The Count of Monte Cristo LXIV Summary

Summary

The dinner breaks up with Madame de Villefort wishing to return to Paris; M. de Villefort escorts Madame Danglars in his landau while M. Danglars remains talking with Major Cavalcanti. Monte Cristo notices the movements but does not interfere; Morrel, Château-Renaud, and Debray leave on horseback while the ladies travel in the carriage. Danglars flatters the major and his son, imagining them wealthy and socially useful, and arranges further meetings.

Outside, Andrea Cavalcanti prepares to depart in his tilbury but is accosted by a disreputable, sunburnt beggar who calls himself Benedetto and is recognized as Gaspard Caderousse. The man claims a prior “commission” from Andrea and, after a tense exchange in which threats are implied, manages to be taken into the tilbury and driven away from Auteuil. During the ride Caderousse demands an allowance; Andrea reluctantly gives him ten gold louis and agrees to a monthly payment arrangement. They discuss Andrea’s supposed parentage (Major Cavalcanti) and the role of the Count of Monte Cristo in Andrea’s fortune. To avoid detection at the barriers, Caderousse disguises himself in the major’s abandoned coat and hat, leaves Andrea to pass as the master, then slips away into Paris, leaving Andrea frustrated and uneasy about his partial triumph.

Key events

1. Dinner ends; parties prepare to leave—ladies in Villefort's carriage, others by various vehicles.
2. Danglars flatters Major Cavalcanti and discusses business and hospitality with him.
3. Andrea prepares to depart in his tilbury and is unexpectedly accosted by Caderousse (the beggar).
4. Caderousse claims a past commission and demands money, invoking the name 'Benedetto.'
5. Andrea pays Caderousse ten gold louis and promises a monthly stipend.
6. Caderousse disguises himself in the major's coat and hat, slips through the barrier, and deserts Andrea.

Analysis

This chapter shifts the novel from polished salon society to the street-level vice and opportunism that surround the higher ranks. It contrasts the cultivated flattery of Danglars toward perceived wealth with the blunt, predatory behavior of Caderousse, illustrating two social responses to fortune: sycophancy and parasitism. Andrea Cavalcanti’s insecurity—his need to assert status and to pay off threats—reveals his fragile social position despite outward display. The encounter also exposes networks of dependency: Andrea relies on the Count’s patronage, Danglars on appearances of respectability, and Caderousse on extracting maintenance from those he once knew.

Structurally, the episode functions as a short, tense scene that deepens character complexity and introduces immediate practical complications (the extortion, the barrier ruse) while keeping the larger mysteries (the Count’s motives, Andrea’s real identity) opaque. The beggar’s grotesque physical description and his use of the name 'Benedetto' create a note of menace and foreshadowing—the past and the city’s underworld can intrude unexpectedly on aristocratic life. The narrative technique alternates courteous salon detail with gritty street dialogue, reinforcing social contrasts and maintaining a brisk pace as evening gives way to more dangerous night scenes.

Important quotes

“I only wish to say two or three words to your master, who gave me a commission to execute about a fortnight ago.”

CaderousseCaderousse accosts Andrea in the tilbury and claims a past commission, initiating the extortion scene.

“Here are two hundred," said Andrea; and he placed ten gold louis in the hand of Caderousse.”

NarratorAndrea pays Caderousse ten gold louis to secure his silence and a promised monthly allowance.

Characters in LXIV

• Madame de Villefort
• Madame Danglars
• M. de Villefort
• M. Danglars
• Count of Monte Cristo
• Morrel
• Château-Renaud
• Debray
• Major Cavalcanti
• Andrea Cavalcanti
• Gaspard Caderousse
• groom