第5章 三十四号

Chapter 5 Number 34

Edmond was hurried down steep stone steps into a cell.

Dampness and evil odors surrounded him.

By the light of the jailor's lantern he saw that the cell contained a chair, a table, a pail, and a cot with straw and a blanket thrown on top.

While one jailor brought in some bread and a jug of water, another stood guard.

But it was not necessary, for Edmond was so bewildered by what was happening to him that he was too weak to move and too dazed to even breathe.

When the jailors left and he heard the iron door clang shut, he sank to the floor where he had been standing.

The next morning, Edmond's jailor found him still hunched over on the stone floor.

He had not eaten or drunk or slept.

When the jailor poked him, the spell of confusion broke at last, and Edmond wept wildly.