le," said the abbe, as, opening his ragged vestments, he
showed Dantes a long, sharp fish-bone, with a small perforated eye
for the thread, a small portion of which still remained in it. "I once
thought," continued Faria, "of removing these iron bars, and letting
myself down from the window, which, as you see, is somewhat wider than
yours, although I should have enlarged it still more preparatory to my
flight; however, I discovered that I should merely have dropped into a
sort of inner court, and I therefore renounced the project altogether
as too full of risk and danger. Nevertheless, I carefully preserved my
ladder against one of those unforeseen opportunities of which I spoke
just now, and which sudden chance frequently brings about." While
affecting to be deeply engaged in examining the ladder, the mind of
Dantes was, in fact, busily occupied by the idea that a person so
intelligent, ingenious, and clear-sighted as the abbe might probably be
able to solve the dark mystery of his own misfortunes, where he himself
could see nothing.

"What are you thinking of?" asked the abbe smilingly, imputing the deep
abstraction in which his visitor was plunged to the excess of his awe
and wonder.

"I was reflecting, in the first place," replied Dantes, "upon the
enormous degree of intelligence and ability you must have employed to
reach the high perfection to which you have attained. What would you not
have accomplished if you had been free?"

"Possibly nothing at all; the overflow of my brain would probably, in a
state of freedom, have evaporated in a thousand follies; misfortune
is needed to bring to light the treasures of the human intellect.
Compression is needed to explode gunpowder. Captivity has brought
my mental faculties to a focus; and you are well aware that from
the collision of clouds electricity is produced--from electricity,
lightning, from lightning, illumination."

"No," replied Dantes. "I know nothing. Some of your words are to me
quite empty of meaning. You must be blessed indeed to possess the
knowledge you have."

The abbe smiled. "Well," said he, "but you had another subject for your
thoughts; did you not say so just now?"

"I did!"

"You have told me as yet but one of them--let me hear the other."

"It was this,--that while you had related to me all the particulars of
your past life, you were perfectly unacquainted with mine."

"Your life, my young friend, has not been of sufficient length to adm