Summary Chapter 1
Marseilles has a scorcher one day in August. There is no wind to bring relief. Ships and rocks without shelter are too hot to touch. People of different nationalities who came to trade their goods seek shelter. The intense glare of the scenery is hard on the eyes. The vegetation, animals, and anyone outside swelters in the heat. Any window covering was drawn, but the sunlight managed to peep in through keyholes. The heat increases the odors in the poorer districts. There are two men in prison. They have a few belongings and the company of vermin. Light comes through a barred window, which is large enough for an arm to go through. The men and surroundings are in a declined state. The atmosphere is like a tomb, the inhabitants hardly appear to be living. One of the prisoners, a Monsieur Ri
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