第8章BOOKTHEFIRST:RECALLEDTOLIFE(8) - A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens - 都市言情小说 - 30读书

第8章BOOKTHEFIRST:RECALLEDTOLIFE(8)

第8章bookthefirst:recalledtolife(8)

'butthisismyfather'sstory,sir;andibegintothink'—thecuriouslyroughenedforeheadwasveryintentuponhim—'thatwheniwasleftanorphanthroughmymother'ssurvivingmyfatheronlytwoyears,itwasyouwhobroughtmetoengland.iamalmostsureitwasyou.'

mr.lorrytookthehesitatinglittlehandthatconfidinglyadvancedtotakehis,andheputitwithsomeceremonytohislips.hethenconductedtheyoungladystraightwaytoherchairagain,and,holdingthechair-backwithhislefthand,andusinghisrighthandbyturnstorubhischin,pullhiswigattheears,orpointwhathesaid,stoodlookingdownintoherfacewhileshesatlookingupintohis.

'missmanette,itwasi.andyouwillseehowtrulyispokeofmyselfjustnow,insayingihadnofeelings,andthatalltherelationsiholdwithmyfellow-creaturesaremerebusinessrelations,whenyoureflectthatihaveneverseenyousince.no;youhavebeenthewardoftellson'shousesince,andihavebeenbusywiththeotherbusinessoftellson'shousesince.feelings!ihavenotimeforthem,nochanceofthem.ipassmywholelife,miss,inturninganimmensepecuniarymangle.'

afterthisodddeionofhisdailyroutineofemployment,mr.lorryflattenedhisflaxenwiguponhisheadwithbothhands(whichwasmostunnecessary,fornothingcouldbeflatterthanitsshiningsurfacewasbefore),andresumedhisformerattitude.

'sofar,miss(asyouhaveremarked),thisisthestoryofyourregrettedfather.nowcomesthedifference.ifyourfatherhadnotdiedwhenhedid—don'tbefrightened!howyoustart!'

shedid,indeed,start.andshecaughthiswristwithbothherhands.

'pray,'saidmr.lorry,inasoothingtone,bringinghislefthandfromthebackofthechairtolayitonthesupplicatoryfingersthatclaspedhiminsoviolentatremble:'praycontrolyouragitation—amatterofbusiness.asiwassaying—'herlooksodiscomposedhimthathestopped,wandered,andbegananew:'asiwassaying:ifmonsieurmanettehadnotdied;ifhehadsuddenlyandsilentlydisappeared;ifhehadbeenspiritedaway;ifithadnotbeendifficulttoguesstowhatdreadfulplace,thoughnoartcouldtracehim;ifhehadanenemyinsomecompatriotwhocouldexerciseaprivilegethatiinmyowntimehaveknowntheboldestpeopleafraidtospeakofinawhisper,acrossthewaterthere;forinstance,theprivilegeoffillingupblankformsoftheconsignmentofanyonetotheoblivionofaprisonforanylengthoftime;ifhiswifehadimploredtheking,thequeen,thecourt,theclergy,foranytidingsofhim,andallquiteinvain;—thenthehistoryofyourfatherwouldhavebeenthehistoryofthisunfortunategentleman,thedoctorofbeauvais.'

'ientreatyoutotellmemore,sir.'

'iwill.iamgoingto.youcanbearit?'

'icanbearanythingbuttheuncertaintyyouleavemeinatthismoment.'

'youspeakcollectedly,andyou—arecollected.that'sgood!'(thoughhismannerwaslesssatisfiedthanhiswords.)'amatterofbusiness.regarditasamatterofbusiness—businessthatmustbedone.nowifthisdoctor'swife,thoughaladyofgreatcourageandspirit,hadsufferedsointenselyfromthiscausebeforeherlittlechildwasborn—'

'thelittlechildwasadaughter,sir.'

'adaughter.a—a—matterofbusiness—don'tbedistressed.miss,ifthepoorladyhadsufferedsointenselybeforeherlittlechildwasborn,thatshecametothedeterminationofsparingthepoorchildtheinheritanceofanypartoftheagonyshehadknownthepainsof,byrearingherinthebeliefthatherfatherwasdead—no,don'tkneel!inheaven'snamewhyshouldyoukneeltome!'

'forthetruth.odear,good,compassionatesir,forthetruth!'

'a—amatterofbusiness.youconfuseme,andhowcanitransactbusinessifiamconfused?letusbeclear-headed.ifyoucouldkindlymentionnow,forinstance,whatninetimesninepenceare,orhowmanyshillingsintwentyguineas,itwouldbesoencouraging.ishouldbesomuchmoreatmyeaseaboutyourstateofmind.'

withoutdirectlyansweringtothisappeal,shesatsostillwhenhehadverygentlyraisedher,andthehandsthathadnotceasedtoclasphiswristsweresomuchmoresteadythantheyhadbeen,thatshecommunicatedsomereassurancetomr.jarvislorry.

'that'sright,that'sright.courage!business!youhavebusinessbeforeyou;usefulbusiness.missmanette,yourmothertookthiscoursewithyou.andwhenshedied—ibelievebroken-hearted—havingneverslackenedherunavailingsearchforyourfather,sheleftyou,attwoyearsold,togrowtobeblooming,beautiful,andhappy,withoutthedarkclouduponyouoflivinginuncertaintywhetheryourfathersoonworehisheartoutinprison,orwastedtherethroughmanylingeringyears.'

ashesaidthewordshelookeddown,withanadmiringpity,ontheflowinggoldenhair;asifhepicturedtohimselfthatitmighthavebeenalreadytingedwithgrey.

'youknowthatyourparentshadnogreatpossession,andthatwhattheyhadwassecuredtoyourmotherandtoyou.therehasbeennonewdiscovery,ofmoney,orofanyotherproperty;but—'hefelthiswristheldcloser,andhestopped.theexpressionintheforehead,whichhadsoparticularlyattractedhisnotice,andwhichwasnowimmovable,haddeepenedintooneofpainandhorror.

'buthehasbeen—beenfound.heisalive.greatlychanged,itistooprobable;almostawreck,itispossible;thoughwewillhopeforthebest.still,alive.yourfatherhasbeentakentothehouseofanoldservantinparis,andwearegoingthere:i,toidentifyhimifican:you,torestorehimtolife,love,duty,rest,comfort.'

ashiverranthroughherframe,andfromitthroughhis.shesaid,inalow,distinct,awe-strickenvoice,asifsheweresayingitinadream,'iamgoingtoseehisghost!itwillbehisghost—nothim!'

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