a tale of two cities(双城记)-第28章

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　Monsieur　the　Marquis　in　his　travelling　carriage　（which　might　have　been　lighter）；　conducted　by　four　post…horses　and　two　postilions；　fagged　up　a　steep　hill。　A　blush　on　the　countenance　of　Monsieur　the　Marquis　was　no　impeachment　of　his　high　breeding；　it　was　not　from　within；　it　was　occasioned　by　an　external　circumstance　beyond　his　controlthe　setting　sun　give　up；　and　wither　away　give　up；　and　wither　away。　
　The　sunset　struck　so　brilliantly　into　the　travelling　carriage　when　it　gained　the　hill…top；　that　its　occupant　was　steeped　in　crimson。　‘It　will　die　out；'　said　Monsieur　the　Marquis；　glancing　at　his　hands；　‘directly。'　
　In　effect；　the　sun　was　so　low　that　it　dipped　at　the　moment。　When　the　heavy　drag　had　been　adjusted　to　the　wheel；　and　the　carriage　slid　down　hill；　with　a　cinderous　smell；　in　a　cloud　of　dust；　the　red　glow　departed　quickly；　the　sun　and　the　Marquis　going　down　together；　there　was　no　glow　left　when　the　drag　was　taken　off。　
　But；　there　remained　a　broken　country；　bold　and　open；　a　little　village　at　the　bottom　of　the　hill；　a　broad　sweep　and　rise　beyond　it；　a　church…tower；　a　windmill；　a　forest　for　the　chase；　and　a　crag　with　a　fortress　on　it　used　as　a　prison。　Round　upon　all　these　darkening　objects　as　the　night　drew　on；　the　Marquis　looked；　with　the　air　of　one　who　was　coming　near　home。　
　The　village　had　its　one　poor　street；　with　its　poor　brewery；　poor　tannery；　poor　tavern；　poor　stable…yard　for　relay　of　post＋horses；　poor　fountain；　all　usual　poor　appointments。　It　had　its　poor　people　too。　All　its　people　were　poor；　and　many　of　them　were　sitting　at　their　doors；　shredding　spare　onions　and　the　like　for　supper；　while　many　were　at　the　fountain；　washing　leaves；　and　grasses；　and　any　such　small　yieldings　of　the　earth　that　could　be　eaten。　Expressive　signs　of　what　made　them　poor；　were　not　wanting；　the　tax　for　the　state；　the　tax　for　the　church；　the　tax　for　the　lord；　tax　local　and　tax　general；　were　to　be　paid　here　and　to　be　paid　there；　according　to　solemn　inscription　in　the　little　village；　until　the　wonder　was；　that　there　was　any　village　left　unswallowed。　
　Few　children　were　to　be　seen；　and　no　dogs。　As　to　the　men　and　women；　their　choice　on　earth　was　stated　in　the　prospectLife　on　the　lowest　terms　that　could　sustain　it；　down　in　the　little　village　under　die　mill；　or　captivity　and　Death　in　the　dominant　prison　on　the　crag。　
　Heralded　by　a　courier　in　advance；　and　by　the　cracking　of　his　postilions'　whips；　which　twined　snake…like　about　their　heads　in　the　evening　air；　as　if　he　came　attended　by　the　Furies；　Monsieur　the　Marquis　drew　up　in　his　travelling　carriage　at　the　posting…house　gate。　It　was　hard　by　the　fountain；　and　the　peasants　suspended　their　operations　to　look　at　him。　He　looked　at　them；　and　saw　in　them；　without　knowing　it；　the　slow　sure　filing　down　of　misery…worn　face　and　figure；　that　was　to　make　the　meagerness　of　Frenchmen　an　English　superstition　which　should　survive　the　truth　through　the　best　part　of　a　hundred　years。　
　Monsieur　the　Marquis　cast　his　eyes　over　the　submissive　faces　that　drooped　before　him；　as　the　like　of　himself　had　drooped　before　Monseigneur　of　the　Courtonly　the　difference　was；　that　these　faces　drooped　merely　to　suffer　and　not　to　propitiatewhen　a　grizzled　mender　of　the　roads　joined　the　group。　
　‘Bring　me　hither　that　fellow！'　said　the　Marquis　to　the　courier。　
　The　fellow　was　brought；　cap　in　hand；　and　the　other　fellows　closed　round　to　look　and　listen；　in　the　manner　of　the　people　at　the　Paris　fountain。　
　‘I　passed　you　on　the　road？'　
　‘Monseigneur；　it　is　true。　I　had　the　honour　of　being　passed　on　the　road。'　
　‘Coming　up　the　hill；　and　at　the　top　of　the　hill；　both？'　
‘Monseigneur；　it　is　true。　
‘What　did　you　look　at；　so　fixedly？'　
‘Monseigneur；　I　looked　at　the　man。'　
　He　stooped　a　little；　and　with　his　tattered　blue　cap　pointed　under　the　carriage。　All　his　fellows　stooped　to　look　under　the　carriage。　
　‘Mat　man；　pig？　And　why　look　there？'　
‘Pardon；　Monseigneur；　he　swung　by　the　chain　of　the　shoe　the　drag。'　
　‘Who？'　demanded　the　traveller。　
　‘Monseigneur；　the　man。'　
　‘May　the　Devil　carry　away　these　idiots！　How　do　you　call　the　man？　You　know　all　the　men　of　this　part　of　the　country。　Who　was　he？'　
　‘Your　clemency；　Monseigneur！　He　was　not　of　this　part　of　the　country。　Of　all　the　days　of　my　life；　I　never　saw　him。'　
　‘Swinging　by　the　chain？　To　be　suffocated？'　
　‘With　your　gracious　permission；　that　was　the　wonder　of　it；　Monseigneur。　His　head　hanging　overlike　this！'　
　He　turned　himself　sideways　to　the　carriage；　and　leaned　back；　with　his　face　thrown　up　to　the　sky；　and　his　head　hanging　down；　then　recovered　himself；　fumbled　with　his　cap；　and　made　a　bow。　
　‘what　was　he　like？'　
　‘Monseigneur；　he　was　whiter　than　the　miller。　All　covered　with　dust；　white　as　a　spectre；　tall　as　a　spectre！'　
　The　picture　produced　an　immense　sensation　in　the　little　crowd；　but　all　eyes；　without　comparing　notes　with　other　eyes；　looked　at　Monsieur　the　Marquis。　Perhaps；　to　observe　whether　he　had　any　spectre　on　his　conscience。　
　‘Truly；　you　did　well；'　said　the　Marquis；　felicitously　sensible　that　such　vermin　were　not　to　ruffle　him；　‘to　see　a　thief　accompanying　my　carriage；　and　not　open　that　great　mouth　of　yours。　Bah！　Put　him　aside；　Monsieur　Gabelle！'　
　Monsieur　Gabelle　was　the　Postmaster；　and　some　other　taxing　functionary　united；　he　had　come　out　with　great　obsequiousness　to　assist　at　this　examination；　and　had　held　the　examined　by　the　drapery　of　his　arm　in　an　official　manner。　
　‘Bah！　Go　aside！'　said　Monsieur　Gabelle。　
　‘Lay　hands　on　this　stranger　if　he　seeks　to　lodge　in　your　village　to…night；　and　be　sure　that　his　business　is　honest；　Gabelle。'　
　‘Monseigneur；　I　am　flattered　to　devote　myself　to　your　orders。'　
　‘Did　he　run　away；　fellow？here　is　that　Accursed？'　
　The　accursed　was　already　under　the　carriage　with　some　half…dozen　particular　friends；　pointing　out　the　chain　with　his　blue　cap。　Some　half…dozen　other　particular　friends　promptly　hauled　him　out；　and　presented　him　breathless　to　Monsieur　the　Marquis。　
‘Did　the　man　run　away；　Dolt；　when　we　stopped　for　the　drag？'　
　‘Monseigneur；　he　precipitated　himself　over　the　hill…side；　head　first；　as　a　person　plunges　into　the　river。'　
　‘See　to　it；　Gabelle。　Go　on！'　
　The　half…dozen　who　were　peering　at　the　chain　were　still　among　the　wheels；　like　sheep；　the　wheels　turned　so　suddenly　that　they　were　lucky　to　save　their　skins　and　bones；　they　had　very　little　else　to　save；　or　they　might　not　have　been　so　fortunate。　
　The　burst　with　which　the　carriage　started　out　of　the　village　and　up　the　rise　beyond；　was　soon　checked　by　the　steepness　of　the　hill。　Gradually；　it　subsided　to　a　foot　pace；　swinging　and　lumbering　upward　among　the　many　sweet　scents　of　a　summer　night。　The　postilions；　with　a　thousand　gossamer　gnats　circling　about　them　in　lieu　of　the　Furies；　quietly　mended　the　points　to　the　lashes　of　their　whips；　the　valet　walked　by　the　horses；　the　courier　was　audible；　trotting　on　ahead　into　the　dim　distance。　
　At　the　steepest　point　of　the　hill　there　was　a　little　burial　ground；　with　a　Cross　and　a　new　large　figure　of　Our　Saviour　on　it；　it　was　a　poor　figure　in　wood；　done　by　some　inexperienced　rustic　carver；　but　he　had　studied　the　figure　from　the　lifeis　own　life；　maybeor　it　was　dreadfully　spare　and　thin。　
　To　this　distressful　emblem　of　a　great　distress　that　had　long　been　growing　worse；　and　was　not　at　its　worst；　a　woman　was　kneeling。　She　turned　her　head　as　the　carriage　came　up　to　her；　rose　quickly；　and　presented　herself　at　the　carriage…door。　
　‘It　is　you；　Monseigneur！　Monseigneur；　a　petition。'　
　With　an　exclamation　of　impatience；　but　with　his　Un＋changeable　face；　Monseigneur　looked　out。　
　‘How；　then！　What　is　it？　Always　petitions！'　
　‘Monseigneur。　For　the　love　of　the　great　God！　My　husband；　the　forester。'　
　‘What　of　your　husband；　the　forester？　Always　the　same　with　you　people。　He　cannot　pay　something？'　
　‘He　has　paid　all；　Monseigneur。　He　is　dead。'　
‘Well！　He　is　quiet。　Can　I　restore　him　to　you？'　
　‘Alas；　no；　Monseigneur！　But　he　lies　yonder；　under　a　little　heap　of　poor　grass。'　
　‘Well？'　
　‘Monseigneur；；　there　are　so　many　little　heaps　of　par　grass？'　
‘Again；　well？'　
She　looked　an　old　woman；　but　was　young。　Her　manner　was　one　of　passionate　grief；　by　turns　she　clasped　her　veinous　and　knotted　hands　together　with　wild　energy；　and　laid　one　of　them　on