a tale of two cities(双城记)-第53部分

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us　code　of　devilry　that　ever　was　known；　abandoned　his　property　to　the　vilest　scum　of　the　earth　that　ever　did　murder　by　wholesale；　and　you　ask　me　why　I　am　sorry　that　a　man　who　instructs　youth　knows　him？　Well；　but　I'll　answer　you。　I　am　sorry　because　I　believe　there　is　contamination　in　such　a　scoundrel。　That's　why。'　
　Mindful　of　the　secret；　Darnay　with　great　difficulty　checked　himself；　and　said：　‘You　may　not　understand　the　gentleman。'　
　‘I　understand　how　to　put　you　in　a　corner；　Mr。　Darnay；'　said　Bully　Stryver；　‘and　I'll　do　it。　If　this　fellow　is　a　gentleman；　I　don't　understand　him。　You　may　tell　him　so；　with　my　compliments。　You　may　also　tell　him；　from　me；　that　after　abandoning　his　worldly　goods　and　position　to　this　butcherly　mob；　I　wonder　he　is　not　at　the　head　of　them。　But；　no；　gentlemen；'　said　Stryver；　looking　all　round；　and　snapping　his　fingers；　‘I　know　something　of　human　nature；　and　I　tell　you　that　you'll　never　find　a　fellow　like　this　fellow；　trusting　himself　to　the　mercies　of　such　precious　protégés。　No；　gentlemen；　he'll　always　show　‘em　a　clean　pair　of　heels　very　early　in　the　scuffle；　and　sneak　away。'　
　With　those　words；　and　a　final　snap　of　his　fingers；　Mr。　Stryver　shouldered　himself　into　Fleet…street；　amidst　the　general　approbation　of　his　hearers。　Mr。　Lorry　and　Charles　Darnay　were　left　alone　at　the　desk；　in　the　general　departure　from　the　Bank。　
　‘Will　you　take　charge　of　the　letter？'　said　Mr。　Lorry。　‘You　know　where　to　deliver　it？'　
　‘I　do。'　
　‘Will　you　undertake　to　explain；　that　we　suppose　it　to　have　been　addressed　here；　on　the　chance　of　our　knowing　where　to　forward　it；　and　that　it　has　been　here　some　time？'　
　‘I　will　do　so。　Do　you　start　for　Paris　from　here？'　
‘From　here；　at　eight。'　
‘I　will　come　back；　to　see　you　off。'　
　Very　ill　at　ease　with　himself；　and　with　Stryver　and　most　other　men；　Darnay　made　the　best　of　his　way　into　the　quiet　of　the　Temple；　opened　the　letter；　and　read　it。　These　were　its　contents：　
　　
‘Prison　of　the　Abbaye；　Paris。
June　21；　1792。
　MONSIEUR　HERETOFORE　THE　MARQUIS；　
　‘After　having　long　been　in　danger　of　my　life　at　the　hands　of　the　village；　I　have　been　seized；　with　great　violence　and　indignity；　and　brought　a　long　journey　on　foot　to　Paris。　On　the　road　I　have　suffered　a　great　deal。　Nor　is　that　all；　my　house　has　been　destroyedrazed　to　the　ground。　
　‘The　crime　for　which　I　am　imprisoned；　Monsieur　heretofore　the　Marquis；　and　for　which　I　shall　be　summoned　before　the　tribunal；　and　shall　lose　my　life　（without　your　so　generous　help）；　is；　they　tell　me；　treason　against　the　majesty　of　the　people；　in　that　I　have　acted　against　them　for　an　emigrant。　It　is　in　vain　I　represent　that　I　have　acted　for　them；　and　not　against；　according　to　your　commands。　It　is　in　vain　I　represent　that；　before　the　sequestration　of　emigrant　property；　I　had　remitted　the　imposts　they　had　ceased　to　pay；　that　I　had　collected　no　rent；　that　I　had　had　recourse　to　no　process。　The　only　response　is；　that　I　have　acted　for　an　emigrant；　and　where　is　that　emigrant？　
　‘Ah！　most　gracious　Monsieur　heretofore　the　Marquis；　where　is　that　emigrant？　I　cry　in　my　sleep　where　is　he？　I　demand　of　Heaven；　will　he　not　come　to　deliver　me？　No　answer。　Ah　Monsieur　heretofore　the　Marquis；　I　send　my　desolate　cry　across　the　sea；　hoping　it　may　perhaps　reach　your　ears　through　the　great　bank　of　Tilson　known　at　Paris！　
　‘For　the　love　of　Heaven；　of　justice；　of　generosity；　of　the　honour　of　your　noble　name；　I　supplicate　you；　Monsieur　heretofore　the　Marquis；　to　succour　and　release　me。　My　fault　is；　that　I　have　been　true　to　you。　Oh　Monsieur　heretofore　the　Marquis；　I　pray　you　be　you　true　to　me！　
　‘From　this　prison　here　of　horror；　whence　I　every　hour　tend　nearer　and　nearer　to　destruction；　I　send　you；　Monsieur　heretofore　the　Marquis；　the　assurance　of　my　dolorous　and　unhappy　service。　
　　
‘Your　afflicted
‘GABELLE'
The　latent　uneasiness　in　Darnay's　mind　was　roused　to　vigorous　life　by　this　letter。　The　peril　of　an　old　servant　and　a　good　one；　whose　only　crime　was　fidelity　to　himself　and　his　family；　stared　him　so　reproachfully　in　the　face；　that；　as　he　walked　to　and　fro　in　the　Temple　considering　what　to　do；　he　almost　hid　his　face　from　the　passers…by。　
　He　knew　very　well；　that　in　his　horror　of　the　deed　which　had　culminated　the　bad　deeds　and　bad　reputation　of　the　old　family　house；　in　his　resentful　suspicions　of　his　uncle；　and　in　the　aversion　with　which　his　conscience　regarded　the　crumbling　fabric　that　he　was　supposed　to　uphold；　he　had　acted　imperfectly。　He　knew　very　well；　that　in　his　love　for　Lucie；　his　renunciation　of　his　social　place；　though　by　no　means　new　to　his　own　mind；　had　been　hurried　and　incomplete。　He　knew　that　he　ought　to　have　systematically　worked　it　out　and　supervised　it；　and　that　he　had　meant　to　do　it；　and　that　it　had　never　been　done。　
　The　happiness　of　his　own　chosen　English　home；　the　necessity　of　being　always　actively　employed；　the　swift　changes　and　troubles　of　the　time　which　had　followed　on　one　another　so　fast；　that　the　events　of　this　week　annihilated　the　immature　plans　of　last　week；　and　the　events　of　the　week　following　made　all　new　again；　he　knew　very　well；　that　to　the　force　of　these　circumstances　he　had　yielded　：not　without　disquiet；　but　still　without　continuous　and　accumulating　resistance。　That　he　had　watched　the　times　for　a　time　of　action；　and　that　they　had　shifted　and　struggled　until　the　time　had　gone　by；　and　the　nobility　were　trooping　from　France　by　every　highway　and　byway；　and　their　property　was　in　course　of　confiscation　and　destruction；　and　their　very　names　were　blotting　out；　was　as　well　known　to　himself　as　it　could　be　to　any　new　authority　in　France　that　might　impeach　him　for　it。　
　But；　he　had　oppressed　no　man；　he　had　imprisoned　no　man；　he　was　so　far　from　having　harshly　exacted　payment　of　his　dues；　that　he　had　relinquished　them　of　his　own　will；　thrown　himself　on　a　world　with　no　favour　in　it；　won　his　own　private　place　there；　and　earned　his　own　bread。　Monsieur　Gabelle　had　held　the　impoverished　and　involved　estate　on　written　instructions；　to　spare　the　people；　to　give　them　what　little　there　was　to　givesuch　fuel　as　the　heavy　creditors　would　let　them　have　in　the　winter；　and　such　produce　as　could　be　saved　from　the　same　grip　in　the　summerand　no　doubt　he　had　put　the　fact　in　plea　and　proof；　for　his　own　safety；　so　that　it　could　not　but　appear　now。　
　This　favoured　the　desperate　resolution　Charles　Darnay　had　begun　to　make；　that　he　would　go　to　Paris。　
　Yes。　Like　the　mariner　in　the　old　story；　the　winds　and　streams　had　driven　him　within　the　influence　of　the　Loadstone　Rock；　and　it　was　drawing　him　to　itself；　and　he　must　go。　Everything　that　arose　before　his　mind　drifted　him　on；　faster　and　faster；　more　and　more　steadily；　to　the　terrible　attraction。　His　latent　uneasiness　had　been；　that　bad　aims　were　being　worked　out　in　his　own　unhappy　land　by　bad　instruments；　and　that　he　who　could　not　fail　to　know　that　he　was　better　than　they；　was　not　there；　trying　to　do　something　to　stay　bloodshed；　and　assert　the　claims　of　mercy　and　humanity。　With　this　uneasiness　half　stifled；　and　half　reproaching　him；　he　had　been　brought　to　the　pointed　comparison　of　himself　with　the　brave　old　gentleman　in　whom　duty　was　so　strong；　upon　that　comparison　（injurious　to　himself）　had　instantly　followed　the　sneers　of　Monseigneur；　which　had　stung　him　bitterly；　and　those　of　Stryver；　which　above　all　were　coarse　and　galling；　for　old　reasons。　Upon　those；　had　followed　Gabelle's　letter：　the　appeal　of　an　innocent　prisoner；　in　danger　of　death；　to　his　justice；　honour；　and　good　name。　
　His　resolution　was　made。　He　must　go　to　Paris。　
　Yes。　The　Loadstone　Rock　was　drawing　him；　and　he　must　sail　on；　until　he　struck。　He　knew　of　no　rock；　he　saw　hardly　any　danger。　The　intention　with　which　he　had　done　what　he　had　done；　even　although　he　had　left　it　incomplete；　presented　it　before　him　in　an　aspect　that　would　be　gratefully　acknowledged　in　France　on　his　presenting　himself　to　assert　it。　Then；　that　glorious　vision　of　doing　good；　which　is　so　often　the　sanguine　mirage　of　so　many　good　minds；　arose　before　him；　and　he　even　saw　himself　in　the　illusion　with　some　influence　to　guide　this　raging　Revolution　that　was　running　so　fearfully　wild。　
　As　he　walked　to　and　fro　with　his　resolution　made；　he　considered　that　neither　Lucie　nor　her　father　must　know　of　it　until　he　was　gone。　Lucie　should　be　spared　the　pain　of　separation；　and　her　father；　always　reluctant　to　turn　his　thoughts　towards　the　dangerous　ground　of　old；　should　come　to　the　knowledge　of　the　step；　as　a　step　taken；　and　not　in　the　balance　of　suspense　and　doubt。　How　much　of　the　incompleteness　of　his　situation　was　referable　to　her　father；　through　the　painful　anxiety　to　avoid　reviving　old　associations　of　France　in　his　mind；　he　did　not　discuss　with　himself。　But；　that　circumstance　too；　had　had　its　influence　in　his　course。　
　He　walked　to　and　fro；　with　thoughts　very　busy；　until　it　was　time　to　return　to　Tellson's　and　take　leave　of　Mr。　Lorry。　As　soon　as　he　arrived　in　Paris　he　would　present　himself　to　this　old　friend；　but　he　must　say　nothing　of　his　intention　now。　
　A　carriage　with　post…horses　was　ready　at　the　Bank　door；　and　Jerry　was　booted　and　equipped。　
　‘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　v