The Count of Monte Cristo · Chapter
LXI: How a Gardener May Get Rid of the Dormice That Eat His Peaches explained
The Count of Monte Cristo visits a telegraph operator at Montlhéry, observing his modest garden and living conditions.
What happens
The Count of Monte Cristo visits a telegraph operator at Montlhéry, observing his modest garden and living conditions. He learns the operator's routine, pay, and the consequences of errors. Monte Cristo then tempts the man with a bribe of fifteen thousand francs to deliberately alter a signal, leading to a financial loss for Danglars.
Themes in this chapter
Wealth and Corruption
Monte Cristo uses his immense wealth to bribe the telegraph operator, corrupting the system for personal revenge and causing financial ruin to Danglars.
Betrayal and Deception
The deliberate alteration of the telegraph signal is an act of deception that betrays the trust placed in the operator and manipulates public information.
Characters to notice
- Edmond Dantès
As the Count of Monte Cristo, he orchestrates a scheme to manipulate the telegraph signal, causing Danglars to lose a million francs.
- Baron Danglars
Indirectly affected; the altered telegraph signal leads to a false news report that causes him to lose a million francs.
- Maximilian Morrel
Present at Monte Cristo's house when the news of Danglars' loss arrives, and is told by Monte Cristo about the discovery of how to get rid of dormice.
Key passages
“I have just discovered how a gardener may get rid of the dormice that eat his peaches.”
Monte Cristo reveals to Morrel that he has found a method to eliminate the pests (dormice) that ruin a gardener's peaches, metaphorically referring to his scheme against Danglars.
This line serves as the chapter's title and encapsulates Monte Cristo's cunning plan to cause Danglars' financial loss.