第11章BOOKTHEFIRST：RECALLEDTOLIFE(11)

第11章bookthefirst：recalledtolife(11)

thewine-shopwasacornershop，betterthanmostothersinitsappearanceanddegree，andthemasterofthewine-shophadstoodoutsideit，inayellowwaistcoatandgreenbreeches，lookingonattheleforthelostwine.'it'snotmyaffair，'saidhe，withafinalshrugoftheshoulders.'thepeoplefromthemarketdidit.letthembringanother.'

there，hiseyeshappeningtocatchthetalljokerwritinguphisjoke，hecalledtohimacrosstheway：'say，then，mygaspard，whatdoyoudothere？'

thefellowpointedtohisjokewithimmensesignificance，asisoftenthewaywithhistribe.itmisseditsmark，andcompletelyfailed，asisoftenthewaywithhistribetoo.

'whatnow？areyouasubjectforthemadhospital？'saidthewine-shopkeeper，crossingtheroad，andobliteratingthejestwithahandfulofmud，pickedupforthepurpose，andsmearedoverit.'whydoyouwriteinthepublicstreets？isthere—tellmethou—istherenootherplacetowritesuchwordsin？'

inhisexpostulationhedroppedhiscleanerhand（perhapsaccidentally，perhapsnot）uponthejoker'sheart.thejokerrappeditwithhisown，tookanimblespringupward，andcamedowninafantasticdancingattitude，withoneofhisstainedshoesjerkedoffhisfootintohishand，andheldout.ajokerofanextremely，nottosaywolfishlypracticalcharacter，helooked，underthosecircumstances.

'putiton，putiton，'saidtheother.'callwine，wine；andfinishthere.'withthatadvice，hewipedhissoiledhanduponthejoker'sdress，suchasitwas—quitedeliberately，ashavingdirtiedthehandonhisaccount；andthenre-crossedtheroadandenteredthewine-shop.

thiswine-shopkeeperwasabull-necked，martial-lookingmanofthirty，andheshouldhavebeenofahottemperament，for，althoughitwasabitterday，heworenocoat，butcarriedoneslungoverhisshoulder.hisshirt-sleeveswererolledup，too，andhisbrownarmswerebaretotheelbows.neitherdidhewearanythingmoreonhisheadthanhisowncrisply-curlingshortdarkhair.hewasadarkmanaltogether，withgoodeyesandagoodboldbreadthbetweenthem.good-humouredlookingonthewhole，butimplacable-looking，too；evidentlyamanofastrongresolutionandasetpurpose；amannotdesirabletobemet，rushingdownanarrowpasswithagulfoneitherside，fornothingwouldturntheman.

madamedefarge，hiswife，satintheshopbehindthecounterashecamein.madamedefargewasastoutwomanofabouthisownage，withawatchfuleyethatseldomseemedtolookatanything，alargehandheavilyringed，asteadyface，strongfeatures，andgreatcomposureofmanner.therewasacharacteraboutmadamedefargefromwhichonemighthavepredictedthatshedidnotoftenmakemistakesagainstherselfinanyofthereckoningsoverwhichshepresided.madamedefargebeingsensitivetocold，waswrappedinfur，andhadaquantityofbrightshawltwinedaboutherhead，thoughnottotheconcealmentofherlargeear-rings.herknittingwasbeforeher，butshehadlaiditdowntopickherteethwithatoothpick.thusengaged，withherrightelbowsupportedbyherlefthand，madamedefargesaidnothingwhenherlordcamein，butcoughedjustonegrainofcough.this，incombinationwiththeliftingofherdarklydefinedeyebrowsoverhertoothpickbythebreadthofaline，estedtoherhusbandthathewoulddowelltolookroundtheshopamongthecustomers，foranynewcustomerwhohaddroppedinwhilehesteppedovertheway.

thewine-shopkeeperaccordinglyrolledhiseyesabout，untiltheyresteduponanelderlygentlemanandayounglady，whowereseatedinacorner.othercompanywerethere；twoplayingcards，twoplayingdominoes，threestandingbythecounterlengtheningoutashortsupplyofwine.ashepassedbehindthecounter，hetooknoticethattheelderlygentlemansaidinalooktotheyounglady，'thisisourman.'

'whatthedevildoyoudointhatgalleythere？'saidmonsieurdefargetohimself；'idon'tknowyou.'

but，hefeignednottonoticethetwostrangers，andfellintodiscoursewiththetriumvirateofcustomerswhoweredrinkingatthecounter.

'howgoesit，jacques？'saidoneofthesethreetomonsieurdefarge.'isallthespiltwineswallowed？'

'everydrop，jacques，'answeredmonsieurdefarge.

whenthisinterchangeofchristiannamewaseffected，madamedefarge，pickingherteethwithhertoothpick，coughedanothergrainofcough，andraisedhereyebrowsbythebreadthofanotherline.

'itisnotoften，'saidthesecondofthethree，addressingmonsieurdefarge，'thatmanyofthesemiserablebeastsknowthetasteofwine，orofanythingbutblackbreadanddeath.isitnotso，jacques？'

'itisso，jacques，'monsieurdefargereturned.atthissecondinterchangeofthechristianname，madamedefarge，stillusinghertoothpickwithprofoundcomposure，coughedanothergrainofcough，andraisedhereyebrowsbythebreadthofanotherline.

thelastofthethreenowsaidhissay，asheputdownhisemptydrinkingvesselandsmackedhislips.

'ah！somuchtheworse！abittertasteitisthatsuchpoorcattlealwayshaveintheirmouths，andhardlivestheylive，jacques.amiright，jacques？'

'youareright，jacques，'wastheresponseofmonsieurdefarge.

thisthirdinterchangeofthechristiannamewascompletedatthemomentwhenmadamedefargeputhertoothpickby，kepthereyebrowsup，andslightlyrustledinherseat.

'holdthen！true！'mutteredherhusband.'gentlemen—mywife！'

thethreecustomerspulledofftheirhatstomadamedefarge，withthreeflourishes.sheacknowledgedtheirhomagebybendingherhead，andgivingthemaquicklook.thensheglancedinacasualmannerroundthewine-shop，tookupherknittingwithgreatapparentcalmnessandreposeofspiritandbecameabsorbedinit.