hich I am endowed, and what
use I intend making of my strength. As for patience, I consider that I
have abundantly exercised that in beginning every morning the task of
the night before, and every night renewing the task of the day. But
then, young man (and I pray of you to give me your full attention), then
I thought I could not be doing anything displeasing to the Almighty in
trying to set an innocent being at liberty--one who had committed no
offence, and merited not condemnation."

"And have your notions changed?" asked Dantes with much surprise; "do
you think yourself more guilty in making the attempt since you have
encountered me?"

"No; neither do I wish to incur guilt. Hitherto I have fancied myself
merely waging war against circumstances, not men. I have thought it
no sin to bore through a wall, or destroy a staircase; but I cannot so
easily persuade myself to pierce a heart or take away a life." A slight
movement of surprise escaped Dantes.

"Is it possible," said he, "that where your liberty is at stake you can
allow any such scruple to deter you from obtaining it?"

"Tell me," replied Faria, "what has hindered you from knocking down your
jailer with a piece of wood torn from your bedstead, dressing yourself
in his clothes, and endeavoring to escape?"

"Simply the fact that the idea never occurred to me," answered Dantes.

"Because," said the old man, "the natural repugnance to the commission
of such a crime prevented you from thinking of it; and so it ever is
because in simple and allowable things our natural instincts keep us
from deviating from the strict line of duty. The tiger, whose nature
teaches him to delight in shedding blood, needs but the sense of smell
to show him when his prey is within his reach, and by following this
instinct he is enabled to measure the leap necessary to permit him to
spring on his victim; but man, on the contrary, loathes the idea of
blood--it is not alone that the laws of social life inspire him with
a shrinking dread of taking life; his natural construction and
physiological formation"--

Dantes was confused and silent at this explanation of the thoughts which
had unconsciously been working in his mind, or rather soul; for there
are two distinct sorts of ideas, those that proceed from the head and
those that emanate from the heart.

"Since my imprisonment," said Faria, "I have thought over all the most
celebrated cases of escape on record. They have rarely been su