第120章BOOKTHETHIRD：THETRACKOFASTORM(35)

第120章bookthethird：thetrackofastorm(35)

'theyareingreatdanger.theyareindangerofdenunciationbymadamedefarge.iknowitfromherownlips.ihaveoverheardwordsofthatwoman's，tonight，whichhavepresentedtheirdangertomeinstrongcolours.ihavelostnotime，andsincethen，ihaveseenthespy.heconfirmsme.heknowsthatawood-sawyerlivingbytheprison-wall，isunderthecontrolofthedefarges，andhasbeenrehearsedbymadamedefargeastohishavingseenher'—henevermentionedlucie'sname—'makingsignsandsignalstoprisoners.itiseasytoforeseethatthepretencewillbethecommonone，aprisonplot，andthatitwillinvolveherlife—andperhapsherchild's—andperhapsherfather's—forbothhavebeenseenwithheratthatplace.don'tlooksohorrified.youwillsavethemall.'

'heavengrantimay，carton！buthow？'

'iamgoingtotellyouhow.itwilldependonyou，anditcoulddependonnobetterman.thisnewdenunciationwillcertainlynottakeplaceuntilaftertomorrow；probablynotuntiltwoorthreedaysafterwards；moreprobablyaweekafterwards.youknowitisacapitalcrimetomournfor，orsympathisewith，avictimoftheguillotine.sheandherfatherwouldunquestionablybeguiltyofthiscrime，andthiswoman（theinveteracyofwhosepursuitcannotbedescribed）wouldwaittoaddthatstrengthtohercase，andmakeherselfdoublysure.youfollowme？'

'soattentively，andwithsomuchconfidenceinwhatyousay，thatforthemomentilosesight，'touchingthebackofthedoctor'schair，'evenofthisdistress.'

'youhavemoney，andcanbuythemeansoftravellingtotheseacoastasquicklyasthejourneycanbemade.yourpreparationshavebeencompletedforsomedays，toreturntoengland.earlytomorrowhaveyourhorsesready，sothattheymaybeinstartingtrimattwoo'clockintheafternoon.'

'itshallbedone！'

hismannerwassoferventandinspiring，thatmr.lorrycaughttheflame，andwasquickasyouth.

'youareanobleheart.didisaywecoulddependuponnobetterman？tellher，tonight，whatyouknowofherdangerasinvolvingherchildandherfather.dwelluponthat，forshewouldlayherownfairheadbesideherhusband'scheerfully.'hefalteredforaninstant；thenwentonasbefore.'forthesakeofherchildandherfather，pressuponherthenecessityofleavingparis，withthemandyouatthathour.tellherthatitwasherhusband'slastarrangement.tellherthatmoredependsuponitthanshedarebelieve，orhope.youthinkthatherfather，eveninthissadstate.willsubmithimselftoher；doyounot？'

'iamsureofit.'

'ithoughtso.quietlyandsteadilyhaveallthesearrangementsmadeinthecourt-yardhere，eventothetakingofyourownseatinthecarriage.themomenticometoyou，takemein，anddriveaway.'

'iunderstandthatiwaitforyouunderallcircumstances？'

'youhavemycertificateinyourhandwiththerest，youknow，andwillreservemyplace.waitfornothingbuttohavemyplaceoccupied，andthenforengland！'

'why，then，'saidmr.lorry，graspinghiseagerbutsofirmandsteadyhand，'itdoesnotalldependononeoldman，butishallhaveayoungandardentmanatmyside.'

'bythehelpofheavenyoushall！promisemesolemnlythatnothingwillinfluenceyoutoalterthecourseonwhichwenowstandpledgedtooneanother.'

'nothing，carton.'

'rememberthesewordstomorrow：changethecourse，ordelayinit—foranyreason—andnolifecanpossiblybesaved，andmanylivesmustinevitablybesacrificed.'

'iwillrememberthem.ihopetodomypartfaithfully.'

'andihopetodomine.now，good-bye！'

thoughhesaiditwithagravesmileofearnestness，andthoughheevenputtheoldman'shandtohislips，hedidnotpartfromhimthen.hehelpedhimsofartoarousetherockingfigurebeforethedyingembers，astogetacloakandhatputuponit，andtotemptitforthtofindwherethebenchandworkwerehiddenthatitstillmoaninglybesoughttohave.hewalkedontheothersideofitandprotectedittothecourt-yardofthehousewheretheafflictedheart—sohappyinthememorabletimewhenhehadrevealedhisowndesolatehearttoit—outwatchedtheawfulnight.heenteredthecourtyardandremainedthereforafewmomentsalone，lookingupatthelightinthewindowofherroom.beforehewentaway，hebreathedablessingtowardsitandafarewell.

xliii.fifty-two

intheblackprisonoftheconciergerie，thedoomedofthedayawaitedtheirfate.theywereinnumberastheweeksoftheyear.fifty-twoweretorollthatafternoononthelife-tideofthecitytotheboundlesseverlastingsea.beforetheircellswerequitofthem，newoccupantswereappointed；beforetheirbloodranintothebloodspilledyesterday，thebloodthatwastominglewiththeirstomorrowwasalreadysetapart.

twoscoreandtwelveweretoldoff.fromthefarmer-generalofseventy，whoserichescouldnotbuyhislife，totheseamstressoftwenty，whosepovertyandobscuritycouldnotsaveher.physicaldiseases，engenderedinthevicesandneglectsofmen，willseizeonvictimsofalldegrees；andthefrightfulmoraldisorder，bornofunspeakablesuffering，intolerableoppression，andheartlessindifference，smoteequallywithoutdistinction.

charlesdarnay，aloneinacell，hadsustainedhimselfwithnoflatteringdelusionsincehecametoitfromthetribunal.ineverylineofthenarrativehehadheard，hehadheardhiscondemnation.hehadfullycomprehendedthatnopersonalinfluencecouldpossiblysavehim，thathewasvirtuallysentencedbythemillions，andthatunitscouldavailhimnothing.