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Villefort's Poisoned Secret

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Brief overview

A doctor tells Villefort his mother-in-law was poisoned, while Morrel overhears and turns to Nortier.

  1. The death was poisoning, not griefD'Avenray names the symptoms of tetanus and poisoning and settles on bruising or strychnine.
  2. A friend's word, not a magistrate's findingThe doctor says he would hesitate to swear it on oath, so he speaks only as a friend.
  3. The paralytic becomes the lovers' protectorNortier, dumb and motionless, vetoes both of Morel's plans and swears him to wait for his own.
Executive Summary AI
  • Dr. d'Avenray refuses Villefort's explanation that grief killed Madame de Saint-Marin after forty years with the Marquis, saying grief never kills in a day, an hour, or ten minutes.
  • Speaking as a friend and not to a magistrate, the doctor says that after watching three-quarters of an hour of convulsions he is convinced she died of a powerful dose of bruising or strychnine.
  • He raises the possibility of a mistake: for three months he has been dosing the paralysed M. Nortier with bruising, the last prescription holding six grains, a quantity safe for Nortier but enough to kill another person.
  • Villefort, king's attorney for twenty-five years and fearful of scandal and enemies, begs the doctor to recall his words, and d'Avenray agrees to bury the secret while warning him to watch carefully in case the evil does not stop there.
  • Hidden in the garden, Maximilian Morel hears it all, reaches Valentine beside her grandmother's corpse, and lays his two plans before Nortier, who refuses both, promises his own help, guarantees the marriage contract will not be signed, and takes Morel's oath to wait.
Key Quote
“Speak, doctor, I am listening”
— Villefort
Key Quote
“It is not grief, my dear Villefort”
— Monsieur d'Avenray
Key Quote
“convinced that not only did her death proceed from poison, but I could also specify the poison.”
— Monsieur d'Avenray

Transcript

0:00 CHAPTER 73 PART II Lander Dumas. Chapter 73. Part 2.
0:28 Villefort fell rather than seated himself.
0:32 The doctor stood before him with one hand placed on his shoulder.
0:37 Morrel, horrified, supported his head with one hand, and with the other pressed his heart,
0:39 lest its beating should be heard.
0:40 Dead!
0:40 Dead!
0:45 repeated he within himself, and he felt as if he were also dying.
0:50 Speak, doctor, I am listening, said Villefort. Strike, I am prepared for everything.
0:56 Madame de Saint-Marin was doubtless advancing in years, but she enjoyed excellent health.
1:00 Morel began again to breathe freely, which he had not done during the last ten minutes.
1:07 Grief has consumed her, said Villefort. Yes, grief, doctor, after living forty years with the Marquis. It is not grief, my dear Villefort, said the doctor. Grief may kill, although it
1:12 rarely does, and never in a day, never in an hour, never in ten minutes. Villefort answered nothing.
1:19 He simply raised his head, which had been cast down before, and looked at the doctor with amazement. Were you present during the last struggle? asked Monsieur d'Avenray.
1:28 I was, replied the procureur. You begged me not to leave. Did you notice the symptoms of the
1:34 disease to which Madame de Saint-Marin has fallen a victim? I did. Madame de Saint-Marin had three
1:40 successive attacks at intervals of some minutes, each one more serious than the former. When you
1:45 arrived, Madame de Saint-Marin had already been panting for breath some minutes. She then had a
1:50 fit which I took to be simply a nervous attack, and it was only when I saw her raise herself in
1:55 the bed and her limbs and neck appear stiffened that I became really alarmed. Then I understood
2:01 from your countenance that there was more to fear than I had thought. This crisis passed, I to catch your eye but could not you held her hand you were feeling her pulse and the second fit came on before you had turned towards me this was more terrible than the first attack i discovered symptoms of tetanus you confirmed my opinion yes before others replied the doctor but now we are alone what are you going to say oh spare me started from his seat, then in a moment fell down again, silent and motionless. Morrell knew not if he were dreaming or awake.
2:47 Listen, said the doctor, I know the full importance of the statement I have just made,
2:52 and the disposition of the man to whom I have made it.
2:55 Do you speak to me as a magistrate, or as a friend? asked Villefort.
2:59 As a friend, and only as a friend at this moment.
3:02 The similarity in the symptoms of tetanus and poisoning by vegetable substances is so great that were I obliged to affirm by oath what I have now
3:09 stated I should hesitate. I therefore repeat to you, I speak not to a magistrate, but to
3:15 a friend. And to that friend I say, during the three-quarters of an hour that the struggle
3:19 continued I watched the convulsions and the death of Madame de Saint-Marin, and am thoroughly
3:23 convinced that not only did her death proceed from poison, but I could also specify the poison. Can it be possible? The
3:31 symptoms are marked, you see. Sleep broken by nervous spasms, excitation of the brain,
3:36 torpor of the nerve-centers. Madame de Saint-Marin succumbed to a powerful dose of bruising or of
3:42 strychnine, which by some mistake perhaps has been given to her.
3:46 Villefort seized the doctor's hand.
3:48 Oh, it is impossible, said he.
3:50 I must be dreaming.
3:51 It is frightful to hear such things from such a man as you.
3:54 Tell me, I entreat you, my dear doctor, that you may be deceived.
3:58 Doubtless I may, but—but?
4:00 But I do not think so.

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