[Masterpiece Les Miserables] Paris Sparks

13 years passed like this.

After they finally returned to London without any danger, Dr. Manette told them the whole story of the letter that year.Relying on his and Caton's memories, they reconstructed the words in the letter and burned them to ashes again.Before this burning, these words were read by the Darnay couple.They all turned pale with fright.There is no doubt that Defarge had this letter when he took the Bastille!There is no doubt that if this letter is read in court, it will be enough to end Dane's life!Everything is clear, and their family owes Caton a great life-saving grace!

Since then, the doctor's family has treated Caton as their closest friend, brother and family.Caton has almost been fully accommodated in this warm family.This kind of special treatment naturally still made him feel flattered, but another shadow in his heart diluted the joy.He often thought of Ramona.He felt that he owed this little girl whose parents both died overnight.

It's a common thing that a good person tends to be hard on himself.Carton's responsibility in this matter was, to be fair, not as serious as he thought.All he did was to defraud a piece of letter paper and try to prevent the mother from shooting her daughter. All of this was for a kind and even great purpose: to save the happiness of others.He never was selfish for a moment, never thought of himself.He hoped to save one family, but who would have thought that he would destroy another!

The blow to Carton from this incident is unimaginable.It was Madame Defarge and her burning hatred that had ruined the other family, he knew, but he could not help feeling responsible for Ramona.This 15-year-old, innocent, cute, and inexperienced girl, once her parents are dead, what will her life be like in the future?Did he inadvertently plant the seeds of darkness and hatred in her heart?

None of them dared to go back to Paris to inquire about the news, because once the two bodies of the Defarge family were found, they would definitely be suspected when they left immediately.Although he was not arrested on the way out, who knows, maybe the Darnay family and Caton's names have already been listed on the most wanted list in Paris!For nearly a year, Carton could only get a little information about what happened in Paris through the newspapers, and after the newspapers reported the murder, they never mentioned the news of Ramona de's death.Carton's only comfort/consolation is that she inherited her parents' tavern, that is to say, with some property in her hand, her life should not be bad.

In October of the second year, there was a great opportunity.One of Mr. Lorry's friendly and trustworthy associates was on business to the French branch of Tellson's Bank, and Mr. Lorry entrusted him with information about the Defarges' house.The colleague sent a telegram back in France, informing them of two shocking news: the murderer of the Defarges had been found and executed; the daughter of the Defarges had sold the tavern without a trace.

Ramona did escape from the tavern during the trio's scuffle.

She was panic-stricken, her mind went blank, like a night moth dazed by the sudden light, fluttering its wings indiscriminately, without direction.After running for an unknown amount of time, suddenly her hands were twisted by powerful arms.She screamed in terror and writhed and struggled desperately, but the hand that grabbed her tightened even tighter.There were voices in a mess around, and it took her a long time to hear what those voices were saying: "Don't be afraid! Don't be afraid!"

Ramona subsided with a sob.The person holding her arm saw that she was no longer struggling, and let her go.Through dim, tearful eyes, she saw all around her familiar faces, the fanatical Republicans her parents used to see.These people often come and go to the tavern, but they look down on Ramona's love of beauty and flirtatiousness, and don't pay her much attention.The Nemesis asked in a majestic and terrifying tone: "Who killed your parents?"

Ramona choked, "Yes, yes—"

She subconsciously wanted to tell the truth, but the scene where she was almost killed by her biological mother just now taught her a lesson. Just as she was about to leave her mouth, she suddenly understood: You can't say that!If she said that Madame Defarge did it, then they must ask her mother why she wanted to kill her. If they asked her about the letter, then she was a sympathetic enemy of the Republic, and she would also be beheaded. !

This series of logic has not been clearly formed in her mind at this time, it is just a vague and chaotic intuition, but this intuition stopped her and made her subconsciously say a lie: "I don't know."

"Didn't you see it?"

"I, when I came back, I saw them lying on the ground... I panicked... and ran away..."

The crowd next to them started talking loudly, and the noise was so loud that Ramona's ears were buzzing and she had a headache.She didn't hear a word, just cried.After a while, the Vengeance's pincer-like hands clamped her arm: "Is it Evremond's gang?" she asked sharply, "Did they kill your parents and escape from the city? "

At this time, as long as she nodded or shook her head lightly, it was enough to change the fate of eight people.Ramona didn't know that she was in such an important position, but maybe God suddenly showed mercy, and the image that flashed through her mind at this time happened to be Caton rushing in from the door, and missed the muzzle of the gun aimed at her The scene - he saved her!So she is still important to him after all!Then she will save him too. "No." She lied again, "They left first, I saw it."

The Nemesis dropped her arms in disappointment.Of course no one would doubt her, how could a daughter lie about killing her parents' enemies?It was absolutely impossible for Ramona to be the one who attacked her. The Defarges were both strong and strong, and one could beat her three times.Her words were trusted without hindrance.The murderer of the Defarges is a mystery.

In the spring of [-], a dangerous murderer named Catra was captured in Paris. It was found that he had been in Paris the previous winter, and the court blamed him for the murder. .As for Catra, he didn't care, he had already killed five people, and two more would be nothing more than one death.So the matter was closed.On the day of the execution, Ramona was in the execution ground, and she looked numbly at the "killer of her parents", a person she had never seen before.

Ramona doesn't know how to run a saloon.She has learned a little bit by ear: how to buy goods, how to roll wine barrels, and how to keep accounts, but they are all scratchy and half-knowledgeable.The tavern business is getting worse and worse, the wine is getting worse and worse, but the price is getting higher and higher every day.She didn't even last a year.In August of [-] she sold the tavern and left with a small fortune, no one knows where she went.

The future ahead of Ramona is unknown, while the road ahead of Caton is undoubtedly bleak.A person melts into Paris, like a drop of water into the ocean, and can lose all traces in an instant.Immediately afterwards, Napoleon was crowned again, and the Republic turned into an empire. The group of people who were familiar with the Defarges—Bassid, Clay, and the Vengeance... were sent to the guillotine one by one. The place that had been watched so many times with vengeful malice was also the place where they died.However, without these people, no one would know Ramona even more.As if things weren't bad enough, she might as well leave Paris!France is so big.She might also leave France!How difficult it is to find an orphan girl in this vast world!

Carton had done everything he could, but Ramona was untouched.As [-] approached, another problem, no less crucial, confronted him: money.

Living in France, looking for people, looking for information, all these need money!If Ramona is found, it will cost money to repay her, help her, and atone for his sins!Carton is not a rich man.He can make a successful career, but he idles around all day long, drinks alcohol, gambles, hides his achievements behind others, and has no hope of life, so all the chances of success in the past have slipped away in vain gone.The Darnays weren't rich either, and Caton wasn't going to use their money.After months of searching in France in vain, he was already stretched thin.

The Darnays did not go to France with him.A year and three months in prison was unavoidably damaging to one's health, and on returning to England Charles Dane fell seriously ill, and Lucy stayed in London to take care of him.Fortunately, his condition was not serious. Under the tender care of his wife, Darney soon recovered.He sent a telegram to France asking about Carton's progress and sending him a sum of money.Carton returned the money without any other words, but half a month later, Lucy accidentally raised her eyes and saw him at the garden gate.

"You're back!" she called out happily, and ran to open the door for him.Caton was emaciated, his face was obviously tired, his coat was wrinkled, his boots and calves were covered with mud, and he was carrying a suitcase in his hand, which proved that he rushed over immediately after he got off the boat.Charles Darne, who was in the house, also hurried out when he heard his wife's cry.

No need to ask any more questions, just looking at the look on Caton's face, he knew the answer: this trip back and forth was futile.Carton's deeply tangled brows, the sad look on his face, and the accumulated wrinkles on his forehead due to the burden of his heart all illustrate this point.But he faintly felt that something had changed on the face that was very similar to but very different from his own.His whole body was no longer surrounded by decadence as before, and the depths of his eyes seemed to reveal a firm look.It was not like the Caton that Darney was familiar with before, but it was much better than before, and from the vaguely determined expression, one could still see the shadow of a promising young man many years ago.His wrinkles made him look old, but his eyes made him look young.

Lucy was already letting Darney back into the house as he hurried down the steps.But Caton stood at the door without moving a step. "Don't bother, I just stopped for a while." He said, "There is one thing I want to ask you."

"Anything!" said Lucy, "what can we do for you?"

Carton looked at her with gentle eyes, and then at Dane: "I want you to supervise me to quit drinking."

"You want to quit drinking!"

Lucy yelled these words with great joy, a beautiful smile suddenly appeared on her face, she suddenly looked like a girl who was only 20 years old, "Why, have you decided yet!"

"Ah, my friend!" Darney stepped forward excitedly, clasped Carton's free hand with both hands, and without asking any questions, he only said, "I'm so happy for you!"

Under the excited expressions of the two of them, Carton seemed indifferent.He just smiled wryly slightly, and cast his eyes to the sky.The sky was a bright cornflower blue that day, not a breath of wind, not a cloud.Looking at the pure sky, he murmured, "I hope I still have time!"

"In time!" Darney said.Carton never spoke, but smiled wryly again.He shook Darney's hand back and took his leave.