第12章BOOKTHEFIRST：RECALLEDTOLIFE(12)

第12章bookthefirst：recalledtolife(12)

'gentlemen，'saidherhusband，whohadkepthisbrighteyeobservantlyuponher，'goodday.thechamber，furnishedbachelor-fashion，thatyouwishedtosee，andwereinquiringforwhenisteppedout，isonthefifthfloor.thedoorwayofthestaircasegivesonthelittlecourtyardclosetothelefthere，'pointingwithhishand，'neartothewindowofmyestablishment.but，nowthatiremember，oneofyouhasalreadybeenthere，andcanshowtheway.gentlemen，adieu！'

theypaidfortheirwineandlefttheplace.theeyesofmonsieurdefargewerestudyinghiswifeatherknittingwhentheelderlygentlemanadvancedfromhiscorner，andedthefavourofaword.

'willingly，sir，'saidmonsieurdefarge，andquietlysteppedwithhimtothedoor.

theirconferencewasveryshort，butverydecided.almostatthefirstword，monsieurdefargestartedandbecamedeeplyattentive.ithadnotlastedaminute，whenhenoddedandwentout.thegentlemanthenbeckonedtotheyounglady，andthey，too，wentout.madamedefargeknittedwithnimblefingersandsteadyeyebrows，andsawnothing.

mr.jarvislorryandmissmanette，emergingfromthewine-shopthus，joinedmonsieurdefargeinthedoorwaytowhichhehaddirectedhisothercompanyjustbefore.itopenedfromastinkinglittleblackcourtyard，andwasthegeneralpublicentrancetoagreatpileofhouses，inhabitedbyagreatnumberofpeople.inthegloomytile-pavedentrytothegloomytile-pavedstaircase，monsieurdefargebentdownononekneetothechildofhisoldmaster，andputherhandtohislips.itwasagentleaction，butnotatallgentlydone；averyremarkabletransformationhadcomeoverhiminafewseconds.hehadnogood-humourinhisface，noranyopennessofaspectleft，buthadbecomeasecret，angry，dangerousman.

'itisveryhigh；itisalittledifficult.bettertobeginslowly.'thus，monsieurdefarge，inasternvoice，tomr.lorry，astheybeganascendingthestairs.

'ishealone？'thelatterwhispered.

'alone！godhelphim，whoshouldbewithhim！'saidtheother，inthesamelowvoice.

'ishealwaysalone，then？'

'yes.'

'ofhisowndesire？'

'ofhisownnecessity.ashewas，whenifirstsawhimaftertheyfoundmeanddemandedtoknowifiwouldtakehim，and，atmyperilbediscreet—ashewasthen，soheisnow.'

'heisgreatlychanged？'

'changed！'

thekeeperofthewine-shopstoppedtostrikethewallwithhishand，andmutteratremendouscurse.nodirectanswercouldhavebeenhalfsoforcible.mr.lorry'sspiritsgrewheavierandheavier，asheandhistwocompanionsascendedhigherandhigher.

suchastaircase，withitsaccessories，intheolderandmorecrowdedpartsofparis，wouldbebadenoughnow；but，atthattime，itwasvileindeedtoustomedandunhardenedsenses.everylittlehabitationwithinthegreatfoulnestofonehighbuilding—thatistosay，theroomorroomswithineverydoorthatopenedonthegeneralstaircase—leftitsownheapofrefuseonitsownlanding，besidesflingingotherrefusefromitsownwindows.theuncontrollableandhopelessmassofdecompositionsoengendered，wouldhavepollutedtheair，evenifpovertyanddeprivationhadnotloadeditwiththeirintangibleimpurities；thetwobadsourcescombinedmadeitalmostinsupportable.throughsuchanatmosphere，byasteepdarkshaftofdirtandpoison，thewaylay.yieldingtohisowndisturbanceofmind，andtohisyoungcompanion'sagitation，whichbecamegreatereveryinstant，mr.jarvislorrytwicestoppedtorest.eachofthesestoppageswasmadeatadolefulgrating，bywhichanylanguishinggoodairsthatwereleftuncorruptedseemedtoescape，andallspoiltandsicklyvapoursseemedtocrawlin.throughtherustedbars，tastes，ratherthanglimpses，werecaughtofthejumbledneighbourhood；andnothingwithinrange，nearerorlowerthanthesummitsofthetwogreattowersofnotre-dame，hadanypromiseonitofhealthylifeorwholesomeaspirations.

atlast，thetopofthestaircasewasgained，andtheystoppedforthethirdtime.therewasyetanupperstaircase，ofasteeperinclinationandofcontracteddimensions，tobeascended，beforethegarretstorywasreached.thekeeperofthewine-shop，alwaysgoingalittleinadvance，andalwaysgoingonthesidewhichmr.lorrytook，asthoughhedreadedtobeaskedanyquestionbytheyounglady，turnedhimselfabouthere，and，carefullyfeelinginthepocketsofthecoathecarriedoverhisshoulder，tookoutakey.

'thedoorislockedthen，myfriend？'saidmr.lorry，surprised.

'ay.yes，'wasthegrimreplyofmonsieurdefarge.

'youthinkitnecessarytokeeptheunfortunategentlemansoretired？'

'ithinkitnecessarytoturnthekey.'monsieurdefargewhispereditcloserinhisear，andfrownedheavily.

'why？'

'why！becausehehaslivedsolong，lockedup，thathewouldbefrightened—rave，tearhimselftopieces—die—cometoiknownotwhatharm—ifhisdoorwasleftopen.'

'isitpossible？'exclaimedmr.lorry.

'isitpossible！'repeateddefarge，bitterly.'yes.andabeautifulworldwelivein，whenitispossible，andwhenmanyothersuchthingsarepossible，andnotonlypossible，butdone—done，seeyou！—underthatskythere，everyday.longlivethedevil.letusgoon.'

thisdialoguehadbeenheldinsoverylowawhisper，thatnotawordofithadreachedtheyounglady'sears.but，bythistimeshetrembledundersuchstrongemotion，andherfaceexpressedsuchdeepanxiety，and，aboveall，suchdreadandterror，thatmr.lorryfeltitincumbentonhimtospeakawordortwoofreassurance.