SomuchofwhathadhappenedinthatdreadfultimeascouldbekeptfromtheknowledgeofLuciewassowellconcealedfromher,thatnotuntillongafterwards,whenFranceandshewerefarapart,didsheknowthatelevenhundreddefencelessprisonersofbothsexesandallageshadbeenkilledbythepopulace;thatfourdaysandnightshadbeendarkenedbythisdeedofhorror;andthattheairaroundherhadbeentaintedbytheslain.
Sheonlyknewthattherehadbeenanattackupontheprisons,thatallpoliticalprisonershadbeenindanger,andthatsomehadbeendraggedoutbythecrowdandmurdered.
ToMr.Lorry,theDoctorcommunicatedunderaninjunctionofsecrecyonwhichhehadnoneedtodwell,thatthecrowdhadtakenhimthroughasceneofcarnagetotheprisonofLaForce.
That,intheprisonhehadfoundaself-appointedTribunalsitting,beforewhichtheprisonerswerebroughtsingly,andbywhichtheywererapidlyorderedtobeputforthtobemassacred,ortobereleased,or(inafewcases)tobesentbacktotheircells.
That,presentedbyhisconductorstothisTribunal,hehadannouncedhimselfbynameandprofessionashavingbeenforeighteenyearsasecretandunaccusedprisonerintheBastille;that,oneofthebodysosittinginjudgmenthadrisenandidentifiedhim,andthatthismanwasDefarge.
That,hereuponhehadascertained,throughtheregistersonthetable,thathisson-in-lawwasamongthelivingprisoners,andhadpleadedhardtotheTribunal—ofwhomsomememberswereasleepandsomeawake,somedirtywithmurderandsomeclean,somesoberandsomenot—forhislifeandliberty.
That,inthefirstfranticgreetingslavishedonhimselfasanotablesuffererundertheoverthrownsystem,ithadbeenaccordedtohimtohaveCharlesDarnaybroughtbeforethelawlessCourt,andexamined.
That,heseemedonthepointofbeingatoncereleased,whenthetideinhisfavourmetwithsomeunexplainedcheck(notintelligibletotheDoctor),whichledtoafewwordsofsecretconference.
That,themansittingasPresidenthadtheninformedDoctorManettethattheprisonermustremainincustody,butshould,forhissake,beheldinviolateinsafecustody.
That,immediately,onasignal,theprisonerwasremovedtotheinterioroftheprisonagain;but,thathe,theDoctor,hadthensostronglypleadedforpermissiontoremainandassurehimselfthathisson-in-lawwas,throughnomaliceormischance,deliveredtotheconcoursewhosemurderousyellsoutsidethegatehadoftendrownedtheproceedings,thathehadobtainedthepermission,andhadremainedinthatHallofBlooduntilthedangerwasover.
Themadjoyovertheprisonerswhoweresaved,hadastoundedhimscarcelylessthanthemadferocityagainstthosewhowerecuttopieces.
Oneprisonertherewas,hesaid,whohadbeendischargedintothestreetfree,butatwhomamistakensavagehadthrustapikeashepassedout.
Beingbesoughttogotohimanddressthewound,theDoctorhadpassedoutatthesamegate,andhadfoundhiminthearmsofacompanyofSamaritans,whowereseatedonthebodiesoftheirvictims.
Withaninconsistencyasmonstrousasanythinginthisawfulnightmare,theyhadhelpedthehealer,andtendedthewoundedmanwiththegentlestsolicitude—hadmadealitterforhimandescortedhimcarefullyfromthespot—hadthencaughtuptheirweaponsandplungedanewintoabutcherysodreadful,thattheDoctorhadcoveredhiseyeswithhishands,andswoonedawayinthemidstofit.
AsMr.Lorryreceivedtheseconfidences,andashewatchedthefaceofhisfriendnowsixty-twoyearsofage,amisgivingarosewithinhimthatsuchdreadexperienceswouldrevivetheolddanger.
Forthefirsttimehefeltthatinthatsharpfire,hehadslowlyforgedtheironwhichcouldbreaktheprisondoorofhisdaughter’shusband,anddeliverhim.
Asmybelovedchildwashelpfulinrestoringmetomyself,Iwillbehelpfulnowinrestoringthedearestpartofherselftoher;bytheaidofHeavenIwilldoit!”Thus,DoctorManette.
AndwhenJarvisLorrysawthekindledeyes,theresoluteface,thecalmstronglookandbearingofthemanwhoselifealwaysseemedtohimtohavebeenstopped,likeaclock,forsomanyyears,andthensetgoingagainwithanenergywhichhadlaindormantduringthecessationofitsusefulness,hebelieved.
Whilehekepthimselfinhisplace,asaphysician,whosebusinesswaswithalldegreesofmankind,bondandfree,richandpoor,badandgood,heusedhispersonalinfluencesowisely,thathewassoontheinspectingphysicianofthreeprisons,andamongthemofLaForce.
HecouldnowassureLuciethatherhusbandwasnolongerconfinedalone,butwasmixedwiththegeneralbodyofprisoners;hesawherhusbandweekly,andbroughtsweetmessagestoher,straightfromhislips;sometimesherhusbandhimselfsentalettertoher(thoughneverbytheDoctor’shand),butshewasnotpermittedtowritetohim:for,amongthemanywildsuspicionsofplotsintheprisons,thewildestofallpointedatemigrantswhowereknowntohavemadefriendsorpermanentconnectionsabroad.
ThisnewlifeoftheDoctor’swasananxiouslife,nodoubt;still,thesagaciousMr.Lorrysawthattherewasanewsustainingprideinit.
TheDoctorknew,thatuptothattime,hisimprisonmenthadbeenassociatedinthemindsofhisdaughterandhisfriend,withhispersonalaffliction,deprivation,andweakness.
Nowthatthiswaschanged,andheknewhimselftobeinvestedthroughthatoldtrialwithforcestowhichtheybothlookedforCharles’sultimatesafetyanddeliverance,hebecamesofarexaltedbythechange,thathetooktheleadanddirection,andrequiredthemastheweak,totrusttohimasthestrong.
TheprecedingrelativepositionsofhimselfandLuciewerereversed,yetonlyastheliveliestgratitudeandaffectioncouldreversethem,forhecouldhavehadnopridebutinrenderingsomeservicetoherwhohadrenderedsomuchtohim.
“Allcurioustosee,”thoughtMr.Lorry,inhisamiablyshrewdway,“butallnaturalandright;so,takethelead,mydearfriend,andkeepit;itcouldn’tbeinbetterhands.”
But,thoughtheDoctortriedhard,andneverceasedtrying,togetCharlesDarnaysetatliberty,oratleasttogethimbroughttotrial,thepubliccurrentofthetimesettoostrongandfastforhim.
Thenewerabegan;thekingwastried,doomed,andbeheaded;theRepublicofLiberty,Equality,Fraternity,orDeath,declaredforvictoryordeathagainsttheworldinarms;theblackflagwavednightanddayfromthegreattowersofNotreDame;threehundredthousandmen,summonedtoriseagainstthetyrantsoftheearth,rosefromallthevaryingsoilsofFrance,asifthedragon’steethhadbeensownbroadcast,andhadyieldedfruitequallyonhillandplain,onrock,ingravel,andalluvialmud,underthebrightskyoftheSouthandunderthecloudsoftheNorth,infellandforest,inthevineyardsandtheolive-groundsandamongthecroppedgrassandthestubbleofthecorn,alongthefruitfulbanksofthebroadrivers,andinthesandofthesea-shore.
WhatprivatesolicitudecouldrearitselfagainstthedelugeoftheYearOneofLiberty—thedelugerisingfrombelow,notfallingfromabove,andwiththewindowsofHeavenshut,notopened!
Thoughdaysandnightscircledasregularlyaswhentimewasyoung,andtheeveningandmorningwerethefirstday,othercountoftimetherewasnone.
Now,breakingtheunnaturalsilenceofawholecity,theexecutionershowedthepeopletheheadoftheking—andnow,itseemedalmostinthesamebreath,thebeadofhisfairwifewhichhadhadeightwearymonthsofimprisonedwidowhoodandmisery,toturnitgrey.
Andyet,observingthestrangelawofcontradictionwhichobtainsinallsuchcases,thetimewaslong,whileitflamedbysofast.
Arevolutionarytribunalinthecapital,andfortyorfiftythousandrevolutionarycommitteesallovertheland;alawoftheSuspected,whichstruckawayallsecurityforlibertyorlife,anddeliveredoveranygoodandinnocentpersontoanybadandguiltyone;prisonsgorgedwithpeoplewhohadcommittednooffence,andcouldobtainnohearing;thesethingsbecametheestablishedorderandnatureofappointedthings,andseemedtobeancientusagebeforetheyweremanyweeksold.
Aboveall,onehideousfiguregrewasfamiliarasifithadbeenbeforethegeneralgazefromthefoundationsoftheworld—thefigureofthesharpfemalecalledLaGuillotine.
Itwasthepopularthemeforjests;itwasthebestcureforheadache,itinfalliblypreventedthehairfromturninggrey,itimpartedapeculiardelicacytothecomplexion,itwastheNationalRazorwhichshavedclose:whokissedLaGuillotine,lookedthroughthelittlewindowandsneezedintothesack.
ModelsofitwerewornonbreastsfromwhichtheCrosswasdiscarded,anditwasboweddowntoandbelievedinwheretheCrosswasdenied.
Twenty-twofriendsofhighpublicmark,twenty-onelivingandonedead,ithadloppedtheheadsoff,inonemorning,inasmanyminutes.
ThenameofthestrongmanofOldScripturehaddescendedtothechieffunctionarywhoworkedit;but,soarmed,hewasstrongerthanhisnamesake,andblinder,andtoreawaythegatesofGod’sownTempleeveryday.
Amongtheseterrors,andthebroodbelongingtothem,theDoctorwalkedwithasteadyhead:confidentinhispower,cautiouslypersistentinhisend,neverdoubtingthathewouldsaveLucie’shusbandatlast.
Yetthecurrentofthetimesweptby,sostronganddeep,andcarriedthetimeawaysofiercely,thatCharleshadlaininprisononeyearandthreemonthswhentheDoctorwasthussteadyandconfident.
SomuchmorewickedanddistractedhadtheRevolutiongrowninthatDecembermonth,thattheriversoftheSouthwereencumberedwiththebodiesoftheviolentlydrownedbynight,andprisonerswereshotinlinesandsquaresunderthesouthernwintrysun.
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