a tale of two cities(双城记)-第49章

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dgment　had　risen　and　identified　him；　and　that　this　man　was　Defarge。　
　That；　hereupon　he　had　ascertained；　through　the　registers　on　the　table；　that　his　son…in…law　was　among　the　living　prisoners；　and　had　pleaded　hard　to　the　Tribunalof　whom　some　members　were　asleep　and　some　awake；　some　dirty　with　murder　and　some　clean；　some　sober　and　some　notfor　his　life　and　liberty。　That；　in　the　first　frantic　greetings　lavished　on　himself　as　a　notable　sufferer　under　the　over…thrown　system；　it　had　been　accorded　to　him　to　have　Charles　Darnay　brought　before　the　lawless　Court；　and　examined。　That；　he　seemed　on　the　point　of　being　at　once　released；　when　the　tide　in　his　favour　met　with　some　unexplained　check　（not　intelligible　to　the　Doctor）；　which　led　to　a　few　words　of　secret　conference。　That；　the　man　sitting　as　President　had　then　informed　Doctor　Manette　that　the　prisoner　must　remain　in　custody；　but　should　for　his　sake；　be　held　inviolate　in　safe　custody。　That；　immediately；　on　a　signal；　the　prisoner　was　removed　to　the　interior　of　the　prison　again；　but；　that　lie；　the　Doctor；　had　then　so　strongly　pleaded　for　permission　to　remain　and　assure　himself　that　his　son…in…law　was；　through　no　malice　or　mischance；　delivered　to　the　concourse　whose　murderous　yells　outside　the　gate　had　often　drowned　the　proceedings；　that　lie　had　obtained　the　permission；　and　had　remained　in　that　Hall　of　Blood　until　the　danger　was　over。　
　The　sights　he　had　seen　there；　with　brief　snatches　of　food　and　sleep　by　intervals；　shall　remain　untold。　The　mad　job　over　the　prisoners　who　were　saved；　had　astounded　him　scarcely　less　than　the　mad　ferocity　against　those　who　were　cut　to　pieces。　One　prisoner　there　was；　lie　said；　who　had　been　discharged　into　the　street　free；　but　at　whom　a　mistaken　savage　had　thrust　a　pike　as　lie　passed　out。　Being　besought　to　go　to　him　and　dress　the　wound；　the　Doctor　had　passed　out　at　the　same　gate；　and　had　found　him　in　the　arms　of　a　company　of　Samaritans；　who　were　seated　on　the　bodies　of　their　victims。　With　an　inconsistency　as　monstrous　as　anything　in　this　awful　nightmare；　they　had　helped　the　healer；　and　tended　the　wounded　man　with　the　gentlest　solicitudehad　made　a　litter　for　him　and　escorted　him　carefully　from　the　spothad　then　caught　up　their　weapons　and　plunged　anew　into　a　butchery　so　dreadful；　that　the　Doctor　had　covered　his　eyes　with　his　hands；　and　swooned　away　in　the　midst　of　it。　
　As　Mr。　Lorry　received　these　confidences；　and　as　he　watched　the　face　of　his　friend　now　sixty…two　years　of　age；　a　misgiving　arose　within　him　that　such　dread　experiences　would　revise　the　old　danger。　But；　he　had　never　seen　his　friend　in　hi；　present　aspect：　he　had　never　at　all　known　him　in　his　present　character。　For　the　first　time　the　Doctor　felt；　now；　that　his　suffering　was　strength　and　power。　For　the　first　time　he　left　that　in　that　sharp　fire；　lie　had　slowly　forged　the　iron　which　could　break　the　prison　door　of　his　daughter's　husband；　and　deliver　him。　‘It　all　tended　to　a　good　end；　my　friend；　it　was　not　mere　waste　and　ruin。　As　my　beloved　child　was　helpful　in　restoring　me　to　myself；　I　will　be　helpful　now　in　restoring　the　dearest　part　of　herself　to　her；　by　the　aid　of　Heaven　I　will　do　it！'　Thus；　Doctor　Manette。　And　when　Jarvis　Lorry　saw　the　kindled　eyes；　the　resolute　face；　the　calm　strong　look　and　bearing　of　the　man　whose　life　always　seemed　to　him　to　have　been　stopped；　like　a　clock；　for　so　many　years；　and　then　set　going　again　with　an　energy　which　had　lain　dormant　during　the　cessation　of　its　usefulness；　he　believed。　
　Greater　things　than　the　Doctor　had　at　that　time　to　contend　with；　would　have　yielded　before　his　persevering　purpose。　While　he　kept　himself　in　his　place；　as　a　physician；　whose　business　was　with　all　degrees　of　mankind；　bond　and　free；　rich　and　poor；　bad　and　good；　he　used　his　personal　influence　so　wisely；　that　he　was　soon　the　inspecting　physician　of　three　prisons；　and　among　them　of　La　Force。　He　could　now　assure　Lucie　that　her　husband　was　no　longer　confined　alone；　but　was　mixed　with　the　general　body　of　prisoners；　he　saw　her　husband　weekly；　and　brought　sweet　messages　to　her；　straight　from　his　lips；　sometimes　her　husband　himself　sent　a　letter　to　her　（though　never　by　the　Doctor's　hand）；　but　she　was　not　permitted　to　write　to　him：　for；　among　the　many　wild　suspicions　of　plots　in　the　prisons；　the　wildest　of　all　pointed　at　emigrants　who　were　known　to　have　made　friends　or　permanent　connections　abroad。　
　This　new　life　of　the　Doctor's　was　an　anxious　life；　no　doubt；　still；　the　sagacious　Mr。　Lorry　saw　that　there　was　a　new　sustaining　pride　in　it。　Nothing　unbecoming　tinged　the　pride；　it　was　a　natural　and　worthy　one；　but　he　observed　it　as　a　curiosity。　The　Doctor　knew；　that　up　to　that　time；　his　imprisonment　had　been　associated　in　the　minds　of　his　daughter　and　his　friend；　with　his　personal　affliction；　deprivation；　and　weakness。　Now　that　this　was　changed；　and　he　knew　himself　to　be　invested　through　that　old　trial　with　forces　to　which　they　both　looked　for　Charles's　ultimate　safety　and　deliverance；　he　became　so　far　exalted　by　the　change；　that　he　took　the　lead　and　direction；　and　required　them　as　the　weak；　to　trust　to　him　as　the　strong。　The　preceding　relative　positions　of　himself　and　Lucie　were　reversed；　yet　only　as　the　liveliest　gratitude　and　affection　could　reverse　them；　for　he　could　have　had　no　pride　but　in　rendering　some　service　to　her　who　had　rendered　so　much　to　him。　‘All　curious　to　see；'　thought　Mr。　Lorry；　in　his　amiably　shrewd　way；　‘but　all　natural　and　right；　so；　take　the　lead；　my　dear　friend；　and　keep　it；　it　couldn't　be　in　better　hands。'　
　But；　though　the　Doctor　tried　hard；　and　never　ceased　trying；　to　get　Charles　Darnay　set　at　liberty；　or　at　least　to　get　him　brought　to　trial；　the　public　current　of　the　time　set　too　strong　and　fast　for　him。　The　new　era　began；　the　king　was　tried；　doomed；　and　beheaded；　the　Republic　of　Liberty；　Equality；　Fraternity；　or　Death；　declared　for　victory　or　death　against　the　world　in　arms；　the　black　flag　waved　night　and　day　from　the　great　towers　of　Notre　Dame；　three　hundred　thousand　men；　summoned　to　rise　against　the　tyrants　of　the　earth；　rose　from　all　the　varying　soils　of　France；　as　if　the　dragon's　teeth　had　been　sown　broadcast；　and　had　yielded　fruit　equally　on　hill　and　plain；　on　rock；　in　gravel；　and　alluvial　mud；　under　the　bright　sky　of　the　South　and　under　the　clouds　of　the　North；　in　fell　and　forest；　in　the　vineyards　and　the　olive…grounds　and　among　the　cropped　grass　and　the　stubble　of　the　corn；　along　the　fruitful　banks　of　the　broad　rivers；　and　in　the　sand　of　the　sea…shore。　What　private　solicitude　could　rear　itself　against　the　deluge　of　the　Year　One　of　Libertythe　deluge　rising　from　below；　not　falling　from　above；　and　with　the　windows　of　Heaven　shut；　not　opened！　
　There　was　no　pause；　no　pity；　no　peace；　no　interval　of　relenting　rest；　no　measurement　of　time。　Though　days　and　nights　circled　as　regularly　as　when　time　was　young；　and　the　evening　and　morning　were　the　first　day；　other　count　of　time　there　was　none。　Hold　of　it　was　lost　in　the　raging　fever　of　a　nation；　as　it　is　in　the　fever　of　one　patient。　Now；　breaking　the　unnatural　silence　of　a　whole　city；　the　executioner　showed　the　people　the　head　of　the　king…and　now；　it　seemed　almost　in　the　same　breath；　the　head　of　his　fair　wife　which　had　had　eight　weary　months　of　imprisoned　widowhood　and　misery；　to　turn　it　grey。　
　And　yet；　observing　the　strange　law　of　contradiction　which　obtains　in　all　such　cases；　the　time　was　long；　while　it　flamed　by　so　fast。　A　revolutionary　tribunal　in　the　capital；　and　forty　or　fifty　thousand　revolutionary　committees　all　over　the　land；　a　law　of　the　Suspected；　which　struck　away　all　security　for　liberty　or　life；　and　delivered　over　any　good　and　innocent　person　to　any　bad　and　guilty　one；　prisons　gorged　with　people　who　had　committed　no　offence；　and　could　obtain　no　hearing；　these　things　became　the　established　order　and　nature　of　appointed　things；　and　seemed　to　be　ancient　usage　before　they　were　many　weeks　old。　Above　all；　one　hideous　figure　grew　as　familiar　as　if　it　had　been　before　the　general　gaze　horn　the　foundations　of　the　worldthe　figure　of　the　sharp　female　called　La　Guillotine。　
It　was　the　popular　theme　for　jests；　it　was　the　best　cure　for　headache；　it　infallibly　prevented　the　hair　from　turning　grey；　it　imparted　a　peculiar　delicacy　to　the　complexion；　it　was　the　National　Razor　which　shaved　close：　who　kissed　La　Guillotine；　looked　through　the　little　window　and　sneezed　into　the　sack。　It　was　the　sign　of　the　regeneration　of　the　human　race。　It　superseded　the　Gross。　Models　of　it　were　worn　on　breasts　from　which　the　Gross　was　discarded；　and　it　was　bowed　down　to　and　believed　in　where　the　Gross　was　denied。　
　It　sheared　off　heads　so　many；　that　it；　and　the　ground　it　most　polluted；　were　a　rotten　red。　It　was　taken　to　pieces；　like　a　toy…puzzle　for　a　young　Devil；　and　was　put　together　again　when　the　occasion　wanted　it。　It　hushed　the　eloquent；　struck　down　the　powerful；　abolished　the　beautiful　and　good。　Twenty…two　friends　of　high　public　mark；　twenty…one　living　and　one　dead；　it　had　lopped　the　heads　off；　in　one　morning；　in　as　many　minutes。　The　name　of　the　strong　man　of　Old　Scripture　had　descended　to　the　chief　functionary　who　worked　it；　but；　so　armed；　he　was　stronger　than　his　namesake；　and　blinder；　and　tore　away　the　gates　of　God's　own　Temple　every　day。　
　Among　these　terrors；　and　the　brood　belonging　to　them；　the　Doctor　walked　with　a　steady　head：　confident　in　his　power；　cautiously　persistent　in　his　end；　never　doubting　that　he　would　save　Lucie's　husband　at　last。　Yet　the　current　of　the　time　swept　by；　so　strong　and　deep；　and　carried　the　time　away　so　fiercely；　that　Charles　had　lain　in　prison　one　year　and　three　months　when　the　Doctor　was　thus　steady　and　confident。　So　much　more　wicked　and　distracted　had　the　Revolution　grown　in　that　December　month；　that　the　rivers　of　the　South　were　encumbered　with　the　bodies　of　the　violently　drowned　by　night；　and　prisoners　were　shot　in　lines　and　squares　under　the　southern　wintry　sun。　Still；　the　Doctor　walked　among　the　terrors　with　a　steady　head。　No　man　better　known　than　he；　in　Paris　at　that　day；　no　man　in　a　stranger　situation。　Silent；　humane；　indispensable　in　hospital　and　prison；　using　his　art　equally　among　assassins　and　victims；　he　was　a　man　apart。　In　the　exercise　of　his　skill；　the　appearance　and　the　story　of　the　Bastille　Captive　removed　him　from　all　other　men。　He　was　not　suspected　or　brought　in　question；　any　more　than　if　he　had　indeed　been　recalled　to　life　some　eighteen　years　before；　or　were　a　Spirit　moving　among　mortals。　


CHAPTER　V
The　Wood…sawyer
ONE　a　year　and　three　months。　During　all　that　time　Lucie　was　never　sure；　from　hour　to　hour；　but　that　the　Guillotine　would　strike　off　her　husband's　head　next　day。　Every　day；　through　the　stony　streets；　the　tumbrils　now　jolted　heavily；　filled　with　Condemned。　Lovely　girls；　bright　women；　brown…haired；　black…haired；　and　grey；　youths；　stalwart　men　and　old；　gentle　born　and　peasant　born；　all　red　wine　for　La　Guillotine；　all　daily　brought　into　light　from　the　dark　cellars　of　the　loathsome　prisons；　and　carried　to　her　through　the　street　to　slake　her　devouring　thirst。　Liberty；　equality；　fraternity；　or　death；the　last；　much　the　easiest　to　bestow；　O　Guillotine！　
　If　the　suddenness　of　her　calamity；　and　the　whirling　wheels　of　the　time；　had　stunned　the　Doctor's　daughter　into　awaiting　the　result　in　idle　despair