Welcome back everyone everyone to 1001 Stories for the Road.

This is your host, John Haggardorn.

The first of today's two chapters is chapter 89, a nocturnal interview.

A very good chapter as Mercedes is going to enter into the picture.

It's been a while.

Monte Cristo waited, according to his usual custom, until Dupre had sung his famous

suave-mois.

Then he rose and went out.

Morel took leave of him at the door, renewing his promise to be with him

the next morning at 7 o'clock, and to bring Emmanuel. Then he stepped into his coop, calm and

smiling, and was at home in five minutes. No one who knew the count could mistake his expression when,

on entering, he said, Ali, bring me my pistols with the ivory cross.

Ali brought the box to his master,

who examined the weapons with a solicitude very natural

to a man who was about to entrust his life to a little powder and shot.

These were pistols of an especial pattern,

which Monte Cristo had had made for target practice in his own room.

A cap was sufficient to drive out the bullet, and from the adjoining room, no one would have suspected that the count was, as sportsman would say, keeping his hand in.

He was just taking one up and looking for the point to aim at on a little iron plate which served him as a target, when his study door opened and Baptistein entered. Before he had

spoken a word, the Count saw in the next room a veiled woman who had followed closely after

Baptistean, and now, seeing the Count with a pistol in his hand and swords on the table, rushed

in. Baptisteen looked at his master, who made a sign in his hand and swords on the table rushed in. Baptistean looked at

...