World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 37 The Smugglers
Dantès had been on the ship for less than a day, and he knew who he was dealing with.The name of the Genoese sloop "Genemelie", although the venerable captain was not instructed by Elder Faria, but the various languages ​​along the coast of this great lake called the Mediterranean Sea, from Arabic to Provencal, he Almost everything is spoken, so he can talk to all kinds of people without having to hire translators who are both in the way and talkative.The people who came and went with him included those he saw when the two ships met at sea, some on the small boats sailing along the coast, and some people who didn't know their names, didn't know their nationality, and didn't even know what they were doing. The cobblestone road of the wharf can be seen at any time. Their source of livelihood is mysterious and unpredictable.Speaking of this, it is not difficult for readers to guess that Dantès was on a smuggling boat.

Therefore, when Dantès first boarded the ship, the captain was not without suspicion.No matter which customs along the coast you are in, the captain is famous, and the contest between him and the customs can be said to be as high as the road.At first he thought that Dantès was a spy sent by the customs to spy on the secrets of their business, but Dantès sailed the boat very well, not only withstood the test, but also reassured the captain.Later, when he saw a feathery plume of smoke rising from the forts of the Château d'If, and heard the distant rumbling of cannons, he immediately thought that the man he was receiving on board enjoyed the king's in and out. The courtesy of firing a cannon.To him, there was nothing disturbing about it. To put it bluntly, as long as there were no people from the customs.In short, he saw that the newcomer was calm and self-possessed, and his doubts quickly disappeared twice.

Edmund succeeded at once. He knew what kind of character the captain was, but the captain didn't know who he was.No matter how the old guy and the other sailors made insinuations, he insisted not to tell the truth, but talked a lot about Naples and Malta. These two places were as familiar to him as Marseilles. Powerfully weaves his first set of stories.Therefore, no matter how shrewd the Genoese captain was, he was deceived by Dantès, who was mild-mannered, experienced in sailing, and especially good at sensuality.Besides, perhaps the Genoese was one of those intelligent people who know nothing but what they ought to know, and believe nothing but what they might as well believe.

It was in this situation of opposites and complements that they came to Livorno.Here Dantès faces a new test. After not seeing my own face for 14 years, I don't know if I can recognize myself.He has always clearly remembered what he looked like when he was young, but now he is about to see his adult appearance, and he doesn't know what he looks like.In the eyes of those new friends, his wish has been fulfilled.He had stopped in Leghorn many times before, and he remembered that there was a barber shop in Rue San Ferdinand, so he went there for a haircut and shave.

With his long hair and black beard, he looks like the Italian painter Tietian (1488-1576).The barber could not help but be surprised when he saw the masterpiece of the head portrait. It was not fashionable in that era to grow a beard and long hair. Today, if a man of good appearance is willing to shave off his beard and long hair, the barber will also be amazed. .But the barber in Livorno began to shave him without saying anything.When it was finished, Edmond felt that the beard on his chin had been shaved off, and his hair was cut to the usual length, so he asked for a mirror to look at it.We have already said that he is now thirty-three years old, and that fourteen years in prison have produced a dramatic change in his appearance, as it were, in his temperament.

When Dantès entered the Château d'If, he was a young man with a round face, full of smiles, and beaming. The first mileage of his life was smooth and smooth. In his opinion, the future life must be as beautiful as the past life. But everything has changed.His oval face has been elongated, his smiling mouth has drawn strong and firm lines that reveal perseverance, the wrinkled and thoughtful lines on his forehead have bent his eyebrows, his eyes are sad and sad, and from time to time flashes of world-weariness And the gloomy spark of hatred, his skin dulled by years of exposure to the sun, his face under the black hair full of the aristocratic beauty of the Nordic people, and the aura of poised wisdom cast on his face by the profound knowledge in his chest, In addition, although he is relatively tall, he is as strong and powerful as a short and thick person with physical strength accumulated all over his body.Although his appearance is agile and refined, his muscles are plump and strong.His voice changed with prayers, sobs and curses, sometimes gentle and gentle, sometimes sharp and harsh, almost hoarse.Moreover, due to living in the semi-darkness and darkness for a long time, his eyes have become like hyenas and wolves, and have the special ability to distinguish things in the dark.Edmund could not help smiling as he looked at his own face. Even his best friend, if he had any friends in the world, could not know him, and he did not even recognize himself.

The captain of the "Genomele" very much hoped to keep a talented person like Edmond, so he paid Edmond a bonus in advance, and Edmond also accepted it.After the initial change of appearance in the barber shop, he went into a clothes shop and bought a sailor suit.As we all know, this kind of clothing is very simple, just a pair of white trousers, a striped shirt, and a Phrygian hat.Edmond put on this suit, returned the clothes that Jacopo had lent him, and then went to the captain of the "Genemelie", and had to tell his own story again.When the captain saw him, he couldn't believe that this handsome and elegant sailor was the naked, dripping, bearded, seaweed-covered man he had rescued lying on the deck dying.The captain was very pleased with this stately figure, and offered to extend his employment to Edmund, but Edmund had his own plans, and only agreed to work for three months at most.

The crew of the "Renameli" are also diligent, and they can all obey the command of the captain.The captain, who was never willing to waste time, had only been a week in Leghorn, and the round belly of the ship was already full of chintz, cotton forbidden for export, British powder and tobacco which the Monopoly Office had forgotten to label. They had to be smuggled out of the port of Livorno, sent to the coast of Corsica, and then speculators got the goods to France.The ship weighed anchor again and set sail.The azure sea was the vast world that Edmond first had when he was young. He often dreamed of it in prison, and now he braved the waves on the sea.The island of Gorgona passed on the right, the island of Pianozza passed on the left, and was now heading towards Paoli Paoli (1725-1807), a Corsican who advocated the secession of Corsica from France.and Napoleon's hometown.

The next morning, the captain came to the deck early as usual, and found Dantès leaning on the railing, looking at a pile of granite rocks dyed rose-colored by the rising sun with a magical expression, that is Monte Cristo Island, the "Genemelie" sailing to Corsica is passing by, less than one nautical mile from the island on the port side.The name of the island rings out to Dantès, and as the boat passes by he thinks that he can reach this blessed land by jumping into the sea and swimming for half an hour, but without the tools to dig the treasure, What's the use of going there without weapons for self-defense?He must wait.Fortunately, Dantès has learned how to wait. In the past, he had waited for 14 years for freedom; now that he is free, he can wait for a year or a half before looking for that wealth.If he was only given freedom but no wealth, wouldn't he have accepted it?Besides, isn't this wealth still just a mirage?Since it was born in the abnormal mind of the poor elder Faria, wouldn't this wealth be wiped out now?Of course, Cardinal Spada's will was unshakable, and Dantès recited it silently from beginning to end, remembering every word and every sentence clearly.In the blink of an eye, it was dusk, and Dantès saw that the sunset glow sprinkled colorful lights on the small island, gorgeous and colorful, and then the darkness fell, and the small island disappeared.But his eyes had long been used to the darkness in the prison, and he could probably still see them. Anyway, he was the last one to leave the deck.

When I woke up the next day, the boat had arrived in Alleria (the place name of the eastern plain of Corsica). I was sailing against the wind all day. In the evening, I saw lights on the shore. There was no one on a small building. Instead of hoisting the flag, a marker light was hoisted, and one look at the light showed that the cargo could now be unloaded, so the ship moved within the range of the musket and approached the shore.The atmosphere at this time was of course very tense. Dantès saw that when the "Genemely" was approaching the shore, the captain set up two small light cannons on the central axis of the deck. Like a Mauser, it doesn't make much noise when fired, but it can hit a four-pound shell a thousand steps away.

However, that night, such precautions were superfluous. Everything went smoothly, and everyone was very kind.Four small boats rowed quietly towards the "Genomele", and the "Genemely" also lowered its own boat, probably as a sign of welcome.Five small boats shuttled back and forth, and at two o'clock in the morning, all the cargo on the "Renameli" had been unloaded to the shore.The captain was an orderly man, and the bonus was divided overnight, and each got 100 Tuscan livres, which is almost equal to our present 80 francs.But the voyage did not end there, and they sailed again to Sardinia, where the emptied ship was reloaded.This job, like the previous one, was done very beautifully, and the "Genemely" was really lucky.The new shipment is to Luga Italian place name.Fortunately, almost all Havana cigars, Zerez and Malaga are Spanish place names.Wines from both places.

There they had a fight with the Customs House, the bitter rival of the captain of the "Genemely," and a member of the Customs House fell, and two of the sailors on board were wounded, Dantès being one of them, and a bullet knocked him out of the left shoulder. Even the flesh was pierced.Not only was Dantès happy with the skirmish, but also with his injury.These are all severe lessons, telling him what kind of eyes he should use to view danger, and what kind of heart he should use to endure the pain of flesh and blood.He didn't change his smile in the face of danger, but he still said like a Greek philosopher after being shot in the body: "Pain, you are not a disaster!" He even looked at the wounded and dying customs officer, perhaps because His blood was boiling with a big fight, maybe it was because human emotions had cooled and indifferent on him, Dantès looked at it with his eyes, but he didn't feel much in his heart.He has embarked on the journey he wants to go on, and has moved towards the goal he set, and his heart is gradually turning into wood and stone in his chest.

However, when Jacopo saw him fall, he thought he was beaten to death, and immediately rushed to help him up, and after he was lifted up, he took care of him like a good friend.Therefore, although this world does not resemble the characters in Voltaire's novel "Candide" by Dr. Pangloss.As good as I believed, but not as bad as Dantès saw, because Jacopo thought he was killed at first, and was very anxious, but besides being able to take his bonus, this man had no choice. What benefit can be gained from him?Fortunately, as we have said, Edmund was only injured.The smugglers all bought from those old ladies in Sardinia, a kind of herb that could only be picked in a certain season. After Edmond used it, his wounds healed quickly.Edmund wanted to try Jacopo and use the bonus he got to thank Jacopo for taking care of him, but Jacopo angrily refused.Jacopo's sincerity and affection for Edmond came from the first meeting, and Edmond returned some kind of friendship. Jacopo felt that this was enough, he had no extravagant demands, and instinctively I felt that although Edmund was always quiet in front of others, he did have a noble temperament that they did not match, so Edmond showed him a little bit, and this honest sailor would Very satisfied.

Thus, during those days and nights spent on board, when the fair winds filled the sails, and the ship sailed steadily on the blue sea, with no sailors but the helmsman at the helm, Edmund, map in hand, Just like the poor Elder Faria taught him, he taught Jacopo the knowledge of navigation, told him the location of the coast, explained the various changes of the compass, and took him to read the book spread above our heads, God uses diamonds. When the words are written on the blue, everyone calls this huge book of Tianyu.Sometimes Jacopo asked him: "What's the use of learning these things for a worthless sailor like me?" Edmond replied: "Who knows? Maybe one day you will become a captain, and your fellow countryman Napoleon will even become an emperor!" "We forgot to mention that Jacopo is a Corsican.

The ship went back and forth, and two and a half months passed, and Edmund, who had been a fierce and bold sailor, was now a master at navigating the coast, and had made acquaintance with all the smugglers along the coast, and learned these half- A code for pirate-like smugglers to communicate with each other.

Edmond went back and forth from his Monte Cristo Island for countless times, but he still couldn't find a chance to go to that island. Finally, he made a decisive decision: wait for him to book with the captain of the "Genemelie" As soon as the contract expired, he rented a small boat at his own expense. After going to sea many times, he had saved hundreds of piastres, and he already had the money for renting the boat. Monte Cristo was gone, and he was free to look for his things.In fact, it is impossible to be free, because those who send him are very likely to spy.But in this world one has to take risks.Edmond, who had lived behind bars, became mature and prudent, and he was reluctant to take risks.However, although his imagination is very rich, he is also thinking hard, but he can't find any other way to get to the dream island except renting a boat to send him there.

Dantès was always hesitating, and it happened that one night the captain took his arm and pulled him up the Augrio River, a river in Italy.A small hotel by the river.The captain had already trusted him very much, and wanted to keep him on board the ship, and that small hotel was the meeting place for strong smugglers in Leghorn, and the kind of business on the coast was usually negotiated in this hotel.This is the Maritime Exchange. Dantès has been here two or three times. Seeing that there are all kinds of daring pirates on the coast of about 2000 nautical miles gathered here, he can't help thinking in his heart, if someone can drive these pirates with their own will. What power can't be possessed?A great deal was being discussed that evening, a ship was to bring in a shipment of Turkish rugs, oriental cloth, and cashmere, to be found at a neutral place of barter before being distributed all over the coast of France.The deal was completed, and the dividends were very considerable, each person could get fifty or sixty piastres.

The captain of the "Renameli" suggested that Monte Cristo Island could be used as a place for unloading cargo. This island is uninhabited and has neither a garrison nor a customs office. Mercury has cast it into the sea.People like merchants and thieves, although not necessarily distinct, are at least two different people in our eyes. However, the ancients seem to think that they are the same.Hearing the name of the island of Monte Cristo, Dantès trembled with joy. In order to conceal his excitement, he got up and walked around the tavern. The unique mixed language of the east coast of the Mediterranean is a language made up of a mixture of French, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, and Turkish.When he returned to the business table, the two had agreed that the boat would stop at Monte Cristo Island and set off the next night.They also asked Edmond what his opinion was. He thought Monte Cristo was extremely safe, and said that since it was a big undertaking, it must be done quickly.Therefore, the agreed plan has not been changed in any way, and it is finally decided to go to sea in the evening of the next day. If the weather is calm and fine, the evening of the third day should reach the sea surface of this small neutral island.

(End of this chapter)