After Madame Danglars and her daughter left, and while Maximilian and Valentine were having their conversation elsewhere, something crucial was unfolding in the prosecutor's mansion.
Monsieur de Villefort walked into his father's room with his wife following close behind. They both greeted the elderly man and nodded to Barrois, the faithful servant who'd been with the family for twenty-five years. Then they took their positions on either side of the paralyzed old man.
Monsieur Noirtier sat in a special wheelchair, which the servants rolled into his room every morning and back out at night. He was positioned in front of a large mirror that reflected the entire room, a clever setup that let him see everyone who entered and everything that happened around him, even though he couldn't turn his head.
