登陆注册
16285600000096

第96章 BOOK THE THIRD:THE TRACK OF A STORM(11)

Among these terrors,and the brood belonging to them,the Doctor walked with a steady head;confident in his power,cautiously persistent in his end,never doubting that he would have Lucie's husband at last. Yet the current of the time swept by,so strong and deep,and carried the time away so fiercely,that Charles had lain in prison one year and three months when the Doctor was thus steady and confident.So much more wicked and distracted had the Revolution grown in that December month,that the rivers of the South were encumbered with the bodies of the violently drowned by night,and prisoners were shot in lines and squares under the southern wintry sun.Still,the Doctor walked among the terrors with a steady head.No man better known than he,in Paris at that day;no man in a stranger situation.Silent,humane,indispensable in hospital and prison,using his art equally among assassins and victim,he was a man apart.In the exercise of his skill,the appearance and the story of the Bastille Captive removed him from all other men.He was not suspected or brought in question,any more than if he had indeed been recalled to life some eighteen years before,or were a spirit moving among mortals.

XXXV.THE WOOD-SAWYER

O ne year and three months. During all that time Lucie was never sure,from hour to hour,but that the Guillotine would strike off her husband's head next day.Every day,through the stony streets,the tumbrils now jolted heavily,filled with Condemned.Lovely girls;bright women,brown-haired,black-haired,and grey;youths;stalwart men and old;gentle born and peasant born;all red wine for La Guillotine,all daily brought into light from the dark cellars of the loathsome prisons,and carried to her through the streets to slake her devouring thirst.Liberty,Equality,Fraternity,or Death;—the last,much the easiest to bestow,O Guillotine!

If the suddenness of her calamity,and the whirling wheels of the time,had stunned the Doctor's daughter into awaiting the result in idle despair,it would but have been with her as it was with many. But,from the hour when she had taken the white head to her fresh young bosom in the garret of Saint Antoine,she had been true to her duties.She was truest to them in the season of trial,as all the quietly loyal and good will always be.

As soon as they were established in their new residence,and her father had entered on the routine of his avocations,she arranged the little household as exactly as if her husband had been there. Everything had its appointed place and its appointed time.Little Lucie she taught,as regularly,as if they had all been united in their English home.The slight devices with which shecheated herself into the show of a belief that they would soon be reunited—the little preparations for his speedy return,the setting aside of his chair and his books—these,and the solemn prayer at night for one dear prisoner especially,among the many unhappy souls in prison and the shadow of death—were almost the only outspoken reliefs of her heavy mind.

She did not greatly alter in appearance. The plain dark dresses,akin to mourning dresses,which she and her child wore,were as neat and as well attended to as the brighter clothes of happy days.She lost her colour,and the old and intent expression was a constant,not an occasional,thing;otherwise,she remained very pretty and comely.Sometimes,at night on kissing her father,she would burst into the grief she had repressed all day,and would say that her sole reliance,under Heaven,was on him.He always resolutely answered:'Nothing can happen to him without my knowledge,and I know that I can save him,Lucie.'

They had not made the round of their changed life many weeks,when her father said to her,on coming home one evening:

'My dear,there is an upper window in the prison,to which Charles can sometimes gain access at three in the afternoon. When he can get to it—which depends on many uncertainties and incidents—he might see you in the street,he thinks,if you stood in a certain place that I can show you.But you will not be able to see him,my poor child,and even if you could,it would be unsafe for you to make a sign of recognition.'

'Oh show me the place,my father,and I will go there every day.'

From that time,in all weathers,she waited there two hours. As the clock struck two,she was there,and at four she turnedresignedly away.When it was not too wet or inclement for her child to be with her,they went together;at other times she was alone;but,she never missed a single day.

It was the dark and dirty corner of a small winding street. The hovel of a cutter of wood into lengths for burning was the only house at that end;all else was wall.On the third day of her being there,he noticed her.

'Good day,citizeness.'

'Good day,citizen.'

This mode of address was now prescribed by decree. It had been established voluntarily some time ago,among the more thorough patriots;but,was now law for everybody.

'Walking here again,citizeness?'

'You see me,citizen!'

The wood-sawyer,who was a little man with a redundancy of gesture(he had once been a mender of roads),cast a glance at the prison,pointed at the prison,and putting his ten fingers before his face to represent bars,peeped through them jocosely.

'But it's not my business,'said he. And went on sawing his wood.

Next day he was looking out for her,and accosted her the moment she appeared.

'What!Walking here again,citizeness?'

'Yes,citizen.'

'Ah!A child too!Your mother,is it not,my little citizeness?'

'Do I say yes,mamma?'whispered little Lucie,drawing close to her.

'Yes,dearest.'

'Yes,citizen.'

'Ah,But it's not my business. My work is my business.See my saw!I call it my Little Guillotine.La,la,la;La,la,la!And off his head comes!'

The billet fell as he spoke,and he threw it into a basket.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 许你荣华

    许你荣华

    她苦心经营,助夫得富贵,却死在了他的阴谋之下。好吧,既然重生了,就不能再让他得逞!该还的都要一一还回来!只是那个绝色绝情的男子真的只能与她只谈利益不谈感情么?他说,我要许你一世荣华!
  • 阳光下爱你

    阳光下爱你

    这是我的第一本小说,不喜勿喷。讲的是一对青梅竹马之间的小琐事。
  • 异界新大陆

    异界新大陆

    一个运输舰的舰长,一次空间跳跃偶遇到的空间风暴将其送到一个未知的星系,发现新的星球本以为能帮助自己重返地球,但是却发现这是一个各种力量的世界,但是力量与现实中的联系是什么呢?--------------------------------本书仅仅个人对于力量的YY。个人QQ271582770
  • 奥汗大陆

    奥汗大陆

    在一个架空历史的大陆上,权力与征服的争夺。
  • 爱她就带她去旅行

    爱她就带她去旅行

    本书是一部旅行随笔,更是一部跳跃着青春印记的散文。本书所描绘的不仅仅是十八幅清新优美的画卷,还在于通过这一段行程发现旅行的价值和意义。旅行的意义是什么?旅行的意义不是逃避,不是艳遇,不是放松心情,更不是炫耀,而是为了洗一洗身体和灵魂,给生命增加多一种可能性。
  • 异界灭魂录

    异界灭魂录

    盘古开天身化万物更留绝世修道法典《灭魂录》夏朝末年天地浩劫再现《灭魂录》再现世间修魔修仙各路神通者争斗不断终为修仙大能叶洛尘所得魔尊破天使诡计绑架叶落尘妻子与其决战余大禹神像之巅日月损落天塌地陷破天魔尊不敌欲与叶落尘同归于尽临死前得知《灭魂录》非绝脉灭魂者不得修炼叶落尘重创身魂俱损泯灭之时却意外穿越到异世界执《灭魂录》创无上辉煌.......
  • 与君贪恋之佛缘断

    与君贪恋之佛缘断

    我做了一个很美的梦,梦中我们就好似神仙伴侣,可梦醒后我指尖划过的不过是修行千年的一滴泪罢了。
  • 鹿眼

    鹿眼

    在小说主人公的童年时代,他与一个鹿眼女孩之间发生过一场奇异的感情,然而结局悲惨。稍长后他遇到同龄的姑娘,姑娘有一双鹿眼般纯真美丽的眼睛。再后来他成人后,在故园又遇到与他当年那般大小的孩子,男孩子女孩子,都长着那么美丽纯真的鹿眼。可是,孩子们之间发生了命案。一个最好的男孩莫名地肚子绞痛而死,另一个好男孩就此疯掉,他声称是自己和另一个孩子共同谋害了好朋友,起因是为一个鹿眼女孩……
  • 晏子春秋集释

    晏子春秋集释

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 心理影响一生

    心理影响一生

    拥有健康、成功的人生才是最幸福的,而心理健康则是幸福之本。无论你多么强壮、多么富有、多么渊博、多么伟大,如果受到不良心理的困扰,你人生的幸福就会受到影响。而许多原本一无所有的人,正是因为拥有健康的心理,反而创造了幸福的生活,成就了辉煌的人生。