第86章BOOKTHETHIRD：THETRACKOFASTORM(1)

第86章bookthethird：thetrackofastorm(1)

xxxi.insecret

thetravellerfaredslowlyonhisway，whofaredtowardsparisfromenglandintheautumnoftheyearonethousandsevenhundredandninety-two.morethanenoughofbadroads，badequipages，andbadhorses，hewouldhaveencounteredtodelayhim，thoughthefallenandunfortunatekingoffrancehadbeenuponhisthroneinallhisglory；but，thechangedtimeswerefraughtwithotherobstaclesthanthese.everytown-gateandvillagetaxing-househaditsbandofcitizen-patriots，withtheirnationalmusketsinamostexplosivestateofreadiness，whostoppedallcomersandgoers，cross-questionedthem，inspectedtheirpapers，lookedfortheirnamesinlistsoftheirown，turnedthemback，orsentthemon，orstoppedthemandlaidtheminhold，astheircapriciousjudgmentorfancydeemedbestforthedawningrepubliconeandindivisible，ofliberty，equality，fraternity，ordeath.

averyfewfrenchleaguesofhisjourneywereaccomplished，whencharlesdarnaybegantoperceivethatforhimalongthesecountryroadstherewasnohopeofreturnuntilheshouldhavebeendeclaredagoodcitizenatparis.whatevermightbefallnow，hemustontohisjourney'send.notameanvillagecloseduponhim，notacommonbarrierdroppedacrosstheroadbehindhim，butheknewittobeanotherirondoorintheseriesthatwasbarredbetweenhimandengland.theuniversalwatchfulnesssoencompassedhim，thatifhehadbeentakeninanet，orwerebeingforwardedtohisdestinationinacage，hecouldnothavefelthisfreedommorecompletelygone.

thisuniversalwatchfulnessnotonlystoppedhimonthehighwaytwentytimesinastage，butretardedhisprogresstwentytimesinaday，byridingafterhimandtakinghimback，ridingbeforehimandstoppinghimbyanticipation，ridingwithhimandkeepinghimincharge.hehadbeendaysuponhisjourneyinfrancealone，whenhewenttobedtiredout，inalittletownonthehighroad，stillalongwayfromparis.

nothingbuttheproductionoftheafflictedgabelle'sletterfromhisprisonoftheabbayewouldhavegothimonsofar.hisdifficultyattheguardhouseinthissmallplacehadbeensuch，thathefelthisjourneytohavecometoacrisis.andhewas，therefore，aslittlesurprisedasamancouldbe，tofindhimselfawakenedatthesmallinntowhichhehadbeenremitteduntilmorning，inthemiddleofthenight.

awakenedbyatimidlocalfunctionaryandthreearmedpatriotsinroughredcapsandwithpipesintheirmouths，whosatdownonthebed.

‘emigrant，’saidthefunctionary，‘iamgoingtosendyouontoparis，underanescort.’‘citizen，idesirenothingmorethantogettoparis，thoughicoulddispensewiththeescort.’

‘silence！’growledared-cap，strikingatthecoverletwiththebutt-endofhismusket.‘peace，aristocrat！’

‘itisasthegoodpatriotsays，’observedthetimidfunctionary.‘youareanaristocrat，andmusthaveanescort—andmustpayforit.’

‘ihavenochoice，’saidcharlesdarnay.

‘choice！listentohim！’criedthesamescowlingred-cap.‘asifitwasnotafavourtobeprotectedfromthelamp-iron！’

‘itisalwaysasthegoodpatriotsays，’observedthefunctionary.‘riseanddressyourself，emigrant.’

darnaycomplied，andwastakenbacktotheguardhouse，whereotherpatriotsinroughredcapsweresmoking，drinking，andsleeping，byawatch-fire.herehepaidaheavypriceforhisescort，andhencehestartedwithitonthewet，wetroadsatthreeo'clockinthemorning.

theescortweretwomountedpatriotsinredcapsandtricolouredcockades，armedwithnationalmusketsandsabres，whorodeoneoneithersideofhim.theescortedgovernedhisownhorse，butalooselinewasattachedtohisbridle，theendofwhichoneofthepatriotskeptgirdedroundhiswrist.inthisstatetheysetforthwiththesharpraindrivingintheirfaces：clatteringataheavydragoontrotovertheuneventownpavement，andoutuponthemire-deeproads.inthisstatetheytraversedwithoutchange，exceptofhorsesandpace，allthemire-deepleaguesthatlaybetweenthemandthecapital.

theytravelledinthenight，haltinganhourortwoafterdaybreak，andlyingbyuntilthetwilightfell.theescortweresowretchedlyclothed，thattheytwistedstrawroundtheirbarelegs，andthatchedtheiredshoulderstokeepthewetoff.apartfromthepersonaldiscomfortofbeingsoattended，andapartfromsuchconsiderationsofpresentdangerasarosefromoneofthepatriotsbeingchronicallydrunk，andcarryinghismusketveryrecklessly，charlesdarnaydidnotallowtherestraintthatwaslaiduponhimtoawakenanyseriousfearsinhisbreast；for，hereasonedwithhimselfthatitcouldhavenoreferencetothemeritsofanindividualcasethatwasnotyetstated，andofrepresentations，confirmablebytheprisonerintheabbaye，thatwerenotyetmade.

butwhentheycametothetownofbeauvais—whichtheydidateventide，whenthestreetswerefilledwithpeople—hecouldnotconcealfromhimselfthattheaspectofaffairswasveryalarming.anominouscrowdgatheredtoseehimdismountatthepostingyard，andmanyvoicescalledoutloudly，‘downwiththeemigrant！’

hestoppedintheactofswinginghimselfoutofhissaddle，and，resumingitashissafestplace，said：

‘emigrant，myfriends！doyounotseemehere，infrance，ofmyownwill？’

‘youareacursedemigrant，’criedafarrier，makingathiminafuriousmannerthroughthepress，hammerinhand；‘andyouareacursedaristocrat！’

thepostmasterinterposedhimselfbetweenthismanandtherider'sbridle（atwhichhewasevidentlymaking），andsoothinglysaid，‘lethimbe；lethimbe！hewillbejudgedatparis.’

‘judged！’repeatedthefarrier，swinginghishammer.‘ay！andcondemnedasatraitor.’atthisthecrowdroaredapproval.