World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 38 The Island of Monte Cristo
People who have been suffering from bad luck for many years will sometimes encounter unexpected good luck after suffering.It was such good fortune that Dantès had been able to land on the island of Monte Cristo without any trouble, reasonably, and without arousing any suspicion.Now, there is only one night away from the journey he longed for.This night was one of the most anxious nights in Dantès' life. All kinds of possibilities, whether it was smooth or setbacks, all appeared in his mind.Closing his eyes, he saw the suicide note of Cardinal Spada written in big shining letters on the wall; after falling asleep for a while, extremely absurd and weird dreams swirled in his mind again.He seemed to have arrived at the cave, and he saw emeralds on the floor, rubies on the walls, stalactites made of diamonds hanging from the ceiling, and pearls falling down one after another like the water seeping out of the ground that we usually see.Edmund couldn't help being ecstatic and admiring. He grabbed these rare treasures and put them in his pocket, and then went back outside the cave, but all the gems turned into ordinary pebbles.So, he tried to turn back to the cave, but the cave was already looming, the road became winding and winding, and the entrance of the cave had long since disappeared.He searched.However, I just couldn't remember what spell the Arab fisherman recited when he opened Ali Baba's resplendent treasure cave.All was lost, and the treasure once hoped to be snatched from the hands of the gods of the earth was gone, once again falling into the hands of the gods.

Night comes to an end, although the day is as anxious as the night, but after all, it gives people imagination and reason.Dantès finally sorted out his ambiguous thoughts, and finally came up with a plan of action.In the evening, he began to make preparations for the sea, and Dantès just used his busyness to cover up his uneasy mood.He has gradually established the prestige of commanding in front of his companions, almost becoming the captain of a ship, and his orders are always concise and easy to execute, and his companions not only act quickly but also feel comfortable following his orders.The old captain also agreed, because he admitted that Dantès was better than the rest of the crew, and even himself, and thought that this young man was his heir given by God, but unfortunately he had no daughter, so he could not match the marriage and tied Edmund.Everything was ready at 7 o'clock in the evening, and at 7:10 the lighthouse was about to be lighted, and their boat circled the lighthouse.

The sea is calm, the southeast wind is fresh and cool, the boat is sailing under the blue sky, and God is lighting one lamp after another in the blue sky, which is actually the beacon of one world after another.Dantès sent everyone to bed, leaving him alone at the helm.Now that the Maltese (Dantes was called by that on board) said such things, it was all right, and everyone went to bed in peace.This is also a common thing. Although Edmund, who had been alone in the past, returned to society, sometimes he still needed solitude very much.When a lonely boat cruises in the vast sea under the gaze of God in this hazy night of silence, what kind of loneliness is more boundless and poetic than this loneliness?This time, loneliness was disturbed by his thoughts, the night sky was illuminated by his fantasies, and the silence was broken by his vows.When the captain woke up, the sails were full, and every inch of the sail was full of wind and bulged, and the speed was more than two and a half knots per hour.The island of Monte Cristo grew larger in the sky.Edmund left the boat in the care of the captain, and got into his hammock, but although he had been up all night the previous night, he could not sleep for a moment now.

Two hours later he returned to the deck. The ship was about to round the island of Elba, not far from the island of Marciana, and directly in front of it was the flat and green island of Pianosa, with the splendor of Monte Cristo standing in the blue sky. mountain top.Dantès ordered the helmsman to steer to port, and prepare to pass to the left of Pianozha Island.He has already calculated that taking this route can shorten the distance by two or three nautical miles.At around five o'clock in the evening, the panorama of Monte Cristo Island can already be seen.The setting sun shines in the west, the atmosphere is exceptionally clear and bright, and everything on the island is vividly visible.Edmund gazed greedily at the cliff, which was changing colors in the setting sun, from the brightest rose to the deepest blue, and there were all kinds of twilight shades.From time to time, Edmond felt a hot flush on his face, a blush on his forehead, and a purple cloud in front of his eyes. The gambler who took all his family property and made a bet was not as restless as Edmond, who was desperately eager at this time .As night fell, they docked at 10 o'clock in the evening, and the "Renameli" was the first to arrive at the rendezvous place.Dantès has always been very self-controlled, but now he can no longer restrain the excitement in his heart, and he is the first to jump ashore. If he had no scruples, he would definitely kneel down and kiss the ground like Brutus.

It was very dark.But when the moon rises from the sea at 11 o'clock, the billowing waves are dyed silvery white, and the moon gradually rises again, pouring the white misty silver light on Mount Boron, the high mountain south of Mount Olympus on the Greek Aegean Sea, The scenery is beautiful. In Greek mythology, it is on the cliff of Weimu Yinjian. The crew of the "Renameli" are familiar with this island and often come here to anchor.Dantès used to go sailing on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and he passed by here every time, but he never went to the island.

"Where do we spend the night?" he asked Jacopo?

"On the boat, of course," Jacopo replied.

"Wouldn't it be better to sleep in a cave?"

"What cave?"

"The cave on the island."

"I don't know of any caves," Jacopo said.

Cold sweat suddenly broke out on Dantès' forehead. "There are no caves on Monte Cristo?" he asked.

"No."

For a moment Dantès was flustered, and then it occurred to him that some accident might have filled up the caves, or that Cardinal Spada might have sealed them all, just to be safe.Whatever the reason, the most important thing now is to find the obliterated hole.However, it was useless to search at night, so Dantès decided to search the next day.Moreover, a signal had been raised on the surface of the sea for a mile and a half, and the "Genemelie" echoed it by raising the same signal, telling the other side that it was time to act.The ship that arrived late was relieved when it saw the signal telling it that there was no danger in the rendezvous now.After a while, it approached quietly, and saw a white mist, like a ghost, on the shore of the island, a chain of old distance measurement units, about 200 meters.The place broke down, and then immediately began to deliver and receive goods.

Dantès thought, as he worked, that if he could speak aloud the thoughts that kept ringing in his ears and in his mind, a single word would be enough to make all these people cry out with joy.However, not only did he not reveal this flowery secret treasure, but he was always worried that he had already said too much, plus he walked back and forth, asking this and that, looking around, always looking worried, maybe will arouse suspicion.Fortunately, at least it can be said that on this night, the melancholy cast on his face by the sorrow of the past could not be wiped off, and the spark of joy under the cloud of melancholy was only a flash in the pan.

In fact, no one ever guessed what.The next day Dantès took muskets, buckshot and gunpowder, and said that he was going to hunt a wild goat back. There were indeed many wild goats jumping between the cliffs on the island. Everyone thought that Dantès went up for a stroll because he liked hunting. Or like to be alone.It's just that Jacopo insisted on going with him, and Dantès couldn't refuse to agree, fearing that his insistence on not being accompanied would cause suspicion.But before he had finished walking half a mile, the opportunity to shoot came, and he killed a kid.He told Jacopo to send the goat to the boat, and asked his companions to roast it first, and when it was done, he fired a gun and told him to eat it. In addition, he had to add some dried fruits and a large bottle of wine from Monte Pulciano to eat the goat meat.

Dantès continued to walk forward, and looked back from time to time.He came to the top of a rock and saw his companions a thousand feet below him, to which Jacopo had returned.They are busy preparing lunch.With this entrée delivered by the ingenious Edmund, lunch is sure to be a good one.Edmund looked at them for a moment with that kindly, melancholy smile of the best. "In a couple of hours," he said, "they're going to set off again after they've got fifty piastres apiece, risking their lives to earn another fifty piastres, and then they'll each be paid six hundred piastres. They came back with sultan-like pomp and smugness as if they had come back from India rich and squandered the money in some city. Today I am full of hope and sneer at their wealth I feel that it is too poor to have this little money, but tomorrow I may be disappointed and have to admit that it is a great happiness to have such a pitiful little money. "Oh, no," cried Edmund, "no There is such a thing, Faria is so knowledgeable and infallible that there is no way that there is any mistake in this matter alone.Besides, it would be better to die than to be so poor and low-spirited. "

Three months ago, Dantès was only longing for freedom, but now that freedom is not enough, he is eager for wealth.This is not the fault of Dantès, but caused by God, who on the one hand limits human energy, and on the other hand makes human desires endless.However, at this moment, Dantès came to the gap between the two rock walls. There was a small path washed out by the turbulent current in the gap, and it is very likely that no human footprints have been left behind.Dantès guessed that the cave might be here, so he walked forward slowly.As he walked along the coast, he looked carefully, not missing any small place, and he felt that he found traces of artificial chiseling on several rocks.

If it is said that time will forget the spiritual things, then it will cover the tangible things with moss, but it seems to respect the neatly chiseled marks, as if they were left on purpose for people to search. Mark of.But some places were covered with clumps of myrtle trees, and the branches and branches were covered with large flowers, and some places were covered with parasitic moss, and the signs were covered.Edmund had to pick apart the flowering branches or peel off the moss to find the sign, and walked step by step into this maze-like place.But these signs gave Edmund hope after all, and could they be the ones left by the cardinal, so that his nephew could have a guidepost after some unforeseen calamity?This place is very remote, and if someone wants to hide a huge treasure, it is a perfect place.But are these signs unreliable, never attracting the attention of anyone but those they should be told about?Is this dark and mysterious island faithfully guarding this blooming secret treasure?

Edmond walked among the undulating cliffs, and it was impossible for his companions on the boat to see him.When he found a place 60 steps away from the small harbor, the chiseling marks were gone, and there were no caves. It was just a large round stone as the target, but the ground under the stone was very solid and hard.Edmund felt that this was not the end of the path leading to the cave, but the beginning, so he went in the wrong direction, so he turned back and started again.

While Dantès was going back and forth, his companions were preparing their lunch, fetching water from the spring, bringing bread and dried fruit from the boat, and roasting the kid.Just as they were pulling the mutton roast from the makeshift spit, they saw Edmond leaping up and down the rocks with the swiftness and boldness of a chamois, and they fired a signal to him. .Edmund the hunt turned immediately, and came galloping towards them.They were all looking up at him leaping through the air, as if to startle them, and remarking that his quickness was simply reckless, when Edmund slipped and saw him on the top of a rock. It shook for a while, and then there was a loud cry, and the person disappeared.They all rushed towards him, because Edmond was liked by everyone, although he was more capable than them all, and Jacopo was the first to arrive.

He saw Edmund lying there, bleeding and almost unconscious.His fall was most likely from a height of 12-15 feet.They poured a few drops of rum into his mouth, and the potion, which had worked so well for him, had once again had the same good effect as before.Edmund opened his eyes, and said that his knees ached, his head felt heavy, and he felt such sharp pains in his side that he could not bear it.They tried to carry him to the bank, and although Jacopo was in charge, as soon as they touched him he grumbled that he was in too much pain and could not carry him.It was clear that Edmund would have no desire for lunch at this hour, but his companions had no need to starve with him, and he insisted that they all go back and do what they ought to do; Lie down for a while and he might be better when they come over again.

The sailors stopped giving way, they were all hungry, and the smell of roasted mutton wafted again and again, besides, there was no politeness among sailors.An hour later they came again.During the time they left, the only thing Edmund could do was to drag himself for a dozen steps, leaning against a mossy rock.But the pain not only did not decrease, but felt worse.The old captain was in order to deliver the goods to the border cities of Nice and Fregius in northwestern Italy.The French border with Piedmont, so the boat must be sailed in the morning, and he repeatedly asked Edmond to try to stand up.After listening to the captain's advice, Dantès tried to stand up several times with superhuman perseverance, but every time he turned pale and fell down again amidst the groan of pain.

"He's broken his back," said the captain in a low voice, "it's all right, he's a good fellow, and we can't leave him alone. We'll carry him aboard." Light, the excruciating pain it caused was unbearable, he would rather die here.

"Well then," said the captain, "let's resign ourselves to the fact that we must not let anyone gossip that we have left a good fellow like you behind, and that we shall wait till evening."

Of course, the sailors did not object to the captain's decision, but they couldn't help being surprised, because the captain was a very rigid person. Once the matter was settled, he never gave up, and he never even delayed. This time was really an exception.Dantès felt sorry for breaking the rules on board for him, so he refused to agree.

"I can't," he said to the captain, "I'm a stupid man, and I deserve a little for my clumsiness. Leave me a biscuit, and a gun, powder, and bullets, and I'll shoot a kid, You can even defend yourself, and leave me a pickaxe, in case you can’t come back to pick me up for a while, I can build a house or something.”

"But you will die of hunger," said the captain.

"It's better to be dead," replied Edmund. "I don't know how much it hurts if I move a little now. I don't want to suffer it."

The captain turned around and looked at the ship. The ship was rocking gently in the small harbor. The preparations before sailing were all ready. Now, as long as the sails were pulled up, the ship could go to sea immediately.

"What do you say we should do, Maltese?" said the captain. "We can't leave you like this, but we can't stay here."

"Come on, let's go," cried Dantès.

"We shall be away for at least a week," said the captain, "and we shall have to make a detour to fetch you."

"I said," Dantès said, "if you encounter fishing boats or other boats in the nearby waters within two or three days, ask them to come and fetch me. I will give them 25 piastres to take me back to Leghorn." The travel expenses. If you can’t touch the boat, you will pick me up again.”

The captain shook his head.

"I said, Captain Baldi, there is a way to have the best of both worlds," Jacopo said, "you go your way, and I will stay and take care of him."

"For my company," said Edmund, "you don't want your share of the bonus?"

"You don't have to," said Jacopo, "and you won't regret it."

"Why, you're a good boy, Jacopo," said Edmond, "and God will reward you for your kindness, but I don't need any company, thank you. I'll recover in a day or two." Come here, and I hope to find some kind of high-quality medicinal herb that can cure falls among these rocks." After speaking, a strange smile flashed across Edmund's mouth.He shook Jacopo's hand emotionally again, but he did not waver, determined to stay and stay alone.

So these smugglers left Edmund with what he wanted, and then they all went away, and they all turned their heads several times, greeting him again and again, saying goodbye, and Edmund just waved his hands in reply, as if nothing but hands He couldn't move his whole body.Then, when they were out of sight, Dantès smiled and said to himself: "I never expected to see friendship and loyalty among such people."

A rock in front of him blocked the sea, so he crawled cautiously up to the rock, and saw that the dhow was ready to sail, pulled up the anchor, and swayed lightly on the water like a seagull about to fly. After a moment, he left the small harbor.An hour later, the boat had completely disappeared, at least from where the wounded Dantès had been.At this moment Dantès sprang to his feet, and even the kid who hopped among the myrtle and pistachio bushes in this barren mountain was not as agile and light as he.With a musket in one hand and a pick in the other, he ran swiftly towards a rock where the marks carved on the wall ended.He remembered the story of the Arab fisherman that Faria had told him, and he cried out, "Now, Sesame, Sesame, open the door!"

(End of this chapter)