World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 197 The Lion's Den (1)
Forsy Prison French National Prison.There is a prison area dedicated to the heinous and dangerous criminals, called the St. Bernard District, but the prisoners speak harshly and call this district the Lion's Den, probably because the prisoners here often use their teeth to break the iron. Grate, and sometimes even bite those guards' sake.This is a prison within a prison, the walls are twice as thick as other places, and every day a guard carefully checks that the thick iron bars of the iron gate are intact.From the Hercules-like body of the guards and their cold and sharp eyes, it can be seen that they are specially selected. They use terror and various clever methods to subdue the detainees here.The courtyard of this prison area is an abyss of filth, surrounded by high walls, and even when the sun can be seen, the sunlight only shines obliquely from the top of the high walls.The prisoners here wandered like ghosts on the stone floor of the yard after getting up. They were so frightened by the law that they couldn't stand upright, and the sharpened butcher's knife of the law hung on their heads.Under a high wall that absorbs the most sunlight and retains the most heat, the prisoners are lined up, some standing against the wall, some squatting against the base of the wall.They sometimes chat with people around them, but most of the time they are alone.Their eyes are always fixed on the prison door, which is sometimes opened to call someone out of this desolate world, or to throw into the abyss the slag freshly poured from the furnace of society.

There is a dedicated meeting room in the St. Bernard district. It is a rectangular room with two parallel iron bars in the middle to divide the room into two parts. The distance between the two iron bars is three feet, so visitors and prisoners cannot Shaking hands doesn't convey anything.This meeting room is dark and damp, and it is terrifying no matter how you look at it, not to mention that everyone can imagine that those frightening secrets are passed through the iron bars, leaving reddish brown on the iron bars. of rust spots.Yet, as terrible as this place is, it is a paradise for those whose days are numbered, and once there they are back in the world they have longed for, and which they will never forget, because if they Leaving this lion's den, the only places you can go are the Porte Saint-Jacques (an execution ground in Paris at that time.), the prison for convicts, or the dark and small single cell. It is a rare exception to go elsewhere.

In the cold and damp courtyard we just described, a young man was pacing back and forth with his hands in his pockets, and the residents of Lions Den were all looking at him curiously.With his well-crafted clothes, he can really be regarded as an elegant gentleman, but his clothes have been torn unfortunately.However, the clothes were not worn out yet, and the cloth material was soft and smooth. The young prisoner wanted to make his clothes look like new, so he rubbed them lightly with his hands, and the unbroken part quickly recovered. original luster.He also took some trouble to make the linen shirt stand up, but it was a very different color from his original one since he was in prison.As for his boots, he polished them carefully with the corner of his handkerchief, on which were embroidered the family name in capital letters, and on the letters the crown arms .Several prisoners in the lion's den saw the young prisoner grooming himself so meticulously, and couldn't help becoming interested in him.

"Hey, this prince is smug again." A thief said.

"He's naturally handsome," said the other burglar, "and if he only needs a comb and pomade, he'll outdo those gentlemen with white gloves."

"He looks like new all over his suit, and those boots are bright and bright. It's kind of fun to have such respectable boys as we do. Those bastard gendarmes are no fun at all, they're all jealous, I just tore such a good dress!"

"Looks like this guy has a reputation," another inmate said. "He's done everything...all the hell...he came in from the outside at a young age! Oh! That's great!"

Such praise was disgusting, but the young prisoner enjoyed hearing it.In fact, he only felt that he was praising him from the look on his face, because he couldn't hear what he was saying. After dressing up like this, he walked towards the small window where the meal was served, and stood in front of the window. with a guard.

"Well, sir," he said to the guard, "lend me twenty francs, and I'll pay you back right away. You don't have to worry about losing money with me. Just think, I have relatives, and how much money they have." Millions of millions, it looks like you have only a few pennies! How about borrowing 20 francs, and I can buy a single room (at that time, there were self-funded single cells in French prisons.), and I can also buy a Pajamas, I'm sick of wearing these and boots day and night. What kind of clothes are they called, sir? How can they be worn by Prince Cavalleconti?"

The guard turned away and shrugged.Anyone who hears these words will laugh, but the guard will not laugh, because he has heard this kind of words a lot, or in other words, they are the same words over and over again.

"Well," said Andra, "you have no heart, and I will make you lose your job."

The remark made the guard turn round, and this time he couldn't help laughing.All the other prisoners came together and formed a circle.

"Let me tell you," Andra continued, "the money is pitifully small. I just want to get some clothes to wear and a private room to live in. I also seem to be able to properly receive distinguished guests who may come to see me at any time." .”

"He's right! He's right!" cried the prisoners. "No! You can tell he's a respectable man."

"Very well! Lend him twenty francs," said the guard, leaning on the little window with his other thick shoulder. "Isn't it right to lend such a little money to your fellow?"

"I am not a member of this gang," said the young man proudly. "Don't insult me, you have no such right."

The criminals glanced at each other, and then whispered a few words to each other, a storm - not necessarily caused by Andra's words, but rather deliberately provoked by the guards, right here the aristocratic prisoner head It happened.The guard knew in his heart that he would take care of it himself (the original text is in Latin.) when it really turned into a raging storm, so he let the prisoners gradually get excited, and just happened to show some color to this self-defeating guy. Add some fun to his long day on the job.At this time, all the criminals had rushed to Andra, and some of them kept yelling: "Beat with old slippers! Beat with old slippers!" This kind of beating is very cruel. A friend, just use the nailed soles-not some old slippers, and beat the guy up.Others say to play with eels. This way of playing is to use a handkerchief to wrap sand, small stones, and if there are heavier coins, then wrap these coins, and then beat the eels cruelly like a flail. The head and shoulders of the hapless fellow. "Smack that stinky man!" several criminals shouted, "Smack that decent gentleman!"

But Andra turned to them, blinked, pressed her tongue to her cheek, and then made a thud of her lips, which was worth a thousand signals when the robber couldn't speak.It was a Masonic code that Cuderos had taught him.The prisoners knew as soon as they heard it that this was their own.In an instant, all the wrapped handkerchiefs were thrown on the ground, and the spiked shoes were put on the feet of the leader of the scoundrel again. Several voices shouted, saying that the gentleman's request is reasonable, It is not too much for this gentleman to want to be decent, and he said that the prisoner should set an example for freedom of thought.The commotion subsided, and the guards couldn't help being horrified. They immediately stretched out their hands to hold Andra down, and searched him.The guards felt that these prisoners in the Lion's Den changed their words. It was definitely not that they were afraid when they saw Andra, but that there might be something more powerful.Andra let him do the body search, but muttered to express her displeasure.Suddenly there was a shout from the small window where the food was delivered.

"Benededo!" cried the Inspector.The guard let go of Andra immediately.

"Did you call me?" Andra asked.

"Go to the interview room!" said the Inspector.

"Look, I've been visited. Ha! My dear sir, see for yourself, can the Cavalle-Conti family be slighted?"

(End of this chapter)