, what
a detestable crew they are, these mercenary speculators!"
"Madame," replied Danglars, "the horses were not sufficiently
quiet for you; they were scarcely four years old, and they made me
extremely uneasy on your account."
"Nonsense," retorted the baroness; "you could not have
entertained any alarm on the subject, because you are perfectly
well aware that I have had for a month in my service the very best
coachman in Paris. But, perhaps, you have disposed of the coachman
as well as the horses?"
"My dear love, pray do not say any more about them, and I
promise you another pair exactly like them in appearance, only more
quiet and steady." The baroness shrugged her shoulders with an air
of ineffable contempt, while her husband, affecting not to observe
this unconjugal gesture, turned towards Monte Cristo and said, —
"Upon my word, count, I am quite sorry not to have met you sooner.
You are setting up an establishment, of course?"
"Why, yes," replied the count.You are setting up an establishment, of course?"
"Why, yes," replied the count.
"I should have liked to have made you the offer of these horses.
I have almost given them away, as it is; but, as I before said, I
was anxious to get rid of them upon any terms. They were only fit
for a young man."
"I am much obliged by your kind intentions towards me," said
Monte Cristo; "but this morning I purchased a very excellent pair
of carriage-horses, and I do not think they were dear. There they
are. Come, M. Debray, you are a connoisseur, I believe, let me have
your opinion upon them." As Debray walked towards the window,
Danglars approached his wife. "I could not tell you before others,"
said he in a low tone, "the reason of my parting with the horses;
but a most enormous price was offered me this morning for them.
Some madman or fool, bent upon ruining himself as fast as he can,
actually sent his steward to me to purchase them at any cost; and
the fact is, I have gained 16,000 francs by the sale of them. Come,
don't look so angry, and you shall have 4,000 francs of the money
to do what you like with, and Eugenie shall have 2,000. There, what
do you think now of the affair? Wasn't I right to part with the
horses?" Madame Danglars surveyed her husband with a look of
withering contempt.
"Great heavens?" suddenly exclaimed Debray.
"What is it?" asked the baroness.
"I cannot be mistaken; there are your horses! The very animals
we were speaking of, harnessed to the count's carriage!"
"My dappled grays?" demanded the baroness, springing to the
window. "'Tis indeed they!" said she. Danglars looked absolutely
stupefied. "How very singular," cried Monte Cristo with
well-feigned astonishment.
"I cannot believe it," murmured the banker. Madame Danglars
whispered a few words in the ear of Debray, who approached Monte
Cristo, saying, "The baroness wishes to know what you paid her
husband for the horses."
"I scarcely know," replied the count; "it was a little surprise
prepared for me by my steward, and cost me — well, somewhere about