World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 26 An Italian Scholar (2)
"You said to dig again, but do you know how I did it? You know, it took me four years to make all my tools! You know, the ground is as hard as granite, and I Digging, digging, it took two years! You know, I had to scrape off the wall first to expose the stones. At one time, I thought that these stones would not be loosened, so I had to dig them all day long. I worked hard all day, but the cement in the crevices of the stone became as hard as a stone due to the age. If I could dig out a hole as big as an inch by the end of the day, I would be so happy! You know, you You know, the excavated soil and stones have to be hidden, so I had to open up the beam of another staircase, and the muck gradually moved to the space below, and it is already full today. If there is new soil, even if It's just a handful, I don't know where to put it! Also, you know, I thought I was about to be done, and I also knew that my energy was only enough to dig such a tunnel, but now, God not only put the tunnel mouth Far back, and I don't know where! Oh, I've told you, and I might as well say it again, I will never fight to be free again, because my liberty is gone. It's gone forever, that's God's will."

Dantès lowered his head, he did not want the old man to see that he was only immersed in the joy of finding a friend in distress, and did not share the pain caused by his failure to escape.

The elder Faria got into bed and lay down, while Edmond remained standing.It had never occurred to him to escape from prison before.Some things seem to be absolutely impossible, and most people don't have any idea of ​​trying, but out of instinct, they just want to avoid it.It took three years to dig a 50-foot tunnel underground. Even if you succeeded, you could only escape to the cliff near the sea. Jumping from a height of 50 feet, or even 60 feet, you will end up hitting your head on a rock, and your body will be smashed to pieces.Even if these dangers were avoided, it would still be necessary to swim a mile at sea to be rescued.This is too dangerous, and most people can't stand this kind of pain at all. As for Dantès, we have already said that he would rather die than suffer this kind of pain.

Now the young man saw that an old man had expended so much energy in order to survive, and he also saw an example of perseverance in a desperate situation. He began to meditate and review his courage.He never imagined what others fought for. He was not as young or as flexible as him, but with skill and patience, he equipped himself with all the tools he needed and did incredible things. There is nothing that Dantès can't do if others can do all these things without success.Faria dug 50 feet, he can dig 100 feet; Faria has dug a tunnel in three years since he was 50 years old, he is only half of Faria's age, and he can dig it in six years; Faria was an elder, a scholar, a man of the church, he was not afraid to swim from the Château d'If to the Ile du Puy, Ratoneau or Lemaire, and he was Edmond, he was a sailor, he was brave A good diver, who used to dive into the bottom of the sea to fish for coral, would he hesitate to swim a mile? What is swimming a mile? What is swimming an hour? Think about it, in the past he could The one who spends hours in the sea without going ashore! No, Dantès is not that kind of person, he is the one who cheers up when he has an example.What others have done or can do, he Dantès can do.

After pondering for a moment, the young man said to the old man, "I have found the solution you are looking for."

Faria couldn't help trembling, "Have you found it?" He raised his head and said, from the expression on his face, it can be seen that if Dantès's words are true, his current discouragement will pass away, "Come on, Let's see, what have you found?"

"The secret passage dug from your cell runs along the corridor, doesn't it?"

"good."

"No more than 15 feet from the verandah?"

"No more than 15 feet."

"Okay, let's dig a fork from the center of the secret passage according to the T-shaped direction. This time, if you calculate correctly, you can lead to the outer corridor. After you go up and kill the sentinel, won't we run away? But to succeed, we must Courage is what you have, and strength is what I have. As for patience, I don't need to say much, you have shown great patience, now come and see me."

"Wait a moment," replied the elder, "my dear friend, you don't know what courage I have, nor how I intend to use my strength. As for patience, I think I am doing it day and night, day and night Patience enough. But listen, young man, it seems I have done my duty to God, for I have delivered a wronged man beyond condemnation."

"Excellent!" said Dantès. "Now that things are different, do you think it a crime when you meet me?"

"No, and I don't want to be guilty. Hitherto I've dealt with things, and now you persuade me to deal with people. I can knock through walls, tear down stairs, but I can't pierce a chest, Destroy a life."

Dantès showed a slightly surprised expression. "What?" said he. "You have bound yourself for such a scruple, when you could be free."

"But yourself?" said Faria, "why don't you kill the guard one night with the leg of your table, put on his clothes, and try to get out?"

"That's because I haven't thought of the idea myself," replied Dantès.

"It's because you hate this crime instinctively, it's unconscious, and you haven't even thought about it." The old man went on to say, "From a normal perspective, our desires will warn us not to deviate from the right path. The tiger is bloodthirsty by nature, so its duty and its purpose only need one thing, that is to say, it knows the prey has got it by the sense of smell, so it rushes over immediately, throws the prey down and tears it to pieces. This is its instinct, it is determined to It will not be violated. However, people are different, people are afraid of seeing blood. It is not the law of society that opposes killing, but the law of nature."

Dantès was very embarrassed for a while.The elder's words really revealed the thoughts that, although he was muddled in the past, did arise in his thoughts, or more precisely, in his soul, because some thoughts came from the brain, and some thoughts came from the heart.

"Besides," Faria continued, "I have been in prison here for almost 12 years. I have gone through all kinds of famous escape cases in my mind, and I find that very few of them are successful. Fortunately, they are successful. Prison escapes are all carefully considered and prepared patiently for a long time, such as the escape of the Duke of Borfort from the Château de Vincennes, the escape of the Elder Dubiqua from the Château Leveque, and the escape of Latid from the Bastille. But there are also escapes by chance. , this is superior, so you should believe me, we'd better wait for the opportunity, as long as we have the opportunity, we will act."

"You can wait patiently," sighed Dantès, "this protracted work has taken up all your time, and now you don't have to do it. You have no distractions, but you have hopes and longings to bring you comfort."

"But," said the elder, "I'm going to do more than that!"

"What do you do?"

"I either write or I research."

"Did they give you paper, pen and ink?"

"No," said the elder, "I did it all myself."

"Can you make paper, pens, and ink yourself?" exclaimed Dantès involuntarily.

"Yes."

Dantès looked at the old man with admiration, but he still couldn't believe what the elder said. Faria saw Dantès' thoughts at a glance.

"Come to me sometime," said he, "and I will show you a large volume of mine, the product of a lifetime of reflection, study, and reflection. All my life I have been under the palace of Rome, in Under the columns of St. Mark's Palace in Venice, and on the banks of the Arno River in Florence, I conceived my work. It was written. The title of the book was "On the Possibility of the Establishment of a United Kingdom of Italy," and it was printed in a large quarto volume."

"Have you written it?"

"It's written on two shirts. I've invented a drug that makes the cloth as smooth as parchment."

"You know chemistry too?"

"Rough knowledge. I know Lavazier (French chemist (1743-1794).), and I am also a close friend of Kabbani, a French philosopher and doctor (1757-1808)."

"But to write such a book, you have to study history first. Do you have a book?"

"In my Roman study, I have nearly 5000 books. I have read all these books more than once, and finally found that it is enough to read the selected 150 books. I have all the useful knowledge that must be mastered. It took me three years to read and read these 150 books, so when I was arrested, I could basically recite them all. I fully remember the content. So, Thucydides (ancient Greek historian (before 460-before 395).), Xenophon (ancient Greek writer, philosopher and statesman (before 430-before 355). ), Plutarch (Ancient Greek writer (50-125).), Teeter-Life (Latin writer (before 59-AD 17).), Tacitus (Latin history writer (59-120).) , Strada (unknown.), Junandez (unknown.), Dante (Italian poet (1265-1321).), Montaigne (French philosopher (1533-1592).), Shakespeare (British writer (1564-1616).), Spinoza (Dutch philosopher (1632-1677).), Machiavelli and Bosuet (French missionary, writer (1627-1704)). I can read the books of these writers I'll recite it to you, it's just to give you examples of the most famous writers."

"Then how many languages ​​do you know?"

"I can speak five modern languages, namely German, French, Italian, English and Spanish. Based on my ancient Greek, I also understand modern Greek, but I can't speak it well. I am studying it now."

"You study?" Dantès asked.

"Yes, I make a vocabulary list of the words I know, then arrange and combine them, write sentences and revise them until I can fully express my thoughts. I know nearly 1000 words, so-so enough, but I think the words collected in the dictionary have As much as 10. Of course, I can't speak fluently, but if I can fully express, that's enough."

Edmund was more and more amazed, and could not help beginning to think that the old man was a strange being, with almost supernatural powers.He wanted to find out the shortcomings of the old man, so he said: "If people don't give you a pen, what will you use to write your long treatise?"

"I have already made several very good pens. If they are passed on, everyone will like them. Ordinary pens are not used. When we don't eat meat, the prison sometimes gives us big cod, and the cartilage of the fish head is just used to make my pen. so every wednesday, friday and saturday i'm very happy because they're sending me pens again. besides, i have to tell you that i have a special feeling in my heart when i'm writing this historical work .At this time I am immersed in the past, forget the present, I do not obey anyone, roam freely in history, I can't remember that I am a prisoner."

"But ink?" said Dantès. "What do you use for ink?"

"I used to have a fireplace in my dark cell," said Faria. "It seems that it had been unplugged for some time before I came, but it must have been used for many years before that, and the hearth was full of soot. They give me wine on Sundays, and I dissolve the soot in it, and I have good ink. Some important note needs attention, and I prick my finger and dip it in blood."

"When can I see these things of yours?" asked Dantès.

"You can watch it whenever you want," Faria replied.

"Well, go now!" cried the young man.

"Come with me," said the elder.So he went into the tunnel, disappeared in a flash, and Dantès followed him.

(End of this chapter)