English
Onthebed,atfulllength,andfaintlyilluminatedbythepalelightthatcamefromthewindow,layasackofcanvas,andunderitsrudefoldswasstretchedalongandstiffenedform;itwasFaria’slastwinding–sheet,—awinding–sheetwhich,astheturnkeysaid,costsolittle.Everythingwasinreadiness.
AbarrierhadbeenplacedbetweenDantesandhisoldfriend.
NolongercouldEdmondlookintothosewide–openeyeswhichhadseemedtobepenetratingthemysteriesofdeath;nolongercouldheclaspthehandwhichhaddonesomuchtomakehisexistenceblessed.
Faria,thebeneficentandcheerfulcompanion,withwhomhewasaccustomedtolivesointimately,nolongerbreathed.
Heseatedhimselfontheedgeofthatterriblebed,andfellintomelancholyandgloomyrevery.
Alone—hewasaloneagain—againcondemnedtosilence—againfacetofacewithnothingness!Alone!
—neveragaintoseetheface,neveragaintohearthevoiceoftheonlyhumanbeingwhounitedhimtoearth!
WasnotFaria’sfatethebetter,afterall—tosolvetheproblemoflifeatitssource,evenattheriskofhorriblesuffering?
Theideaofsuicide,whichhisfriendhaddrivenawayandkeptawaybyhischeerfulpresence,nowhoveredlikeaphantomovertheabbe’sdeadbody.
“IfIcoulddie,”hesaid,“Ishouldgowherehegoes,andshouldassuredlyfindhimagain.Buthowtodie?
Itisveryeasy,”hewentonwithasmile;“Iwillremainhere,rushonthefirstpersonthatopensthedoor,stranglehim,andthentheywillguillotineme.”
Butexcessivegriefislikeastormatsea,wherethefrailbarkistossedfromthedepthstothetopofthewave.
Dantesrecoiledfromtheideaofsoinfamousadeath,andpassedsuddenlyfromdespairtoanardentdesireforlifeandliberty.
“Die?oh,no,”heexclaimed—”notdienow,afterhavinglivedandsufferedsolongandsomuch!Die?
yes,hadIdiedyearsago;butnowtodiewouldbe,indeed,togivewaytothesarcasmofdestiny.
No,Iwanttolive;Ishallstruggletotheverylast;IwillyetwinbackthehappinessofwhichIhavebeendeprived.
BeforeIdieImustnotforgetthatIhavemyexecutionerstopunish,andperhaps,too,whoknows,somefriendstoreward.
Yettheywillforgetmehere,andIshalldieinmydungeonlikeFaria.”
Ashesaidthis,hebecamesilentandgazedstraightbeforehimlikeoneoverwhelmedwithastrangeandamazingthought.
Suddenlyhearose,liftedhishandtohisbrowasifhisbrainworegiddy,pacedtwiceorthriceroundthedungeon,andthenpausedabruptlybythebed.
“JustGod!”hemuttered,“whencecomesthisthought?Isitfromthee?
Sincenonebutthedeadpassfreelyfromthisdungeon,letmetaketheplaceofthedead!”
Withoutgivinghimselftimetoreconsiderhisdecision,and,indeed,thathemightnotallowhisthoughtstobedistractedfromhisdesperateresolution,hebentovertheappallingshroud,openeditwiththeknifewhichFariahadmade,drewthecorpsefromthesack,andboreitalongthetunneltohisownchamber,laiditonhiscouch,tiedarounditsheadtheragheworeatnightaroundhisown,covereditwithhiscounterpane,onceagainkissedtheice–coldbrow,andtriedvainlytoclosetheresistingeyes,whichglaredhorribly,turnedtheheadtowardsthewall,sothatthejailermight,whenhebroughttheeveningmeal,believethathewasasleep,aswashisfrequentcustom;enteredthetunnelagain,drewthebedagainstthewall,returnedtotheothercell,tookfromthehiding–placetheneedleandthread,flungoffhisrags,thattheymightfeelonlynakedfleshbeneaththecoarsecanvas,andgettinginsidethesack,placedhimselfinthepostureinwhichthedeadbodyhadbeenlaid,andsewedupthemouthofthesackfromtheinside.
Hewouldhavebeendiscoveredbythebeatingofhisheart,ifbyanymischancethejailershadenteredatthatmoment.
Dantesmighthavewaiteduntiltheeveningvisitwasover,buthewasafraidthatthegovernorwouldchangehismind,andorderthedeadbodytoberemovedearlier.
Inthatcasehislasthopewouldhavebeendestroyed.
Nowhisplanswerefullymade,andthisiswhatheintendedtodo.
Ifwhilehewasbeingcarriedoutthegrave–diggersshoulddiscoverthattheywerebearingaliveinsteadofadeadbody,Dantesdidnotintendtogivethemtimetorecognizehim,butwithasuddencutoftheknife,hemeanttoopenthesackfromtoptobottom,and,profitingbytheiralarm,escape;iftheytriedtocatchhim,hewouldusehisknifetobetterpurpose.
Iftheytookhimtothecemeteryandlaidhiminagrave,hewouldallowhimselftobecoveredwithearth,andthen,asitwasnight,thegrave–diggerscouldscarcelyhaveturnedtheirbacksbeforehewouldhaveworkedhiswaythroughtheyieldingsoilandescaped.
Hehopedthattheweightofearthwouldnotbesogreatthathecouldnotovercomeit.
Ifhewasdetectedinthisandtheearthprovedtooheavy,hewouldbestifled,andthen—somuchthebetter,allwouldbeover.
Danteshadnoteatensincetheprecedingevening,buthehadnotthoughtofhunger,nordidhethinkofitnow.
Hissituationwastooprecarioustoallowhimeventimetoreflectonanythoughtbutone.
ThefirstriskthatDantesranwas,thatthejailer,whenhebroughthimhissupperatseveno’clock,mightperceivethechangethathadbeenmade;fortunately,twentytimesatleast,frommisanthropyorfatigue,Danteshadreceivedhisjailerinbed,andthenthemanplacedhisbreadandsouponthetable,andwentawaywithoutsayingaword.
Thistimethejailermightnotbeassilentasusual,butspeaktoDantes,andseeingthathereceivednoreply,gotothebed,andthusdiscoverall.
Whenseveno’clockcame,Dantes’agonyreallybegan.
Hishandplaceduponhisheartwasunabletoredressitsthrobbings,while,withtheotherhewipedtheperspirationfromhistemples.
Fromtimetotimechillsranthroughhiswholebody,andclutchedhisheartinagraspofice.Thenhethoughthewasgoingtodie.
Yetthehourspassedonwithoutanyunusualdisturbance,andDantesknewthathehadescapedthefirstperil.Itwasagoodaugury.
Atlength,aboutthehourthegovernorhadappointed,footstepswereheardonthestairs.
Edmondfeltthatthemomenthadarrived,summonedupallhiscourage,heldhisbreath,andwouldhavebeenhappyifatthesametimehecouldhaverepressedthethrobbingofhisveins.
Thefootsteps—theyweredouble—pausedatthedoor—andDantesguessedthatthetwograve–diggershadcometoseekhim—thisideawassoonconvertedintocertainty,whenheheardthenoisetheymadeinputtingdownthehand–bier.
Thedooropened,andadimlightreachedDantes’eyesthroughthecoarsesackthatcoveredhim;hesawtwoshadowsapproachhisbed,athirdremainingatthedoorwithatorchinitshand.
Thetwomen,approachingtheendsofthebed,tookthesackbyitsextremities.
“He’sheavythoughforanoldandthinman,”saidone,asheraisedthehead.
“Theysayeveryyearaddshalfapoundtotheweightofthebones,”saidanother,liftingthefeet.
“Haveyoutiedtheknot?”inquiredthefirstspeaker.
“Whatwouldbetheuseofcarryingsomuchmoreweight?”wasthereply,“Icandothatwhenwegetthere.”
“Yes,you’reright,”repliedthecompanion.
“What’stheknotfor?”thoughtDantes.
Theydepositedthesupposedcorpseonthebier.
Edmondstiffenedhimselfinordertoplaythepartofadeadman,andthentheparty,lightedbythemanwiththetorch,whowentfirst,ascendedthestairs.
Suddenlyhefeltthefreshandsharpnightair,andDantesknewthatthemistralwasblowing.
Itwasasensationinwhichpleasureandpainwerestrangelymingled.
Thebearerswentonfortwentypaces,thenstopped,puttingthebierdownontheground.
Oneofthemwentaway,andDantesheardhisshoesstrikingonthepavement.
“WhereamI?”heaskedhimself.
“Really,heisbynomeansalightload!”saidtheotherbearer,sittingontheedgeofthehand–barrow.Dantes’firstimpulsewastoescape,butfortunatelyhedidnotattemptit.
“Giveusalight,”saidtheotherbearer,“orIshallneverfindwhatIamlookingfor.”Themanwiththetorchcomplied,althoughnotaskedinthemostpoliteterms.
“Whatcanhebelookingfor?”thoughtEdmond.“Thespade,perhaps.”
Anexclamationofsatisfactionindicatedthatthegrave–diggerhadfoundtheobjectofhissearch.
“Hereitisatlast,”hesaid,“notwithoutsometroublethough.”
“Yes,”wastheanswer,“butithaslostnothingbywaiting.”
Ashesaidthis,themancametowardsEdmond,whoheardaheavymetallicsubstancelaiddownbesidehim,andatthesamemomentacordwasfastenedroundhisfeetwithsuddenandpainfulviolence.
“Well,haveyoutiedtheknot?”inquiredthegrave–digger,whowaslookingon.
“Yes,andprettytighttoo,Icantellyou,”wastheanswer.
“Moveon,then.”Andthebierwasliftedoncemore,andtheyproceeded.
Theyadvancedfiftypacesfarther,andthenstoppedtoopenadoor,thenwentforwardagain.
Thenoiseofthewavesdashingagainsttherocksonwhichthechateauisbuilt,reachedDantes’eardistinctlyastheywentforward.
“Badweather!”observedoneofthebearers;“notapleasantnightforadipinthesea.”
“Why,yes,theabberunsachanceofbeingwet,”saidtheother;andthentherewasaburstofbrutallaughter.Dantesdidnotcomprehendthejest,buthishairstooderectonhishead.
“Well,hereweareatlast,”saidoneofthem.
“Alittlefarther—alittlefarther,”saidtheother.
“Youknowverywellthatthelastwasstoppedonhisway,dashedontherocks,andthegovernortoldusnextdaythatwewerecarelessfellows.”
Theyascendedfiveorsixmoresteps,andthenDantesfeltthattheytookhim,onebytheheadandtheotherbytheheels,andswunghimtoandfro.“One!”saidthegrave–diggers,“two!three!”
AndatthesameinstantDantesfelthimselfflungintotheairlikeawoundedbird,falling,falling,witharapiditythatmadehisbloodcurdle.
Althoughdrawndownwardsbytheheavyweightwhichhastenedhisrapiddescent,itseemedtohimasifthefalllastedforacentury.
Atlast,withahorriblesplash,hedartedlikeanarrowintotheice–coldwater,andashedidsoheutteredashrillcry,stifledinamomentbyhisimmersionbeneaththewaves.
Danteshadbeenflungintothesea,andwasdraggedintoitsdepthsbyathirty–sixpoundshottiedtohisfeet.TheseaisthecemeteryoftheChateaud’If.
Share this article to
FINISH