The Count of Monte Cristo

Debray stops to see Mme. Danglars again after leaving Auteuil. They hear a piano from Eugénie’s, and the maid explains that Eugénie’s friend, Louise d’Armilly, plays the piano for her as she lies in bed. Debray notices that Mme. Danglars seems distracted, but she denies it. Danglars arrives home unexpectedly and requests that Debray leave, as he needs to speak to his wife alone.

Danglars tells his wife that he has lost 700,000 francs on the Spanish bonds. He notes that he has always followed his wife’s investment advice and has paid out half a million francs to her that year, which he suspects went straight to Debray. As Danglars has given his wife a share of his takings, he now wants her to pay back an equal share of his losses. Danglars reveals that not only has Mme. Danglars been unfaithful in the four years since they stopped living together as man and wife, but he also knows she has taken lovers before, during both her marriages, and that her first husband died of shame after discovering she had become pregnant by Villefort. Danglars says he was willing to be quiet as long as he was not losing