04-02-03-双城记 [25]
'If they are not in that room, they are gone. But they can be followed and brought back. 'She went towards the door, but Miss Pross jumped forward and held her round the waist. Madame Defarge was used to the fighting in the streets and was strong, but love is stronger than hate and Miss Pross did not let go. Madame Defarge tried to pull out her knife.
'No, 'said Miss Pross, 'it's under my arm. You shall not have it. '
Madame Defarge put her hand to the front of her dress and began to pull out the gun. Miss Pross looked down, saw what it was, and hit out at it wildly. There was a loud bang, and a cloud of smoke, and Miss Pross stood alone, trembling with terror.
All this in a second. As the smoke cleared, Miss Pross saw the lifeless body of Madame Defarge on the ground. In horror, she opened her mouth to call for help, but then she thought of the dangers this would bring for her dear Lucie. With shaking hands, she got her hat and coat, locked the door of the room, and went downstairs. As she crossed the bridge on the way to the church, she dropped the key of the locked room in the river and hurried on to meet Jerry Cruncher.
* * *
As the death－carts carry the condemned prisoners through the streets of Paris, crowds watch to see the faces of those who are to die. In the chairs around the Guillotine, the friends of Madame Defarge are waiting for her. 'Teresa, Teresa Defarge！Who has seen her
She's never missed before！'
But the death－carts have arrived, and the Guillotine has already begun its work. Crash！—A head is held up, and the women who sit knitting count One.
The supposed Evrémode helps the young girl down from the cart. He carefully places her with her back to the Guillotine, and she looks up gratefully into his face.
Because of you, dear stranger, I am calm. I think you were sent to me by God, 'she whispers.
'Or perhaps He sent you to me, 'says Sydney Carton. 'Keep your eyes on me, dear child, and do not think of anything else. '
'I do not mind while I hold your hand. I shall not mind when I let it go, if they are quick. '
'They are quick. Fear not！'
She kisses his lips；he kisses hers. Now the Guillotine is waiting. The young girl goes next, before him. The women count Twenty－Two, and Carton walks forward.
Twenty-Three.
They said of him that it was the most peaceful face ever seen there What passed through Sydney Carton's mind as he walked those last steps to his death
Perhaps he saw into the future…
'I see Barsad, Defarge, the judges, all dying under this terrible machine. I see a beautiful city being built in this terrible place. I see that new people will live here, in real freedom. I see the lives for whom I give my life, happy and peaceful in that England which I shall never see again. I see Lucie when she is old, crying for me on this day every year, and I know that she and her husband remember me until their deaths. I see their son, who has my name, now a man. I see him become a famous lawyer and make my name famous by his work. I hear him tell his son my story.
'It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done；it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known. '
■ 13 最后的道别
在那天午后不久的同一时刻，一辆出巴黎的马车正驶向城门。
“谁在那儿
请出示你们的证件！”卫兵看着证件说：“亚历山大·马内特医生。哪个是他
”
这是马内特医生，这个无助的老人，正发疯地对自己嘀咕着。
“最近几天的革命让他受不了啦。”卫兵残忍地大笑着说。“路茜是他的女儿，埃弗蒙的妻子。哪个是她
”
这就是她，还有她的孩子，小路茜在她身边。
“哈，你丈夫今天可有另外一个聚会哟。西得尼·卡登律师，英国人。哪一位是他
”
他在这儿，在角落里。他身体不舒服。
“还有贾维斯·劳里，银行家，英国人。是哪一位
”
“我就是，也是最后一位。”贾维斯·劳里说。
“这是你们的证件，贾维斯·劳里，你们可以走了。”
车里的人的心都狂跳着，手也在发抖，还有那个失去知觉的旅行者发出的沉重的呼吸声，但马车在前进，马匹跑得飞快，在他们身后的路上没有喊叫声。
也就在那天下午，得法热夫人正在和她的朋友谈话。
“我的丈夫是个好公民，可他不够坚定。他可怜医生。我说要让埃弗蒙家的所有人都上断头台，妻子和孩子都得跟那个丈夫一起去。”
“她们俩的头可是断头台上的好货色，”雅克三说。“把她们的头展示给人民将会是一个漂亮的景观。是的，她们也都得死。”
“可我担心我丈夫会报警给她们让她们跑掉。”得法热夫人说，“所以我必须亲自做点什么。在今天下午3点钟埃弗蒙死后，我要去审判团指控她们。”
其他人都欣然同意。“不许有任何人跑掉；必须有更多的人头落地。”
“路茜·马内特现在应该正在家里等着她丈夫死的那一刻。”得法热夫人说。“我要去找她，她会说一些反对革命的话，因而招来罪名。好了，拿着我的毛线活儿，把断头台旁边我一向待的位子留着。”
“别晚了。”她的朋友说。
“去看埃弗蒙的死，我不会晚的。”得法热夫人用冷酷的声音回答道。
那时的巴黎有很多妇女痛恨贵族并希望看到他们死。但在所有这些妇女中，得法热夫人是最可怕的一个。她的生命中