双城记 查尔斯·狄更斯-第9部分

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‘I　want；'　said　Defarge；　who　had　not　removed　his　gaze　from　the　shoemaker；　‘to　let　in　a　little　more　light　here。　You　can　bear　a　little　more？'
The　shoemaker　stopped　his　work；　looked　with　a　vacant　air　of　listening；　at　the　floor　on　one　side　of　him；　then　similarly；　at　the　floor　on　the　other　side　of　him；　then；　upward　at　the　speaker。
‘What　did　you　say？'
‘You　can　bear　a　little　more　light？'
‘I　must　bear　it；　if　you　let　it　in。'　（Laying　the　palest　shadow　of　a　stress　upon　the　second　word。）
The　opened　half…door　was　opened　a　little　further；　and　secured　at　that　angle　for　the　time。　A　broad　ray　of　light　fell　into　the　garret；　and　showed　the　workman　with　an　un…finished　shoe　upon　his　lap；　pausing　in　his　labour。　His　few　mon　tools　and　various　scraps　of　leather　were　at　his　feet　and　on　his　bench。　He　had　a　white　beard；　raggedly　cut；　but　not　very　long；　a　hollow　face；　and　exceedingly　bright　eyes。　The　hollowness　and　thinness　of　his　face　would　have　caused　them　to　look　large；　under　his　yet　dark　eyebrows　and　his　confused　white　hair；　though　they　had　been　really　otherwise；　but；　they　were　naturally　large；　and　looked　un…naturally　so。　His　yellow　rags　of　shirt　lay　open　at　the　throat；　and　showed　his　body　to　be　withered　and　worn。　He；　and　his　old　canvas　frock；　and　his　loose　stockings；　and　all　his　poor　tatters　of　clothes；　had；　in　a　long　seclusion　from　direct　light　and　air；　faded　down　to　such　a　dull　uniformity　of　parchment…yellow；　that　it　would　have　been　hard　to　say　which　was　which。
He　had　put　up　a　hand　between　his　eyes　and　the　light；　and　the　very　bones　of　it　seemed　transparent。　So　he　sat；　with　a　steadfastly　vacant　gaze；　pausing　in　his　work。　He　never　looked　at　the　figure　before　him；　without　first　looking　down　on　this　side　of　himself；　then　on　that；　as　if　he　had　lost　the　habit　of　associating　place　with　sound；　he　never　spoke；　without　first　pandering　in　this　manner；　and　forgetting　to　speak。
‘Are　you　going　to　finish　that　pair　of　shoes　to…day？'　asked　Defarge；　motioning　to　Mr。　Lorry　to　e　forward。
‘What　did　you　say？'
‘Do　you　mean　to　finish　that　pair　of　shoes　to…day？'　‘I　can't　say　that　I　mean　to。　I　suppose　so。　I　don't　know。'
But；　the　question　reminded　him　of　his　work；　and　he　bent　over　it　again。
Mr。　Lorry　came　silently　forward；　leaving　the　daughter　by　the　door。　When　he　had　stood；　for　a　minute　or　two；　by　the　side　of　Defarge；　the　shoemaker　looked　up。　He　showed　no　surprise　at　seeing　another　figure；　but　the　unsteady　fingers　of　one　of　his　hands　strayed　to　his　lips　as　he　looked　at　it　（his　lips　and　his　nails　were　of　the　same　pale　lead…colour）；　and　then　the　hand　dropped　to　his　work；　and　he　once　more　bent　over　the　shoe。　The　look　and　the　action　had　occupied　but　an　instant。
‘You　have　a　visitor；　you　see；'　said　Monsieur　Defarge。
‘What　did　you　say？'
‘Here　is　a　visitor。'
The　shoemaker　looked　up　as　before；　but　without　removing　a　hand　from　his　work。
‘e！'　said　Defarge。　‘Here　is　monsieur；　who　knows　a　well…made　shoe　when　he　sees　one。　Show　him　that　shoe　you　are　working　at。　Take　it；　monsieur。'
Mr。　Lorry　took　it　in　his　hand。
‘Tell　monsieur　what　kind　of　shoe　it　is；　and　the　maker's　name。'
There　was　a　longer　pause　than　usual；　before　the　shoe…maker　replied：
‘I　forget　what　it　was　you　asked　me。　What　did　you　say？'
‘I　said；　couldn't　you　describe　the　kind　of　shoe；　for　monsieur's　information？'
‘It　is　a　lady's　shoe。　It　is　a　young　lady's　walking…shoe。　It　is　in　the　present　mode。　I　never　saw　the　mode。　I　have　had　a　pattern　in　my　hand。'　He　glanced　at　the　shoe　with　some　little　passing　touch　of　pride。
‘And　the　maker's　name？'　said　Defarge。
Now　that　he　had　no　work　to　hold；　he　laid　the　knuckles　of　the　right　hand　in　the　hollow　of　the　left；　and　then　the　knuckles　of　the　left　hand　in　the　hollow　of　the　right；　and　then　passed　a　hand　across　his　bearded　chin；　and　so　on　in　regular　changes；　without　a　moment's　intermission。　The　task　of　recalling　him　from　the　vacancy　into　which　he　always　sank　when　he　had　spoken；　was　like　recalling　some　very　weak　person　from　a　swoon；　or　endeavouring；　in　the　hope　of　some　disclosure；　to　stay　the　spirit　of　a　fast…dying　man。
‘Did　you　ask　me　for　my　name？'
‘Assuredly　I　did。'
‘One　Hundred　and　Five；　North　Tower。'
‘Is　that　all？'
‘One　Hundred　and　Five；　North　Tower。'
With　a　weary　sound　that　was　not　a　sigh；　nor　a　groan；　he　bent　to　work　again；　until　the　silence　was　again　broken。
‘You　are　not　a　shoemaker　by　trade？'　said　Mr。　Lorry；　looking　steadfastly　at　him。
His　haggard　eyes　turned　to　Defarge　as　if　he　would　have　transferred　the　question　to　him：　but　as　no　help　came　from　that　quarter；　they　turned　back　on　the　questioner　when　they　had　sought　the　ground。
‘I　am　not　a　shoemaker　by　trade？　No；　I　was　not　a　shoe…maker　by　trade。　I……I　learn't　it　here。　I　taught　myself。　I　asked　leave　to………'
He　lapsed　away；　even　for　minutes；　ringing　those　measured　changes　on　his　hands　the　whole　time。　His　eyes　came　slowly　back；　at　last；　to　the　face　from　which　they　had　wandered；　when　they　rested　on　it；　he　started；　and　resumed；　in　the　manner　of　a　sleeper　that　moment　awake；　reverting　to　a　subject　of　last　night。
‘I　asked　leave　to　teach　myself；　and　I　got　it　with　much　difficulty　after　a　long　while；　and　I　have　made　shoes　ever　since。'
As　he　held　out　his　hand　for　the　shoe　that　had　been　taken　from　him；　Mr。　Lorry　said；　still　looking　steadfastly　in　his　face：
‘Monsieur　Manette；　do　you　remember　nothing　of　me？'
The　shoe　dropped　to　the　ground；　and　he　sat　looking　fixedly　at　the　questioner。
‘Monsieur　Manette；'　Mr。　Lorry　laid　his　hand　upon　Defarge's　arm；　‘do　you　remember　nothing　of　this　man？　Look　at　him。　Look　at　me。　Is　there　no　old　banker；　no　old　business；　no　old　servant；　no　old　time；　rising　in　your　mind；　Monsieur　Manette？'
As　the　captive　of　many　years　sat　looking　fixedly；　by　turns；　at　Mr。　Lorry　and　at　Defarge；　some　long　obliterated　marks　of　an　actively　intent　intelligence　in　the　middle　of　the　fore…head；　gradually　forced　themselves　through　the　black　mist　that　had　fallen　on　him。　They　were　overclouded　again；　they　were　fainter；　they　were　gone；　but　they　had　been　there。　And　so　exactly　was　the　expression　repeated　on　the　fair　young　face　of　her　who　had　crept　along　the　wall　to　a　point　where　she　could　see　him；　and　where　she　now　stood　looking　at　him；　with　hands　which　at　first　had　been　only　raised　in　frightened　passion；　if　not　even　to　keep　him　off　and　shut　out　the　sight　of　him；　but　which　were　now　extending　towards　him；　trembling　with　eagerness　to　lay　the　spectral　face　upon　her　warm　young　breast；　and　love　it　back　to　life　and　hope……so　exactly　was　the　expression　repeated　（though　in　stronger　characters）　on　her　fair　young　face；　that　it　looked　as　though　it　had　passed　like　a　moving　light；　from　him　to　her。
Darkness　had　fallen　on　him　in　its　place。　He　looked　at　the　two；　less　and　less　attentively；　and　his　eyes　in　gloomy　abstraction　sought　the　ground　and　looked　about　him　in　the　old　way。　Finally；　with　a　deep　long　sigh；　he　took　the　shoe　up；　and　resumed　his　work。
‘Have　you　recognised　him；　monsieur？'　asked　Defarge　in　a　whisper。
‘Yes；　for　a　moment。　At　first　I　thought　it　quite　hope…less；　but　I　have　unquestionably　seen；　for　a　single　moment；　the　face　that　I　once　knew　so　well。　Hush！　Let　us　draw　further　back。　Hush！'
She　had　moved　from　the　wall　of　the　garret；　very　near　to　the　bench　on　which　he　sat。　There　was　something　awful　in　his　unconsciousness　of　the　figure　that　could　have　put　out　its　hand　and　touched　him　as　lie　stooped　over　his　labour。
Not　a　word　was　spoken；　not　a　sound　was　made。　She　stood；　like　a　spirit；　beside　him；　and　he　bent　over　his　work。
It　happened；　at　length；　that　he　had　occasion　to　change　the　instrument　in　his　hand；　for　his　shoemaker's　knife。　It　lay　on　that　side　of　him　which　was　not　the　side　on　which　she　stood。　He　had　taken　it　up；　and　was　stooping　to　work　again；　when　his　eyes　caught　the　skirt　of　her　dress。　He　raised　them；　and　saw　her　face。　The　two　spectators　started　forward；　hut　she　stayed　them　with　a　motion　of　her　hand。　She　had　no　fear　of　his　striking　at　her　with　the　knife；　though　they　had。
He　stared　at　her　with　a　fearful　look；　and　after　a　while　his　lips　began　to　form　some　words；　though　no　sound　proceeded　from　them。　By　degrees；　in　the　pauses　of　his　quick　and　laboured　breathing；　he　was　heard　to　say：
‘What　is　this？'
With　the　tears　streaming　down　her　face；　she　put　her　two　hands　to　her　lips；　and　kissed　them　to　him；　then　clasped　them　on　her　breast；　as　if　she　laid　his　ruined　head　there。
‘You　are　not　the　gaoler's　daughter？'
She　sighed　‘No。'
‘Who　are　you？'
Not　yet　trusting　the　tones　of　her　voice；　she　sat　down　on　the　bench　beside　him。　He　recoiled；　but　she　laid　her　hand　upon　his　arm。　A　strange　thrill　struck　him　when　she　did　so；　and　visibly　passed　over　his　frame；　he　laid　the　knife　down　softly；　as　he　sat　staring　at　her。
Her　golden　hair；　which　she　wore　in　long　curls；　had　been　hurriedly　pushed　aside；　and　fell　down　over　her　neck。　Advancing　his　hand　by　little　and　little；　he　took　it　up　and　looked　at　it。　In　the　midst　of　the　action　he　went　astray；　and；　with　another　deep　sigh；　fell　to　work　at　his　shoemaking。
But　not　for　long。　Releasing　his　arm；　she　laid　her　hand　upon　his　shoulder。　After　looking　doubtfully　at　it；　two　or　three　times；　as　if　to　be　sure　that　it　was　really　there；　he　laid　down　his　work；　put　his　hand　to　his　neck；　and　took　off　a　blackened　string　with　a　scrap　of　folded　rag　attached　to　it。　He　opened　this；　carefully；　on　his　knee；　and　it　contained　a　very　little　quantity　of　hair：　not　more　than　one　or　two　long　golden　hairs；　which　he　had；　in　some　old　day；　wound　on　upon　his　finger。
He　took　her　hair　into　his　hand　again；　and　looked　closely　at　it。　‘It　is　the　same。　How　can　it　be！　When　was　it！　How　was　it！'
As　the　concentrating　expression　returned　to　his　forehead；　he　seemed　to　bee　conscious　that　it　was　in　hers　too。　He　turned　her　full　to　the　light；　and　looked　at　her。
‘She　had　laid　her　head　upon　my　shoulder；　that　night　when　I　was　summoned　out……she　had　a　fear　of　my　going；　though　I　had　none……and　when　I　was　brought　to　the　North　Tower　they　found　these　upon　my　sleeve。　〃You　will　leave　me　them？　They　can　never　help　me　to　escape　in　the　body；　though　they　may　in　the　spirit。〃　Those　were　the　words　I　said。　I　remember　them　very　well。'
He　formed　this　speech　with　his　lips　many　times　before　he　could　utter　it。　But　when　he　did　find　spoken　words　for　it；　they　came　to　him　coherently；　though　slowly。
‘How　was　this？……Was　it　you？'
Once　more；　the　two　spectators　started；　as　he　turned　upon　her　with　a　f