Chapter 106: The Kidnapping: III
Around him, in scattered groups, lying in their cloaks or leaning against stone benches that ran around the chamber, were about twenty bandits, each with his rifle within reach. At the far end, barely visible like a shadow, a guard paced back and forth before a dark alcove that was only distinguishable because the darkness seemed even thicker there.
When the Count decided Franz had seen enough of this dramatic scene, he raised a finger to his lips for silence. Climbing the three steps to the burial chamber corridor, he entered through the middle archway and walked toward Vampa, who was so absorbed in his book that he didn’t hear the footsteps.
"Who goes there?" the guard cried out. Less distracted than his chief, he saw a shadow approaching in the lamplight.
At this challenge, Vampa jumped up, instantly drawing a pistol from his belt. In a moment, all the bandits were on their feet, and twenty rifles were pointed at the Count.
"Well," the Count said in a perfectly calm voice, his expression unchanged, "my dear Vampa, it seems you’re greeting a friend with quite a lot of ceremony."
"Lower your weapons!" the chief commanded with an authoritative gesture. With his other hand, he removed his hat respectfully. Then, turning to the unexpected visitor who had caused this commotion, he said, "Your pardon, Your Excellency, but I was so far from expecting the honor of your visit that I didn’t recognize you."
"It seems your memory is short in all matters, Vampa," the Count said, "and you forget not only people’s faces but also the agreements you make with them."
"What agreement have I forgotten, Your Excellency?" the bandit asked like a man anxious to correct an error.
"Wasn’t it agreed that not only my person but also my friends would be respected by you?"
"How have I broken that agreement, Your Excellency?"
"You kidnapped and brought here Viscount Albert this evening. Well," the Count continued in a tone that made Franz shudder, "this young man is one of my friends. This young man is staying at the same hotel as me. This young man has been riding up and down the main streets for eight hours in my private carriage, and yet you kidnapped him and brought him here. And," he added, pulling the letter from his pocket, "you’ve set a ransom on him as if he were a complete stranger."
"Why didn’t anyone tell me this?" the chief demanded, turning toward his men, who all retreated from his gaze. "Why have you made me break my word to a gentleman like the Count, who holds all our lives in his hands? By heaven, if I thought any of you knew this young man was His Excellency’s friend, I’d blow his brains out with my own hand!"
"Well," the Count said, turning to Franz, "I told you there was some mistake."
"You’re not alone?" Vampa asked uneasily.
"I’m with the person this letter was addressed to, and I wanted to prove to him that Luigi Vampa is a man of his word. Come, Your Excellency," he added to Franz, "here is Luigi Vampa, who will personally express his deep regret for this mistake."
Franz approached as the chief stepped forward to meet him.
"Welcome, Your Excellency," Vampa said. "You heard what the Count said and my reply. Let me add that I wouldn’t want this to have happened for four times the four thousand gold pieces I’d set as your friend’s ransom."
"But where is the Viscount?" Franz asked, looking around anxiously. "I don’t see him."
"Nothing’s happened to him, I hope?" the Count said with a frown.
"The prisoner is there," Vampa replied, pointing to the dark alcove guarded by the sentry. "I’ll go tell him myself that he’s free."
The chief headed toward Albert’s prison, and Franz and the Count followed.
"What’s the prisoner doing?" Vampa asked the guard.
"Honestly, Captain, I don’t know. I haven’t heard him move for the past hour."
"Come in, Your Excellency," Vampa said.
The Count and Franz climbed seven or eight steps after the chief, who drew back a bolt and opened a door. By the gleam of a lamp similar to the one lighting the main chamber, they could see Albert wrapped in a cloak one of the bandits had lent him, lying in a corner, sound asleep.
"Look at that," the Count said with his peculiar smile. "Not bad for a man who’s supposed to be executed at seven tomorrow morning."
Vampa gazed at Albert with something like admiration. He appreciated such a display of courage.
"You’re right, Your Excellency," he said. "This must be one of your friends."
Going to Albert, he touched his shoulder. "Your Excellency, please wake up."
Albert stretched, rubbed his eyes, and blinked them open. "Oh, is it you, Captain? You should have let me sleep. I was having the most wonderful dream. I was dancing with the Countess at that party."
He pulled out his watch to check the time.
"Only half past one?" he said. "Why the hell are you waking me at this hour?"
"To tell you you’re free, Your Excellency."
"My dear fellow," Albert replied with complete ease, "remember for the future, never wake me except for bad news. If you’d let me sleep, I could have finished my dance, and I’d have been grateful to you forever. So they’ve paid my ransom?"
"No, Your Excellency."
"Then how am I free?"
"Someone I can’t refuse has come to demand your release."
"Come here?"
"Yes, here."
"Really? Then this person is extremely kind."
Albert looked around and spotted Franz. "What, is it you, my dear Franz? Your friendship and devotion are truly remarkable!"
"No, not me," Franz said, "but our neighbor, the Count of Monte Cristo."
"Oh, my dear Count!" Albert said cheerfully, adjusting his collar and cuffs. "You’re incredibly kind, and I hope you’ll consider me eternally in your debt, first for the carriage, and now for this visit."
He extended his hand to the Count, who hesitated but then shook it.
The bandit watched this scene in amazement. He was clearly used to seeing prisoners trembling before him, yet here was one whose cheerful mood hadn’t changed for a second. As for Franz, he was delighted by how Albert had upheld their national honor in front of the bandits.
"My dear Albert," Franz said, "if you hurry, we can still make it back to finish the night at that party. You can complete your interrupted dance, so you’ll owe no grudge to Luigi, who has indeed acted like a perfect gentleman throughout this whole affair."
"You’re absolutely right, we can reach the mansion by two o’clock. Luigi," Albert continued, "is there any formality I need to complete before I take my leave?"
"None, sir," the bandit replied. "You’re as free as a bird."
"Well then, here’s to a happy life! Come on, gentlemen!"
Albert, followed by Franz and the Count, descended the stairs and crossed the square chamber where all the bandits stood with hats in hand.
"Peppino," the chief called, "give me the torch."
"What are you doing?" the Count asked.
"I’ll show you the way back myself," the captain said. "It’s the least honor I can offer Your Excellency."
Taking the lit torch from the guard, he walked ahead of his guests, not like a servant performing a courtesy, but like a king escorting ambassadors.
At the exit, he bowed. "And now, Your Excellency, allow me to repeat my apologies, and I hope you won’t hold any resentment about what happened."
"Not at all, my dear Vampa," the Count replied. "Besides, you make amends for your mistakes in such a gentlemanly way that one almost feels obliged to you for making them."
"Gentlemen," the chief added, turning to the young men, "the offer may not seem very tempting, but if you ever feel inclined to pay me a second visit, wherever I may be, you’ll be welcome."
Franz and Albert bowed. The Count went out first, then Albert. Franz paused for a moment.
"Does Your Excellency have a question?" Vampa asked with a smile.
"Yes," Franz replied. "I’m curious, what were you reading so intently when we arrived?"
"The Commentaries of Caesar," the bandit said. "It’s my favorite work."
"Well, are you coming?" Albert called.
"Yes, here I am," Franz said, and he too left the burial chambers.
They walked across the plain. "Ah, excuse me," Albert said, turning around. "May I, Captain?"
He lit his cigar from Vampa’s torch.
"Now, my dear Count, let’s go as fast as possible. I’m dying to finish my evening at the Duke’s party."
They found the carriage where they’d left it. The Count said a word in Arabic to Ali, and the horses took off at great speed.
It was exactly two o’clock by Albert’s watch when the two friends entered the ballroom. Their return caused quite a stir, but since they entered together, everyone’s anxiety about Albert immediately vanished.
"Madame," Albert said, approaching the Countess, "last night you were kind enough to promise me a dance. I’m rather late in claiming that gracious promise, but here’s my friend, whose honesty you well know, and he’ll assure you the delay wasn’t my fault."
As the orchestra signaled for the waltz to begin, Albert put his arm around the Countess’s waist and disappeared with her into the whirl of dancers.
Meanwhile, Franz found himself contemplating the strange shudder that had passed over the Count of Monte Cristo when he’d been forced to shake Albert’s hand.