Question

Pardieu! and that is true!” cried the owner, greatly delighted. “And that was Policar Morrel, my uncle, who was afterwards a captain. Dantès, you must tell my uncle that the emperor remembered him, and you will see it will bring tears into the old soldier’s eyes. Come, come,” continued he, patting Edmond’s shoulder kindly, “you did very right, Dantès, to follow Captain Leclere’s instructions, and touch at Elba . . .”

–The Count of Monte Cristo,
Alexandre Dumas
What can the reader conclude from the explicit meaning in the excerpt? Check all that apply.
The owner is pleased with Dantès’s actions.
The owner realizes that Dantès’s uncle is an emperor.
The owner hopes Dantès will return to Elba before too long.
The owner wants Dantès to share what he knows with his uncle.
The owner asks Dantès to follow new instructions from Captain Leclere.

Answer 1

Correct choices:
- The owner is pleased with Dantès’s actions. — supported by “cried the owner, greatly delighted” and “you did very right…”
- The owner wants Dantès to share what he knows with his uncle. — supported by “Dantès, you must tell my uncle that the emperor remembered him…”

Why the others are incorrect:
- The owner does not think Dantès’s uncle is an emperor; he says the emperor remembered the uncle.
- There is no statement that the owner hopes Dantès will return to Elba; he only approves that Dantès followed the instruction to touch at Elba.
- The owner is praising past compliance with Captain Leclere’s instructions, not asking Dantès to follow new ones.