Part 2 Chapter XV THE GORGONS HEAD.docx

Part 2 Chapter XV THE GORGONS HEAD.docx

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Part2ChapterXVTHEGORGONSHEAD

Part2ChapterXV.THEGORGON’SHEAD

Itwasaheavymassofbuilding,thatchateauofMonsieurtheMarquis,withalargestonecourtyardbeforeit,andtwostonesweepsofstaircasemeetinginastoneterracebeforetheprincipaldoor.Astonybusinessaltogether,withheavystonebalustrades,andstoneurns,andstoneflowers,andstonefacesofmen,andstoneheadsoflions,inalldirections.AsiftheGorgon’sheadhadsurveyedit,whenitwasfinished,twocenturiesago.

Uponthebroadflightofshallowsteps,MonsieurtheMarquis,flambeaupreceded,wentfromhiscarriage,sufficientlydisturbingthedarknesstoelicitloudremonstrancefromanowlintheroofofthegreatpileofstablebuildingawayamongthetrees.Allelsewassoquiet,thattheflambeaucarriedupthesteps,andtheotherflambeauheldatthegreatdoor,burntasiftheywereinacloseroomofstate,insteadofbeingintheopennightair.Othersoundthantheowl’svoicetherewasnone,savethefallingofthefountainintoitsstonebasin;for,itwasoneofthosedarknightsthatholdtheirbreathbythehourtogether,andthenheavealonglowsigh,andholdtheirbreathagain.

Thegreatdoorclangedbehindhim,andMonsieurtheMarquiscrossedahallgrimwithcertainoldboar-spears,swords,andknivesofthechase;grimmerwithcertainheavyriding-rodsandriding-whips,ofwhichmanyapeasant,gonetohisbenefactorDeath,hadfelttheweightwhenhislordwasangry.

Avoidingthelargerrooms,whichweredarkandmadefastforthenight,MonsieurtheMarquis,withhisflambeau-bearergoingonbefore,wentupthestaircasetoadoorinacorridor.Thisthrownopen,admittedhimtohisownprivateapartmentofthreerooms:

hisbedchamberandtwoothers.Highvaultedroomswithcooluncarpetedfloors,greatdogsuponthehearthsfortheburningofwoodinwintertime,andallluxuriesbefittingthestateofamarquisinaluxuriousageandcountry.ThefashionofthelastLouisbutone,ofthelinethatwasnevertobreak—thefourteenthLouis—wasconspicuousintheirrichfurniture;but,itwasdiversifiedbymanyobjectsthatwereillustrationsofoldpagesinthehistoryofFrance.

Asupper-tablewaslaidfortwo,inthethirdoftherooms;aroundroom,inoneofthechateau’sfourextinguisher-toppedtowers.Asmallloftyroom,withitswindowwideopen,andthewoodenjalousie-blindsclosed,sothatthedarknightonlyshowedinslighthorizontallinesofblack,alternatingwiththeirbroadlinesofstonecolour.

“Mynephew,”saidtheMarquis,glancingatthesupperpreparation;“theysaidhewasnotarrived.”

Norwashe;but,hehadbeenexpectedwithMonseigneur.

“Ah!

Itisnotprobablehewillarrivetonight;nevertheless,leavethetableasitis.Ishallbereadyinaquarterofanhour.”

InaquarterofanhourMonseigneurwasready,andsatdownalonetohissumptuousandchoicesupper.Hischairwasoppositetothewindow,andhehadtakenhissoup,andwasraisinghisglassofBordeauxtohislips,whenheputitdown.

“Whatisthat?

”hecalmlyasked,lookingwithattentionatthehorizontallinesofblackandstonecolour.

“Monseigneur!

That?

”

“Outsidetheblinds.Opentheblinds.”

Itwasdone.

“Well?

”

“Monseigneur,itisnothing.Thetreesandthenightareallthatarehere.”

Theservantwhospoke,hadthrowntheblindswide,hadlookedoutintothevacantdarkness,andstood,withthatblankbehindhim,lookingroundforinstructions.

“Good,”saidtheimperturbablemaster.“Closethemagain.”

Thatwasdonetoo,andtheMarquiswentonwithhissupper.Hewashalfwaythroughit,whenheagainstoppedwithhisglassinhishand,hearingthesoundofwheels.Itcameonbriskly,andcameuptothefrontofthechateau.

“Askwhoisarrived.”

ItwasthenephewofMonseigneur.HehadbeensomefewleaguesbehindMonseigneur,earlyintheafternoon.Hehaddiminishedthedistancerapidly,butnotsorapidlyastocomeupwithMonseigneurontheroad.HehadheardofMonseigneur,attheposting-houses,asbeingbeforehim.

Hewastobetold（saidMonseigneur）thatsupperawaitedhimthenandthere,andthathewasprayedtocometoit.Inalittlewhilehecame.HehadbeenknowninEnglandasCharlesDarnay.

Monseigneurreceivedhiminacourtlymanner,buttheydidnotshakehands.

“YouleftParisyesterday,sir?

”hesaidtoMonseigneur,ashetookhisseatattable.

“Yesterday.Andyou?

”

“Icomedirect.”

“FromLondon?

”

“Yes.”

“Youhavebeenalongtimecoming,”saidtheMarquis,withasmile.

“Onthecontrary;Icomedirect.”

“Pardonme!

Imean,notalongtimeonthejourney;alongtimeintendingthejourney.”

“Ihavebeendetainedby”—thenephewstoppedamomentinhisanswer—“variousbusiness.”

“Withoutdoubt,”saidthepolisheduncle.

Solongasaservantwaspresent,nootherwordspassedbetweenthem.Whencoffeehadbeenservedandtheywerealonetogether,thenephew,lookingattheuncleandmeetingtheeyesofthefacethatwaslikeafinemask,openedaconversation.

“Ihavecomeback,sir,asyouanticipate,pursuingtheobjectthattookmeaway.Itcarriedmeintogreatandunexpectedperil;butitisasacredobject,andifithadcarriedmetodeathIhopeitwouldhavesustainedme.”

“Nottodeath,”saidtheuncle;“itisnotnecessarytosay,todeath.”

“Idoubt,sir,”returnedthenephew,“whether,ifithadcarriedmetotheutmostbrinkofdeath,youwouldhavecaredtostopmethere.”

Thedeepenedmarksinthenose,andthelengtheningofthefinestraightlinesinthecruelface,lookedominousastothat;theunclemadeagracefulgestureofprotest,whichwassoclearlyaslightformofgoodbreedingthatitwasnotreassuring.

“Indeed,sir,”pursuedthenephew,“foranythingIknow,youmayhaveexpresslyworkedtogiveamoresuspiciousappearancetothesuspiciouscircumstancesthatsurroundedme.”

“No,no,no,”saidtheuncle,pleasantly.

“But,howeverthatmaybe,”resumedthenephew,glancingathimwithdeepdistrust,“Iknowthatyourdiplomacywouldstopmebyanymeans,andwouldknownoscrupleastomeans.”

“Myfriend,Itoldyouso,”saidtheuncle,withafinepulsationinthetwomarks.“DomethefavourtorecallthatItoldyouso,longago.”

“Irecallit.”

“Thankyou,”saidtheMarquis—verysweetlyindeed.

Histonelingeredintheair,almostlikethetoneofamusicalinstrument.

“Ineffect,sir,”pursuedthenephew,“Ibelieveittobeatonceyourbadfortune,andmygoodfortune,thathaskeptmeoutofaprisoninFrancehere.”

“Idonotquiteunderstand,”returnedtheuncle,sippinghiscoffee.“DareIaskyoutoexplain?

”

“IbelievethatifyouwerenotindisgracewiththeCourt,andhadnotbeenovershadowedbythatcloudforyearspast,aletterdecachetwouldhavesentmetosomefortressindefinitely.”

“Itispossible,”saidtheuncle,withgreatcalmness.“Forthehonourofthefamily,Icouldevenresolvetoincommodeyoutothatextent.Prayexcuseme!

”

“Iperceivethat,happilyforme,theReceptionofthedaybeforeyesterdaywas,asusual,acoldone,”observedthenephew.

“Iwouldnotsayhappily,myfriend,”returnedtheuncle,withrefinedpoliteness;“Iwouldnotbesureofthat.Agoodopportunityforconsideration,surroundedbytheadvantagesofsolitude,mightinfluenceyourdestinytofargreateradvantagethanyouinfluenceitforyourself.Butitisuselesstodiscussthequestion.Iam,asyousay,atadisadvantage.Theselittleinstrumentsofcorrection,thesegentleaidstothepowerandhonouroffamilies,theseslightfavoursthatmightsoincommodeyou,areonlytobeobtainednowbyinterestandimportunity.Theyaresoughtbysomany,andtheyaregranted（comparatively）tosofew!

Itusednottobeso,butFranceinallsuchthingsischangedfortheworse.Ournotremoteancestorsheldtherightoflifeanddeathoverthesurroundingvulgar.Fromthisroom,manysuchdogshavebeentakenouttobehanged;inthenextroom（mybedroom）,onefellow,toourknowledge,wasponiardedonthespotforprofessingsomeinsolentdelicacyrespectinghisdaughter—hisdaughter?

Wehavelostmanyprivileges;anewphilosophyhasbecomethemode;andtheassertionofourstation,inthesedays,might（Idonotgoasfarastosaywould,butmight）causeusrealinconvenience.Allverybad,verybad!

”

TheMarquistookagentlelittlepinchofsnuff,andshookhishead;aselegantlydespondentashecouldbecominglybeofacountrystillcontaininghimself,thatgreatmeansofregeneration.

“Wehavesoassertedourstation,bothintheoldtimeandinthemoderntimealso,”saidthenephew,gloomily,“thatIbelieveournametobemoredetestedthananynameinFrance.”

“Letushopeso,”saidtheuncle.“Detestationofthehighistheinvoluntaryhomageofthelow.”

“Thereisnot,”pursuedthenephew,inhisformertone,“afaceIcanlookat,inallthiscountryroundaboutus,whichlooksatmewithanydeferenceonitbutthedarkdeferenceoffearandslavery.”

“Acompliment,”saidtheMarquis,“tothegrandeurofthefamily,meritedbythemannerinwhichthefamilyhassustaineditsgrandeur.Hah!

”Andhetookanothergentlelittlepinchofsnuff,andlightlycrossedhislegs.

But,whenhisnephew,leaninganelbowonthetable,coveredhiseyesthoughtfullyanddejectedlywithhishand,thefinemasklookedathimsidewayswithastrongerconcentrationofkeenness,closeness,anddislike,thanwascomportablewithitswearer’sassumptionofindifference.

“Repressionistheonlylastingphilosophy.Thedarkdeferenceoffearandslavery,myfriend,”observedtheMarquis,“willkeepthedogsobedienttothewhip,aslongasthisroof,”loo