A Tale of Two Cities - Project Gutenberg

1 A 's Knockat Handat L EOFTWOCI T I E SChapter1 ThePeriodIt wasthebestoftimes,it wastheworstoftimes,it wastheageofwisdom,it wastheageoffoolishness,it wastheepochofbelief,it wastheepochofincredulity, it wastheseasonofLight,it wastheseasonofDarkness,it wasthespringofhope,it wasthewinterofdespair, wehadeverythingbeforeus,wehadnothingbefo reus,wewereallgoingdirecttoHeaven,wewere allgoingdirecttheotherway inshort,theperiodwassofarlikethepresentp eriod,thatsomeofitsnoisiestauthoritiesin sistedonitsbeingreceived,forgoodorforevi l, kingwitha largejawanda queenwitha plainface,onthethroneofEngland.

2 Therewerea kingwitha largejawanda queenwitha fairface, wasclearerthancrystaltothelordsoftheStat epreservesofloavesand shes,thatthingsin , ve-and-twentiethblessedbirthday, ofwhoma rounddozenofyears,afterrappingoutitsmess ages,asthespiritsofthisveryyearlastpast( supernaturallyde cientinoriginality) ,froma congressofBritishsubjectsin America:which,strangetorelate, ,lessfavouredonthewholeastomattersspirit ualthanhersisteroftheshieldandtrident,ro lledwithexceedingsmoothnessdownhill, ,sheentertainedherself,besides,withsuchh umaneachievementsassentencinga youthtohavehishandscutoff,histonguetorno utwithpincers,andhisbodyburnedalive,beca usehehadnotkneeleddownintheraintodohonou rtoa dirtyprocessionofmonks4 ATA L EOFTWOCI T I E Swhichpassedwithinhisview, ata distanceofsome is likelyenoughthat,rootedinthewoodsofFranc eandNorway,thereweregrowingtrees.

3 Whenthatsuffererwasputtodeath,alreadymar kedbytheWoodman,Fate,tocomedownandbesawn intoboards,tomakea certainmovableframeworkwitha sackanda knifeinit,terribleinhistory. It is likelyenoughthatintheroughouthousesofsom etillersoftheheavylandsadjacenttoParis,t herewereshelteredfromtheweatherthatveryd ay, rudecarts,bespatteredwithrusticmire,snuf fedaboutbypigs,androostedinbypoultry, whichtheFarmer,Death, , thoughtheyworkunceasingly, worksilently, andnooneheardthemastheywentaboutwithmuf edtread:therather, forasmuchas to entertainanysuspicionthattheywereawake, , ,andhighwayrobberies,tookplaceinthecapit alitselfeverynight.

4 Familieswerepubliclycautionednottogoouto ftownwithoutremovingtheirfurnituretoupho lsterers'warehousesforsecurity;thehighwa ymaninthedarkwasa Citytradesmaninthelight,and,beingrecogni sedandchallengedbyhisfellow-tradesmanwho mhestoppedin hischaracterof theCaptain, gallantlyshothimthroughtheheadandrodeawa y;themallwaswaylaidbysevenrobbers,andthe guardshotthreedead,andthengotshotdeadhim selfbytheotherfour, inconsequenceofthefail-ureofhisammunitio n: afterwhichthemallwasrobbedin peace;thatmagni centpotentate,theLordMayorofLondon,wasma detostandanddeliveronTurnhamGreen,byoneh ighwayman,whodespoiledtheillustriouscrea tureinsightofallhisretinue;prisonersinLo ndongaolsfoughtbattleswiththeirturnkeys, andthemajestyofthelaw redblun-derbussesinamongthem,loadedwithr oundsofshotandball;thievessnippedoffdiam ondcrossesfromthenecksofnoblelordsatCour tdrawing-rooms; 's, tosearchforcontra-bandgoods,andthemob redonthemusketeers,andthemusketeers redonthemob,andnobodythoughtanyoftheseoc currencesmuchoutofthecommonway.

5 Inthemidstofthem,thehangman,everbusyande verworsethanuseless,wasin constantrequisition;now, stringinguplongrowsofmiscellaneouscrimin als;now, hanginga housebreakeronSaturdaywhohadbeentakenonT uesday;now, burningpeopleinthehandatNewgatebythedoze n,andnowburningpamphletsatthe5 ATA L EOFTWOCI T I E SdoorofWestminsterHall;to-day, takingthelifeofanatrociousmur-derer, andto-morrowofa wretchedpilfererwhohadrobbeda farmer' ,anda thousandlikethem,cametopassinandcloseupo nthedearoldyearonethousandsevenhundredan dseventy- ,whiletheWoodmanandtheFarmerworkedunheed ed,thosetwoofthelargejaws,andthoseothert wooftheplainandthefairfaces,trodwithstir enough,andcarriedtheirdivinerightswitha veconducttheirGreatnesses,andmyriadsofsm allcreatures thecreaturesofthischronicleamongtherest wastheDoverroadthatlay, ona FridaynightlateinNovember.

6 Beforethe , astohim,beyondtheDovermail,asit lumberedupShooter's ,astherestofthepassengersdid;notbecauset heyhadtheleastrelishforwalkingexercise,u nderthecircumstances,butbecausethehill,a ndtheharness,andthemud,andthemail,wereal lsoheavy, thatthehorseshadthreetimesalreadycometoa stop,besidesoncedrawingthecoachacrossthe road,withthemutinousintentof takingit backto ,however, incombination,hadreadthatarticleofwarwhi chforbadea purposeotherwisestronglyinfavourofthearg ument,thatsomebruteanimalsareenduedwithR eason; ,theymashedtheirwaythroughthethickmud, ounderingandstumblingbetweenwhiles,asif stand,witha wary Wo-ho!

7 So-ho-then! thenearleaderviolentlyshookhisheadandeve rythinguponit likeanunusuallyemphatichorse, ,thepassengerstarted,asa nervouspassengermight,andwasdisturbedin L EOFTWOCI T I E STherewasa steamingmistinallthehollows,andit hadroamedinitsforlornnessupthehill,likea nevilspirit,seekingrestand clammyandintenselycoldmist,it madeitsslowwaythroughtheairinripplesthat visiblyfollowedandoverspreadoneanother, wasdenseenoughtoshutouteverythingfromthe lightofthecoach-lampsbuttheseitsownworki ngs,anda fewyardsofroad;andthereekofthelabouringh orsessteamedintoit,asif theyhadmadeit ,besidestheone, , ,fromanythinghesaw, whateitheroftheothertwowaslike.

8 Andeachwashiddenunderalmostasmanywrapper sfromtheeyesofthemind,asfromtheeyesofthe body, ,trav-ellerswereveryshyofbeingcon dentialona shortnotice,foranybodyontheroadmightbea , wheneveryposting-houseandale-housecouldp roducesomebodyin theCaptain's pay, rangingfromthelandlordtotheloweststablen on-descript,it ,thatFridaynightinNovember, onethousandsevenhundredandseventy- ve,lumberingupShooter's Hill,ashestoodonhisownparticularperchbeh indthemail,beatinghisfeet,andkeepinganey eanda handonthearm-chestbeforehim,wherealoaded blunderbusslayatthetopofsixoreightloaded horse-pistols,depositedona ,thepassengerssuspectedoneanotherandtheg uard,theyallsuspectedeverybodyelse,andth ecoachmanwassureofnothingbutthehorses;as towhichcattlehecouldwitha clearcon-sciencehavetakenhisoathonthetwo Testamentsthattheywerenot tforthejourney.

9 Wo-ho! saidthecoachman. So,then!Onemorepullandyou'reatthetopandb edamnedtoyou,forI havehadtroubleenoughtogetyoutoit! Joe! Halloa! theguardreplied. Whato'clockdoyoumakeit,Joe? Tenminutes,good,pasteleven. Myblood! ejaculatedthevexedcoachman, andnotatopofShooter's yet!Tst!Yah!Getonwithyou! 7 ATA L EOFTWOCI T I E STheemphatichorse,cutshortbythewhipina mostdecidednega-tive,madea decidedscrambleforit, ,theDovermailstruggledon, , anyoneofthethreehadhadthehardihoodtoprop osetoanothertowalkona littleaheadintothemistanddarkness,hewoul dhaveputhimselfina fairwayofgettingshotinstantlyasa ,andtheguardgotdowntoskidthewheelforthed escent,andopenthecoach-doortoletthepasse ngersin.

10 Tst!Joe! criedthecoachmanina warningvoice,lookingdownfromhisbox. Whatdoyousay, Tom? Theybothlistened. Isaya horseata cantercomingup,Joe. Isaya horseata gallop,Tom, returnedtheguard,leavinghisholdofthedoor , andmountingnimblytohisplace. Gentlemen!Inthekingsname,allofyou! Withthishurriedadjuration,hecockedhisblu nderbuss, , wasonthecoach-step,get-tingin;thetwoothe rpassengerswereclosebehindhim,andaboutto follow. Heremainedonthestep,halfinthecoachandhal foutof; ,andfromtheguardtothecoachman, ,andeventheemphaticleaderprickeduphisear sandlookedback, ,addedtothestillnessofthenight,madeit tremulousmotiontothecoach,asif it wereina ;butat anyrate,thequietpausewasaudiblyexpressiv eofpeopleoutofbreath,andholdingthebreath , horseat a gallopcamefastandfuriouslyupthehill.