1. As u/caffeinatedweekend pointed out previously, the title of this chapter refers to a famous poisoner during the early Roman Empire. What is the effect of the narrator’s never referring to Madame de Villefort (and others, like Caderousse’s wife, La Carconte) by her given name?

2. As moderators in previous years have pointed out, Valentine’s naïveté about why anyone might want her dead echoes Dantès’ naïveté about why anyone might falsely accuse him of being a Bonapartist (which might itself echo Abbé Faria’s naïveté in trusting a particular ruler to execute his vision of unifying Italy). Does Dumas offer any hope of escape from the betrayals the world has in store?

3. The count warns Valentine that Madame de Villefort will essentially pursue her to the ends of the earth; does this assessment seem grounded in reality? Or is it clouded by the count’s own feverish obsession?

Final sentence of chapter:

“Finally, he went back to the door behind the bookcase and disappeared, after a final glance towards Valentine, who was sleeping with the confidence and candor of an angel lying at the feet of the lord.”

previous chapter discussion