The Count of Monte Cristo (Il Conte di Montecristo)

The midwife,

the one I committed to the lunatic asylum, has escaped.

- What? - She escaped shortly before

the Count tells us this fantastic story of a baby in a box.

Do you think the midwife told him about it?

How can you even know her?

Who is this Count?

My husband made inquiries into his past, but encountered nothing.

How can someone with such a fortune be anonymous?

It's unheard of.

If the box you buried was empty,

where is the child now?

Listen to me!

The baby was in the box, dead, when I buried it.

How many times must I tell you?

When you took the baby from me, he was still breathing.

- And you know it. - A minute later, it stopped.

Hermine, you know that.

Monte Cristo is lying. He never found any box.

Are you sure? Tell me you're sure!

Stop the carriage.

Are you sure?

You do realize that if this ever comes out,

it will be the end of me...?

... and you?

Please, go.

- How much did you give to Debray? - A quarter. Same as you.

You kept half for yourself?

It's a bit greedy, don't you think?

I am the one who gets the information, not you.

Apparently, there's a ship carrying a large cargo of coffee

from Brazil to Calais, which is two weeks overdue.

And?

Perhaps it sunk, which means the price of coffee will go up.

You're welcome to use your own money

on commodities such as coffee, but not mine.

I know that. And you can be sure I will.

The Count of Monte Cristo to see Baron Danglars.

The Count of Monte Cristo is here to see you.

Send him in.

A man true to his word. How rare.

Baroness, I hope I'm not intruding.

Not at all, I was just leaving.

I'm sorry I upset you with that story about the box.

It was nothing.

You seemed very taken with the plight of that little baby.

I have to go.

So good of you to see me at such short notice, Baron.

Oh, not at all. You are, after all, the talk of the town.

Not town. This is a city!

What a city it is!

I think I'm going to make Paris my permanent home.

There's a vibrancy in the air, isn't there? You feel it?

Perhaps you've been here too long.

For me, the city is fresh.

Ready for the plucking, so to speak.

In this folder, you will find securities in the amount of 10 million francs

previously entrusted to the banking house of Thompson & French in Rome.

No doubt you'll need to do some checks,

which shouldn't take more than a few days.

But can I assume I have an account with you as of now?

At the opera, you said 4 million.

I want you to open an account in my name

and deposit 10 million francs into it. Is that not possible?

Of course it is.

I'll just need some days to...

- To check. - To check.

Do you know, I've been doing some checking on you.

One can never be too sure about a man's credentials these days.

You worked for a bank in Spain, yes?

Started speculating stocks and did very well out there.

That's how you made your fortune, not so?

Well, little by little.

Little by lots, I'd say.

Before that, you were in the shipping business.

Worked for a company called Morrel & Son in Marseille.

Is my information correct?

I was a young man then.

By all accounts, you left abruptly.

- May I ask why? - Well, I...

I saw no future in the shipping business.

See, I heard you left because Morrel snubbed you

and chose someone younger to captain his flagship.

I hardly remember that period of my life.

Anyway, back to the business at hand.

While you're doing your checking, I was wondering if I could have

an advance for 300,000 francs, just for my day-to-day expenses.

That is a vast amount, sir.

- There are other bankers in Paris. - No, no, no.

No, wait.

Leave the securities with me,

and I'll have the 300,000 francs delivered to you by this afternoon.

To my townhouse, at the Champs-Élysées, number 30.

- Good day to you, Baron. - Good day.

I would like to make good use of my money,

so if you hear of any interesting investment opportunities, do let me know.

Of course, Count.

Mr. Debray... What a surprise.

Why did you not come yesterday?

I couldn't get away what with him hovering over me.

I'm free tomorrow afternoon. How are you placed?

- I am perfectly placed. - Shall I book us a room at the hotel?

- Sure. - Same time?

Same time.

Welcome to Paris, Haydee.

I'm sorry, but the Count is out at the moment.

Can I show you your apartment?

Upstairs is for you.

This way.

This is Isabelle, your maid.

- Isabelle will show you everything. - Follow me.

Through here is your living room.

This way, please.

Your bedroom.

Who lives here?

The upstairs is reserved exclusively for your use.

What? It can't be.

Back, are you? Good. Where is she?

- Where is she? - She's upstairs.

- Is there a problem? - Come and see for yourself.

I'm the Count of Monte Cristo.

Good morning.

Is your apartment to your liking?

- What has upset her? - She doesn't know why she's here.

In what way am I to serve you, master?

You are not here to serve me, Haydee.

When I bought you from the Sultan of Amir, I bought your freedom.

You are the daughter of the honourable Ali Pasha, are you not?

Isabelle, make us some tea and serve it to us

in my living room downstairs.

The questions I'm about to ask will not be easy to answer.

For that, I apologize in advance.

Did you witness the murder of your father?

Yes.

I didn't know your father,

but I think I know the man responsible for his death.

There is a Fernand Mondego who lives here in Paris,

who served in Algiers at the same time your father was murdered.

Would you recognize Fernand if you were to see him again?

- I would. - Are you sure?

You were only a child when you last saw him.

Do you know him personally, Fernand Mondego?

I do.

I cannot talk about the evil he has done me.

But it is no worse than the evil he has done you

by depriving you of your father.

Do you wish to avenge his death?

Yes.

Are you all right?

- You've been a bit distracted of late. - I'm fine.

Marie, send one of the footmen to arrange a dress fitting at La Femina.

An hour sometime tomorrow afternoon should be fine.

How many ballroom gowns can you buy in one week?

Is money all you think about?

You seem to spend it easily enough.

The dress is for the spring ball you have arranged in the house.

Good morning.

Have you heard the latest about Monte Cristo?

He's opened an account with Danglars to the tune of 10 million francs.

- Has Danglars verified his credit? - According to Beauchamp, yes.

The money in gold arrived yesterday from Rome.

You'll be marrying one of the richest girls in Paris, Albert.

- That's not Danglars' money, Fernand. - Don't be naive.

Hermine is having an affair with Lucien Debray,

secretary of the Minister of the Interior.

He slips her inside information before the public get wind of it,

which she uses to trade stocks using her husband's credit.

- You know this for a fact? - They've been doing it for months.

- Albert told me. - Please don't spread it around, Papa.

I believe it's rather underhand what they're up to.

It's positively illegal, never mind underhand.

This match you have set your heart on,

I'm not sure Albert shares your enthusiasm for it.

Eugenia is a lovely girl!

It'll serve both our families handsomely.

I don't understand why parents always think they know what's best for their children.

It's because we've lived longer than you. It's what's called life experience.

- Something you've yet to gain out there. - You know what I want better than I do?

I know what you need. What you want is hardly relevant.

- I have to go. - But you haven't eaten.

I'll eat later. I promised to attend Eugenia's singing lesson.

He's known Eugenia for years.

They grew up together.

- Who is it? - It's me.

Where have you been, my little rosebud?

I read in the gossip column

that young Albert is about to tie the knot with Baron Danglars's daughter.

Yeah, Eugenia.

That's if the Count de Morcerf gets his way, though.

You won't believe what I heard about Dangler's wife, Hermine.

- Oh, well, if you tell me. - She is intimate with Debray,

who gives her inside information on future stock movements.

Where does he get his information from?

He's the secretary of the Minister of the Interior.

But here's the cream on top of it all.

- Good day to you, sir. - Good day to you.

Come to look at the telegraph tower, have you?

Sit, sir.

I get the odd visitor. There was an artist here yesterday.

Painted a picture of the tower.