暮色
那位被冤判死刑的无辜者的可怜妻子，听到判决时如同遭受致命重击般瘫倒。但她没有发出一丝声响；她内心有个声音如此强烈，告诉她：在这世上，唯有她必须在丈夫的苦难中支撑他，而非加重他的痛苦，这声音很快便将她从那打击中扶起。
法官们需参加户外公众示威，法庭遂休庭。法庭经多条通道疏散人群的声音与动静尚未停息，露西已站起身，向丈夫伸出双臂，脸上唯有爱与慰藉。
“若我能触碰他！若我能拥抱他一次！噢，好心的公民们，若你们能对我们存此怜悯！”
此刻只剩一名狱卒，连同昨夜押走他的四人中之二，以及巴萨德。民众皆涌上街去看热闹。巴萨德向其余人提议：“那就让她拥抱他吧；不过片刻。”众人默然同意，他们扶她越过厅内座席，来到一处高台，他只需俯身探出被告栏，便能将她拥入怀中。
“永别了，我灵魂的挚爱。临别祝福予我的爱人。我们终将重逢，在劳倦者得安息之处！”
这是她丈夫将她搂在胸前时说的话。
“我能承受，亲爱的查尔斯。我自上方得蒙扶持：莫为我受苦。代我向我们的孩子道别祝福。”
“我借你之口传达予她。借你之吻亲她。借你之身向她永别。”
“我的丈夫。不！等一等！”他正从她怀中挣脱。“我们分离不会久长。我感到这终将令我心碎；但我必尽己所能守责，待我离她而去，上帝必为她兴起朋友，如当日为我兴起一般。”
她父亲跟在身后，本欲向二人跪下，达内却伸出手拽住他，喊道：
“不，不！你何曾做过何事，竟向我们下跪！我们如今方知，你昔日挣扎何等剧烈。我们如今方知，当你疑我身世、及至确知时，你承受何等苦楚。我们如今方知，你为她之故，如何竭力对抗并征服那天然嫌恶。我们全心感谢你，以全部的爱与孝心。愿上天与你同在！”
她父亲唯以双手捋过白发，发出一声凄厉哀号，绞紧双手。
“本非他途，”囚徒道，“万事皆如其所然而相凑。正是那徒劳欲践我可怜母亲遗托之念，初将我致命之身引近你们。恶岂生善，如此不幸之始，本性难有欢终。望舒怀，且恕我。愿上天赐福于你！”
他被拖走时，妻子松开他，立而目送，双手交握如祷，面泛光辉，甚带慰藉之微笑。待他从囚犯门出，她转过身，将头亲倚父胸，欲语，却倒于其父足下。
此时，西德尼·卡顿自那从未移步的暗隅走出，上前扶起她。唯她父与罗瑞先生在侧。他臂虽颤，仍托起她，扶住她头。然其神色不全是怜悯——其中亦有一抹骄傲之红晕。
“可要我抱她上马车？我永觉她轻若无物。”
他轻抱她至门边，温柔安置于马车中。她父与老友随之登车，他则坐于车夫之旁。
及至那栅门——不过数小时前他曾在暗中止步，臆想她足踏街上何块粗石——他复抱起她，登梯入其居室。他将她置于榻上，幼女与普洛斯小姐伏榻而泣。
“莫唤醒她，”他柔声对后者道，“如此她更好。她只昏厥，莫令还魂。”
“噢，卡顿，卡顿，亲爱的卡顿！”小露西跃起，悲恸中热情搂住他，哭道，“你既来，我想你必有所为以助母亲，有所为以救父亲！噢，看她，亲爱卡顿！爱她众人中，你忍见她如此？”
他俯身向孩，将她如花嫩颊贴己面。又轻推开，望其昏母。
“我行前，”他顿言，“可吻她否？”
后有人忆起，当他俯身以唇触其面时，曾喃喃数语。最近他之孩，后告人，及至成雍容老妇告其孙辈，言闻他说：“你所爱之一命。”
他出至邻室，忽对随来之罗瑞先生与她父道：
“曼内特医生，昨汝尚大有权威；至少试之。此诸法官及掌权者，皆善待汝、念汝功，非耶？”
“凡涉查尔斯之事，我无不知。我曾得最强保证必能救他；而我竟救之。”他甚忧，极缓而应。
“再试之。今至明午后时短刻少，然试之。”
“我意欲试。片刻不息。”
“善。我昔见如汝之毅成大事——虽，”他笑叹交集，“未若此之大。然试！生命误用虽贱，亦值此劳。若非如此，弃之何惜。”
“我去，”曼内特医道，“直谒检察官与主席，亦谒不可名者。我亦将书——且住！街上正庆，暗前无人可觅。”
“诚然。然！此本绝望之望，迟至暗亦不更绝望。我欲知汝行；然记！我无所期！曼内特医生，汝几时得见此可怖之权者？”
“冀于暗后立见。自今一二时内。”
“四后即暗。且宽此一二时。若我九时至罗瑞先生处，可得汝所为讯，或自友或自汝？”
“可。”
“愿汝成！”
罗瑞先生随西德尼至外门，将行时触其肩，令转。
“我无望，”罗瑞先生低哀私语。
“我亦无。”
“若此数人，或尽数，肯赦之——此大假设；因其命，或任何人命，于彼何有！——我疑示威后，彼不敢赦。”
“我亦疑。我于那声中闻斧落。”
罗瑞先生臂倚门柱，面伏其上。
“莫馁，”卡顿极柔道，“莫悲。我励曼内特医此念，以觉他日或能慰她。否则，或思‘其命妄弃虚耗’，而困于心。”
“然，然，然，”罗瑞先生拭泪归，“汝对。然彼必亡；实无望。”
“然。彼必亡：实无望，”卡顿应。
遂步稳下楼而去。
Dusk
The wretched wife of the innocent man thus doomed to die, fell under
the sentence, as if she had been mortally stricken. But, she uttered no
sound; and so strong was the voice within her, representing that it was
she of all the world who must uphold him in his misery and not augment
it, that it quickly raised her, even from that shock.
The Judges having to take part in a public demonstration out of doors,
the Tribunal adjourned. The quick noise and movement of the court’s
emptying itself by many passages had not ceased, when Lucie stood
stretching out her arms towards her husband, with nothing in her face
but love and consolation.
“If I might touch him! If I might embrace him once! O, good citizens, if
you would have so much compassion for us!”
There was but a gaoler left, along with two of the four men who had
taken him last night, and Barsad. The people had all poured out to the
show in the streets. Barsad proposed to the rest, “Let her embrace
him then; it is but a moment.” It was silently acquiesced in, and they
passed her over the seats in the hall to a raised place, where he, by
leaning over the dock, could fold her in his arms.
“Farewell, dear darling of my soul. My parting blessing on my love. We
shall meet again, where the weary are at rest!”
They were her husband’s words, as he held her to his bosom.
“I can bear it, dear Charles. I am supported from above: don’t suffer
for me. A parting blessing for our child.”
“I send it to her by you. I kiss her by you. I say farewell to her by
you.”
“My husband. No! A moment!” He was tearing himself apart from her.
“We shall not be separated long. I feel that this will break my heart
by-and-bye; but I will do my duty while I can, and when I leave her, God
will raise up friends for her, as He did for me.”
Her father had followed her, and would have fallen on his knees to both
of them, but that Darnay put out a hand and seized him, crying:
“No, no! What have you done, what have you done, that you should kneel
to us! We know now, what a struggle you made of old. We know, now what
you underwent when you suspected my descent, and when you knew it. We
know now, the natural antipathy you strove against, and conquered, for
her dear sake. We thank you with all our hearts, and all our love and
duty. Heaven be with you!”
Her father’s only answer was to draw his hands through his white hair,
and wring them with a shriek of anguish.
“It could not be otherwise,” said the prisoner. “All things have worked
together as they have fallen out. It was the always-vain endeavour to
discharge my poor mother’s trust that first brought my fatal presence
near you. Good could never come of such evil, a happier end was not in
nature to so unhappy a beginning. Be comforted, and forgive me. Heaven
bless you!”
As he was drawn away, his wife released him, and stood looking after him
with her hands touching one another in the attitude of prayer, and
with a radiant look upon her face, in which there was even a comforting
smile. As he went out at the prisoners’ door, she turned, laid her head
lovingly on her father’s breast, tried to speak to him, and fell at his
feet.
