ŷ������

In chapter 9, after Villefort sent Dantes away and returned to his betrothal dinner, Dumas describes Villefort

“Then the first pangs of an unending torture seized upon his heart.��

I think I don’t completely understand why Villefort cannot do the right thing. Why couldn’t he tell Dantes the danger of delivering the letter and tell him he would fix it all with the king?

I am still in the prison story chapters, midway through chapter 19. I liked the sentence describing Faria and Dantes' life:

"So life went on for them as it does for those who are not victims of misfortune and whose activities glide along mechanically and tranquilly beneath the eye of providence."

I had to read it several times and finally figured it meant their life went on just like everyone else.

I'm way ahead at chapter forty-something so no problem with spoilers here.

Peg wrote: "I think I don’t completely understand why Villefort cannot do the right thing. Why couldn’t he tell Dantes the danger of delivering the letter and tell him he would fix it all with the king?..."

I believe it is because the letter was addressed to Villefort's father and makes it clear that his father is actively involved in treasonous activity. Villefort, a loyal Royalist, has fought for years to get out from under the cloud of his father's Bonapartist sympathies and has finally made some progress. He has a comfortable government position and is engaged to marry into a socially prominent family. The faintest whiff of scandal would make all of that disappear.

Villefort sells Dantes out because Dantes is the one person who can make that direct connection. If he let Dantes go, he would have that hanging over his head like a sword. Dantes would be walking around with the power to destroy Villefort's life at any time, even if he didn't know it. Also, if he doesn't get rid of Dantes, he risks the person (Fernand) who originally sent the accusation possibly reaching out to someone else in his quest to get Dantes jailed. Another investigator would surely question Dantes and it would all come out. Basically, Villefort would rather have the innocent Dantes rot in jail than to risk the off-chance that the truth would come out.

Lorna, the quote is in chapter 19.

I am also at the same place and enjoying the book very much.

Thanks, Cindy, for your explanation of Villefort’s reasoning. I think I see now why he did not think he could cleverly get around the problem if Dantes was free.