nà shì zuì měi hǎo de shí dài， nà shì zuì zāo gāo de shí dài； nà shì zhì huì de nián tóu， nà shì yú mèi de nián tóu； nà shì xìn yǎng de shí qī， nà shì huái yí de shí qī； nà shì guāng míng de jì jié， nà shì hēi 'àn de jì jié； nà shì xī wàng de chūn tiān， nà shì shī wàng de dōng tiān； wǒ men quándōu zài zhíbèn tiān táng， wǒ men quándōu zài zhíbèn xiāng fǎn de fāng xiàng -- jiǎn 'ér yán zhī， nà shí gēn xiàn zài fēi cháng xiāng xiàng， mǒu xiē zuì xuān 'áo de quán wēi jiān chí yào yòng xíng róng cí de zuì gāo jí lái xíng róng tā。 shuō tā hǎo， shì zuì gāo jí de； shuō tā bù hǎo， yě shì zuì gāo jí de。
yīng gé lán bǎo zuò shàng yòu yī gè dà xià bā de guó wáng hé yī gè miàn mào píng yōng de wáng hòu； fǎ lán xī bǎo zuò shàng yòu yī gè dà xià bā de guó wáng hé yī gè miàn mào jiāo hǎo de wáng hòu。 duì liǎng guó zhī pèi zhe guó jiā quán bù cái fù de lǎo yé lái shuō， guó jiā dà jú zú yǐ wàn suì qiān qiū nǎi shì bǐ shuǐ jīng hái qīng chǔ de shì。
nà shì yé sū yī gān qī bǎi qī shí wǔ nián。 líng hún qǐ shì zài nà gè shòu dào huān yíng de shí qī gēn xiàn zài yī yàng zài yīng gé lán fēng xíng yī shí。 sāo sī kē tè tài tài gāng mǎn liǎo tā xìng fú de 'èr shí wǔ suì， wáng shì wèi duì yī gè xiān zhī díshì bīng yǐ xuān bù zhè wèi tài tài zǎo yǐ zuò hǎo 'ān pái， yào shǐ lún dūn chéng hé xī mǐn sì lù chén， cóng 'ér wéi tā chóng gāo xíng xiàng de chū xiàn kāipì dào lù。 jí shǐ xióng jī xiàng de yōu líng zài duō duō bī rén dì fā chū tā de yù yán zhī hòu xiāo shēng nì jì zhěng zhěng shí 'èr nián， qù nián de jīng líng men duō duō bī rén fā chū de yù yán réng gēn tā chàbù duō， zhǐ shì shǎo liǎo jǐ fēn chāo zì rán de dú chuàng xìng 'ér yǐ。 qián bù jiǔ yīng guó guó wáng hé yīng guó bǎi xìng cái dé dào yī xiē rén shì jiān de xiāo xī。 nà shì cóng yuǎn zài měi zhōu de yīng guó chén mín de guó huì chuán lái de。 shuō lái qí guài， zhè xiē xìn xī duì yú rén lèi de yǐng xiǎng jìng rán bǐ xióng jī xiàng mó guǐ de zǐ sūn men de yù yán hái yào jù dà。
fǎ lán xī de líng yì shì wù dà tǐ bù rú tā nà yǐ dùn hé sān chā jǐ wéi biāo zhì de jiě mèi nà me shòu chǒng。 fǎ lán xī zhèng zài yī gè jìn 'ér dì wǎng pō xià huá， yìn zhì zhe chāo piào， shǐ yòng zhe chāo piào。 chú cǐ zhī wài tā yě zài jiào shì men de zhǐ yǐn xià jiàn lì xiē rén cí de gōng xūn， xún qiú diǎn lè qù。 bǐ rú pàn jué yī gè qīng nián zhǎn qù shuāng shǒu， yòng qián zǐ bá diào shé tóu， rán hòu huó huó shāo sǐ， yīn wéi tā zài yī qún hé shàng de 'āng zàng yí zhàng duì cóng wǔ liù shí mǎ zhī wài tā kàn dé jiàn de dì fāng jīng guò shí， jìng rán méi yòu guì dǎo zài yǔ dì lǐ xiàng tā zhì jìng。 ér zài nà rén bèi chǔsǐ shí， shēngzhǎng zài fǎ lán xī hé nuó wēi sēn lín lǐ de mǒu xiē shù mù hěn kě néng yǐ bèi“ mìng yùn” zhè gè qiáo fū kàn zhōng， yào kǎn dǎo tā men， jù chéng mù bǎn， zuò chéng yī zhǒng zài lì shǐ shàng yǐ kǒng bù zhù míng de kě yǐ yí dòng de jià zǐ， qí zhōng bāo hán liǎo yī gè kǒu dài hé yī bǎ zhá dāo。 ér zài tóng yī tiān， bā lí jìn jiāo bǎn jié de tǔ dì shàng mǒu xiē nóng hù de jiǎn lòu de xiǎo pī wū lǐ yě hěn kě néng yòu yī xiē dà chē zài nà 'ér duǒ bì fēng yǔ。 nà xiē chē hěn cū cāo， jiàn mǎn liǎo jiāo yě de ní jiāng， zhū qún zài tā bàng biān xiù zhe， jiā qín zài tā shàng miàn qī xī。 zhè dōng xī yě jí yòu kě néng yǐ bèi“ sǐ wáng” zhè gè nóng mín kàn zhōng， yào zài shí gěi tā pài shàng sǐ qiú qiú chē de yòng chǎng。 kě shì nà“ qiáo fū” hé“ nóng mín” jìn guǎn máng gè bù tíng， què zǒng shì mò bù zuò shēng， niè shǒu niè jiǎo， bù ràng rén tīng jiàn。 yīn cǐ ruò shì yòu rén cāi xiǎng dào tā men yǐ zài xíng dòng， fǎn dǎo huì bèi kàn zuò shì wú shén lùn hé dà nì bù dào。
yīng gé lán jīhū méi yòu zhì xù hé bǎo zhàng， nán yǐ wèimín zú zì kuā tí gōng zuǒ zhèng。 wǔ zhuāng dǎi tú dǎn dà bāo tiān de pò mén qiǎng jié hé lán lù jiǎn jìng zài jīng jī zhòng dì měi tiān wǎn shàng chū xiàn。 yòu gōng kāi de jǐng gào fā biǎo： gè jiā gè hù， fán yào lí chéng wài chū， wù xū bǎ jiā jù shí wù cún rù jiā jù diàn de cāng kù， yǐ bǎo 'ān quán。 hēi 'àn zhōng de qiáng dào què shì dà bái tiān de chéng shì shāng rén。 tā ruò shì bèi tā yǐ“ lǎo dà” de shēn fèn qiǎng jié de tóng xíng rèn liǎo chū lái， zāo dào tiǎo zhàn， biàn xiāo sǎ dì shè chuān duì fāng de nǎo dài， rán hòu yáng cháng 'ér qù。 qī gè qiáng dào qiǎng jié yóu chē， bèi yā chē wèi shì jī bì liǎo sān gè， wèi shì zì jǐ yě bù miǎn“ yīn wéi dàn jìn yuán jué” bèi nà sì gè qiáng dào shā sǐ， rán hòu yóu jiàn biàn bèi cóng cóng róng róng dì nòng zǒu。 lún dūn shì de shì cháng dà rén， yī gè shén qì shí zú de dà yuán， zài tè 'ēn 'ān sēn lín bèi yī gè jiǎn jìng de qiáng tú hē zhù， zhǐ hǎo guāi guāi dì zhàn zhù bù dòng。 nà qiáng dào jìng dāng zhe zhòng suí yuán de miàn bǎ nà gè xiǎn hè rén wù lǔ liǎo gè jīng guāng。 lún dūn jiān yù de qiú fàn gēn jiān yù kānshǒu dà dǎ chū shǒu； fǎ lǜ de zuì gāo quán wēi duì zhe qiú fàn kāi qiāng， dà kǒu jìng duǎn qiāng qiāng táng lǐ tián jìn liǎo yī pái yòu yī pái de zǐ dàn hé tiě shā。 xiǎo tōu zài fǎ tíng de kè tīng lǐ chě xià liǎo guì zú dà rén bó zǐ shàng de zuàn shí shí zì jià。 huǒ qiāng shǒu chuǎng jìn shèng . jiā 'ěr sī jiào táng qù jiǎn chá sī huò， bào mín men què duì huǒ qiāng shǒu kāi qiāng。 huǒ qiāng shǒu yě duì bào mín hái jī。 cǐ lèi shì jiàn dà jiā zǎo yǐ xí yǐ wéi cháng， jiàn guàn bù jīng。 zài zhè yàng de qíng kuàng zhī xià guì zǐ shǒu bù miǎn shǒu máng jiǎo luàn。 zhè zhǒng rén wú yòng shèng yú yòu yòng， què zǒng shì yìng jiē bù xiá。 tā men yòu shí bǎ gè sè gè yàng de zuì fàn yī dà pái yī dà pái dì guà qǐ lái。 yòu shí xīng qī 'èr zhuā zhù de qiáng dào， xīng qī liù jiù jiǎo sǐ； yòu shí jiù zài xīn mén jiān yù bǎ qiú fàn chéng dǎ chéng dǎ dì yòng huǒ xíng shāo sǐ； yòu shí yòu zài xī mǐn sì dà tīng mén qián fén shāo xiǎo cè zǐ。 jīn tiān chǔjué yī gè qióng xiōng jí 'è de shā rén fàn， míng tiān shā sǐ yī gè zhǐ qiǎng liǎo nóng jiā hái zǐ liù biàn shì de kě lián de xiǎo tōu。
zhū rú cǐ lèi de xiàn xiàng， hái jiā shàng yī qiān zhuāng lèi sì de shì jiàn， jiù xiàng zhè yàng zài kě 'ài de gǔ lǎo de yī qiān qī bǎi qī shí wǔ nián xiāng jì fā shēng， céng chū bù qióng。 zài zhè xiē shì jiàn bāo wéi zhī zhōng，“ qiáo fū” hé“ nóng mín” réng rán qiāoqiāo dì gān zhe huó， ér nà liǎng wèi dà xià bā hé lìng wài liǎng zhāng píng cháng de hé jiāo hǎo de miàn kǒng què dū wēi fēng lǐn lǐn， zhuān héng dì yùn yòng zhe tā men shén shòu de jūn quán。 yī gān qī bǎi qī shí wǔ nián jiù shì xiàng zhè yàng biǎo xiàn chū liǎo tā de wěi dà， yě bǎ chéng gān shàng wàn de xiǎo rén wù dài shàng liǎo tā men qián miàn de lù -- wǒ men zhè bù lì shǐ zhōng de jǐ wèi yě zài qí zhōng。
There were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a plain face, on the throne of England; there were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a fair face, on the throne of France. In both countries it was clearer than crystal to the lords of the State preserves of loaves and fishes, that things in general were settled for ever.
It was the year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five. Spiritual revelations were conceded to England at that favoured period, as at this. Mrs. Southcott had recently attained her five-and-twentieth blessed birthday, of whom a prophetic private in the Life Guards had heralded the sublime appearance by announcing that arrangements were made for the swallowing up of London and Westminster. Even the Cock-lane ghost had been laid only a round dozen of years, after rapping out its messages, as the spirits of this very year last past (supernaturally deficient in originality) rapped out theirs. Mere messages in the earthly order of events had lately come to the English Crown and People, from a congress of British subjects in America: which, strange to relate, have proved more important to the human race than any communications yet received through any of the chickens of the Cock-lane brood.
France, less favoured on the whole as to matters spiritual than her sister of the shield and trident, rolled with exceeding smoothness down hill, making paper money and spending it. Under the guidance of her Christian pastors, she entertained herself, besides, with such humane achievements as sentencing a youth to have his hands cut off, his tongue torn out with pincers, and his body burned alive, because he had not kneeled down in the rain to do honour to a dirty procession of monks which passed within his view, at a distance of some fifty or sixty yards. It is likely enough that, rooted in the woods of France and Norway, there were growing trees, when that sufferer was put to death, already marked by the Woodman, Fate, to come down and be sawn into boards, to make a certain movable framework with a sack and a knife in it, terrible in history. It is likely enough that in the rough outhouses of some tillers of the heavy lands adjacent to Paris, there were sheltered from the weather that very day, rude carts, bespattered with rustic mire, snuffed about by pigs, and roosted in by poultry, which the Farmer, Death, had already set apart to be his tumbrils of the Revolution. But that Woodman and that Farmer, though they work unceasingly, work silently, and no one heard them as they went about with muffled tread: the rather, forasmuch as to entertain any suspicion that they were awake, was to be atheistical and traitorous.
In England, there was scarcely an amount of order and protection to justify much national boasting. Daring burglaries by armed men, and highway robberies, took place in the capital itself every night; families were publicly cautioned not to go out of town without removing their furniture to upholsterers' warehouses for security; the highwayman in the dark was a City tradesman in the light, and, being recognised and challenged by his fellow- tradesman whom he stopped in his character of "the Captain," gallantly shot him through the head and rode away; the mall was waylaid by seven robbers, and the guard shot three dead, and then got shot dead himself by the other four, "in consequence of the failure of his ammunition:" after which the mall was robbed in peace; that magnificent potentate, the Lord Mayor of London, was made to stand and deliver on Turnham Green, by one highwayman, who despoiled the illustrious creature in sight of all his retinue; prisoners in London gaols fought battles with their turnkeys, and the majesty of the law fired blunderbusses in among them, loaded with rounds of shot and ball; thieves snipped off diamond crosses from the necks of noble lords at Court drawing-rooms; musketeers went into St. Giles's, to search for contraband goods, and the mob fired on the musketeers, and the musketeers fired on the mob, and nobody thought any of these occurrences much out of the common way. In the midst of them, the hangman, ever busy and ever worse than useless, was in constant requisition; now, stringing up long rows of miscellaneous criminals; now, hanging a housebreaker on Saturday who had been taken on Tuesday; now, burning people in the hand at Newgate by the dozen, and now burning pamphlets at the door of Westminster Hall; to-day, taking the life of an atrocious murderer, and to-morrow of a wretched pilferer who had robbed a farmer's boy of sixpence.
All these things, and a thousand like them, came to pass in and close upon the dear old year one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five. Environed by them, while the Woodman and the Farmer worked unheeded, those two of the large jaws, and those other two of the plain and the fair faces, trod with stir enough, and carried their divine rights with a high hand. Thus did the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five conduct their Greatnesses, and myriads of small creatures--the creatures of this chronicle among the rest--along the roads that lay before them.
yīng gé lán bǎo zuò shàng yòu yī gè dà xià bā de guó wáng hé yī gè miàn mào píng yōng de wáng hòu； fǎ lán xī bǎo zuò shàng yòu yī gè dà xià bā de guó wáng hé yī gè miàn mào jiāo hǎo de wáng hòu。 duì liǎng guó zhī pèi zhe guó jiā quán bù cái fù de lǎo yé lái shuō， guó jiā dà jú zú yǐ wàn suì qiān qiū nǎi shì bǐ shuǐ jīng hái qīng chǔ de shì。
nà shì yé sū yī gān qī bǎi qī shí wǔ nián。 líng hún qǐ shì zài nà gè shòu dào huān yíng de shí qī gēn xiàn zài yī yàng zài yīng gé lán fēng xíng yī shí。 sāo sī kē tè tài tài gāng mǎn liǎo tā xìng fú de 'èr shí wǔ suì， wáng shì wèi duì yī gè xiān zhī díshì bīng yǐ xuān bù zhè wèi tài tài zǎo yǐ zuò hǎo 'ān pái， yào shǐ lún dūn chéng hé xī mǐn sì lù chén， cóng 'ér wéi tā chóng gāo xíng xiàng de chū xiàn kāipì dào lù。 jí shǐ xióng jī xiàng de yōu líng zài duō duō bī rén dì fā chū tā de yù yán zhī hòu xiāo shēng nì jì zhěng zhěng shí 'èr nián， qù nián de jīng líng men duō duō bī rén fā chū de yù yán réng gēn tā chàbù duō， zhǐ shì shǎo liǎo jǐ fēn chāo zì rán de dú chuàng xìng 'ér yǐ。 qián bù jiǔ yīng guó guó wáng hé yīng guó bǎi xìng cái dé dào yī xiē rén shì jiān de xiāo xī。 nà shì cóng yuǎn zài měi zhōu de yīng guó chén mín de guó huì chuán lái de。 shuō lái qí guài， zhè xiē xìn xī duì yú rén lèi de yǐng xiǎng jìng rán bǐ xióng jī xiàng mó guǐ de zǐ sūn men de yù yán hái yào jù dà。
fǎ lán xī de líng yì shì wù dà tǐ bù rú tā nà yǐ dùn hé sān chā jǐ wéi biāo zhì de jiě mèi nà me shòu chǒng。 fǎ lán xī zhèng zài yī gè jìn 'ér dì wǎng pō xià huá， yìn zhì zhe chāo piào， shǐ yòng zhe chāo piào。 chú cǐ zhī wài tā yě zài jiào shì men de zhǐ yǐn xià jiàn lì xiē rén cí de gōng xūn， xún qiú diǎn lè qù。 bǐ rú pàn jué yī gè qīng nián zhǎn qù shuāng shǒu， yòng qián zǐ bá diào shé tóu， rán hòu huó huó shāo sǐ， yīn wéi tā zài yī qún hé shàng de 'āng zàng yí zhàng duì cóng wǔ liù shí mǎ zhī wài tā kàn dé jiàn de dì fāng jīng guò shí， jìng rán méi yòu guì dǎo zài yǔ dì lǐ xiàng tā zhì jìng。 ér zài nà rén bèi chǔsǐ shí， shēngzhǎng zài fǎ lán xī hé nuó wēi sēn lín lǐ de mǒu xiē shù mù hěn kě néng yǐ bèi“ mìng yùn” zhè gè qiáo fū kàn zhōng， yào kǎn dǎo tā men， jù chéng mù bǎn， zuò chéng yī zhǒng zài lì shǐ shàng yǐ kǒng bù zhù míng de kě yǐ yí dòng de jià zǐ， qí zhōng bāo hán liǎo yī gè kǒu dài hé yī bǎ zhá dāo。 ér zài tóng yī tiān， bā lí jìn jiāo bǎn jié de tǔ dì shàng mǒu xiē nóng hù de jiǎn lòu de xiǎo pī wū lǐ yě hěn kě néng yòu yī xiē dà chē zài nà 'ér duǒ bì fēng yǔ。 nà xiē chē hěn cū cāo， jiàn mǎn liǎo jiāo yě de ní jiāng， zhū qún zài tā bàng biān xiù zhe， jiā qín zài tā shàng miàn qī xī。 zhè dōng xī yě jí yòu kě néng yǐ bèi“ sǐ wáng” zhè gè nóng mín kàn zhōng， yào zài shí gěi tā pài shàng sǐ qiú qiú chē de yòng chǎng。 kě shì nà“ qiáo fū” hé“ nóng mín” jìn guǎn máng gè bù tíng， què zǒng shì mò bù zuò shēng， niè shǒu niè jiǎo， bù ràng rén tīng jiàn。 yīn cǐ ruò shì yòu rén cāi xiǎng dào tā men yǐ zài xíng dòng， fǎn dǎo huì bèi kàn zuò shì wú shén lùn hé dà nì bù dào。
yīng gé lán jīhū méi yòu zhì xù hé bǎo zhàng， nán yǐ wèimín zú zì kuā tí gōng zuǒ zhèng。 wǔ zhuāng dǎi tú dǎn dà bāo tiān de pò mén qiǎng jié hé lán lù jiǎn jìng zài jīng jī zhòng dì měi tiān wǎn shàng chū xiàn。 yòu gōng kāi de jǐng gào fā biǎo： gè jiā gè hù， fán yào lí chéng wài chū， wù xū bǎ jiā jù shí wù cún rù jiā jù diàn de cāng kù， yǐ bǎo 'ān quán。 hēi 'àn zhōng de qiáng dào què shì dà bái tiān de chéng shì shāng rén。 tā ruò shì bèi tā yǐ“ lǎo dà” de shēn fèn qiǎng jié de tóng xíng rèn liǎo chū lái， zāo dào tiǎo zhàn， biàn xiāo sǎ dì shè chuān duì fāng de nǎo dài， rán hòu yáng cháng 'ér qù。 qī gè qiáng dào qiǎng jié yóu chē， bèi yā chē wèi shì jī bì liǎo sān gè， wèi shì zì jǐ yě bù miǎn“ yīn wéi dàn jìn yuán jué” bèi nà sì gè qiáng dào shā sǐ， rán hòu yóu jiàn biàn bèi cóng cóng róng róng dì nòng zǒu。 lún dūn shì de shì cháng dà rén， yī gè shén qì shí zú de dà yuán， zài tè 'ēn 'ān sēn lín bèi yī gè jiǎn jìng de qiáng tú hē zhù， zhǐ hǎo guāi guāi dì zhàn zhù bù dòng。 nà qiáng dào jìng dāng zhe zhòng suí yuán de miàn bǎ nà gè xiǎn hè rén wù lǔ liǎo gè jīng guāng。 lún dūn jiān yù de qiú fàn gēn jiān yù kānshǒu dà dǎ chū shǒu； fǎ lǜ de zuì gāo quán wēi duì zhe qiú fàn kāi qiāng， dà kǒu jìng duǎn qiāng qiāng táng lǐ tián jìn liǎo yī pái yòu yī pái de zǐ dàn hé tiě shā。 xiǎo tōu zài fǎ tíng de kè tīng lǐ chě xià liǎo guì zú dà rén bó zǐ shàng de zuàn shí shí zì jià。 huǒ qiāng shǒu chuǎng jìn shèng . jiā 'ěr sī jiào táng qù jiǎn chá sī huò， bào mín men què duì huǒ qiāng shǒu kāi qiāng。 huǒ qiāng shǒu yě duì bào mín hái jī。 cǐ lèi shì jiàn dà jiā zǎo yǐ xí yǐ wéi cháng， jiàn guàn bù jīng。 zài zhè yàng de qíng kuàng zhī xià guì zǐ shǒu bù miǎn shǒu máng jiǎo luàn。 zhè zhǒng rén wú yòng shèng yú yòu yòng， què zǒng shì yìng jiē bù xiá。 tā men yòu shí bǎ gè sè gè yàng de zuì fàn yī dà pái yī dà pái dì guà qǐ lái。 yòu shí xīng qī 'èr zhuā zhù de qiáng dào， xīng qī liù jiù jiǎo sǐ； yòu shí jiù zài xīn mén jiān yù bǎ qiú fàn chéng dǎ chéng dǎ dì yòng huǒ xíng shāo sǐ； yòu shí yòu zài xī mǐn sì dà tīng mén qián fén shāo xiǎo cè zǐ。 jīn tiān chǔjué yī gè qióng xiōng jí 'è de shā rén fàn， míng tiān shā sǐ yī gè zhǐ qiǎng liǎo nóng jiā hái zǐ liù biàn shì de kě lián de xiǎo tōu。
zhū rú cǐ lèi de xiàn xiàng， hái jiā shàng yī qiān zhuāng lèi sì de shì jiàn， jiù xiàng zhè yàng zài kě 'ài de gǔ lǎo de yī qiān qī bǎi qī shí wǔ nián xiāng jì fā shēng， céng chū bù qióng。 zài zhè xiē shì jiàn bāo wéi zhī zhōng，“ qiáo fū” hé“ nóng mín” réng rán qiāoqiāo dì gān zhe huó， ér nà liǎng wèi dà xià bā hé lìng wài liǎng zhāng píng cháng de hé jiāo hǎo de miàn kǒng què dū wēi fēng lǐn lǐn， zhuān héng dì yùn yòng zhe tā men shén shòu de jūn quán。 yī gān qī bǎi qī shí wǔ nián jiù shì xiàng zhè yàng biǎo xiàn chū liǎo tā de wěi dà， yě bǎ chéng gān shàng wàn de xiǎo rén wù dài shàng liǎo tā men qián miàn de lù -- wǒ men zhè bù lì shǐ zhōng de jǐ wèi yě zài qí zhōng。
There were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a plain face, on the throne of England; there were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a fair face, on the throne of France. In both countries it was clearer than crystal to the lords of the State preserves of loaves and fishes, that things in general were settled for ever.
It was the year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five. Spiritual revelations were conceded to England at that favoured period, as at this. Mrs. Southcott had recently attained her five-and-twentieth blessed birthday, of whom a prophetic private in the Life Guards had heralded the sublime appearance by announcing that arrangements were made for the swallowing up of London and Westminster. Even the Cock-lane ghost had been laid only a round dozen of years, after rapping out its messages, as the spirits of this very year last past (supernaturally deficient in originality) rapped out theirs. Mere messages in the earthly order of events had lately come to the English Crown and People, from a congress of British subjects in America: which, strange to relate, have proved more important to the human race than any communications yet received through any of the chickens of the Cock-lane brood.
France, less favoured on the whole as to matters spiritual than her sister of the shield and trident, rolled with exceeding smoothness down hill, making paper money and spending it. Under the guidance of her Christian pastors, she entertained herself, besides, with such humane achievements as sentencing a youth to have his hands cut off, his tongue torn out with pincers, and his body burned alive, because he had not kneeled down in the rain to do honour to a dirty procession of monks which passed within his view, at a distance of some fifty or sixty yards. It is likely enough that, rooted in the woods of France and Norway, there were growing trees, when that sufferer was put to death, already marked by the Woodman, Fate, to come down and be sawn into boards, to make a certain movable framework with a sack and a knife in it, terrible in history. It is likely enough that in the rough outhouses of some tillers of the heavy lands adjacent to Paris, there were sheltered from the weather that very day, rude carts, bespattered with rustic mire, snuffed about by pigs, and roosted in by poultry, which the Farmer, Death, had already set apart to be his tumbrils of the Revolution. But that Woodman and that Farmer, though they work unceasingly, work silently, and no one heard them as they went about with muffled tread: the rather, forasmuch as to entertain any suspicion that they were awake, was to be atheistical and traitorous.
In England, there was scarcely an amount of order and protection to justify much national boasting. Daring burglaries by armed men, and highway robberies, took place in the capital itself every night; families were publicly cautioned not to go out of town without removing their furniture to upholsterers' warehouses for security; the highwayman in the dark was a City tradesman in the light, and, being recognised and challenged by his fellow- tradesman whom he stopped in his character of "the Captain," gallantly shot him through the head and rode away; the mall was waylaid by seven robbers, and the guard shot three dead, and then got shot dead himself by the other four, "in consequence of the failure of his ammunition:" after which the mall was robbed in peace; that magnificent potentate, the Lord Mayor of London, was made to stand and deliver on Turnham Green, by one highwayman, who despoiled the illustrious creature in sight of all his retinue; prisoners in London gaols fought battles with their turnkeys, and the majesty of the law fired blunderbusses in among them, loaded with rounds of shot and ball; thieves snipped off diamond crosses from the necks of noble lords at Court drawing-rooms; musketeers went into St. Giles's, to search for contraband goods, and the mob fired on the musketeers, and the musketeers fired on the mob, and nobody thought any of these occurrences much out of the common way. In the midst of them, the hangman, ever busy and ever worse than useless, was in constant requisition; now, stringing up long rows of miscellaneous criminals; now, hanging a housebreaker on Saturday who had been taken on Tuesday; now, burning people in the hand at Newgate by the dozen, and now burning pamphlets at the door of Westminster Hall; to-day, taking the life of an atrocious murderer, and to-morrow of a wretched pilferer who had robbed a farmer's boy of sixpence.
All these things, and a thousand like them, came to pass in and close upon the dear old year one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five. Environed by them, while the Woodman and the Farmer worked unheeded, those two of the large jaws, and those other two of the plain and the fair faces, trod with stir enough, and carried their divine rights with a high hand. Thus did the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five conduct their Greatnesses, and myriads of small creatures--the creatures of this chronicle among the rest--along the roads that lay before them.
shí yī yuè xià xún de yī gè xīng qī wǔ wǎn shàng， duō fó dà dào shēn zhǎn zài gēn zhè duàn lì shǐ yòu guān de jǐ gè rén zhī zhōng de dì yī gè rén qián miàn。 duō fó dà dào duì cǐ rén shuō lái jiù zài duō fó yóu chē de lìng yī miàn。 zhè shí nà yóu chē lóng lóng xiǎng zhe wǎng shè shǒu shān kǔ kǔ pá qù。 zhè rén zhèng suí zhe yóu chē gēn qí tā chéng kè yī qǐ tà zhe ní nìng bù xíng shàng shān。 dǎo bù shì yīn wéi chéng kè men duì bù xíng duàn liàn yòu shénme piān 'ài， ér shì yīn wéi nà shān pō、 nà mǎ jù、 nà ní nìng hé yóu jiàn dū tài jiào mǎ pǐ chī lì， tā men yǐ jīng sān cì zhàn lì bù dòng， yòu yī cì hái lā zhe yóu chē héng guò dà lù， yào xiǎng pàn biàn， bǎ chē tuō huí hēi huāng yuán qù。 hǎo zài jiāng shéng、 biān zǐ、 chē fū hé wèi shì de lián hé xíng dòng yòu rú xuān dú liǎo yī fèn zhàn zhēng wén jiàn de dào lǐ。 nà wén jiàn jìn zhǐ shàn zì xíng dòng， yīn wéi tā kě yǐ dà dà zhùzhǎng yě mán dòng wù yě yòu sī xiǎng de lǐ lùn。 yú shì zhè tào mǎ biàn fǔ shǒu tóu jiàng， huí tóu zhí xíng qǐ rèn wù lái。
jǐ pǐ mǎ dī zhe tóu、 yáo zhe wěi， cǎi zhe shēn shēn de ní nìng qián jìn zhe， shí 'ér wāi xié， shí 'ér lièqie， fǎng fó yào cóng dà gǔ jié chù sàn liǎo kāi lái。 chē fū měi cì ràng jǐ pǐ mǎ tíng xià bù zǐ xiū xī xiū xī bìng fā chū jǐng gào，“ wā hē！ suo hē， zǒu！” tā shēn biān de tóu mǎ biàn dōuyào měng liè dì yáo huàng tā de tóu hé tóu shàng de yī qiē。 nà mǎ fǎng fó tè bié rèn zhēn， gēn běn bù xiāng xìn yóu chē néng gòu pá shàng pō qù。 měi dāng tóu mǎ zhè yàng dīng dīng dāng dāng yī yáo huàng， nà lǚ kè biàn yào xià yī tiào， zhèng rú yī qiē shén jīng jǐn zhāng de lǚ rén yī yàng， zǒng yòu xiē xīn jīng dǎn zhàn。
sì miàn de shān wā wù qì yīn yūn， qī liáng dì wǎng shān dǐng yǒng dòng， fǎng fó shì gè de jīng líng， zài xún zhǎo xiē jiǎo zhī dì， què méi yòu zhǎo dào。 nà wù nián hū hū de， bīng hán chè gǔ， huǎn huǎn dì zài kōng zhōng bō làng shì dì fān gǔn， yī làng yī làng， qīng xī kě jiàn， rán hòu wǎn rú wū zhuó de hǎi tāo， bǐ cǐ shèn yòu， róng hé chéng liǎo yī piàn。 wù hěn nóng， chē dēng zhǐ zhào dé jiàn fān juàn de wù hé jǐ mǎ zhī nèi de lù， cǐ wài shénme yě zhào bù chū。 láo zuò zhe de mǎ pǐ fā chū de chòu qì yě zhēng téng jìn wù lǐ， fǎng fó suǒ yòu de wù dū shì cóng tā men shēn shàng sàn fā chū lái de。
chú liǎo gāng cái nà rén zhī wài， hái yòu liǎng gè rén yě zài yóu chē bàng jiān nán dì xíng jìn。 sān gè réndōu yī zhí guǒ dào quán gǔ hé 'ěr duǒ， dū chuānzhuó cháng guò xī gài de gāo tǒng xuē， bǐ cǐ dōuwú fǎ gēn jù duì fāng de wài biǎo biàn míng tā men de róng mào。 sān gè réndōu yòng jìn duō de zhàng 'ài bāo guǒ zhù zì jǐ， bù ràng tóng lù rén xīn líng de yǎn jīng hé ròu tǐ de yǎn jīng kàn chū zì jǐ de xíng jì。 nà shí de lǚ kè dōuhěn jǐng tì， cóng bù qīng yì duì rén tuī xīn zhì fù， yīn wéi lù shàng de rén shuídōu kě néng shì qiáng dào huò zhě gēn qiáng dào yòu gòu jié。 hòu zhě de chū xiàn shì fēi cháng kě néng de， yīn wéi dāng shí měi yī gè yóu chē zhàn， měi yī jiā mài jiǔ diàn dōukě néng yòu rén“ ná liǎo lǎo dà de qián”， zhè xiē rén cóng lǎo bǎn dào zuì zāo gāo de mǎ jiù lǐ de mò míng qí miào de réndōu yòu， zhè lèi huā yàng fēi cháng kě néng chū xiàn。 yī qiān qī bǎi qī shí wǔ nián shí yī yuè dǐ de nà gè xīng qī wǔ wǎn shàng， duō fó yóu chē de yā chē wèi shì xīn lǐ jiù shì zhè me xiǎng de。 nà shí tā zhèng suí zhe lóng lóng xiǎng zhe de yóu chē wǎng shè shǒu shān shàng pá。 tā zhàn zài yóu jiàn chē xiāng hòu miàn zì jǐ de zhuān yòng tà bǎn shàng， duǒ zhe jiǎo， yǎn jīng bù shí qiáo zhe miàn qián de wǔ qì xiāng， shǒu yě gē zài nà xiāng shàng。 xiāng lǐ yòu yī bǎ zǐ dàn shàng táng de dà kǒu jìng duǎn qiǎng， xià miàn shì liù huò bā zhī shàng hǎo zǐ dàn de mǎ qiāng， dǐ céng hái yòu yī bǎ duǎn jiàn。
duō fó yóu chē xiàng píng shí yī yàng“ yú kuài hé mù”： yā chē de duì lǚ kè bù fàng xīn， lǚ kè bǐ cǐ bù fàng xīn， duì yā chē de yě bù fàng xīn， tā men duì rèn hé réndōu bù fàng xīn， chē fū yě shì duì shuídōu bù fàng xīn， tā fàng xīn de zhǐ yòu mǎ。 tā kě yǐ wèn xīn wú kuì dì bǎ shǒu fàng zài《 shèng jīng》 shàng fā shì， tā xiāng xìn zhè tào mǎ bìng bù shì hé lā zhè tàng chē。
“ wō hē！” gǎn chē de shuō。“ jiā jìn！ zài yòu yī duàn jiù dào dǐng liǎo， nǐ men jiù kě yǐ tā mā de xià dì yù liǎo！ gǎn nǐ men shàng shān kě zhēn jiào wǒ shòu gòu liǎo zuì！ qiáo！”
“ ā！” wèi bīng huí dá。
“ ér diǎn zhōng liǎo， nǐ gū jì， qiáo？”
“ shí yī diǎn guò shí fēn， méi cuò。”
“ cāo！” gǎn chē de xīn fán yì luàn， jiào dào，“ hái méi pá shàng shè shǒu shān！ cuì！ yō， lā yā！”
nà rèn zhēn de tóu mǎ dào zuò chū gè dòng zuò biǎo shì jiān jué fǎn duì， jiù bèi yī biān zǐ chōu liǎo huí qù， zhǐ hǎo kǔ 'āi kǔ zhèng zhe wǎng shàng lā， lìng wài sān pǐ mǎ yě gēn zhe xué yàng。 duō fó yóu chē zài dù xiàng shàng zhēngzhá。 lǚ kè de cháng tǒng xuē zài yóu chē bàng cǎi zhe làn ní bà qīng bà nǎ dì xiǎng。 gāng cái yóu chē tíng xià shí tā men yě tíng xià liǎo， tā men zǒng gēn tā xíng yǐng bù lí。 rú guǒ sān rén zhī zhōng yòu rén dǎn dà bāo tiān gǎn xiàng lìng yī gè rén jiàn yì wǎng qián gǎn jǐ bù zǒu jìn wù qì hé hēi 'àn zhōng qù， tā jiù dà yòu kě néng lì jí bèi rén dāng zuò qiáng dào qiāng shā。
zuì hòu de yī fān kǔ zhēngzhá zhōng yú bǎ yóu chē lā shàng liǎo pō dǐng。 mǎ pǐ tíng xià jiǎo bù chuǎn liǎo chuǎn qì， yā chē wèi shì xià lái gěi chē lún lā jǐn liǎo shāchē， rán hòu dǎ kāi chē mén ràng lǚ kè shàng qù。
“ nǐ tīng， qiáo！” gǎn chē de cóng zuò wèi shàng wǎng xià wàng zhe， yòng jǐng tì de kǒu wěn jiào dào。
“ nǐ shuō shénme， tānɡ mǔ？”
liǎng réndōu tīng。
“ wǒ kàn shì yòu pǐ mǎ xiǎo páo guò lái liǎo。”
“ wǒ kě shuō shì yòu pǐ mǎ kuài páo guò lái liǎo， tānɡ mǔ，” wèi shì huí dá。 tā fàng diào chē mén , mǐn jié dì tiào shàng tà bǎn。
“ xiān shēng men： yǐ guó wáng de míng yì， dà jiā zhù yì！”
tā cāng cù dì jiào liǎo yī shēng， biàn bān kāi jǐ zhī dà kǒu jìng duǎn qiǎng de jī tóu， zuò hǎo fáng shǒu zhǔn bèi。
běn gù shì jì shù de nà wèi lǚ kè yǐ cǎi zài yóu chē tà bǎn shàng， zhèng yào shàng chē， lìng wài liǎng wèi chéng kè yě yǐ jǐn suí zài hòu， zhǔn bèi gēn zhe jìn qù。 zhè shí nà rén què cǎi zhe tà bǎn bù dòng liǎo -- tā bàn biān shēn zǐ jìn liǎo yóu chē， bàn biān què liú zài wài miàn， nà liǎng rén tíng zài tā shēn hòu de lù shàng。 sān gè réndōu cóng chē fū wàng xiàng wèi shì， yòu cóng wèi shì wàng xiàng chē fū， yědōu zài tīng。 chē fū huí tóu wàng zhe， wèi bīng huí tóu wàng zhe， lián nà rèn zhēn de tóu mǎ yě liǎng 'ěr yī shù， huí tóu kàn liǎo kàn， bìng méi yòu biǎo shì。
yóu chē de zhēngzhá hé lóng lóng shēng tíng zhǐ liǎo， suí zhī 'ér lái de chén jì shǐ yè xiǎn dé fènwài 'ān mì píng jìng， jì wú shēng xī。 mǎ pǐ chuǎn zhe qì， chuán gěi yóu chē yī fèn qīng wēi de zhèn chàn， shǐ yóu chē yě fǎng fó jī dòng qǐ lái， lián lǚ kè de xīn tiào dū sì hū kě yǐ tīng jiàn。 bù guò shuō dào dǐ， cóng nà jì jìng de xiǎo qì zhōng yě hái tīng dé chū rén men shǒu hòu zhe shénme dōng xī chū xiàn shí de chuǎn qì、 bǐngxī、 jǐn zhāng， hái yòu jiā sù liǎo de xīn tiào。
yī piàn kuài sù jī liè de mǎ tí shēng lái dào pō shàng。
“ suo hē！” wèi bīng jié jìn quán lì dà hǎn dà jiào。“ nà biān de rén， zhàn zhù！ fǒu zé wǒ kāi qiāng liǎo！”
mǎ tí shēng jiá rán 'ér zhǐ， yī zhèn pō cì bā jī de shēng yīn zhī hòu， wù lǐ chuán lái yī gè nán rù de shēng yīn，“ qián miàn shì duō fó yóu chē me？”
“ bié guǎn tā shì shénme！” wèi bīng fǎn bó dào，“ nǐ shì shénme rén？”
“ nǐ men shì duō fó yóu chē me？”
“ nǐ wèishénme yào dǎ tīng？”
“ ruò shì yóu chē， wǒ yào zhǎo yī gè lǚ kè。”
“ shénme lǚ kè？”
“ jiǎ wéi sī . luó ruì xiān shēng。”
wǒ men tí dào guò de nà wèi lǚ kè mǎ shàng biǎo shì nà jiù shì tā de míng zì。 yā chē de、 gǎn chē de hé liǎng wèi zuò chē dedōu bù xìn rèn dì dǎliang zhe tā。
“ zhàn zài nà 'ér bié dòng，” wèi bīng duì wù lǐ de shēng yīn shuō，“ wǒ ruò shì yī shī shǒu， nǐ kě jiù yī bèi zǐ yě wú fǎ gǎi zhèng liǎo。 shuí jiào luó ruì， qǐng mǎ shàng huí dá。”
“ shénme shì？” nà lǚ kè wèn， rán hòu lüè dài jǐ fēn chàn dǒu wèn dào，“ shì shuí zhǎo wǒ？ shì jié ruì me？”
（“ wǒ kě bù xǐ huān jié ruì nà shēng yīn， rú guǒ nà jiù shì jié ruì de huà，” wèi bīng duì zì jǐ gū lū dào，“ sī yǎ dào zhè zhǒng chéng dù。 wǒ kě bù xǐ huān zhè gè jié ruì。”）
“ shì de， luó ruì xiān shēng。”
“ shénme shì？”
“ nà biān gěi nǐ sòng lái liǎo jí jiàn。 Ｔ gōng sī。”
“ zhè gè sòng xìn de wǒ rèn shí， wèi bīng，” luó ruì xiān shēng xià dào lù shàng -- nà liǎng gè lǚ kè máng bù dié dì cóng hòu miàn bāng zhù tā xià liǎo chē， què wèi bì chū yú lǐ mào， rán hòu lì jí zuàn jìn chē qù， guān shàng chē mén， lā shàng chē chuāng。“ nǐ kě yǐ ràng tā guò lái， bù huì yòu wèn tí de。”
“ wǒ dǎo yě xī wàng méi yòu wèn tí， kě wǒ tā mā de fàng xīn bù xià，” nà wèi bīng cū shēng cū qì dì zì yán zì yǔ。“ hā luó， nà wèi！”
“ ǹg， hā luó！” jié ruì shuō， sǎng zǐ bǐ gāng cái gèng shā yǎ。
“ màn màn dì zǒu guò lái， nǐ kě bié jiè yì。 nǐ nà mǎ 'ān shàng ruò shì yòu qiāng tào， kě bié ràng wǒ kàn jiàn nǐ de shǒu kào jìn tā。 wǒ zhè gè rén shī qǐ shǒu lái kuài dé yào mìng， yī shī shǒu fēi chū de jiù shì zǐ dàn。 xiàn zài ràng wǒ men lái kàn kàn nǐ。”
yī gè qí mǎ rén de shēn yǐng cóng pán xuán de wù qì zhōng màn màn lù chū， zǒu dào yóu chē bàng nà lǚ kè zhàn zhe de dì fāng。 qí mǎ rén wān zǐ， què tái qǐ yǎn jīng miáo zhe wèi shì， jiāo gěi lǚ kè yī zhāng zhé hǎo de xiǎo zhǐ piàn。 tā de mǎ hū hū dì chuǎn zhe qì， lián rén dài mǎ， cóng mǎ tí dào tóu shàng de mào zǐ dū jiàn mǎn liǎo ní。
“ wèi bīng！” lǚ kè píng jìng dì yòng yī zhǒng gōng shì gōng bàn 'ér yòu tuī xīn zhì fù de kǒu qì shuō。
chōng mǎn jǐng tì de yā chē wèi shì yòu shǒu zhuā zhù tái qǐ de dà kǒu jìng duǎn qiāng， zuǒ shǒu fú zhù qiāng guǎn， yǎn jīng dīng zhù qí mǎ rén， jiǎn duǎn dì huí dá dào，“ xiān shēng。”
“ méi yòu shénme hǎo hài pà de。 wǒ shì tái 'ěr sēn yínháng de -- lún dūn de tái 'ěr sēn yínháng， nǐ yī dìng zhī dào de。 wǒ yào dào bā lí chūchāi qù。 zhè gè kè lǎng qǐng nǐ hē jiǔ。 wǒ kě yǐ dú zhè fēng xìn me？”
“ kě yǐ， bù guò yào kuài yī diǎn， xiān shēng。”
tā chāi kāi xìn， jiù zhe mǎ chē zhè yī cè de dēng guāng dú liǎo qǐ lái - yī tā xiān zì jǐ kàn wán， rán hòu dú chū liǎo shēng yīn：“ ‘ zài duō fó děng hòu xiǎo jiě。 ’ bìng bù cháng， nǐ kàn， wèi shì。 jié ruì， bǎ wǒ de huí dá gào sù tā men： sǐ rén fù huó liǎo。”
jié ruì zài mǎ 'ān shàng lèng liǎo yī xià。“ huí dá yě guài tòu liǎo”， tā shuō， sǎng zǐ shā yǎ dào liǎo jí diǎn。
“ nǐ bǎ zhè huà dài huí qù， tā men jiù zhī dào wǒ yǐ jīng shōu dào xìn， gēn xiě liǎo huí xìn yī yàng。 lù shàng duō jiā xiǎo xīn， wǎn 'ān。”
shuō wán zhè jǐ jù huà， lǚ kè biàn dǎ kāi yóu chē de mén， zuàn liǎo jìn qù。 zhè huí lǚ bàn men shuí yě méi bāng zhù tā。 tā men zǎo cōng cōng bǎ shǒu biǎo hé qián bāo sài jìn liǎo xuē zǐ， xiàn zài yǐ jiǎ zhuāng shuì zhe liǎo。 tā men zài yě méi yòu shénme míng què de dǎ suàn， zhǐ xiǎng huí bì yī qiē néng yǐn qǐ qí tā huó dòng de wēi xiǎn。
yóu chē yòu lóng lóng dì qián jìn， xià pō shí bèi gèng nóng de wù xiàng huā huán sì dì wéi zhù。 wèi shì lì jí bǎ dà kǒu jìng duǎn qiǎng fàng huí liǎo wǔ qì xiāng， rán hòu kàn liǎo kàn xiāng lǐ de qí tā qiāng zhī， kàn liǎo kàn pí dài shàng guà de bèi yòng shǒu qiāng， zài kàn liǎo kàn zuò wèi xià de yī gè xiǎo xiāng zǐ， nà xiāng lǐ yòu jǐ bǎ tiě jiàng gōng jù、 liǎng sān gè huǒ jù hé yī gè qǔ huǒ hé。 tā pèi bèi qí quán， ruò shì yóu chē de dēng bèi fēng huò fēng bào guā miè（ nà shì cháng yòu de shì）， tā zhǐ xū zuàn jìn chē xiāng， bù ràng suì shí zá chū de huǒ xīng luò dào pū cǎo shàng， biàn néng zài wǔ fēn zhōng zhī nèi qīng qīng sōng sōng diǎn rán chē dēng， ér qiě xiāng dāng 'ān quán。
“ tānɡ mǔ！” mǎ chē dǐng shàng yòu qīng róu de shēng yīn chuán lái。
“ hā luó， qiáo。”
“ nǐ tīng jiàn nà xiāo xī liǎo me？”
“ tīng jiàn liǎo， qiáo。”
“ nǐ duì tā zěn me kàn， tānɡ mǔ？”
“ shénme kàn fǎ dōuméi yòu， qiáo。”
“ nà yě shì qiǎo hé，” wèi shì chén sī zhe shuō，“ yīn wéi wǒ yě shénme kàn fǎ dōuméi yòu。”
jié ruì yī gè rén liú zài liǎo hēi 'àn lǐ de wù zhōng。 cǐ kè tā xià liǎo mǎ， ràng tā nà pí bèi bù kān de mǎ qīng sōng qīng sōng， yě cā cā zì jǐ liǎn shàng de ní shuǐ， zài bǎ mào yán shàng de shuǐfèn shuǎi diào -- mào yán lǐ kě néng zhuāng shàng liǎo bàn jiā lún shuǐ。 tā ràng mǎ jiāng dā zài tā nà jiàn mǎn liǎo ní jiāng de shǒu bì shàng， zhàn liǎo yī huì 'ér， zhí dào nà chē lún shēng zài yě tīng bù jiàn， yè yǐ shí fēn jì jìng， cái zhuǎn shēn wǎng shān xià zǒu qù。
“ cóng fǎ xué huì dào zhè 'ér zhè yī tàng páo wán， wǒ de lǎo tài tài， wǒ duì nǐ nà qián tuǐ jiù bù dà fàng xīn liǎo。 wǒ dé xiān ràng nǐ píng jìng xià lái，” zhè shā hóu lóng de xìn shǐ piē liǎo tā de mǔ mǎ yī yǎn， shuō。“ sǐ rén fù huó liǎo！” zhè xiāo xī zhēn shì qí guài tòu dǐng， tā duì nǐ kě tài bù lì liǎo， jié ruì！ wǒ shuō jié ruì！ nǐ pà yào dà dǎo qí méi， ruò shì sǐ rén fù huó de shì liú xíng qǐ lái de huà， jié ruì！
With drooping heads and tremulous tails, they mashed their way through the thick mud, floundering and stumbling between whiles, as if they were falling to pieces at the larger joints. As often as the driver rested them and brought them to a stand, with a wary "Wo-ho! so-ho- then!" the near leader violently shook his head and everything upon it--like an unusually emphatic horse, denying that the coach could be got up the hill. Whenever the leader made this rattle, the passenger started, as a nervous passenger might, and was disturbed in mind.
There was a steaming mist in all the hollows, and it had roamed in its forlornness up the hill, like an evil spirit, seeking rest and finding none. A clammy and intensely cold mist, it made its slow way through the air in ripples that visibly followed and overspread one another, as the waves of an unwholesome sea might do. It was dense enough to shut out everything from the light of the coach-lamps but these its own workings, and a few yards of road; and the reek of the labouring horses steamed into it, as if they had made it all.
Two other passengers, besides the one, were plodding up the hill by the side of the mail. All three were wrapped to the cheekbones and over the ears, and wore jack-boots. Not one of the three could have said, from anything he saw, what either of the other two was like; and each was hidden under almost as many wrappers from the eyes of the mind, as from the eyes of the body, of his two companions. In those days, travellers were very shy of being confidential on a short notice, for anybody on the road might be a robber or in league with robbers. As to the latter, when every posting-house and ale-house could produce somebody in "the Captain's" pay, ranging from the landlord to the lowest stable non-descript, it was the likeliest thing upon the cards. So the guard of the Dover mail thought to himself, that Friday night in November, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five, lumbering up Shooter's Hill, as he stood on his own particular perch behind the mail, beating his feet, and keeping an eye and a hand on the arm-chest before him, where a loaded blunderbuss lay at the top of six or eight loaded horse-pistols, deposited on a substratum of cutlass.
The Dover mail was in its usual genial position that the guard suspected the passengers, the passengers suspected one another and the guard, they all suspected everybody else, and the coachman was sure of nothing but the horses; as to which cattle he could with a clear conscience have taken his oath on the two Testaments that they were not fit for the journey.
"Wo-ho!" said the coachman. "So, then! One more pull and you're at the top and be damned to you, for I have had trouble enough to get you to it!--Joe!"
"Halloa!" the guard replied.
"What o'clock do you make it, Joe?"
"Ten minutes, good, past eleven."
"My blood!" ejaculated the vexed coachman, "and not atop of Shooter's yet! Tst! Yah! Get on with you!"
The emphatic horse, cut short by the whip in a most decided negative, made a decided scramble for it, and the three other horses followed suit. Once more, the Dover mail struggled on, with the jack-boots of its passengers squashing along by its side. They had stopped when the coach stopped, and they kept close company with it. If any one of the three had had the hardihood to propose to another to walk on a little ahead into the mist and darkness, he would have put himself in a fair way of getting shot instantly as a highwayman.
The last burst carried the mail to the summit of the hill. The horses stopped to breathe again, and the guard got down to skid the wheel for the descent, and open the coach-door to let the passengers in.
"Tst! Joe!" cried the coachman in a warning voice, looking down from his box.
"What do you say, Tom?"
They both listened.
"I say a horse at a canter coming up, Joe."
"_I_ say a horse at a gallop, Tom," returned the guard, leaving his hold of the door, and mounting nimbly to his place. "Gentlemen! In the kings name, all of you!"
With this hurried adjuration, he cocked his blunderbuss, and stood on the offensive.
The passenger booked by this history, was on the coach-step, getting in; the two other passengers were close behind him, and about to follow. He remained on the step, half in the coach and half out of; they re-mained in the road below him. They all looked from the coachman to the guard, and from the guard to the coachman, and listened. The coachman looked back and the guard looked back, and even the emphatic leader pricked up his ears and looked back, without contradicting.
The stillness consequent on the cessation of the rumbling and labouring of the coach, added to the stillness of the night, made it very quiet indeed. The panting of the horses communicated a tremulous motion to the coach, as if it were in a state of agitation. The hearts of the passengers beat loud enough perhaps to be heard; but at any rate, the quiet pause was audibly expressive of people out of breath, and holding the breath, and having the pulses quickened by expectation.
The sound of a horse at a gallop came fast and furiously up the hill.
"So-ho!" the guard sang out, as loud as he could roar. "Yo there! Stand! I shall fire!"
The pace was suddenly checked, and, with much splashing and floundering, a man's voice called from the mist, "Is that the Dover mail?"
"Never you mind what it is!" the guard retorted. "What are you?"
"IS that the Dover mail?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"I want a passenger, if it is."
"What passenger?"
"Mr. Jarvis Lorry."
Our booked passenger showed in a moment that it was his name. The guard, the coachman, and the two other passengers eyed him distrustfully.
"Keep where you are," the guard called to the voice in the mist, "because, if I should make a mistake, it could never be set right in your lifetime. Gentleman of the name of Lorry answer straight."
"What is the matter?" asked the passenger, then, with mildly quavering speech. "Who wants me? Is it Jerry?"
("I don't like Jerry's voice, if it is Jerry," growled the guard to himself. "He's hoarser than suits me, is Jerry.")
"Yes, Mr. Lorry."
"What is the matter?"
"A despatch sent after you from over yonder. T. and Co."
"I know this messenger, guard," said Mr. Lorry, getting down into the road--assisted from behind more swiftly than politely by the other two passengers, who immediately scrambled into the coach, shut the door, and pulled up the window. "He may come close; there's nothing wrong."
"I hope there ain't, but I can't make so 'Nation sure of that," said the guard, in gruff soliloquy. "Hallo you!"
"Well! And hallo you!" said Jerry, more hoarsely than before.
"Come on at a footpace! d'ye mind me? And if you've got holsters to that saddle o' yourn, don't let me see your hand go nigh 'em. For I'm a devil at a quick mistake, and when I make one it takes the form of Lead. So now let's look at you."
The figures of a horse and rider came slowly through the eddying mist, and came to the side of the mail, where the passenger stood. The rider stooped, and, casting up his eyes at the guard, handed the passenger a small folded paper. The rider's horse was blown, and both horse and rider were covered with mud, from the hoofs of the horse to the hat of the man.
"Guard!" said the passenger, in a tone of quiet business confidence.
The watchful guard, with his right hand at the stock of his raised blunderbuss, his left at the barrel, and his eye on the horseman, answered curtly, "Sir."
"There is nothing to apprehend. I belong to Tellson's Bank. You must know Tellson's Bank in London. I am going to Paris on business. A crown to drink. I may read this?"
"If so be as you're quick, sir."
He opened it in the light of the coach-lamp on that side, and read--first to himself and then aloud: "`Wait at Dover for Mam'selle.' It's not long, you see, guard. Jerry, say that my answer was, RECALLED TO LIFE."
Jerry started in his saddle. "That's a Blazing strange answer, too," said he, at his hoarsest.
"Take that message back, and they will know that I received this, as well as if I wrote. Make the best of your way. Good night."
With those words the passenger opened the coach-door and got in; not at all assisted by his fellow-passengers, who had expeditiously secreted their watches and purses in their boots, and were now making a general pretence of being asleep. With no more definite purpose than to escape the hazard of originating any other kind of action.
The coach lumbered on again, with heavier wreaths of mist closing round it as it began the descent. The guard soon replaced his blunderbuss in his arm-chest, and, having looked to the rest of its contents, and having looked to the supplementary pistols that he wore in his belt, looked to a smaller chest beneath his seat, in which there were a few smith's tools, a couple of torches, and a tinder-box. For he was furnished with that completeness that if the coach-lamps had been blown and stormed out, which did occasionally happen, he had only to shut himself up inside, keep the flint and steel sparks well off the straw, and get a light with tolerable safety and ease (if he were lucky) in five minutes.
"Tom!" softly over the coach roof.
"Hallo, Joe."
"Did you hear the message?"
"I did, Joe."
"What did you make of it, Tom?"
"Nothing at all, Joe."
"That's a coincidence, too," the guard mused, "for I made the same of it myself."
Jerry, left alone in the mist and darkness, dismounted meanwhile, not only to ease his spent horse, but to wipe the mud from his face, and shake the wet out of his hat-brim, which might be capable of holding about half a gallon. After standing with the bridle over his heavily-splashed arm, until the wheels of the mail were no longer within hearing and the night was quite still again, he turned to walk down the hill.
"After that there gallop from Temple Bar, old lady, I won't trust your fore-legs till I get you on the level," said this hoarse messenger, glancing at his mare. "`Recalled to life.' That's a Blazing strange message. Much of that wouldn't do for you, Jerry! I say, Jerry! You'd be in a Blazing bad way, if recalling to life was to come into fashion, Jerry!"
jǐ pǐ mǎ dī zhe tóu、 yáo zhe wěi， cǎi zhe shēn shēn de ní nìng qián jìn zhe， shí 'ér wāi xié， shí 'ér lièqie， fǎng fó yào cóng dà gǔ jié chù sàn liǎo kāi lái。 chē fū měi cì ràng jǐ pǐ mǎ tíng xià bù zǐ xiū xī xiū xī bìng fā chū jǐng gào，“ wā hē！ suo hē， zǒu！” tā shēn biān de tóu mǎ biàn dōuyào měng liè dì yáo huàng tā de tóu hé tóu shàng de yī qiē。 nà mǎ fǎng fó tè bié rèn zhēn， gēn běn bù xiāng xìn yóu chē néng gòu pá shàng pō qù。 měi dāng tóu mǎ zhè yàng dīng dīng dāng dāng yī yáo huàng， nà lǚ kè biàn yào xià yī tiào， zhèng rú yī qiē shén jīng jǐn zhāng de lǚ rén yī yàng， zǒng yòu xiē xīn jīng dǎn zhàn。
sì miàn de shān wā wù qì yīn yūn， qī liáng dì wǎng shān dǐng yǒng dòng， fǎng fó shì gè de jīng líng， zài xún zhǎo xiē jiǎo zhī dì， què méi yòu zhǎo dào。 nà wù nián hū hū de， bīng hán chè gǔ， huǎn huǎn dì zài kōng zhōng bō làng shì dì fān gǔn， yī làng yī làng， qīng xī kě jiàn， rán hòu wǎn rú wū zhuó de hǎi tāo， bǐ cǐ shèn yòu， róng hé chéng liǎo yī piàn。 wù hěn nóng， chē dēng zhǐ zhào dé jiàn fān juàn de wù hé jǐ mǎ zhī nèi de lù， cǐ wài shénme yě zhào bù chū。 láo zuò zhe de mǎ pǐ fā chū de chòu qì yě zhēng téng jìn wù lǐ， fǎng fó suǒ yòu de wù dū shì cóng tā men shēn shàng sàn fā chū lái de。
chú liǎo gāng cái nà rén zhī wài， hái yòu liǎng gè rén yě zài yóu chē bàng jiān nán dì xíng jìn。 sān gè réndōu yī zhí guǒ dào quán gǔ hé 'ěr duǒ， dū chuānzhuó cháng guò xī gài de gāo tǒng xuē， bǐ cǐ dōuwú fǎ gēn jù duì fāng de wài biǎo biàn míng tā men de róng mào。 sān gè réndōu yòng jìn duō de zhàng 'ài bāo guǒ zhù zì jǐ， bù ràng tóng lù rén xīn líng de yǎn jīng hé ròu tǐ de yǎn jīng kàn chū zì jǐ de xíng jì。 nà shí de lǚ kè dōuhěn jǐng tì， cóng bù qīng yì duì rén tuī xīn zhì fù， yīn wéi lù shàng de rén shuídōu kě néng shì qiáng dào huò zhě gēn qiáng dào yòu gòu jié。 hòu zhě de chū xiàn shì fēi cháng kě néng de， yīn wéi dāng shí měi yī gè yóu chē zhàn， měi yī jiā mài jiǔ diàn dōukě néng yòu rén“ ná liǎo lǎo dà de qián”， zhè xiē rén cóng lǎo bǎn dào zuì zāo gāo de mǎ jiù lǐ de mò míng qí miào de réndōu yòu， zhè lèi huā yàng fēi cháng kě néng chū xiàn。 yī qiān qī bǎi qī shí wǔ nián shí yī yuè dǐ de nà gè xīng qī wǔ wǎn shàng， duō fó yóu chē de yā chē wèi shì xīn lǐ jiù shì zhè me xiǎng de。 nà shí tā zhèng suí zhe lóng lóng xiǎng zhe de yóu chē wǎng shè shǒu shān shàng pá。 tā zhàn zài yóu jiàn chē xiāng hòu miàn zì jǐ de zhuān yòng tà bǎn shàng， duǒ zhe jiǎo， yǎn jīng bù shí qiáo zhe miàn qián de wǔ qì xiāng， shǒu yě gē zài nà xiāng shàng。 xiāng lǐ yòu yī bǎ zǐ dàn shàng táng de dà kǒu jìng duǎn qiǎng， xià miàn shì liù huò bā zhī shàng hǎo zǐ dàn de mǎ qiāng， dǐ céng hái yòu yī bǎ duǎn jiàn。
duō fó yóu chē xiàng píng shí yī yàng“ yú kuài hé mù”： yā chē de duì lǚ kè bù fàng xīn， lǚ kè bǐ cǐ bù fàng xīn， duì yā chē de yě bù fàng xīn， tā men duì rèn hé réndōu bù fàng xīn， chē fū yě shì duì shuídōu bù fàng xīn， tā fàng xīn de zhǐ yòu mǎ。 tā kě yǐ wèn xīn wú kuì dì bǎ shǒu fàng zài《 shèng jīng》 shàng fā shì， tā xiāng xìn zhè tào mǎ bìng bù shì hé lā zhè tàng chē。
“ wō hē！” gǎn chē de shuō。“ jiā jìn！ zài yòu yī duàn jiù dào dǐng liǎo， nǐ men jiù kě yǐ tā mā de xià dì yù liǎo！ gǎn nǐ men shàng shān kě zhēn jiào wǒ shòu gòu liǎo zuì！ qiáo！”
“ ā！” wèi bīng huí dá。
“ ér diǎn zhōng liǎo， nǐ gū jì， qiáo？”
“ shí yī diǎn guò shí fēn， méi cuò。”
“ cāo！” gǎn chē de xīn fán yì luàn， jiào dào，“ hái méi pá shàng shè shǒu shān！ cuì！ yō， lā yā！”
nà rèn zhēn de tóu mǎ dào zuò chū gè dòng zuò biǎo shì jiān jué fǎn duì， jiù bèi yī biān zǐ chōu liǎo huí qù， zhǐ hǎo kǔ 'āi kǔ zhèng zhe wǎng shàng lā， lìng wài sān pǐ mǎ yě gēn zhe xué yàng。 duō fó yóu chē zài dù xiàng shàng zhēngzhá。 lǚ kè de cháng tǒng xuē zài yóu chē bàng cǎi zhe làn ní bà qīng bà nǎ dì xiǎng。 gāng cái yóu chē tíng xià shí tā men yě tíng xià liǎo， tā men zǒng gēn tā xíng yǐng bù lí。 rú guǒ sān rén zhī zhōng yòu rén dǎn dà bāo tiān gǎn xiàng lìng yī gè rén jiàn yì wǎng qián gǎn jǐ bù zǒu jìn wù qì hé hēi 'àn zhōng qù， tā jiù dà yòu kě néng lì jí bèi rén dāng zuò qiáng dào qiāng shā。
zuì hòu de yī fān kǔ zhēngzhá zhōng yú bǎ yóu chē lā shàng liǎo pō dǐng。 mǎ pǐ tíng xià jiǎo bù chuǎn liǎo chuǎn qì， yā chē wèi shì xià lái gěi chē lún lā jǐn liǎo shāchē， rán hòu dǎ kāi chē mén ràng lǚ kè shàng qù。
“ nǐ tīng， qiáo！” gǎn chē de cóng zuò wèi shàng wǎng xià wàng zhe， yòng jǐng tì de kǒu wěn jiào dào。
“ nǐ shuō shénme， tānɡ mǔ？”
liǎng réndōu tīng。
“ wǒ kàn shì yòu pǐ mǎ xiǎo páo guò lái liǎo。”
“ wǒ kě shuō shì yòu pǐ mǎ kuài páo guò lái liǎo， tānɡ mǔ，” wèi shì huí dá。 tā fàng diào chē mén , mǐn jié dì tiào shàng tà bǎn。
“ xiān shēng men： yǐ guó wáng de míng yì， dà jiā zhù yì！”
tā cāng cù dì jiào liǎo yī shēng， biàn bān kāi jǐ zhī dà kǒu jìng duǎn qiǎng de jī tóu， zuò hǎo fáng shǒu zhǔn bèi。
běn gù shì jì shù de nà wèi lǚ kè yǐ cǎi zài yóu chē tà bǎn shàng， zhèng yào shàng chē， lìng wài liǎng wèi chéng kè yě yǐ jǐn suí zài hòu， zhǔn bèi gēn zhe jìn qù。 zhè shí nà rén què cǎi zhe tà bǎn bù dòng liǎo -- tā bàn biān shēn zǐ jìn liǎo yóu chē， bàn biān què liú zài wài miàn， nà liǎng rén tíng zài tā shēn hòu de lù shàng。 sān gè réndōu cóng chē fū wàng xiàng wèi shì， yòu cóng wèi shì wàng xiàng chē fū， yědōu zài tīng。 chē fū huí tóu wàng zhe， wèi bīng huí tóu wàng zhe， lián nà rèn zhēn de tóu mǎ yě liǎng 'ěr yī shù， huí tóu kàn liǎo kàn， bìng méi yòu biǎo shì。
yóu chē de zhēngzhá hé lóng lóng shēng tíng zhǐ liǎo， suí zhī 'ér lái de chén jì shǐ yè xiǎn dé fènwài 'ān mì píng jìng， jì wú shēng xī。 mǎ pǐ chuǎn zhe qì， chuán gěi yóu chē yī fèn qīng wēi de zhèn chàn， shǐ yóu chē yě fǎng fó jī dòng qǐ lái， lián lǚ kè de xīn tiào dū sì hū kě yǐ tīng jiàn。 bù guò shuō dào dǐ， cóng nà jì jìng de xiǎo qì zhōng yě hái tīng dé chū rén men shǒu hòu zhe shénme dōng xī chū xiàn shí de chuǎn qì、 bǐngxī、 jǐn zhāng， hái yòu jiā sù liǎo de xīn tiào。
yī piàn kuài sù jī liè de mǎ tí shēng lái dào pō shàng。
“ suo hē！” wèi bīng jié jìn quán lì dà hǎn dà jiào。“ nà biān de rén， zhàn zhù！ fǒu zé wǒ kāi qiāng liǎo！”
mǎ tí shēng jiá rán 'ér zhǐ， yī zhèn pō cì bā jī de shēng yīn zhī hòu， wù lǐ chuán lái yī gè nán rù de shēng yīn，“ qián miàn shì duō fó yóu chē me？”
“ bié guǎn tā shì shénme！” wèi bīng fǎn bó dào，“ nǐ shì shénme rén？”
“ nǐ men shì duō fó yóu chē me？”
“ nǐ wèishénme yào dǎ tīng？”
“ ruò shì yóu chē， wǒ yào zhǎo yī gè lǚ kè。”
“ shénme lǚ kè？”
“ jiǎ wéi sī . luó ruì xiān shēng。”
wǒ men tí dào guò de nà wèi lǚ kè mǎ shàng biǎo shì nà jiù shì tā de míng zì。 yā chē de、 gǎn chē de hé liǎng wèi zuò chē dedōu bù xìn rèn dì dǎliang zhe tā。
“ zhàn zài nà 'ér bié dòng，” wèi bīng duì wù lǐ de shēng yīn shuō，“ wǒ ruò shì yī shī shǒu， nǐ kě jiù yī bèi zǐ yě wú fǎ gǎi zhèng liǎo。 shuí jiào luó ruì， qǐng mǎ shàng huí dá。”
“ shénme shì？” nà lǚ kè wèn， rán hòu lüè dài jǐ fēn chàn dǒu wèn dào，“ shì shuí zhǎo wǒ？ shì jié ruì me？”
（“ wǒ kě bù xǐ huān jié ruì nà shēng yīn， rú guǒ nà jiù shì jié ruì de huà，” wèi bīng duì zì jǐ gū lū dào，“ sī yǎ dào zhè zhǒng chéng dù。 wǒ kě bù xǐ huān zhè gè jié ruì。”）
“ shì de， luó ruì xiān shēng。”
“ shénme shì？”
“ nà biān gěi nǐ sòng lái liǎo jí jiàn。 Ｔ gōng sī。”
“ zhè gè sòng xìn de wǒ rèn shí， wèi bīng，” luó ruì xiān shēng xià dào lù shàng -- nà liǎng gè lǚ kè máng bù dié dì cóng hòu miàn bāng zhù tā xià liǎo chē， què wèi bì chū yú lǐ mào， rán hòu lì jí zuàn jìn chē qù， guān shàng chē mén， lā shàng chē chuāng。“ nǐ kě yǐ ràng tā guò lái， bù huì yòu wèn tí de。”
“ wǒ dǎo yě xī wàng méi yòu wèn tí， kě wǒ tā mā de fàng xīn bù xià，” nà wèi bīng cū shēng cū qì dì zì yán zì yǔ。“ hā luó， nà wèi！”
“ ǹg， hā luó！” jié ruì shuō， sǎng zǐ bǐ gāng cái gèng shā yǎ。
“ màn màn dì zǒu guò lái， nǐ kě bié jiè yì。 nǐ nà mǎ 'ān shàng ruò shì yòu qiāng tào， kě bié ràng wǒ kàn jiàn nǐ de shǒu kào jìn tā。 wǒ zhè gè rén shī qǐ shǒu lái kuài dé yào mìng， yī shī shǒu fēi chū de jiù shì zǐ dàn。 xiàn zài ràng wǒ men lái kàn kàn nǐ。”
yī gè qí mǎ rén de shēn yǐng cóng pán xuán de wù qì zhōng màn màn lù chū， zǒu dào yóu chē bàng nà lǚ kè zhàn zhe de dì fāng。 qí mǎ rén wān zǐ， què tái qǐ yǎn jīng miáo zhe wèi shì， jiāo gěi lǚ kè yī zhāng zhé hǎo de xiǎo zhǐ piàn。 tā de mǎ hū hū dì chuǎn zhe qì， lián rén dài mǎ， cóng mǎ tí dào tóu shàng de mào zǐ dū jiàn mǎn liǎo ní。
“ wèi bīng！” lǚ kè píng jìng dì yòng yī zhǒng gōng shì gōng bàn 'ér yòu tuī xīn zhì fù de kǒu qì shuō。
chōng mǎn jǐng tì de yā chē wèi shì yòu shǒu zhuā zhù tái qǐ de dà kǒu jìng duǎn qiāng， zuǒ shǒu fú zhù qiāng guǎn， yǎn jīng dīng zhù qí mǎ rén， jiǎn duǎn dì huí dá dào，“ xiān shēng。”
“ méi yòu shénme hǎo hài pà de。 wǒ shì tái 'ěr sēn yínháng de -- lún dūn de tái 'ěr sēn yínháng， nǐ yī dìng zhī dào de。 wǒ yào dào bā lí chūchāi qù。 zhè gè kè lǎng qǐng nǐ hē jiǔ。 wǒ kě yǐ dú zhè fēng xìn me？”
“ kě yǐ， bù guò yào kuài yī diǎn， xiān shēng。”
tā chāi kāi xìn， jiù zhe mǎ chē zhè yī cè de dēng guāng dú liǎo qǐ lái - yī tā xiān zì jǐ kàn wán， rán hòu dú chū liǎo shēng yīn：“ ‘ zài duō fó děng hòu xiǎo jiě。 ’ bìng bù cháng， nǐ kàn， wèi shì。 jié ruì， bǎ wǒ de huí dá gào sù tā men： sǐ rén fù huó liǎo。”
jié ruì zài mǎ 'ān shàng lèng liǎo yī xià。“ huí dá yě guài tòu liǎo”， tā shuō， sǎng zǐ shā yǎ dào liǎo jí diǎn。
“ nǐ bǎ zhè huà dài huí qù， tā men jiù zhī dào wǒ yǐ jīng shōu dào xìn， gēn xiě liǎo huí xìn yī yàng。 lù shàng duō jiā xiǎo xīn， wǎn 'ān。”
shuō wán zhè jǐ jù huà， lǚ kè biàn dǎ kāi yóu chē de mén， zuàn liǎo jìn qù。 zhè huí lǚ bàn men shuí yě méi bāng zhù tā。 tā men zǎo cōng cōng bǎ shǒu biǎo hé qián bāo sài jìn liǎo xuē zǐ， xiàn zài yǐ jiǎ zhuāng shuì zhe liǎo。 tā men zài yě méi yòu shénme míng què de dǎ suàn， zhǐ xiǎng huí bì yī qiē néng yǐn qǐ qí tā huó dòng de wēi xiǎn。
yóu chē yòu lóng lóng dì qián jìn， xià pō shí bèi gèng nóng de wù xiàng huā huán sì dì wéi zhù。 wèi shì lì jí bǎ dà kǒu jìng duǎn qiǎng fàng huí liǎo wǔ qì xiāng， rán hòu kàn liǎo kàn xiāng lǐ de qí tā qiāng zhī， kàn liǎo kàn pí dài shàng guà de bèi yòng shǒu qiāng， zài kàn liǎo kàn zuò wèi xià de yī gè xiǎo xiāng zǐ， nà xiāng lǐ yòu jǐ bǎ tiě jiàng gōng jù、 liǎng sān gè huǒ jù hé yī gè qǔ huǒ hé。 tā pèi bèi qí quán， ruò shì yóu chē de dēng bèi fēng huò fēng bào guā miè（ nà shì cháng yòu de shì）， tā zhǐ xū zuàn jìn chē xiāng， bù ràng suì shí zá chū de huǒ xīng luò dào pū cǎo shàng， biàn néng zài wǔ fēn zhōng zhī nèi qīng qīng sōng sōng diǎn rán chē dēng， ér qiě xiāng dāng 'ān quán。
“ tānɡ mǔ！” mǎ chē dǐng shàng yòu qīng róu de shēng yīn chuán lái。
“ hā luó， qiáo。”
“ nǐ tīng jiàn nà xiāo xī liǎo me？”
“ tīng jiàn liǎo， qiáo。”
“ nǐ duì tā zěn me kàn， tānɡ mǔ？”
“ shénme kàn fǎ dōuméi yòu， qiáo。”
“ nà yě shì qiǎo hé，” wèi shì chén sī zhe shuō，“ yīn wéi wǒ yě shénme kàn fǎ dōuméi yòu。”
jié ruì yī gè rén liú zài liǎo hēi 'àn lǐ de wù zhōng。 cǐ kè tā xià liǎo mǎ， ràng tā nà pí bèi bù kān de mǎ qīng sōng qīng sōng， yě cā cā zì jǐ liǎn shàng de ní shuǐ， zài bǎ mào yán shàng de shuǐfèn shuǎi diào -- mào yán lǐ kě néng zhuāng shàng liǎo bàn jiā lún shuǐ。 tā ràng mǎ jiāng dā zài tā nà jiàn mǎn liǎo ní jiāng de shǒu bì shàng， zhàn liǎo yī huì 'ér， zhí dào nà chē lún shēng zài yě tīng bù jiàn， yè yǐ shí fēn jì jìng， cái zhuǎn shēn wǎng shān xià zǒu qù。
“ cóng fǎ xué huì dào zhè 'ér zhè yī tàng páo wán， wǒ de lǎo tài tài， wǒ duì nǐ nà qián tuǐ jiù bù dà fàng xīn liǎo。 wǒ dé xiān ràng nǐ píng jìng xià lái，” zhè shā hóu lóng de xìn shǐ piē liǎo tā de mǔ mǎ yī yǎn， shuō。“ sǐ rén fù huó liǎo！” zhè xiāo xī zhēn shì qí guài tòu dǐng， tā duì nǐ kě tài bù lì liǎo， jié ruì！ wǒ shuō jié ruì！ nǐ pà yào dà dǎo qí méi， ruò shì sǐ rén fù huó de shì liú xíng qǐ lái de huà， jié ruì！
With drooping heads and tremulous tails, they mashed their way through the thick mud, floundering and stumbling between whiles, as if they were falling to pieces at the larger joints. As often as the driver rested them and brought them to a stand, with a wary "Wo-ho! so-ho- then!" the near leader violently shook his head and everything upon it--like an unusually emphatic horse, denying that the coach could be got up the hill. Whenever the leader made this rattle, the passenger started, as a nervous passenger might, and was disturbed in mind.
There was a steaming mist in all the hollows, and it had roamed in its forlornness up the hill, like an evil spirit, seeking rest and finding none. A clammy and intensely cold mist, it made its slow way through the air in ripples that visibly followed and overspread one another, as the waves of an unwholesome sea might do. It was dense enough to shut out everything from the light of the coach-lamps but these its own workings, and a few yards of road; and the reek of the labouring horses steamed into it, as if they had made it all.
Two other passengers, besides the one, were plodding up the hill by the side of the mail. All three were wrapped to the cheekbones and over the ears, and wore jack-boots. Not one of the three could have said, from anything he saw, what either of the other two was like; and each was hidden under almost as many wrappers from the eyes of the mind, as from the eyes of the body, of his two companions. In those days, travellers were very shy of being confidential on a short notice, for anybody on the road might be a robber or in league with robbers. As to the latter, when every posting-house and ale-house could produce somebody in "the Captain's" pay, ranging from the landlord to the lowest stable non-descript, it was the likeliest thing upon the cards. So the guard of the Dover mail thought to himself, that Friday night in November, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five, lumbering up Shooter's Hill, as he stood on his own particular perch behind the mail, beating his feet, and keeping an eye and a hand on the arm-chest before him, where a loaded blunderbuss lay at the top of six or eight loaded horse-pistols, deposited on a substratum of cutlass.
The Dover mail was in its usual genial position that the guard suspected the passengers, the passengers suspected one another and the guard, they all suspected everybody else, and the coachman was sure of nothing but the horses; as to which cattle he could with a clear conscience have taken his oath on the two Testaments that they were not fit for the journey.
"Wo-ho!" said the coachman. "So, then! One more pull and you're at the top and be damned to you, for I have had trouble enough to get you to it!--Joe!"
"Halloa!" the guard replied.
"What o'clock do you make it, Joe?"
"Ten minutes, good, past eleven."
"My blood!" ejaculated the vexed coachman, "and not atop of Shooter's yet! Tst! Yah! Get on with you!"
The emphatic horse, cut short by the whip in a most decided negative, made a decided scramble for it, and the three other horses followed suit. Once more, the Dover mail struggled on, with the jack-boots of its passengers squashing along by its side. They had stopped when the coach stopped, and they kept close company with it. If any one of the three had had the hardihood to propose to another to walk on a little ahead into the mist and darkness, he would have put himself in a fair way of getting shot instantly as a highwayman.
The last burst carried the mail to the summit of the hill. The horses stopped to breathe again, and the guard got down to skid the wheel for the descent, and open the coach-door to let the passengers in.
"Tst! Joe!" cried the coachman in a warning voice, looking down from his box.
"What do you say, Tom?"
They both listened.
"I say a horse at a canter coming up, Joe."
"_I_ say a horse at a gallop, Tom," returned the guard, leaving his hold of the door, and mounting nimbly to his place. "Gentlemen! In the kings name, all of you!"
With this hurried adjuration, he cocked his blunderbuss, and stood on the offensive.
The passenger booked by this history, was on the coach-step, getting in; the two other passengers were close behind him, and about to follow. He remained on the step, half in the coach and half out of; they re-mained in the road below him. They all looked from the coachman to the guard, and from the guard to the coachman, and listened. The coachman looked back and the guard looked back, and even the emphatic leader pricked up his ears and looked back, without contradicting.
The stillness consequent on the cessation of the rumbling and labouring of the coach, added to the stillness of the night, made it very quiet indeed. The panting of the horses communicated a tremulous motion to the coach, as if it were in a state of agitation. The hearts of the passengers beat loud enough perhaps to be heard; but at any rate, the quiet pause was audibly expressive of people out of breath, and holding the breath, and having the pulses quickened by expectation.
The sound of a horse at a gallop came fast and furiously up the hill.
"So-ho!" the guard sang out, as loud as he could roar. "Yo there! Stand! I shall fire!"
The pace was suddenly checked, and, with much splashing and floundering, a man's voice called from the mist, "Is that the Dover mail?"
"Never you mind what it is!" the guard retorted. "What are you?"
"IS that the Dover mail?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"I want a passenger, if it is."
"What passenger?"
"Mr. Jarvis Lorry."
Our booked passenger showed in a moment that it was his name. The guard, the coachman, and the two other passengers eyed him distrustfully.
"Keep where you are," the guard called to the voice in the mist, "because, if I should make a mistake, it could never be set right in your lifetime. Gentleman of the name of Lorry answer straight."
"What is the matter?" asked the passenger, then, with mildly quavering speech. "Who wants me? Is it Jerry?"
("I don't like Jerry's voice, if it is Jerry," growled the guard to himself. "He's hoarser than suits me, is Jerry.")
"Yes, Mr. Lorry."
"What is the matter?"
"A despatch sent after you from over yonder. T. and Co."
"I know this messenger, guard," said Mr. Lorry, getting down into the road--assisted from behind more swiftly than politely by the other two passengers, who immediately scrambled into the coach, shut the door, and pulled up the window. "He may come close; there's nothing wrong."
"I hope there ain't, but I can't make so 'Nation sure of that," said the guard, in gruff soliloquy. "Hallo you!"
"Well! And hallo you!" said Jerry, more hoarsely than before.
"Come on at a footpace! d'ye mind me? And if you've got holsters to that saddle o' yourn, don't let me see your hand go nigh 'em. For I'm a devil at a quick mistake, and when I make one it takes the form of Lead. So now let's look at you."
The figures of a horse and rider came slowly through the eddying mist, and came to the side of the mail, where the passenger stood. The rider stooped, and, casting up his eyes at the guard, handed the passenger a small folded paper. The rider's horse was blown, and both horse and rider were covered with mud, from the hoofs of the horse to the hat of the man.
"Guard!" said the passenger, in a tone of quiet business confidence.
The watchful guard, with his right hand at the stock of his raised blunderbuss, his left at the barrel, and his eye on the horseman, answered curtly, "Sir."
"There is nothing to apprehend. I belong to Tellson's Bank. You must know Tellson's Bank in London. I am going to Paris on business. A crown to drink. I may read this?"
"If so be as you're quick, sir."
He opened it in the light of the coach-lamp on that side, and read--first to himself and then aloud: "`Wait at Dover for Mam'selle.' It's not long, you see, guard. Jerry, say that my answer was, RECALLED TO LIFE."
Jerry started in his saddle. "That's a Blazing strange answer, too," said he, at his hoarsest.
"Take that message back, and they will know that I received this, as well as if I wrote. Make the best of your way. Good night."
With those words the passenger opened the coach-door and got in; not at all assisted by his fellow-passengers, who had expeditiously secreted their watches and purses in their boots, and were now making a general pretence of being asleep. With no more definite purpose than to escape the hazard of originating any other kind of action.
The coach lumbered on again, with heavier wreaths of mist closing round it as it began the descent. The guard soon replaced his blunderbuss in his arm-chest, and, having looked to the rest of its contents, and having looked to the supplementary pistols that he wore in his belt, looked to a smaller chest beneath his seat, in which there were a few smith's tools, a couple of torches, and a tinder-box. For he was furnished with that completeness that if the coach-lamps had been blown and stormed out, which did occasionally happen, he had only to shut himself up inside, keep the flint and steel sparks well off the straw, and get a light with tolerable safety and ease (if he were lucky) in five minutes.
"Tom!" softly over the coach roof.
"Hallo, Joe."
"Did you hear the message?"
"I did, Joe."
"What did you make of it, Tom?"
"Nothing at all, Joe."
"That's a coincidence, too," the guard mused, "for I made the same of it myself."
Jerry, left alone in the mist and darkness, dismounted meanwhile, not only to ease his spent horse, but to wipe the mud from his face, and shake the wet out of his hat-brim, which might be capable of holding about half a gallon. After standing with the bridle over his heavily-splashed arm, until the wheels of the mail were no longer within hearing and the night was quite still again, he turned to walk down the hill.
"After that there gallop from Temple Bar, old lady, I won't trust your fore-legs till I get you on the level," said this hoarse messenger, glancing at his mare. "`Recalled to life.' That's a Blazing strange message. Much of that wouldn't do for you, Jerry! I say, Jerry! You'd be in a Blazing bad way, if recalling to life was to come into fashion, Jerry!"