Caderousse’s tale drifts into the realm of dreams — the kind that ache with truth. Fernand, once the poor Catalan fisherman, now owns a grand Parisian mansion at 27 Rue du Helder. And Mercédès — she too has risen, “as the sun disappears to rise again with greater splendor.” The abbé’s voice falters, his irony masking something deeper.

Caderousse recounts her long sorrow: the pleading with Villefort, the tending of old Dantès, the lonely vigils by the roads to Marseilles. Each evening she waited, praying for Edmond’s return — until one night, a familiar step approached. Fernand stood before her, no longer a fisherman but a soldier, a reminder of the past dressed in new pride. It was not joy of love that filled her heart, but the relief of not being alone.

And when her last protector, old Dantès, died, Fernand returned again — not as comfort, but as consequence. With no one left to guard her memory of Edmond, the sorrowful Mercédès listened when Fernand finally spoke of love.

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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.