Edmond Dantès · OmniClassics

EDMOND DANTES. THE SEQUEL TO ALEXANDER DUMAS' CELEBRATED NOVEL OF THE COUNT OF MONTE-CRISTO. AN ENTIRE NEW AND ENLARGED EDITION. BY EDMUND FLAGG * * * * * "EDMOND DANTES," one of the greatest novels ever written, is the sequel to Alexander Dumas' world-renowned chef-d'oeuvre, "The Count of Monte-Cristo," taking up the fascinating narrative where the latter ends and continuing it with marvellous power and absorbing interest. Every word tells, and the number of unusually stirring incidents is legion, while the plot is phenomenal in its strength, merit and ingeniousness. The superb book deals with the exciting career of Edmond Dantes, who first figures as the Count of Monte-Cristo, and then as the Deputy from Marseilles takes an active part in the French Revolution of 1848. Dramatic and graphic scenes abound, the reader finding startling surprises at every turn. Love, philanthropy, politics and bloodshed form the staple of the novel and are handled with extraordinary skill. Besides the hero, Haydee, Mercedes, Valentine de Villefort, Eugenie Danglars, Louise d'Armilly, Zuleika (Dantes' daughter), Benedetto, Lucien Debray, Albert de Morcerf, Beauchamp, Chateau-Renaud, Ali, Maximilian Morell, Giovanni Massetti, and Esperance (Dantes' son) figure prominently, while Lamartine, Ledru Rollin, Louis Blanc and hosts of revolutionary leaders are introduced. "EDMOND DANTES" will delight all who read it. * * * * * NEW YORK: WM. L. ALLISON COMPANY PUBLISHERS. * * * * * COPYRIGHT:--1884. T. B. PETERSON & BROTHERS. * * * * * EDMOND DANTES. AN ENTIRE NEW AND ENLARGED EDITION. _"Edmond Dantes" the Sequel to Alexander Dumas' masterpiece, "The Count of Monte-Cristo," is a novel that will delight, entertain and instruct all who read it. It has wonderful fascination, absorbing interest and rare merit, combined with remarkable power, amazing ingenuity and thorough originality. In it the narrative is taken up immediately at the close of "The Count of Monte-Cristo," and continued in a style of exceeding cleverness. There is a terrible volcanic tempest on the Mediterranean, in which Monte-Cristo and Haydee are wrecked, a vivid picture of the French Revolution of 1848 is given and the love affair of Zuleika and Giovanni Massetti is recounted in a manner unsurpassed for novelty and excitement. The central figure is Edmond Dantes, and about him are grouped Mercedes, Eugenie Danglars, Louise d'Armilly, Valentine de Villefort, Esperance (the son of Monte-Cristo), Benedetto, Albert de Morcerf, Maximilian Morrel, Ali and the other old friends of "Monte-Cristo" readers, as well as numerous political leaders famous in French history, namely, Lamartine, Ledru Rollin, Louis Blanc, Armand Marrast, Flocon, Albert and others. Thiers, Guizot, Odillon Barrot, General Lamoriciere, General Bugeaud and other noted historical characters are introduced, as well as Lucien Debray, Chateau-Renaud, Beauchamp, etc. No one can afford to miss the opportunity to read "Edmond Dantes," which is published only by T. B. Peterson & Brothers, who also issue the only correct, complete and unabridged editions of the other volumes of the great "Monte-Cristo" Series, namely, "The Count of Monte-Cristo," "The Countess of Monte-Cristo," "The Wife of Monte-Cristo, Haydee," and "The Son of Monte-Cristo, Esperance."_ CONTENTS. Chapter. Page. I. STORM AND SHIPWRECK, 21 II. THE ISLAND, 38 III. THE CONFLAGRATION, 55 IV. THE NEWS FROM ALGERIA, 70 V. EDMOND DANTES, DEPUTY FROM MARSEILLES, 82 VI. THE MYSTERY THICKENS, 91 VII. DANTES AND HIS DAUGHTER, 100 VIII. A VAST PRINTING HOUSE, 116 IX. ARMAND MARRAST, 126 X. THE COMMUNISTS, 134 XI. "WAIT AND HOPE," 168 XII. THE MYSTERIOUS PRIMA DONNA, 178 XIII. THE ITALIAN LOVER, 195 XIV. THE MINUTE VIALS, 202 XV. THE UNKNOWN NURSE, 208 XVI. A NOTABLE FETE, 215 XVII. THE REVOLUTION BEGINS, 244 XVIII. THE MIDNIGHT CONCLAVE, 251 XIX. THE SECOND DAY, 257 XX. ANOTHER MIDNIGHT CONCLAVE, 269 XXI. THE THIRD DAY, 278 XXII. THE LAST SESSION OF THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES, 294 XXIII. THE SACK OF THE TUILERIES, 303 XXIV. A MEMORABLE NIGHT, 306 XXV. THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT, 313 XXVI. DANTES AND MERCEDES, 323 XXVII. ESPERANCE AND ZULEIKA, 334 XXVIII. CAPTAIN JOLIETTE'S LOVE, 343 XXIX. ZULEIKA GOES TO M. DANTES, 355 XXX. TWO INTERVIEWS, 362 XXXI. VAMPA'S ANSWER, 371 EDMOND DANTES. THE SEQUEL TO THE COUNT OF MONTE-CRISTO. CHAPTER I. STORM AND SHIPWRECK. The Count of Monte-Cristo, with the beautiful Haydee clinging lovingly about his neck, her head pillowed upon his shoulder, stood on the deck of his superb yacht, the Alcyon, gazing at the fast-vanishing isle where he had left Maximilian Morrel and Valentine de Villefort. It was just daybreak, but by the faint glimmering light he could plainly distinguish the figures of a man and a woman upon the distant beach. They were walking arm in arm. Presently another figure, a man's, approached them and seemed to deliver something. "Look," said the Count to Haydee, "Jacopo has given Maximilian my letter; he reads it to Valentine, and now they know all. Jacopo points toward the yacht; they see us and are waving their handkerchiefs in token of adieu." Haydee raised her head and glanced in the direction of the Isle of Monte-Cristo. "I see them, my lord," she replied, in a joyous tone; "they are happy." "Yes," said the Count, "they are happy, but they deserve their happiness, and all is well." "They owe their happiness to you, my lord," resumed Haydee, meekly. "They owe it to God," answered Monte-Cristo, solemnly; "I was but His humble instrument, and He has allowed me in this to make some slight atonement for the wrong I committed in taking vengeance into my own mortal hands." Haydee was silent. She knew the sad history of Edmond Dantes, and was aware of how remorselessly the Count of Monte-Cristo had avenged the wrongs of the humble sailor of Marseilles. This she had learned from her lord's own lips within the past few days. The strict seclusion in which she had lived in Paris had necessarily excluded her from all personal knowledge of the Count's subtle war upon his enemies; true, she had emerged from her retirement to testify against Morcerf at his trial before the House of Peers, but at that time she was ignorant of the fact that by causing the foe of her family to be convicted of felony, treason and outrage she had simply promoted Monte-Cristo's vengeance on Fernand, the Catalan. But, though silent, the beautiful Greek girl, with her thoroughly oriental ideas, could not realize that the man who stood beside her, the being she almost worshiped, had been guilty of the least wrong in avenging himself. Besides, she would never have admitted, even in the most secret recesses of her own heart, that Monte-Cristo, who to her mind symbolized all that was good, pure and heroic in human nature, could have been wrong in anything he did. Meanwhile the Count also had been silent, and a shade of the deepest sadness had settled upon his pallid but intellectual visage. He gazed at the Isle of Monte-Cristo until it became a mere dot in the distance; then, putting his arm tenderly about his lovely companion's waist, he drew her gently toward the cabin. As they vanished down the companion-way, Bertuccio and the captain of the Alcyon, followed by Ali, the Nubian, advanced to the prow of the yacht. "Captain," said Bertuccio, "can you tell me whither we are bound? I feel an irresistible desire to know." "Yes," answered the captain, "I can tell you. The Count ordered me to make with all possible speed for the Island of Crete." Bertuccio gave a sigh of relief. "I feared we were bound for Italy," he said. "But," he added, after an instant's thought, "why should we go to Rome? Luigi Vampa is amply able to care for all the Count's interests there, if, indeed, any remain now that the Baron Danglars has been attended to." The captain, who was an old Italian smuggler, placed his finger warningly upon his lips and glanced warily around when Luigi Vampa's name was mentioned, but said nothing. Bertuccio took the hint and the conversation was dropped. Pressing onward under full sail, the magnificent yacht shot over the blue waters of the Mediterranean with the speed of an eagle on the wing. It sped past Corsica and Sardinia, and soon the arid, uninviting shores of Tunis were visible; then it passed between Sicily and Malta, steering directly toward the Island of Crete. Up to this time the weather had been of the most delightful description. Not a cloud had obscured the sky, and during the entire voyage the unruffled surface of the Mediterranean had resembled that of some peaceful lake. It was now the tenth of October, and just cool enough to be pleasant; the spice-laden breezes from the coast of Africa reached the yacht tempered by the moist atmosphere of the sea, furnishing an additional element of enjoyment. The Count of Monte-Cristo and Haydee, who seemed inseparable, came on deck every morning at dawn, and each evening walked back and forth, admiring the gorgeous sunset and watching the shades of night as they gradually settled down upon the wide expanse of the waters. It required no unusual penetration to see that they were lovers and that their delight in each other's society was unalloyed. Haydee clung to the Count, who, with his arm wound about her slender waist, looked down into the liquid depths of her eyes with a smile of perfect content, while his free hand ever and anon toyed with her night-black tresses. One evening as they were walking thus--it was the evening of the fifteenth of October, and Crete was distant but two days' sail--Monte-Cristo tenderly took Haydee's hand in his and said to her in a tone of ineffable softness: "Haydee, do you remember what you said to me on the Isle of Monte-Cristo just before we parted from Valentine and Maximilian?" "Oh! yes, my lord," was the low reply. "I said I loved you as one loves a father, brother, husband--I loved you as my life." "And do you now regret those words?" "Regret them! Oh! my lord, how could I do that?" "I asked you," said the Count, slowly, "because we are nearing our destination. In two days we shall land upon the shore of Crete, and, once there, it is my intention to make you my wife, provided your feelings toward me are still unchanged. Marriage, my child, is the most important step in life, and I do not wish you to take that step without