第109章BOOKTHETHIRD：THETRACKOFASTORM(24)

第109章bookthethird：thetrackofastorm(24)

mr.lorrydidso，andtheywentdown-stairsandoutinthestreets.afewminutesbroughtthemtomr.lorry'sdestination.cartonlefthimthere；butlingeredatalittledistance，andturnedbacktothegateagainwhenitwasshut，andtouchedit.hehadheardofhergoingtotheprisoneveryday.'shecameouthere，'hesaid，lookingabouthim，'turnedthisway，musthavetrodonthesestonesoften.letmefollowinhersteps.'

itwasteno'clockatnightwhenhestoodbeforetheprisonoflaforce，whereshehadstoodhundredsoftimes.alittlewood-sawyer，havingclosedhisshop，wassmokinghispipeathisshop-door.

'goodnight，citizen，'saidsydneycarton，pausingingoingby；forthemaneyedhiminquisitively.

'goodnight，citizen.'

'howgoestherepublic？'

'youmeantheguillotine.notill.sixty-threetoday.weshallmounttoahundredsoon.samsonandhismencomplainsometimes，ofbeingexhausted.ha，ha，ha！heissodroll，thatsamson.suchabarber！'

'doyouoftengotoseehim—''shave？always.everyday.whatabarber！youhaveseenhimatwork？'

'never.'

'goandseehimwhenhehasagoodbatch.figurethistoyourself，citizen；heshavedthesixty-threetoday，inlessthantwopipes.lessthantwopipes.wordofhonour！'

asthegrinninglittlemanheldoutthepipehewassmokingtoexplainhowhetimedtheexecution，cartonwassosensibleofarisingdesiretostrikethelifeoutofhim，thatheturnedaway.

'butyouarenotenglish，'saidthewood-sawyer，'thoughyouwearenglishdress？'

'yes，'saidcarton，pausingagain，andansweringoverhisshoulder.

'youspeaklikeafrenchman.'

'iamanoldstudenthere.'

'aha，aperfectfrenchman！goodnight，englishman.'

'goodnight，citizen.'

'butgoandseethatdrolldog，'thelittlemanpersisted，callingafterhim.'andtakeapipewithyou！'

sydneyhadnotgonefaroutofsight，whenhestoppedinthemiddleofthestreetunderaglimmeringlamp，andwrotewithhispencilonascrapofpaper.then，traversingwiththedecidedstepofonewhorememberedthewaywell，severaldarkanddirtystreets—muchdirtierthanusual，forthebestpublicthoroughfaresremaineduncleansedinthosetimesofterror—hestoppedatachemist'sshop，whichtheownerwasclosingwithhisownhands.asmall，dim，crookedshop，keptinatortuous，up-hillthoroughfare，byasmall，dim，crookedman.

givingthiscitizen，too，goodnight，asheconfrontedhimathiscounter，helaidthescrapofpaperbeforehim.'whew'；thechemistwhistledsoftly，ashereadit.'hi！hi，hi！'

sydneycartontooknoheed，andthechemistsaid：'foryou，citizen？'

'forme.'

'youwillbecarefultokeepthemseparate，citizen.youknowtheconsequencesofmixingthem？'

'perfectly.'

certainsmallpacketsweremadeandgiventohim.heputthem，onebyone，inthebreastofhisinnercoat，countedoutthemoneyforthem，anddeliberatelylefttheshop.'thereisnothingmoretodo，'saidhe，glancingupwardatthemoon，'untiltomorrow.ican'tsleep.'

itwasarecklessmanner，themannerinwhichhesaidthesewordsaloudunderthefast-sailingclouds.norwasitmoreexpressiveofnegligencethandefiance.itwasthesettledmannerofatiredman，whohadwanderedandledandgotlost，butwhoatlengthstruckintohisroadandsawitsend.

longago，whenhehadbeenfamousamonghisearliestcompetitorsasayouthofgreatpromise，hehadfollowedhisfathertothegrave.hismotherhaddied，yearsbefore.thesesolemnwords，whichhadbeenreadathisfather'sgrave，aroseinhismindashewentdownthedarkstreets，amongtheheavyshadows，withthemoonandthecloudssailingonhighabovehim.'iamtheresurrectionandthelife，saiththelord：hethatbelievethinme，thoughheweredead，yetshallhelive：andwhosoeverlivethandbelievethinme，shallneverdie.'

inacitydominatedbytheaxe，aloneatnight，withnaturalsorrowrisinginhimforthesixty-threewhohadbeenthatdayputtodeath，andfortomorrow'svictimsthenawaitingtheirdoomintheprisons，andstilloftomorrow'sandtomorrow's，thechainofassociationthatbroughtthewordshome，likearustyoldship'sanchorfromthedeep，mighthavebeeneasilyfound.hedidnotseekit，butrepeatedthemandwenton.

withasolemninterestinthelightedwindowswherethepeopleweregoingtorest，forgetfulthroughafewcalmhoursofthehorrorssurroundingthem；inthetowersofthechurches，wherenoprayersweresaid，forthepopularrevulsionhadeventravelledthatlengthofself-destructionfromyearsofpriestlyimpostors，plunderers，andprofligates；inthedistantburial-placesreserved，astheywroteuponthegates，foreternalsleep；intheaboundinggaols；andinthestreetsalongwhichthesixtiesrolledtoadeathwhichhadbecomesocommonandmaterial，thatnosorrowfulstoryofahauntingspiriteveraroseamongthepeopleoutofalltheworkingoftheguillotine；withasolemninterestinthewholelifeanddeathofthecitysettlingdowntoitsshortnightlypauseinfury；sydneycartoncrossedtheseineagainforthelighterstreets.

fewcoacheswereabroad，forridersincoacheswereliabletobesuspected，andgentilityhidhisheadinrednightcaps，andputonheavyshoes，andtrudged.but.thetheatreswereallwellfilled，andthepeoplepouredcheerfullyoutashepassed，andwentchattinghome.atoneofthetheatredoors，therewasalittlegirlwithamother，lookingforawayacrossthestreetthroughthemud.hecarriedthechildover，andbeforethetimidarmwasloosedfromhisneckaskedherforakiss.

'iamtheresurrectionandthelife，saiththelord：hethatbelievethinme，thoughheweredead，yetshallhelive：andwhosoeverlivethandbelievethinme，shallneverdie.'

now，thatthestreetswerequietandthenightworeon，thewordswereintheechoesofhisfeet，andwereintheair.perfectlycalmandsteady，hesometimesrepeatedthemtohimselfashewalked；but，heheardthemalways.