Dantès’ Despair Over the Obstacle
The realization that he must dig around the beam overwhelms Dantès with despair. He had not anticipated this obstacle. Turning to God in anguish, he laments that after being deprived of liberty, of death, and then recalled to existence, he is now to be left to die in despair—his earnest prayers seemingly unheard.
Hearing the Voice of Prisoner No. 27
As Dantès murmurs his despairing prayer, a voice that seems to come from beneath the earth responds. The sound, deadened by distance, appears hollow and sepulchral. Dantès’ hair stands on end as he rises to his knees, overwhelmed to hear a human voice after four or five years of speaking only with his jailer—a man he considers merely a living barrier of flesh and blood.
No. 27 Reveals His Wrong-Angle Mistake
The two prisoners exchange identities and histories. Dantès reveals he is a French sailor, Edmond Dantès, imprisoned since February 28, 1815, accused of conspiring for the emperor’s return. The voice, No. 27, has been imprisoned since 1811—four years longer. No. 27 instructs Dantès to stop digging and describes his excavation’s position, then reveals he took the wrong angle in his plans, coming out fifteen feet from his intended location. He had taken Dantès’ wall for the fortress’s outer wall, hoping to reach the sea and swim to the Île de Daume or Île de Tiboulen, but now all is lost.
Agreement to Collaborate on Escape
No. 27 initially intends to abandon Dantès and form a new plan, but Dantès pleads with him, swearing by Christ that he will never betray his fellow prisoner and even threatening to dash his brains out against the wall if abandoned. When Dantès reveals he is not yet twenty-six years old, No. 27 is reassured of his sincerity. Dantès offers his love for his elderly father and Mercédès as proof of his trustworthiness, promising to love No. 27 as a comrade or son. No. 27 agrees to wait and promises to give the signal.
The original text of this work is in the public domain. This page focuses on a guided summary article, reading notes, selected quotes, and visual learning materials for educational purposes.