his friend's mental instability, glided
like a snake along the narrow passage; while Faria, restored by his
alarm to a certain amount of activity, pushed the stone into place with
his foot, and covered it with a mat in order the more effectually to
avoid discovery.

It was the governor, who, hearing of Faria's illness from the jailer,
had come in person to see him.

Faria sat up to receive him, avoiding all gestures in order that he
might conceal from the governor the paralysis that had already half
stricken him with death. His fear was lest the governor, touched
with pity, might order him to be removed to better quarters, and thus
separate him from his young companion. But fortunately this was not the
case, and the governor left him, convinced that the poor madman, for
whom in his heart he felt a kind of affection, was only troubled with a
slight indisposition.

During this time, Edmond, seated on his bed with his head in his hands,
tried to collect his scattered thoughts. Faria, since their first
acquaintance, had been on all points so rational and logical, so
wonderfully sagacious, in fact, that he could not understand how so much
wisdom on all points could be allied with madness. Was Faria deceived as
to his treasure, or was all the world deceived as to Faria?

Dantes remained in his cell all day, not daring to return to his friend,
thinking thus to defer the moment when he should be convinced, once for
all, that the abbe was mad--such a conviction would be so terrible!

But, towards the evening after the hour for the customary visit had gone
by, Faria, not seeing the young man appear, tried to move and get over
the distance which separated them. Edmond shuddered when he heard the
painful efforts which the old man made to drag himself along; his
leg was inert, and he could no longer make use of one arm. Edmond was
obliged to assist him, for otherwise he would not have been able to
enter by the small aperture which led to Dantes' chamber.

"Here I am, pursuing you remorselessly," he said with a benignant smile.
"You thought to escape my munificence, but it is in vain. Listen to me."

Edmond saw there was no escape, and placing the old man on his bed, he
seated himself on the stool beside him.

"You know," said the abbe, "that I was the secretary and intimate friend
of Cardinal Spada, the last of the princes of that name. I owe to this
worthy lord all the happiness I ever knew. He was not rich, although the
w