第107章BOOKTHETHIRD：THETRACKOFASTORM(22)

第107章bookthethird：thetrackofastorm(22)

'sofar，wehavespokenbeforethesetwo，becauseitwasaswellthatthemeritsofthecardsshouldnotrestsolelybetweenyouandme.comeintothedarkroomhere，andletushaveonefinalwordalone.'

xxxix.thegamemade

whilesydneycartonandthesheepoftheprisonswereintheadjoiningdarkroom，speakingsolowthatnotasoundwasheard，mr.lorrylookedatjerryinconsiderabledoubtandmistrust.thathonesttradesman'smannerofreceivingthelook，didnotinspireconfidence；hechangedthelegonwhichherested，asoftenasifhehadfiftyofthoselimbs，andweretryingthemall；heexaminedhisfinger-nailswithaveryquestionableclosenessofattention；andwhenevermr.lorry'seyecaughthis，hewastakenwiththatpeculiarkindofshortcoughrequiringthehollowofahandbeforeit，whichisseldom，ifever，knowntobeaninfirmityattendantonperfectopennessofcharacter.

'jerry，'saidmr.lorry.'comehere.'

mr.crunchercameforwardsideways，withoneofhisshouldersinadvanceofhim.

'whathaveyoubeen，besidesamessenger？'

aftersomecogitation，accompaniedwithanintentlookathispatron，mr.cruncherconceivedtheluminousideaofreplying，'agricultooralcharacter.'

'mymindmisgivesmemuch，'saidmr.lorry，angrilyshakingaforefingerathim，'thatyouhaveusedtherespectableandgreathouseoftellson'sasablind，andthatyouhavehadanunlawfuloccupationofaninfamousdeion.ifyouhave，don'texpectmetobefriendyouwhenyougetbacktoengland.ifyouhave，don'texpectmetokeepyoursecret.tellson'sshallnotbeimposedupon.'

'ihope，sir，'pleadedtheabashedmr.cruncher，'thatagentlemanlikeyourselfwoti'vehadthehonourofoddjobbingtilli'mgreyatit，wouldthinktwiceaboutharmingofme，evenifitwosso—idon'tsayitis，butevenifitwos.andwhichitistobetookintoaccountthatifitwos，itwouldn't，eventhen，beallo'oneside.there'dbetwosidestoit.theremightbemedicaldoctorsatthepresenthour，apickinguptheirguineaswhereahonesttradesmandon'tpickuphisfardens—fardens！no，noryethishalffardens—halffardens！no，noryethisquarter—abankingawaylikesmokeattellson's，andacockingtheirmedicaleyesatthattradesmanonthesly，goinginandouttotheirowncarriages—ah！equallylikesmoke，ifnotmoreso.well，that'udbeimposingtoo，ontellson's.foryoucannotsarsethegooseandnotthegander.andhere'smrs.cruncher，orleastwayswosintheoldenglandtimes，andwouldbetomorrow，ifcausegiven，afloppinaginthebusinesstothatdegreeasisruinating—starkruinating！whereasthemmedicaldoctors'wivesdon'tflop—catch'ematit！or，iftheyflop，theirfloppingoesinfavourofmorepatients，andhowcanyourightlyhaveonewithoutthet'other？then，wotwithundertakers，andwotwithparishclerks，andwotwithsextons，andwotwithprivatewatchmen（allawariciousandallinit），amanwouldn'tgetmuchbyit，evenifitwosso.andwotlittlemandidget，wouldneverprosperwithhim，mr.lorry.he'dneverhavenogoodofit；he'dwantallalongtobeoutoftheline，ifhecouldseehiswayout，beingoncein—evenifitwosso.'

'ugh！'criedmr.lorry，ratherrelenting，nevertheless.'iamshockedatthesightofyou.'

'now，whatiwouldhumblyoffertoyou，sir，'pursuedmr.cruncher，'evenifitwosso，whichidon'tsayitis—''don'tprevaricate，'saidmr.lorry.

'no，iwillnot，sir，'returnedmr.cruncher，asifnothingwerefurtherfromhisthoughtsorpractice—'whichidon'tsayitis—wotiwouldhumblyoffertoyou，sir，wouldbethis.uponthattherestool，atthattherebar，setsthatthereboyofmine，broughtupandgroweduptobeaman，wotwillerrandyou，messageyou，general-light-jobyou，tillyourheelsiswhereyourheadis，ifsuchshouldbeyourwishes.ifitwasso，whichistilldon'tsayitis（foriwillnotprewaricatetoyou，sir）letthatthereboykeephisfather'splace，andtakecareofhismother；don'tblowuponthatboy'sfather—donotdoit，sir—andletthatfathergointothelineofthereg'larin'，andmakeamendsforwhathewouldhaveundug—ifitwosso—byin'of'eminwithawill，andwithconwictionsrespectin'thefutur'keepin'of'emsafe.that，mr.lorry，'saidmr.cruncher，wipinghisforeheadwithhisarm，asanannouncementthathehadarrivedattheperorationofhisdiscourse，'iswotiwouldrespectfullyoffertoyou，sir.amandon'tseeallthishereagoin'ondreadfulroundhim，inthewayofsubjectswithoutheads，dearme，plentifulenoughfurtobringthepricedowntoporterageandhardlythat，withouthavin'hisseriousthoughtsofthings.andtheseherewouldbemine，ifitwosso，entreatin'ofyoufurtobearinmindthatwotisaidjustnow，iupandsaidinthegoodcausewhenimighthavekep'itback.'

'thatatleastistrue，'saidmr.lorry.'saynomorenow.itmaybethatishallyetstandyourfriend，ifyoudeserveit，andrepentinaction—notinwords.iwantnomorewords.'

mr.cruncherknuckledhisforehead，assydneycartonandthespyreturnedfromthedarkroom.'adieu，mr.barsad，'saidtheformer；'ourarrangementthusmade，youhavenothingtofearfromme.'

hesatdowninachaironthehearth，overagainstmr.lorry.whentheywerealone，mr.lorryaskedhimwhathehaddone？'notmuch.ifitshouldgoillwiththeprisoner，ihaveensuredaccesstohim，once.'

mr.lorry'scountenancefell.

'itisallicoulddo，'saidcarton.'toproposetoomuchwouldbetoputthisman'sheadundertheaxe，and，ashehimselfsaid，nothingworsecouldhappentohimifheweredenounced.itwasobviouslytheweaknessoftheposition.thereisnohelpforit.'

'butaccesstohim，'saidmr.lorry，'ifitshouldgoillbeforethetribunal，willnotsavehim.'

'ineversaiditwould.'