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双城记 查尔斯·狄更斯-第章

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nvenience。 All very bad; very bad!'
The Marquis took a gentle little pinch of snuff; and shook his head; as elegantly despondent as he could beingly be of a country still containing himself; that great means of regeneration。
‘We have so asserted our station; both in the old time and in the modern time also;' said the nephew; gloomily; ‘that I believe our name to be more detested than any name in France。'
‘Let us hope so;' said the uncle。 ‘Detestation of the high is the involuntary homage of the low。'
‘There is not;' pursued the nephew; in his former tone; ‘a face I can look at; in all this country round about us; which looks at me with any deference on it but the dark deference of fear and slavery。'
‘A pliment;' said the Marquis; ‘to the grandeur of the family; merited by the manner in which the family has sustained its grandeur。 Hah!' And he took another gentle little pinch of snuff; and lightly crossed his legs。
But; when his nephew; leaning an elbow on the table; covered his eyes thoughtfully and dejectedly with his hand; the fine mask looked at him sideways with a stronger concentration of keenness; closeness; and dislike; than was portable with its wearer's assumption of indifference。
‘Repression is the only lasting philosophy。 The dark deference of fear and slavery; my friend;' observed the Marquis; ‘will keep tee dogs obedient to the whip; as long as this roof;' looking up to it; ‘shuts out the sky。'
That might not be so long as the Marquis supposed。 If a picture of the chaateau as it was to be a very few years hence; and of fifty like it as they too were to be a very few years hence; could have been shown to him that night; he might have been at a loss to claim his own from the ghastly; fire…charred; plunder…wrecked ruins。 As for the roof he vaunted; he might have found that shutting out the sky in a new way……to wit; for ever; from the eyes of the bodies into which its lead was fired; out of the barrels of a hundred thousand muskets。 
‘Meanwhile;' said the Marquis; ‘I will preserve the honour and repose of the family; if you will not。 But you must be fatigued。 Shall we terminate our Conference for the night?'
‘A moment more。'
‘An hour; if you please。'
‘Sir;' said the nephew; ‘we have done wrong; and are reaping the fruits of wrong。'
‘We have done wrong?' repeated the Marquis; with an inquiring smile; and delicately pointing; first to his nephew; then to himself。
‘Our family; our honourable family; whose honour is of so much account to both of us; in such different ways。 Even in my father's time; we did a world of wrong; injuring every human creature who came between us and our pleasure; whatever it was。 Why need I speak of my father's time; when it is equally yours? Can I separate my father's twin…brother; joint inheritor; and next successor; from himself?'
‘Death has done that!' said the Marquis。
‘And has left me;' answered the nephew; ‘bound to a system that is frightful to me; responsible for it; but powerless in it; seeking to execute the last request of my dear mother's lips; and obey the last look of my dear mother's eyes; which implored file to have mercy and to redress; and tortured by seeking assistance and power in vain?
‘Seeking them from me; my nephew;' said the Marquis; touching him on the breast with his forefinger……they were now standing by the hearth……you will for ever seek them in vain; be assured。
Every fine straight line in the clear whiteness of his face; was cruelly; craftily; and closely pressed; while he stood looking quietly at his nephew; with his snuff…box in his hand。
Once again he touched him on the breast; as though his finger were the fine point of a small sword; with which; in delicate finesse; he ran him through the body; and said;
‘My friend; I will die; perpetuating the system under which I have lived。'
When he had said it; he took a culminating pinch of Snuff; and put his box in his pocket。
‘Better to be a rational creature;' he added then; after ringing a small bell on the table; ‘and accept your natural destiny。 But you are lost; Monsieur Charles; I see。' 
‘This property and France are lost to me;' said the nephew; sadly; ‘I renounce them。'
‘Are they both yours to renounce? France may be; but is the property? It is scarcely worth mentioning; but; is it yet?'
‘I had no intention; in the words I used; to claim it yet。 If it passed to me from you; to…morrow………
‘Which I have the vanity to hope is not probable。' 
‘……or twenty years hence………'
‘You do me too much honour;' said the Marquis; ‘still; I prefer that supposition。'
‘……I would abandon it; and live otherwise and elsewhere。 It is little to relinquish。 What is it but a wilderness of misery and ruin?'
‘Hah!' said the Marquis; glancing round the luxurious room。 ‘To the eye it is fair enough; here; but seen in its integrity; under the sky; and by the daylight; it is a crumbling tower of waste; mismanagement; extortion; debt; mortgage; oppression; hunger; nakedness; and suffering。'
‘Hah!' said the Marquis again; in a well…satisfied manner。
‘If it ever bees mine; it shall be put into some hands better qualified to free it slowly (if such a thing is possible) from the weight that drags it down; so that the miserable people Who cannot leave it and who have been long wrung to the last point of endurance; may; in another generation; suffer less; bat it is not for me。 There is a curse on it; and on all this land。'
‘And you?' said the uncle。 ‘Forgive my curiosity; do you; under your new philosophy; graciously intend to live?'
‘I must do; to live; what others of my countrymen; even with nobility at their backs; may have to do some day……work。'
‘In England; for example?'
‘Yes。 The family honour; sir; is safe from me in this country。 The family name can suffer from me in no other; for I bear it in no other。'
The ringing of the bell had caused the adjoining bedchamber to be lighted。 It now shone brightly; through the door of munication。 The Marquis looked that way; and listened for the retreating step of his valet。
‘England is very attractive to you; seeing how indifferently you have prospered there;' he observed then; turning his calm face to his nephew with a smile。 
‘I have already said; that for my prosperi
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