Continue reading with a SparkNotes PLUS trial

Original Text

Modern Text

Monsieur the Marquis cast his eyes over the submissive faces that drooped before him, as the like of himself had drooped before Monseigneur of the Court—only the difference was, that these faces drooped merely to suffer and not to propitiate—when a grizzled mender of the roads joined the group. Monsieur the Marquis cast his eyes over the submissive faces that drooped before him, as the like of himself had drooped before Monseigneur of the Court—only the difference was, that these faces drooped merely to suffer and not to propitiate—when a grizzled mender of the roads joined the group.
“Bring me hither that fellow!” said the Marquis to the courier. “Bring me hither that fellow!” said the Marquis to the courier.
The fellow was brought, cap in hand, and the other fellows closed round to look and listen, in the manner of the people at the Paris fountain. The fellow was brought, cap in hand, and the other fellows closed round to look and listen, in the manner of the people at the Paris fountain.
“I passed you on the road?” “I passed you on the road?”
“Monseigneur, it is true. I had the honour of being passed on the road.” “Monseigneur, it is true. I had the honour of being passed on the road.”
“Coming up the hill, and at the top of the hill, both?” “Coming up the hill, and at the top of the hill, both?”
“Monseigneur, it is true.” “Monseigneur, it is true.”
“What did you look at, so fixedly?” “What did you look at, so fixedly?”
“Monseigneur, I looked at the man.” “Monseigneur, I looked at the man.”
He stooped a little, and with his tattered blue cap pointed under the carriage. All his fellows stooped to look under the carriage. He stooped a little, and with his tattered blue cap pointed under the carriage. All his fellows stooped to look under the carriage.
“What man, pig? And why look there?” “What man, pig? And why look there?”
“Pardon, Monseigneur; he swung by the chain of the shoe—the drag.” “Pardon, Monseigneur; he swung by the chain of the shoe—the drag.”
“Who?” demanded the traveller. “Who?” demanded the traveller.
“Monseigneur, the man.” “Monseigneur, the man.”
“May the Devil carry away these idiots! How do you call the man? You know all the men of this part of the country. Who was he?” “May the Devil carry away these idiots! How do you call the man? You know all the men of this part of the country. Who was he?”
“Your clemency, Monseigneur! He was not of this part of the country. Of all the days of my life, I never saw him.” “Your clemency, Monseigneur! He was not of this part of the country. Of all the days of my life, I never saw him.”
“Swinging by the chain? To be suffocated?” “Swinging by the chain? To be suffocated?”
“With your gracious permission, that was the wonder of it, Monseigneur. His head hanging over—like this!” “With your gracious permission, that was the wonder of it, Monseigneur. His head hanging over—like this!”
He turned himself sideways to the carriage, and leaned back, with his face thrown up to the sky, and his head hanging down; then recovered himself, fumbled with his cap, and made a bow. He turned himself sideways to the carriage, and leaned back, with his face thrown up to the sky, and his head hanging down; then recovered himself, fumbled with his cap, and made a bow.
“What was he like?” “What was he like?”
“Monseigneur, he was whiter than the miller. All covered with dust, white as a spectre, tall as a spectre!” “Monseigneur, he was whiter than the miller. All covered with dust, white as a spectre, tall as a spectre!”
The picture produced an immense sensation in the little crowd; but all eyes, without comparing notes with other eyes, looked at Monsieur the Marquis. Perhaps, to observe whether he had any spectre on his conscience. The picture produced an immense sensation in the little crowd; but all eyes, without comparing notes with other eyes, looked at Monsieur the Marquis. Perhaps, to observe whether he had any spectre on his conscience.
“Truly, you did well,” said the Marquis, felicitously sensible that such vermin were not to ruffle him, “to see a thief accompanying my carriage, and not open that great mouth of yours. Bah! Put him aside, Monsieur Gabelle!” “Truly, you did well,” said the Marquis, felicitously sensible that such vermin were not to ruffle him, “to see a thief accompanying my carriage, and not open that great mouth of yours. Bah! Put him aside, Monsieur Gabelle!”
Monsieur Gabelle was the Postmaster, and some other taxing functionary united; he had come out with great obsequiousness to assist at this examination, and had held the examined by the drapery of his arm in an official manner. Monsieur Gabelle was the Postmaster, and some other taxing functionary united; he had come out with great obsequiousness to assist at this examination, and had held the examined by the drapery of his arm in an official manner.
“Bah! Go aside!” said Monsieur Gabelle. “Bah! Go aside!” said Monsieur Gabelle.
“Lay hands on this stranger if he seeks to lodge in your village to-night, and be sure that his business is honest, Gabelle.” “Lay hands on this stranger if he seeks to lodge in your village to-night, and be sure that his business is honest, Gabelle.”
“Monseigneur, I am flattered to devote myself to your orders.” “Monseigneur, I am flattered to devote myself to your orders.”
“Did he run away, fellow?—where is that Accursed?” “Did he run away, fellow?—where is that Accursed?”
The accursed was already under the carriage with some half-dozen particular friends, pointing out the chain with his blue cap. Some half-dozen other particular friends promptly hauled him out, and presented him breathless to Monsieur the Marquis. The accursed was already under the carriage with some half-dozen particular friends, pointing out the chain with his blue cap. Some half-dozen other particular friends promptly hauled him out, and presented him breathless to Monsieur the Marquis.

Original Text

Modern Text

Monsieur the Marquis cast his eyes over the submissive faces that drooped before him, as the like of himself had drooped before Monseigneur of the Court—only the difference was, that these faces drooped merely to suffer and not to propitiate—when a grizzled mender of the roads joined the group. Monsieur the Marquis cast his eyes over the submissive faces that drooped before him, as the like of himself had drooped before Monseigneur of the Court—only the difference was, that these faces drooped merely to suffer and not to propitiate—when a grizzled mender of the roads joined the group.
“Bring me hither that fellow!” said the Marquis to the courier. “Bring me hither that fellow!” said the Marquis to the courier.
The fellow was brought, cap in hand, and the other fellows closed round to look and listen, in the manner of the people at the Paris fountain. The fellow was brought, cap in hand, and the other fellows closed round to look and listen, in the manner of the people at the Paris fountain.
“I passed you on the road?” “I passed you on the road?”
“Monseigneur, it is true. I had the honour of being passed on the road.” “Monseigneur, it is true. I had the honour of being passed on the road.”
“Coming up the hill, and at the top of the hill, both?” “Coming up the hill, and at the top of the hill, both?”
“Monseigneur, it is true.” “Monseigneur, it is true.”
“What did you look at, so fixedly?” “What did you look at, so fixedly?”
“Monseigneur, I looked at the man.” “Monseigneur, I looked at the man.”
He stooped a little, and with his tattered blue cap pointed under the carriage. All his fellows stooped to look under the carriage. He stooped a little, and with his tattered blue cap pointed under the carriage. All his fellows stooped to look under the carriage.
“What man, pig? And why look there?” “What man, pig? And why look there?”
“Pardon, Monseigneur; he swung by the chain of the shoe—the drag.” “Pardon, Monseigneur; he swung by the chain of the shoe—the drag.”
“Who?” demanded the traveller. “Who?” demanded the traveller.
“Monseigneur, the man.” “Monseigneur, the man.”
“May the Devil carry away these idiots! How do you call the man? You know all the men of this part of the country. Who was he?” “May the Devil carry away these idiots! How do you call the man? You know all the men of this part of the country. Who was he?”
“Your clemency, Monseigneur! He was not of this part of the country. Of all the days of my life, I never saw him.” “Your clemency, Monseigneur! He was not of this part of the country. Of all the days of my life, I never saw him.”
“Swinging by the chain? To be suffocated?” “Swinging by the chain? To be suffocated?”
“With your gracious permission, that was the wonder of it, Monseigneur. His head hanging over—like this!” “With your gracious permission, that was the wonder of it, Monseigneur. His head hanging over—like this!”
He turned himself sideways to the carriage, and leaned back, with his face thrown up to the sky, and his head hanging down; then recovered himself, fumbled with his cap, and made a bow. He turned himself sideways to the carriage, and leaned back, with his face thrown up to the sky, and his head hanging down; then recovered himself, fumbled with his cap, and made a bow.
“What was he like?” “What was he like?”
“Monseigneur, he was whiter than the miller. All covered with dust, white as a spectre, tall as a spectre!” “Monseigneur, he was whiter than the miller. All covered with dust, white as a spectre, tall as a spectre!”
The picture produced an immense sensation in the little crowd; but all eyes, without comparing notes with other eyes, looked at Monsieur the Marquis. Perhaps, to observe whether he had any spectre on his conscience. The picture produced an immense sensation in the little crowd; but all eyes, without comparing notes with other eyes, looked at Monsieur the Marquis. Perhaps, to observe whether he had any spectre on his conscience.
“Truly, you did well,” said the Marquis, felicitously sensible that such vermin were not to ruffle him, “to see a thief accompanying my carriage, and not open that great mouth of yours. Bah! Put him aside, Monsieur Gabelle!” “Truly, you did well,” said the Marquis, felicitously sensible that such vermin were not to ruffle him, “to see a thief accompanying my carriage, and not open that great mouth of yours. Bah! Put him aside, Monsieur Gabelle!”
Monsieur Gabelle was the Postmaster, and some other taxing functionary united; he had come out with great obsequiousness to assist at this examination, and had held the examined by the drapery of his arm in an official manner. Monsieur Gabelle was the Postmaster, and some other taxing functionary united; he had come out with great obsequiousness to assist at this examination, and had held the examined by the drapery of his arm in an official manner.
“Bah! Go aside!” said Monsieur Gabelle. “Bah! Go aside!” said Monsieur Gabelle.
“Lay hands on this stranger if he seeks to lodge in your village to-night, and be sure that his business is honest, Gabelle.” “Lay hands on this stranger if he seeks to lodge in your village to-night, and be sure that his business is honest, Gabelle.”
“Monseigneur, I am flattered to devote myself to your orders.” “Monseigneur, I am flattered to devote myself to your orders.”
“Did he run away, fellow?—where is that Accursed?” “Did he run away, fellow?—where is that Accursed?”
The accursed was already under the carriage with some half-dozen particular friends, pointing out the chain with his blue cap. Some half-dozen other particular friends promptly hauled him out, and presented him breathless to Monsieur the Marquis. The accursed was already under the carriage with some half-dozen particular friends, pointing out the chain with his blue cap. Some half-dozen other particular friends promptly hauled him out, and presented him breathless to Monsieur the Marquis.
Previous page Book 2, Chapter 8: Monseigneur in the Country, Page 1 Next page Book 2, Chapter 8: Monseigneur in the Country, Page 3
Test your knowledge

Take the Book the Second: The Golden Thread Chapters 7-9 Quick Quiz
Read the Summary

Read the Summary of Book the Second: The Golden Thread Chapters 7-9.
Take a study break

QUIZ: Is This a Taylor Swift Lyric or a Quote by Edgar Allan Poe?

Popular pages: A Tale of Two Cities

Take a Study Break