第一百十四章 Peppino
Peppino drags the terrified Danglars into a rock-hewn crypt where the bandit captain Luigi Vampa sits reading Plutarch’s Life of Alexander, and after briefly ordering his men to show Danglars to a bed, the captain has his prisoner conducted down a staircase to a small dry cell furnished with dried grass and goat-skins. Reassured by the genuine bed, the bolted door, and the recollection that Albert de Morcerf had once been confined in that very chamber and ransomed at 4,000 crowns, Danglars calculates that his own value will be set at 8,000 crowns, leaving him with roughly five million francs, and he falls asleep with the same ease as the hero whose biography Vampa is studying.
Peppino Seeks the Captain
A sentinel challenges Peppino’s approach, and Peppino identifies himself as a friend while asking for the captain. The sentinel points toward a spacious crypt hollowed out of the rock, its lights shining through large arched openings into the passage.
Peppino Brings Danglars to the Captain
Peppino announces “fine spoil” to the captain in Italian, then seizes Danglars by the collar of his coat and drags him through an opening resembling a door. They enter the apartment that the captain has made his dwelling-place.
Captain Verifies Danglars’ Identity
The captain, who is attentively reading Plutarch’s Life of Alexander, asks if this is the man. Peppino confirms it is Danglars himself. At the captain’s order, Peppino raises his torch to Danglars’ face, causing him to hastily withdraw to avoid burning his eyelashes. Danglars’ agitated features present a pale and hideous terror.
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