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第46节

a tale of two cities(双城记)-第46节

小说: a tale of two cities(双城记) 字数: 每页4000字

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 I never thought this of him。' 
 ‘My husband; it is so。 I fear he is not to be reclaimed; there is scarcely a hope that anything in his character or fortunes is reparable now。 But; I am sure that he is capable of good things; gentle things; even magnanimous things。' 
She looked so beautiful in the purity of her faith in this lost man; that her husband could have looked at her as she was for hours。 
 ‘And; O my dearest Love!' she urged; clinging nearer to him; laying her head upon his breast; and raising her eyes to his; ‘remember how strong we are in our happiness; and how weak he is in his misery!' 
 The supplication touched him home。 ‘I will always remember it; dear Heart! I will remember it as long as I live。' 
 He bent over the golden head; and put the rosy lips to his; and folded her in his arms。 If one forlorn wanderer then pacing the dark streets; could have heard her innocent disclosure; and could have seen the drops of pity kissed away by her husband from the soft blue eyes so loving of that husband; he might have cried to the nightand the words would not have parted from his lips for the first time 
 ‘God bless her for her sweet compassion!' 


CHAPTER XXI
Echoing Footsteps
A WONDERFUL corner for echoes; it has been remarked; that corner where the Doctor lived。 Ever busily winding the golden thread which bound her husband; and her father; and herself; and her old directress and companion; in a life of quiet bliss; Lucie sat in the still house in the tranquilly resounding corner; listening to the echoing footsteps of years。 
 At first; there were times; though she was a perfectly happy young wife; when her work would slowly fall from her hands; and her eyes would be dimmed。 For; there was something coming in the echoes; something light; afar off; and scarcely audible yet; that stirred her heart too much。 Fluttering hopes and doubtshope; of a love as yet unknown to her: doubts; of her remaining upon earth; to enjoy that new delightdivided her breast。 Among the echoes then; there would arise the sound of footsteps at her own early grave; and thoughts of the husband who would be left so desolate; and who would mourn for her so much; swelled to her eyes; and broke like waves。 
 That time passed; and her little Lucie lay on her bosom。 Then; among the advancing echoes; there was the tread of her tiny feet and the sound of her prattling words。 Let greater echoes resound as they would; the young mother at the cradle side could always hear those coming。 They came; and the shady house was sunny with a child's laugh; and the Divine friend of children; to whom in her trouble she had confided hers; seemed to take her child in His arms; as He took the child of old; and made it a sacred joy to her。 
 Ever busily winding the golden thread that bound them all together; weaving the service of her happy influence through the tissue of all their lives; and making it predominate nowhere; Lucie heard in the echoes of years none but friendly and soothing sounds。 Her husband's step was strong and prosperous among them; her father's firm and equal。 Lo; Miss Pross; in harness of string; awakening the echoes; as an unruly charger; whip…corrected; snorting and pawing the earth under the plane…tree in the garden! 
 Even when there were sounds of sorrow among the rest; they were not harsh nor cruel。 Even when golden hair; like her own; lay in a halo on a pillow round the worn face of a little boy; and he said; with a radiant smile; ‘Dear papa and mamma; I am very sorry to leave you both; and to leave my pretty sister; but I am called; and I must go!' those were not tears all of agony that wetted his young mother's cheek; as the spirit departed from her embrace that had been entrusted to it。 Suffer them and forbid them not。 They see my Father's face。 O Father; blessed words! 
 Thus; the rustling of an Angel's wings got blended with the other echoes; and they were not wholly of earth; but had in them that breath of Heaven。 Sighs of the winds that blew over a little garden…tomb were mingled with them also; and both were audible to Lucie; in a hushed murmurlike the breathing of a summer sea asleep upon a sandy shoreas the little Lucie; comically studious at the task of the morning; or dressing a doll at her mother's footstool; chattered in the tongues of the Two Cities that were blended in her life。 
 The echoes rarely answered to the actual tread of Sydney Carton。 Some half…dozen times a year; at most; he claimed his privilege of coming in uninvited; and would sit among them through the evening; as he had once done often。 He never came there heated with wine。 And one other thing regarding him was whispered in the echoes; which has been whispered by all true echoes for ages and ages。 
 No man ever really loved a woman; lost her; and knew her with a blameless though an unchanged mind; when she was a wife and a mother; but her children had a strange sympathy with himan instinctive delicacy of pity for him。 What fine hidden sensibilities are touched in such a case; no echoes tell; but it is so; and it was so here。 Carton was the first stranger to whom little Lucie held out her chubby arms; and he kept his place with her as she grew。 The little boy had spoken of him; almost at the last。 ‘Poor Carton! Kiss him for me!' 
 Mr。 Stryver shouldered his way through the law; like some great engine forcing itself through turbid water; and dragged his useful friend in his wake; like a boat towed astern。 As the boat so favoured is usually in a rough plight; and mostly under water; so; Sydney had a swamped life of it。 But; easy and strong custom; unhappily so much easier and stronger in him than any stimulating sense of desert or disgrace; made it the life he was to lead; and he no more thought of emerging from his state of lion's jackal; than any real jackal may be supposed to think of rising to be a lion。 Stryver was rich; had married a florid widow with property and three boys; who had nothing particularly shining about them but the straight hair of their dumpling heads。 
 These three young gentleman; Mr。 Stryver; exuding patronage of the most offensive quality from every pore; had walked before him like three sheep to the quiet corner in Soho; and had offered as pupils to Lucie's husband: delicately saying; ‘Halloa! here are three lumps of bread…and…cheese towards your matrimonial picnic; Darnay!' The polite rejection of the three lumps of bread…and…cheese had quite bloated Mr。 Stryver with indignation; which he afterwards turned to account in the training of the young gentlemen; by directing them to beware of the pride of Beggars; like that tutor…fellow。 He was also in the habit of declaiming to Mrs。 Stryver; over his full…bodied wine; on the arts Mrs。 Darnay had once put in practice to ‘catch' him; and on the diamond…cut…diamond arts in himself; madam; which had rendered him ‘not to be caught。' Some of his King's Bench familiars; who were occasionally parties to the full…bodied wine and the lie; excused him for the latter by saying that he had told it so often; that he believed it himselfwhich is surely such an incorrigible aggravation of an originally bad offence; as to justify any such offender's being carried off to some suitably retired spot; and there hanged out of the way。 
 These were among the echoes to which Lucie; sometimes pensive; sometimes amused and laughing; listened in the echoing corner; until her little daughter was six years old。 How near to her heart the echoes of her child's tread came; and those of her own dear father's; always active and self…possessed; and those of her dear husband's; need not be told。 Nor; how the lightest echo of their united home; directed by herself with such a wise and elegant thrift that it was more abundant than any waste; was music to her。 Nor; how there were echoes all about her; sweet in her ears; of the many times her father had told her that he found her more devoted to him married (if that could be) than single; and of the many times her husband had said to her that no cares and duties seemed to divide her love for him or her help to him; and asked her ‘What is the magic secret; my darling; of your being everything to all of us; as if there were only one of us; yet never seeming to be hurried; or to have too much to do?' 
But; there were other echoes; from a distance; that rumbled menacingly in the corner all through this space of time。 And it was now; about little Lucie's sixth birthday; that they began to have an awful sound; as of a great storm in France with a dreadful sea rising。 
 On a night in mid…July; one thousand seven hundred and eighty…nine; Mr。 Lorry came in late; from Tellson's; and sat himself down by Lucie and her husband in the dark window。 It was a hot; wild night; and they were all three reminded of the old Sunday night when they had looked at the lightning from the same place。 
 ‘I began to think;' said Mr。 Lorry; pushing his brown wig back; ‘that I should have to pass the night at Tellson's。 We have been so full of business all day; that we have not known what to do first; or which way to turn。 There is such an uneasiness in Paris; that we have actually a run of confidence upon us! Our customers over there; seem not to be able to confide their property to us fast enough。 Ther

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