The title of this chapter is a reference to a poison maker from the Roman Empire, but nothing is mentioned about this in the chapter. Interesting! A missed opportunity I think.

Discussion Questions:

1. I was getting major Romeo and Juliet vibes during this chapter, especially thinking that he was renting the room next door as the Abbe. (It also kind of reminded me of Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Speckled Band a bit as well!) Do you think that the drugs that the count has given Valentine will make her appear dead like in the play? (Spoilers…) If so, do you think that this is a little cliché? Has he discussed this with Max? If someone told me not to freak out if I should happen to… oh… wake up inside a coffin… I think I would freak out no matter how much I was in love.

2. How will he go about protecting Max, Noirtier, and Valentine all at the same time and keep up appearances in Parisian society AND bring about the downfall of the remaining two frenemies? That sounds exhausting to me!

3. How do you think the count will bring to light Madame de Villefort at the killer, especially if Valentine is supposedly dead?

4. Valentine’s naivety really harkened back to the count’s own naivety around people who would want to harm him at the beginning of the book and having Faria explain the situation to him in prison. Do you think Dumas is making a social statement here about youth and/or society in general? Is this naivety (or the loss of it) a good thing or a bad thing?

5. Other thoughts as you read?

Last Line:

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 candour of an angel lying at the feet of the lord.

Previous Discussion:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AReadingOfMonteCristo/comments/qk1xve/chapter\_100c\_the\_apparition\_reading\_discussion/

The next post will go up on Saturday the 6th.