Penelon’s voice softens as he reaches the end of his tale. The gale had passed, the sea calmed, but the Pharaon was doomed — water creeping up inch by inch, the slow arithmetic of disaster.

Captain Gaumard, resolute to the last, gave the final order: abandon ship. The sailors obeyed reluctantly, torn between loyalty and survival. When the captain refused to leave, Penelon wrapped his arms around him and hurled him bodily into the lifeboat — just as the deck gave way with a thunderous crack. Moments later, the Pharaon spun, pitched, and vanished beneath the sea.

For three days the survivors drifted, starving, half-mad, ready to draw lots for their lives — until La Gironde appeared on the horizon like salvation. They were hauled aboard, half-dead but alive, their ship gone forever.

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The Countdown of Monte Cristo is a daily podcast reading one page at a time from Alexandre Dumas’ classic novel — every day, for four years. Whether you’re starting from the beginning or joining mid-journey, each episode brings you deeper into the story of The Count of Monte Cristo.