THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (CHAP 70) THE BALL
1001 Adventure and Mystery Stories For The Road
Jon Hagadorn
4.7 • 520 Ratings
🗓️ 15 October 2025
⏱️ 32 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Morcerf ball is held on a hot July night, and many gather to celebrate, though they complain of the heat. Danglars learns from the Count, when he makes his much-anticipated arrival, that some of his German debtors have lost their fortunes too, meaning increasing losses for Danglars. But Danglars warns the Count not to speak of his fortune in front of Andrea Cavalcanti, whom Danglars hopes to marry to Eugenie.
It is revealed that the Count has continued to erode the Baron's fortunes through further manipulation of the foreign stock markets. Incredibly, the Count's machinations only make the Baron more willing to marry his daughter to Andrea, because the Baron believes that Andrea is worth a good deal of money and comes from a noble family.
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The Count finally makes his way to Mercedes, who greats him kindly if formally. The Count offers to open the windows and doors and walk out together into the garden, to which Mercedes agrees. Previously, Mercedes had noted to her son that the Count has never eaten or drunk anything in anyone's presence in Paris, and she wonders aloud if there is some reason for this mystery. She vows to test it.
Once again, it's made clear that the Count never eats or drinks when he is before Mercedes. This mystery is now freshly in the reader's mind, as Mercedes prepares to have a conversation with the Count, but it is unclear why the Count would insist on so strange a scruple as this.
Active Themes
Justice, Revenge, and God's Will Theme Icon Changes of Identity and Station Theme Icon Love, Devotion, and Redemption Theme Icon Debt and Gratitude Theme Icon
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome back, everyone to 1001 Stories for the Road and the Count of Monte Cristo as we |
| 0:29.5 | continue with Chapter 70, The Ball. |
| 0:34.1 | And now our story. |
| 0:37.1 | It was in the warmest days of July, when in due course of time the Saturday arrived upon which the ball was to take place at Monsieur de Morseurfs. |
| 0:47.0 | It was ten o'clock at night. The branches of the great trees in the garden of the Count's house stood out boldly against the azure canopy of heaven, |
| 0:55.2 | which was studded with golden stars, but were the last fleeting clouds of a vanishing storm yet lingered. |
| 1:02.8 | From the apartments on the ground floor might be heard the sound of music, with the whirl of the waltz |
| 1:07.9 | and gallop, while brilliant streams of light shone through the openings |
| 1:12.7 | of the Venetian blinds. At this moment the garden was only occupied by about ten servants, |
| 1:18.7 | who had just received orders from their mistress to prepare the supper. The serenity of the |
| 1:23.7 | weather continuing to increase. Until now, it had been undecided whether the supper should take place in the dining room |
| 1:31.0 | or under a long tent erected on the lawn. |
| 1:34.5 | But the beautiful blue sky, studded with stars, had settled the question in favor of the lawn. |
| 1:40.9 | The gardens were illuminated with colored lanterns, according to the Italian custom, and, as is usual in countries were the luxuries of the table, the rarest of all luxuries in their complete form, are well understood. |
| 1:54.4 | The supper table was loaded with wax lights and flowers. |
| 1:59.1 | At the time the Countess of Mursurf returned to the rooms, after giving her orders, |
| 2:04.0 | many guests were arriving, more attracted by the charming hospitality of the Countess than by |
| 2:09.1 | the distinguished position of the Count. Four, owing to the good taste of Mercedes, one was sure |
| 2:15.3 | of finding some devices at her entertainment worthy of describing, |
| 2:19.0 | or even copying in case of need. |
| 2:22.9 | Madam Danglars, in whom the events we have related have caused a deep anxiety, had hesitated |
| 2:28.4 | about going to Madame de Morsevers, when during the morning her carriage happened to meet |
... |
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