A Monte Cristo at 18!
Or, from slave to avenger
Allyn Draper
30 pages
Pluck and Luck n° 198 - 1902 - États-Unis
Roman
Intérêt: 0
Ce fascicule de la série Pluck and Luck porte
le n° 198. Il a été publié à New York le 19 mars 1902.
Il raconte l’histoire édifiante de Fred Haydon,
richissime orphelin âgé de 14 ans et placé sous la
tutelle de son oncle Crafton. Malheureusement, ce
dernier est très méchant et convoite la fortune du
neveu. Il profite d’un voyage à travers le Sahara pour
abandonner celui-ci. Il met la main sur l’héritage et
devient un riche banquier à New York.
 Fred devient esclave dans une
tribu de méchants Arabes. Ces épreuves l’affectent tant
que son aspect se transforme au point de le rendre
méconnaissable, ce qui se révélera bien pratique par la
suite.
Comme il a de la ressource, il s’enfuit au bout de
quatre ans, avec deux compagnons: un autre jeune
Américain lui aussi prisonnier, et Fatima, une
ravissante esclave à la peau claire, tombée folle
amoureuse de lui.
Il a bien fait d’emmener celle-ci, car il se trouve
qu’elle a dans la poche le plan de la cachette des
petites économies d’un négociant capturé jadis par les
Arabes. Celui-ci, qui avait sans doute des lettres, a
enfoui une malle pleine de diamants dans une petite île
de la Méditerranée, l’île de Monte-Cristo. Si!
Du coup, Fred se retrouve encore plus riche que son
méchant oncle. Quelques mois de cours particuliers, et
il fait irruption dans la bonne société européenne,
éblouissant tout le monde par sa fortune et son
omniscience. Quant à sa femme, Fatima, qui, six mois
plus tôt n’était jamais sortie du désert et ne parlait
que l’arabe – au point de se faire passer pour muette à
son arrivée en Europe – elle éblouit les salons grâce à
ses bonnes manières et sa maîtrise de toutes les
langues.
Fred retourne aux Etats-Unis, va voir son oncle et lui
explique qu’il va lui en faire baver. De fait, il enlève
ses enfants, cause la faillite de sa banque et l’oblige
à fuir. Crafton, qui a vraiment un mauvais fond, tombe
de plus en plus bas: il se fait voleur, mendiant, tombe
dans la misère noire et finit par se suicider. Le voilà
bien puni!
Fred, pour sa part, découvre finalement, en lisant les
papiers de son oncle, que bien des années auparavant, ce
dernier avait fait le même coup de la disparition d’un
enfant qui lui était confié. Cette fois, il s’agissait
d’une jeune et riche héritière. Où cela? Dans le Sahara.
Et c’est… Fatima, mais oui! Ouf, Fred aura donc évité la
mésalliance.
Mal écrit, décousu, parfaitement incohérent, ce petit
roman destiné aux adolescents est d’une nullité absolue.
Heureusement qu’il y a la couverture!
Extrait du chapitre 10 Mr. Auval
There was a new sensation in the social circles of
Europe, and every polite court was on the tiptoe of
curiosity.
A new luminary had arisen which promised to eclipse
all the former society meteors in brilliancy, and set
all tongues to wagging, discussing his antecedents, his
wealth and his claim to attention.
Some said that he was a prince in disguise; others
averred that he was an American millionaire seeking
recognition and a polish in Europe, while others
declared that he was simply an impostor, and that before
long the bubble would burst, and the new wonder would be
forgotten.
Who this Mr. Auval was or whence he came, no one
seemed to know, but it was certain that he lived in the
most sumptuous style, scattered money with the
prodigality of a Fortunatus, traveled in the most
magnificent state, and had a greater retinue of servants
than an Eastern rajah.
He occupied two entire suites of rooms at the hotels
when he remained, if for a short time only, and rented
magnificent villas if his stay was at all protracted,
his horses and carriages were without number, and his
dinners were grander and more luxurious than even those
given by kings and emperors.
He occupied a state box at the opera, appeared at all
the court receptions, drove in the parks at the
fashionable hours, entertained most royally, and left
nothing undone that a man of distinction should do.
Now he was in Paris, dazzling even that gay capital,
anon he appeared in Vienna, and turned the heads of all
the Austrian ladies; again he was in Berlin, captivating
even the emperor and his court, and then he was in St.
Petersburg, outshining the magnificence of czars and
millionaire princes.
From Rome to Copenhagen, from Athens to London, from
Moscow to Dublin, now here, now there, but always in
sight, he flashed like a meteor across the heaven of
high life, and in six months' time his fame, had spread
all over two continents, and was even now on its way to
a third.
This Mr. Auval was certainly no impostor in the way of
money matters, for all his bills were paid promptly, no
matter how large, and often having paid the rental of a
house three months in advance, he would suddenly change
his plans and go away after an occupancy of less than a
week.
Wherever he went he was accompanied by a lady whom he
introduced as his wife, a most radiantly beautiful
creature, dressed in the utmost magnificence, and yet
with rare good taste, and whose manners were most
charming, except that she never spoke, and scarcely
seemed to listen, although her wondrous eyes showed the
delight she felt in the attentions showered upon her
husband.
Mr. Auval had stated that his wife was a deaf mute,
but that he entertained hopes of teaching her to speak
and to converse with others, the difficulty of his
position being enhanced by the fact that from no one but
himself could she receive instructions.
All the learned professors of Europe had offered their
services, but they were declined with polite
graciousness and an acknowledgement of the honor due him
by Mr. Auval, who certainly, if his wife were not gifted
with speech, possessed a remarkable fluency himself.
He conversed in all the languages of Europe, and was
reputed one of the best Arabic scholars outside of Asia,
his attainments not ceasing with his linguistic
knowledge by any means, for he danced, rode, drove,
hunted, fenced and did everything that an accomplished
gentleman should do better than the best of them.
|
