登陆注册
3554300000040

第40章 BOOK THE SECOND:THE GOLDEN THREAD(23)

In effect,the sun was so low that it dipped at the moment. When the heavy drag had been adjusted to the wheel,and the carriage slid down hill,with a cinderous smell,in a cloud of dust,the red glow departed quickly;the sun and the Marquis going down together,there was no glow left when the drag was taken off.

But there remained a broken country,bold and open,a little village at the bottom of the hill,a broad sweep and rise beyond it,a church-tower,a windmill,a forest for the chase,and a crag with a fortress on it used as a prison. Round upon all these darkening objects as the night drew on,the Marquis looked,with the air of one who was coming near home.

The village had its one poor street,with its poor brewery,poor tannery,poor tavern,poor stable-yard for relays of post-horses,poor fountain,all usual poor appointments. It had its poor people too.All its people were poor,and many of them were sitting at their doors,shredding spare onions and the like for supper,while many were at the fountain,washing leaves,and grasses,and any such small yieldings of the earth that could be eaten.Expressive signs of what made them poor,were not wanting;the tax for the state,the tax for the church,the tax for the lord,tax local and tax general,were to be paid here and to be paid there,according to solemn inion in the little village,until the wonder was,that there was any village left unswallowed.

Few children were to be seen,and no dogs. As to the men and women,their choice on earth was stated in the prospect—Life on the lowest terms that could sustain it,down in the little village under the mill;or captivity and Death in the dominant prison on the crag.

Heralded by a courier in advance,and by the cracking of his postilion's whips,which twined snake-like about their heads in the evening air,as if he came attended by the Furies,Monsieur the Marquis drew up in his travelling carriage at the posting-house gate. It was hard by the fountain,and the peasants suspended their operations to look at him.He looked at them and saw in them,without knowing it,the slow sure filing down of misery-worn face and figure,that was to make the meagreness ofFrenchmen and English superstition which should survive the truth through the best part of a hundred years.

Monsieur the Marquis cast his eyes over the submissive faces that drooped before him,as the like of himself had dropped before Monseigneur of the Court—only the difference was,that these faces drooped merely to suffer and not to propitiate—when a grizzled mender of the roads joined the group.

'Bring me hither that fellow!'said the Marquis to the courier.

The fellow was brought,cap in hand,and the other fellows closed round to look and listen,in the manner of the people at the Paris fountain.

'I passed you on the road?'

'Monseigneur,it is true. I had the honour of being passed on the road.'

'Coming up the hill,and at the top of the hill,both?'

'Monseigneur,it is true.'

'What did you look at so fixedly?'

'Monseigneur,I looked at the man.'

He stooped a little,and with his tattered blue cap pointed under the carriage. All his fellows stooped to look under the carriage.

'What man,pig?And why look there?'

'Pardon,Monseigneur;he swung by the chain of the shoe—the drag.'

'Who?'demanded the traveller.

'Monseigneur,the man.'

'May the Devil carry away these idiots!How do you call the man?You know all the men of this part of the country. Who was he?'

'Your clemency,Monseigneur!He was not of this part of thecountry. Of all the days of my life,I never saw him.'

'Swinging by the chain?To be suffocated?'

'With your gracious permission,that was the wonder of it,Monseigneur. His head hanging over—like this!'

He turned himself sideways to the carriage,and leaned back,with his face thrown up to the sky,and his head hanging down;then recovered himself,fumbled with his cap,and made a bow.

'What was he like?'

'Monseigneur,he was whiter than the miller. All covered with dust,white as a spectre,tall as a spectre!'

The picture produced an immense sensation in the little crowd;but all eyes,without comparing notes with other eyes,looked at Monsieur the Marquis. Perhaps,to observe whether he had any spectre on his conscience.

'Truly,you did well,'said the Marquis,felicitously sensible that such vermin were not to ruffle him,'to see a thief accompanying my carriage,and not open that great mouth of yours. Bah!Put him aside,Monsieur Gabelle!'

Monsieur Gabelle was the Postmaster,and some other taxing functionary united;he had come out with great obsequiousness to assist at this examination,and had held the examined by the drapery of his arm in an official manner.

'Bah!Go aside!'said Monsieur Gabelle.

'Lay hands on this stranger if he seeks to lodge in your village tonight,and be sure that his business is honest,Gabelle.'

'Monseigneur,I am flattered to devote myself to your orders.'

'Did he run away,fellow?—Where is that Accursed?'

The accursed was already under the carriage with some half-dozen particular friends,pointing out the chain with his blue cap. Some half-dozen other particular friends promptly hauled him out,and presented him breathless to Monsieur the Marquis.

'Did the man run away,Dolt,when we stopped for the drag?'

'Monseigneur,he precipitated himself over the hillside,head first,as a person plunges into the river.'

'See to it,Gabelle. Go on!'

The half-dozen who were peering at the chain were still among the wheels,like sheep;the wheels turned so suddenly that they were lucky to save their skins and bones;they had very little else to save,or they might not have been so fortunate.

同类推荐
  • 周子全书

    周子全书

    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。
  • 西夏书事

    西夏书事

    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。
  • 伤寒总病论

    伤寒总病论

    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。
  • 咳嗽门

    咳嗽门

    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。
  • 罗氏字辈

    罗氏字辈

    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。
热门推荐
  • 幽梦影

    幽梦影

    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。
  • 随机应变大考试(中小学生奥林匹克集训与选拔)

    随机应变大考试(中小学生奥林匹克集训与选拔)

    “中小学生奥林匹克集训与选拔”丛书旨在通过向青少年提供集知识性和趣味性于一体的科学文化知识,激发他们学习科学和热爱科学的积极性,引导他们拓宽视野,不断创新,最终达到提升综合性素质的目的。其中涉及到青少年必须知道的许多知识领域,具有很强的系统性、实用性和现代性,是青少年学习的最佳读本。
  • 林下风花

    林下风花

    这世间世事无非这样,福祸相依,却也祸不单行。沈家父母突遇车祸,双双去世。姐姐沈木槿放弃了学业从新西兰回来照顾即将参加艺考的妹妹沈木棉,却未曾料到,家里为数不多的产业也竟被叔父一家暗度陈仓,悄悄转移。而此时,出现了一个改变了沈家命运的男人——乔正豪。
  • 春风吻过你的美

    春风吻过你的美

    这是一段发生在80年代末期的爱情故事。故事主人翁刘丽在昌明家族中工作,偶遇了心中的老男人唐襄年,两人再续了一回纠葛虐心的爱恋。最终,以刘丽生意失败作结。时隔多年,在一次同学聚会中,两人再次邂逅,斗转星移,物是人非之后,两人终于无法抑制深藏在内心多年的暗涌。而刘丽在最终明白唐襄年对自己的深情后,将再也无处安放剩下的余生……唐襄年回望自己的前世,作者将共和国历史上那段清纯时代的爱情用饱含深情的笔墨娓娓道来,让人经由暗中泪水透视惨痛的历史之时,明了了作者及一代人心中隐秘的骄傲!
  • 翼之影Ⅰ:前奏

    翼之影Ⅰ:前奏

    拥有惊人天赋的波尔德在进入弗戈森诺空军学院的第二年,于一次考试中意外入选了S-AF空军基地的僚机飞行队。在这里他结识了传说中的飞行员与一群战友,从此在自我成长的道路上快速地蜕变……阴谋,战争,死亡。梦想,希望,重生。属于成年人的残忍哲学与少年胸中的飞翔热望,在这片本不该驱走和平的辽阔世界中融汇激荡!如果在你心底存在一份对草莽精神的渴盼,一份对自由无畏的狂热,一份对爱与时光的执念,那么欢迎进入White Phantom的世界,成为我们的同伴!
  • 眼见为实

    眼见为实

    我从小听闻过各种古怪的传闻,遭遇过各种离奇的经历。有时候眼睛看见的也不一定就是真的……
  • 西游大魔王

    西游大魔王

    花果山的混世魔王先猴子一步进入水帘洞,好像发现了了不得的东西啊。上古封神,远古巫妖时期,其中隐藏的秘密慢慢浮出水面。挣扎在生死的边缘,只为了活下去,就算是棋子也好!
  • 妾心如宅

    妾心如宅

    曾经名动天下的花魁,如今豪门深宅的贱妾,传奇浮生所给予她的,是冰火两重天。乱世倾覆,帝心难测,时局诡谲,世家变迁……她洗尽铅华独守承诺,铁腕缔造家族荣耀四个痴人,三段感情,两次婚姻,一生缱绻。逆来顺受的伎者贱妾,终成覆雨翻云的不世红颜。妾心如宅,繁华无声,门庭深冷,来者须诚。
  • 登越王楼即事

    登越王楼即事

    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。
  • 藏传佛教认识论

    藏传佛教认识论

    量学因明视为打开佛教教理宝库的金钥匙,是证明佛与佛法正确可信的有力理论武器,将量学因明作为佛学的基础课,正式列为显学五部之首。宗喀巴大师就用因明学这只明察秋毫的“世间”慧眼和“打开教理宝库的金钥匙”,重新全面审视了印藏学者的一切经论学说,拨开了重重迷雾,打开了一个个症结,对那些被缺乏精细理性思辨素质的历代的解经者们搞得乱无头绪、错误百出、违经背理的学说观点,一一做了纠正,一个更合乎理性的、新的显密佛教理论体系,被创建了起来。