English
ThenextdayDanglarswasagainhungry;certainlytheairofthatdungeonwasveryprovocativeofappetite.
Theprisonerexpectedthathewouldbeatnoexpensethatday,forlikeaneconomicalmanhehadconcealedhalfofhisfowlandapieceofthebreadinthecornerofhiscell.
Buthehadnosoonereatenthanhefeltthirsty;hehadforgottenthat.
Hestruggledagainsthisthirsttillhistongueclavetotheroofofhismouth;then,nolongerabletoresist,hecalledout.
Thesentinelopenedthedoor;itwasanewface.
Hethoughtitwouldbebettertotransactbusinesswithhisoldacquaintance,sohesentforPeppino.
“HereIam,yourexcellency,”saidPeppino,withaneagernesswhichDanglarsthoughtfavorabletohim.“Whatdoyouwant?”
“Somethingtodrink.”
“YourexcellencyknowsthatwineisbeyondallpricenearRome.”
“Thengivemewater,”criedDanglars,endeavoringtoparrytheblow.
“Oh,waterisevenmorescarcethanwine,yourexcellency,—therehasbeensuchadrought.”
“Come,”thoughtDanglars,“itisthesameoldstory.”Andwhilehesmiledasheattemptedtoregardtheaffairasajoke,hefelthistemplesgetmoistwithperspiration.
“Come,myfriend,”saidDanglars,seeingthathemadenoimpressiononPeppino,“youwillnotrefusemeaglassofwine?”
“Ihavealreadytoldyouthatwedonotsellatretail.”
“Well,then,letmehaveabottleoftheleastexpensive.”
“Theyareallthesameprice.”
“Andwhatisthat?”
“Twenty–fivethousandfrancsabottle.”
“Tellme,”criedDanglars,inatonewhosebitternessHarpagon[*]alonehasbeencapableofrevealing—”tellmethatyouwishtodespoilmeofall;itwillbesooneroverthandevouringmepiecemeal.”
“Itispossiblesuchmaybethemaster’sintention.”
*ThemiserinMoliere’scomedyof“L’Avare.”—Ed.
“Themaster?—whoishe?”
“Thepersontowhomyouwereconductedyesterday.”
“Whereishe?”
“Here.”
“Letmeseehim.”
“Certainly.”AndthenextmomentLuigiVampaappearedbeforeDanglars.
“Yousentforme?”hesaidtotheprisoner.
“Areyou,sir,thechiefofthepeoplewhobroughtmehere?”
“Yes,yourexcellency.Whatthen?”
“Howmuchdoyourequireformyransom?”
“Merelythe5,000,000youhaveaboutyou.”
Danglarsfeltadreadfulspasmdartthroughhisheart.
“ButthisisallIhaveleftintheworld,”hesaid,“outofanimmensefortune.
Ifyoudeprivemeofthat,takeawaymylifealso.”
“Weareforbiddentoshedyourblood.”
“Andbywhomareyouforbidden?”
“Byhimweobey.”
“Youdo,then,obeysomeone?”
“Yes,achief.”
“Ithoughtyousaidyouwerethechief?”
“SoIamofthesemen;butthereisanotheroverme.”
“Anddidyoursuperiororderyoutotreatmeinthisway?”
“Yes.”
“Butmypursewillbeexhausted.”
“Probably.”
“Come,”saidDanglars,“willyoutakeamillion?”
“No.”
“Twomillions?—three?—four?Come,four?Iwillgivethemtoyouonconditionthatyouletmego.”
“Whydoyouofferme4,000,000forwhatisworth5,000,000?Thisisakindofusury,banker,thatIdonotunderstand.”
“Takeall,then—takeall,Itellyou,andkillme!”
“Come,come,calmyourself.Youwillexciteyourblood,andthatwouldproduceanappetiteitwouldrequireamillionadaytosatisfy.Bemoreeconomical.”
“ButwhenIhavenomoremoneylefttopayyou?”askedtheinfuriatedDanglars.
“Thenyoumustsufferhunger.”
“Sufferhunger?”saidDanglars,becomingpale.
“Mostlikely,”repliedVampacoolly.
“Butyousayyoudonotwishtokillme?”
“No.”
“Andyetyouwillletmeperishwithhunger?”
“Ah,thatisadifferentthing.”
“Well,then,wretches,”criedDanglars,“Iwilldefyyourinfamouscalculations—Iwouldratherdieatonce!Youmaytorture,torment,killme,butyoushallnothavemysignatureagain!”
“Asyourexcellencypleases,”saidVampa,asheleftthecell.
Danglars,raving,threwhimselfonthegoat–skin.Whocouldthesemenbe?Whowastheinvisiblechief?
Whatcouldbehisintentionstowardshim?
Andwhy,wheneveryoneelsewasallowedtoberansomed,mighthenotalsobe?
Oh,yes;certainlyaspeedy,violentdeathwouldbeafinemeansofdeceivingtheseremorselessenemies,whoappearedtopursuehimwithsuchincomprehensiblevengeance.Buttodie?
Forthefirsttimeinhislife,Danglarscontemplateddeathwithamixtureofdreadanddesire;thetimehadcomewhentheimplacablespectre,whichexistsinthemindofeveryhumancreature,arrestedhisattentionandcalledoutwitheverypulsationofhisheart,“Thoushaltdie!”
Danglarsresembledatimidanimalexcitedinthechase;firstitflies,thendespairs,andatlast,bytheveryforceofdesperation,sometimessucceedsineludingitspursuers.
Danglarsmeditatedanescape;butthewallsweresolidrock,amanwassittingreadingattheonlyoutlettothecell,andbehindthatmanshapesarmedwithgunscontinuallypassed.
Hisresolutionnottosignlastedtwodays,afterwhichheofferedamillionforsomefood.
Theysenthimamagnificentsupper,andtookhismillion.
Fromthistimetheprisonerresolvedtosuffernolonger,buttohaveeverythinghewanted.
Attheendoftwelvedays,afterhavingmadeasplendiddinner,hereckonedhisaccounts,andfoundthathehadonly50,000francsleft.
Thenastrangereactiontookplace;hewhohadjustabandoned5,000,000endeavoredtosavethe50,000francshehadleft,andsoonerthangivethemupheresolvedtoenteragainuponalifeofprivation—hewasdeludedbythehopefulnessthatisapremonitionofmadness.
HewhoforsolongatimehadforgottenGod,begantothinkthatmiracleswerepossible—thattheaccursedcavernmightbediscoveredbytheofficersofthePapalStates,whowouldreleasehim;thatthenhewouldhave50,000remaining,whichwouldbesufficienttosavehimfromstarvation;andfinallyheprayedthatthissummightbepreservedtohim,andasheprayedhewept.
Threedayspassedthus,duringwhichhisprayerswerefrequent,ifnotheartfelt.
Sometimeshewasdelirious,andfanciedhesawanoldmanstretchedonapallet;he,also,wasdyingofhunger.
Onthefourth,hewasnolongeraman,butalivingcorpse.
Hehadpickedupeverycrumbthathadbeenleftfromhisformermeals,andwasbeginningtoeatthemattingwhichcoveredthefloorofhiscell.
ThenheentreatedPeppino,ashewouldaguardianangel,togivehimfood;heofferedhim1,000francsforamouthfulofbread.ButPeppinodidnotanswer.
Onthefifthdayhedraggedhimselftothedoorofthecell.
“AreyounotaChristian?”hesaid,fallingonhisknees.
“Doyouwishtoassassinateamanwho,intheeyesofheaven,isabrother?
Oh,myformerfriends,myformerfriends!”
hemurmured,andfellwithhisfacetotheground.
Thenrisingindespair,heexclaimed,“Thechief,thechief!”
“HereIam,”saidVampa,instantlyappearing;“whatdoyouwant?”
“Takemylastgold,”mutteredDanglars,holdingouthispocket–book,“andletmelivehere;Iasknomoreforliberty—Ionlyasktolive!”
“Thenyousufferagreatdeal?”
“Oh,yes,yes,cruelly!”
“Still,therehavebeenmenwhosufferedmorethanyou.”
“Idonotthinkso.”
“Yes;thosewhohavediedofhunger.”
Danglarsthoughtoftheoldmanwhom,inhishoursofdelirium,hehadseengroaningonhisbed.
Hestruckhisforeheadonthegroundandgroaned.
“Yes,”hesaid,“therehavebeensomewhohavesufferedmorethanIhave,butthentheymusthavebeenmartyrsatleast.”
“Doyourepent?”askedadeep,solemnvoice,whichcausedDanglars’hairtostandonend.
Hisfeebleeyesendeavoredtodistinguishobjects,andbehindthebandithesawamanenvelopedinacloak,halflostintheshadowofastonecolumn.
“OfwhatmustIrepent?”stammeredDanglars.
“Oftheevilyouhavedone,”saidthevoice.
“Oh,yes;oh,yes,Idoindeedrepent.”Andhestruckhisbreastwithhisemaciatedfist.
“ThenIforgiveyou,”saidtheman,droppinghiscloak,andadvancingtothelight.
“TheCountofMonteCristo!”saidDanglars,morepalefromterrorthanhehadbeenjustbeforefromhungerandmisery.
“Youaremistaken—IamnottheCountofMonteCristo.”
“Thenwhoareyou?”
“Iamhewhomyousoldanddishonored—Iamhewhosebetrothedyouprostituted—Iamheuponwhomyoutrampledthatyoumightraiseyourselftofortune—Iamhewhosefatheryoucondemnedtodieofhunger—Iamhewhomyoualsocondemnedtostarvation,andwhoyetforgivesyou,becausehehopestobeforgiven—IamEdmondDantes!”
Danglarsutteredacry,andfellprostrate.
“Rise,”saidthecount,“yourlifeissafe;thesamegoodfortunehasnothappenedtoyouraccomplices—oneismad,theotherdead.
Keepthe50,000francsyouhaveleft—Igivethemtoyou.
The5,000,000youstolefromthehospitalshasbeenrestoredtothembyanunknownhand.
Andnoweatanddrink;Iwillentertainyouto–night.
Vampa,whenthismanissatisfied,lethimbefree.”
Danglarsremainedprostratewhilethecountwithdrew;whenheraisedhisheadhesawdisappearingdownthepassagenothingbutashadow,beforewhichthebanditsbowed.
Accordingtothecount’sdirections,DanglarswaswaitedonbyVampa,whobroughthimthebestwineandfruitsofItaly;then,havingconductedhimtotheroad,andpointedtothepost–chaise,lefthimleaningagainstatree.
Heremainedthereallnight,notknowingwherehewas.
Whendaylightdawnedhesawthathewasnearastream;hewasthirsty,anddraggedhimselftowardsit.
Ashestoopeddowntodrink,hesawthathishairhadbecomeentirelywhite.
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