1. The way M. d’Avrigny bloviates about dangerous women of the historical ages, (melo)dramatically points the finger at Valentine, and then nonchalantly dismisses Barrois’ death in the hearing of the other household staff… is it possible Dumas intended him as comic relief?

2. It would seem that M. d’Avrigny’s accusation of Valentine is incorrect, but would you want a major plot twist here? Or do you prefer feeling more aware than the characters and watching them squirm?

Final sentence of chapter:

“For all the confused feelings that he experienced on seeing those tears, he also managed to observe Madame de Villefort; and it seemed to him that a faint, dark smile passed briefly across her thin lips, like one of those sinister meteors that can be glimpsed as they fall between two clouds against a stormy sky.”

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