第95章BOOKTHETHIRD：THETRACKOFASTORM(10)

第95章bookthethird：thetrackofastorm(10)

greaterthingsthanthedoctorhadatthattimetocontendwith，wouldhaveyieldedbeforehisperseveringpurpose.whilehekepthimselfinhisplace，asaphysician，whosebusinesswaswithalldegreesofmankind，bondandfree，richandpoor，badandgood，heusedhispersonalinfluencesowisely，thathewassoontheinspectingphysicianofthreeprisons，andamongthemoflaforce.hecouldnowassureluciethatherhusbandwasnolongerconfinedalone，butwasmixedwiththegeneralbodyofprisoners；hesawherhusbandweekly，andbroughtsweetmessagestoher，straightfromhislips；sometimesherhusbandhimselfsentalettertoher（thoughneverbythedoctor'shand），butshewasnotpermittedtowritetohim：for，amongthemanywildsuspicionsofplotsintheprisons，thewildestofallpointedatemigrantswhowereknowntohavemadefriendsorpermanentconnectionsabroad.

thisnewlifeofthedoctor'swasananxiouslife，nodoubt；still，thesagaciousmr.lorrysawthattherewasanewsustainingprideinit.nothingunbecomingtingedthepride；itwasanaturalandworthyone；butheobserveditasacuriosity.thedoctorknew，thatuptothattime，hisimprisonmenthadbeenassociatedinthemindsofhisdaughterandhisfriend，withhispersonalaffliction，deprivation，andweakness.nowthatthiswaschanged，andheknewhimselftobeinvestedthroughthatoldtrialwithforcestowhichtheybothlookedforcharles'sultimatesafetyanddeliverance，hebecamesofarexaltedbythechange，thathetooktheleadanddirection，andrequiredthemastheweak，totrusttohimasthestrong.theprecedingrelativepositionsofhimselfandluciewerereversed，yetonlyastheliveliestgratitudeandaffectioncouldreversethem，forhecouldhavehadnopridebutinrenderingsomeservicetoherwhohadrenderedsomuchtohim.'allcurioustosee，'thoughtmr.lorry，inhisamiablyshrewdway，'butallnaturalandright；so，takethelead，mydearfriend，andkeepit；itcouldn'tbeinbetterhands.'

but，thoughthedoctortriedhard，andneverceasedtrying，togetcharlesdarnaysetatliberty，oratleasttogethimbroughttotrial，thepubliccurrentofthetimesettoostrongandfastforhim.thenewerabegan；thekingwastried，doomedandbeheaded；therepublicofliberty，equality，fraternity，ordeath，declaredforvictoryordeathagainsttheworldinarms；theblackflagwavednightanddayfromthegreattowersofnotredame；threehundredthousandmen，summonedtoriseagainstthetyrantsoftheearth，rosefromallthevaryingsoilsoffrance，asifthedragon'steethhadbeensownbroadcast，andhadyieldedfruitequallyonhillandplain，onrock，ingravel，andalluvialmud，underthebrightskyofthesouthandunderthecloudsofthenorth，infellandforest，inthevineyardsandtheolive-groundsandamongthecroppedgrassandthestubbleofthecorn，alongthefruitfulbanksofthebroadrivers，andinthesandoftheseashore.whatprivatesolicitudecouldrearitselfagainstthedelugeoftheyearoneofliberty—thedelugerisingfrombelow，notfallingfromabove，andwiththewindowsofheavenshut，notopened！therewasnopause，nopity，nopeace，nointervalofrelentingrest，nomeasurementoftime.thoughdaysandnightscircledasregularlyaswhentimewasyoung，andtheeveningandmorningwerethefirstday，othercountoftimetherewasnone.holdofitwaslostintheragingfeverofanation，asitisinthefeverofonepatient.now，breakingtheunnaturalsilenceofawholecity，theexecutionershowedthepeopletheheadoftheking—andnow，itseemedalmostinthesamebreath，theheadofhisfairwifewhichhadhadeightwearymonthsofimprisonedwidowhoodandmisery，toturnitgrey.

andyet，observingthestrangelawofcontradictionwhichobtainsinallsuchcases，thetimewaslong，whileitflamedbysofast.arevolutionarytribunalinthecapital，andfortyorfiftythousandrevolutionarycommitteesallovertheland；alawofthesuspected，whichstruckawayallsecurityforlibertyorlife，anddeliveredoveranygoodandinnocentpersontoanybadandguiltyone；prisonsgorgedwithpeoplewhohadcommittednooffence，andcouldobtainnohearing；thesethingsbecametheestablishedorderandnatureofappointedthings，andseemedtobeancientusagebeforetheyweremanyweeksold.aboveall，onehideousfiguregrewasfamiliarasifithadbeenbeforethegeneralgazefromthefoundationsoftheworld—thefigureofthesharpfemalecalledlaguillotine.

itwasthepopularthemeforjests；itwasthebestcureforheadache，itinfalliblypreventedthehairfromturninggrey，itimpartedapeculiardelicacytothecomplexion，itwasthenationalrazorwhichshavedclose：whokissedlaguillotine，lookedthroughthewindowandsneezedintothesack.itwasthesignoftheregenerationofthehumanrace.itsupersededthecross.modelsofitwerewornonbreastsfromwhichthecrosswasdiscarded，anditwasboweddowntoandbelievedinwherethecrosswasdenied.

itshearedoffheadssomany，thatit，andthegrounditmostpolluted，werearottenred.itwastakentopieces，likeatoy-puzzleforayoungdevil，andwasputtogetheragainwhentheoccasionwantedit.ithushedtheeloquent，struckdownthepowerful，abolishedthebeautifulandgood.twenty-twofriendsofhighpublicmark，twenty-onelivingandonedead，ithadloppedtheheadsoff，inonemorning，inasmanyminutes.thenameofthestrongmanofoldscripturehaddescendedtothechieffunctionarywhoworkedit；but，soarmed，hewasstrongerthanhisnamesake，andblinder，andtoreawaythegatesofgod'sowntempleeveryday.