THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (CHAPS 101-102) LOCUSTA and VALENTINE
episode
1001 Adventure and Mystery Stories For The Road
30 min
1 speaker
4 chapters
transcribed 3 months ago
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Welcome back everyone to 1001 Stories for the Road. This is your host and storyteller, John Hagedorn. Today, two chapters from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. The first chapter, chapter 101, is titled Locusta. Now Locusta was a notorious maker of poisons in the first century Roman Empire, active in the final two reigns of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. She supposedly took part in the assassinations of Claudius and Britannicus. She was a favorite of Emperor Nero for several years, and Nero had her provide training to other poisoners in his service. Following Nero's death, Locusta was executed by his successor, Galba. So someone's going to be getting a visit from Locusta very soon. Valentine was alone.
Two other clocks, slower than that of St. Philippe du Roule, struck the hour of midnight from different directions, and accepting the rumbling of a few carriages, all was silent. Then Valentine's attention was engrossed by the clock in her room, which marked the seconds. She began counting them, remarking that they were much slower than the beatings of her heart, and still she doubted. the inoffensive Valentine could not imagine that anyone should desire her death. Why should they? To what end? What had she done to excite the malice of an enemy? There was no fear of her falling asleep. One terrible idea pressed upon her mind, that someone existed in the world who had attempted to assassinate her, and who was about to endeavor to do so again.
Supposing this person, wearied at the inefficacy of the poison, should, as Monte Cristo intimated, have recourse to the knife, what if the count should have no time to run to her rescue? What if her last moments were approaching, and she should never again see Morel? When this terrible chain of ideas presented itself, Valentine was nearly persuaded to ring the bell, and call for help. But through the door she fancied she saw the luminous eye of the count, that eye which lived in her memory, and the recollection overwhelmed her with so much shame that she asked herself whether any amount of gratitude could ever repay his adventurous and devoted friendship. Twenty minutes, twenty tedious minutes, passed thus, and at last the clock struck the half-hour.
Just then the sound of fingernails slightly grating against the door of the library informed Valentine that the Count was still watching, and recommended her to do the same. At the same time, on the opposite side, that is, towards Edward's room, Valentine fancied that she heard the creaking of the floor. She listened attentively, holding her breath till she was nearly suffocated. The lock turned, and the door slowly opened. VALENTINE HAD RAISED HERSELF UPON HER ELBOW, AND HAD SCARCELY TIME TO THROW HERSELF DOWN ON THE BED AND SHADE HER EYES WITH HER ARM. THEN, TREMBLING, AGITATED, AND HER HEART BEATING WITH INDESCRIBABLE TERROR, SHE AWAITED THE EVENT. SOMEONE APPROACHED THE BED AND DREW BACK THE CURTAINS.
VALENTINE SUMMONED EVERY EFFORT, AND BREATHED WITH THAT REGULAR RESPIRATION WHICH ANNOUNCES TRANQUIL SLEEP. said a low voice. Still silent, Valentine had promised not to awake. Then everything was still, excepting that Valentine heard the almost noiseless sound of some liquid being poured into the glass she had just emptied. Then she ventured to open her eyelids and glance over her extended arm. She saw a woman in a white dressing-gown pouring a liquor from a file into her glass. During this short time Valentine must have held her breath, or moved in some slight degree, for the woman, disturbed, stopped and leaned over the bed, in order the better to ascertain whether Valentine slept. The woman was Madame de Villefort.
On recognizing her stepmother, Valentine could not repress a shudder, which caused a vibration in the bed.
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4 chaptersSpeakers
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