a tale of two cities(双城记)-第75章

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hat　flight　was　impossible；　that　he　was　tied　fast　under　the　shadow　of　the　axe；　and　that　in　spite　of　his　utmost　tergiversation　and　treachery　in　furtherance　of　the　reigning　terror；　a　word　might　bring　it　down　upon　him。　Once　denounced；　and　on　such　grave　grounds　as　had　just　now　been　suggested　to　his　mind；　he　foresaw　that　the　dreadful　woman　of　whose　unrelenting　character　he　had　seen　many　proofs；　would　produce　against　him　that　fatal　register；　and　would　quash　his　last　chance　of　life。　Besides　that　all　secret　men　are　men　soon　terrified；　here　were　surely　cards　enough　of　one　black　suit；　to　justify　the　holder　in　growing　rather　livid　as　he　turned　them　over。　
　‘You　scarcely　seem　to　like　your　hand；'　said　Sydney；　with　the　greatest　composure。　‘Do　you　play？'　
　‘I　think；　sir；'　said　the　spy；　in　the　meanest　manner；　as　he　turned　to　Mr。　Lorry；　‘I　may　appeal　to　a　gentleman　of　your　years　and　benevolence；　to　put　it　to　this　other　gentleman；　so　much　your　junior；　whether　he　can　under　any　circumstances　reconcile　it　to　his　station　to　play　that　Ace　of　which　he　has　spoken。　I　admit　that　I　am　a　spy；　and　that　it　is　considered　a　discreditable　stationthough　it　must　be　filled　by　somebody；　but　this　gentleman　is　no　spy；　and　why　should　he　so　demean　himself　as　to　make　himself　one？'　
　‘I　play　my　Ace；　Mr。　Barsad；'　said　Carton；　taking　the　answer　on　himself；　and　looking　at　his　watch；　‘without　any　scruple　in　a　very　few　minutes。'　
　‘I　should　have　hoped；　gentlemen　both；'　said　the　spy；　always　striving　to　hook　Mr。　Lorry　into　the　discussion；　‘that　your　respect　for　my　sister…'　
　‘I　could　not　better　testify　my　respect　for　your　sister　than　by　finally　relieving　her　of　her　brother；'　said　Sydney　Carton。　
　‘You　think　not；　sir？'　
　‘I　have　thoroughly　made　up　my　mind　about　it。'　
　The　smooth　manner　of　the　spy；　curiously　in　dissonance　with　his　ostentatiously　rough　dress；　and　probably　with　his　usual　demeanour；　received　such　a　check　from　the　inscrutability　of　Carton；who　was　a　mystery　to　wiser　and　honester　men　than　he；that　it　faltered　here　and　failed　him。　While　he　was　at　a　loss；　Carton　said；　resuming　his　former　air　of　contemplating　cards：　
　‘And　indeed；　now　I　think　again；　I　have　a　strong　impression　that　I　have　another　good　card　here；　not　yet　enumerated。　That　friend　and　fellow…Sheep；　who　spoke　of　himself　as　pasturing　in　the　country　prisons；　who　was　he？'　
　‘French。　You　don't　know　him；'　said　the　spy　quickly。　
　‘French；　eh！'　repeated　Carton；　musing；　and　not　appearing　to　notice　him　at　all；　though　he　echoed　his　word。　‘Well；　he　may　be。'　
　‘Is；　I　assure　you；'　said　the　spy；　‘though　it's　not　important。'　‘Though　it's　not　important；'　repeated　Carton　in　the　same　mechanical　way'though　it's　not　important　No；　it's　not　important。　No。　Yet　I　know　the　face。'　
　‘I　think　not。　I　am　sure　not。　It　can't　be；'　said　the　spy。　
　‘Itcan'tbe；'　muttered　Sydney　Carton；　retrospectively；　and　filling　his　glass　（which　fortunately　was　a　small　one）　again。　‘Can'tbe。　Spoke　good　French。　Yet　like　a　foreigner；　I　thought？'　
　‘Provincial；'　said　the　spy。　
　‘No。　Foreign！'　cried　Carton；　striking　his　open　hand　on　the　table；　as　a　light　broke　clearly　on　his　mind。　‘Cly！　Disguised；　but　the　same　man。　We　had　that　man　before　us　at　the　Old　Bailey。'　
　‘Now；　there　you　are　hasty；　sir；'　said　Barsad；　with　a　smile　that　gave　his　aquiline　nose　an　extra　inclination　to　one　side；　‘there　you　really　give　me　an　advantage　over　you。　Cly　（who　I　will　unreservedly　admit；　at　this　distance　of　time；　was　a　partner　of　mine）　has　been　dead　several　years。　I　attended　him　in　his　last　illness。　He　was　buried　in　London；　at　the　church　of　Saint　Pancras…in…the…Fields。　His　unpopularity　with　the　blackguard　multitude　at　the　moment　prevented　my　following　his　remains；　but　I　helped　to　lay　him　in　his　coffin。'　
　Here；　Mr。　Lorry　became　aware；　from　where　he　sat；　of　a　most　remarkable　goblin　shadow　on　the　wall。　Tracing　it　to　its　source；　he　discovered　it　to　be　caused　by　a　sudden　extraordinary　rising　and　stiffening　of　all　the　risen　and　stiff　hair　on　Mr。　Cruncher's　head。　
　‘Let　us　be　reasonable；'　said　the　spy；　‘and　let　us　be　fair。　To　show　you　how　mistaken　you　are；　and　what　an　unfounded　assumption　yours　is；　I　will　lay　before　you　a　certificate　of　Cly's　burial；　which　I　happen　to　have　carried　in　my　pocket…book；'　with　a　hurried　hand　he　produced　and　opened　it；　‘ever　since。　There　it　is。　Oh；　look　at　it；　look　at　it！　You　may　take　it　in　your　hand；　it's　no　forgery。'　
　Here；　Mr。　Lorry　perceived　the　reflection　on　the　wall　to　elongate；　and　Mr。　Cruncher　rose　and　stepped　forward。　His　hair　could　not　have　been　more　violently　on　end；　if　it　had　been　that　moment　dressed　by　the　Cow　with　the　crumpled　horn　in　the　house　that　Jack　built。　
　Unseen　by　the　spy；　Mr。　Cruncher　stood　at　his　side；　and　touched　him　on　the　shoulder　like　a　ghostly　bailiff。　
　‘That　there　Roger　Cly；　master；'　said　Mr。　Cruncher；　with　a　taciturn　and　iron…bound　visage。　‘So　you　but　him　in　his　coffin？'　
‘I　did。'　
　‘Who　took　him　out　of　it？'　
　Barsad　leaned　back　in　his　chair；　and　stammered；　‘What　do　you　mean？'　
　‘I　mean；'　said　Mr。　Cruncher；　‘that　he　warn't　never　in　it。　No！　Not　he！　I'll　have　my　head　took　off；　if　he　was　ever　in　it。'　
　The　spy　looked　round　at　the　two　gentlemen；　they　both　looked　in　unspeakable　astonishment　at　Jerry。　
　‘I　tell　you；'　said　Jerry；　‘that　you　buried　paving…stones　and　earth　in　that　there　coffin。　Don't　go　and　tell　me　that　you　buried　Cly。　It　was　a　take　in。　Me　and　two　more　knows　it。'　
　‘How　do　you　know　it？'　
　‘What's　that　to　you？　Ecod！'　growled　Mr。　Cruncher；　‘it's　you　I　have　got　a　old　grudge　again；　is　it；　with　your　shameful　impositions　upon　tradesmen！　I'd　catch　hold　of　your　throat　and　choke　you　for　half　a　guinea。'　
　Sydney　Carton；　who；　with　Mr。　Lorry；　had　been　lost　in　amazement　at　this　turn　of　the　business；　here　requested　Mr。　Cruncher　to　moderate　and　explain　himself。　
　‘At　another　time；　sir；'　he　returned；　evasively；　‘the　present　time　is　ill…conwenient　for　explainin'。　What　I　stand　to；　is；　that　he　knows　well　wot　that　there　Cly　was　never　in　that　there　coffin。　Let　him　say　lie　was；　in　so　much　as　a　word　of　one　syllable；　and　I'll　either　catch　hold　of　his　throat　and　choke　him　for　half　a　guinea；'　Mr。　Cruncher　dwelt　upon　this　as　quite　a　liberal　offer；　‘or　I'll　out　and　announce　him。'　
　‘Humph！　I　see　one　thing；'　said　Carton。　‘I　hold　another　card；　Mr。　Barsad。　Impossible；　here　in　raging　Paris；　with　Suspicion　filling　the　air；　for　you　to　outlive　denunciation；　when　you　are　in　communication　with　another　aristocratic　spy　of　the　same　antecedents　as　yourself　who；　moreover；　has　the　mystery　about　him　of　having　feigned　death　and　come　to　life　again！　A　plot　in　the　prisons；　of　the　foreigner　against　the　Republic。　A　strong　carda　certain　Guillotine　card！　Do　you　play？'　
　‘No！'　returned　the　spy。　‘I　throw　up。　I　confess　that　we　were　so　unpopular　with　the　outrageous　mob；　that　I　only　got　away　from　England　at　the　risk　of　being　ducked　to　death；　and　that　Cly　was　so　ferreted　up　and　down；　that　he　never　would　have　got　away　at　all　but　＇or　that　sham。　Though　how　this　man　knows　it　was　a　sham；　is　a　wonder　of　wonders　to　me。'　
　‘Never　you　trouble　your　head　about　this　man；'　retorted　the　contentious　Mr。　Cruncher；　‘you'll　have　trouble　enough　with　giving　your　attention　to　that　gentleman。　And　look　here！　Once　more！'Mr。　Cruncher　could　not　be　restrained　from　making　rather　an　ostentatious　parade　of　his　liberality‘I'd　catch　hold　of　your　throat　and　choke　you　for　half　a　guinea。'　
　The　Sheep　of　the　prisons　turned　from　him　to　Sydney　Carton；　and　said；　with　more　decision；　‘It　has　come　to　a　point。　I　go　on　duty　soon；　and　can't　overstay　my　time。　You　told　me　you　had　a　proposal；　what　is　it？　Now；　it　is　of　no　use　asking　too　much　of　me。　Ask　me　to　do　anything　in　my　office；　putting　my　head　in　great　extra　danger；　and　I　had　better　trust　my　life　to　the　chances　of　a　refusal　than　the　chances　of　consent。　In　short；　I　should　make　that　choice。　You　talk　of　desperation。　We　are　all　desperate　here。　Remember！　I　may　denounce　you　if　I　think　proper；　and　I　can　swear　my　way　through　stone　walls；　and　so　can　others。　Now；　what　do　you　want　with　me？'　
　‘Not　very　much。　You　are　a　turnkey　at　the　Conciergerie？'　
　‘I　tell　you　once　for　all；　there　is　no　such　thing　as　an　escape　possible；'　said　the　spy；　firmly。　
　‘Why　need　you　tell　me　what　I　have　not　asked？　You　are　a　turnkey　at　the　Conciergerie？'　
　‘I　am　sometimes。'　
　‘You