The Count of Monte Cristo

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exactitude, and, thanks to the delay granted by the Englishman, were
paid by Cocles with equal punctuality. Cocles thus remained in his
accustomed tranquillity. It was Morrel alone who remembered with alarm,
that if he had to repay on the 15th the 50,000 francs of M. de Boville,
and on the 30th the 32,500 francs of bills, for which, as well as the
debt due to the inspector of prisons, he had time granted, he must be a
ruined man.

The opinion of all the commercial men was that, under the reverses
which had successively weighed down Morrel, it was impossible for him to
remain solvent. Great, therefore, was the astonishment when at the
end of the month, he cancelled all his obligations with his usual
punctuality. Still confidence was not restored to all minds, and the
general opinion was that the complete ruin of the unfortunate shipowner
had been postponed only until the end of the month. The month passed,
and Morrel made extraordinary efforts to get in all his resources.
Formerly his paper, at any date, was taken with confidence, and was even