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Chapter 15 - At Marseilles

The next morning Dantes climbed to the top of the highest rock. He looked for houses and men on the island, but there were none. It really was an empty place.

He returned to the treasure place and went into the second room. He took gold and some coins and hid them safely in his clothing. Then he covered the chest with earth, and put sand over the place.

‘Nobody can see anything now,’ he thought. He put a large stone over the opening and covered it with earth. He placed some quick-growing plants in the earth. He went over the ground all round the place, and hid every mark. ‘Nobody will find this place.’

He waited for his friends to return. That was not easy. He did not want to sit and guard his great treasure. He wanted to return and live with men.

‘These riches will give me great power. Danglars, Caderousse, even Villefort cannot hurt me now. I don’t need to worry about them. With all this money, I can bring happiness to the people who are nearest to my heart!’

After six days, the Young Amelia returned. Dantes went down to the shore. He walked slowly. ‘My leg still hurts,’ he said. ‘Did your business go well ?’

‘We got the goods safely to land,’ the captain said. ‘But when we finished, a government ship from Toulon came after us. We needed you - you are a good sailor and we needed your help.

Luckily night came, and we escaped. We have brought the Young Amelia to Monte Cristo to get you.’

Dantes went on board, and the ship sailed for Livorno.

In Livorno, Dantes sold four of the smallest rings to a shopkeeper. Edmond was afraid. ‘Will he ask where I found these rings ? I am only a poor seaman.’ But the shopkeeper said nothing.

The next day, Dantes went to the captain. ‘My uncle has died and left me a large amount of money,’ he said. ‘I want to leave the ship.’

‘I am sad to lose you,’ the captain said. ‘Can’t you stay?’

‘No,’ Dantes said. ‘I must leave the Young Amelia.’

He gave fine presents to all the men. He gave a new ship and some money to his best friend, Jacopo. After that, he left Livorno and went to Genoa.

In Genoa he saw a boat builder. The man had a beautiful little ship on the water. ‘I built this boat for an Englishman,’ the boat builder said.

It was very small. ‘I can sail it myself, alone, without help’

Dantes thought. ‘And it is very fast. No other ship on the water will catch it.’

Dantes offered a lot of money for the boat and asked the builder for the ship’s papers.

‘The Englishman will not return for some time,’ the boat builder said. ‘I am sure that I can build another boat for him.’ So he agreed to sell the boat.

He offered to find seamen for the ship, but Dantes said, ‘ I don’t need anyone. But make me a hidden place on the ship, near the top of my bed.’

The builder promised to do the work the next day.

Dantes sailed away from Genoa alone, and arrived at Monte Cristo on the second day.

He took his boat to a different place on the shore. There was nobody on the island, and the treasure was still there.

Early the next day, he began to carry his treasure on board. By evening it was safely hidden in the secret place.

One fine morning, a small but beautiful boat sailed into Marseilles. Dantes tied it up near some steps. ‘I left Marseilles just here, many years ago, to go to the Chateau d’If,’ he thought.

The customs officers came on board to look at the ship’s papers.

A soldier stood near the steps. Even now, Dantes was afraid when he saw a soldier.

Edmond now had a different name — a rich man’s name. He showed the officers the ship’s papers.

‘This boat is owned by the Count of Monte Cristo,’ the papers said.

The customs officers wanted to please the rich ship owner.

‘The count can go on shore now, if he wants to,’ they said. ‘There is no problem with his papers.’

Old Nicolas, a seaman from the Pharaoh, was one of the first men that he met on shore. Dantes went straight to Nicolas and asked him a number of questions. He watched the man’s face carefully, but Nicolas did not know him. Dantes gave him some money and turned away. Soon he heard a shout.

‘Stop!’ Nicolas called. Dantes turned back. ‘This coin is gold, not silver!’ said the good man. ‘It is too much.’

‘Yes, my good man,’ said Dantes, ‘I made a small mistake.

Thank you for telling me. Here, take this second gold coin.’

Nicolas was surprised. He could not speak.

Dantes continued on his way. Every tree, every street brought back memories of the past. He walked until he saw his father’s house.

The door was shut, but from inside he heard the sound of quietly moving feet. Then there was a silence that was broken by a weak cry of pain.

Someone said very softly, ‘Yes, soon. Very soon now. But you must be strong.’

Dantes put out his hand to open the door. But his hand fell back to his side. He could not move.

‘But I tell you — he is here,’ said the weak voice again. ‘Go and call him in?’

‘Try to get a little sleep now. Perhaps when you wake —’

‘I tell you — he is here. I saw him come up the street. I saw him stand and look up at this window with his clear eyes. He has changed. Tell him to come quickly. Tell him that Death is waiting at my side.’ The voice grew stronger. ‘Open the door, I say, and bring him in!’

There were footsteps. The door opened slowly — and Mercedes stood there.

She saw him. At first, she did not know him. Then she fell forward with a cry.

‘It is you!’ she cried. Then, taking his hand, she pulled him into the room. ‘Come quickly. He wants to see you.’

The old eyes looked up at him, dark and beautiful with a last silent look of love. Then the eyes closed.

‘Kiss me,’ he said. ‘Hold me in your arms, Edmond. Death, you can come and take me now!’

Napoleon returned to France in 1815. Danglars left the country, and nobody saw him again.

‘Caderousse is still alive,’ said Mercedes, ‘but he is very poor.’

‘Look,’ said old Nicolas to a soldier standing by the steps. Far away on the Mediterranean Sea, there was a white sail.

‘He has gone,’ said old Nicolas, ‘that rich Count.’

‘Yes. I saw him go,’ replied the soldier. ‘And her.’