Читать книгу The Count of Monte Cristo, Part One - Александр Дюма - Страница 6
ОглавлениеACT I, SCENE 1
The bridge of the ship Pharaoh, the port of Marseille in the background.
EDMOND
Each to his post for the anchoring! Fine—it looks good to me.
PENELON
Tell me, Mr. Dantès, without being forced—
EDMOND
What is it, my good Penelon?
PENELON
Look who’s coming to us, down there in a punt—
EDMOND
Oh—oh—it’s Mr. Morel, our owner.
PENELON
The boss doesn’t lose any time! He’s coming with the Health Inspector.
EDMOND
Damn, you understand—it’s worth the trouble. I am sure that he wouldn’t miss his share in this voyage of 500,000 francs.
PENELON
Five hundred thousand francs! Plague! That’s a pretty figure.
GRINGOLE
I bet my share on the voyage won’t reach that figure, right, Master Penelon?
PENELON
Shut up, Gringole.
EDMOND
(command)
Start to haul in the top sails, the jib and the spanker—Act shipshape! What is it Gringole?
GRINGOLE
Lieutenant, the Health Officer.
HEALTH OFFICER
Ahoy, ship—where are you from?
EDMOND
From Smyrna, Naples, and the isle of Elba.
HEALTH OFFICER
Have you been in quarantine?
EDMOND
At Smyrna.
HEALTH OFFICER
Let’s see your papers.
EDMOND
Here they are.
(he hands them with tongs)
Good day, Mr. Morel, a visit shortly, right?
MOREL
Yes, yes, good day, my good friend.
HEALTH OFFICER
It’s fine—everything in order. You can go aboard, gentlemen of the customs.
MOREL
And I—?
HEALTH OFFICER
You, too, Mr. Morel. And be first. To the gentlemen, all honor.
MOREL
(coming aboard)
Good day, Edmond. Good day my friends. Where is Captain Leclere? But what’s wrong? The ship has an air of sadness which makes me uneasy?
EDMOND
Oh—we suffered a great misfortune, Mr. Morel.
MOREL
A great misfortune. You frighten me. What happened?
EDMOND
At Civita Vecchia we lost Captain Leclere.
MOREL
Our poor captain. And how did this misfortune occur, Edmond? Did he fall into the sea?
EDMOND
No, sir. After three days of horrible suffering, a brain fever carried him off.
MOREL
And how did this happen to him?
EDMOND
My God, sir, in the most unforeseen manner. After a long conversation with the Harbor Master, Captain Leclere left Naples in a state of great agitation. Within twenty-four hours, the fever took him—three days later, he was dead.
MOREL
Truly it’s strange.
EDMOND
This misfortune threw us in consternation. Death is terrible anywhere, yet more so, when one is lost in the immensity and tossed between the sea and the sky.
MOREL
You gave him a proper funeral?
EDMOND
Yes, Mr. Morel—he resides softly, wrapped in his hammock off the isle of Giglio with 36 cannon balls at his head and his feet. We bring back to his widow his cross and his sword. It was worthwhile to spend ten years fighting the English and make 3 voyages around the world—to die in his bed!
MOREL
What do you want my dear Edmond! It’s sad, I am well aware. But still, we are all mortal—the old must make way for the new, without that there would be no progress—now, Edmond, let us see the invoices.
EDMOND
Hold on, here right now is Mr. Danglars, your accountant, who is just leaving his cabin and who will give you all the receipts you could want. As for me, Mr. Morel, with your permission, I need to oversee the anchoring and put the boat in ship-shape.
MOREL
Go, my friend, go.
(Edmond goes off.)
MOREL
(aside)
There’s a worthy and honest young man. If he doesn’t prosper, there is no justice in heaven.
DANGLARS
An irreparable misfortune, sir, that is the word. Where will we find his like again? An old sailor like him—admirably suited to be entrusted with the interests of a firm as important as yours.
MOREL
I believe you exaggerate, Danglars, not the loss we have suffered, but the difficulty we will have in repairing it. There’s no necessity to be an old sailor, you see, to know his job—and we have Dantès, who does his without the need to consult anyone.
DANGLARS
(with irritation)
Yes, yes, he’s young—and he doesn’t doubt himself—still, hardly had Captain Leclere died than he took command of the Pharaoh and cost us a day and a half at Elba instead of returning directly to Marseille.
MOREL
As to taking command of the boat, that was his duty as Chief Mate and he was right to do so. But as for wasting a day and a half at Elba—he was wrong unless the ship needed repairs.
DANGLARS
The boat was as well as I am and as I hope you are, Mr. Morel. And the day and a half was lost from pure caprice, for the pleasure of going ashore.
MOREL
You are certain?
DANGLARS
By Jove, I am!
MOREL
(turning)
Dantès! Come here, if you would.
EDMOND
Pardon, Monsieur Morel, I will be with you in a moment.
(ordering)
Lower the flag to half mast. Put the flagstaff down. Cross the yards.
DANGLARS
You see, he already thinks he is captain, my word of honor.
MOREL
It’s all but done.
DANGLARS
Yes, save for your signature, Mr. Morel.
MOREL
Damnation, why shouldn’t I let him have the position? He’s young, I am aware, but despite his youth, he appears to me to be very experienced in his job.
DANGLARS
You find him so?
(Edmond comes in.)
EDMOND
There—now that the ship is anchored here, I am all yours. You called me, I believe?
MOREL
Yes, my friend. I wanted to ask you why you stopped at the Isle of Elba?
EDMOND
I myself do not know, sir.
MOREL
What—you don’t know?
EDMOND
Yes, it was to complete the list of recommendations of Captain Leclere who, dying, gave me a package for the Grand Marshal.
MOREL
You saw him, Edmond?
EDMOND
Who?
MOREL
The Grand Marshal.
EDMOND
Yes.
MOREL
Hush! And how is the Emperor?
EDMOND
Very well, sire, so far as I could judge by my eyes.
MOREL
You saw the Emperor, too?
EDMOND
He came to the home of the Marshal while I was there.
MOREL
And you spoke with him, Dantès?
EDMOND
Say rather he spoke to me, sir.
MOREL
What did he say to you?
EDMOND
He asked me some questions about the ship from the time of its departure from Marseille, the route it took and the cargo it carried. I think that if it had been empty and if I had been the master of this boat, his intention was to buy it, but I told him I was simply second in command and the boat belonged to the Morels of Marseille, “Oh, oh! The Morels,” he said, “I know them. They are owners from father to son, and there was a Morel who served in the same regiment with me while I was in garrison at Valence.”
MOREL
By God, that’s true, Dantès! That Morel—it was my Uncle Policar, who has since become Captain. Edmond, you will tell my Uncle that the Emperor remembered him and you will see him cry, the old grumbler. Come, come, you have done well to follow the instructions of Captain Leclere. But, if it became known you had spoken to the Emperor that could compromise you.
EDMOND
How could it compromise me, sir? I don’t know even what I brought, and the Emperor only questioned me in a way he would anyone. But pardon, here comes the customs officer who’s making everything go helter-skelter, as he usually does. You will excuse me, won’t you?
MOREL
Go ahead, go ahead.
EDMOND
Wait, gentlemen! Wait!
(Edmond goes to the customs officers.)
DANGLARS
(approaching)
Well, Mr. Morel, he gave you good reasons for his stop at Porto Ferraio, it appears?
MOREL
Excellent ones, my dear, Mr. Danglars.
EDMOND
Ah! So much the better! It’s always unfortunate to have a comrade who doesn’t know his duty.
MOREL
Dantès knows his, Danglars, and it was Captain Leclere who ordered this release.
DANGLARS
Apropos of Captain Leclere, didn’t he give you a letter from him?
MOREL
Who? Dantès?
DANGLARS
Yes.
MOREL
For me? No, was there one?
DANGLARS
I thought when he was dying, besides the package, the Captain had given him a letter and I thought the letter was for you.
MOREL
Besides the package.
DANGLARS
The one Dantès took to Porto Ferraio.
MOREL
How did you know he had a package to deliver to Porto Ferraio?
DANGLARS
I was passing before the door of the Captain which was open and I saw him give a package and a letter to Dantès.
MOREL
He didn’t mention it to me, if there was a letter he will give it to me.
DANGLARS
Then Mr. Morel, don’t speak of what I have just mentioned to you before Edmond. I was deceived.
(Edmond returns.)
MOREL
Well, my dear Dantès, are you free?
EDMOND
Yes, sir.
MOREL
The thing didn’t take long!
EDMOND
No, I gave the customs officers the list of our merchandise and they are now making their inspection.
MOREL
Then you have nothing to do here?
EDMOND
No sir, everything is in order.
MOREL
Then you can come to dine with us?
EDMOND
Excuse me, Mr. Morel, for refusing the great honor you are doing me; but my first visit must be, you understand, to my father.
MOREL
You’re perfectly right, Dantès, you’re perfectly right. I know you are a good son.
EDMOND
Do you know if his health has been good?
MOREL
Your father? I believe so, my dear Edmond, although I have not seen him.
EDMOND
Yes, he keeps himself shut up in his little room in the Meilban alley, right?
MOREL
It shows, at least, that he lacked for nothing during your absence.
EDMOND
My father is proud, sir, if he had lacked everything, I doubt he would ask anything of any person in this world, except God.
MOREL
Well, after this visit, can we count on you?
EDMOND
Truly, Mr. Morel, I am ashamed to reply this way to so much politeness but after this first visit, there is a second which holds me no less by the heart-strings.
MOREL
Oh! It’s true, Dantès. I forgot that among the Catalans there is someone who waits you with no less impatience than your father. It’s the beautiful Mercédès! Ah! Ah! Nothing surprised me more, Edmond, than that she came 3 times to ask me for news of the Pharaoh.
EDMOND
She came, sir?
MOREL
In person. Plague! Edmond, you have nothing to complain of, and you have a pretty mistress.
EDMOND
She is not my mistress, sir, she is my fiancée.
MOREL
Often it’s the same thing.
EDMOND
Not for us!
MOREL
Come, come, my dear Edmond, don’t let me keep you. You’ve done my business so well that I can give you leisure to attend to your own affairs. Do you need some money?
EDMOND
No, sir, I have all my stipends from the trip, earning 3 or 4 months of pay.
MOREL
You are a well-ordered boy, Edmond.
EDMOND
Add that I have a poor father, sir, and that my fiancée is not rich.
MOREL
Go then to see your father and your fiancée, Edmond, go!
EDMOND
Then you will excuse me?
MOREL
Yes, if you have nothing more to tell me.
EDMOND
No, sir—Penelon—the small boat!
MOREL
Tell me, Edmond, Captain Leclere, as he was dying, didn’t he leave you a letter for me?
EDMOND
It was impossible for him to write, sir. But I recall that I have to ask you for eight days leave.
MOREL
To get married, Edmond?
EDMOND
Yes, sir, first of all, then to go to Paris.
MOREL
Good! You will have the time that you wish. It will take us six weeks to load and unload the boat, and we won’t go back to sea for two months. Only in two months, you will have to be there, Dantès. The Pharaoh, cannot, you understand, put to sea without its captain.
EDMOND
Without its captain? Pay attention to what you say there, sir? For you have just answered my heart’s most secret hopes. Your intention is to name me captain of the Pharaoh?
MOREL
If I were alone, my dear Dantès, I would offer to shake hands on it, and I would say to you, “Put it there.” But for the last 3 or 4 years, I’ve had an associate, and you know the Italian proverb, “He who has a companion, has a master.” But half of the needful is done, since of two votes, you already have one. Count on me to obtain the second, and I will do my best.
EDMOND
Ah, sir, I thank you in the name of my father and Mercédès! Me, captain! My God, Mr. Morel, you’ve just spoken a word I didn’t expect to hear for four or five years.
MOREL
It’s fine, it’s fine, Edmond. There’s a God in heaven for brave young men. Go see your father, go see Mercédès and come to me afterwards.
PENELON
The boat is prepared Mr. Edmond.
EDMOND
Good, my friend.
(to Morel)
Would you like me to row you back to shore?
MOREL
No thanks. I will stay to settle my accounts with Danglars. Were you happy with him during the voyage?
EDMOND
It depends on the way you mean the question, sir. If you mean as a good comrade, no! For I believe he looks at me with rancor since the day, at the end of a little quarrel, I had the stupidity to suggest that we make a short stop together at the island of Monte Cristo. If it is an accountant, I believe there is nothing to reproach him with and that you will be content with the manner in which his work was done.
MOREL
But, come, Dantès, be frank. If you were captain of the Pharaoh, would you keep Danglars, with pleasure?
EDMOND
Captain or mate, Mr. Morel, I will always have the highest regards for those who possess the confidence of my backers.
MOREL
In truth, Dantès, you are in every way an estimable young man. But I won’t keep you any longer. I see that you are on burning coals.
EDMOND
I then take my leave.
MOREL
Go, I tell you.
EDMOND
Then goodbye, Mr. Morel, and a thousand thanks.
MOREL
Till we meet again, my dear Edmond—good luck!
(to Danglars)
And now, Mr. Danglars, business.
BLACKOUT
