The final seconds tick away. Morrel raises the pistol, cocks it, and shudders at the sound. Cold sweat covers him; a crushing pain closes around his heart. The staircase door creaks. The clock prepares to strike eleven. His study door opens. Morrel doesn’t turn — he assumes Cocles has come to announce the agent of Thomson & French.

And then he hears a cry — Julie’s voice. He turns. She stands in the doorway, breathless, radiant, her hand extended. The pistol falls from his grasp.

Julie throws herself into his arms, holding a familiar red silk purse. Inside is the receipted bill for 287,000 francs — paid in full — and a diamond large as a hazelnut, labeled Julie’s Dowry. Morrel stares, stunned. The purse is one he once owned himself, long vanished from his life, now returned in this miraculous moment.

He is saved.

Links

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The Countdown of Monte Cristo is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel — every day, for four years. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Count of Monte Cristo.