a tale of two cities(双城记)-第46章

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　‘You　knit　with　great　skill；　madame。'　
　‘I　am　accustomed　to　it。'　
　‘A　pretty　pattern　too！'　
　‘You　think　so？'　said　madame；　looking　at　him　with　a　smile。　
‘Decidedly。　May　one　ask　what　it　is　for？'　
　‘Pastime；'　said　madame；　still　looking　at　him　with　a　smile；　while　her　fingers　moved　nimbly。　
　‘Not　for　use？'　
　‘That　depends。　I　may　find　a　use　for　it　one　day。　If　I　dowell；'　said　madame；　drawing　a　breath　and　nodding　her　head　with　a　stern　kind　of　coquetry；　‘I'll　use　it！'　
　It　was　remarkable：　but　the　taste　of　Saint　Antoine　seemed　to　be　decidedly　opposed　to　a　rose　on　the　headdress　of　Madame　Defarge。　Two　men　had　entered　separately；　and　had　been　about　to　order　drink；　when；　catching　sight　of　that　novelty；　they　faltered；　made　a　pretence　of　looking　about　as　if　for　some　friend　who　was　not　there；　and　went　away。　Nor；　of　those　who　had　been　there　when　this　visitor　entered；　was　there　one　left。　They　had　all　dropped　off。　The　spy　had　kept　his　eyes　open；　but　had　been　able　to　detect　no　sign。　They　had　lounged　away　in　a　poverty…stricken；　purposeless；　accidental　manner；　quite　natural　and　unimpeachable。　
　‘JOHN；'　thought　madame；　checking　off　her　work　as　her　fingers　knitted；　and　her　eyes　looked　at　the　stranger。；　‘Stay　long　enough；　and　I　shall　knit　‘‘BARSAD''　before　you　go。'　
　‘You　have　a　husband；　madame？'　
‘I　have。'　
　‘Children？'　
‘No　children。'　
‘Business　seems　bad？'　
‘Business　is　very　bad；　the　people　are　so　poor。'　
　‘Ah；　the　unfortunate；　miserable　people！　So　oppressed；　tooas　you　say。'　
　‘As　you　say；'　madame　retorted；　correcting　him；　and　deftly　knitting　an　extra　something　into　his　name　that　boded　him　no　good。　
　‘Pardon　me；　certainly　it　was　I　who　said　so；　but　you　naturally　think　so。　Of　course。'　
　‘I　think？'　returned　madame；　in　a　high　voice。　‘I　and　my　husband　have　enough　to　do　to　keep　this　wine…shop　open；　without　thinking。　All　we　think；　here；　is　how　to　live。　That　is　the　subject　we　think　of；　and　it　gives　us；　from　morning　to　night；　enough　to　think　about；　without　embarrassing　our　heads　concerning　others。　I　think　for　others？　No；　no。'　
　The　spy；　who　was　there　to　pick　up　any　crumbs　he　could　find　or　make；　did　not　allow　his　baffled　state　to　express　itself　in　his　sinister　face；　but；　stood　with　an　air　of　gossiping　gallantry；　leaning　his　elbow　on　Madame　Defarge's　little　counter；　and　occasionally　sipping　his　cognac。　
　‘A　bad　business　this；　madame；　of　Gaspard's　execution。　Ah！　the　poor　Gaspard！'　With　a　sigh　of　great　compassion。　
　‘My　faith！'　returned　madame；　coolly　and　lightly；　‘if　people　use　knives　for　such　purposes；　they　have　to　pay　for　it。　He　knew　beforehand　what　the　price　of　his　luxury　was；　he　has　paid　the　price。'　
　‘I　believe；'　said　the　spy；　dropping　his　soft　voice　to　a　tone　that　invited　confidence；　and　expressing　an　injured　revolutionary　susceptibility　in　every　muscle　of　his　wicked　face：　‘I　believe　there　is　much　compassion　and　anger　in　this　neighbourhood；　touching　the　poor　fellow？　Between　ourselves。'　
　‘Is　there？'　asked　madame；　vacantly。　
‘Is　there　not？'　
　‘Here　is　my　husband！'　said　Madame　Defarge。　
　As　the　keeper　of　the　wine…shop　entered　at　the　door；　the　spy　saluted　him　by　touching　his　hat；　and　saying；　with　an　engaging　smile；　‘Good　day；　Jacques！'　Defarge　stopped　short；　and　stared　at　him。　
　‘Good　day；　Jacques！'　the　spy　repeated；　with　not　quite　so　much　confidence；　or　quite　so　easy　a　smile　under　the　stare。　
　‘You　deceive　yourself；　monsieur；'　returned　the　keeper　of　the　wine…shop。　‘You　mistake　me　for　another。　That　is　not　my　name。　I　am　Ernest　Defarge。'　
　‘It　is　all　the　same；'　said　the　spy；　airily；　but　discomfited　too：　‘good　day！'　
　‘Good　day！'　answered　Defarge；　drily。　
　‘I　was　saying　to　madame；　with　whom　I　had　the　pleasure　of　chatting　when　you　entered；　that　they　tell　me　there　isand　no　wonder！much　sympathy　and　anger　in　Saint　Antoine；　touching　the　unhappy　fate　of　poor　Gaspard。'　
　‘No　one　has　told　me　so；'　said　Defarge；　shaking　his　head。　‘I　know　nothing　of　it。'　
　Having　said　it；　he　passed　behind　the　little　counter；　and　stood　with　his　hand　on　the　back　of　his　wife's　chair；　looking　over　that　barrier　at　the　person　to　whom　they　were　both　opposed；　and　whom　either　of　them　would　have　shot　with　the　greatest　satisfaction。　
　The　spy；　well　used　to　his　business；　did　not　change　his　unconscious　attitude；　but　drained　his　little　glass　of　cognac；　took　a　sip　of　fresh　water；　and　asked　for　another　glass　of　cognac。　Madame　Defarge　poured　it　out　for　him；　took　to　her　knitting　again；　and　hummed　a　little　song　over　it。　
　‘You　seem　to　know　this　quarter　well；　that　is　to　say；　better　than　I　do？'　observed　Defarge。　
　‘Not　at　all；　but　I　hope　to　know　it　better。　I　am　so　profoundly　interested　in　its　miserable　inhabitants。'　
　‘Hah！'　muttered　Defarge。　
　‘The　pleasure　of　conversing　with　you；　Monsieur　Defarge；　recalls　to　me；'　pursued　the　spy；　‘that　I　have　the　honour　of　cherishing　some　interesting　associations　with　your　name。'　
　‘Indeed！'　said　Defarge；　with　much　indifference。　
　‘Yes；　indeed。　When　Dr。　Manette　was　released；　you；　his　old　domestic；　had　the　charge　of　him；　I　know。　He　was　delivered　to　you。　You　see　I　am　informed　of　the　circumstances？'　
　‘Such　is　the　fact；　certainly；'　said　Defarge。　He　had　had　it　conveyed　to　him；　in　an　accidental　touch　of　his　wife's　elbow　as　she　knitted　and　warbled；　that　he　would　do　best　to　answer；　but　always　with　brevity。　
　‘It　was　to　you；'　said　the　spy；　‘that　his　daughter　came；　and　it　was　from　your　care　that　his　daughter　took　him；　accompanied　by　a　neat　brown　monsieur；　how　is　he　called？in　a　little　wigLorryof　the　bank　of　Tellson　and　Companyover　to　England。'　
　‘Such　is　the　fact；'　repeated　Defarge。　
　‘Very　interesting　remembrances'　said　the　spy。　‘I　have　known　Dr。　Manette　and　his　daughter；　in　England。'　
　‘Yes？'　said　Defarge。　
　‘You　don't　hear　much　about　them　now？'　said　the　spy。　
‘No；'　said　Defarge。　
　‘In　effect；'　madame　struck　in；　looking　up　from　her　work　and　her　little　song；　‘we　never　hear　about　them。　We　received　the　news　of　their　safe　arrival；　and　perhaps　another　letter；　or　perhaps　Mo；　but；　since　then；　they　have　gradually　taken　their　road　in　lifewe；　oursand　we　have　held　no　correspondence。'　
　‘Perfectly　so；　madame；'　replied　the　spy。　‘She　is　going　to　be　married。'　
　‘Going？'　echoed　madame。　‘She　was　pretty　enough　to　have　been　married　long　ago。　You　English　are　cold；　it　seems　to　me。'　
　‘Oh！　You　know　I　am　English。'　
　‘I　perceive　your　tongue　is；'　returned　madame；　‘and　what　the　tongue　is；　I　suppose　the　man　is。'　
　He　did　not　take　the　identification　as　a　compliment；　but　he　made　the　best　of　it；　and　turned　it　off　with　a　laugh。　After　sipping　his　cognac　to　the　end；　he　added：　
　‘Yes；　Miss　Manette　is　going　to　be　married。　But　not　to　an　Englishman；　to　one　who；　like　herself；　is　French　by　birth。　And　speaking　of　Gaspard　（ah；　poor　Gaspard！　It　was　cruel；　cruel！）　it　is　a　curious　thing　that　she　is　going　to　marry　the　nephew　of'　Monsieur　the　Marquis；　for　whom　Gaspard　was　exalted　to　that　height　of　so　many　feet；　in　other　words；　the　present　Marquis。　But　he　lives　unknown　in　England；　he　is　no　Marquis　there；　he　is　Mr。　Charles　Darnay。　D'Aulnais　is　the　name　of　his　mother's　family。'　
　Madame　Defarge　knitted　steadily；　but　the　intelligence　had　a　palpable　effect　upon　her　husband。　Do　what　he　would；　behind　the　little　counter；　as　to　the　striking　of　a　light　and　the　lighting　of　his　pipe；　he　was　troubled；　and　his　hand　was　not　trustworthy。　The　spy　would　have　been　no　spy　if　he　had　failed　to　see　it；　or　to　record　it　in　his　mind。　
　Having　made；　at　least；　this　one　hit；　whatever　it　might　prove　to　be　worth；　and　no　customers　coming　in　to　help　him　to　any　other；　Mr。　Barsad　paid　for　what　he　had　drunk；　and　took　his　leave：　taking　occasion　to　say；　in　a　genteel　manner；　before　he　departed；　that　he　looked　forward　to　the　pleasure　of　seeing　Monsieur　and　Madame　Defarge　again。　For　some　minutes　after　he　had　emerged　into　the　outer　presence　of　Saint　Antoine；　the　husband　and　wife　remained　exactly　as　he　had　left　them；　lest　he　should　come　back。　
　‘Can　it　be　true；'　said　Defarge；　in　a　low　voice；　looking　down　at　his　wife　as　he　stood　smoking　with　his　hand　on　the　back　of　her　chair：　‘what　he　has　said　of　Ma'amselle　Manette？'　
　‘As　he　has　said　it；'　returned　madame；　lifting　her　eyebrows　a　little；　‘it　is　probably　false。　But　it　may　be　true。'　
　‘If　it　is'Defarge　began；　and　stopped。　
‘If　it　is？'　repeated　his　wife。　
　‘And　if　it　doe