The Corsican Ogre
- As you might expect, the Minister of Police has some bad news: Napoleon landed in France two days earlier, and is most likely making his way toward Paris.
- Convinced that the threat is real, the king thanks Villefort, and asks him for more advice.
- Villefort tells him that they could raise support against Napoleon in Provence and Languedoc, but that in some areas the people will almost certainly join up with the former emperor.
- At this point the King is pretty mad at his Minister of Police. He can't believe that all of his government agents have been scooped by a deputy crown prosecutor.
- Villefort is careful not to overplay his hand, though: he's still scared that the conspiracy might be traced back to his father.
- Conveniently enough, Blacas brings up another matter with King, "the matter of the Rue Saint-Jacques!" Villefort nearly jumps out of his chair, but somehow manages to keep his cool.
- The death of a certain General Quesnel – who was seen visiting the Rue Saint-Jacques – seems to have been less than accidental. They've even got a description of a potential murder suspect – one that sounds surprisingly similar…to Villefort's father. (Are you really that surprised?)
- The king makes it very clear that the man in question must be found…and then turns to Villefort: You're staying with your dad, he says, right? (like it's the most natural thing in the world).
- Villefort tells him that he's staying in a hotel.
- The king gives Villefort the cross of the Legion of Honour – he unpins it from his own coat, no less – as a reward, then tells him that he's free to go back to Marseille.
- After getting to his hotel and settling down for dinner, when his valet comes in and tells him a visitor has arrived…a visitor who fits the description of the murder suspect.
- Sure enough, Villefort's father has come to pay him a visit.