Chapter 116 The Pardon
|
|||||
THE
NEXT DAY Danglars was again hungry; certainly the air of that dungeon was
very provocative of appetite. The prisoner expected that he would be at no
expense that day, for like an economical man he had concealed half of his
fowl and a piece of the bread in the corner of his cell. But he had no
sooner eaten than he felt thirsty; he had forgotten that. He struggled
against his thirst till his tongue clave to the roof of his mouth; then,
no longer able to resist, he called out. The sentinel opened the door; it
was a new face. He thought it would be better to transact business with
his old acquaintance, so he sent for Peppino. "Here I am, your
excellency," said Peppino, with an eagerness which Danglars thought
favorable to him. "What do you want?" "Something
to drink." "Your
excellency knows that wine is beyond all price near Rome." "Then
give me water," cried Danglars, endeavoring to parry the blow. "Oh,
water is even more scarce than wine, your excellency,--there has been such
a drought." "Come,"
thought Danglars, "it is the same old story." And while he
smiled as he attempted to regard the affair as a joke, he felt his temples
get moist with perspiration. "Come,
my friend," said Danglars, seeing that he made no impression on
Peppino, "you will not refuse me a glass of wine?" "I
have already told you that we do not sell at retail." "Well,
then, let me have a bottle of the least expensive." "They
are all the same price." "And
what is that?" "Twenty-five
thousand francs a bottle." "Tell
me," cried Danglars, in a tone whose bitterness Harpagon* alone has
been capable of revealing--"tell the that you wish to despoil me of
all; it will be sooner over than devouring me piecemeal." *
The miser in Moliจจre's
comedy of "L'Avare."--Ed. "It
is possible such may be the master's intention." "The
master?--who is he?" "The
person to whom you were conducted yesterday." "Where
is he?" "Here."
"Let
me see him." "Certainly."
And the next moment Luigi Vampa appeared before Danglars. "You
sent for me?" he said to the prisoner. "Are
you, sir, the chief of the people who brought me here?" "Yes,
your excellency. What then?" "How
much do you require for my ransom?" "Merely
the 5,000,000 you have about you." Danglars felt a dreadful spasm
dart through his heart. "But this is all I have left in the
world," he said, "out of an immense fortune. If you deprive me
of that, take away my life also." "We
are forbidden to shed your blood." "And
by whom are you forbidden?" "By
him we obey." "You
do, then, obey some one?" "Yes,
a chief." "I
thought you said you were the chief?" "So
I am of these men; but there is another over me." "And
did your superior order you to treat me in this way?" "Yes."
"But
my purse will be exhausted." "Probably."
"Come,"
said Danglars, "will you take a million?" "No."
"Two
millions?--three?--four? Come, four? I will give them to you on condition
that you let me go." "Why
do you offer me 4,000,000 for what is worth 5,000,000? This is a kind of
usury, banker, that I do not understand." "Take
all, then--take all, I tell you, and kill me!" "Come,
come, calm yourself. You will excite your blood, and that would produce an
appetite it would require a million a day to satisfy. Be more
economical." "But
when I have no more money left to pay you?" asked the infuriated
Danglars. "Then
you must suffer hunger." "Suffer
hunger?" said Danglars, becoming pale. "Most
likely," replied Vampa coolly. "But
you say you do not wish to kill me?" "No."
"And
yet you will let me perish with hunger?" "Ah,
that is a different thing." "Well,
then, wretches," cried Danglars, "I will defy your infamous
calculations--I would rather die at once! You may torture, torment, kill
me, but you shall not have my signature again!" "As
your excellency pleases," said Vampa, as he left the cell. Danglars,
raving, threw himself on the goat-skin. Who could these men be? Who was
the invisible chief? What could be his intentions towards him? And why,
when every one else was allowed to be ransomed, might he not also be? Oh,
yes; certainly a speedy, violent death would be a fine means of deceiving
these remorseless enemies, who appeared to pursue him with such
incomprehensible vengeance. But to die? For the first time in his life,
Danglars contemplated death with a mixture of dread and desire; the time
had come when the implacable spectre, which exists in the mind of every
human creature, arrested his attention and called out with every pulsation
of his heart, "Thou shalt die!" Danglars
resembled a timid animal excited in the chase; first it flies, then
despairs, and at last, by the very force of desperation, sometimes
succeeds in eluding its pursuers. Danglars meditated an escape; but the
walls were solid rock, a man was sitting reading at the only outlet to the
cell, and behind that man shapes armed with guns continually passed. His
resolution not to sign lasted two days, after which he offered a million
for some food. They sent him a magnificent supper, and took his million. From
this time the prisoner resolved to suffer no longer, but to have
everything he wanted. At the end of twelve days, after having made a
splendid dinner, he reckoned his accounts, and found that he had only
50,000 francs left. Then a strange reaction took place; he who had just
abandoned 5,000,000 endeavored to save the 50,000 francs he had left, and
sooner than give them up he resolved to enter again upon a life of
privation--he was deluded by the hopefulness that is a premonition of
madness. He who for so long a time had forgotten God, began to think that
miracles were possible--that the accursed cavern might be discovered by
the officers of the Papal States, who would release him; that then he
would have 50,000 remaining, which would be sufficient to save him from
starvation; and finally he prayed that this sum might be preserved to him,
and as he prayed he wept. Three days passed thus, during which his prayers
were frequent, if not heartfelt. Sometimes he was delirious, and fancied
he saw an old man stretched on a pallet; he, also, was dying of hunger. On
the fourth, he was no longer a man, but a living corpse. He had picked up
every crumb that had been left from his former meals, and was beginning to
eat the matting which covered the floor of his cell. Then he entreated
Peppino, as he would a guardian angel, to give him food; he offered him
1,000 francs for a mouthful of bread. But Peppino did not answer. On the
fifth day he dragged himself to the door of the cell. "Are
you not a Christian?" he said, falling on his knees. "Do you
wish to assassinate a man who, in the eyes of heaven, is a brother? Oh, my
former friends, my former friends!" he murmured, and fell with his
face to the ground. Then rising in despair, he exclaimed, "The chief,
the chief!" "Here
I am," said Vampa, instantly appearing; "what do you want?"
"Take
my last gold," muttered Danglars, holding out his pocket-book,
"and let me live here; I ask no more for liberty--I only ask to
live!" "Then
you suffer a great deal?" "Oh,
yes, yes, cruelly!" "Still,
there have been men who suffered more than you." "I
do not think so." "Yes;
those who have died of hunger." Danglars
thought of the old man whom, in his hours of delirium, he had seen
groaning on his bed. He struck his forehead on the ground and groaned.
"Yes," he said, "there have been some who have suffered
more than I have, but then they must have been martyrs at least." "Do
you repent?" asked a deep, solemn voice, which caused Danglars' hair
to stand on end. His feeble eyes endeavored to distinguish objects, and
behind the bandit he saw a man enveloped in a cloak, half lost in the
shadow of a stone column. "Of
what must I repent?" stammered Danglars. "Of
the evil you have done," said the voice. "Oh,
yes; oh, yes, I do indeed repent." And he struck his breast with his
emaciated fist. "Then
I forgive you," said the man, dropping his cloak, and advancing to
the light. "The
Count of Monte Cristo!" said Danglars, more pale from terror than he
had been just before from hunger and misery. "You
are mistaken--I am not the Count of Monte Cristo." "Then
who are you?" "I
am he whom you sold and dishonored--I am he whose betrothed you
prostituted--I am he upon whom you trampled that you might raise yourself
to fortune--I am he whose father you condemned to die of hunger--I am he
whom you also condemned to starvation, and who yet forgives you, because
he hopes to be forgiven--I am Edmond Dantจจs!"
Danglars uttered a cry, and fell prostrate. "Rise," said the
count, "your life is safe; the same good fortune has not happened to
your accomplices--one is mad, the other dead. Keep the 50,000 francs you
have left--I give them to you. The 5,000,000 you stole from the hospitals
has been restored to them by an unknown hand. And now eat and drink; I
will entertain you to-night. Vampa, when this man is satisfied, let him be
free." Danglars remained prostrate while the count withdrew; when he
raised his head he saw disappearing down the passage nothing but a shadow,
before which the bandits bowed. According to the count's directions,
Danglars was waited on by Vampa, who brought him the best wine and fruits
of Italy; then, having conducted him to the road, and pointed to the
post-chaise, left him leaning against a tree. He remained there all night,
not knowing where he was. When daylight dawned he saw that he was near a
stream; he was thirsty, and dragged himself towards it. As he stooped down
to drink, he saw that his hair had become entirely white. |
|||||
|
©2005 - 2010 ???? . All Rights Reserved.