The Count of Monte Cristo Page #2

- Do you know Fernand?

- He's a recent acquaintance, yes.

Oh, there you are.

H-He'll vouch for me.

No doubt, but you said,

"almost the entire time."

Except for when Napoleon...

asked me to deliver a personal letter

to a friend in Marseilles.

Well, Dantes, it is for accepting

that treasonous correspondence...

- What?

- Now, did you deliver the letter?

It's... It's still in my jacket. Here.

- Have you read this?

- No, sir, l-I can't read.

Well, Dantes, this is a letter

to one of Napoleon's agents.

It gives the times and the locations

of the British beach patrols on Elba.

Sir, I swear on my mother's

grave, I had no idea.

He swore its contents

were innocent.

No.

It's you that's innocent.

Foolish and innocent.

I believe these are the worst charges

that could be levelled against you.

Fortunately, as I've intercepted this

document, there's no harm done.

God knows how you're going to survive

in this world, Edmond Dantes.

But you are no traitor.

You may go.

Thank you, sir.

Wait, uh, did Napoleon tell you

who's supposed to pick up the letter?

Monsieur Clarion.

What... What name

did you say?

Monsieur Clarion.

Have you mentioned

this name to anyone else?

Monsieur Mondego or anyone?

No, sir. In fact, Monsieur Mondego

knows nothing of this letter.

This is very dangerous

information.

One can never be too careful

in times like this.

- Don't you think?

- Yes, sir.

Mm-hmm.

I've given you rather

a stressful time.

I wonder if, by way of an apology,

I could offer you my carriage home.

It's just through here.

Thank you.

Monsieur Villefort?

Monsieur Villefort?

Monsieur Villefort!

Whoa. Whoa!

Where are you taking me?

This is a mistake.

I'm allowed to go home.

From now on, your home is

the prison Chateau d'lf.

No! No!

Hey!

Shoot him now!

Mount up!

Get after him!

Fernand!

- Fernand!

- Monsieur?

It's all right. He's right here.

Fernand!

I've been arrested for treason.

I barely managed to escape.

When we were on Elba,

Napoleon gave me a letter.

I didn't tell you because

he made me promise not to.

He said it was just

some note to an old friend.

But the bastard lied to me!

He lied.

It was to one of his agents.

Uh, somehow the authorities found out.

I don't... I don't know what to do.

There's gendarmes on horseback

right behind me.

- All right. We just have to think.

- I hope I haven't compromised you.

- I was hoping

your father could help me.

- He's in Paris. He's very ill.

- How far back are the gendarmes?

- Minutes.

- Do you need money?

- Yes, thank you.

- Do you have a pistol?

- Of course not.

- Good.

Stop it, Fernand.

I don't have time for this.

I saw Napoleon

give you that letter.

- It was you?

- Well, it wasn't just me.

Well, why did you keep it

a secret from me?

- I thought you were my friend.

- I told you I gave Napoleon my word.

He lied to me!

I know, Edmond.

I read the letter.

You... You read...

Why are you doing this?

Oh, it's complicated.

Complicated.

Don't be ridiculous.

- Get out of my way.

- I can't let you go, Edmond.

Get away from the window.

Don't make me

take off your hand!

Why? In God's name, why?

Because you're the son of a clerk!

And I'm not supposed

to want to be you.

- In here!

- In here!

- Get!

- Wait.

Hold it. Hold it.

To remember better days.

Come on!

I told you it wasn't always

gonna be this way, Edmond.

Father!

- Where is he?

- The study.

- Wh-What's he done now?

- Now, you listen to me, Father.

And I cannot afford to have my own

father mixed up in treasonous affairs!

You know...

in the end,

treason is a matter of dates.

And I shall be the patriot...

and you the traitor,

when the emperor returns.

Stop it. Stop it, you old ruin.

Those days are over.

Napoleon Bonaparte is no longer

the emperor of anything.

And if you continue to dabble

in this lunacy...

you run an excellent chance

of being arrested

and ruining our entire family...

- All because of your idiotic sympathies.

- At least I have sympathies.

For God's sake, Father,

all Valentina is saying...

is that as a family,

our fates are intertwined.

- Surely you can see that.

- See? Ah!

I'm an old ruin.

I don't see as well as I did.

You will excuse me.

Move it.

Move.

Welcome, Monsieur Dantes.

I am Armand Dorleac,

the warden of Chateau d'lf.

Monsieur, I know you must

hear this a great deal...

but I assure you I am innocent.

Everyone must say that,

I know, but I truly am.

- Innocent.

- Yes.

I know. I really do know.

- You mock me?

- No, my dear Dantes.

I know perfectly well

that you are innocent.

Why else would you be here?

If you were truly guilty...

there are a hundred prisons in France

where they would lock you away...

but Chateau d'lf is where they

put the ones they're ashamed of.

Let's have a look at

your quarters now, shall we?

"God will give me justice."

People are always trying

to motivate themselves.

Or they keep calendars,

but soon they lose interest or they die.

There's a window.

And all I'm left with is a rather

unsightly wall, I'm afraid.

So I conceived of another way to help

our prisoners keep track of time.

Every year, on the anniversary

of their imprisonment...

we hurt them.

Usually just

a simple beating, really.

I like to do

something rather special.

And if you're thinking just now,

"Why me, O God? "

- The answer is...

- All right?

God has nothing to do with it.

In fact, God is never

in France this time of year.

God has everything to do with it.

He's everywhere. He sees everything.

All right.

Let's make a bargain,

shall we?

You ask God for help,

and I'll stop the moment he shows up.

Monsieur Villefort,

have you not heard?

- Napoleon has escaped from Elba!

- What?

Landed 1 00 miles from here.

He marches on Paris!

We are here to plead the case...

- Of Edmond Dantes, Magistrate.

- Not now! Dantes?

We have not met, monsieur.

I am Fernand Mondego,

the son of Count Mondego.

And I am here to swear

to Edmond Dantes's innocence.

Edmond Dantes is charged

with high treason.

- Yet you stand by him?

- Of course I do.

What if I was to tell you that Dantes

is also charged with murder?

- Murder?

- Edmond would never do such a thing.

Dantes carried a letter from

Napoleon to one of his agents...

and when we tried to arrest him,

he killed one of my men.

No, if you knew him, monsieur,

you would know that was not possible.

- Have mercy, please.

- You have proof of this treason?

- Well, that is government business.

- Please.

Please, just tell us where he is.

I cannot, mademoiselle.

He was handed over to the king's men.

I can understand your pain

at this betrayal.

But my advice to all of you would be

to forget Edmond Dantes...

particularly you,

mademoiselle.

Take solace in the comfort

of your good friend here...

and perhaps some good may yet

come of this unhappy affair.

Now, you will excuse me.

I have to attend some other matters.

- My son is no traitor!

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