登陆注册
12109300000116

第116章 BOOK THE THIRD:THE TRACK OF A STORM(31)

'If it had pleased God to put it in the hard heart of either of the brothers,in all these frightful years,to grant me any tidings of my dearest wife—so much as to let me know by a word whether alive or dead—I might have thought that He had not quite abandoned them. But,now I believe that the mark of the red cross is fatal to them,and that they have no part in His mercies.And them and their descendants,to the last of their race,I,Alexandre Manette,unhappy prisoner,do this last night of the year 1767,in my unbearable agony,denounce to the times when all these things shall be answered for.I denounce them to Heaven and to earth.'

A terrible sound arose when the reading of this document was done. A sound of craving and eagerness that had nothing articulate in it but blood.The narrative called up the most revengeful passions of the time,and there was not a head in the nation but must have dropped before it.

Little need,in the presence of that tribunal and that auditory,to show how the Defarges had not made the paper public,with the other captured Bastille memorials borne in procession,and had kept it,biding their time. Little need to show that this detested family name had long been anathematised by Saint Antoine,and was wrought into the fatal register.The man never trod ground whose virtues and services would have sustained him in that place that day,against such denunciation.

And all the worse for the doomed man,that the denouncer was a well-known citizen,his own attached friend,the father of his wife. One of the frenzied aspirations of the populace was,for imitations of the questionable public virtues of antiquity,and for sacrifices and self-immolations on the people's altar.Therefore when the President said(else had his own head quivered on his shoulders),that the good physician of the Republic would deserve better still of the Republic by rooting out an obnoxious family of Aristocrats,and would doubtless feel a sacred glow and joy in making his daughter a widow and her child an orphan,there was wild excitement,patriotic fervour,not a touch of human sympathy.

'Much influence around him,has that Doctor?'murmuredMadame Defarge,smiling to The Vengeance.'Save him now,my Doctor,save him!'

At every juryman's vote,there was a roar. Another and another.Roar and roar.

Unanimously voted. At heart and by descent an Aristocrat,an enemy of the Republic,a notorious oppressor of the People.Back to the Conciergerie,and Death within four-and-twenty hours!

XLI.DUSK

The wretched wife of the innocent man thus doomed to die. fell under the sentence,as if she had been mortally stricken.But,she uttered no sound;and so strong was the voice within her,representing that it was she of all the world who must uphold him in his misery and not augment it,that it quickly raised her,even from that shock.

The judges having to take part in a public demonstration out of doors,the tribunal adjourned. The quick noise and movement of the court's emptying itself by many passages had not ceased,when Lucie stood stretching out her arms towards her husband,with nothing in her face but love and consolation.

'If I might touch him!If I might embrace him once!O,good citizens,if you would have so much compassion for us!'

There was but a gaoler left,along with two of the four men who had taken him last night,and Barsad. The people had all poured out to the show in the streets.Barsad proposed to the rest,'Let her embrace him then;it is but a moment.'It was silently acquiesced in,and they passed her over the seats in the hall to a raised place,where he,by leaning over the dock,could fold her in his arms.

'Farewell,dear darling of my soul. My parting blessing on my love.We shall meet again,where the weary are at rest!'

They were her husband's words,as he held her to his bosom.

'I can bear it,dear Charles. I am supported from above:don'tsuffer for me.A parting blessing for our child.'

'I send it to her by you. I kiss her by you.I say farewell to her by you.'

'My husband. No!A moment!'He was tearing himself apart from her.'We shall not be separated long.I feel that this will break my heart by-and-by;but I will do my duty while I can,and when I leave her,GoD will raise up friends for her,as He did for me.'

Her father had followed her,and would have fallen on his knees to both of them,but that Darnay put out a hand and seized him,crying:

'No,no!What have you done,what have you done,that you should kneel to us!We know now,what a struggle you made of old. We know now,what you underwent when you suspected my descent,and when you knew it.We know now,the natural antipathy you strove against,and conquered,for her dear sake.We thank you with all our hearts,and all our love and duty.Heaven be with you!'

Her father's only answer was to draw his hands through his white hair,and wring them with a shriek of anguish.

'It could not be otherwise,'said the prisoner.'All things have worked together as they have fallen out. It was the always-vain endeavour to discharge my poor mother's trust that first brought my fatal presence near you.Good could never come of such evil,a happier end was not in nature to so unhappy a beginning.Be comforted,and forgive me.Heaven bless you!'

As he was drawn away,his wife released him,and stood looking after him with her hands touching one another in the attitude of prayer,and with a radiant look upon her face,in which there waseven a comforting smile. As he went out at the prisoners'door,she turned,laid her head lovingly on her father's breast.tried to speak to him,and fell at his feet.

Then,issuing from the obscure corner from which he had never moved,Sydney Carton came and took her up. Only her father and Mr.Lorry were with her.His arm trembled as it raised her,and supported her head.Yet,there was an air about him that was not all of pity—that had a flush of pride in it.

'Shall I take her to a coach?I shall never feel her weight.'

同类推荐
  • 还山遗稿

    还山遗稿

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 沧海遗珠

    沧海遗珠

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 上清三尊谱箓

    上清三尊谱箓

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 病逸漫记

    病逸漫记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 龙沙纪略

    龙沙纪略

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 仙修无极

    仙修无极

    一名看似平凡的少年,一枚黑白奇异的晶体。一路不断超越的自我,一段追寻长生的仙途。仙修有极亦无极……
  • tfboys,请你再爱我一遍

    tfboys,请你再爱我一遍

    "咔嚓!“随着拍照声一响,王俊凯怒吼到:"喂!你知不知道你在干什么?”江一纯不以为然,欣赏着照片里自己吻着王俊凯侧脸的样子。满脸得意说:"现在我手上可是有着震惊娱乐圈的重要文...”江一纯还没说完便看到王俊凯满脸黑线的靠近她,眼里还闪着跳动的火花。江一纯紧张的望着他,手心出汗,不过还是不怕死的说:"你们的粉丝可还没走远,就不怕..“"啊!"
  • 相爱的品格

    相爱的品格

    当爱情遇到各种各样的非难与抉择,你会选择放手还是坚持?如果你所谓的爱情,一开始就由谎言织成,你会选择离开还是继续?如果你们的爱情被所有的人谴责,你还会选择紧紧的抓住TA的手吗?......
  • 网游之巅峰箭神

    网游之巅峰箭神

    弓箭手是一个通过远距离在后方担任伤害输出的职业。且看猪脚一梦三年,终于踏上巅峰之路。信念为弓,勇敢为箭,敌人的生命尽在我掌握之中。——姜强座右铭
  • 太子瑞应本起经

    太子瑞应本起经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 黎明契约卡穿越时空的盛世之铭

    黎明契约卡穿越时空的盛世之铭

    他是这世上仅剩的人类,最后一任救世主。他是青龙女皇和圣龙帝王的儿子,最后一条圣龙。她是前任世主的面瘫公主,最后一位星学家。她是混沌梦魇,她被深爱的人推下悬崖,烧成灰炭。......任它妖魔肆虐,三界疯狂,誓要重现盛世之约!刀砍东风,与我何有哉!去也,去也!
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 十尾

    十尾

    她,是妖,是妖界公主。他,是仙,是天界天君。六界中,不能通婚,但她却爱上了他,无法自拔。而他却终究负了她。“君上,谁会融化你的千年冰心啊?”“……”“君上看这封信,月灵仙女应该是一个活波可爱的仙女吧。”“难道你不活波吗?你只不过在人前温柔罢了。”“君上,不带你这样揭老底的。”“墨毅,你说我,你又何尝不是如此冷酷无情,我既已下了诅咒,那么天后必须死!”这一路上,她亲眼看着他如何爱护天下苍生,如何爱护自己的妻子,如何对她的残忍。这一路上,他亲眼看着她的成长,她的变化,她的死。“若尔留,吾不离,若尔弃,吾亦不离。”当初的誓言,他从未兑现过,可她却一直在兑现这誓言。
  • 琴剑山河之剑客行

    琴剑山河之剑客行

    火鸦祸,大漠郎,从师修,再出山,天下惊五方密,镇河山。剑客不需剑,剑只为剑客手中客。
  • 捡个狐仙来防身

    捡个狐仙来防身

    【灵异精品】【火爆免费】当我第一眼看见慕筱清这个漂亮得有些过分了的女人的时候,我就能够察觉到她有些不对劲。直到那天深夜,慕筱清穿着睡衣爬上我的床,压在我的身上,耳边红唇热气腾腾,我的脸红得跟什么一样。我以为我要就范了,没想到,她打开了我的阴阳眼……