第111章BOOKTHETHIRD：THETRACKOFASTORM(26)

第111章bookthethird：thetrackofastorm(26)

hereanexcitedwomanscreechedfromthecrowd：'youwereoneofthebestpatriotsthere.whynotsayso？youwereacannonierthatdaythere，andyouwereamongthefirsttoentertheaccursedfortresswhenitfell.patriots，ispeakthetruth！'

itwasthevengeancewho，amidstthewarmcommendationsoftheaudience，thusassistedtheproceedings.thepresidentranghisbell；but，thevengeance，warmingwithencouragement，shrieked，'idefythatbell！'whereinshewaslikewisemuchcommended.

'informthetribunalofwhatyoudidthatday.withinthebastille，citizen.'

'iknew，'saiddefarge，lookingdownathiswife，whostoodatthebottomofthestepsonwhichhewasraised，lookingsteadilyupathim；'iknewthatthisprisoner，ofwhomispeak，hadbeenconfinedinacellknownasonehundredandfive，northtower.iknewitfromhimself.heknewhimselfbynoothernamethanonehundredandfive，northtower，whenhemadeshoesundermycare.asiservemygunthatday，iresolve，whentheplaceshallfall，toexaminethatcell.itfalls.imounttothecell，withafellow-citizenwhoisoneofthejury，directedbyagaoler.iexamineit，veryclosely.inaholeinthechimney，whereastonehasbeenworkedoutandreplaced，ifindawrittenpaper.thatisthatwrittenpaper.ihavemadeitmybusinesstoexaminesomespecimensofthewritingofdoctormanette.thisisthewritingofdoctormanette.iconfidethispaper，inthewritingofdoctormanette，tothehandsofthepresident.'

'letitberead.'

inthedeadsilenceandstillness—theprisonerundertriallookinglovinglyathiswife，hiswifeonlylookingfromhimtolookwithsolicitudeatherfather，doctormanettekeepinghiseyesfixedonthereader，madamedefargenevertakinghersfromtheprisoner，defargenevertakinghisfromhisfeastingwife，andalltheothereyesthereintentuponthedoctor，whosawnoneofthem—thepaperwasreadasfollows.

xl.thesubstanceoftheshadow

'ialexandremanette，unfortunatephysician，nativeofbeauvais，andafterwardsresidentinparis—writethismelancholypaperinmydolefulcellinthebastille，duringthelastmonthoftheyear1767.iwriteitatstolenintervals，undereverydifficulty.idesigntosecreteitinthewallofthechimney，whereihaveslowlyandlaboriouslymadeaplaceofconcealmentforit.somepityinghandmayfinditthere，wheniandmysorrowsaredust.

'thesewordsareformedbytherustyironpointwithwhichiwritewithdifficultyinscrapingsofsootandcharcoalfromthechimney，mixedwithblood，inthelastmonthofthetenthyearofmycaptivity.hopehasquitedepartedfrommybreast.iknowfromterriblewarningsihavenotedinmyselfthatmyreasonwillnotlongremainunimpaired，butisolemnlydeclarethatiamatthistimeinthepossessionofmyrightmind—thatmymemoryisexactandcircumstantial—andthatiwritethetruthasishallanswerforthesemylastrecordedwords，whethertheybeeverreadbymenornot，attheeternaljudgment-seat.

'onecloudymoonlightnight，inthethirdweekofdecember（ithinkthetwenty-secondofthemonth）intheyear1757，iwaswalkingonaretiredpartofthequaybytheseinefortherefreshmentofthefrostyair，atanhour'sdistancefrommyplaceofresidenceinthestreetoftheschoolofmedicine，whenacarriagecamealongbehindme，drivenveryfast.asistoodasidetoletthatcarriagepass，apprehensivethatitmightotherwiserunmedown，aheadwasputoutatthewindow，andavoicecalledtothedrivertostop.

'thecarriagestoppedassoonasthedrivercouldreininhishorses，andthesamevoicecalledtomebymyname.ianswered.thecarriagewasthensofarinadvanceofmethattwogentlemenhadtimetoopenthedoorandalightbeforeicameupwithit.iobservedthattheywerebothwrappedincloaks，andappearedtoconcealthemselves.astheystoodsidebysidenearthecarriagedoor，ialsoobservedthattheybothlookedofaboutmyownage，orratheryounger，andthattheyweregreatlyalike，instature，manner，voice，and（asfarasicouldsee）facetoo.

'youaredoctormanette？'saidone.

'iam.''doctormanette，formerlyofbeauvais，'saidtheother；'theyoungphysician，originallyanexpertsurgeon，whowithinthelastyearortwohasmadearisingreputationinparis？''gentlemen，'ireturned，'iamthatdoctormanetteofwhomyouspeaksograciously.''wehavebeentoyourresidence，'saidthefirst，'andnotbeingsofortunateastofindyouthere，andbeinginformedthatyouwereprobablywalkinginthisdirection，wefollowed，inthehopeofovertakingyou.willyoupleasetoenterthecarriage？'themannerofbothwasimperious，andtheybothmoved，asthesewordswerespoken，soastoplacemebetweenthemselvesandthecarriagedoor.theywerearmed.iwasnot.

'gentlemen，'saidi，'pardonme；butiusuallyinquirewhodoesmethehonourtoseekmyassistance，andwhatisthenatureofthecasetowhichiamsummoned.'thereplytothiswasmadebyhimwhohadspokensecond.'doctor，yourclientsarepeopleofcondition.astothenatureofthecase，ourconfidenceinyourskillassuresusthatyouwillascertainitforyourselfbetterthanwecandescribeit.enough.willyoupleaseenterthecarriage？'icoulddonothingbutcomply，andientereditinsilence.theybothenteredafterme—thelastspringingin，afterputtingupthesteps.thecarriageturnedabout，anddroveonatitsformerspeed.

'irepeatthisconversationexactlyasitoccurred.ihavenodoubtthatitis，wordforword，thesame.idescribeeverythingexactlyasittookplace，constrainingmymindnottowanderfromthetask.whenimakethebrokenmarksthatfollowhere，ileaveoffforthetime，andputmypaperinitshidingplace.