a tale of two cities(双城记)-第31章

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　‘Yes。　The　family　honour；　sir；　is　safe　from　me　in　this　country。　The　family　name　can　suffer　from　me　in　no　other；　for　I　bear　it　in　no　other。'　
　The　ringing　of　the　bell　had　caused　the　adjoining　bedchamber　to　be　lighted。　It　now　shone　brightly；　through　the　door　of　communication。　The　Marquis　looked　that　way；　and　listened　for　the　retreating　step　of　his　valet。　
　‘England　is　very　attractive　to　you；　seeing　how　indifferently　you　have　prospered　there；'　he　observed　then；　turning　his　calm　face　to　his　nephew　with　a　smile。　
‘I　have　already　said；　that　for　my　prospering　there；　I　am　sensible　I　may　be　indebted　to　you；　sir。　For　the　rest；　it　is　my　Refuge。'　
　‘They　say；　those　boastful　English；　that　it　is　the　Refuge　of　many。　You　know　a　compatriot　who　has　found　a　Refuge　there？　A　Doctor？'　
　‘Yes。'　
　‘With；　a　daughter？'　
　‘Yes；'　said　the　Marquis。　‘You　are　fatigued。　Good…night！'　
　As　he　bent　his　head　in　his　most　courtly　manner；　there　was　a　secrecy　in　his　smiling　face；　and　he　conveyed　an　air　of　mystery　to　those　words；　which　struck　the　eyes　and　ears　of　his　nephew　forcibly。　At　the　same　time；　the　thin　straight　lines　of　the　setting　of　the　eyes；　and　the　thin　straight　lips；　and　the　markings　in　the　nose；　curved　with　a　sarcasm　that　looked　handsomely　diabolic。　
　‘Yes；'　repeated　the　Marquis。　‘A　Doctor　with　a　daughter。　Yes。　So　commences　the　new　philosophy！　You　are　fatigued。　Good…night！'　
　It　would　have　been　of　as　much　avail　to　interrogate　any　stone　face　outside　the　chaateau　as　to　interrogate　that　face　of　his。　The　nephew　looked　at　him　in　vain；　in　passing　on　to　the　door。　
　‘Good…night！'　said　the　uncle。　‘I　look　to　the　pleasure　of　seeing　you　again　in　the　morning。　Good　repose！　Light　Monsieur　my　nephew　to　his　chamber　there！And　burn　Monsieur　my　nephew　in　his　bed；　if　you　will；'　he　added　to　himself；　before　he　rang　his　little　bell　again；　and　summoned　his　valet　to　his　own　bedroom。　
　The　valet　come　and　gone；　Monsieur　the　Marquis　walked　to　and　fro　in　his　loose　chamber…robe；　to　prepare　himself　gently　for　sleep；　that　hot　still　night。　Rustling　about　the　room；　his　softly…slippered　feet　making　no　noise　on　the　floor；　he　moved　like　a　refined　tigerlooked　like　some　enchanted　marquis　of　the　impenitently　wicked　sort；　in　story；　whose　periodical　change　into　tiger　form　was　either　just　going　off；　or　just　coming　on。　
　He　moved　from　end　to　end　of　his　voluptuous　bedroom；　looking　again　at　the　scraps　of　the　day's　journey　that　came　unbidden　into　his　mind；　the　slow　toil　up　the　hill　at　sunset；　the　setting　sun；　the　descent；　the　mill；　the　prison　on　the　crag；　the　little　village　in　the　hollow；　the　peasants　at　the　fountain；　and　the　mender　of　roads　with　his　blue　cap　pointing　out　the　chain　under　the　carriage。　That　fountain　suggested　the　Paris　fountain；　the　little　bundle　lying　on　the　step；　the　women　bending　over　it；　and　the　tall　man　with　his　arms　up；　crying；　‘Dead！'　
　‘I　am　cool　now；'　said　Monsieur　the　Marquis；　‘and　may　go　to　bed。'　
　So；　leaving　only　one　light　burning　on　the　large　hearth；　he　let　his　thin　gauze　curtains　fall　around　him；　and　heard　the　night　break　its　silence　with　a　long　sigh　as　he　composed　himself　to　sleep。　
　The　stone　faces　on　the　outer　walls　stared　blindly　at　the　black　night　for　three　heavy　hours；　for　three　heavy　hours　tile　horses　in　the　stables　rattled　at　their　racks；　the　dogs　barked；　and　the　owl　made　a　noise　with　very　little　resemblance　in　it　to　the　noise　conventionally　assigned　to　the　owl　by　men…poets。　But　it　is　the　obstinate　custom　of　such　creatures　hardly　ever　to　say　what　is　set　down　for　them。　
　For　three　heavy　hours；　the　stone　faces　of　the　chaateau；　lion　and　human；　stared　blindly　at　the　night。　Dead　darkness　lay　on　all　the　landscape；　dead　darkness　added　its　own　hush　to　the　hushing　dust　on　all　the　roads。　The　burial…place　had　got　to　the　pass　that　its　little　heaps　of　poor　grass　were　undistinguishable　from　one　another；　the　figure　on　the　Cross　might　have　come　down；　for　anything　that　could　be　seen　of　it。　In　the　village；　taxers　and　taxed　were　fast　asleep。　Dreaming；　perhaps；　of　banquets；　as　the　starved　usually　do；　and　of　ease　and　rest；　as　the　driven　slave　and　the　yoked　ox　may；　its　lean　inhabitants　slept　soundly；　and　were　fed　and　freed。　
　The　fountain　in　the　village　flowed　unseen　and　unheard；　and　the　fountain　at　the　chaateau　dropped　unseen　and　unheardboth　melting　away；　like　the　minutes　that　were　falling　from　the　spring　of　Timethrough　three　dark　hours。　Then；　the　grey　water　of　both　began　to　be　ghostly　in　the　light；　and　the　eyes　of　the　stone　faces　of　the　chaateau　were　opened。　
　Lighter　and　lighter；　until　at　last　the　sun　touched　the　tops　of　the　still　trees；　and　poured　its　radiance　over　the　hill。　In　the　glow；　the　water　of　the　chaateau　fountain　seemed　to　turn　to　blood；　and　the　stone　faces　crimsoned。　The　carol　of　the　birds　was　loud　and　high；　and；　on　the　weather…beaten　sill　of　the　great　window　of　the　bedchamber　of　Monsieur　the　Marquis；　one　little　bird　sang　its　sweetest　song　with　all　its　might。　At　this；　the　nearest　stone　face　seemed　to　stare　amazed；　and；　with　opened　mouth　and　dropped　under…jaw；　looked　awe…stricken。　
Now；　the　sun　was　full　up；　and　movement　began　in　the　village。　Casement　windows　opened；　crazy　doors　were　unbarred；　and　people　came　forth　shiveringchilled；　as　yet；　by　the　new　sweet　air。　Then　began　the　rarely　lightened　toil　of　the　day　among　the　village　population。　Some；　to　the　fountain；　some；　to　the　fields；　men　and　women　here；　to　dig　and　delve；　men　and　women　there；　to　see　to　the　poor　live　stock；　and　lead　the　bony　cows　out；　to　such　pasture　as　could　be　found　by　the　roadside。　In　the　church　and　at　the　Cross；　a　kneeling　figure　or　two；　attendant　on　the　latter　prayers；　the　led　cow；　trying　for　a　breakfast　among　the　weeds　at　its　foot。　
　The　chaateau　awoke　later；　as　became　its　quality；　but　awoke　gradually　and　surely。　First；　the　lonely　boar…spears　and　knives　of　the　chase　had　been　reddened　as　of　old；　then；　had　gleamed　trenchant　in　the　morning　sunshine；　now；　doors　and　windows　were　thrown　open；　horses　in　their　stables　looked　round　over　their　shoulders　at　the　light　and　freshness　pouring　in　at　door＋ways；　leaves　sparkled　and　rustled　at　iron…grated　windows；　dogs　pulled　hard　at　their　chains；　and　reared　impatient　to　be　loosed。　
　All　these　trivial　incidents　belonged　to　the　routine　of　life；　and　the　return　of　morning。　Surely；　not　so　the　ringing　of　the　great　hell　of　the　chaateau；　nor　the　running　up　and　down　the　stairs；　nor　the　hurried　figures　on　the　terrace；　nor　the　booting　and　tramping　here　and　there　and　everywhere；　nor　the　quick　saddling　of　horses　and　riding　away？　
　What　winds　conveyed　this　hurry　to　the　grizzled　mender　of　roads；　already　at　work　on　the　hill…top　beyond　the　village；　with　his　day's　dinner　（not　much　to　carry）　lying　in　a　bundle　that　it　was　worth　no　crow's　while　to　peck　at；　on　a　heap　of　stones？　Had　the　birds；　carrying　some　grains　of　it　to　a　distance；　dropped　one　over　him　as　they　sow　chance　seeds？　Whether　or　no；　the　mender　of　roads　ran；　on　the　sultry　morning；　as　if　for　his　life；　down　the　hill；　knee…high　in　dust；　and　never　stopped　till　he　got　to　the　fountain。　
　All　the　people　of　the　village　were　at　the　fountain；　standing　about　in　their　depressed　manner；　and　whispering　low；　but　showing　no　other　emotions　than　grim　curiosity　and　surprise。　The　led　cows；　hastily　brought　in　and　tethered　to　anything　that　would　hold　them；　were　looking　stupidly　on；　or　lying　down　chewing　the　cud　of　nothing　particularly　repaying　their　trouble；　which　they　had　picked　up　in　their　interrupted　saunter。　Some　of　the　people　of　the　chaateau；　and　some　of　those　of　the　posting…house；　and　all　the　taxing　authorities；　were　armed　more　or　less；　and　were　crowded　on　the　other　side　of　the　little　street　in　a　purposeless　way；　that　was　highly　fraught　with　nothing。　Already；　the　mender　of　roads　had　penetrated　into　the　midst　of　a　group　of　fifty　particular　friends；　and　was　smiting　himself　in　the　breast　with　his　blue　cap。　What　did　all　this　portend；　and　what　portended　the　swift　hoisting…up　of　Monsieur　Gabelle　behind　a　servant　on　horseback；　and　the　conveying　away　of　the　said　Gabelle　（double…laden　though　the　horse　was）；　at　a　gallop；　like　a　new　version　of　the　German　ballad　of　Leonora？　
　It　portended　that　there　was　one　stone　face　too　many；　up　at　the　chaateau。　
　The　Gorgon　had　surveyed　the　building　again　in　the　night；　and　had　added　the　one　stone　face　wan