In Charles Dickens' novel, A Tale of Two
Cities, the Marquis is annoyed with the mender of roads because the man saw
someone hanging from a chain beneath the Marquis' carriagebut couldn't give enough
information:
...the mender of roads with his blue cap pointing
out the chain under the
carriage...
The mender of the
roads is not able to provide much of a description other than the "stowaway" had a face
that was white and he was as tall as a spectre
(ghost).
...to
whom the mender of roads, with the aid of the blue cap without which he was nothing,
still enlarged upon his man like a spectre, as long as they could bear
it.
The Marquis, knowing
little more than he had before the mender of roads made his report is disgusted with
really knowing nothing more and having no way to understand the significance to
himself of this mysterious
man.
(However, as the story continues, it seems that the
father of the little child the Marquis had hit and killed with his carriage is out of
his mind with despair. The next morning, the Marquis is found
dead.)
Later as a man has been captured for the murder of
the Marquis, the mender of the roads provides, once again, a
detailed account of what he saw:
“I saw him then, messieurs,” began the mender of
roads, “a year ago this running summer, underneath the carriage of the Marquis, hanging
by the chain. Behold the manner of it. I leaving my work on the road, the sun going to
bed, the carriage of the Marquis slowly ascending the hill, he hanging by the chain—like
this.”
It would seem the
mystery of the man beneath the carriage has been answered—but not that it would be of
any help to the Marquis.
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