The Stranger Arrives (The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 26 – Part 5)

A desolate road. A noonday sun. And an unexpected rider. In The Count of Monte Cristo, Chapter 26 continues as a solitary figure approaches the Pont du Gard Inn. Mounted on a Hungarian horse and dressed in the black robes of a priest, the stranger advances with calm purpose, undeterred by the barren, sun-scorched road that few others would choose to travel. At the inn’s threshold, he dismounts, ties his horse, and knocks three times with his iron-tipped cane — a signal that will change the quiet monotony of Caderousse’s life into something far more consequential.   ⸻   New to the journey? Start from the beginning at: http://countdownofmontecristo.com   Join the conversation on our Discord: https://discord.gg/Sg2prdm   Support the project on Patreon and receive full-length, story-only audio after each chapter: https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod   Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf3vyewhvQugX5M3oREl57A   ⸻   The Countdown of Monte Cristo is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel — every day, for four years.