a tale of two cities(双城记)-48

Carelessly worn, it was a becoming robe enough, in a certainweird way, and her dark hair looked rich under her coarse redcap. Lying hidden in her bosom, was a loaded pistol. Lying hiddenat her waist, was a sharpened dagger. Thus accoutred, andwalking with the confident tread of such a character, and with thesupple freedom of a woman who had habitually walked in hergirlhood, bare-foot and bare-legged, on the brown sea sand,Madame Defarge took her way along the streets, Now, when thejourney of the travelling coach, at that very moment waiting forthe completion of its load, had been planned out last night, thedifficulty of taking Miss Pross in it had much engaged Mr. Lorry’sattention. It was not merely desirable to avoid overloading thecoach, but it was of the highest importance that the time occupiedin examining it and its passengers, should be reduced to theutmost; since their escape might depend on the saving of only afew seconds here and there. Finally, he had proposed, afteranxious consideration, that Miss Pross and Jerry, who were atliberty to leave the city, should leave it at three o’clock in thelightest-wheeled conveyance known to that period.Unencumbered with luggage, they would soon overtake the coach,Charles Dickens ElecBook ClassicsA Tale of Two Citiesand, passing it and preceding it on the road, would order its horsesin advance, and greatly facilitate its progress during the precioushours of the night, when delay was the most to be dreaded.Seeing in this arrangement the hope of rendering real servicein that pressing emergency, Miss Pross hailed it with joy. She andJerry had beheld the coach start, had known who it was thatSolomon brought, had passed some ten minutes in tortures ofsuspense, and were now concluding their arrangements to followthe coach, even as Madame Defarge, taking her way through thestreets, now drew nearer and nearer to the else-deserted lodgingin which they held their consultation.“Now what do you think, Mr. Cruncher,” said Miss Pross,whose agitation was so great that she could hardly speak, or stand,or move, or live: “what do you think of our not starting from thiscourt-yard? Another carriage having already gone from heretoday, it might awaken suspicion.”“My opinion, miss,” returned Mr. Cruncher, “is as you’re right.Likewise wot I’ll stand by you, right or wrong.”“I am so distracted with fear and hope for our preciouscreatures,” said Miss Pross, wildly crying, “that I am incapable offorming any plan. Are you capable of forming any plan, my deargood Mr. Cruncher?”“Respectin’ a future spear o’ life, miss,” returned Mr. Cruncher,“I hope so. Respectin’ any present use o’ this here blessed oldhead o’ mine, I think not. Would you do me the favour, miss, totake notice o’ two promises and wows wot it is my wishes fur torecord in this here crisis?”“Oh, for gracious sake!” cried Miss Pross, still wildly crying,“record them at once, and get them out of the way, like anCharles Dickens ElecBook ClassicsA Tale of Two Citiesexcellent man.”“First,” said Mr. Cruncher, who was all in a tremble, and whospoke with an ashy and solemn visage, “them poor things well outo’ this, never no more will I do it, never no more!”“I am quite sure, Mr. Cruncher,” returned Miss Pross, “that younever will do it again, whatever it is, and I beg you not to think itnecessary to mention more particularly what it is.”“No, miss,” returned Jerry, “it shall not be named to you.Second: them poor things well out o’ this, and never no more will Iinterfere with Mrs. Cruncher’s floppin’, never no more!”“Whatever housekeeping arrangement that may be,” said MissPross, striving to dry her eyes and compose herself, “I have nodoubt it is best that Mrs. Cruncher should have it entirely underher own superintendence. O my poor darlings!”“I go so far as to say, miss, moreover,” proceeded Mr. Cruncher,with a most alarming tendency to hold forth as from a pulpit—“and let my words be took down and took to Mrs. Cruncherthrough yourself—that wot my opinions respectin’ floppin’ hasundergone a change, and that wot I only hope with all my heart asMrs. Cruncher may be a-floppin’ at the present time.”“There, there, there! I hope she is, my dear man,” cried thedistracted Miss Pross, “and I hope she finds it answering herexpectations.”“Forbid it,” proceeded Mr. Cruncher, with additional solemnity,additional slowness, and additional tendency to hold forth andhold out, “as anything wot I have ever said or done should bewisited on my earnest wishes for them poor creeturs now! Forbidit as we shouldn’t all flop (if it was anyways conwenient) to get ’emout o’ this here dismal risk! Forbid it, miss! Wot I say, for-BID it!”Charles Dickens ElecBook ClassicsA Tale of Two CitiesThis was Mr. Cruncher’s conclusion after a protracted but vainendeavour to find a better one.And still Madame Defarge, pursuing her way along the streets,came nearer and nearer.“If we ever get back to our native land,” said Miss Pross, “youmay rely upon my telling Mrs. Cruncher as much as I may be ableto remember and understand of what you have so impressivelysaid; and at all events you may be sure that I shall bear witness toyour being thoroughly in earnest at this dreadful time. Now, praylet us think! My esteemed Mr. Cruncher, let us think!”Still, Madame Defarge, pursuing her way along the streets,came nearer and nearer.“If you were to go before,” said Miss Pross, “and stop thevehicle and horses from coming here, and were to wait somewherefor me; wouldn’t that be best?”Mr. Cruncher thought it might be best.“Where could you wait for me?” asked Miss Pross.Mr. Cruncher was so bewildered that he could think of nolocality but Temple Bar. Alas Temple Bar was hundreds of milesaway, and Madame Defarge was drawing very near indeed.“By the cathedral door,” said Miss Pross. “Would it be muchout of the way, to take me in near the great cathedral doorbetween the two towers?”“No, miss,” answered Mr. Cruncher.“Then, like the best of men,” said Miss Pross, “go to theposting-house straight, and make that change.”“I am doubtful,” said Mr. Cruncher, hesitating and shaking hishead, “about leaving of you, you see. We don’t know what mayhappen.”Charles Dickens ElecBook ClassicsA Tale of Two Cities“Heaven knows we don’t,” returned Miss Pross, “but have nofear for me. Take me in at the cathedral, at three o’clock, or asnear it as you can, and I am sure it will be better than our goingfrom here. I feel certain of it. There! Bless you, Mr. Cruncher!Think—not of me, but of the lives that may depend on both of us!”This exordium, and Miss Pross’s two hands in quite agonisedentreaty clasping his, decided Mr. Cruncher. With an encouragingnod or two, he immediately went out to alter the arrangements,and left her by herself to follow as she had proposed.The having originated a precaution which was already incourse of execution, was a great relief to Miss Pross. The necessityof composing her appearance so that it should attract no specialnotice in the streets, was another relief. She looked at her watch,and it was twenty minutes past two. She had no time to lose, butmust get ready at once.Afraid, in her extreme perturbation, of the loneliness of thedeserted rooms, and of half-imagined faces peeping from behindevery open door in them, Miss Pross got a basin of cold water andbegan laving her eyes, which were swollen and red. Haunted byher feverish apprehensions, she could not bear to have her sightobscured for a minute at a time by the dripping water, butconstantly paused and looked round to see that there was no onewatching her. In one of those pauses she recoiled and cried out,for she saw a figure standing i n the room.The basin fell to the ground broken, and the water flowed to thefeet of Madame Defarge. By strange stern ways, and throughmuch staining blood, those feet had come to meet that water.Madame Defarge looked coldly at her, and said. “The wife ofEvremonde; where is she?”Charles Dickens ElecBook ClassicsA Tale of Two CitiesIt flashed upon Miss Pross’s mind that the doors were allstanding open, and would suggest the flight. Her first act was toshut them. There were four in the room, and she shut them all.She then placed herself before the door of the chamber whichLucie had occupied.Madame Defarge’s dark eyes followed her through this rapidmovement, and rested on her when it was finished. Miss Pross hadnothing beautiful about her; years had not tamed the wildness, orsoftened the grimness, of her appearance; but, she too was adetermined woman in her different way, and she measuredMadame Defarge with her eyes, every inch.“You might, from your appearance, be the wife of Lucifer,” saidMiss Pross, in her breathing. “Nevertheless, you shall not get thebetter of me. I am an Englishwoman.”Madame Defarge looked at her scornfully, but still withsomething of Miss Pross’s own perception that they two were atbay. She saw a tight, hard, wiry woman before her, as Mr. Lorryhad seen in the same figure a woman with a strong hand, in theyears gone by. She knew full well that Miss Pross was the family’sdevoted friend; Miss Pross knew full well that Madame Defargewas the family’s malevolent enemy.“On my way yonder,” said Madame Defarge, with a slightmovement of her hand towards the fatal spot, “where they reservemy chair and my knitting for me, I am come to make mycompliments to her in passing. I wish to see her.”“I know that your intentions are evil,” said Miss Pross, “andyou may depend upon it, I’ll hold my own against them.”Each spoke in her own language; neither understood theother’s words; both were very watchful, and intent to deduce fromCharles Dickens ElecBook ClassicsA Tale of Two Citieslook and manner, what the unintelligible words meant.“It will do her no good to keep herself concealed from me at thismoment,” said Madame Defarge. “Good patriots will know whatthat means. Let me see her. Go tell her that I wish to see her. Doyou hear?”“If those eyes of yours were bed-winches,” returned Miss Pross,“and I was an English four-poster, they shouldn’t loose a splinterof me. No, you wicked foreign woman; I am your match.”Madame Defarge was not likely to follow these idiomaticremarks in detail; but, she so far understood them as to perceivethat she was set at naught.“Woman imbecile and pig-like!” said Madame Defarge,frowning. “I take no answer from you. I demand to see her. Eithertell her that I demand to see her, or stand out of the way of thedoor and let me go to her!” This, with an angry explanatory waveof her right arm.“I little thought,” said Miss Pross, “that I should ever want tounderstand your nonsensical language; but I would give all I have,except the clothes I wear, to know whether you suspect the truth,or any part of it.”Neither of them for a single moment released the other’s eyes.Madame Defarge had not moved from the spot where she stoodwhen Miss Pross first became aware of her; but, she now advancedone step.“I am a Briton,” said Miss Pross. “I am desperate. I don’t carean English Twopence for myself. I know that the longer I keep youhere, the greater hope there is for my Ladybird. I’ll not leave ahandful of that dark hair upon your head, if you lay a finger onme!”Charles Dickens ElecBook ClassicsA Tale of Two CitiesThus Miss Pross, with a shake of her head and a flash of hereyes between every rapid sentence, and every rapid sentence awhole breath. Thus Miss Pross, who had never struck a blow inher life.But, her courage was of that emotional nature that it broughtthe irrepressible tears into her eyes. This was a courage thatMadame Defarge so little comprehended as to mistake forweakness. “Ha, ha!” she laughed, “you poor wretch! What are youworth! I address myself to that Doctor.” Then she raised her voiceand called out, “Citizen Doctor! Wife of Evremonde! Child ofEvremonde! Any person but this miserable fool, answer theCitizeness Defarge?”Perhaps the following silence, perhaps some latent disclosurein the expression on Miss Pross’s face, perhaps a suddenmisgiving apart from either suggestion, whispered to MadameDefarge that they were gone. Three of the doors she openedswiftly, and looked in.“Those rooms are all in disorder, there has been hurriedpacking, there are odds and ends upon the ground. There is noone in that room behind you! Let me look.”“Never!” said Miss Pross, who understood the request asperfectly as Madame Defarge understood the answer.“If they are not in that room, they are gone, and can be pursuedand brought back,” said Madame Defarge to herself.“As long as you don’t know whether they are in that room ornot, you are uncertain what to do,” said Miss Pross to herself; “andyou shall not know that, if I can prevent your knowing it; andknow that, or not know that, you shall not leave here while I canhold you.”Charles Dickens ElecBook ClassicsA Tale of Two Cities“I have been in the streets from the first, nothing has stoppedme, I will tear you to pieces, but I will have you from that door,”said Madame Defarge.“We are alone at the top of a high house in a solitary court-yard,we are not likely to be heard, and I pray for bodily strength tokeep you here, while every minute you are here is worth ahundred thousand guineas to my darling,” said Miss Pross.Madame Defarge made at the door. Miss Pross, on the instinctof the moment, seized her round the waist in both her arms, andheld her tight. It was in vain for Madame Defarge to struggle andto strike; Miss Pross, with the vigorous tenacity of love, always somuch stronger than hate, clasped her tight, and even lifted herfrom the floor in the struggle that they had. The two hands ofMadame Defarge buffeted and tore her face; but, Miss Pross, withher head down, held her round the waist, and clung to her withmore than the hold of a drowning woman.Soon, Madame Defarge’s hands ceased to strike, and felt at herencircled waist. “It is under my arm,” said Miss Pross, insmothered tones, “you shall not draw it. I am stronger than you, Ibless Heaven for it. I’ll hold you till one or other of us faints ordies!”Madame Defarge’s hands were at her bosom. Miss Pross lookedup, saw what it was, struck at it, struck out a flash and a crash, andstood alone—blinded with smoke.All this was in a second. As the smoke cleared. leaving an awfulstillness, it passed out on the air, like the soul of the furiouswoman whose body lay lifeless on the ground. In the first frightand horror of her situation, Miss Pross passed the body as far fromit as she could, and ran down the stairs to call for fruitless help.Charles Dickens ElecBook ClassicsA Tale of Two CitiesHappily, she bethought herself of the consequences of what shedid, in time to check herself and go back. It was dreadful to go inat the door again; but she did go in, and even went near it, to getthe bonnet and other things that she must wear. These she put on,out on the staircase, first shutting and locking the door and takingaway the key. She then sat down on the stairs a few moments tobreathe and to cry, and then got up and hurried away.By good fortune she had a veil on her bonnet, or she couldhardly have gone along the streets without being stopped. By goodfortune, too, she was naturally so peculiar in appearance as not toshow disfigurement like any other woman. She needed bothadvantages, for the marks of gripping fingers were deep in herface, and her hair was torn, and her dress (hastily composed withunsteady hands) was clutched and dragged a hundred ways.In crossing the bridge, she dropped the door key in the river.Arriving at the cathedral some few minutes before her escort, andwaiting there, she thought, what if the key were already taken in anet, and if it were identified, what if the door were opened and theremains discovered, what if she were stopped at the gate, sent toprison, and charged with murder! In the midst of these flutteringthoughts, the escort appeared, took her in, and took her away.“Is there any noise in the streets?” she asked him.“The usual noises,” Mr. Cruncher replied; and looked surprisedby the question and by her aspect.“I don’t hear you,” said Miss Pross. “What do you say?”It was in vain for Mr. Cruncher to repeat what he said; MissPross could not hear him. “So I’ll nod my head,” thought Mr.Cruncher, amazed, “at all events she’ll see that.” And she did.“Is there any noise in the streets now?” asked Miss Pross again,Charles Dickens ElecBook ClassicsA Tale of Two Cities