Chapter 2. Father and Son (2)
"Yes, yes, Edmond, that is true, but you forgot at that time a little debt to our neighbor, Caderousse.
He reminded me of it, telling me if I did not pay for you, he would be paid by M. Morrel; and so, you see, lest he might do you an injury"-- "Well?
"Why, I paid him.
"But," cried Dantes, "it was a hundred and forty francs I owed Caderousse.
"Yes," stammered the old man.
"And you paid him out of the two hundred francs I left you?
The old man nodded.
"So that you have lived for three months on sixty francs," muttered Edmond.
"You know how little I require," said the old man.
"Heaven pardon me," cried Edmond, falling on his knees before his father.
"What are you doing?
"You have wounded me to the heart.
"Never mind it, for I see you once more," said the old man; "and now it's all over--everything is all right again.
"Yes, here I am," said the young man, "with a promising future and a little money.
Here, father, here!" he said, "take this--take it, and send for something immediately." And he emptied his pockets on the table, the contents consisting of a dozen gold pieces, five or six five-franc pieces, and some smaller coin. The countenance of old Dantes brightened. "Whom does this belong to?
he inquired. "To me, to you, to us!
Take it; buy some provisions; be happy, and to-morrow we shall have more. "Gently, gently," said the old man, with a smile; "and by your leave I will use your purse moderately, for they would say, if they saw me buy too many things at a time, that I had been obliged to await your return, in order to be able to purchase them.
"Do as you please; but, first of all, pray have a servant, father.
I will not have you left alone so long. I have some smuggled coffee and most capital tobacco, in a small chest in the hold, which you shall have to-morrow. But, hush, here comes somebody. " 'Tis Caderousse, who has heard of your arrival, and no doubt comes to congratulate you on your fortunate return.
"Ah, lips that say one thing, while the heart thinks another," murmured Edmond.
"But, never mind, he is a neighbor who has done us a service on a time, so he's welcome. As Edmond paused, the black and bearded head of Caderousse appeared at the door.
He was a man of twenty-five or six, and held a piece of cloth, which, being a tailor, he was about to make into a coat-lining. "What, is it you, Edmond, back again?
said he, with a broad Marseillaise accent, and a grin that displayed his ivory-white teeth. "Yes, as you see, neighbor Caderousse; and ready to be agreeable to you in any and every way," replied Dantes, but ill-concealing his coldness under this cloak of civility.
"Thanks--thanks; but, fortunately, I do not want for anything; and it chances that at times there are others who have need of me.
Dantes made a gesture. "I do not allude to you, my boy. No!--no! I lent you money, and you returned it; that's like good neighbors, and we are quits. "We are never quits with those who oblige us," was Dantes' reply; "for when we do not owe them money, we owe them gratitude.
"What's the use of mentioning that?
What is done is done. Let us talk of your happy return, my boy. I had gone on the quay to match a piece of mulberry cloth, when I met friend Danglars. 'You at Marseilles?' --'Yes,' says he. " 'I thought you were at Smyrna.
--'I was; but am now back again. " 'And where is the dear boy, our little Edmond?
" 'Why, with his father, no doubt,' replied Danglars.
And so I came," added Caderousse, "as fast as I could to have the pleasure of shaking hands with a friend. "Worthy Caderousse!
said the old man, "he is so much attached to us. "Yes, to be sure I am.
I love and esteem you, because honest folks are so rare. But it seems you have come back rich, my boy," continued the tailor, looking askance at the handful of gold and silver which Dantes had thrown on the table.
