Two Cities

Chapter 18 The adults are in the city (1)
One of the most powerful ministers in the court, Mr. So-and-so, held a half-monthly reception in his mansion.My lordship was in his chamber, the sanctuary of his sanctuaries, holiest of all holy places to the throngs of worshipers in the outer rooms.Adults want to eat chocolate.He can swallow a lot with ease, and some unbalanced people think he is devouring France with haste.But the chocolate for breakfast couldn't get down a grown-up's throat without the help of four burly men (except the cook).

That's right, four people are needed.Four people with luxurious decorations all over their bodies.Their chiefs cannot live without at least two gold watches in their pockets (which is imitating their noble and holy example), nor can they bring happy chocolates to their lips.The first page is responsible for carrying the chocolate jar to the holy lord.The second attendant uses a special small tool to grind the chocolate into powder and foam.The third attendant stood by with the napkin that the adults liked.The fourth (the one with the two gold watches) pours more chocolate sauce.To lose one squire will inevitably hurt the dignity of your lord, which is praised by the heavens.It would be a great disgrace to his family coat of arms to serve him chocolates with just three people.If there were only two people, he would definitely lose his life.

Last night the adults had a light meal out and enjoyed some charming comedy and great cabaret.Adults dine out most nights with attractive company.His Majesty was courteous, sensitive, and in the resolution of repulsive national affairs and secrets, comedy and grand opera were more attractive to him than the fate of France.This situation is a blessing to France--and it is the same with all countries that are similarly favored by God.So it was with England, for example, in those regrettable days when the merry Stuart, who had betrayed her, came to power.

For general public affairs adults have one absolute idea: let things take their course.He had another, purely noble idea of ​​a public affair like no other: He was in charge—to do what was best for his power and his pocketbook.And with regard to his amusements, general or particular, the grown-up has another idea which is most in keeping with his esteem: that God created the world to make him happy.The wording of his order is: "The land and all things are mine." (Only a pronoun has been replaced in the original, a trivial matter.) However, the grown-ups slowly found that the embarrassment of the unrefined man had seeped into it. His public and private affairs, so he had to ally himself with a tax contractor in both kinds of affairs.It turns out that I don't know anything about public finance, so I can only leave it to someone who knows how to do it.And when it comes to private finances, taxation contractors have money, but adults are slowly showing embarrassment after generations of squandering.His Excellency, therefore, took his sister out of a convent, and, while she had the chance of being a nun, married her as a prize to a humble but very rich tax-contractor.At this time, the contractor was holding a golden apple-studded special cane in his hand and was with the guests in the outer room.When everyone saw him, they tried their best to please him, but those outstanding people who claimed to have adult blood—including the contractor's wife—all looked down on him with extreme arrogance.

The tax contractor is a wasteful man.There are thirty good horses in the stables, 24 male servants in the hall, and the wife is served by six servants. The moral responsibility drawn by it is taken into account.But at the very least, he was the most remarkable reality among the nobles who accompanied the lord's mansion that day.

The rooms, although beautiful and luxurious, with their funky design and decor, are actually very unstable and on the verge of collapse.Considering the presence elsewhere of poor men in rags and nightcaps (they are not far from here, and the tower of Notre-Dame de Paris is almost in the middle of the poles, from which they can be seen), these A beautiful house has become a very frightening place--if someone in your lord's mansion has the duty to study it.A military official who doesn't know anything about the military.A naval officer who knows nothing about ships.A government official who has no concept of politics at all.There are also those who are serious on the surface, but very evil on the inside.These people are all pretending, all telling big lies, and pretending to be happy that they are doing their jobs.They are all subordinated to the Lord's city more or less closely, and for this reason, they are mixed up in all public positions and reap benefits from them. There are countless such people.There is also a large number of people here.They have no direct relationship to adults or countries, nothing to do with anything practical, nothing to do with the life of a long walk in the middle of nowhere.Physicians who have made their fortunes in fancy medicines for unimagined ailments smile at graceful and refined patients in the halls of their lords.Qing Ke, who devised all kinds of strategies for the country's minor worries but could not seriously eradicate any of the evils, spouted incessant utterances to the ears they could grasp at the reception of the adults. High ignorance.The godless philosopher who wants to change the world with empty words and build the Tower of Babel with cards to go to heaven, talks with the godless alchemist who wants to turn aluminum into gold at the very wonderful meeting of adults.Well-behaved gentlemen of the best breeding (in that splendid age--and since then--the best breeding can be distinguished by its lack of interest in the natural topics that concern human interests) in In the adult's mansion, he is always very tired from playing and becomes the best example for everyone.Families of this type left a variety of attention-grabbing characters in Paris high society.Inquisitors among the many faithful who assembled in the mansion of your lordship (they make up a good half of the high society) if you want to find a lonely wife in the fairy haunted world, who admits in attitude and appearance that she is a mother. is very difficult.In fact, apart from the gesture that brings troublesome life into the world—and that gesture does not embody the title of mother at all—there is no such thing as a mother in the circle of ephemeral talents.Those untimely children were given to rural women to raise them secretly and quietly, while old women over sixty dressed up like 20-year-old girls to dinner parties.

It is a leprosy not to correspond to reality.It distorts everyone in the squire.There were half a dozen or so different people in the nearest house outside and after a few years I felt vaguely uneasy that things were generally bad.As a promising remedy for the ills, half of the six or seven joined a very impractical sect: the Twitches.They are considering in the circle whether they should foam at the mouth, lose their temper, yell and make trouble, and act like they are forced to faint, leaving easy-to-understand prophecies for the future, and pointing the way for adults.In addition to these Dervishites, the other three joined another sect, which wanted to use the "center of truth" to try its best to remedy the world.They believe that although human beings have left the center of truth—no need to prove this—but they have not yet escaped from the “circle”, so they have to try to stop the escape and send them back to the center. The methods are fasting and channeling.Therefore, these people often talk to the fairies, which brings unspeakable happiness, although the happiness has not yet been revealed.It is a consolation that the people in your lord's stately mansion are very well dressed, and if the Last Judgment shall come on the day of dress, everyone there will always be right.Their hair is so curly and full of beautiful powder.Their skin is carefully maintained and repaired, so that the skin looks so fresh and delicate.Their sabers are chic and romantic.Their noses are exquisitely treated, and all this will continue for aeons of time.Well-bred, refined gentlemen are hung with little ornaments, which jingle as they move slowly, such gold fetters as precious little bells.There was the tinkling of gold ornaments on the one hand, and the clang of silk dresses on the other, and the air stirred and ate away Saint-Antoine and his devouring hunger.

(End of this chapter)