113 THE PAST SUMMARY

the Count returns to Marseilles with Maximilien Morrel, witnessing Albert's departure for Africa before visiting Mercédès, who accepts her fate, and then revisiting his old prison cell at the Château d'If, where he receives Abbé Faria's manuscript and reflects on his past before telling Max to meet him on the Isle of Monte Cristo on October 5th for their final encounter, signaling the end of his vengeance and the start of a new path.

114 PEPPINOKey Events in Chapter 114:
The Withdrawal: After fleeing Paris, Baron Danglars goes to the banking firm of Thomson and French in Rome to cash a receipt for five million francs from the Count, planning to use the money to rebuild his fortune.

Peppino's Role: Peppino, a young man connected to Vampa, works at the bank and informs Vampa of Danglars's large withdrawal, setting the trap.

The Ambush: The next day, as Danglars travels by carriage towards Venice, he is intercepted by Vampa's bandits, led by Peppino, and taken to the catacombs.

False Security: Danglars is placed in a comfortable cell with a bed and, remembering Albert de Morcerf's experience, assumes he'll be held for a reasonable ransom, believing he'll still have plenty of money left, and falls asleep contentedly.

The Count's Indirect Vengeance: This event is part of Monte Cristo's broader plan, as Vampa and his bandits are essentially working for the Count, systematically stripping Danglars of his wealth.
In essence, Chapter 114 marks Danglars's capture and the beginning of his financial ruin at the hands of the Count, though Danglars remains blissfully ignorant

In chapters 111 and 112 of The Count of Monte Cristo, titled "Expiation" and "The Departure," the story reaches a critical psychological turning point as the Count's quest for revenge results in unintended tragedy.

Chapter 111: Expiation
Following the public disgrace of his trial, Villefort rushes home. He has realized that he is no more virtuous than his wife and intends to forgive her so they can flee France together with their son, Edward.

The Discovery: Upon arriving, Villefort finds that his wife has already followed his earlier command to commit suicide. Horrifically, she has also poisoned Edward, refusing to leave her son behind to face a world of shame.

The Confrontation: A broken Villefort encounters the Count (disguised as Abbé Busoni) in his father Noirtier's room. The Count reveals his true identity as Edmond Dantès, expecting a moment of triumph.

The Turning Point: Instead of triumph, Dantès is met with the sight of Edward's corpse. Shaken to his core by the death of an innocent child, he tries and fails to revive the boy with his elixir. He begins to doubt if he has overstepped his role as the hand of "Divine Providence."

Villefort's Fate: The chapter ends with Villefort losing his mind completely, seen digging in his garden for his dead son.

Chapter 112: The Departure
This chapter focuses on the emotional aftermath and the transition away from Paris.

Leaving Paris: The Count picks up a grieving Maximilian Morrel from the home of Julie and Emmanuel. As they leave the city, the Count looks back at Paris and declares his work of vengeance is finally done.

Return to Marseille: They travel to Marseille, where they witness Albert de Morcerf boarding a ship to begin his new life as a soldier.

The Meeting with Mercédès: The Count visits his father's old house and finds Mercédès living there in solitude. Their meeting is deeply bittersweet. While he offers her his fortune, she refuses most of it, choosing a life of quiet penance.

Resolution: The Count encourages her to live, but Mercédès remains a shell of her former self, resigned to her fate. This encounter reinforces the Count's growing sense of remorse for the collateral damage caused by his long-plotted revenge.

CHAP 109 THE ASSIZES Chateau-Renaud, Debray, and Beauchamp are in court to see the beginning of the famous Benedetto Affair. They discuss the rumor that the murderer in the house of Villefort is young Edouard, who has become increasingly jealous of his stepsister and her grandparents. But others in the group dismiss this as nonsense and wait for the excitement of the case to begin, with Villefort drawing up evidence against the accused "Prince," Cavalcanti.

CHAP110 THE INDICTMENT

Villefort is called as the crown prosecutor before the court, and the judges similarly call Andrea to testify. He admits that he lived a life of petty crime before causing the murder of Caderousse, and when the court asks him for his identity, he pauses and says he does not really know his "actual" name, for he was abandoned as a very young infant by his father. When the court asks who this father might be, Andrea/Benedetto declares that it is the crown prosecutor himself, Villefort.
Villefort understands instantly that, from this point on, there is nothing he can do to protect his good name. Like Fernand and Danglars, he too will suffer in shame, and will need to determine some way to slide nobly off the public stage of French civic life. The crimes Villefort committed so many years ago have finally come back to light, causing the criminal to be punished.

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