双城记 查尔斯·狄更斯-第71部分

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He　murmured　for　answer：　‘True。　I　forget　what　you　were　accused　of？'
‘Plots。　Though　the　just　Heaven　knows　I　am　innocent　of　any。　Is　it　likely？　Who　would　think　of　plotting　with　a　poor　little　weak　creature　like　me？'
The　forlorn　smile　with　which　she　said　it；　so　touched　him；　that　tears　started　from　his　eyes。
‘I　am　not　afraid　to　die；　Citizen　Evrémonde；　but　I　have　done　nothing。　I　am　not　unwilling　to　die；　if　the　Republic　which　is　to　do　so　much　good　to　us　poor；　will　profit　by　my　death；　but　I　do　not　know　how　that　can　be；　Citizen　Evreémonde。　Such　a　poor　weak　little　creature！'
As　the　last　thing　on　earth　that　his　heart　was　to　warm　and　soften　to；　it　warmed　and　softened　to　this　pitiable　girl。
‘I　heard　you　were　released；　Citizen　‘Evrémonde。　I　hoped　it　was　true？'
‘It　was。　But；　I　was　again　taken　and　condemned。'
‘If　I　may　ride　with　you；　Citizen　Evrémonde；　will　you　let　me　hold　your　hand？　I　am　not　afraid；　hut　I　am　little　and　weak；　and　it　will　give　me　more　courage。'
As　the　patient　eyes　were　lifted　to　his　face；　he　saw　a　sudden　doubt　in　them；　and　then　astonishment。　He　pressed　the　work…worn；　hunger…worn　young　fingers；　and　touched　his　lips。
‘Are　you　dying　for　him？'　she　whispered。
‘And　his　wife　and　child。　Hush！　Yes。'
‘O　you　will　let　me　hold　your　brave　hand；　stranger？'
‘Hush！　Yes；　my　poor　sister；　to　the　last。
The　same　shadows　that　are　falling　on　the　prison；　are　falling；　in　that　same　hour　of　the　early　afternoon；　on　the　Barrier　with　the　crowd　about　it；　when　a　coach　going　out　of　Paris　drives　up　to　be　examined。
‘Who　goes　here？　Whom　have　we　within？　Papers！'
The　papers　are　handed　out；　and　read。
‘Alexandre　Manette。　Physician。　French。　Which　is　he？'
This　is　he；　this　helpless；　inarticulately　murmuring；　wandering　old　man　pointed　out。　
‘Apparently　the　Citizen…Doctor　is　not　in　his　right　mind？　The　Revolution…fever　will　have　been　too　much　for　him？'
Greatly　too　much　for　him。
‘Hah！　Many　suffer　with　it。　Lucie。　His　daughter。　French。　Which　is　she？'
This　is　she。
‘Apparently　it　must　be。　Lucie；　the　wife　of　Evrémonde；　is　it　not'。〃
It　is。
‘Hah！　Evrémonde　has　an　assignation　elsewhere。　Lucie；　her　child。　English。　This　is　she？'
She　and　no　other。
‘Kiss　me；　child　of　Evrémonde。　Now；　thou　hast　kissed　a　good　Republican；　something　new　in　thy　family；　remember　it！　Sydney　Carton。　Advocate。　English。　Which　is　he？'
He　lies　here；　in　this　corner　of　the　carriage。　He；　too；　is　pointed　out。
‘Apparently　the　English　advocate　is　in　a　swoon？'
It　is　hoped　he　will　recover　in　the　fresher　air。　It　is　represented　that　he　is　not　in　strong　health；　and　has　separated　sadly　from　a　friend　who　is　under　the　displeasure　of　the　Republic。
‘Is　that　all？　It　is　not　a　great　deal；　that！　Many　are　under　the　displeasure　of　the　Republic；　and　must　look　out　at　the　little　window。　Jarvis　Lorry。　Banker。　English。　Which　is　he？'
‘I　am　he。　Necessarily；　being　the　last。'
It　is　Jarvis　Lorry　who　has　replied　to　all　the　previous　questions。　It　is　Jarvis　Lorry　who　has　alighted　and　stands　with　his　hand　on　the　coach　door；　replying　to　a　group　of　officials。　They　leisurely　walk　round　the　carriage　and　leisurely　mount　the　box；　to　look　at　what　little　luggage　it　carries　on　the　roof；　the　country…people　hanging　about；　press　nearer　to　the　coach　doors　and　greedily　stare　in；　a　little　child；　carried　by　its　mother；　has　its　short　arm　held　out　for　it；　that　it　may　touch　the　wife　of　an　aristocrat　who　has　gone　to　the　Guillotine。
‘Behold　your　papers；　Jarvis　Lorry；　countersigned。'
‘One　can　depart；　citizen？'
‘One　can　depart。　Forward；　my　postilions！　A　good　journey！'
‘I　salute　you；　citizens。……And　the　first　danger　passed！'
These　are　again　the　words　of　Jarvis　Lorry；　as　he　clasps　his　hands；　and　looks　upward。　There　is　terror　in　the　carriage；　there　is　weeping；　there　is　the　heavy　breathing　of　the　insensible　traveller。　
‘Are　we　not　going　too　slowly？　Can　they　not　be　induced　to　go　faster？'　asks　Lucie；　clinging　to　the　old　man。
‘It　would　seem　like　flight；　my　darling。　I　must　not　urge　them　too　much；　it　would　rouse　suspicion。'
‘Look　back；　look　back；　and　see　if　we　are　pursued！'
‘The　road　is　clear；　my　dearest。　So　far；　we　are　not　pursued。'
Houses　in　twos　and　threes　pass　by　us；　solitary　farms；　ruinous　buildings；　dye…works；　tanneries；　and　the　like；　open　country；　avenues　of　leafless　trees。　The　hard　uneven　pavement　is　under　us；　the　soft　deep　mud　is　on　either　side。　Sometimes；　we　strike　into　the　skirting　mud；　to　avoid　the　stones　that　clatter　us　and　shake　us；　sometimes　we　stick　in　ruts　and　sloughs　there。　The　agony　of　our　impatience　is　then　so　great；　that　in　our　wild　alarm　and　hurry　we　are　for　getting　out　and　running……hiding……doing　anything　but　stopping。
Out　of　the　open　country；　in　again　among　ruinous　buildings；　solitary　farms；　dye…works；　tanneries；　and　the　like；　cottages　in　twos　and　threes；　avenues　of　leafless　trees。　Have　these　men　deceived　us；　and　taken　us　back　by　another　road？　Is　not　this　the　same　place　twice　over？　Thank　Heaven；　no。　A　village。　Look　back；　look　back；　and　see　if　we　are　pursued！　Hush！　the　posting…house。
Leisurely；　our　four　horses　are　taken　out；　leisurely；　the　coach　stands　in　the　little　street；　bereft　of　horses；　and　with　no　likelihood　upon　it　of　ever　moving　again；　leisurely；　the　new　horses　e　into　visible　existence；　one　by　one；　leisurely；　the　new　postilions　follow；　sucking　and　plaiting　the　lashes　of　their　whips；　leisurely；　the　old　postilions　count　their　money；　make　wrong　additions；　and　arrive　at　dissatisfied　results。　All　the　time；　our　overfraught　hearts　are　beating　at　a　rate　that　would　far　outstrip　the　fastest　gallop　of　the　fastest　horses　ever　foaled。
At　length　the　new　postilions　are　in　their　saddles；　and　the　old　are　left　behind。　We　are　through　the　village；　up　the　hill；　and　down　the　hill；　and　on　the　low　watery　grounds。　Suddenly）'；　the　postilions　exchange　speech　with　animated　gesticulation；　and　the　horses…are　pulled　up；　almost　on　their　haunches。　We　are　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　es　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；　ing　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。　e　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　ei