a tale of two cities(双城记)-第70章

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rted　with；　had　died　on　the　scaffold。　
　There　were　hurried　words　of　farewell　and　kindness；　but　the　parting　was　soon　over。　It　was　the　incident　of　every　day；　and　the　society　of　La　Force　were　engaged　in　the　preparation　of　some　games　of　forfeits　and　a　little　concert；　for　that　evening。　They　crowded　to　the　grates　and　shed　tears　there；　but；　twenty　places　in　the　projected　entertainments　had　to　be　refilled；　and　the　time　was；　at　best；　short　to　the　lock…up　hour；　when　the　common　rooms　and　corridors　would　be　delivered　over　to　the　great　dogs　who　kept　watch　there　through　the　night。　The　prisoners　were　far　from　insensible　or　unfeeling；　their　ways　arose　out　of　the　condition　of　the　time。　Similarly；　though　with　a　subtle　difference；　a　species　of　fervour　or　intoxication；　known；　without　doubt；　to　have　led　some　persons　to　brave　the　guillotine　unnecessarily；　and　to　die　by　it；　was　not　mere　boastfulness；　but　a　wild　infection　of　the　wildly　shaken　public　mind。　In　seasons　of　pestilence；　some　of　us　will　have　a　secret　attraction　to　the　diseasea　terrible　passing　inclination　to　die　of　it。　And　all　of　us　have　like　wonders　hidden　in　our　breasts；　only　needing　circumstances　to　evoke　them。　
　The　passage　to　the　Conciergerie　was　short　and　dark；　the　night　in　its　vermin…haunted　cells　was　long　and　cold。　Next　day；　fifteen　prisoners　were　put　to　the　bar　before　Charles　Darnay's　name　was　called。　All　the　fifteen　were　condemned；　and　the　trials　of　the　whole　occupied　an　hour　and　a　half。　
　‘Charles　Evrémonde；　called　Darnay；'　was　at　length　arraigned。　
　His　judges　sat　upon　the　Bench　in　feathered　hats；　but　the　rough　red　cap　and　tricoloured　cockade　was　the　head…dress　otherwise　prevailing。　Looking　at　the　Jury　and　the　turbulent　audience；　he　might　have　thought　that　the　usual　order　of　things　was　reversed；　and　that　the　felons　were　trying　the　honest　men。　The　lowest；　cruelest；　and　worst　populace　of　a　city；　never　without　its　quantity　of　low；　cruel；　and　bad；　were　the　directing　spirits　of　the　scene：　noisily　commenting；　applauding；　disapproving；　anticipating；　and　precipitating　the　result；　without　a　check。　Of　the　men；　the　greater　part　were　armed　in　various　ways；　of　the　women；　some　wore　knives；　some　daggers；　some　ate　and　drank　as　they　looked　on；　many　knitted。　Among　these　last；　was　one；　with　a　spare　piece　of　knitting　under　her　arm　as　she　worked。　She　was　in　a　front　row；　by　the　side　of　a　man　whom　he　had　never　seen　since　his　arrival　at　the　Barrier；　but　whom　he　directly　remembered　as　Defarge。　He　noticed　that　she　once　or　twice　whispered　in　his　ear；　and　that　she　seemed　to　be　his　wife；　but；　what　he　most　noticed　in　the　two　figures　was；　that　although　they　were　posted　as　close　to　himself　as　they　could　be；　they　never　looked　towards　him。　They　seemed　to　be　waiting　for　something　with　a　dogged　determination；　and　they　looked　at　the　Jury；　but　at　nothing　else。　Under　the　President　sat　Doctor　Manette；　in　his　usual　quiet　dress。　As　well　as　the　prisoner　could　see；　he　and　Mr。　Lorry　were　the　only　men　there；　unconnected　with　the　Tribunal；　who　wore　their　usual　clothes；　and　had　not　assumed　the　coarse　garb　of　the　Carmagnole。　
　Charles　Evrémonde；　called　Darnay；　was　accused　by　the　public　prosecutor　as　an　emigrant；　whose　life　was　forfeit　to　the　Republic；　under　the　decree　which　banished　all　emigrants　on　pain　of　Death。　It　was　nothing　that　the　decree　bore　date　since　his　return　to　France。　There　he　was；　and　there　was　the　decree；　he　had　been　taken　in　France；　and　his　head　was　demanded。　
　‘Take　off　his　head！'　cried　the　audience。　‘An　enemy　to　the　Republic！'　
　The　President　rang　his　bell　to　silence　those　cries；　and　asked　the　prisoner　whether　it　was　not　true　that　he　had　lived　many　years　in　England？　
　Undoubtedly　it　was。　
　Was　he　not　an　emigrant　then？　What　did　he　call　himself？　
Not　an　emigrant；　he　hoped；　within　the　sense　and　spirit　of　the　law。　
　Why　not？　the　President　desired　to　know。　
　Because　he　had　voluntarily　relinquished　a　title　that　was　distasteful　to　him；　and　a　station　that　was　distasteful　to　him；　and　had　left　his　countryhe　submitted　before　the　word　emigrant　in　the　present　acceptation　by　the　Tribunal　was　in　useto　live　by　his　own　industry　in　England；　rather　than　on　the　industry　of　the　overladen　people　of　France。　
　What　proof　had　he　of　this？　
　He　handed　in　the　names　of　two　witnesses：　Théophile　Gabelle；　and　Alexandre　Manette。　
　But　he　had　married　in　England？　the　President　reminded　him。　
　True；　but　not　an　English　woman。　
A　citizeness　of　France？　
Yes。　By　birth。　
Her　name　and　family？　
　‘Lucie　Manette；　only　daughter　of　Doctor　Manette；　the　good　physician　who　sits　there。'　
　This　answer　had　a　happy　effect　upon　the　audience。　Cries　in　exaltation　of　the　well…known　good　physician　rent　the　hall。　So　capriciously　were　the　people　moved；　that　tears　immediately　rolled　down　several　ferocious　countenances　which　had　been　glaring　at　the　prisoner　a　moment　before；　as　if　with　impatience　to　pluck　him　out　into　the　streets　and　kill　him。　
　On　these　few　steps　of　his　dangerous　way；　Charles　Darnay　had　set　his　foot　according　to　Doctor　Manette's　reiterated　instructions。　The　same　cautious　counsel　directed　every　step　that　lay　before　him；　and　had　prepared　every　inch　of　his　road。　
　The　President　asked；　why　had　he　returned　to　France　when　he　did；　and　not　sooner？　
He　had　not　returned　sooner；　he　replied；　simply　because　he　had　no　means　of　living　in　France；　save　those　he　had　resigned；　whereas；　in　England；　he　lived　by　giving　instruction　in　the　French　language　and　literature。　He　had　returned　when　he　did；　on　the　pressing　and　written　entreaty　of　a　French　citizen；　who　represented　that　his　life　was　endangered　by　his　absence。　He　had　come　back；　to　save　a　citizen's　life；　and　to　bear　his　testimony；　at　whatever　personal　hazard；　to　the　truth。　Was　that　criminal　in　the　eyes　of　the　Republic？　
　The　populace　cried　enthusiastically；　‘No！'　and　the　President　rang　his　bell　to　quiet　them。　Which　it　did　not；　for　they　continued　to　cry　‘No！'　until　they　left　of　of　their　own　will。　
　The　President　required　the　name　of　that　citizen？　The　accused　explained　that　the　citizen　was　his　first　witness。　He　also　referred　with　confidence　to　the　citizen's　letter；　which　had　been　taken　from　him　at　the　Barrier；　but　which　he　did　not　doubt　would　be　found　among　the　papers　then　before　the　President。　
　The　Doctor　had　taken　care　that　it　should　be　therehad　assured　him　that　it　would　be　thereand　at　this　stage　of　the　proceedings　it　was　produced　and　read。　Citizen　Gabelle　was　called　to　confirm　it；　and　did　so。　Citizen　Gabelle　hinted；　with　infinite　delicacy　and　politeness；　that　in　the　pressure　of　business　imposed　on　the　Tribunal　by　the　multitude　of　enemies　of　the　Republic　with　which　it　had　to　deal；　he　had　been　slightly　overlooked　in　his　prison　of　the　Abbayein　fact；　had　rather　passed　out　of　the　Tribunal's　patriotic　remembranceuntil　three　days　ago；　when　he　had　been　summoned　before　it；　and　had　been　set　at　liberty　on　the　Jury's　declaring　themselves　satisfied　that　the　accusation　against　him　was　answered；　as　to　himself；　by　the　surrender　of　the　citizen　Evrémonde　called　Darnay。　
　Doctor　Manette　was　next　questioned。　His　high　personal　popularity；　and　the　clearness　of　his　answers；　made　a　great　impression；　but；　as　he　proceeded；　as　he　showed　that　the　Accused　was　his　first　friend　on　his　release　from　his　long　imprisonment；　that；　the　accused　had　remained　in　England；　always　faithful　and　devoted　to　his　daughter　and　himself　in　their　exile；　that；　so　far　from　being　in　favour　with　the　Aristocrat　government　there；　he　had　actually　been　tried　for　his　life　by　it；　as　the　foe　of　England　and　friend　of　the　United　Statesas　he　brought　these　circumstances　into　view；　with　the　greatest　discretion　and　with　the　straightforward　force　of　truth　and　earnestness；　the　Jury　and　the　populace　became　one。　At　last；　when　he　appealed　by　name　to　Monsieur　Lorry；　an　English　gentleman　then　and　there　present；　who；　like　himself；　had　been　a　witness　on　that　English　trial　and　could　corroborate　his　account　of　it；　the　Jury　declared　that　they　had　heard　enough；　and　that　they　were　ready　with　their　votes　if　the　President　were　content　to　receive　them。　
　At　every　vote　（the　Jurymen　voted　aloud　and　individually）；　the　populace　set　up　a　shout　of　applause。　All　the　voices　were　in　the　prisoner's　favour；　and　the　President　declared　him　free。　
　Then；　began　one　of　those　extraordinary　scenes