登陆注册
3554300000045

第45章 BOOK THE SECOND:THE GOLDEN THREAD(28)

Now,the sun was full up,and movement began in the village. Casement windows opened,crazy doors were unbarred,and people came forth shivering—chilled,as yet,by the new sweet air.Then began the rarely lightened toil of the day among the village population.Some to the fountain;some,to the fields;men and women here,to dig and delve;men and women there,to see to the poor livestock,and lead the bony cows out,to such pasture as could be found by the roadside.In the church and at the Cross,a kneeling figure or two;attendant on the latter prayers,the led cow,trying for a breakfast among the weeds at its foot.

The chateau awoke later,as became its quality,but awoke gradually and surely. First,the lonely boar-spears and knives of the chase had been reddened as of old;then,had gleamed trenchant in the morning sunshine;now,doors and windows were thrown open,horses in their stables looked round over their shoulders at the light and freshness pouring in at doorways,leaves sparkled and rustled at iron-grated windows,dogs pulled hard at their chains,and reared impatient to be loosed.

All these trivial incidents belonged to the routine of life and the return of morning. Surely,not so the ringing of the great bell of the chateau,nor the running up and down the stairs;nor the hurried figures on the terrace;nor the booting and tramping here and there and everywhere,nor the quick saddling of horses and riding away?

What winds conveyed this hurry to the grizzled mender of roads,already at work on the hill-top beyond the village,with hisday's dinner(not much to carry)lying in a bundle that it was worth no crow's while to peck at,on a heap of stones?Had the birds,carrying some grains of it to a distance,dropped one over him as they sow chance seeds?Whether or no,the mender of roads ran,on the sultry morning,as if for his life,down the hill,knee-high in dust,and never stopped till he got to the fountain.

All the people of the village were at the fountain,standing about in their depressed manner,and whispering low,but showing no other emotions than grim curiosity and surprise. The led cows,hastily brought in and tethered to anything that would hold them,were looking stupidly on,or lying down chewing the cud of nothing particularly repaying their trouble,which they had picked up in their interrupted saunter.Some of the people of the chateau,and some of those of the posting-house,and all the taxing authorities,were armed more or less,and were crowded on the other side of the little street in a purposeless way,that was highly fraught with nothing.Already,the mender of roads had penetrated into the midst of a group of fifty particular friends,and was smiting himself in the breast with his blue cap.What did all this portend,and what portended the swift hoisting-up of Monsieur Gabelle behind a servant on horseback,and the conveying away of the said Gabelle(double-laden though the horse was),at a gallop,like a new version of the German ballad of Leonora?

It portended that there was one stone face too many,up at the chateau.

The Gorgon had surveyed the building again in the night,and had added the one stone face wanting;the stone face for which it had waited through about two hundred years.

It lay back on the pillow of Monsieur the Marquis. It was like a fine mask,suddenly startled,made angry,and petrified.Driven home into the heart of the stone figure attached to it,was a knife.Round its hilt was a frill of paper,on which was scrawled:

'Drive him fast to his tomb. This,from Jacques.'

XVI.TWO PROMISES

M ore months,to the number of twelve,had come and gone,and Mr. Charles Darnay was established in England as a higher teacher of the French language who was conversant with French literature.In this age,he would have been a Professor;in that age he was a Tutor.He read with young men who could find any leisure and interest for the study of a living tongue spoken all over the world,and he cultivated a taste for its stores of knowledge and fancy.He could write of them,besides,in sound English,and render them into sound English.Such masters were not at that time easily found;Princes that had been,and Kings that were to be,were not yet of the Teacher class,and no ruined nobility had dropped out of Tellson's ledgers,to turn cooks and carpenters.As a tutor,whose attainments made the student's way unusually pleasant and profitable,and as an elegant translator who brought something to his work besides mere dictionary knowledge,young Mr.Darnay soon became known and encouraged.He was well acquainted,moreover,with the circumstances of his country,and those were of ever-growing interest.So,with great perseverance and untiring industry,he prospered.

In London,he had expected neither to walk on pavements of gold,nor to lie on beds of roses;if he had had any such exalted expectation,he would not have prospered. He had expected labour,and he found it,and did it,and made the best of it.In this,his prosperity consisted.

A certain portion of his time was passed at Cambridge,where he read with undergraduates as a sort of tolerated smuggler who drove a contraband trade in European languages,instead of conveying Greek and Latin through the Custom-house. The rest of his time he passed in London.

Now,from the days when it was always summer in Eden,to these days when it is mostly winter in fallen latitudes,the world of a man has invariably gone one way—Charles Darnay's way—the way of the love of a woman.

同类推荐
  • 法华十罗刹法

    法华十罗刹法

    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。
  • 华严经持验记

    华严经持验记

    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。
  • 红铅入黑铅诀

    红铅入黑铅诀

    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。
  • 太上卫灵神化九转丹砂法

    太上卫灵神化九转丹砂法

    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。
  • Pioneers of the Old South

    Pioneers of the Old South

    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
  • 济南纪政

    济南纪政

    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。
  • 锦衣传奇

    锦衣传奇

    明初,置拱卫司,秩正七品,管领校尉,属都督府。后改拱卫指挥使司,秩正三品。寻又改为都尉司。洪武三年,改为亲军都尉府,管左、右、中、前、后五卫军士,而设仪鸾司隶焉。四年,定仪鸾司为正五品,设大使一人,副使二人。十五年,罢仪鸾司,改置锦衣卫,秩从三品——《明史》历代的锦衣卫中,有一个人,被称为第一锦衣卫他就是:少年仗剑夺武第,脚踏烈火救上帝。百官战栗伏阶下,高举金瓜震廷议。手掌飞鱼慑不法,缇骑马蹄震天下,身兼三公又三孤,天朝唯我陆平湖一直绞尽脑汁沉默写书,朋友建议弄个群扩展思路,说对历史真实度审核有帮助,因此决定建个看看效果,群号:124199558。喜欢锦衣卫的朋友加进来一起交流。
  • 心中的大佛

    心中的大佛

    《心中的大佛》是我国著名教育家、翻译家、钱币收藏家傅惟慈的随笔集。傅惟慈在书中追忆过往,回顾他年轻时代在抗战时期的求学生涯和新中国成立初期的翻译工作和故人;记叙了他在翻译中的体会,和对翻译作品和原作者的理解;并对自己游历世界遇到的景色和各色人等进行了怀念。他用温润精致的笔触回望自己不平凡的人生,可谓是傅惟慈的人生思考录:拿放自如,进退得体,强弱有秩,行止成禅。
  • 哈姆雷特(莎士比亚经典作品集)

    哈姆雷特(莎士比亚经典作品集)

    《哈姆雷特》是由莎士比亚创作于1599年至1602年间的一部悲剧作品。戏剧讲述了叔叔克劳狄斯谋害了哈姆雷特的父亲,篡取了王位,并娶了国王的遗孀乔特鲁德;哈姆雷特王子因此为父王向叔叔复仇。
  • 酒馆关门之前

    酒馆关门之前

    在这个晴朗的日子,我走出家门,来到通往酒馆的柏油公路上。我总是会被一些念头突然控制。比如刚才,我待在屋子里想要随便写点什么东西,我刚刚找到笔和纸,忽然就感觉喉咙发紧,身体迅速干枯下去。我快步走到厨房的冰箱前,打开冰箱门——空空如也——除了几根黄瓜和一根过期的火腿肠。可我需要的是酒,大量的酒,足够浇灌我,使我生长出炫目的啤酒之花。我来不及换衣服,就穿着大裤衩和这身皱巴巴的黄色海滨休闲衬衫,踏上了通往酒馆的朝圣之路。公路又长又宽,两旁栽种着我不认识的植物。
  • 服务致胜

    服务致胜

    我们一定要记住,服务是一项长期的工程,不能掉以轻心,也不能因循守旧,而必须时时刻刻为客户着想,发自内心地为客户服务,真诚地为客户解决问题,注意细节,勇于创新。由覃曦编著的《服务制胜》分节介绍了各种服务法则,详细地告诉你应该怎样去为客户服务,帮你解决服务过程中的种种困扰,让你学会怎样达到客户的要求。
  • 小小老公,别凶我

    小小老公,别凶我

    锦瑟无端五十弦,一弦一柱思华年。〖锦年〗苏锦年要嫁给小自己3岁的高中生了,只因她父亲最尊敬的人是他的司令爷爷,只因他的父亲是同她父亲出生入死过的战友,最主要的是因为他的小叔救了他的父亲。好吧,谁叫小妹未成年,好吧,谁叫她是个孝女,好吧,她穿上婚纱迈上红地毯,认命的嫁给那个素未谋面的,甚至连名字也不知道的人。可是谁能来告诉她一下,那只穿着貌似是新郎服的站在红地毯的另一端的公鸡,是在唱的那一出吗?谁能来告诉她一下,这个不久前一脸嫌弃的看着她,一开口就叫“老女人,欧巴桑,阿姨~”的少年为什么突然将她抓到天台对她说“老女人。不准吃别的嫩草,老女人,你是我的。”的人是不是从精神病院跑出来的?他一出生就注定不平凡,正军区司令的孙子,国防大学校长之子,司徒集团执权者的唯一外孙,IQ200的天才少年,出众的外表,哪一样不让他如太阳神一般耀眼?[2/3]哪一样不让女人们为之疯狂?可是为什么?为什么偏偏要他娶这么个比自己大三岁的老女人?更重要的是为什么,他会对这个老女人感兴趣?会觉得她笑起来甜美,会觉得她嘟嘴可爱,会觉得她性感妩媚?为什么他会对这个老女人有那么多的不准?不准她对别的男生微笑,不准她和别的男生说话,不准她21:00之后回家,不准她低胸短裙——【霸道简介】【一】某天,某厕所门口,少年将某个的老女人压在墙上强吻,时间长达五分钟。事后:“你~”某女气喘吁吁“我?”某男笑意盈盈“我是你的老师”“我知道”“不准”“恩?”少年轻挑眉。“耍流氓”“呵呵”少年轻笑,如琴弦弹奏之音。“阿姨老师,我只对你耍流氓”随即又俯身,含住那诱人红唇!!!【二】“龙少邪,大混蛋,死禽兽!凭什么,骗我,欺负我!拎起来,打你PP——小P孩儿,让你不乖,让你不乖…”“小老师,我混蛋,我禽兽,我让你打好不?[3/3]别生气了,别气坏了”“哼,你不止混蛋,禽兽,还ED,不举…”醉酒后的小女人嘟着嘴不怕死的继续说道。“ED?不举?”少年眯起眼…“女人,你的男人很行,马上证明给你看。”-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------喜欢的,请跳坑。
  • 前世今生之上上签

    前世今生之上上签

    正经文案:【女主痞帅+男主燃炸,多重身份+甜宠+虐你肝疼+权谋+宫斗+宅斗,总之就是斗斗斗……】 她,从小跟着老爹在死人堆里“打滚”,每天做着最危险的事情,也就图个温饱…… 他,生而尊贵却低调内敛,却是当朝最“善战”的皇子,心怀天下…… 他们虽然有着云泥之别,可他偏偏却宠她入骨,却还是没有抵过那至高的权利,她悔:如有来生,永远不要记得你! ———————— 再次为人,她是‘歧月国’最高贵的公主,却逃脱不了和亲的命运, 紧跟‘太子’一位一步之遥的他,却答应了父皇的和亲条件,成全了他心目中的家国天下… 亲眼见到至亲之人惨死在他的剑下,她转身跳下那极渊之地:若有来生,不要再爱你。 —————— 可是来生,她不仅最先动了心,却爱的义无反顾,却又偏偏记起了一切…… 阅文指南(公子真心话):俗话说‘无虐不成书’,本文甜+虐同行(权当给大家排个雷先),女主不傻,但是白,有点甜。看多了纯甜文(牙疼)的宝宝们可以支持公子给个收藏+评论~
  • 王者荣耀之军师你别跑

    王者荣耀之军师你别跑

    司羽:我知道他就是诸葛亮。我又不傻,怎么可能不知道?诸葛亮:我要的人一直都是她。之前,现在……还有将来。——————顾安:你说我现在去跟他认个错,他将来打我的时候会不会轻一点儿?许攸:这个我倒是不知道,我只知道你现在要过去的话肯定会挨打。顾安(看着前面的两人若有所思):那我还是不去了吧。许攸(摸头):知道就好。——————————刘子良:好久不见……你特么越来越智障了呢?张欣宇:……给我留点面子啊!
  • 变法:励精图治之道

    变法:励精图治之道

    春秋战国是我国历史上的上古时期。这一时期是我国奴隶制崩溃、封建制确立的过渡时期,并出现了我国历史上的第一次思想大解放,形成了“百家争鸣”的局面。在这样的历史背景下,各国变法运动风起云涌,涌现出管仲、子产、李悝、吴起、申不害、赵武灵王及商鞅这样的改革家。这些改革先行者在经济、政治、军事、文化等方面的变法,为奴隶制向封建制过渡进行了革故鼎新。他们名垂千秋,永载史册。