Two Cities

Chapter 41
Three years of storms passed in such a blazing flames and turbulent crowds—an angry ocean rose and fell one after another, hitting the solid ground, rushing forward forever, not knowing how to retreat, making people on the shore feel thrilled and dazzled.The golden threads of little Lucy's three birthdays wove again into the calm of her home life.

The people in that room have listened to the echo of the street corner many nights, and they can't help being flustered when they hear a lot of chaotic footsteps.For that voice had become in them the voice of a people, seething beneath a red banner, declaring their country in peril, and transformed by a long magic into mad beasts.

The gentlemen have been ignored.They were no longer needed in France, and so they were in danger of being driven away altogether, even with their lives, but the gentlemen as a class had dissociated themselves from this phenomenon.Just like the countryman in the fable, he took great pains to get the devil out, but the devil was so frightened that he ran away immediately, and dared not ask him any more questions.So, too, gentlemen, after years of boldly saying the Lord's Prayer, and using many magical spells to conjure the devil, at last behold the dreadful form of the devil, and are obliged to flee.

Gone are the golden bull's-eye lamps of court, which would have been riddled with holes by the bullets of the country.Lights are never to be trusted, and they should not be relied upon to light the way.They had their faults, the pride of Lucifer, the extravagance of Sadanapalas, and the blindness of the mole—but they were outdated, gone.The court, from the exclusive core to the outermost circle of cruelty, greed, luxury and lust, is also gone.Kingship vanishes: first surrounded in the palace, then "suspended" when the last word arrives.

August 790 has arrived, and the gentlemen have already fled to the ends of the earth at this moment.

It is only natural that the gentlemen have their London headquarters and meeting-houses at Tellson's Bank.Ghosts are said to haunt the places they frequented in life, so poor gentlemen also haunt the places where they used to save their money.What's more, the news about France came the fastest and the most authentic there.Again, Tellson's Bank is a rich place, and often gives rich assistance to regular customers who have fallen from their high positions.And those nobles who, anticipating the approaching storm in time, and seeing the danger of looting and confiscation, wired money to Tellson's Bank in advance, were always inquired of by their brethren who had no money at hand.It must be added that every person coming from France must report to Tellsons almost as a matter of course, and report his whereabouts at the same time.For this reason, Tellson's Bank was at that time practically the high-level diplomatic area of ​​French intelligence.Since everyone knew about this matter, many people came to inquire about the news. Tellson sometimes wrote out the latest news and posted them on the wall of the bank for people passing by the London Law Society to watch.

One foggy and gloomy afternoon, Mr. Lorry was sitting at his desk, and Charles Darnay was standing by it, talking to him in a low voice.It used to be a confessional, later served as a reception room for the "Banking Authority", and is now a news exchange, and it is overcrowded.It was less than half an hour before closing time. "But even if you were the youngest man in the world," said Charles Darnay, with great hesitation, "I would still suggest to you—" "I understand. You mean to say that I am no longer young?" said Mr. Lorry . "The climate is unpredictable, the roads are long, and the means of travel are not guaranteed, plus a divided country and a city that is not safe even if you are afraid."

"My dear Charles," said Mr. Lorry, cheerfully and confidently, "you have just given the reasons why I should go, and not why I shouldn't. It is safe for me to go. There are plenty worth disturbing, who would Come to disturb me, an old man who is almost 80 years old! As for the city being in a mess, if it wasn’t for the city’s chaos, why would this bank send people to that bank? It must be someone Tellson trusts and understands the city over there and business development people. As for the fatigue of the road and the unpredictable weather, I have been in Tellson for so many years, and if the bank has difficulties, who should I go to?”

"I wish I could go," said Charles Darnay, a little uneasy, as if talking to himself.

"No! It's too difficult to advise you, or to oppose you!" cried Mr. Lorry. "You were born in France and you want to go there? You're absurd!"

"My dear Mr. Lorry, it is precisely because I was born in France that I have often thought this way (though I have not intended to dwell on it here). I have a certain sympathy for poor people, and I leave something to They, therefore, thought that others would listen to me, and that I might be able to persuade them to be moderate," and here he resumed his usual reflective attitude, "and I talked to Lucy just last night after you left. -"

You talked to Lucy, Rory said over and over again, "Yes. I don't know how you're not shy about mentioning Lucy's name! Thinking of going to France at a time like this!"

"But I didn't go," said Charles Darnay, cheerfully. "It's because you said you were going to France that I said so."

"But I must go to France. The fact is, my dear Charles," Mr. Lorry lowered his voice, glancing at the "banking authorities" in the distance, "you can't imagine how difficult it is for us to do business. How dangerous are the documents. God only knows how serious the consequences would be if some of our documents were stolen or destroyed. And that's very likely to happen. Because, you know, there is no guarantee that Paris The city will not be burned today, and it will not be sacked tomorrow! Now must seize the opportunity to make the correct selection of these books and documents, bury them in the ground or hide them in a safe place. And to do this well- If there is anyone else who can do it - without wasting valuable time, I am the only one, no one is suitable. Tellson knows this and asked, can I back off? I have been with Tellson for 60 years Do you shrink back just because I'm not in good health? Well, I'm still a baby in front of these queer old men who are half a century old here!"

"I admire your chivalrous spirit in good health, Mr. Lorry." "Duh! Nonsense, sir—my dear Charles," said Mr. Lorry, casting another glance at the "bank authorities." "You must bear in mind that, under the present circumstances, it is almost impossible to get anything out of Paris. We have had papers and valuables brought to us in these few days by strange persons whom you have not seen. Everyone passes the checkpoint with their head hanging on a strand of hair. (I’m going to keep this secret from you, even if I mention it quietly, it’s against the rules of doing business.) Sometimes our packages can be Free passage, as in commercial England, but now impossible."

"Are you really going to go tonight?" "You really have to go, because the situation is urgent and you can't delay." "Aren't you taking anyone with you?" "I have suggested different people to me, but I don't want to say anything about them. I Going to take Jerry. Jerry used to be my bodyguard on Sunday nights, used to it. No one would suspect that Jerry was anything other than an English Mastiff, with something on his mind other than jumping on someone who violated his master. There will be no other thoughts."

"I have to say it again, I admire your chivalrous spirit from the bottom of my heart."

"I have to say again, nonsense, nonsense! When I have completed this trivial task, I may accept Tellson's offer to retire and enjoy a few days of happiness. Then it will not be too late to think about old age. These words were spoken at Mr. Lorry's usual desk, when the lords crowded about a yard or two away, boasting that the rascals must be punished.The unfortunate noblemen who were refugees, and the native legitimists of England, felt that this terrible revolution was the only evil fruit that had not been sown but had appeared.It's their mindset, as if the revolution wasn't caused by something being done, or not being done.It is as if no one had foreseen the inevitability of the revolution years ago (who knew the suffering of tens of thousands of people in France and the waste and abuse of resources that could have been used for the benefit of the people).As if they had not recorded their observations in terms they could understand.Such irresponsible talk, and all kinds of whimsical plans of the gentlemen (they tried to re-implement the plan that made the people rich and angry, and people complained), no reasonable person can bear it without expressing objection.

Charles Darnay had all these voices in his ears at this moment, and they made him feel as if the blood flow in his head had become a mess, and coupled with the hidden guilt that had already disturbed him, he was becoming more and more out of ideas. .While Darnay was hesitating, the expected thing happened.

The "Banking Authorities" came to Mr. Lorry, put a dirty, unopened letter before him, and asked him if he had found any evidence.The letter was placed so close to Darnay that he saw the contents of the envelope--it was clear at a glance, for that was his original name.The cover translated into English is:
"Urgent. Please transfer to the former Marquis de Saint-Evremonde of France, Tellson & Co., London, England."

On the morning of the wedding, Dr. Manette had made an uncommon request of Charles Darnay: that the secrecy of the name must be kept secret from others, unless the doctor changed his mind.No one else would therefore know that it was his name, nor would his wife find out, nor would Mr. Lorry suspect it.

"No," replied Mr. Lorry to the "authorities," "I have asked everybody, and no one can give me the gentleman's address."

As the closing time drew nearer, most people chatted and walked past Mr. Lorry's desk, and Mr. Lorry took out a letter to ask them.A sly-looking lord refugee looked, and the lord refugees looked one after the other, each saying something unflattering in English or French about the missing Marquis.

"Nephew, I'm sure—a depraved heir anyway—nephew of the handsome Marquis who was murdered," said one. "Fortunately, I don't know who he is."

"A coward who has abandoned his post," said the others—the grown-up who spoke had left Paris hidden in a pile of hay, almost out of breath—"a long time ago."

"Poisoned by fashionable theories," said the third man, glancing at the recipient's name and address through his spectacles, "he contradicted the last Marquis, who gave up the manor when it was time to inherit it, and left it in the hands of cruel people. Now They'll come after him, I hope. He deserves it."

"Hi?" exclaimed Stryver, rough-throated and loud. "Is he really not going to inherit? Is he of that sort? Let's see this disgraceful name, this wretch!"

Darnay, unable to restrain himself any longer, patted Stryver on the shoulder and said:

"I know that." "You know, for God's sake?" said Stryver, "I really didn't think of it." "For what reason?" "Why, Mr. Darnay? You know what he did Is it? In such an era, there is no need for you to continue asking." "But I really want to know."

(End of this chapter)