He turned his eyes towards the soup which the jailer had brought, rose, staggered towards it, raised the vessel to his lips, and drank off the contents with a feeling of indescribable pleasure.

He had often heard that shipwrecked persons had died through having eagerly devoured too much food.

Edmond replaced on the table the bread he was about to devour, and returned to his couch--he did not wish to die.

He soon felt that his ideas became again collected--he could think, and strengthen his thoughts by reasoning.

Then he said to himself, "I must put this to the test, but without compromising anybody.