-j9 iOR
depressed very sad all the time
dockside the
place around a port, where the cargo is put on and taken off ships
grave a hole in the ground where you put a dead body
bitter very sad, not sweet
raise to lift up
pray to speak privately to God
remind to
make somebody
remember
something
SI imv /tfi'
t 1 Maximilien was still depressed after Valentine's funeral J J §.'and couldn't stop thinking of taking his own life, so the count decided to take him to Marseille. When they arrived at the port, they saw that a large army ship was leaving for North Africa. The count watched a woman on the dockside who was waving goodbye to a man on the ship.
Look. Count!' cried Maximilien, pointing at one of the passengers. 'It's Albert de Morcerf. in soldier's uniform!'
'Yes.' said the count. 'I know.'
When Maximilien said that he wanted to go alone to see his father's grave. Monte Cristo followed the woman from the dockside back to his father's old house. He had given Mercedes the house to live in.
He pushed open the door and found Mercedes in the garden. 'Oh, I'm so unhappy!' she said, with tears in her eyes. 'My son has left me to join the army!'
'He did well. He must work for your future and his.' Mercedes sadly shook her head. 'There is no future for me. Count. I have drunk deeply from life's bitter cup. But here at least I can die where I was once so happy!'
The count raised her hand to his lips and kissed it sadly. 'What will you do now, Mercedes?'
I'll stay here in your father's house, and pray. My life is finished. Say goodbye to me. Edmondl'
They held hands for a moment, and then Mercedes ran into the house. The count never saw her again.
While walking back to the port, an idea suddenly came to the count. 'Perhaps 1 should go to the Chateau dTf again, to remind myself of the horror of it!' So he asked the captain of a passing fishing boat to take him there.
As the boat came close to the great black rock, he felt the same terror as on that first journey. But the castle was no longer a prison, and was now open to the public. The caretaker showed the count his own cell, and told him the story of the prisoner who was thrown into the sea in a sack. 'That was me!' thought Monte Cristo. 'How long ago it seems now!'
When he returned to Marseille, the count found Maximilien praying beside his father's grave. 'Maximilien.' he said, 'I have business in Rome, so I'll leave you here for two weeks. But on October 4th I'll send a boat to fetch you. and you'll come to meet me on the island of Monte Cristo.' 'Count, on October Sth it'll be a month—' 'I know. Wail and hope! Now, goodbye until then!'
Just before Valentine's funeral, the count had asked for his five million francs in gold coins from Baron Danglars. The baron had paid, but that meant he was now bankrupt. The following day Danglars had packed his bags and left Paris for ever, taking the count's letters of credit with him. When he arrived in Rome, he went at once to the bank that the letters came from, and asked them for the money that they owed him. To his delight, the count had not written to the bank to stop the money, and he was given the five million francs in gold coins with no trouble at all.
But on his way back to his hotel, he was kidnapped by Luigi Vampa's men and taken to the caves outside the city walls, where Albert had spent an uncomfortable few hours. Once his first feelings of terror had passed Danglars hoped that they would ask him for money, and let him go. But it soon became clear that he would be there for a long time.
Every time he was hungry and asked for food, the bandits made him pay 100.000 francs. He had now been in the caves for three weeks, and all his money had gone. When he looked at the bandits' hard, unsmiling faces, he thought bitterly. 'They
terror a feeling of great fear
caretaker a
person whose job is to look after a building
67
Monte Crista!' ''-''■'I Danghrs.
aren't sorry for me at all! They'll be happy to see me die!'
Just then he saw a man in the shadows at one end of the cave. 'Are you sorry for what you've done?' asked the man. 'Oh yes!' replied Danglars. '1 know I've done wicked things!' 'Then 1 can give you a pardon.' said the man, stepping forward into the light.
'The Count of Monte Cristo!" cried Danglars. You're wrong. I'm the man whose happiness you destroyed, many years ago. I am Edmond Dantes!' Danglars gave a cry and fell to the ground. 'Get up.' said the count, raising the poor man to his feet. 'You're lucky - one of your friends is mad. and the other is
dead. Vampa. give this man his money back, and let him go free.'
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On October 4th. Maximilien arrived on the island of Monte Cristo in the count's boat. The count took him into his underground palace. The young man was impressed, but the count noticed that he never smiled.
'So you are still depressed, my friend?' he asked gently.
'How could you think anything else, Count? I came here to join you in order to die in the arms of a friend.'
'I can help you,' said the count and he gave a teaspoon of something thick and green to Maximilien. who put it in his mouth.
Soon Maximilien felt a terrible pain in his side. 'My friend, I think I'm dying,' he said to the count. 'Thank you for your help,' And with that his eyes closed.
Then a light seemed to shine in his darkness, and a woman was holding his hand and talking lovingly to him.
'Once the sleeping potion stops working he will wake up. And then you must never leave him, Valentine,' said the count. 'I am only sorry that it took me so long to bring you safely out of your sleep of the dead. But from what J have seen of Maximilien this last month, one thing is sure. To be happy in this world or the next, you need each other.'
Oh, thank you, Count!' whispered Valentine. 'But you must think of your own happiness now. Look who is here!' The count turned, to see Haydee in the doorway. 'My lord, do you know how much I love you?' she said. 'Haydee, if you were a free woman and not a slave, could you still love me?'
Haydee did not answer, but ran to kiss him, and when Valentine looked again, they had both disappeared.
An hour later Maximilien woke. 'Oh, I'm still alive!' he cried, and he tried to take a knife from the table near him. 'My dear.' said Valentine, smiling, 'here I am.' He gave a great cry and took her in his arms.
After some time they went to look for the count, and discovered that he and Haydee had already left the island.
"Will we ever see him again?' asked Maximilien sadly.
'My dearest,' replied Valentine, we must do what he always did - wait and hope.'
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READING CHECK
Are these sentences true or false? Tick the boxes.
a Albert leaves Marseille as a sailor on a cargo ship, b Mercedes is living in her father's house in Marseille, c The count and Mercedes say goodbye forever, d Danglars goes to Rome and gets five million francs there, e Luigi Vampa tells Danglars that he is Edmond Dantes. f Danglars is sorry for the wicked things that he has done, g The count tells Luigi Vampa to let Danglars die. h The prison of the Chateau d'lf is open to the public, i The count takes Albert to the island of Monte Cristo. j Valentine dies on the island, k Haydee is in love with the count.
WORD WORK
Use the words in the crossword to complete the sentences.
G 7
O
c
k 5 5 i
D
E
T T E K A
I >
S
REM S
A k
v P   ' A Y
E O
CAKETAKER,
N D S
True	False
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. Th. coun, is       «, . „he„ „,islts Ch8(eau
D A..................shows the count his old cell.
c The visit..................him of the horror of his time in prison.
d The count sees Mercedes waving goodbye to Albert on the..................in Marseille.
e Life is..................for Mercedes now that she is alone.
f She says that she will stay in Edmond's father's old house and...................
g The count..................Mercedes' hand to his lips.
h Maximilien feels..................after Valentine's death.
i In Marseille, Maximilien goes to visit his father's...................
GUESS WHAT
1 What happens after the story ends? Choose from these ideas or add your own.
a □ Haydee and the count go and live on the island of Monte Cristo.
b □ Maximilien and Valentine get married and go back to care for Villefort in Paris.
c □ Mercedes dies of a broken heart.
d □ Albert dies in North Africa.
e D Albert comes back to Marseille to care for his mother.
f □ Luigi Vampa robs Monte Cristo.
g □ Baron Danglars joins Luigi Vampa and becomes a bandit.
2 What do you think? Talk about your ideas with a partner.
a The Count of Monte Cristo was right to get his revenge, b The count's disguises are interesting, c Villefort was a very bad person, d Danglars has no good reason to hate Edmond Dantes. e Mercedes was wrong to marry Fernand. f At the end of the story the count was wrong to leave Mercedes, g Albert de Morcerf must pay for his father's crime, h The count cannot marry Haydee-because she is a slave, i  The count helped Maximilien and Valentine because they have good hearts.
j The count makes friends with bandits because he is naturally wicked.
Agree	Disagree
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