"Dumas, Alexander - The Count Of Monte Cristo" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dumas Alexandre)

"Idiot!" muttered Danglars; "whether she kill herself or
not, what matter, provided Dantes is not captain?"

"Before Mercedes should die," replied Fernand, with the
accents of unshaken resolution, "I would die myself!"

"That's what I call love!" said Caderousse with a voice more
tipsy than ever. "That's love, or I don't know what love
is."

"Come," said Danglars, "you appear to me a good sort of
fellow, and hang me, I should like to help you, but" --

"Yes," said Caderousse, "but how?"

"My dear fellow," replied Danglars, "you are three parts
drunk; finish the bottle, and you will be completely so.
Drink then, and do not meddle with what we are discussing,
for that requires all one's wit and cool judgment."

"I -- drunk!" said Caderousse; "well that's a good one! I
could drink four more such bottles; they are no bigger than
cologne flasks. Pere Pamphile, more wine!" and Caderousse
rattled his glass upon the table.

"You were saving, sir" -- said Fernand, awaiting with great
anxiety the end of this interrupted remark.

"What was I saying? I forget. This drunken Caderousse has
made me lose the thread of my sentence."

"Drunk, if you like; so much the worse for those who fear
wine, for it is because they have bad thoughts which they
are afraid the liquor will extract from their hearts;" and
Caderousse began to sing the two last lines of a song very
popular at the time, --

`Tous les mechants sont beuveurs d'eau;
C'est bien prouve par le deluge.'*

* "The wicked are great drinkers of water
As the flood proved once for all."

"You said, sir, you would like to help me, but" --

"Yes; but I added, to help you it would be sufficient that
Dantes did not marry her you love; and the marriage may
easily be thwarted, methinks, and yet Dantes need not die."