The Meeting — The Count of Monte Cristo

After Mercédès leaves at one, Monte Cristo broods that her word has wrecked ten years of revenge. He fears ridicule more than death and adds a suicide codicil to his Paris will so the world will know he struck himself with the arm that punished others. He tells God that Morcerf, Danglars, and Villefort must not think chance freed them. At five he finds Haydée asleep at his door after watching all night. When she reads the bequest of twenty millions to Morrel if he marries her, she tears the paper and faints. He carries her away murmuring that he might have been happy yet, then copies the will again before dawn.

Morrel and Emmanuel arrive early. Morrel failed to swap swords for pistols because the count's fencing fame preceded him. Monte Cristo shoots four sides off an ace of clubs with buckshot-sized bullets while Morrel turns pale. He tells Morrel that despite this skill, M. de Morcerf will kill him, comparing his night to Brutus before Philippi after seeing a ghost. He sends the sealed will to his solicitor, asks whether Morrel's heart is free, and sighs, "Poor Haydée," when Morrel answers that he loves a young girl more than his life. They ride to the Bois at eight.

At the meeting ground Morrel is first. Baptistin spots a carriage under the trees. Franz and Debray arrive because Albert summoned them to the Opera yesterday and now to the combat. Beauchamp produces fresh pistols the count will not use. Morrel has secured twenty paces and the count's right to fire first. Albert gallops in pale and sleepless, thanks everyone, and asks Morrel to fetch the count for words before all witnesses, not in private.

Albert declares that Monte Cristo was justified against Fernand the fisherman, not merely the Epirus scandal, and thanks him publicly for not using greater severity. He offers his hand; the duel dies without a shot. Beauchamp urges Albert toward Naples or St. Petersburg while Château-Renaud calls the act magnificent or despicable. The count, thinking only of Mercédès, murmurs that he is now fully convinced of being God's emissary.