双城记 查尔斯·狄更斯-第84部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


‘I　will　go；'　said　Doctor　Manette；　‘to　the　Prosecutor　and　the　President　straight；　and　I　will　go　to　others　whom　it　is　better　not　to　name。　I　will　write　too；　and……But　stay！　There　is　a　celebration　in　the　streets；　and　no　one　will　be　accessible　until　dark。'
‘That's　true。　Well！　It　is　a　forlorn　hope　at　the　best；　and　not　much　the　forlorner　for　being　delayed　till　dark。　I　should　like　to　know　how　you　speed；　though；　mind！　I　expect　nothing！　When　are　you　likely　to　have　seen　these　dread　powers；　Doctor　Manette？'
‘Immediately　after　dark；　I　should　hope。　Within　an　hour　or　two　from　this。'
‘It　will　be　dark　soon　after　four。　Let　us　stretch　the　hour　or　two。　If　I　go　to　Mr。　Lorry's　at　nine；　shall　I　hear　what　you　have　done；　either　from　our　friend　or　from　yourself？'
‘Yes。'　‘May　you　prosper！'
Mr。　Lorry　followed　Sydney　to　the　outer　door；　and；　touching　him　on　the　shoulder　as　he　was　going　away；　caused　him　to　turn。
‘I　have　no　hope；'　said　Mr。　Lorry；　in　a　low　and　sorrowful　whisper。
‘Nor　have　I。'
‘If　any　one　of　these　men；　or　all　of　these　men；　were　disposed　to　spare　him……which　is　a　large　supposition；　for　what　is　his　life；　or　any　man's　to　them！……I　doubt　if　they　durst　spare　him　after　the　demonstration　in　the　court。'
‘And　so　do　I。　I　heard　the　fall　of　the　axe　in　that　sound。'
Mr。　Lorry　leaned　his　arm　upon　the　door…post；　and　bowed　his　face　upon　it。
‘Don't　despond；'　said　Carton；　very　gently；　‘don't　grieve。　I　encouraged　Doctor　Manette　in　this　idea；　because　I　felt　that　it　might　one　day　be　consolatory　to　her。　Otherwise；　she　might　think　〃his　life　was　wantonly　thrown　away　or　wasted；〃　and　that　might　trouble　her。'
‘Yes；　yes；　yes；'　returned　Mr。　Lorry；　drying　his　eyes；　‘you　are　right。　But　he　will　perish；　there　is　no　real　hope。
‘Yes。　He　will　perish：　there　is　no　real　hope；'　echoed　Carton。　And　walked　with　a　settled　step；　down…stairs。　
CHAPTER　XII
Darkness
SYDNEY　CARTON　paused　in　the　street；　not　quite　decided　where　to　go。　‘At　Tellson's　banking…house　at　nine；'　he　said；　with　a　musing　face。　‘Shall　I　do　well；　in　the　mean　time；　to　show　myself？　I　think　so。　It　is　best　that　these　people　should　know　there　is　such　a　man　as　I　here；　it　is　a　sound　precaution；　and　may　be　a　necessary　preparation。　But　care；　care；　care！　Let　me　think　it　out！'
Checking　his　steps；　which　had　begun　to　tend　towards　an　object；　he　took　a　turn　or　two　in　the　already　darkening　street；　and　traced　the　thought　in　his　mind　to　its　possible　consequences。　His　first　impression　was　confirmed。　‘It　is　best；'　he　said；　finally　resolved；　‘that　these　people　should　know　there　is　such　a　man　as　I　here。'　And　he　turned　his　face　towards　Saint　Antoine。
Defarge　had　described　himself；　that　day；　as　the　keeper　of　a　wine…shop　in　the　Saint　Antoine　suburb。　It　was　not　difficult　for　one　who　knew　the　city　well；　to　find　his　house　without　asking　any　question。　Having　ascertained　its　situation；　Carton　came　out　of　those　closer　streets　again；　and　dined　at　a　place　of　refreshment　and　fell　sound　asleep　after　dinner。　For　the　first　time　in　many　years；　he　had　no　strong　drink。　Since　last　night　he　had　taken　nothing　but　a　little　light　thin　wine；　and　last　night　he　had　dropped　the　brandy　slowly　down　on　Mr。　Lorry's　hearth　like　a　man　who　had　done　with　it。
It　was　as　late　as　seven　o'clock　when　he　awoke　refreshed；　and　went　out　into　the　streets　again。　As　he　passed　along　towards　Saint　Antoine；　he　stopped　at　a　shop…window　where　there　was　a　mirror；　and　slightly　altered　the　disordered　arrangement　of　his　loose　cravat；　and　his　coat…collar；　and　his　wild　hair。　This　done；　he　went　on　direct　to　Defarge's；　and　went　in。
There　happened　to　be　no　customer　in　the　shop　but　Jacques　Three；　of　the　restless　fingers　and　the　croaking　voice。　This　man；　whom　he　had　seen　upon　the　Jury；　stood　drinking　at　the　little　counter；　in　conversation　with　the　Defarges；　man　and　wife。　The　Vengeance　assisted　in　the　conversation；　like　a　regular　member　of　the　establishment。
As　Carton　walked　in；　took　his　seat　and　asked　（in　very　indifferent　French）　for　a　small　measure　of　wine；　Madame　Defarge　cast　a　careless　glance　at　him；　and　then　a　keener；　and　then　a　keener；　and　then　advanced　to　him　herself；　and　asked　him　what　it　was　he　had　ordered。
He　repeated　what　he　had　already　said。
‘English？'　asked　Madame　Defarge；　inquisitively　raising　her　dark　eyebrows。
After　looking　at　her；　as　if　the　sound　of　even　a　single　French　word　were　slow　to　express　itself　to　him；　he　answered；　in　his　former　strong　foreign　accent；　‘Yes；　madame；　yes。　I　am　English！'
Madame　Defarge　returned　to　her　counter　to　get　the　wine；　and；　as　he　took　up　a　Jacobin　journal　and　feigned　to　pore　over　it　puzzling　out　its　meaning；　he　heard　her　say；　‘I　swear　to　you；　like　Evrémonde！'
Defarge　brought　him　the　wine；　and　gave　him　Good　Evening。
‘How？'
‘Good　evening。'
‘Oh！　Good　evening；　citizen；'　filling　his　glass。　‘Ah！　and　good　wine。　I　drink　to　the　Republic。'
Defarge　went　back　to　the　counter；　and　said；　‘Certainly；　a　little　like。'　Madame　sternly　retorted；　‘I　tell　you　a　good　deal　like。'　Jacques　Three　pacifically　remarked；　‘He　is　so　much　in　your　mind；　see　you；　madame。'　The　amiable　Vengeance　added；　with　a　laugh；　‘Yes；　my　faith！　And　you　are　looking　forward　with　so　much　pleasure　to　seeing　him　once　more　to…morrow！'
Carton　followed　the　lines　and　words　of　his　paper；　with　a　slow　forefinger；　and　with　a　studious　and　absorbed　face。　They　were　all　leaning　their　arms　on　the　counter　close　together；　speaking　low。　After　a　silence　of　a　few　moments；　during　which　they　all　looked　towards　him　without　disturbing　his　outward　attention　from　the　Jacobin　editor；　they　resumed　their　conversation。
‘It　is　true　what　madame　says；'　observed　Jacques　Three。　‘Why　stop？　There　is　great　force　in　that。　Why　stop？'
‘Well；　well；'　reasoned　Defarge；　‘but　one　must　stop　somewhere。　After　all；　the　question　is　still　where？'
‘At　extermination；'　said　madame。
‘Magnificent！'　croaked　Jacques　Three。　The　Vengeance；　also；　highly　approved。
‘Extermination　is　good　doctrine；　my　wife；'　said　Defarge；　rather　troubled；　‘in　general；　I　say　nothing　against　it。　But　this　Doctor　has　suffered　much；　you　have　seen　him　to…day；　you　have　observed　his　face　when　the　paper　was　read。'
‘I　have　observed　his　face！'　repeated　madame；　contemptuously　and　angrily。　‘Yes。　I　have　observed　his　face。　I　have　observed　his　face　to　be　not　the　face　of　a　true　friend　of　the　Republic。　Let　him　take　care　of　his　face！'
‘And　you　have　observed；　my　wife；'　said　Defarge；　in　a　deprecatory　manner；　‘the　anguish　of　his　daughter；　which　must　be　a　dreadful　anguish　to　him！'
‘I　have　observed　his　daughter；'　repeated　madame；　‘yes；　I　have　observed　his　daughter；　more　times　than　one。　I　have　observed　her　to…day；　and　I　have　observed　her　other　days。　I　have　observed　her　in　the　court；　and　I　have　observed　her　in　the　street　by　the　prison。　Let　me　but　lift　my　finger………！'　She　seemed　to　raise　it　（the　listener's　eyes　were　always　on　his　paper）；　and　to　let　it　fall　with　a　rattle　on　the　ledge　before　her；　as　if　the　axe　had　dropped。
‘The　citizeness　is　superb！'　croaked　the　Juryman。
‘She　is　an　Angel！'　said　The　Vengeance；　and　embraced　her。
‘As　to　thee；'　pursued　madame；　implacably；　addressing　her　husband；　‘if　it　depended　on　thee……which；　happily；　it　does　not……thou　wouldst　rescue　this　man　even　now。
‘No！'　protested　Defarge。　‘Not　if　to　lift　this　glass　would　do　it！　But　I　would　leave　the　matter　there。　I　say；　stop　there。'
‘See　you　then；　Jacques；'　said　Madame　Defarge；　wrathfully；　‘and　see　you；　too；　my　little　Vengeance；　see　you　both！　Listen！　For　other　crimes　as　tyrants　and　oppressors；　I　have　this　race　a　long　time　on　my　register；　doomed　to　destruction　and　extermination。　Ask　my　husband；　is　that　so。'
‘It　is　so；'　assented　Defarge；　without　being　asked。
‘In　the　beginning　of　the　great　days；　when　the　Bastille　falls；　he　finds　this　paper　of　to…day；　and　he　brings　it　home；　and　in　the　middle　of　the　night　when　this　place　is　clear　and　shut；　we　read　it；　here　on　this　spot；　by　the　light　of　this　lamp。　Ask　him；　is　that　so。'
‘It　is　so；'　assented　Defarge。
‘That　night；　I　tell　him；　when　the　paper　is　read　through；　and　the　lamp　is　burnt　out；　and　the　day　is　gleaming　in　above　those　shutters　and　between　those　iron　bars；　that　I　have　now　a　secret　to　municate。　Ask　him；　is　that　so。'
‘It　is　so；'　assented　Defarge　again。
‘I　municate　to　him　that　secret。　I　smite　this　bosom　with　these　two　hands　as　I　smite　it　now；　and　I　tell　him；　〃Defarge；　I　was　br