a tale of two cities(双城记)-第26章

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ng　an　appropriate　cane　with　a　golden　apple　on　the　top　of　it；　was　now　among　the　company　in　the　outer　rooms；　much　prostrated　before　by　mankindalways　excepting　superior　mankind　of　the　blood　of　Monseigneur；　who；　his　own　wife　included；　looked　down　upon　him　with　the　loftiest　contempt。　
　A　sumptuous　man　was　the　Farmer…General。　Thirty　horses　stood　in　his　stables；　twenty…four　male　domestics　sat　in　his　halls；　six　body…women　waited　on　his　wife。　As　one　who　pre…tended　to　do　nothing　but　plunder　and　forage　where　he　could；　the　Farmer…Generalhowsoever　his　matrimonial　relations　conduced　to　social　moralitywas　at　least　the　greatest　reality　among　the　personages　who　attended　at　the　hotel　of　Monseigneur　that　day。　
　For；　the　rooms；　though　a　beautiful　scene　to　look　at；　and　adorned　with　every　device　of　decoration　that　the　taste　and　skill　of　the　time　could　achieve；　were；　in　truth；　not　a　sound　business；　considered　with　any　reference　to　the　scarecrows　in　the　rags　and　nightcaps　elsewhere　（and　not　so　far　off；　either；　but　that　the　watching　towers　of　Notre　Dame；　almost　equidistant　from　the　two　extremes；　could　see　them　both）；　they　would　have　been　an　exceedingly　uncomfortable　businessif　that　could　have　been　anybody's　business；　at　the　house　of　Monseigneur。　Military　officers　destitute　of　military　knowledge；　naval　officers　with　no　idea　of　a　ship；　civil　officers　without　a　notion　of　affairs；　brazen　ecclesiastics；　of　the　worst　world　worldly；　with　sensual　eyes；　loose　tongues；　and　looser　lives；　all　totally　unfit　for　their　several　callings；　all　lying　horribly　in　pretending　to　belong　to　them；　but　all　nearly　or　remotely　of　the　order　of　Monseigneur；　and　therefore　foisted　on　all　public　employments　from　which　anything　was　to　be　got；　these　were　to　be　told　off　by　the　score　and　the　score。　People　not　immediately　connected　with　Monseigneur　or　the　State；　yet　equally　unconnected　with　anything　that　was　real；　or　with　lives　passed　in　travelling　by　any　straight　road　to　any　true　earthly　end；　were　no　less　abundant。　Doctors　who　made　great　fortunes　out　of　dainty　remedies　for　imaginary　disorders　that　never　existed；　smiled　upon　their　courtly　patients　in　the　ante…chambers　of　Monseigneur。　Projectors　who　had　discovered　every　kind　of　remedy　for　the　little　evils　with　which　the　State　was　touched；　except　the　remedy　of　setting　to　work　in　earnest　to　root　out　a　single　sin；　poured　their　distracting　babble　into　any　ears　they　could　lay　hold　of；　at　the　reception　of　Monseigneur。　Unbelieving　Philosophers　who　were　remodelling　the　world　with　words；　and　making　card…towers　of　Babel　to　scale　the　skies　with；　talked　with　unbelieving　Chemists　who　had　an　eye　on　the　transmutation　of　metals；　at　this　wonderful　gathering　accumulated　by　Monseigneur。　Exquisite　gentlemen　of　the　finest　breeding；　which　was　at　that　remarkable　time…and　has　been　sinceto　be　known　by　its　fruits　of　indifference　to　every　natural　subject　of　human　interest；　were　in　the　most　exemplary　state　of　exhaustion；　at　the　hotel　of　Monseigneur。　Such　homes　had　these　various　notabilities　left　behind　them　in　the　fine　world　of　Paris；　that　the　spies　among　the　assembled　devotees　of　Monseigneurforming　a　goodly　half　of　the　polite　companywould　have　found　it　hard　to　discover　among　the　angels　of　that　sphere　one　solitary　wife；　who；　in　her　manners　and　appearance；　owned　to　being　a　Mother。　Indeed；　except　for　the　mere　act　of　bringing　a　troublesome　creature　into　this　worldwhich　does　not　go　far　towards　the　realisation　of　the　name　of　motherthere　was　no　such　thing　known　to　the　fashion。　Peasant　women　kept　the　unfashionable　babies　close；　and　brought　them　up；　and　charming　grandmammas　of　sixty　dressed　and　supped　as　at　twenty。　
　The　leprosy　of　unreality　disfigured　every　human　creature　in　attendance　upon　Monseigneur。　In　the　outermost　room　were　half　a　dozen　exceptional　people　who　had　had；　for　a　few　years；　some　vague　misgiving　in　them　that　things　in　general　were　going　rather　wrong。　As　a　promising　way　of　setting　them　right；　half　of　the　half…dozen　had　become　members　of　a　fantastic　sect　of　Convulsionists；　and　were　even　then　considering　within　themselves　whether　they　should　foam；　rage；　roar；　and　turn　cataleptic　on　the　spotthereby　setting　up　a　highly　intelligible　finger…post　to　the　Future；　for　Monseigneur's　guidance。　Besides　these　Dervishes；　were　other　three　who　had　rushed　into　another　sect；　which　mended　matters　with　a　jargon　about　‘the　Centre　of　Truth'　holding　that　Man　had　got　out　of　the　Centre　of　Truthwhich　did　not　need　much　demonstration　but　had　not　got　out　of　the　Circumference；　and　that　he　was　to　be　kept　from　flying　out　of　the　Circumference；　and　was　even　to　be　shoved　back　into　the　Centre；　by　fasting　and　seeing　of　spirits。　Among　these；　accordingly；　much　discoursing　with　spirits　went　onand　it　did　a　world　of　good　which　never　became　manifest。　
　But；　the　comfort　was；　that　all　the　company　at　the　grand　hotel　of　Monseigneur　were　perfectly　dressed。　If　the　Day　of　Judgment　had　only　been　ascertained　to　be　a　dress　day；　everybody　there　would　have　been　eternally　correct。　Such　frizzling　and　powdering　and　sticking　up　of　hair；　such　delicate　complexions　artificially　preserved　and　mended；　such　gallant　swords　to　look　at；　and　such　delicate　honour　to　the　sense　of　smell；　would　surely　keep　anything　going；　for　ever　and　ever。　The　exquisite　gentlemen　of　the　finest　breeding　wore　little　pendent　trinkets　that　chinked　as　they　languidly　moved；　these　golden　fetters　rang　like　precious　little　bells；　and　what　with　that　ringing；　and　with　the　rustle　of　silk　and　brocade　and　fine　linen；　there　was　a　flutter　in　the　air　that　fanned　Saint　Antoine　and　his　devouring　hunger　far　away。　
　Dress　was　the　one　unfailing　talisman　and　charm　used　for　keeping　all　things　in　their　places。　Everybody　was　dressed　for　a　Fancy　Ball　that　was　never　to　leave　off。　From　the　Palace　of　the　Tuileries；　through　Monseigneur　and　the　whole　Court；　through　the　Chambers；　the　Tribunals　of　Justice；　and　all　society　（except　the　scarecrows）；　the　Fancy　Ball　descended　to　the　common　Executioner：　who；　in　pursuance　of　the　charm；　was　required　to　officiate　‘frizzled；　powdered；　in　a　gold…laced　coat；　pumps；　and　white　silk　stockings。'　At　the　gallows　and　the　wheelthe　axe　was　a　rarityMonsieur　Paris；　as　it　was　the　episcopal　mode　among　his　brother　Professors　of　the　provinces；　Monsieur　Orleans；　and　the　rest；　to　call　him；　presided　in　this　dainty　dress。　And　who　among　the　company　at　Monseigneur's　reception　in　that　seventeen　hundred　and　eightieth　year　of　our　Lord；　could　possibly　doubt；　that　a　system　rooted　in　a　frizzled　hangman；　powdered；　gold…laced；　pumped；　and　white…silk　stockinged；　would　see　the　very　stars　out！　
　Monseigneur　having　eased　his　four　men　of　their　burdens　and　taken　his　chocolate；　caused　the　doors　of　the　Holiest　of　Holiests　to　be　thrown　open；　and　issued　forth。　Then；　what　submission；　what　cringing　and　fawning；　what　servility；　what　abject　humiliation！　As　to　bowing　down　in　body　and　spirit；　nothing　in　that　way　was　left　for　Heavenwhich　may　have　been　one　among　other　reasons　why　the　worshippers　of　Monseigneur　never　troubled　it。　
　Bestowing　a　word　of　promise　here　and　a　smile　there；　a　whisper　on　one　happy　slave　and　a　wave　of　the　hand　on　another；　Monseigneur　affably　passed　through　his　rooms　to　the　remote　region　of　the　Circumference　of　Truth。　There；　Monseigneur　turned；　and　came　back　again；　and　so　in　due　course　of　time　got　himself　shut　up　in　his　sanctuary　by　the　chocolate　sprites；　and　was　seen　no　more。　
　The　show　being　over；　the　flutter　in　the　air　became　quite　a　little　storm；　and　the　precious　little　bells　went　ringing　down…stairs。　There　was　soon　but　one　person　left　of　all　the　crowd；　and　he；　with　his　hat　under　his　arm　and　his　snuff…box　in　his　hand；　slowly　passed　among　the　mirrors　on　his　way　out。　
　‘I　devote　you；'　said　this　person；　stopping　at　the　last　door　on　his　way；　and　turning　in　the　direction　of　the　sanctuary；　‘to　the　Devil！'　
　With　that；　he　shook　the　snuff　from　his　fingers　as　if　he　had　shaken　the　dust　from　his　feet；　and　quietly　walked　down　stairs。　
　He　was　a　man　of　about　sixty；　handsomely　dressed；　haughty　in　manner；　and　with　a　face　like　a　fine　mask。　A　face　of　a　transparent　paleness；　every　feature　in　it　clearly　defined；　one　set　expression　on　it。　The　nose：　beautifully　formed　otherwise；　was　very　slightly　pinched　at　the　top　of　each　nostril。　In　those　two　compressions；　or　dints；　the　only　lit