For all evils there are two remedies: time and silence.
The Count packs a survival strategy into a single sentence. “Time” heals and reveals; “silence” protects plans and dignity while wounds are raw. It’s how Edmond outlasted prison and how the Count stalks his justice—patiently, without spectacle. The line also warns against noisy despair; quiet gives sorrow a place to breathe until it thins out. Emotionally, this comforts readers who don’t have fixes, only days to cross. The aphorism sounds cold at first, but it’s really a promise that pain changes shape. Waiting isn’t doing nothing; it’s doing the hard thing.