“Never mind it, for I see you once more,” said the old man, “and now it’s all over—everything is all right again.”
   “Yes, here I am,” said the young man, “with a promising future and a little money. Here, father, here!” he said, “take this—take it, and send for something immediately.” And he emptied his pockets on the table, the contents consisting of a dozen gold pieces, five or six five-franc pieces, and some smaller coin. The countenance of old Dantès brightened.
   “Whom does this belong to?” he inquired.
   “To me, to you, to us! Take it; buy some provisions; be happy, and tomorrow we shall have more.”
   “Gently, gently,” said the old man, with a smile; “and by your leave I will use your purse moderately, for they would say, if they saw me buy too many things at a time, that I had been obliged to await your return, in order to be able to purchase them.”
   “Do as you please; but, first of all, pray have a servant, father. I will not have you left alone so long. I have some smuggled coffee and most capital tobacco, in a small chest in the hold, which you shall have tomorrow. But, hush, here comes somebody.”
   “’Tis Caderousse, who has heard of your arrival, and no doubt comes to congratulate you on your fortunate return.”
   “Ah, lips that say one thing, while the heart thinks another,” murmured Edmond. “But, never mind, he is a neighbor who has done us a service on a time, so he’s welcome.”
   As Edmond paused, the black and bearded head of Caderousse appeared at the door. He was a man of twenty-five or six, and held a piece of cloth, which, being a tailor, he was about to make into a coat-lining.
   “What, is it you, Edmond, back again?” said he, with a broad Marseillaise accent, and a grin that displayed his ivory-white teeth.
   “Yes, as you see, neighbor Caderousse; and ready to be agreeable to you in any and every way,” replied Dantès, but ill-concealing his coldness under this cloak of civility.
   “Thanks—thanks; but, fortunately, I do not want for anything; and it chances that at times there are others who have need of me.” Dantès made a gesture. “I do not allude to you, my boy. No!—no! I lent you money, and you returned it; that’s like good neighbors, and we are quits.”
   “We are never quits with those who oblige us,” was Dantès’ reply; “for when we do not owe them money, we owe them gratitude.”

The Vocabulary

provision n. 粮食，供应
purse n. 钱包，小钱袋，（获奖)奖金
moderately adv. 适度地，有节制地
hold n. 隐匿处
hush interj. 嘘！别作声！不要吵！
civility n. 礼貌，谦恭
allude vt. 暗示，暗指
quits adj. 偿清的，抵消的
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FROM 27.115.42.*