The Count of Monte Cristo (With Original Illustrations). Alexandre Dumas

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      Original

      "And you say, sir," he interposed, "that the two dungeons"—

      "Were separated by a distance of fifty feet; but it appears that this Edmond Dantes"—

      "This dangerous man's name was"—

      "Edmond Dantes. It appears, sir, that this Edmond Dantes had procured tools, or made them, for they found a tunnel through which the prisoners held communication with one another."

      "This tunnel was dug, no doubt, with an intention of escape?"

      "No doubt; but unfortunately for the prisoners, the Abbe Faria had an attack of catalepsy, and died."

      "That must have cut short the projects of escape."

      "For the dead man, yes," replied M. de Boville, "but not for the survivor; on the contrary, this Dantes saw a means of accelerating his escape. He, no doubt, thought that prisoners who died in the Chateau d'If were interred in an ordinary burial-ground, and he conveyed the dead man into his own cell, took his place in the sack in which they had sewed up the corpse, and awaited the moment of interment."

      "It was a bold step, and one that showed some courage," remarked the Englishman.

      "As I have already told you, sir, he was a very dangerous man; and, fortunately, by his own act disembarrassed the government of the fears it had on his account."

      "How was that?"

      "How? Do you not comprehend?"

      "No."

      "The Chateau d'If has no cemetery, and they simply throw the dead into the sea, after fastening a thirty-six pound cannon-ball to their feet."

      "Well," observed the Englishman as if he were slow of comprehension.

      "Well, they fastened a thirty-six pound ball to his feet, and threw him into the sea."

      "Really!" exclaimed the Englishman.

      "Yes, sir," continued the inspector of prisons. "You may imagine the amazement of the fugitive when he found himself flung headlong over the rocks! I should like to have seen his face at that moment."

      "That would have been difficult."

      "No matter," replied De Boville, in supreme good-humor at the certainty of recovering his two hundred thousand francs,—"no matter, I can fancy it." And he shouted with laughter.

      "So can I," said the Englishman, and he laughed too; but he laughed as the English do, "at the end of his teeth."

      "And so," continued the Englishman who first gained his composure, "he was drowned?"

      "Unquestionably."

      "So that the governor got rid of the dangerous and the crazy prisoner at the same time?"

      "Precisely."