Chapter 64.

After the shocking dinner at Auteuil, the guests depart. Villefort escorts Madame Danglars and his wife back to Paris, while Danglars, increasingly charmed by Major Cavalcanti, takes the supposed father in his carriage. Andrea Cavalcanti prepares to leave in his tilbury.

At the door, a ragged, threatening man with a red handkerchief stops Andrea. The man reveals himself as Caderousse and calls Andrea by his true name, Benedetto, instantly seizing leverage. Andrea dismisses his groom and agrees to speak privately, letting Caderousse ride beside him.

Outside Auteuil, Caderousse confronts Andrea about his sudden prosperity and demands a monthly pension, hinting at exposure if refused. Andrea, fearing denunciation and violence, yields and promises 200 francs a month, explaining his fabricated parentage via Major Cavalcanti and the Count of Monte Cristo’s patronage.

When Andrea tries to be rid of him, Caderousse insists on being driven past the barrier to avoid arrest. Both men silently weigh violence—Andrea fingers a pistol; Caderousse opens a knife—before tension eases as they proceed into Paris.

At the first cross street, Caderousse jumps down after appropriating the groom’s greatcoat and Andrea’s hat to pass as a servant. He vanishes into a courtyard, leaving Andrea alarmed and resigned to ongoing blackmail.