An Irish Monte Cristo
The treasure of the lake - A tale of strange adventure

John Sherman

136 pages
The Sea and Shore Series N°1, Street & Smith Publishers - 1888 - États-Unis
Roman

Intérêt: 0

Ce plagiat pur et simple de Monte-Cristo présente la particularité de reproduire la trame du roman de Dumas en environ 130 pages: on ne s'étonnera donc pas qu'il le fasse de manière particulièrement simpliste...

Le Monte-Cristo irlandais s'appelle Redmond O'Connor. Convaincu de la justesse de la cause de l'indépendance irlandaise, il n'a cependant jamais rien fait de compromettant. Il est fiancé à la belle française Celia Latimer, mais celle-ci est convoitée par Charley Blake, vieil «ami» de Redmond qui le hait en secret.

Blake le dénonce faussement aux Anglais pour trafic d'armes. Il est arrêté, condamné à la prison à vie et emprisonné dans un pénitencier sur une île au large des côtes irlandaises. Après cinq années de captivité, il s'échappe à la nage à la faveur d'une mutinerie.

Il décide d'aller voir son père mais, en approchant de chez lui, il tombe sur un vieux marin espagnol, Sancho, qui s'agite au bord d'un lac appartenant à sa famille. Les deux hommes se lient. Il apparaît que le vieil Espagnol sort lui-même de prison. Des années auparavant, il a caché un vaste trésor appartenant à sa bande de contrebandiers dans le lac du père de Redmond.

Ce dernier apprend que son père est mort de désespoir, dans les prisons anglaises, pendant sa propre captivité. La propriété familiale, Cloverfield House, est désormais occupée par Blake et son père, un infâme vieillard cupide et tyrannique. Et Blake, bien sûr, a épousé Celia.

Sancho met le trésor à la disposition de Redmond pour qu'il puisse se venger. D'autant qu'il apparaît que l'Espagnol a été emprisonné suite à une trahison du père de Blake. Dès lors, les deux hommes montent des machinations contre les Blake. Utilisant diverses fausses identités, ils les harcèlent, les déconsidèrent aux yeux de la bonne société, leur font des procès...

Pendant ce temps, les deux Blake, qui ont eu vent de la présence du trésor dans le lac, cherchent désespérément celui-ci, en vain.

Finalement, les méfaits des deux hommes sont mis en évidence, la femme de Blake le renie, les deux infâmes personnages sont ruinés, déshonorés, et meurent. Redmond retrouve sa propriété et épouse sa fiancée de jadis.

Dépourvu de la moindre once de créativité, ce roman est un pur plagiat. Son extrême brièveté donne parfois des résultats cocasses. Ainsi, l'équivalent du début du roman de Dumas, jusqu'à l'évasion d'Edmond Dantès du château d'If, tient ici en une douzaine de pages...

Ainsi ramené à une trame squelettique, le livre ne présente aucun intérêt. Et le thème de l'Irlande en lutte contre l'Angleterre ne parvient pas à sauver le roman.

Ce qui n'a pas empêché l'ouvrage d'avoir deux suites, The Irish Monte Cristo's search et The Irish Monte Cristo abroad.

Merci à Tom Onorato pour la copie de ce livre.

Extrait du chapitre 5 Dead to all save one

Redmond was silent for a few moments, and then he asked:

"And who lives up at Cloverfield House now at all?"

"There's no one living there now but a few servants in charge, as Colonel Blake only spends a few months in summer there."

"And who is Colonel Blake at all?"

"Sure you must be away from the cape a long time, or you'd hear of him, man."

"As I told ye, I only just came back from America, after being five years away."

"That accounts for it, to be sure. Well, Colonel Blake is a great man now, and high up with the English government, though I mind his ould father when he went about here long ago, with only a peddler's pack on a donkey."

"But how did Colonel Blake come to get the O'Connor's place?" asked Redmond, who felt that he was growing warm on a certain scent he was trying to trail.

"That's what puzzled all about here," answered the landlord, with a sly wink. "'Twas said that ould Blake lent Mr. O'Connor some money, and what should the son do - who was a captain at the time - but put in a claim on the estate, and it is his own now. Ah, there was great treachery against the brave O'Connors somewhere, but it won't thrive in the end, mark my words."

The old Spaniard had been listening to the conversation with intense interest, and he then asked the landlord with much eagerness:

"Is one old Blake alives yet?"

"To be sure he is, the ould villain, and a more conceited upstart of a tyrant is not to be found in the three kingdoms. 'Tis well I mind when he got his first big start in life, and when it was whispered that he was hand-in-glove with the foreign smugglers that used to land goods below in the bay."

"What his name, you know - all his title?" eagerly asked the old Spaniard.

"Oscar Blake, to be sure. Did you ever run across him in your young days, old man?"

"Oh, no - no! Me no knows one old Irishman titled Oscar Blake at alls," replied the old Spaniard, hastening to gulp down some of the porter.

Redmond had his observant eye on the old fellow, and he said to himself:

"He did know old Blake in days gone by, and I can see that he has some cause of hatred against him. Well, well, what will I hear next? How can I learn what has become of Celia Latimer?"

Turning to the old landlord again, he asked:

"I think I mind serving the ould Frenchman with fish. Didn't he live in the woodbine cottage out on the new road, and didn't he have a fine young lady for a daughter?"

"That he had, indeed, and it's a fine, beautiful lady she is to this day. It would do your heart good to see Mrs. Blake drive past here in her carriage with her little daughter on a summer's evening."

"Mrs. Blake!" gasped Redmond. " "What has the Frenchman’s daughter to do with Mrs. Blake, I’d like to know, at all?"

"Why, man alive, the Frenchman's daughter is Mrs. Colonel Blake herself. When the old Frenchman made off at the time of the O'Connor's trial, his daughter went away with him. About a year or so after that Captain Blake brought his grand wife to Cloverfield House, and who should she turn out to be but Miss Celia Latimer, the ould Frenchman's daughter, and the pride of our village. Ah, it was then we all prayed for the brave O'Connors again, for poor Master Redmond doted on Miss Celia, and it was said that they were engaged."

Redmond O'Connor pressed his hands to his burning forehead and staggered toward the door, as he gasped forth:

" The fever is on me now and I must get the fresh air. Come on, me friend."