a tale of two cities(双城记)-第60部分

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ll　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；　it　would　but　have　been　with　her　as　it　was　with　many。　But；　from　the　hour　when　she　had　taken　the　white　head　to　her　fresh　young　bosom　in　the　garret　of　she　had　been　true　to　her　duties。　She　was　truest　to　them　in　the　season　of　trial；　as　all　the　quietly　loyal　and　good　will　always　be。　
　As　soon　as　they　were　established　in　their　new　residence；　and　her　father　had　entered　on　the　routine　of　his　avocations；　she　arranged　the　little　household　as　exactly　as　if　her　husband　had　been　there。　Everything　had　its　appointed　place　and　its　appointed　time。　Little　Lucie　she　taught；　as　regularly；　as　if　they　had　all　been　united　in　their　English　home。　The　slight　devices　with　which　she　cheated　herself　into　the　show　of　a　belief　that　they　would　soon　be　reunited…the　little　preparations　for　his　speedy　return；　the　setting　aside　of　his　chair　and　his　booksthese；　and　the　solemn　prayer　at　night　for　one　dear　prisoner　especially；　among　the　many　unhappy　souls　in　prison　and　the　shadow　of　deathwere　almost　the　only　outspoken　reliefs　of　her　heavy　mind。