a tale of two cities(双城记)-第54节

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　‘I　have　delivered　that　letter；'　said　Charles　Darnay　to　Mr。　Lorry。　‘I　would　not　consent　to　your　being　charged　with　any　written　answer；　but　perhaps　you　will　take　a　verbal　one？'　
　‘That　I　will；　and　readily；'　said　Mr。　Lorry；　‘if　it　is　not　dangerous。'　
　‘Not　at　all。　Though　it　is　to　a　prisoner　in　the　Abbaye。'　
　‘What　is　his　name？'　said　Mr。　Lorry；　with　his　open　pocket…book　in　his　hand。　
　‘Gabelle。'　
　‘Gabelle。　And　what　is　the　message　to　the　unfortunate　Gabelle　in　prison？'　
　‘Simply；　〃that　he　has　received　the　letter；　and　will　come。〃'　
‘Any　time　mentioned？'　
‘He　will　start　upon　his　journey　to…morrow　night。'　
‘Any　person　mentioned？'　
‘No。'　
　He　helped　Mr。　Lorry　to　wrap　himself　in　a　number　of　coats　and　cloaks；　and　went　out　with　him　from　the　warm　atmosphere　of　the　old　Bank；　into　the　misty　air　of　Fleet…street。　‘My　love　to　Lucie；　and　to　little　Lucie；'　said　Mr。　Lorry　at　parting；　‘and　take　precious　care　of　them　till　I　come　back。'　Charles　Darnay　shook　his　head　and　doubtfully　smiled；　as　the　carriage　rolled　away。　
　That　nightit　was　the　fourteenth　of　Augusthe　sat　up　late；　and　wrote　two　fervent　letters；　one　was　to　Lucie；　explaining　the　strong　obligation　he　was　under　to　go　to　Paris；　and　showing　her；　at　length；　the　reasons　that　he　had；　for　feeling　confident　that　he　could　become　involved　in　no　personal　danger　there；　the　other　was　to　the　Doctor；　confiding　Lucie　and　their　dear　child　to　his　care；　and　dwelling　on　the　same　topics　with　the　strongest　assurances。　To　both；　he　wrote　that　he　would　despatch　letters　in　proof　of　his　safety；　immediately　after　his　arrival。　
　It　was　a　hard　day；　that　day　of　being　among　them；　with　the　first　reservation　of　their　joint　lives　on　his　mind。　It　was　a　hard　matter　to　preserve　the　innocent　deceit　of　which　they　were　profoundly　unsuspicious。　But；　an　affectionate　glance　at　his　wife；　so　happy　and　busy；　made　him　resolute　not　to　tell　her　what　impended　（he　had　been　half　moved　to　do　it；　so　strange　it　was　to　him　to　act　in　anything　without　her　quiet　aid）；　and　the　day　passed　quickly　away。　Early　in　the　evening　he　embraced　her；　and　her　scarcely　less　dear　namesake；　pretending　that　he　would　return　by…and…by　（an　imaginary　engagement　took　him　out；　and　he　had　secreted　a　valise　of　clothes　ready）；　and　so　he　emerged　into　the　heavy　mist　of　the　heavy　streets；　with　a　heavier　heart。　
　The　unseen　force　was　drawing　him　fast　to　itself；　now；　and　all　the　tides　and　winds　were　setting　straight　and　strong　towards　it。　He　left　his　two　letters　with　a　trusty　porter；　to　be　delivered　half　an　hour　before　midnight；　and　no　sooner；　took　horse　for　Dover；　and　began　his　journey。　‘For　the　love　of　Heaven；　of　justice；　of　generosity；　of　the　honour　of　your　noble　name！'　was　the　poor　prisoner's　cry　with　which　he　strengthened　his　sinking　heart；　as　he　left　all　that　was　dear　on　earth　behind　him；　and　floated　away　for　the　Loadstone　Rock。　
　　
THE　END　OF　THE　SECOND　BOOK


BOOK　THE　THIRD
THE　TRACK　OF　A　STORM
CHAPTER　I
In　Secret
　
THE　traveller　fared　slowly　on　his　way；　who　fared　towards　Paris　from　England　in　the　autumn　of　the　year　one　thousand　seven　hundred　and　ninety…two。　More　than　enough　of　bad　roads；　bad　equipages；　and　bad　horses；　he　would　have　encountered　to　delay　him；　though　the　fallen　and　unfortunate　King　of　France　had　been　upon　his　throne　in　all　his　glory；　but；　the　changed　times　were　fraught　with　other　obstacles　than　these。　Every　town…gate　and　village　taxing…house　had　its　band　of　citizen…patriots；　with　their　national　muskets　in　a　most　explosive　state　of　readiness；　who　stopped　all　comers　and　goers；　cross…questioned　them；　inspected　their　papers；　looked　for　their　names　in　lists　of　their　own；　turned　them　back；　or　sent　them　on；　or　stopped　them　and　laid　them　in　hold；　as　their　capricious　judgment　or　fancy　deemed　best　for　the　dawning　Republic　One　and　Indivisible；　of　Liberty；　Equality；　Fraternity；　or　Death。　
　A　very　few　French　leagues　of　his　journey　were　accomplished；　when　Charles　Darnay　began　to　perceive　that　for　him　along　these　country　roads　there　was　no　hope　of　return　until　he　should　have　been　declared　a　good　citizen　at　Paris。　Whatever　might　befall　now；　he　must　on　to　his　journey's　end。　Not　a　mean　village　closed　upon　him；　not　a　common　barrier　dropped　across　the　road　behind　him；　but　he　knew　it　to　be　another　iron　door　in　the　series　that　was　barred　between　him　and　England。　The　universal　watchfulness　so　encompassed　him；　that　if　he　had　been　taken　in　a　net；　or　were　being　forwarded　to　his　destination　in　a　cage；　he　could　not　have　felt　his　freedom　more　completely　gone。　
　This　universal　watchfulness　not　only　stopped　him　on　the　highway　twenty　times　in　a　stage；　hut　retarded　his　progress　twenty　times　in　a　day；　by　riding　after　him　and　taking　him　back；　riding　before　him　and　stopping　him　by　anticipation；　riding　with　him　and　keeping　him　in　charge。　He　had　been　days　upon　his　journey　in　France　alone；　when　he　went　to　bed　tired　out；　in　a　little　town　on　the　high　road；　still　a　long　way　from　Paris。　
　Nothing　but　the　production　of　the　afflicted　Gabelle's　letter　from　his　prison　of　the　Abbaye　would　have　got　him　on　so　far。　His　difficulty　at　the　guard…house　in　this　small　place　had　been　such；　that　he　felt　his　journey　to　have　come　to　a　crisis。　And　he　was；　therefore；　as　little　surprised　as　a　man　could　be；　to　find　himself　awakened　at　the　small　inn　to　which　he　had　been　remitted　until　morning；　in　the　middle　of　the　night。　
　Awakened　by　a　timid　local　functionary　and　three　armed　patriots　in　rough　red　caps　and　with　pipes　in　their　mouths；　who　sat　down　on　the　bed。　
　‘Emigrant；'　said　the　functionary；　‘I　am　going　to　send　you　on　to　Paris；　under　an　escort。'　
　‘Citizen；　I　desire　nothing　more　than　to　get　to　Paris；　though　I　could　dispense　with　the　escort。'　
　‘Silence！'　growled　a　red…cap；　striking　at　the　coverlet　with　the　butt…end　of　his　musket。　‘Peace；　aristocrat！'　
　‘It　is　as　the　good　patriot　says；'　observed　the　timid　functionary。　‘You　are　an　aristocrat；　and　must　have　an　escort…and　must　pay　for　it。'　
　‘I　have　no　choice；'　said　Charles　Darnay。　
　‘Choice；　Listen　to　him！'　cried　the　same　scowling　red…cap。　‘As　if　it　was　not　a　favour　to　be　protected　from　the　lamp…iron！'　
　‘It　is　always　as　the　good　patriot　says；'　observed　the　functionary。　‘Rise　and　dress　yourself；　emigrant。'　
　Darnay　complied；　and　was　taken　back　to　the　guard…house；　where　other　patriots　in　rough　red　caps　were　smoking；　drinking；　and　sleeping；　by　a　watch…fire。　Here　he　paid　a　heavy　price　for　his　escort；　and　hence　he　started　with　it　on　the　wet；　wet　roads　at　three　o'clock　in　the　morning。　
　The　escort　were　two　mounted　patriots　in　red　caps　and　tricoloured　cockades；　armed　with　national　muskets　and　sabres；　who　rode　one　on　either　side　of　him。　The　escorted　governed　his　own　horse；　but　a　loose　line　was　attached　to　his　bridle；　the　end　of　which　one　of　the　patriots　kept　girded　round　his　wrist。　In　this　state　they　set　forth　with　the　sharp　rain　driving　in　their　faces：　clattering　at　a　heavy　dragoon　trot　over　the　uneven　town　pavement；　and　out　upon　the　mire…deep　roads。　In　this　state　they　traversed　without　change；　except　of　horses　and　pace；　all　the　mire…deep　leagues　that　lay　between　them　and　the　capital。　
　They　travelled　in　the　night；　halting　an　hour　or　two　after　daybreak；　and　lying　by　until　the　twilight　fell。　The　escort　were　so　wretchedly　clothed；　that　they　twisted　straw　round　their　bare　legs；　and　thatched　their　ragged　shoulders　to　keep　the　wet　off　Apart　from　the　personal　discomfort　of　being　so　attended；　and　apart　from　such　considerations　of　present　danger　as　arose　from　one　of　the　patriots　being　chronically　drunk；　and　carrying　his　musket　very　recklessly；　Charles　Darnay　did　not　allow　the　restraint　that　was　laid　upon　him　to　awaken　any　serious　fears　in　his　breast；　for；　he　reasoned　with　himself　that　it　could　have　no　reference　to　the　merits　of　an　individual　case　that　was　not　yet　stated；　and　of　representations；　confirmable　by　the　prisoner　in　the　Abbaye；　that　were　not　yet　made。　
　But　when　they　canto　to　the　town　of　Beauvaiswhich　they　did　at　eventide；　when　the　streets　were　filled　with　peoplehe　could　not　‘conceal　from　himself　that　the　aspect　of　affairs　was　very　alarming。　An　ominous　crowd　gathered　to　see　him　dismount　at　the　posting…yard；　and　many　voices　called　out　loudly；　‘Down　with　the　emigrant！'　
　He　stopped　in　the　act　of　swinging　himself　out　of　his　saddled　and；　resuming　it　as　his　safest　place；　said：　
　‘Emigrant；　my　friends！　Do　you　not　see　me　here；　in　France；　of　my　own　will？'　
　‘You　are　a　cursed　emigrant；'　cried　a　farrier；　making　at　him　In　a　furious　manner　through　the　press；　hammer　in　hand；　‘and　you　are　a　cursed　aristocrat！'　
　The　postmaster　interposed　himself　between　this　man　and　the　rider's　bridle　（at　which　he　was　evidently　making）；　and　soothingly　said；　‘Let　him　be；　let　him　be！　He　will　be　judged　at　Paris。'　
　‘Judged！'　repeated　the　farrier；　swinging　his　hammer。　‘Ay！　and　condemned　as　a　traitor。'　At　this　the　crowd　roared　approval。　
　Checking　the　postmaster；　who　was　for　turning　his　horse's　head　to　the　yard　（the　drunken　patriot　sat　composedly　in　his　saddle　looking　on；　with　the　line　round　his　wrist）；　Darnay　said；　as　soon　as　he　could　make　his　voice　heard：　
　‘Friends；　you　deceive　yourselves；　or　you　are　deceived。　I　am　not　a　traitor。'　
　‘He　lies！'　cried　the　smith。　‘He　is　a　traitor　since　the　decree。　His　life　is　forfeit　to　the　people。　His　cursed　life　is　not　his　own！'　
　At　the　insta