a tale of two cities(双城记)-第89章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


re　pursued。　
　‘Ho！　Within　the　carriage　there。　Speak　then！'　
　‘What　is　it？'　asks　Mr。　Lorry；　looking　out　at　window。　
　‘How　many　did　they　say？　
　‘I　do　not　understand　you。'　
　‘　At　the　last　post。　How　many　to　the　Guillotine　to…day？'　
‘Fifty…two。'　
　‘I　said　so！　A　brave　number！　My　fellow…citizen　here　would　have　it　forty…two；　ten　more　heads　are　worth　having。　The　Guillotine　goes　handsomely。　I　love　it。　Hi　forward。　Whoop！'　
　The　night　comes　on　dark。　He　moves　more；　he　is　beginning　to　revive；　and　to　speak　intelligibly；　he　thinks　they　are　still　together；　he　asks　him；　by　his　name；　what　he　has　in　his　hand。　D　pity　us；　kind　Heaven；　and　help　us！　Look　out；　look　out；　and　see　if　we　are　pursued。　
　The　wind　is　rushing　after　us；　and　the　clouds　are　flying　after　us；　and　the　moon　is　plunging　after　us；　and　the　whole　wild　night　is　in　pursuit　of　us；　but；　so　far　we　are　pursued　by　nothing　else。　
　　

CHAPTER　XIV
The　Knitting　Done
IN　that　same　juncture　of　time　when　the　Fifty…Two　awaited　their　fate；　Madame　Defarge　held　darkly　ominous　council　with　The　Vengeance　and　Jacques　Three　of　the　Revolutionary　Jury。　Not　in　the　wine…shop　did　Madame　Defarge　confer　with　these　ministers；　but　in　the　shed　of　the　wood…sawyer；　erst　a　mender　of　roads。　The　sawyer　himself　did　not　participate　in　the　conference；　but　abided　at　a　little　distance；　like　an　outer　satellite　who　was　not　to　speak　until　required；　or　to　offer　an　opinion　until　invited。　
　‘But　our　Defarge；'　said　Jacques　Three；　‘is　undoubtedly　a　good　Republican？　Eh？'　
　‘There　is　no　better；'　the　voluble　Vengeance　protested　in　her　shrill　notes；　‘in　France。　
　‘Peace；　little　Vengeance；'　said　Madame　Defarge；　laying　her　hand　with　a　slight　frown　on　her　lieutenant's　lips；　‘hear　me　speak。　My　husband；　fellow…citizen；　is　a　good　Republican　and　a　bold　man；　he　has　deserved　well　of　the　Republic；　and　possesses　its　confidence。　But　my　husband　has　his　weaknesses；　and　he　is　so　weak　as　to　relent　towards　this　Doctor。'　
　‘It　is　a　great　pity；'　croaked　Jacques　Three；　dubiously　shaking　his　head；　with　his　cruel　fingers　at　his　hungry　mouth；　‘it　is　not　quite　like　a　good　citizen；　it　is　a　thing　to　regret。　
　‘See　you；'　said　madame；　‘I　care　nothing　for　this　Doctor；　I。　He　may　wear　his　head　or　lose　it；　for　any　interest　I　have　in　him；　it　is　all　one　to　me。　But；　the　Evrémonde　people　are　to　be　exterminated；　and　the　wife　and　child　must　follow　the　husband　and　father。'　
　‘She　has　a　fine　head　for　it；'　croaked　Jacques　Three。　‘I　have　seen　blue　eyes　and　golden　hair　there；　and　they　looked　charming　when　Samson　held　them　up。'　Ogre　that　he　was；　he　spoke　like　an　epicure。　
　Madame　Defarge　cast　down　her　eyes；　and　reflected　a　little。　‘The　child　also；'　observed　Jacques　Three；　with　a　meditative　enjoyment　of　his　words；　‘has　golden　hair　and　blue　eyes。　And　we　seldom　have　a　child　there。　It　is　a　pretty　sight！'　
　‘In　a　word；'　said　Madame　Defarge；　coming　out　of　her　short　abstraction；　‘I　cannot　trust　my　husband　in　this　matter。　
Not　only　do　I　feel；　since　last　night；　that　I　dare　not　confide　to　him　the　details　of　my　projects；　but　also　I　feel　that　if　I　delay；　there　is　danger　of　his　giving　warning；　and　then　they　might　escape。　
　‘That　must　never　be；'　croaked　Jacques　Three；　‘no　one　must　escape。　We　have　not　half　enough　as　it　is。　We　ought　to　have　six　score　a　day。'　
　‘In　a　word；'　Madame　Defarge　went　on；　‘my　husband　has　not　my　reason　for　pursuing　this　family　to　annihilation；　and　I　have　not　his　reason　for　regarding　this　Doctor　with　any　sensibility。　I　must　act　for　myself；　therefore。　Come　hither；　little　citizen。　
　The　wood…sawyer；　who　held　her　in　the　respect；　and　himself　in　the　submission；　of　mortal　fear；　advanced　with　his　hand　to　his　red　cap。　
　‘Touching　those　signals；　little　citizen；'　said　Madame　Defarge；　sternly；　‘that　she　made　to　the　prisoners；　you　are　ready　to　bear　witness　to　them　this　very　day？'　
　‘Ay；　ay；　why　not！'　cried　the　sawyer。　‘Every　day；　in　all　weathers；　from　two　to　four；　always　signalling；　sometimes　with　the　little　one；　sometimes　without。　I　know　what　I　know。　I　have　seen　with　my　eyes。'　
　He　made　all　manner　of　gestures　while　he　spoke；　as　if　in　incidental　imitation　of　some　few　of　the　great　diversity　of　signals　that　he　had　never　seen。　
　‘Clearly　plots；'　said　Jacques　Three。　‘Transparently！'　
　‘There　is　no　doubt　of　the　Jury？'　inquired　Madame　Defarge；　letting　her　eyes　turn　to　him　with　a　gloomy　smile。　
　‘Rely　upon　the　patriotic　Jury；　dear　citizeness。　I　answer　for　my　fellow…Jurymen。'　
　‘Now；　let　me　see；'　said　Madame　Defarge；　pondering　again。　‘Yet　once　more！　Can　I　spare　this　Doctor　to　my　husband？　I　have　no　feeling　either　way。　Can　I　spare　him？'　
　‘He　would　count　as　one　head；'　observed　Jacques　Three；　in　a　low　voice。　‘We　really　have　not　heads　enough；　it　would　be　a　pity；　I　think。'　
　‘He　was　signalling　with　her　when　I　saw　her；'　argued　Madame　Defarge；　‘I　cannot　speak　of　one　without　the　other；　and　I　must　not　be　silent；　and　trust　the　case　wholly　to　him；　this　little　citizen　here。　For；　I　am　not　a　bad　witness。　
　The　Vengeance　and　Jacques　Three　vied　with　each　other　in　their　fervent　protestations　that　she　was　the　most　admirable　and　marvellous　of　witnesses。　The　little　citizen；　not　to　be　outdone；　declared　her　to　be　a　celestial　witness。　
　He　must　take　his　chance；'　said　Madame　Defarge。　‘No；　I　cannot　spare　him！　You　are　engaged　at　three　o'clock；　you　are　going　to　see　the　batch　of　to…day　executed。You？'　
　The　question　was　addressed　to　the　wood…sawyer；　who　hurriedly　replied　in　the　affirmative：　seizing　the　occasion　to　add　that　he　was　the　most　ardent　of　Republicans；　and　that　he　would　be　in　effect　the　most　desolate　of　Republicans；　if　anything　prevented　him　from　enjoying　the　pleasure　of　smoking　his　afternoon　pipe　in　the　contemplation　of　the　droll　national　barber。　He　was　so　very　demonstrative　herein；　that　he　might　have　been　suspected　（perhaps　was；　by　the　dark　eyes　that　looked　Contemptuously　at　him　out　of　Madame　Defarge's　head）　of　having　his　small　individual　fears　for　his　own　personal　safety；　every　hour　in　the　day。　
　‘I；'　said　madame；　‘am　equally　engaged　at　the　same　place。　After　it　is　over…say　at　eight　to…nightcome　you　to　me；　in　Saint　Antoine；　and　we　will　give　information　against　these'　people　at　my　section。'　
　The　wood…sawyer　said　he　would　be　proud　and　flattered　to　attend　the　citizeness。　The　citizeness　looking　at　him；　he　became　embarrassed；　evaded　her　glance　as　a　small　dog　would　have　done；　retreated　among　his　wood；　and　hid　his　confusion　over　the　handle　of　his　saw。　
　Madame　Defarge　beckoned　the　Juryman　and　The　Vengeance　a　little　nearer　to　the　door；　and　there　expounded　her　further　views　to　them　thus：　
　‘She　will　now　be　at　home；　awaiting　the　moment　of　his　death。　She　will　be　mourning　and　grieving。　She　will　be　in　a　state　of　mind　to　impeach　the　justice　of　the　Republic。　She　will　be　full　of　sympathy　with　its　enemies。　I　will　go　to　her。'　
　‘What　an　admirable　woman；　what　an　adorable　woman！'　exclaimed　Jacques　Three；　rapturously。　‘Ah；　my　cherished！'　cried　The　Vengeance；　and　embraced　her。　
　‘Take　you　my　knitting；'　said　Madame　Defarge；　placing　it　in　her　lieutenant's　hands；　‘and　have　it　ready　for　me　in　my　usual　seat。　Keep　me　my　usual　chair。　Go　you　there；　straight；　for　there　will　probably　be　a　greater　concourse　than　usual；　to…day。'　
　‘I　willingly　obey　the　orders　of　my　Chief'　said　The　Vengeance　with　alacrity；　and　kissing　her　cheek。　‘You　will　not　be　late？'　
‘I　shall　be　there　before　the　commencement。'　
　‘And　before　the　tumbrils　arrive。　Be　sure　you　are　there；　my　soul；'　said　The　Vengeance；　calling　after　her；　for　she　had　already　turned　into　the　street；　‘before　the　tumbrils　arrive！'　
　Madame　Defarge　slightly　waved　her　hand；　to　imply　that　she　heard；　and　might　be　relied　upon　to　arrive　in　good　time；　and　so　went　through　tile　mud；　and　round　the　corner　of　the　prison　wall。　The　Vengeance　and　the　Juryman；　looking　alter　her　as　she　walked　away；　were　highly　appreciative　of　her　fine　figure；　and　her　superb　moral　endowments。　
　There　were　many　women　at　that　time；　upon　whom　the　time　laid　a　dreadfully　disfiguring　hand；　but；　there　was　not　one　among　them　more　to　be　dreaded　than　this　ruthless　woman；　now　taking　her　way　along　the　streets。　Of　a　strong　and　fearless　character；　of　shrewd　sense　and　readiness；　of　great　determination；　of　that　kind　of　beauty　which　not　only　seems　to　impart　to　its　possessor　firmness　and　animosity；　but　to　strike　in