Stories to remember - Chapter 48

THE STARVING MAN

By noon the next day, Danglars was hungry again. So that he would not have to spend more money that day, he had hidden half the chicken and a piece of bread in his cell. But as soon as he had eaten, he felt thirsty. He hadn't thought of that. He tried to hold out, but in the end he had to call the guard and ask for something to drink. The guard made him pay twenty-five thousand francs for a jug of water.

'Why don't you say now that you want to take all my money? If that's what you want, why not do it at once?' he said.

'It's possible that my master wants to take all your money. I don't know what he wants with you,' replied the guard.

'Who is your master?'

'The bandit chief whom you saw when you  first came here.'

'Let me see him.'

'Certainly,' said the guard. Very soon afterwards the chief of the bandits appeared at Danglars' cell.

'How much do you want to set me free?' said Danglars.

'I want your five million francs.'

Danglars felt a pain in his heart. 'But that's all I have left in the world out of an immense fortune,' he said.

'If you take that, take my life also.'

'We are not allowed to kill you.'

'Who doesn't allow you?'

'Our chief.'

'But I thought you said you were the chief.'

'Yes, I am the chief of these men, but there is another over me.'

Danglars thought for a moment. Then he said, 'Why is your chief doing this to me?'

'I don't know.'

'He will take away everything I have.'

'Probably.'

'Come,' said Danglars, 'I'll give you a million.'

'No.'

'Two million? Three? Four? come, four! I'll give you four million francs if you'll let me go.'

'Why do you offer me four millions for what is worth five millions? Why are you trying to bargain with me, banker?'

'Well then, I'll defy you. You can kill me if you like, but I won't sign another cheque.'

'Just as you please, your Excellency,' said the bandit chief, and with that he left the cell.

Danglars' resolve not to sign again lasted for two days. After that, he offered a million for some food. The bandits sent him a wonderful meal and took his million.

At the end of twelve days, Danglars reckoned his accounts and found he had only fifty thousand francs left. He could not bear to lose his last fifty thousand. Again he decided he wouldn't sign any cheques and he began to starve. He became delirious and sometimes he imagined he saw a poor old man, lying on a bed, dying of hunger.

He starved himself like this for five days. Then he began to beg the guard to give him some food. He offered him a thousand francs for a mouthful of bread. But the guard took no notice of him. In the end, he asked to see the bandit chief once more.

When the chief came, Danglars fell to his knees.

'Take everything I have,' he moaned, 'only let me out of here. Just let me go free with no money at all.'

'You think you have suffered, but there are men who have suffered more than you,' said the chief.

'Oh, I don't think so.'

'Yes, there are those who have died of hunger.'

Danglars thought of the poor old man he had seen in his dreams the last few days.

'Yes, it's true,' he said, 'there have been some who have suffered more than I have.'

'Do you repent?' asked a deep voice, which caused Danglars' hair to stand on end.

'Indeed, I'm sorry for the evil I have done,' cried Danglars.

'Then I forgive you,' said the voice. The man who had spoken came up to the door of the cell and showed himself.

'The Count of Monte Cristo!' gasped Danglars.

'You are mistaken; I'm not the Count of Monte Cristo.'

'Then who are you?'

'I am he whom you betrayed and dishonoured; I am he whose betrothed you forced into marriage with another man; I am he on whom you trampled so that you could raise yourself to a better position; I am he whose father you caused to die of starvation. I am Edmond Dantes!'

Danglars cried out, and fell to the ground.

'Rise,' said the Count. 'I have forgiven you now. Keep the fifty thousand francs which you have left. The five millions you robbed have been given back to the hospital. You can now have a meal, and after that, you can go free.'

When Danglars was set free from the caves, he found that his hair had turned completely white.

Dantes' revenge was complete!