第36章 BOOK THE SECOND：THE GOLDEN THREAD(19)

'Let us shudder too. We may know what it is.'

'It will seem nothing to you. Such whims are only impressive as we originate them，I think；they are not to be communicated.I have sometimes sat alone here of an evening，listening，until I have made the echoes out to be the echoes of all the footsteps that are coming by-and-by into our lives.'

'There is a great crowd coming one day into our lives，if that be so，'Sydney Carton struck in，in his moody way.

The footsteps were incessant，and the hurry of them became more and more rapid. The corner echoed and re-echoed with the tread of feet；some，as it seemed，under the windows；some，as it seemed，in the room；some coming，some going，some breaking off，some stopping altogether；all in the distant streets，and not one within sight.

'Are all these footsteps destined to come to all of us，Miss Manette，or are we to divide them among us？'

'I don't know，Mr. Darnay；I told you it was a foolish fancy，but you asked for it.When I have yielded myself to it，I have been alone，and then I have imagined them the footsteps of the people who are to come into my life，and my father's.'

'I take them into mine！'said Carton.'I ask no questions and make no stipulations. There is a great crowd bearing down upon us，Miss Manette，and I see them—by the Lightning.'He addedthe last words，after there had been a vivid flash which had shown him lounging in the window.

'And I hear them！'he added again，after a peal of thunder.'Here they come，fast，fierce，and furious！'

It was the rush and roar of rain that he typified，and it stopped him，for no voice could be heard in it. A memorable storm of thunder and lightning broke with that sweep of water，and there was not a moment's interval in crash，and fire，and rain，until after the moon rose at midnight.

The great bell of Saint Paul's was striking One in the cleared air，when Mr. Lorry，escorted by Jerry，high-booted and bearing a lantern，set forth on his return passage to Clerkenwell.There were solitary patches of road on the way between Soho and Clerkenwell，and Mr.Lorry，mindful of footpads，always retained Jerry for this service：though it was usually performed a good two hours earlier.

'What a night it has been！Almost a night，Jerry，'said Mr. Lorry，'to bring the dead out of their graves.'

'I never see the night myself，master—nor yet I don't expect to—what would do that，'answered Jerry.

'Good night，Mr. Carton，'said the man of business.'Good night，Mr.Darnay.Shall we ever see such a night again，together！'

Perhaps. Perhaps，see the great crowd of people with its rush and roar，bearing down upon them，too.

XIII.MONSEIGNEUR IN TOWN

M onseigneur，one of the great lords in power at the Court，held his fortnightly reception in his grand hotel in Paris. Monseigneur was in his inner room，his sanctuary of sanctuaries，the Holiest of Holiests to the crowd of worshippers in the suite of rooms without.Monseigneur was about to take his chocolate.Monseigneur could swallow a great many things with ease，and was by some few sullen minds supposed to be rather rapidly swallowing France；but，his morning's chocolate could not so much as get into the throat of Monseigneur，without the aid of four strong men besides the Cook.

Yes，it took four men，all four a-blaze with gorgeous decoration，and the Chief of them unable to exist with fewer than two gold watches in his pocket，emulative of the noble and chaste fashion set by Monseigneur，to conduct the happy chocolate to Monseigneur's lips. One lacquey carried the chocolate-pot into the sacred presence；a second，milled and frothed the chocolate with the little instrument he bore for that function；a third，presented the favoured napkin；a fourth（he of the two gold watches），poured the chocolate out.It was impossible for Monseigneur to dispense with one of these attendants on the chocolate and hold his high place under the admiring Heavens.Deep would have been the blot upon his escutcheon if his chocolate had been ignobly waited on by only three men；he must have died of two.

Monseigneur had been out at a little supper last night，wherethe Comedy and the Grand Opera were charmingly represented. Monseigneur was out at a little supper most nights，with fascinating company.So polite and so impressible was Monseigneur，that the Comedy and the Grand Opera had far more influence with him in the tiresome articles of state affairs and state secrets，than the needs of all France.A happy circumstance for France，as the like always is for all countries similarly favoured！—always was for England（by way of example），in the regretted days of the merry Stuart who sold it.

Monseigneur had one truly noble idea of general public business，which was，to let everything go on its own way；of particular public business，Monseigneur had the other truly noble idea that it must all go his way—tend to his own power and pocket. Of his pleasures，general and particular，Monseigneur had the other truly noble idea，that the world was made for them.The text of his order（altered from the original by only a pronoun，which is not much）ran：'The earth and the fullness thereof are mine，saith Monseigneur.'