World Literature Classics Library: The Count of Monte Cristo

Chapter 20 Madman and Madman (1)
About a year after the restoration of Louis XVIII, the director of the prison came to the Château d'If for an inspection.

In the dark cell, Dantès heard the noise of the top of the cell, which was the rumbling or creaking sound of the prison preparing to welcome the director. If you can't hear it, only the prisoner will notice it, because he is used to listening to spiders weaving their webs in the silence of the night, and listening to the sound of water vapor on the ceiling of the cell that takes an hour to condense into a drop of water.He guessed that there might be something unusual about the living people above. For a long time, he lived in a tomb, and he had already regarded himself as a dead person.

The director inspected large and small cells and dark cells one by one, and also asked several prisoners. These people were treated leniently by the prison either because they behaved well or because they were stupid.The director asked them how the food was and whether they had any requests. They all answered that the food was bad and they asked for freedom.The superintendent then asked them if they had any other demands, and they all shook their heads again. Besides freedom, what other wishes did the prisoners have? The superintendent smiled slightly, turned around and said to the commander of the Château d'If:
"I don't know why we were sent to make these pointless inspections. Prisoners, you know a lot by seeing and hearing a thousand things. It's always the same old way. If the food is not good, why should you be wronged? There are other prisoners ?"

"Yes, dangerous prisoners and crazy prisoners are held in black cells."

"Go and have a look," the director said with a very bored look, "you have to do your homework. Come on, let's go down and look at the black cell."

"Please wait a moment," said the commander, "we have to find at least two people to accompany us. Prisoners sometimes want to be sentenced to death just because they are impatient to live, and they will spare no effort to do some ineffective atrocities. Otherwise, you will suffer of."

"You have to be on your guard."

So, he sent someone to find two soldiers, and then started to go downstairs.The stairs below here are really foul, disgusting, damp and musty, and the mere walk in such a place makes eyes, noses, and breath hard.

"Ah!" the director stopped halfway down and said, "It's terrible, who can live here?"

"An extremely dangerous conspirator. The higher-ups specifically told us that this prisoner can do anything."

"Is he alone?"

"Yes."

"How long has it been closed?"

"Almost a year."

"Will he be locked up in this dark cell as soon as he comes?"

"No, he was locked up after he wanted to kill the guard who brought him food."

"He actually wanted to kill the guard?"

"Yes, this is the man who showed us the way, isn't it, Antoine?" asked the commander.

"He still wants to kill me!" the guard replied.

"There is such a thing! This man must be crazy?"

"Worse than madness, it's nothing short of demonic."

"Do you want to reprimand me?" the director asked.

"No, sir. He's not lightly punished, and besides he's almost insane. From our prison experience, he'll be completely insane within a year."

"Yes, it's better for him to be insane," said the director. "Once he's completely insane, he will suffer less." It can be seen that the director is a man of humanity, and it is true that he is engaged in such charitable duties. Well deserved.

"You are quite right, sir," said the commander. "Your idea shows that you have studied this field well. There is another black cell more than 20 steps away from the cell you are talking about now, but you have to go down another staircase." , imprisoned an elderly elder, who was the leader of a party in Italy. He has been here since 1811, went mad in 1813, and since then he has changed his whole appearance, used to cry, now laughs I used to keep losing weight, but now I’m getting fatter again. Now I don’t need to go to this prison, I’d better take a look at that old madman? He’s a bit funny, and you won’t feel bad when you see him.”

"Both need to be seen," the director replied, "We have to do everything with all our heart." The director came out to inspect for the first time, and he wanted to leave a good impression on the authorities. "Let's go and see this one first," he added.

"Yes!" replied the Commander, motioning to the guard to open the door.

Dantès was in a corner of his cell, where he enjoyed, with an indescribable joy, the faint ray of light that came in through the little grilled window.The big iron lock creaked, and the rusty hinge pivot rattled. Dantès immediately raised his head when he heard the sound.He had never seen that person before. Two guards held torches to show him the way, and the commander next to him was accompanied by two soldiers, talking to him with his hat in his hand. Dantès guessed it at once. What kind of person is he, finally looking forward to the opportunity to appeal to the big man above, so he rushed forward with his hands clasped together.The two soldiers crossed their bayonets. They thought the prisoner was going straight to the superintendent with malice, and the superintendent himself took a step back.Dantès saw that he was regarded as a dangerous and terrible person, so his eyes met all the meekness and humanity that a person can contain, and he spoke very piously and eloquently, and he spoke well. The people were astonished, he wanted to persuade the inspector.

The superintendent heard Dantès finish, then turned to the commander and whispered:

"He will turn from evil to good, and his heart will begin to soften. You see, a fright does him good, and he recoils at the sight of a bayonet. A madman is not afraid of anything. I am at Charenton on this subject. The hospital has made rare observations." Then he turned to the prisoner and asked, "Briefly, what do you want?"

"I want to know what crime I have committed, I want a judge to decide for me, I want my case to have a preliminary hearing, in short, I want to shoot me if I am guilty, and release me if I am innocent."

"Is your food good?" asked the director.

"Well, I suppose so, I don't know, but that doesn't matter, what really matters, not only to me, the unfortunate prisoner, but to all the lords who do justice, to the king who rules over the people, always It is impossible for an innocent person to be framed by a despicable denunciation, and he must not be forced to curse his executioner behind bars and die in the end."

"You're not crazy today," said the commander, "but you're not always like that. When you wanted to kill the guard that day, brother, you didn't talk like that at all."

"It is true, monsieur," said Dantès, "that he has been very kind to me, and I beg his pardon... But who can you blame? I was mad, very irritated. "

"You're not like that now, are you?"

"No, sir, incarceration has subdued me, worn me out, demoralized me... I've been here too long!"

"Too long? So when were you arrested?"

"Two o'clock in the afternoon, February 1815, 2."

The superintendent did the math and said, "Today is July 1816, 7. What did you say? You have only been imprisoned for 30 months."

"Only seventeen months!" said Dantès, "ah, sir, you don't know what it's like to be in prison for seventeen months, that's seventeen years, seventeen centuries, especially for a person like me, happiness is already It is easy to get, and I am about to marry my beloved girl, seeing that my decent career is about to open up, but everything is shattered in an instant, from the most beautiful day to the deepest night, watching my future disappear, I don't know my beloved Whether the girl is still in love with her, and does not know whether her elderly father is dead or alive. 17 months of imprisonment, for a man who is used to breathing the air at sea, living the unfettered life of a sailor, and seeing that What a day for a man like the vastness of the sky and the sea! Sir, for committing all the grievous crimes that can be described in vicious words, you should not be imprisoned for 17 months. Have pity on me, sir, I do not ask for forgiveness but Please be strict, do not ask for pardon but for trial, please send me a judge, sir, I only ask to see a judge, the defendant cannot refuse to see a judge."

"Okay," said the director, "I'll take a look first." Then he turned to the commander and said, "This poor guy really makes me sad. Please show me his file when you get up."

"Yes," said the commander, "but, I suppose, all you can find are records against him."

"Sir," Dantès went on, "I understand that you can't decide to let me go out, but you can forward my request to prompt an investigation. Anyway, you can send someone to judge, and all I want is a trial. Let me know what crime was committed and what sentence I was sentenced to, because, you know, ambiguity is the greatest torture."

"Please explain more clearly." The director said.

"Monsieur," cried Dantès, "I hear from your voice that you are pitying me. Say, sir, is there hope for me?"

"Hope it or not, I can't say." The director replied, "I can promise you, just check your file."

"Oh, sir, so I'm free, and I'm saved."

"Who is the person who arrested you?" asked the Superintendent.

"Mr. Villefort," Dantès replied, "you can go to him and ask him to do it together."

"Monsieur de Villefort transferred from Marseilles to Toulouse a year ago."

"Oh, no wonder," said Dantès in a low voice, "it turns out that the only person who protected me has been transferred away."

"Has M. de Villefort any personal vendetta against you?" asked the superintendent.

"Not at all, sir, on the contrary he has been very kind to me."

"So, about your case, I can believe everything he wrote or told me later?"

"Totally believable, sir."

"Very well, just wait patiently."

Dantès knelt down, raised his hands towards the sky, and prayed softly.The gentleman who came to his cell was no different from a savior who came to hell to save souls, asking God to bless him.The prison door was closed again, but the hope that came with the director had already stayed in the dark prison, accompanying Dantès.

"Would you like to check the list of prisoners right away, or go to Elder Guan's cell first?" asked the commander.

"You might as well read all of the black prison at once," the director replied, "Once I get back to the top, I might not have the courage to come down to check this damn place again."

"Really? The prisoner in front is completely different from the one just now. He is a lunatic, and he can't be the same as the sober one just now. It won't make you sad."

"How crazy is he?"

"Oh, it's very strange. He thinks he has a large and endless treasure. In the first year of detention, he said that the government would give him 100 million yuan if he promised to release him. In the second year, it would be increased to 200 million yuan, and in the third year, he would pay 300 million yuan. , the price has been increasing year by year, and now it has been closed for the fifth year, he will ask you to have a secret talk with you and give you 500 million."

"Haha, that's interesting," said the director. "What's the name of this millionaire?"

"Elder Faria."

"Prison No. 27!" The director read the cell number.

(End of this chapter)