1. The Count of Monte Cristo
Chapters 20-24
Summary Report
Who, What, Where, When, Why, How…

2. Chapter 20: Who, Where, When
Mr. and Mrs. de Saint Meran (Valentine’s maternal grandparents)
Barrois (Nortier’s servant)
Valentine (Villefort’s daughter)
Nortier (Villefort’s father)
Villefort/Madam Villefort
Notary (Writes the will)
Danglars
When:
a little time after the Count of Monte Cristo’s visit with Albert upon his arrival to Paris
Where:
Paris, France

3. Chapter 20: What, Why, How Nortier lives with Villefort, his father
Nortier’s only love in life is his daughter, Valentine (she is the apple of his eye)
In three months, Valentine is set to marry Franz d’ Epinay (Albert’s friend from Carnival)
Nortier is unhappy about this marriage
Nortier cannot speak, and he is paralyzed, so he communicates with his eyes
Franz’s mother died during child birth and his father was assassinated
Nortier is so upset about Valentine marrying Franz, so he orders for a notary to come and change his will
He will not leave his inhertience to Valentine if she goes forward in marrying Franz, so he will leave his fortune to charity if the marriage happens
The Count of Monte Cristo inquires about Edward and it is revealed that he has a lack of an inhertience
A message comes through that King Carlos has returned to Spain so Danglars sells his shares
Then the next day another message comes through that the King Carols has not returned to Spain stating it was an error in the telegraph message
As a result, shares rose to double the price, so Danglars could have made a million francs but didn’t because he sold his shares after the first message.

4. Chapter 21 Who Lucien Debray Mr. and Mrs. Danglars
The Count of Monte Cristo
Abbe Busconi
When:
during the Count of Monte Cristo’s time in Paris upon vising Albert
Where:
Paris, France

5. Chapter 21: What, Why, How
Lucien Debray and Mrs. Danglars are having a meeting…conspiring about the illegal sales of stock/shares
Danglars tells Debray to leave and loses his temper because he just lost 700,000 francs in the Spanish loan
Now, Mrs. Danglars gets information from Debray, and she tells her husband, so he will sell or buy the stock suggested by Debray who has insider information
This last meeting caused Danglars to lose a lot of money
Normally, when Mrs. Danglars gives him information, he will give her 25% of profits
He is angry with her, so he makes her pay 25% of the loss
Danglars goes to see The Count of Monte Cristo but is kept waiting because Abbe Busconi is there meeting with the Count
When he and the Count of Monte Cristo are speaking, the Count manipulates the conversation to discuss the marriage between Eugenie Danglars and Albert
Since Danglars’ daughter will be marrying Fernand’s son, the Count probes Danglars to question how Fernand became a Count and how he gained his fortune since Danglars knew he was once a poor fisherman.
Before allowing his daughter to marry Albert, The Count suggests that Danglars writes a letter to a correspondent in Greece inquiring Fernand’s role in the Ali Pasha Affair
Basically, the Count of Monte Cristo suspects Fernand has some connection in the death of Ali Pasha and wants to use Danglars to investigate Fernand’s past

6. Chapter 22: Who, Where, When
Albert
The Count of Monte Cristo
Mercedes
Fernand
Mr. and Mrs. de Saint Meran
Mr. and Mrs. Villefort
Max
Valentine
Where:
The Count of Monte Cristo’s home, Fernand’s home at the ball, Paris, France
When:
Some time after the Count’s arrival to Paris

7. Chapter 22: What, How, Why
Albert visits the Count of Monte Cristo and invites him to the ball
He tells the Count that Mercedes wants to see the Count
He tells him that Franz is about to arrive in 5-6 days
Mr. and Mrs. de Saint Meran are staying with Villefort for a visit
Everyone is infatuated by the Count and want to see him at the ball
Max and Valentine are in love but Valentine is still arranged to marry Franz
Danglars says that he doesn’t care for titles except for the title, millionaire, and The Count of Monte Cristo points out that millionaire doesn’t always last a life time (foreshadowing)
Danglars continues to lose even more money because the Count of Monte Cristo tells him that he pulled his money out of an account that is now bankrupt, and Danglars says that he lost money with them

8. Mercedes was watching the Count of Monte Cristo at the ball and notices that he doesn’t eat or drink anything
Mercedes invites the Count of Monte Cristo to walk the garden
He tells her that he has suffered, never married
He adopted a slave (Hayedee) as his family; she was bought from slavery in Constantinople and she is the daughter of a prince
Tells her he loved a girl and was to be married and had to leave but she never waited and upon his return was married
Mercedes asked if he has forgiven the girl and those who separated him. He says that he has forgiven the girl
They are interrupted because Villefort, Madam Villefort and Valentine have to leave because her grandfather, Monsieur de Saint Meran died
The Count of Monte Cristo tells Mercedes that he is not her friend but her servant

9. Chapter 23: Who, Where, When
Valentine
Villefort and Madam Villefort
Max
Dr. d’ Arigny
Franz
Nortier
White Figure
Where: Villefort’s home and garden; Paris, France
When: days after the ball at Fernand’s home

10. Chapter 23: What, Why, How
Valentine’s grandmother was sad about the death of husband and was in bed
Monsieur and Madam Villefort and Valentine were visiting her bedside
Valentine places a glass of orangeade next to her grandmother’s bed
Was distressed…seems to suspect Villefort or Madam Villefort
Valentines visits her grandfather, Nortier, and then returns the next day to her grandmother whose symptoms were worse
Her grandmother, Madam de Saint Meran tells Valentine and Villefort that she requests the marriage between Franz and Valentine to be sped up because she doesn’t think that she will live much longer
Madam de Saint Meran confesses that she saw a white figure enter her room at night
Valentine gives her grandmother more orangeade
Madam de Saint Meran asks for a notary to write her will
They also call Dr. d’Arigny
Valentine went to the garden and Max Morrel was out there waiting for her
Her wedding contract will be signed the day after tomorrow (2 days) when Franz is expected to arrive
Franz arrived that very morning so her wedding will happen sooner than expected
Max says he will commit suicide after Valentine marries Franz
Although Valentine has pleaded to her father not to marry Franz, she is obedient.
She promises Max that she will run a way with him and get married

11. Valentine writes Max and says the marriage contract will be signed at 9 o’cock the next night (but she believes they are keeping it from Nortier
Max went to meet Valentine, so they could run away and get married
While in the garden he overheard Villefort and the doctor talking: Madam de Saint Meran died and they suspect it poison
They are going to keep this a secret and be cautious…believe it may have been a servant who accidently gave her Nortier’s medicine
Valentine tells Max to go through her grandfather’s room and Max meets Nortier
Valentine tells Nortier that she loves/wants to marry Max
Nortier likes Max and communicates with his eyes that the contract will not be signed and to trust him and wait..Valentine’s marriage to Franz will not happen
Nortier will not approve of Valentine eloping with Max…he promises Morrel that the marriage contract will not be signed
Max went home

12. Chapter 24: Who, Where, When
Who: Nortier Max Morrel Villefort, Madam Villefort, Edward Valentine Barrois Franz d’Epinay Notary Where: Villefort’s home When: After Madam de Saint Meran’s funeral

13. Chapter 24: What, How, Why
Villefort wants to put forth Madam de Saint Meran’s last wishes to have Valentine married
Franz arrives to Villefort’s home along with a notary and two witnesses
The notary tells Franz that Valentine has been disinherited from Nortier’s fortune
Franz said he just wants happiness, not her money
Nortier has summoned to meet with Franz
Nortier communicated to Valentine that he needed a key and she had difficulty fulfilling this request, so the servant had to step in and help
Unlocked a secret drawer
Inside were a bundles of papers, and Nortier wanted Franz to read them
The letter revealed how Franz’s father, General Quesnel, died
He was aksed to join a secret Bonapartist meeting because they were trying to recruit him
The president was taking him home (the president was Nortier)
Quesnel declined the offer to join…now knew all of the faces of the members
General Quesnel insulted Nortier…they pulled over the carriage and had a duel
General Quesnel was killed by Nortier
Since the letter did not reveal the name, Franz wanted to know who killed his father
Nortier used the dictionary and communicated to Franz, “Myself”
Villefort was angry with his father for ruining the marriage between Franz and Valentine
Nortier stopped the signing of the marriage contract just like he promised Max Morrel