第74章BOOKTHESECOND：THEGOLDENTHREAD(57)

第74章bookthesecond：thegoldenthread(57)

'thankye，mydear.thepreciouschildissafeinbed？'

'andsleepingsoundly.'

'that'sright；allsafeandwell！idon'tknowwhyanythingshouldbeotherwisethansafeandwellhere，thankgod；butihavebeensoputoutallday，andiamnotasyoungasiwas！mytea，mydear！thankye.now，comeandtakeyourplaceinthecircle，andletussitquiet，andheartheechoesaboutwhichyouhaveyourtheory.'

'notatheory；itwasafancy.'

'afancy，then，mywisepet，'saidmr.lorry，pattingherhand.'theyareverynumerousandveryloud，though，aretheynot？onlyhearthem！'

headlong，mad，anddangerousfootstepstoforcetheirwayintoanybody'slife，footstepsnoteasilymadecleanagainifoncestainedred，thefootstepsraginginsaintantoineafaroff，asthelittlecirclesatinthedarklondonwindow.

saintantoinehadbeen，thatmorning，avastduskymassofscarecrowsheavingtoandfro，withfrequentgleamsoflightabovethebillowyheads，wheresteelbladesandbayonetsshoneinthesun.atremendousroararosefromthethroatofsaintantoine，andaforestofnakedarmsledintheairlikeshrivelledbranchesoftreesinawinterwind；allthefingersconvulsivelyclutchingateveryweaponorsemblanceofaweaponthatwasthrownupfromthedepthsbelow，nomatterhowfaroff.

whogavethemout，whencetheylastcame，wheretheybegan，throughwhatagencytheycrookedlyquiveredandjerked，scoresatatime，overtheheadsofthecrowd，likeakindoflightning，noeyeinthethrongcouldhavetold；but，musketswerebeingdistributed—sowerecartridges，powderandball，barsofironandwood，knives，axes，pikes，everyweaponthatdistractedingenuitycoulddiscoverordevise.peoplewhocouldlayholdofnothingelse，setthemselveswithbleedinghandstoforcestonesandbricksoutoftheirplacesinwalls.everypulseandheartinsaintantoinewasonhigh-feverstrainandathigh-feverheat.everylivingcreaturethereheldlifeasofnoaccount，andwasdementedwithapassionatereadinesstosacrificeit.

asawhirlpoolofboilingwatershasacentrepoint，so，allthisragingcircledrounddefarge'swine-shop，andeveryhumandropinthecaldronhadatendencytobesuckedtowardsthevortexwheredefargehimself，alreadybegrimedwithgunpowderandsweat，issuedorders，issuedarms，thrustthismanback，edthismanforward，disarmedonetoarmanother，labouredandstroveinthethickestoftheuproar.

'keepneartome，jacquesthree，'crieddefarge；'anddoyou，jacquesoneandtwo，separateandputyourselvesattheheadofasmanyofthesepatriotsasyoucan.whereismywife？'

'eh，well！hereyouseeme！'saidmadame，composedasever，butnotknittingtoday.madame'sresoluterighthandwasoccupiedwithanaxe，inplaceoftheusualsofterimplements，andinhergirdlewereapistolandacruelknife.

'wheredoyougo，mywife？'

'igo，'saidmadame，'withyouatpresent.youshallseemeattheheadofwomen，by-and-by.'

'comethen！'crieddefarge，inaresoundingvoice.'patriotsandfriends，weareready！thebastille！'

witharoarthatsoundedasifallthebreathinfrancehadbeenshapedintothedetestedword，thelivingsearose，waveonwave，depthondepth，andoverflowedthecitytothatpoint.alarm-bellsringing，drumsbeating，thesearagingandthunderingonitsnewbeach，theattackbegun.

deepditches，doubledrawbridge，massivestonewalls，eightgreattowers，cannon，muskets，fireandsmoke.throughthefireandthroughthesmoke—inthefireandinthesmoke，fortheseacasthimupandagainstacannon，andontheinstanthebecameacannonier—defargeofthewine-shopworkedlikeamanfulsoldier，twofiercehours.

deepditch，singledrawbridge，massivestonewalls，eightgreattowers，cannon，muskets，fireandsmoke.onedrawbridgedown！'work，comradesall，work！work，jacquesone，jacquestwo，jacquesonethousand，jacquestwothousand，jacquesfive-andtwentythousand；inthenameofalltheangelsorthedevils—whichyouprefer—work！'thusdefargeofthewine-shop，stillathisgun，whichhadlonggrownhot.

'tome，women！'criedmadamehiswife，'what！wecankillaswellasthemenwhentheplaceistaken！'andtoher，withashrillthirstycry，troopingwomenvariouslyarmed，butallarmedalikeinhungerandrevenge.

cannon，muskets，fireandsmoke；butstillthedeepditch，thesingledrawbridge，themassivestonewalls，andtheeightgreattowers.slightdisplacementsoftheragingsea，madebythefallingwounded.flashingweapons，blazingtorches，smokingon-loadsofwetstraw，hardworkatneighbouringbarricadesinalldirections，shrieks，volleys，execrations，braverywithoutstint，boomsmashandrattle，andthefurioussoundingofthelivingsea；but，stillthedeepditch，andthesingledrawbridge，andthemassivestonewalls，andtheeightgreattowers，andstilldefargeofthewine-shopathisgun，growndoublyhotbytheserviceoffourfiercehours.

awhiteflagfromwithinthefortress，andaparley—thisdimlyperceptiblethroughtheragingstorm，nothingaudibleinit—suddenlythesearoseimmeasurably，widerandhigher，andsweptdefargeofthewine-shopoverthelowereddrawbridge，pastthemassivestoneouterwalls，inamongtheeightgreattowerssurrendered！soresistlesswastheforceoftheoceanbearinghimon，thateventodrawhisbreathorturnhisheadwasasimpracticableasifhehadbeenlinginthesurfatthesouthsea，untilhewaslandedintheoutercourtyardofthebastille.there，againstanangleofawall，hemadealetolookabouthim.jacquesthreewasnearlyathisside；madamedefarge，stillheadingsomeofherwomen，wasvisibleintheinnerdistance，andherknifewasinherhand.everywherewastumult，exultation，deafeningandmaniacalbewilderment，astoundingnoise，yetfuriousdumb-show.

'theprisoners！'

'therecords！'

'thesecretcells！'

'theinstrumentsoftorture！'

'theprisoners！'