World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 29 The Elder's Cell (3)
They started digging that very day.They've both had a long break, and with the possibility of a new escape plan rekindling their own closely guarded thoughts, they're working hard.When it was time for the guards to come to their cells, they had to go back to their dungeons and wait, and nothing else would interrupt their digging.In addition, when the guards came down from above to their cells, although their footsteps were so light that they could hardly be heard, they were used to hearing them and could still distinguish them, so they were never noticed by the guards.The soil excavated from the newly dug tunnel might block the original tunnel, so they threw it out bit by bit through the transom of Dantès' cell or through the window of Faria's cell, but they were careful first. Finely knead the soil into fine powder, so the sea breeze blows away the soil at night without leaving any traces.

More than a year has passed in digging the secret tunnel. The tools they used were a chisel, a knife and a wooden stick used as a crowbar.During the past year, Faria continued to teach Dantès while working. He sometimes spoke this language, sometimes that language, and told Dantès the history of various countries, and those who left the world with so-called glorious achievements. great character.The abbot was originally a man of honor, and he was in the upper class, and there was a sullen solemnity in his demeanor. Dantès, who was naturally good at imitating, learned from him the gentleness that he lacked, and also learned from it that generally only the same class or the upper class The aristocratic demeanor that can only be cultivated through social contacts.

One year and three months later, the hole was finally dug. The hole was just under the corridor, and the sound of sentries walking back and forth above the hole could be clearly heard.But the two burrowing prisoners have to wait for a moonless night to operate in order to ensure a foolproof escape.The only thing they are worried about now is that the ground under the sentinel's feet will collapse first. Just in case, they want to put a short beam-like thing they found in the foundation under it.Dantès was erecting the beam, and Faria was in Dantès' prison grinding a pin for a rope-ladder.Suddenly, Dantès heard Faria calling him for help, and he hurried back to the cell, only to see the elder standing in the middle of the cell, with a pale face, sweat dripping from his forehead, and his hands tightly clenched into fists.

"Oh, my God," cried Dantès, "what is the matter? What is the matter with you?"

"Come here, come here," said the elder, "listen to me."

Dantès looked at Faria and saw that his face was ashen, his eyes were blue and black, his lips were white, and his hair was standing on end. Dantès was frightened, and the chisel in his hand slipped to the ground.

"What's the matter?" cried Edmund.

"I'm finished!" said the elder. "Listen to me. I'm going to be sick. It's a terrible, potentially fatal illness. I can feel it coming on. A year before I went to prison, I I have done it once. There is only one medicine for this disease. Let me tell you first. Go to my cell quickly and take apart the foot of the bed. You bring me the bottle. Oh, no, no, I might be found here, if I still have some strength, you help me go back, who knows what will happen when the attack occurs?"

This was indeed a great disaster for Dantès, but he was not dizzy with fright.He got into the secret passage first, then dragged his unfortunate companion forward, and finally reached the other end of the tunnel with great effort, and immediately helped him to bed as soon as he climbed into the elder's cell.

"Thank you," said the elder, his hands and feet trembling as if he had just come out of icy cold water. "I'm going to have a sickness attack. I'll faint, and my whole body will be stiff. Humming, not making a sound, but foaming at the mouth, tense up, I might yell too, you have to find a way to keep people from hearing me, it's very important, or they will tell me if they know Transfer the cell, and we will be separated forever. When you see me lying upright, with no heat all over my body, like a dead body, and only at this time, you hear clearly, pry open my teeth with a knife, Put 8-10 drops of this medicine in my mouth, maybe I can wake up."

"Perhaps?" cried Dantès in pain.

"Help! Help!" shouted the elder, "I...I...dead..."

The seizure came so quickly and so violently that the poor prisoner lost consciousness after half a sentence.A shadow passed across his forehead, fast and dim, like a storm on the sea.His eyes were bulging, his mouth was crooked, and his cheeks turned a reddish purple.Then he writhed about, foamed at the mouth, and cried out.Fortunately, he had already confessed to Dantès, and Dantès hurriedly covered his mouth with a sheet to prevent his voice from shouting.After tossing and tossing like this for two hours, the elder lay dead still, stiller than a still life, his whole body was paler and colder than marble, and more wilted than the reeds under his feet.In the end, he convulsed for a while and then became stiff from head to toe, becoming as bloodless as a dead man.

Edmund waited until the patient's whole body was like a dead body, and the cold breath pierced his heart. Then he picked up the knife and stuck it between the patient's teeth. He pried open the convulsively clenched upper and lower gums drop by drop with all his strength. Counting, poured 10 drops of red liquid medicine, and then stood aside.

An hour passed and the old man remained silent.Dantès could not help being frightened, fearing that he had waited too long, and with his hands in his hair, he looked silently at the patient.Finally, a faint blush appeared on the old man's cheeks, and his eyes, which were always open but not moving, came into contact again. A slight sigh came out of his mouth, and he moved again.

"It's saved! It's saved!" cried Dantès.

The patient was still unable to speak, he just stretched out his hand towards the cell door, and it was obvious that he was very anxious.Dantès listened and heard the guard's footsteps. It was almost 7 o'clock, and Dantès didn't care about the time just now.The young man rushed to the entrance of the tunnel and got in, then covered the stone slab above his head, and immediately returned to his cell.After a while, the cell door opened, and the guard, as usual, saw Dantès sitting on the bed.But just as the guard turned and walked away, and the sound of his footsteps disappeared in the corridor, the anxious Dantès went down the secret passage without thinking about eating, lifted the stone slab above his head, and returned to the elder's cell.The elder had come to his senses, but he was still lying weakly on the bed.

"I didn't expect to see you again," he said to Dantès.

"Where did you say that?" asked the young man, "Do you mean you want to die?"

"Not really, but everything is ready for you to escape, and I thought you would."

Dantès blushed when he heard that. "Leave you alone?" he cried. "Do you really think I can do such a thing?"

"I know now that I was wrong," said the patient. "Well, I am very weak, exhausted, and completely broken."

"Be confident, your strength will recover," said Dantès, sitting down beside Faria's bed, and clasping his hands tightly.

But the elder shook his head and said, "The last time I had this illness was less than half an hour. After the attack, I felt hungry and could stand up by myself. But today I can't move my legs and right arm, and my head is heavy. There was cerebral congestion. When the third attack occurred, I was either completely paralyzed or died of illness."

"No, no, don't worry, you won't die. This third attack, if there is one, will be free by then. We will save you as we did this time, and It will only be better than this time, because we will all have the necessary first aid by then."

"Brother," said the old man, "don't be confused. I have already been sentenced to life in prison for this attack. If I want to escape, I must be able to walk."

"It doesn't matter! We can wait a week, a month. If necessary, wait two months. Wait for a while, and your physical strength will recover. The preparations for the escape are all ready, and now it is entirely up to us to choose What day and what hour are you going to leave? On the day when you feel that you have regained your strength enough to swim, it will not be too late for us to carry out our plan."

"I can't swim anymore," Faria said. "This arm is paralyzed not for a day or two, but forever. Lift this arm and see how heavy it is."

The young man raised the elder's arm, but the numb arm fell heavily, and Dantès could not help but sigh.

"Now you can believe it, can't you, Edmond?" said Faria. "Listen to me, I am not talking nonsense. I have been thinking about it since my first attack, I have been prepared for a long time. This is a family hereditary disease. My father died on the third attack, and so did my grandfather. The doctor who prepared this medicine for me was the famous Kabani himself. He had already told me It is prophesied that I will die like this in the end.”

"Doctors sometimes have doubts," Dantès shouted. "As for your paralysis, I don't think there is anything difficult to do. I can carry you and swim with you."

"My child," said the elder, "you are a sailor and you understand water. Of course you know that a person with such a heavy weight on his back can't do 50 strokes at sea. You don't have to deceive yourself with these dreamy bubbles, you are a Good man, you know it too well. I can only stay here and wait for my moment of liberation, and now for me, liberation is nothing more than death. You have to escape, you have to go! You are young and human. Smart and physically strong, you don't have to worry about my affairs, forget about what you promised."

"No," said Dantès, "no! I will not stay either." After speaking, he stood up and extended his hand to the old man very solemnly. "I swear by the blood of Christ that as long as you live, I will never leave." leave you."

Faria looked at the young man. He was so noble, so innocent, and so elegant. From his extremely sincere face, he saw his sincere friendship and faithful oath.

"Okay," said the patient, "I'll listen to you, thank you." After speaking, he stretched out his hand to the young man, and then said: "If you sacrifice yourself and others like this, you will be rewarded in the future. But now I can't leave, and you don't want to Let's go, we have to fill in the secret passage under the corridor. The sentry may find a hollow sound when he walks to the hollowed out place, so he will call the police officer to check, our business will be discovered, and we will be separated. You go to the hole Stop it, it’s unfortunate, I can’t help you anymore. If necessary, you have to work all night, and come to see me tomorrow after the guards come, I have something important to tell you.”

Dantès took the elder's hand, and the elder smiled at him, reassuring him.With respect for the old man, Dantès left the cell according to the old man's instructions.

(End of this chapter)