Seven

THE PRISON

Two soldiers placed themselves, one on Dantes' right, and the other on his left. They went along a dark way, and came at last to a great door. The door opened, and Dantes was led forward; then the door closed with a loud sound behind him. The air within was heavy.

He was in prison.

He was taken to a small room, clean; but the window was barred. The words of Villefort sounded in his ears like the promise of Life.

Evening came, and darkness. He sat in the darkness, but at every little sound he rose and hurried to the door.

At about ten Dantes began to lose hope. Then steps were heard outside, and a key was turned. The door opened, and two lamps filled the room with light. By this light Dantes saw four soldiers. He had stepped forward when the door opened. At the sight of these four men he stopped.

"You have come to take me away?" he said.

"Yes."

"By the orders of Mr. Villefort?"

"I believe so."

Hearing this Dantes felt no more fear. He went forward and placed himself in the centre of the party.

They passed through many streets and came to the shore. Twelve soldiers came out of a guardhouse and formed themselves in two lines.

"Can all these soldiers have been brought here because of me?" thought Dantes.

They passed between the two lines of men to a boat. The soldiers looked at Dantes curiously. He was placed in the boat. The boat moved.

At first Dantes was filled with joy at feeling the free night air. Then sadness came over him as he passed before La Reserve, where he had that morning been so happy; and now through the open windows came the sound of laughing and music.

Dantes put his hands together, raised his eyes to heaven, and prayed with all his heart.

The boat continued on its way.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked.

"You will soon know."

"But ... "

"We are not allowed to answer any questions."

It was of no use to ask anything further.

Strange and wild thoughts passed through his mind. The boat they were in could not go on any long journey. Perhaps they were going to leave him at some distant point on the shore. The judge had been so kind to him, had told him that, if he did not say the name Noirtier, he had nothing to fear: he had destroyed the letter before his face. He waited silently, trying to look forward into the darkness.

They were now near the little cape of the Catalans. He thought that he saw the form of a woman on the shore. Could perhaps Mercedes know in some way that her lover was near?

One light alone could be seen; and Dantes knew that it came from the room of Mercedes. A loud cry would be heard by her. He did not give the cry. What would the guards think if he suddenly began to shout?

He remained silent, his eyes fixed upon the light. The boat went on, but the prisoner only thought of Mercedes. Rising ground hid the light. Dantes turned and saw that they had gone out to sea. While he had been lost in thought, they had raised the sail.

Dantes turned to the nearest soldier and seized his hand.

"Friend," he said, "I pray you, tell me where we are going. I am Captain Dantes, a man true to his God and to his King. Tell me where you are taking me."

"You were born in Marseilles, and are a seaman, and you do not know where you are going?"

"I do not know at all."

"That is not possible."

"It is true. Tell me, I pray."

"But my orders—"

"Your orders surely allow you to tell me what I shall know in ten minutes, or in half an hour, or an hour. I cannot escape, even if I wanted to."

"If you are not blind you must know."

"I do not."

"Look round you then."

Dantes rose and looked forward. Within a hundred yards of him he saw the black and fearful shape of the rock on which stands the Chateau d'If. It was built about three hundred years ago. Many strange stories were told of it. To Dantes it seemed the end of all hope.

"The Chateau d'If!" he cried. "What are we going there for?"

The soldier laughed.

"I am not going to be made prisoner there?" said Dantes. "It is only used for important prisoners, enemies of the King. Are there any judges at the Chateau d'If?

"There are only the Governor and some soldiers. Come, do not look so surprised, or you'll make me think you are laughing at me in return for my kindness."

Dantes pressed the soldier's hand as though he would break it.

"You think, then, that I am being taken there as a prisoner?"

"Yes, I think so—but there is no need to press my hand like that."

"Without appearing before any judge again?"

"The judge has seen you and questioned you."

"But Mr. Villefort promised me—"

"I do not know what Mr. Villefort promised, but I do know that we are taking you to Chateau d'If. What are you doing? Help!"

Dantes sprang forward to throw himself into the sea, but four strong arms seized him. He fell back, shouting and fighting.

"Well!" said the soldier, putting his knee on Edmond's back, "I won't believe soft-spoken gentlemen again. Listen to me, my friend. I broke my first order—not to answer questions. But I'll keep the second, and, if you move, I shall shoot you."

Dantes lay there without moving. Then the boat came to the shore. A soldier jumped out. Dantes knew that they had reached the end of their journey. They took his arms and forced him to go up some steps. He was like a man in a dream. He saw that he passed through a door, and the door closed behind him; but he saw all this as through a cloud, nothing clearly.

They stopped for a minute. He tried to think; he looked round; he was in a courtyard with high walls on all sides. He heard the feet of soldiers marching about on guard.

They waited for about ten minutes. Certain that Dantes could not escape, the soldiers let his arms free. They seemed to be waiting for orders.

The orders arrived.

"Where is the prisoner?" said a voice.

"Here," replied the soldiers.

"Let him follow me."

"Go," said the soldiers.

The prisoner followed, and the man led him to a room almost under the ground. Water ran down its walls in great drops, like tears. A lamp placed on a small table threw a dim light around and showed him the face of the man who had brought him there, a half-clothed fellow, a prison-keeper with a face like an animal.

"This is your room for tonight," he said. "It is late. The Governor is asleep. Tomorrow, perhaps, he may put you somewhere else. There is bread and water—and some dry grass to sleep on. Good night!

Before Dantes could open his mouth to speak, before he had noticed where the man had put the bread and water, before he had looked towards the corner where his bed was, the man had gone, taking the lamp with him.

Dantes was alone in darkness and in silence.

With the first dawn of day the keeper returned with orders that Dantes was to remain where he was. He found the prisoner just as he had left him, but his eyes were red with weeping. He had passed the night standing and without sleep.

The man drew near. Dantes appeared not to notice him. He touched him on the arm: Edmond moved.

"Have you not slept?" said the man.

"I do not know," replied Dantes.

The keeper looked at him.

"Are you hungry?"

"I do not know."

"Do you wish for anything?"

"I wish to see the Governor."

The fellow gave a short laugh, and left the room.

Dantes followed him with his eyes, and held out his hands towards the open door; but the door closed.

Then all his feelings broke forth. He threw himself on the ground, weeping, and asking himself what he had done that he should be treated thus.

The day passed on; he did not eat any food, but walked round and round like a beast in its cage.

One thought burned in his mind—that during his journey to this place he had sat so quiet, when he might, a hundred times, have jumped into the sea, and, swimming, reached the shore and hidden until some ship came and took him to Spain or Italy. And Mercedes and his father could have joined him there. But now he was in Chateau d'If, not knowing what would happen to his father and to Mercedes; and all this because he had trusted Villefort's promise. The thought was more than he could bear. He threw himself down on the floor.

The next morning the keeper appeared again.

"Well," he said, "are you feeling better today?"

Dantes made no reply.

"Come. Be brave. Do you want anything that I can do for you?"

"I wish to see the Governor."

"I have already told you that it is not possible."

"Why isn't it possible?"

"It is not allowed."

"What is allowed then?

"Better food—if you pay for it—books, and to walk about in the yard."

"I don't want books; this food is good enough; and I don't want to walk about: but I wish to see the Governor."

"If you keep on saying the same thing like that you'll make me angry, and then I shall not bring you anything to eat."

"Well, then," said Edmond, "I shall die. That's all."

The man saw that Edmond would be happy to die. So (since every prisoner brings sixpence a day to his keeper) he answered in a kinder voice:

"What you ask is not possible. But, if you are very good, you will be allowed to walk about, and some day you will meet the Governor; and he may answer you when you speak to him."

"But," said Dantes, "how long shall I have to wait?"

"Oh—a month—six months—a year."

"It's too long. I wish to see him at once."

"Don't keep on asking for what you can't have, or you'll be mad in a month."

"You think so?"

"I know it. We've got a man here who was always offering some great treasure to the Governor if he would set him free. He was in this room before you."

"How long ago did he leave it?"

"Two years."

"Was he set free then?"

"No; he was put in a room underground."

"Listen. I am not mad; perhaps I shall be, but at present I am not. I will make you another offer."

"What is that?

"I do not offer you a great treasure, but I will give all that I have if, when you next go to Marseilles, you will seek out Mercedes at The Catalans, and give her a letter—two lines only—from me."

"If I were discovered doing this I should lose my place. I should be a fool to do such a dangerous thing for the little money you could give me."

"Well," said Dantes, "listen to this. If you don't at least tell Mercedes that I am here, I will one day hide behind the door and kill you with this chair as you come in."

"Oh, ho!" cried the man, stepping back. "You are certainly going mad. The other fellow began like that. In three days we shall have trouble with you. But there are those places underground." Dantes seized the chair and raised it above his head.

"Oh!" said the keeper, "you shall see the Governor at once."

He went out, and soon after returned with four soldiers.

"By the Governor's orders," he said, "take this prisoner to the room just under this one."

"To that underground place?" said one of the soldiers.

"Yes, we must put madmen with madmen."

The soldiers seized Dantes; he went quietly.

They went down fifteen steps. The door of a room was opened, and he was thrown in.

The door closed, and Dantes walked forward holding his hands out until he touched the wall. Then he sat down in a corner until his eyes became used to the darkness.

The keeper was right; Dantes was not very far from being completely mad.