双城记 查尔斯·狄更斯-第15部分

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‘Some　papers　had　been　handed　about　among　them；　but　I　don't　know　what　papers。'
‘Like　these　in　shape　and　size？'
‘Possibly；　but　indeed　I　don't　know；　although　they　stood　whispering　very　near　to　me：　because　they　stood　at　the　top　of　the　cabin　steps　to　have　the　light　of　the　lamp　that　was　hanging　there；　it　was　a　dull　lamp；　and　they　spoke　very　low；　and　I　did　not　hear　what　they　said；　and　saw　only　that　they　looked　at　papers。'
‘Now；　to　the　prisoner's　conversation；　Miss　Manette。'
‘The　prisoner　was　as　open　in　his　confidence　with　me…which　arose　out　of　my　helpless　situation…as　he　was　kind；　and　good；　and　useful　to　my　father。　I　hope；'　bursting　into　tears；　‘I　may　not　repay　him　by　doing　him　harm　to…day。'
Buzzing　from　the　blue…flies。
‘Miss　Manette；　if　the　prisoner　does　not　perfectly　understand　that　you　give　the　evidence　which　it　is　your　duty　to　give……which　you　must　give……and　which　you　cannot　escape　from　giving……with　great　unwillingness；　he　is　the　only　person　present　in　that　condition。　Please　to　go　on。
‘He　told　me　that　he　was　travelling　on　business　of　a　delicate　and　difficult　nature；　which　might　get　people　into　trouble；　and　that　he　was　therefore　travelling　under　an　assumed　name。　He　said　that　this　business　had；　within　a　few　days；　taken　him　to　France；　and　might；　at　intervals；　take　him　backwards　and　forwards　between　France　and　England　for　a　long　time　to　e。'
‘Did　he　say　anything　about　America；　Miss　Manette？　Be　particular。'
‘He　tried　to　explain　to　me　how　that　quarrel　had　arisen；　and　he　said　that；　so　far　as　he　could　judge；　it　was　a　wrong　and　foolish　one　on　England's　part。　He　added；　in　a　jesting　way；　that　perhaps　George　Washington　might　gain　almost　as　great　a　name　in　history　as　George　the　Third。　But　there　was　no　harm　in　his　way　of　saying　this：　it　was　said　laughingly；　and　to　beguile　the　time。'
Any　strongly　marked　expression　of　face　on　the　part　of　a　chief　actor　in　a　scene　of　great　interest　to　whom　many　eyes　are　directed；　will　be　unconsciously　imitated　by　the　spectators。　Her　forehead　was　painfully　anxious　and　intent　as　she　gave　this　evidence；　and；　in　the　pauses　when　she　stopped　for　the　Judge　to　write　it　down；　watched　its　effect　upon　the　counsel　for　and　against。　Among　the　lookers…on　there　was　the　same　expression　in　all　quarters　of　the　court；　insomuch；　that　a　great　majority　of　the　foreheads　there；　might　have　been　mirrors　reflecting　the　witness；　when　the　Judge　looked　up　from　his　notes　to　glare　at　that　tremendous　heresy　about　George　Washington。
Mr。　Attorney…General　now　signified　to　my　Lord；　that　he　deemed　it　necessary；　as　a　matter　of　precaution　and　form；　to　call　the　young　lady's　father；　Doctor　Manette。　Who　was　called　accordingly。
‘Doctor　Manette；　look　upon　the　prisoner。　Have　you　ever　seen　him　before？'
‘Once。　When　he　called　at　my　lodgings　in　London。　Some　three　years；　or　three　years　and　a　half　ago。'
‘Can　you　identify　him　as　your　fellow…passenger　on　board　the　packet；　or　speak　to　his　conversation　with　your　daughter？'
‘Sir；　I　can　do　neither。'
‘Is　there　any　particular　and　special　reason　for　your　being　unable　to　do　either？'
He　answered；　in　a　low　voice；　‘There　is。'
‘Has　it　been　your　misfortune　to　undergo　a　long　imprisonment；　without　trial；　or　even　accusation；　in　your　native　country；　Doctor　Manette？'
He　answered；　in　a　tone　that　went　to　every　heart；　‘A　long　imprisonment。'
‘Were　you　newly；　released　on　the　occasion　in　question？'
‘They　tell　me　so。　‘Have　you　no　remembrance　of　the　occasion？'
‘None。　My　mind　is　a　blank；　from　some　time……I　cannot　even　say　what　time……when　I　employed　myself；　in　my　captivity；　in　making　shoes；　to　the　time　when　I　found　myself　living　in　London　with　my　dear　daughter　here。　She　had　bee　familiar　to　me；　when　a　gracious　God　restored　my　faculties；　but；　I　am　quite　unable　even　to　say　how　she　had　bee　familiar。　I　have　no　remembrance　of　the　process。'
Mr。　Attorney…General　sat　down；　and　the　father　and　daughter　sat　down　together。
A　singular　circumstance　then　arose　in　the　case。　The　object　in　hand　being　to　show　that　the　prisoner　went　down；　with　some　fellow…plotter　untracked；　in　the　Dover　mail　on　that　Friday　night　in　November　five　years　ago；　and　got　out　of　the　mail　in　the　night；　as　a　blind；　at　a　place　where　he　did　not　remain；　but　from　which　he　travelled　back　some　dozen　miles　or　more；　to　a　garrison　and　dockyard；　and　there　collected　information；　a　witness　was　called　to　identify　him　as　having　been　at　the　precise　time　required；　in　the　coffee…room　of　an　hotel　in　that　garrison…and…dockyard　town；　waiting　for　another　person。　The　prisoner's　counsel　was　cross…examining　this　witness　with　no　result；　except　that　he　had　never　seen　the　prisoner　on　any　other　occasion；　when　the　wigged　gentleman　who　had　all　this　time　been　looking　at　the　ceiling　of　the　court；　wrote　a　word　or　two　on　a　little　piece　of　paper；　screwed　it　up；　and　tossed　it　to　him。　Opening　this　piece　of　paper　in　the　next　pause；　the　counsel　looked　with　great　attention　and　curiosity　at　the　prisoner。
‘You　say　again　you　are　quite　sure　that　it　was　the　prisoner？'　The　witness　was　quite　sure。　‘Did　you　ever　see　anybody　very　like　the　prisoner？'　Not　so　like　（the　witness　said）　as　that　he　could　be　mistaken。　‘Look　well　upon　that　gentleman；　my　learned　friend　there；'　pointing　to　him　who　had　tossed　the　paper　over；　‘and　then　look　well　upon　the　prisoner。　How　say　you？　Are　they　very　like　each　other？'
Allowing　for　my　learned　friend's　appearance　being　careless　and　slovenly　if　not　debauched；　they　were　sufficiently　like　each　other　to　surprise；　not　only　the　witness；　but　everybody　present；　when　they　were　thus　brought　into　parison。　My　Lord　being　prayed　to　bid　my　learned　friend　lay　aside　his　wig；　and　giving　no　very　gracious　consent；　the　likeness　became　much　more　remarkable。　My　Lord　inquired　of　Mr。　Stryver　（the　prisoner's　counsel）；　whether　they　were　next　to　try　Mr。　Carton　（name　of　my　learned　friend）　for　treason？　But；　Mr。　Stryver　replied　to　my　Lord；　no；　but　he　would　ask　the　witness　to　tell　him　whether　what　happened　once；　might　happen　twice；　whether　he　would　have　been　so　confident　if　he　had　seen　this　illustration　of　his　rashness　sooner；　whether　he　would　be　so　confident；　having　seen　it；　and　more。　The　upshot　of　which　was；　to　smash　this　witness　like　a　crockery　vessel；　and　shiver　his　part　of　the　case　to　useless　lumber。
Mr。　Cruncher　had　by　this　time　taken　quite　a　lunch　of　rust　off　his　fingers　in　his　following　of　the　evidence。　He　had　now　to　attend　while　Mr。　Stryver　fitted　the　prisoner's　case　on　the　jury；　like　a　pact　suit　of　clothes；　showing　them　how　the　patriot；　Barsad；　was　a　hired　spy　and　traitor；　an　unblushing　trafficker　in　blood；　and　one　of　the　greatest　scoundrels　upon　earth　since　accursed　Judas……which　he　certainly　did　look　rather　like。　How　the　virtuous　servant；　Cly；　was　his　friend　and　partner；　and　was　worthy　to　be；　how　the　watchful　eyes　of　those　forgers　and　false　swearers　had　rested　on　the　prisoner　as　a　victim；　because　some　family　affairs　in　France；　he　being　of　French　extraction；　did　require　his　making　those　passages　across　the　Channel……though　what　those　affairs　were；　a　consideration　for　others　who　were　near　and　dear　to　him；　forbad　him；　even　for　his　life；　to　disclose。　How　the　evidence　that　had　been　warped　and　wrested　from　the　young　lady；　whose　anguish　in　giving　it　they　had　witnessed；　came　to　nothing；　involving　the　mere　little　innocent　gallantries　and　politenesses　likely　to　pass　between　any　young　gentleman　and　young　lady　so　thrown　together；……with　the　exception　of　that　reference　to　George　Washington；　which　was　altogether　too　extravagant　and　impossible　to　be　regarded　in　any　other　light　than　as　a　monstrous　joke。　How　it　would　be　a　weakness　in　the　government　to　break　down　in　this　attempt　to　practise　for　popularity　on　the　lowest　national　antipathies　and　fears；　and　therefore　Mr。　Attorney…General　had　made　the　most　of　it；　how；　nevertheless；　it　rested　upon　nothing；　save　that　vile　and　infamous　character　of　evidence　too　often　disfiguring　such　cases；　and　of　which　the　State　Trials　of　this　country　were　full。　But；　there　my　Lord　interposed　（with　as　grave　a　face　as　if　it　had　not　been　true）；　saying　that　he　could　not　sit　upon　that　Bench　and　suffer　those　allusions。
Mr。　Stryver　then　called　his　few　witnesses；　and　Mr。　Cruncher　had　next　to　attend　while　Mr。　Attorney…General　turned　the　whole　suit　of　clothes　Mr。　Stryver　had　fitted　on　the　jury；　inside　out；　showing　how　Barsad　and　Cly　were　even　a　hundred　times　better　than　he　had　thought　them；　and　the　prisoner　a　hundred　times　worse。　ly；　came　my　Lord　himself　turning　the　suit　of　clothes；　now　inside　out；　now　outside　in；　but　on　the　whole　decidedly　trimming　and　shaping　them　into　grave…clothes　for　the　prisoner。
And　now；　the　jury　turned　to　consider；　and　the　great　flies　swarmed　again。
Mr。　Carton；　who　had　so　long　sat　looking　at　the　ceiling　of　the　court；　changed　neither　his　place　nor　his　attitude；　even　in　this　excitement。　While　his　learned　friend；　Mr。　Stryver；　massing　his　papers　before　him；　whispered　with　those　who　sat　near；　and　from　time　to　time　glanced　anxiously　at　the　jury；　while　all　the　spectators　moved　more　or　less；　and　grouped　themselves　anew；　while　even　my　Lord　himself　arose　from　his　seat；　and　slowly　paced　up　and　down　his　platform；　not　unattended　by　a　suspicion　in　the　minds　of　the　audience　that　his　state　was　feverish；　this　one　man　sat　leaning　back；　with　his　torn　gown　half　off　him；　his　untidy　wig　put　on　just　as　it　had　happened　to　light　on　his　head　after　its　removal；　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　and　his　eyes　on　the　ceiling　as　they　had　been　all　day。　Something　especially　reckless　in　his　demeanour；　not　only　gave　him　a　disreputable　look；　but　so　diminished　the　strong　resemblance　he　undoubtedly　bore　to　the　prisoner　（which　his　momentary　earnestness；　when　they　were　pared　together；　had　strengthened）；　that　many　of　the　lookers…on；　taking　note　of　him　now；　said　to　one　another　they　would　hardly　have　thought　the　two　were　so　alike。　Mr。　Cruncher　made　the　observation　to　his　next　neighbour；　and　added；　‘I'd　hold　half　a　guinea　that　he　don't　get　no　law…work　to　do。　Don't　look　like　the　sort　of　one　to　get　any；　do　he？'
Yet；　this　Mr。　Carton　took　in　more　of　the　details　of　the　scene　than　he　appeared　to　take　in；　for　now；　when　Miss　Manette's　head　dropped　upon　her　father's　breast；　he　was　the　first　to　see　it；　and　to　say　audibly：　‘Officer！　look　to　that　young　lady。　Help；　the　gentleman　to　take　her　out。　Don't　you　see　she　will　fall！'
There　was　much　miseration　for　her　as　she