第 11 节
作者:恐龙王      更新:2022-11-23 12:10      字数:9322
  manner of occasionally clasping his head in his hands; that had not been seen in him before; yet; he had some pleasure in the mere sound of his daughter's voice; and invariably turned to it when she spoke。
  In the submissive way of one long accustomed to obey under coercion; he ate and drank what they gave him to eat and drink; and put on the cloak and other wrappings; that they gave him to wear。 He readily responded to his daughter's drawing her arm through his; and tookand kepther hand in both his own。
  They began to descend; Monsieur Defarge going first with the lamp; Mr。 Lorry closing the little procession。 They had not traversed many steps of the long main staircase when he stopped; and stared at the roof and round at the walls。
  ‘You remember the place; my father? You remember coming up here?
  ‘What did you say?'
  But; before she could repeat the question; he murmured an answer as if she had repeated it。
  ‘Remember? No; I don't remember。 It was so very long ago。'
  That he had no recollection whatever of his having been brought from his prison to that house; was apparent to them。 They heard him mutter; ‘One Hundred and Five; North Tower;' and when he looked about him; it evidently was for the strong fortress…walls which had long encompassed him。 On their reaching the courtyard he instinctively altered his tread; as being in expectation of a drawbridge; and when there was no drawbridge; and he saw the carriage waiting in the open street; he dropped his daughter's hand and clasped his head again。
  No crowd was about the door; no people were discernible at any of the many windows; not even a chance passer…by was in the street。 An unnatural silence and desertion reigned there。 Only one soul has to be seen; and that was Madame Defargewho leaned against the door…post; knitting; and saw nothing。
  The prisoner had got into a coach; and his daughter had followed him; when Mr。 Lorry's feet were arrested on the step by his asking; miserably; for his shoemaking tools and the unfinished shoes。 Madame Defarge immediately called to her husband that she would get them; and went; knitting; out of the lamplight; through the court…yard。 She quickly brought them down and handed them in ;and immediately afterwards leaned against the door…post; knitting; and saw nothing。
  Defarge got upon the box; and gave the word ‘To the Barrier!' The postilion cracked his whip; and they clattered away under the Feeble over swinging lamps。
  Under the over…swinging lampsswinging ever brighter in the better streets; and ever dimmer in the worseand by lighted shops; gay crowds; illuminated coffee…houses; and theatre…doors; to one of the city gates。 Soldiers with lanterns; at the guard…house there。 ‘Your papers; travellers!' ‘See here then; Monsieur the Officer;' said Defarge; getting down; and taking him gravely apart; ‘these are the papers of monsieur inside; with the white head。 They were consigned to me; with him; at the…' He dropped his voice; there was a flutter among the military lanterns; and one of them being handed into the coach by an arm in uniform; the eyes connected with the arm looked; not an every…day or an every…night look; at monsieur with the white head。 ‘It is well。 Forward!' from the uniform。 ‘Adieu!' from Defarge。 And so; under a short grove of feebler and feebler over swinging lamps; out under the great grove of stars。
  Beneath that arch of unmoved and eternal lights; some; so remote from this little earth that the learned tell us it is doubtful whether their rays have even yet discovered it; as a point in space where anything is suffered or done: the shadows of the night were broad and black。 All through the cold and restless interval; until dawn; they once more whispered in the ears of Mr。 Jarvis Lorrysitting opposite the buried man who had been dug out; and wondering what subtle powers were for ever lost to him; and what were capable of restorationthe old inquiry:
  ‘I hope you care to be recalled to life?'
  And the old answer:
  ‘I can't say。'
  THE END OF THE FIRST BOOK
  BOOK THE SECOND
  THE GOLDEN THREAD
  CHAPTER I
  Five Years Later
  TELLSON'S Bank by Temple Bar was an old…fashioned place; even in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty。 It was very small; very dark; very ugly; very incommodious。 It was an old…fashioned place; moreover; in the moral attribute that the partners in the House were proud of its smallness; proud of its darkness; proud of its ugliness; proud of its incommodiousness。 They were even boastful of its eminence in those particulars; and were fired by an empress conviction that; if it were less objectionable; it would be less respectable。 This was no passive belief; but an active weapon which they flashed at more convenient places of business。 Tellson's (they said) wanted no elbow…room; Tellson's wanted no light; Tellson's wanted no embellishment。 Noakes and Co。's might; or Snooks Brothers' might; but Tellson's; thank Heaven!…
  Any one of these partners would have disinherited his son on the question of rebuilding Tellson's。 In this respect the House was much on a par with the Country; which did very often disinherit its sons for suggesting improvements in laws and customs that had long been highly objectionable; but were only the more respectable。
  Thus it had come to pass; that Tellson's was the triumphant perfection of inconvenience。 After bursting open a door of idiotic obstinacy with a weak rattle in its throat; you fell into Tellson's down two steps; and came to your senses in a miser…able little shop; with two little counters; where the oldest of men made your cheque shake as if the wind rustled it; while they examined the signature by the dingiest of windows; which were always under a shower…bath of mud from Fleet…street; and which were made the dingier by their own iron bars proper; and the heavy shadow of Temple Bar。 If your business necessitated your seeing ‘the House;' you were put into a species of Condemned Hold at the back; where you meditated on a misspent life; until the House came with its hands in its pockets; and you could hardly blink at it in the dismal twilight。 Your money came out of' or went into; wormy old wooden drawers; particles of which flew up your nose and down your throat when they were opened and shut。 Your bank…notes had a musty odour; as if they were fast decomposing into rags again。 Your plate was stowed away among the neighbouring cesspools; and evil communications corrupted its good polish in a day or two。 Your deeds got into extemporised strong…rooms made of kitchens and sculleries; and fretted all the fat out of their parchments into the banking house air。 Your lighter boxes of family papers went up…stairs into a Barmecide room; that always had a great dining…table in it and never had a dinner; and where; even in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty; the first letters written to you by your old love; or by your little children; were but newly released from the horror of being ogled through the windows; by the heads exposed on Temple Bar with an insensate brutality and ferocity worthy of Abyssinia or Ashantee。
  But indeed; at that time; putting to death was a recipe much in vogue with all trades and professions; and not least of all with Tellson's。 Death is Nature's remedy for all things; and why not Legislation's? Accordingly; the forger was put to death; the utterer of a bad note was put to Death; the unlawful opener of a letter was put to Death; the purloiner of forty shillings and sixpence was put to Death; the holder of a horse at Tellson's door; who made off with it; was put to Death; the coiner of a bad shilling was put to Death; the sounders of three…fourths of the notes in the whole gamut of Grime; were put to Death。 Not that it did the least good in the way of preventionit might almost have been worth remarking that the fact was exactly the reversebut; it cleared off (as to this world) the trouble of each particular case; and left nothing else connected with it to be looked after。 Thus; Tellson's; in its day; like greater places of business; its contemporaries; had taken so many lives; that; if the heads laid low before it had been ranged on Temple Bar instead of being privately disposed of' they would probably have excluded what little light the ground floor had; in a rather significant manner。
  Cramped in all kinds of dim cupboards and hutches at Tellson's; the oldest of men carried on the business gravely。
  When they took a young man into Tellson's London house; they hid him somewhere till he was old。 They kept him in a dark place; like a cheese; until he had the full Tellson flavour and blue…mould upon him。 Then only was he permitted to be seen; spectacularly poring over large books; and casting his breeches and gaiters into the general weight of the establishment。
  Outside Tellson'snever by any means in it; unless called inwas an odd…job…man; an occasional porter and messenger; who served as the live sign of the house。 He was never absent during business hours; unless upon an errand; and then he was represented by his son: a grisly urchin of twelve; who was his express image。 People understood that Tellson's; in a stately way; tolerated the odd…job…man。 The house had always tolerated some person in that cap