a tale of two cities(双城记)-第52部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

　within　half　an　hour　or　so　of　the　time　of　closing。　
　‘But；　although　you　are　the　youngest　man　that　ever　lived；'　said　Charles　Darnay；　rather　hesitating；　‘I　must　still　suggest　to　you…'　
　‘I　understand。　That　I　am　too　old？'　said　Mr。　Lorry。　
　‘Unsettled　weather；　a　long　journey；　uncertain　means　of　travelling；　a　disorganised　country；　a　city　that　may　not　be　even　safe　for　you。'　
　‘My　dear　Charles；'　said　Mr。　Lorry；　with　cheerful　confidence；　you　touch　some　of　the　reasons　for　my　going：　not　for　my　staying　away。　It　is　safe　enough　for　me；　nobody　will　care　to　interfere　with　an　old　fellow　of　hard　upon　four…score　when　there　are　so　many　people　there　much　better　worth　interfering　with。　As　to　its　being　a　disorganised　city；　if　it　were　not　a　disorganised　city　there　would　be　no　occasion　to　send　somebody　from　our　House　here　to　our　House　there；　who　knows　the　city　and　the　business；　of　old；　and　is　in　Tellson's　confidence。　As　to　the　uncertain　travelling；　the　long　journey；　and　the　winter　weather；　if　I　were　not　prepared　to　submit　myself　to　a　few　inconveniences　for　the　sake　of　Tellson's；　after　all　these　years；　who　ought　to　be？'　
　‘I　wish　I　were　going　myself；'　said　Charles　Darnay；　somewhat　restlessly；　and　like　one　thinking　aloud。　
　‘Indeed！　You　are　a　pretty　fellow　to　object　and　advise！'　exclaimed　Mr。　Lorry。　‘You　wish　you　were　going　yourself？　And　you　a　Frenchman　born？　You　are　a　wise　counsellor。'　
　‘My　dear　Mr。　Lorry；　it　is　because　I　am　a　Frenchman　born；　that　the　thought　（which　I　did　not　mean　to　utter　here；　however）　has　passed　through　my　mind　often。　One　cannot　help　thinking；　having　had　some　sympathy　for　the　miserable　people；　and　having　abandoned　something　to　them；'　he　spoke　here　in　his　former　thoughtful　manner；　‘that　one　might　be　listened　to；　and　might　have　the　power　to　persuade　to　some　restraint。　Only　last　night；　after　you　had　left　us；　when　I　was　talking　to　Lucie…'　
　‘When　you　were　talking　to　Lucie；'　Mr。　Lorry　repeated。　‘Yes。　I　wonder　you　are　not　ashamed　to　mention　the　name　of　Lucie！　Wishing　you　were　going　to　France　at　this　time　of　day！'　
　‘However；　I　am　not　going；'　said　Charles　Darnay；　with　a　smile。　‘It　is　more　to　the　purpose　that　you　say　you　are。'　
　‘And　I　am；　in　plain　reality。　The　truth　is；　my　dear　Charles；'　Mr。　Lorry　glanced　at　the　distant　House；　and　lowered　his　voice；　‘you　can　have　no　conception　of　the　difficulty　with　which　our　business　is　transacted；　and　of　the　peril　in　which　our　books　and　papers　over　yonder　are　involved。　The　Lord　above　knows　what　the　compromising　consequences　would　be　to　numbers　of　people；　if　some　of　our　documents　were　seized　or　destroyed；　and　they　might　be；　at　any　time；　you　know；　for　who　can　say　that　Paris　is　not　set　a…fire　to…day；　or　sacked　to…morrow！　Now；　a　judicious　selection　from　these　with　the　least　possible　delay；　and　the　burying　of　them；　or　otherwise　getting　of　them　out　of　harm's　way；　is　within　the　power　（without　loss　of　precious　time）　of　scarcely　any　one　but　myself；　if　any　one。　And　shall　I　hang　back；　when　Tellson's　knows　this　and　says　thisTellson's；　whose　bread　I　have　eaten　these　sixty　yearsbecause　I　am　a　little　stiff　about　the　joints？　Why；　I　am　a　boy；　sir；　to　half　a　dozen　old　codgers　here！'　
　‘How　I　admire　the　gallantry　of　your　youthful　spirit；　Mr。　Lorry。'　
　‘Tut！　Nonsense；　sir！And；　my　dear　Charles；'　said　Mr。　Lorry；　glancing　at　the　House　again；　‘you　are　to　remember；　that　getting　things　out　of　Paris　at　this　present　time；　no　matter　what　things；　is　next　to　an　impossibility。　Papers　and　precious　matters　were　this　very　day　brought　to　us　here　（I　speak　in　strict　confidence；　it　is　not　business…like　to　whisper　it；　even　to　you）；　by　the　strangest　bearers　you　cap　imagine；　every　one　of　whom　had　his　head　hanging　on　by　a　single　hair　as　he　passed　the　Barriers。　At　another　time；　our　parcels　would　come　and　go；　as　easily　as　in　business…like　Old　England；　but　now；　everything　is　stopped。'　
　‘And　do　you　really　go　to…night？'　
　‘I　really　go　to…night；　for　the　case　has　become　too　pressing　to　admit　of　delay。'　
　‘And　do　you　take　no　one　with　you？'　
　‘All　sorts　of　people　have　been　proposed　to　me；　but　I　will　have　nothing　to　say　to　any　of　them。　I　intend　to　take　Jerry。　Jerry　has　been　my　body…guard　on　Sunday　nights　for　a　long　time　past；　and　I　am　used　to　him。　Nobody　will　suspect　Jerry　of　being　anything　but　an　English　bull…dog；　or　of　having　any　design　in　his　head　but　to　fly　at　anybody　who　touches　his　master。'　
　‘I　must　say　again　that　I　heartily　admire　your　gallantry　and　youthfulness。'　
　‘I　must　say　again；　nonsense；　nonsense！　When　I　have　executed　this　little　commission；　I　shall；　perhaps；　accept　Tellson's　proposal　to　retire　and　live　at　my　ease。　Time　enough；　then；　to　think　about　growing　old。'　
　This　dialogue　had　taken　place　at　Mr。　Lorry's　usual　desk；　with　Monseigneur　swarming　within　a　yard　or　two　of　it；　boastful　of　what　he　would　do　to　avenge　himself　on　the　rascal…people　before　long。　It　was　too　much　the　way　of　Monseigneur　under　his　reverses　as　a　refugee；　and　it　was　much　too　much　the　way　of　native　British　orthodoxy；　to　talk　of　this　terrible　Revolution　as　if　it　were　the　one　only　harvest　ever　known　under　the　skies　that　had　not　been　sownas　if　nothing　had　ever　been　done；　or　omitted　to　be　done；　that　had　led　to　itas　if　observers　of　the　wretched　millions　in　France；　and　of　the　misused　and　perverted　resources　that　should　have　made　them　prosperous；　had　not　seen　it　inevitably　coming；　years　before；　and　had　not　in　plain　words　recorded　what　they　saw。　Such　vapouring；　combined　with　the　extravagant　plots　of　Monseigneur　for　the　restoration　of　a　state　of　things　that　had　utterly　exhausted　itself；　and　worn　out　Heaven　and　earth　as　well　as　itself；　was　hard　to　be　endured　without　some　remonstrance　by　any　sane　man　who　knew　the　truth。　And　it　was　such　vapouring　all　about　his　ears；　like　a　troublesome　confusion　of　blood　in　his　own　head；　added　to　a　latent　uneasiness　in　his　mind；　which　had　already　made　Charles　Darnay　restless；　and　which　still　kept　him　so。　
　Among　the　talkers；　was　Stryver；　of　the　King's　Bench　Bar；　far　on　his　way　to　state　promotion；　and；　therefore；　loud　on　the　theme：　broaching　to　Monseigneur；　his　devices　for　blowing　the　people　up　and　exterminating　them　from　the　face　of　the　earth；　and　doing　without　them：　and　for　accomplishing　many　similar　objects　akin　in　their　nature　to　the　abolition　of　eagles　by　sprinkling　salt　on　the　tails　of　the　race。　Him；　Darnay　heard　with　a　particular　feeling　of　objection；　and　Darnay　stood　divided　between　going　away　that　he　might　hear　no　more；　and　remaining　to　interpose　his　word；　when　the　thing　that　was　to　be　went　on　to　shape　itself　out。　
　The　House　approached　Mr。　Lorry；　and　laying　a　soiled　and　unopened　letter　before　him；　asked　if　he　had　yet　discovered　any　traces　of　the　person　to　whom　it　was　addressed？　The　House　laid　the　letter　down　so　close　to　Darnay　that　he　saw　the　directionthe　more　quickly　because　it　was　his　own　right　name。　The　address；　turned　into　English；　ran：　
　‘Very　pressing。　To　Monsieur　heretofore　the　Marquis　St。　Evrémonde；　of　France。　Confided　to　the　cares　of　Messrs。　Tellson　and　Go。；　Bankers；　London；　England。'　
　On　the　marriage　morning；　Dr。　Manette　had　made　it　his　one　urgent　and　express　request　to　Charles　Darnay；　that　the　secret　of　this　name　should　beunless　he；　the　Doctor；　dissolved　the　obligationkept　inviolate　between　them。　Nobody　else　knew　it　to　be　his　name；　his　own　wife　had　no　suspicion　of　the　fact；　Mr。　Lorry　could　have　none。　
　‘No；'　said　Mr。　Lorry；　in　reply　to　the　House；　‘I　have　referred　it；　I　think；　to　everybody　now　here；　and　no　one　can　tell　me　where　this　gentleman　is　to　be　found。'　
　The　hands　of　the　clock　verging　upon　the　hour　of　closing　the　Bank；　there　was　a　general　set　of　the　current　of　talkers　past　Mr。　Lorry's　desk。　He　held　the　letter　out　inquiringly；　and　Monseigneur　looked　at　it；　in　the　person　of　this　plotting　and　indignant　refugee；　and　Monseigneur　looked　at　it；　in　the　person　of　that　plotting　and　indignant　refugee；　and　This；　That；　and　The　Other；　all　had　something　disparaging　to　say；　in　French　or　in　English；　concerning　the　Marquis　who　was　not　to　be　found。　
　‘Nephew；　I　believebut　in　any　case　degenerate　successorof　the　polished　Marquis　who　was　murdered；'　said　one。　‘Happy　to　say；　I　never　knew　him。'　
　‘A　craven　who　abandoned　his　post；'　said　anotherthis　Monseigneur　had　been　got　out　of　Paris；　legs　uppermost　and　half　suffocated；　in　a　load　of　hay‘some　years　ago。'　
　‘Infected　with　the　new　doctrines；'　said　a　third；　eyeing　the　direction　through　his　glass　in　passing；　‘set　himself　in　opposition　to　the　last　Marquis；　abandoned　the　estates　when　he　inherited　them；　and　left　them　to　the　ruffian　herd。　They　will　recompense　him　now；　I　hope；　as　he　deserves。'　
　‘Hey？'　cried　the　blatant　Stryver。　‘Did　he　though？　Is　that　the　sort　of　fellow？　Let　us　look　at　his　infamous　name。　Dn　the　fellow！'　
　Darnay；　unable　to　restrain　himself　any　longer；　touched　Mr。　Stryver　on　the　shoulder；　and　said：　
　‘I　know　the　fellow。'　
　‘Do　you；　by　Jupiter？'　said　Stryver。　‘I　am　sorry　for　it。'　
‘Why？'　
　‘Why；　Mr。　Darnay？　D'ye　hear　what　he　did？　Don't　ask；　why；　in　these　times。'　
　‘But　I　do　ask　why。'　
　‘Then　I　tell　you　again；　Mr。　Darnay；　I　am　sorry　for　it。　I　am　sorry　to　hear　you　putting　any　such　extraordinary　questions。　Here　is　a　fellow；　who；　infected　by　the　most　pestilent　and　blasphemous　code　of　devilry　that　ever　was　known；　abandoned　his　property　to　the　vilest　scum　of　the　earth　that