Undoubtedly the call came from Faria's dungeon.
"Alas," murmured Edmond; "can it be ?" He moved his bed, drew up the stone, rushed into the passage, and reached the opposite extremity; the secret entrance was open.

By the light of the wretched and wavering lamp, of which we have spoken, Dantes saw the old man, pale, but yet erect, clinging to the bedstead.

His features were writhing with those horrible symptoms which he already knew, and which had so seriously alarmed him when he saw them for the first time.
"Alas, my dear friend," said Faria in a resigned tone, "you understand, do you not, and I need not attempt to explain to you ?" Edmond uttered a cry of agony, and, quite out of his senses, rushed towards the door, exclaiming, "Help, help!" Faria had just sufficient strength to restrain him.
"Silence," he said, "or you are lost.

We must now only think of you, my dear friend, and so act as to render your captivity supportable or your flight possible.

It would require years to do again what I have done here, and the results would be instantly destroyed if our jailers knew we had communicated with each other.