The Count of Monte Cristo

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like the aurora which guides the navigator in northern latitudes, opened
new vistas to the inquiring mind of the listener, and gave fantastic
glimpses of new horizons, enabling him justly to estimate the delight an
intellectual mind would have in following one so richly gifted as Faria
along the heights of truth, where he was so much at home.

"You must teach me a small part of what you know," said Dantes, "if only
to prevent your growing weary of me. I can well believe that so learned
a person as yourself would prefer absolute solitude to being tormented
with the company of one as ignorant and uninformed as myself. If you
will only agree to my request, I promise you never to mention another
word about escaping." The abbe smiled. "Alas, my boy," said he, "human
knowledge is confined within very narrow limits; and when I have
taught you mathematics, physics, history, and the three or four modern
languages with which I am acquainted, you will know as much as I do
myself. Now, it will scarcely require two years for me to communicate to
you the stock of learning I possess."