A Summer Ball — The Count of Monte Cristo

The same day Hermine meets Villefort, Albert returns from Tréport and drives straight to Monte Cristo's house on the Champs-Élysées. He runs toward the Count with open arms, but Monte Cristo only offers his usual cold handshake. Albert jokes that sympathy travels fast and asks whether the Count has been working for him while he was away.

Talk turns to the Auteuil dinner. Albert learns that Danglars met Andrea Cavalcanti there and that the young Italian only calls himself a count. Albert admits he dreads marrying Eugénie Danglars and would pay one hundred thousand francs to break the engagement. Monte Cristo calmly says Danglars would pay twice that amount for the same result. They also speak of Franz d'Épinay, who is coming to marry Valentine Villefort while Albert complains in a foppish way.

Then Albert announces his father's summer ball on Saturday and asks the Count to invite the Cavalcantis. When Monte Cristo hesitates, Albert says his mother begs him to come. At the name Comtesse de Morcerf, the Count starts. Albert says Mercédès has spoken of no one else for four days and is the only person who seems truly interested in meeting him. Monte Cristo agrees to attend.

After Albert leaves, Bertuccio reports that Madame Danglars spent an hour and a half at the Palais that morning. Monte Cristo sends his steward to Normandy that same evening. A fashionable ball and a prosecutor's secret meeting are now moving toward the same night in Paris.