太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > a tale of two cities(双城记) >

第75节

a tale of two cities(双城记)-第75节

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

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!



 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 theewhich; happily; it does notthou 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 communicate。 Ask him; is that so。' 
 ‘It is so;' assented Defarge again。 
 ‘I communicate to him that secret。 I smite this bosom with these two hands as I smite it now; and I tell him; 〃Defarge; I was brought up among the fishermen of the sea…shore; and that peasant family so injured by the two Evrémonde brothers; as that Bastille paper describes; is my family。 Defarge; that sister of the mortally wounded boy upon the ground was my sister; that husband was my sister's husband; that unborn child was their child; that brother was my brother; that father was my father; those dead are my dead; and that summons to answer for those things descends to me!〃 Ask him; is that so。' 
 ‘It is so;' assented Defarge once more。 
 ‘Then tell Wind and Fire where to stop;' returned madame; ‘but don't tell me。' 
 Both her hearers derived a horrible enjoyment from the deadly nature of her wraththe listener could feel how white she was; without seeing herand both highly commended it。 Defarge; a weak minority; interposed a few words for the memory of the compassionate wife of the Marquis; but only elicited from his own wife a repetition of her last reply。 ‘Tell the Wind and the Fire where to stop; not me!' 
 Customers entered; and the group was broken up。 The English customer paid for what he had had; perplexedly counted his change; and asked; as a stranger; to be directed towards the National Palace。 Madame Defarge took him to the door; and put her arm on his; in pointing out the road。 The English customer was not without his reflections then; that it might be a good deed to seize that arm; lilt it; and strike under it sharp and deep。 
 But; he went his way; and was soon swallowed up in the shadow of the prison wall。 At the appointed hour; he emerged from it to present himself in Mr。 Lorry's room again; where he found the old gentleman walking to and fro in restless anxiety。 He said he had been with Lucie until just now; and had only left her for a few minutes; to come and keep his appointment。 Her father had not been seen; since he quitted the banking house towards four o'clock。 She had some faint hopes that his mediation might save Charles; but they were very slight。 He had been more than five hours gone: where could he be? 
 Mr。 Lorry waited until ten; but; Doctor Manette not returning; and he being unwilling to leave Lucie any longer; it was arranged that he should go back to her; and come to the banking…house again at midnight。 In the meanwhile; Carton would wait alone by the fire for the Doctor。 He waited and waited; and the clock struck twelve; but Doctor Manette did not come back。 Mr。 Lorry returned; and found no tidings of him; and brought none。 Where could he be? 
 They were discussing this question; and were almost building up some weak structure of hope on his prolonged absence; when they heard him on the stairs。 The instant he entered the room; it was plain that all was lost。 
 Whether he had really been to any one; or whether he had been all that time traversing the streets; was never known。 As he stood staring at them; they asked him no question; for his face told them everything。 
 ‘I cannot find it;' said he; ‘and I must have it。 Where is it?' 
 His head and throat were bare; and; as he spoke with a helpless look straying all around; he took his coat off; and let it drop on the floor。 
 ‘Where is my bench? I have been looking everywhere for my bench; and I can't find it。 What have they; done with my work? Time presses: I must finish those shoes。 
 They looked at one another; and their hearts died within them。 
 ‘Come; come!' said he; in a whimpering miserable way; ‘let me get to work。 Give me my work。' 
 Receiving no answer; he tore his hair; and beat his feet upon the ground; like a distracted child。 
 ‘Don't torture a poor forlorn wretch;' he implored them; with a dreadful cry; ‘but give me my work! What is to become of us; if those shoes are not done to…night?' 
 Lost; utterly lost! 
 It was so clearly beyond hope to reason with him; or try to restore him;thatas if by agreementthey each put a hand upon his shoulder; and soothed him to sit down before the fire; with a promise that he should have his work presently。 He sank into the chair; and brooded over the embers; and shed tears。 As if all that had happened since the garret time were a momentary fancy; or a dream; Mr。 Lorry saw him shrink into the exact figure that Defarge had had in keeping。 
 Affected; and impressed with terror as they both were; by this spectacle of ruin; it was not a time to yield to such emotions。 His lonely daughter; bereft of her final hope and reliance; appealed to them both too strongly。 Again; as if by agreement; they looked at one another with one meaning in their faces。 Carton was the first to speak: 
 ‘The last chance is gone: It was not much。 Yes; he had better be taken to her。 But; before you go; will you; for a moment; steadily attend to me? Don't ask me why I make the stipulations I am going to make; and exact the promise I am going to exact; I have a reasona good one。' 
 ‘I do not doubt it;' answered Mr。 Lorry。 ‘Say on。' 
 The figure in the chair between them; was all the time monotonously rocking itself to and fro; and moaning。 They spoke in such a tone as they would have used if they had been 

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的