第42章BOOKTHESECOND：THEGOLDENTHREAD(25)

第42章bookthesecond：thegoldenthread(25)

asupper-tablewaslaidfortwo，inthethirdoftherooms；aroundroom，inoneofthechateau'sfourextinguisher-toppedtowers.asmallloftyroom，withitswindowwideopen，andthewoodenjalousie-blindsclosed，sothatthedarknightonlyshowedinslighthorizontallinesofblack，alternatingwiththeirbroadlinesofstonecolour.

'mynephew，'saidthemarquis，glancingatthesupperpreparation；'theysaidhewasnotarrived.'

norwashe；but，hehadbeenexpectedwithmonseigneur.

'ah！itisnotprobablehewillarrivetonight；nevertheless，leavethetableasitis.ishallbereadyinaquarterofanhour.'

inaquarterofanhourmonseigneurwasready，andsatdownalonetohissumptuousandchoicesupper.hischairwasoppositetothewindow，andhehadtakenhissoup，andwasraisinghisglassofbordeauxtohislips，whenheputitdown.

'whatisthat？'hecalmlyasked，lookingwithattentionatthehorizontallinesofblackandstonecolour.

'monseigneur！that？'

'outsidetheblinds.opentheblinds.'

itwasdone.

'well？'

'monseigneur，itisnothing.thetreesandthenightareallthatarehere.'

theservantwhospoke，hadthrowntheblindswide，hadlookedoutintothevacantdarkness，andstood，withthatblankbehindhim，lookingroundforinstructions.

'good，'saidtheimperturbablemaster.'closethemagain.'

thatwasdonetoo，andthemarquiswentonwithhissupper.hewashalfwaythroughit，whenheagainstoppedwithhisglassinhishand，hearingthesoundofwheels.itcameonbriskly，andcameuptothefrontofthechateau.

'askwhoisarrived.'

itwasthenephewofmonseigneur.hehadbeensomefewleaguesbehindmonseigneur，earlyintheafternoon.hehaddiminishedthedistancerapidly，butnotsorapidlyastocomeupwithmonseigneurontheroad.hehadheardofmonseigneur，attheposting-houses，asbeingbeforehim.

hewastobetold（saidmonseigneur）thatsupperawaitedhimthenandthere，andthathewasprayedtocometoit.inalittlewhilehecame.hehadbeenknowninenglandascharlesdarnay.

monseigneurreceivedhiminacourtlymanner，buttheydidnotshakehands.

'youleftparisyesterday，sir？'hesaidtomonseigneur，ashetookhisseatattable.

'yesterday.andyou？'

'icomedirect.'

'fromlondon？'

'yes.'

'youhavebeenalongtimecoming，'saidthemarquis，withasmile.

'onthecontrary；icomedirect.'

'pardonme！imean，notalongtimeonthejourney；alongtimeintendingthejourney.'

'ihavebeendetainedby'—thenephewstoppedamomentinhisanswer—'variousbusiness.'

'withoutdoubt，'saidthepolisheduncle.

solongasaservantwaspresent，nootherwordspassedbetweenthem.whencoffeehadbeenservedandtheywerealonetogether，thenephew，lookingattheuncleandmeetingtheeyesofthefacethatwaslikeafinemask，openedaconversation.

'ihavecomeback，sir，asyouanticipate，pursuingtheobjectthattookmeaway.itcarriedmeintogreatandunexpectedperil；butitisasacredobject，andifithadcarriedmetodeathihopeitwouldhavesustainedme.'

'nottodeath，'saidtheuncle；'itisnotnecessarytosay，todeath.'

'idoubt，sir，'returnedthenephew，'whether，ifithadcarriedmetotheutmostbrinkofdeath，youwouldhavecaredtostopmethere.'

thedeepenedmarksinthenose，andthelengtheningofthefinestraightlinesinthecruelface，lookedominousastothat；theunclemadeagracefulgestureofprotest，whichwassoclearlyaslightformofgoodbreedingthatitwasnotreassuring.

'indeed，sir，'pursuedthenephew，'foranythingiknow，youmayhaveexpresslyworkedtogiveamoresuspiciousappearancetothesuspiciouscircumstancesthatsurroundedme.'

'no，no，no，'saidtheuncle，pleasantly.

'but，howeverthatmaybe，'resumedthenephew，glancingathimwithdeepdistrust，'iknowthatyourdiplomacywouldstopmebyanymeans，andwouldknownoscrupleastomeans.'

'myfriend，itoldyouso，'saidtheuncle，withafinepulsationinthetwomarks.'domethefavourtorecallthatitoldyouso，longago.'

'irecallit.'

'thankyou，'saidthemarquis—verysweetlyindeed.

histonelingeredintheair，almostlikethetoneofamusicalinstrument.

'ineffect，sir，'pursuedthenephew，'ibelieveittobeatonceyourbadfortune，andmygoodfortune，thathaskeptmeoutofaprisoninfrancehere.'

'idonotquiteunderstand，'returnedtheuncle，sippinghiscoffee.'dareiaskyoutoexplain？'

'ibelievethatifyouwerenotindisgracewiththecourt，andhadnotbeenovershadowedbythatcloudforyearspast，aletterdecachetwouldhavesentmetosomefortressindefinitely.'

'itispossible，'saidtheuncle，withgreatcalmness.'forthehonourofthefamily，icouldevenresolvetoincommodeyoutothatextent.prayexcuseme！'

'iperceivethat，happilyforme，thereceptionofthedaybeforeyesterdaywas，asusual，acoldone，'observedthenephew.