第36章BOOKTHESECOND：THEGOLDENTHREAD(19)

第36章bookthesecond：thegoldenthread(19)

'letusshuddertoo.wemayknowwhatitis.'

'itwillseemnothingtoyou.suchwhimsareonlyimpressiveasweoriginatethem，ithink；theyarenottobecommunicated.ihavesometimessatalonehereofanevening，listening，untilihavemadetheechoesouttobetheechoesofallthefootstepsthatarecomingby-and-byintoourlives.'

'thereisagreatcrowdcomingonedayintoourlives，ifthatbeso，'sydneycartonstruckin，inhismoodyway.

thefootstepswereincessant，andthehurryofthembecamemoreandmorerapid.thecornerechoedandre-echoedwiththetreadoffeet；some，asitseemed，underthewindows；some，asitseemed，intheroom；somecoming，somegoing，somebreakingoff，somestoppingaltogether；allinthedistantstreets，andnotonewithinsight.

'areallthesefootstepsdestinedtocometoallofus，missmanette，orarewetodividethemamongus？'

'idon'tknow，mr.darnay；itoldyouitwasafoolishfancy，butyouaskedforit.whenihaveyieldedmyselftoit，ihavebeenalone，andthenihaveimaginedthemthefootstepsofthepeoplewhoaretocomeintomylife，andmyfather's.'

'itakethemintomine！'saidcarton.'iasknoquestionsandmakenostipulations.thereisagreatcrowdbearingdownuponus，missmanette，andiseethem—bythelightning.'headdedthelastwords，aftertherehadbeenavividflashwhichhadshownhimlounginginthewindow.

'andihearthem！'headdedagain，afterapealofthunder.'heretheycome，fast，fierce，andfurious！'

itwastherushandroarofrainthathetypified，anditstoppedhim，fornovoicecouldbeheardinit.amemorablestormofthunderandlightningbrokewiththatsweepofwater，andtherewasnotamoment'sintervalincrash，andfire，andrain，untilafterthemoonroseatmidnight.

thegreatbellofsaintpaul'swasstrikingoneintheclearedair，whenmr.lorry，escortedbyjerry，high-bootedandbearingalantern，setforthonhisreturnpassagetoclerkenwell.thereweresolitarypatchesofroadonthewaybetweensohoandclerkenwell，andmr.lorry，mindfuloffootpads，alwaysretainedjerryforthisservice：thoughitwasusuallyperformedagoodtwohoursearlier.

'whatanightithasbeen！almostanight，jerry，'saidmr.lorry，'tobringthedeadoutoftheirgraves.'

'ineverseethenightmyself，master—noryetidon'texpectto—whatwoulddothat，'answeredjerry.

'goodnight，mr.carton，'saidthemanofbusiness.'goodnight，mr.darnay.shallweeverseesuchanightagain，together！'

perhaps.perhaps，seethegreatcrowdofpeoplewithitsrushandroar，bearingdownuponthem，too.

xiii.monseigneurintown

monseigneur，oneofthegreatlordsinpoweratthecourt，heldhisfortnightlyreceptioninhisgrandhotelinparis.monseigneurwasinhisinnerroom，hissanctuaryofsanctuaries，theholiestofholieststothecrowdofworshippersinthesuiteofroomswithout.monseigneurwasabouttotakehischocolate.monseigneurcouldswallowagreatmanythingswithease，andwasbysomefewsullenmindssupposedtoberatherrapidlyswallowingfrance；but，hismorning'schocolatecouldnotsomuchasgetintothethroatofmonseigneur，withouttheaidoffourstrongmenbesidesthecook.

yes，ittookfourmen，allfoura-blazewithgorgeousdecoration，andthechiefofthemunabletoexistwithfewerthantwogoldwatchesinhispocket，emulativeofthenobleandchastefashionsetbymonseigneur，toconductthehappychocolatetomonseigneur'slips.onelacqueycarriedthechocolate-potintothesacredpresence；asecond，milledandfrothedthechocolatewiththelittleinstrumentheboreforthatfunction；athird，presentedthefavourednapkin；afourth（heofthetwogoldwatches），pouredthechocolateout.itwasimpossibleformonseigneurtodispensewithoneoftheseattendantsonthechocolateandholdhishighplaceundertheadmiringheavens.deepwouldhavebeentheblotuponhisescutcheonifhischocolatehadbeenignoblywaitedonbyonlythreemen；hemusthavediedoftwo.

monseigneurhadbeenoutatalittlesupperlastnight，wherethecomedyandthegrandoperawerecharminglyrepresented.monseigneurwasoutatalittlesuppermostnights，withfascinatingcompany.sopoliteandsoimpressiblewasmonseigneur，thatthecomedyandthegrandoperahadfarmoreinfluencewithhiminthetiresomearticlesofstateaffairsandstatesecrets，thantheneedsofallfrance.ahappycircumstanceforfrance，asthelikealwaysisforallcountriessimilarlyfavoured！—alwayswasforengland（bywayofexample），intheregretteddaysofthemerrystuartwhosoldit.

monseigneurhadonetrulynobleideaofgeneralpublicbusiness，whichwas，toleteverythinggoonitsownway；ofparticularpublicbusiness，monseigneurhadtheothertrulynobleideathatitmustallgohisway—tendtohisownpowerandpocket.ofhispleasures，generalandparticular，monseigneurhadtheothertrulynobleidea，thattheworldwasmadeforthem.thetextofhisorder（alteredfromtheoriginalbyonlyapronoun，whichisnotmuch）ran：'theearthandthefullnessthereofaremine，saithmonseigneur.'