第6章BOOKTHEFIRST：RECALLEDTOLIFE(6)

第6章bookthefirst：recalledtolife(6)

veryorderlyandmethodicalhelooked，withahandoneachknee，andaloudwatchtickingasonoroussermonunderhisflappedwaistcoat，asthoughitpitteditsgravityandlongevityagainstthelevityandevanescenceofthebriskfire.hehadagoodleg，andwasalittlevainofit，forhisbrownstockingsfittedsleekandclose，andwereofafinetexture；hisshoesandbuckles，too，thoughplain，weretrim.heworeanoddlittlesleekcrispflaxenwig，settingveryclosetohishead：whichwig，itistobepresumed，wasmadeofhair，butwhichlookedfarmoreasthoughitwerespunfromfilamentsofsilkorglass.hislinen，thoughnotofafinenessinaccordancewithhisstockings，wasaswhiteasthetopsofthewavesthatbrokeupontheneighbouringbeach，orthespecksofsailthatglintedinthesunlightfaratsea.afacehabituallysuppressedandquieted，wasstilllightedupunderthequaintwigbyapairofmoistbrighteyesthatitmusthavecosttheirowner，inyearsgoneby，somepainstodrilltothecomposedandreservedexpressionoftellson'sbank.hehadahealthycolourinhischeeks，andhisface，thoughlined，borefewtracesofanxiety.but，perhapstheconfidentialbachelorclerksintellson'sbankwereprincipallyoccupiedwiththecaresofotherpeople；andperhapssecond-handcares，likesecond-handclothes，comeeasilyoffandon，completinghisresemblancetoamanwhowassittingforhisportrait，mr.lorrydroppedofftosleep.thearrivalofhisbreakfastrousedhim，andhesaidtothedrawer，ashemovedhischairtoit：'iwishaccommodationpreparedforayoungladywhomaycomehereatanytimetoday.shemayaskformr.jarvislorry，orshemayonlyaskforagentlemanfromtellson'sbank.pleasetoletmeknow.'

'yes，sir.tellson'sbankinlondon，sir？'

'yes.'

'yes，sir.wehaveoftentimesthehonourtoentertainyourgentlemenintheirtravellingbackwardsandforwardsbetwixtlondonandparis，sir.avastdealoftravelling，sir，intellsonandcompany'shouse.'

'yes.wearequiteafrenchhouse，aswellasanenglishone.'

'yes，sir.notmuchinthehabitofsuchtravellingyourself，ithink，sir？'

'notoflateyears.itisfifteenyearssincewe—sincei—camelastfromfrance.'

'indeed，sir？thatwasbeforemytimehere，sir.beforeourpeople'stimehere，sir.thegeorgewasinotherhandsatthattime，sir.'

'ibelieveso.'

'butiwouldholdaprettywager，sir，thatahouseliketellsonandcompanywasflourishing，amatteroffifty，nottospeakoffifteenyearsago？'

'youmighttreblethat，andsayahundredandfifty，yetnotbefarfromthetruth.'

'indeed，sir！'

roundinghismouthandbothhiseyes，ashesteppedbackwardfromthetable，thewaitershiftedhisnapkinfromhisrightarmtohisleft，droppingintoacomfortableattitude，andstoodsurveyingtheguestwhileheateanddrank，asfromanobservatoryorwatch-tower.accordingtotheimmemorialusageofwaitersinallages.

whenmr.lorryhadfinishedhisbreakfast，hewentoutforastrollonthebeach.thelittlenarrow，crookedtownofdoverhiditselfawayfromthebeach，andranitsheadintothechalkcliffs，likeamarineostrich.thebeachwasadesertofheapsofseaandstonestumblingwildlyabout，andtheseadidwhatitliked，andwhatitlikedwasdestruction.itthunderedatthetown，andthunderedatthecliffs，andbroughtthecoastdown，madly.theairamongthehouseswasofsostrongapiscatoryflavourthatonemighthavesupposedsickfishwentuptobedippedinit，assickpeoplewentdowntobedippedintothesea.alittlefishingwasdoneintheport，andaquantityofstrollingaboutbynight，andlookingseaward：particularlyatthosetimeswhenthetidemade，andwasnearflood.smalltradesmen，whodidnobusinesswhatever，sometimesountablyrealisedlargefortunes，anditwasremarkablethatnobodyintheneighbourhoodcouldendurealamplighter.

asthedaydeclinedintotheafternoon，andtheair，whichhadbeenatintervalsclearenoughtoallowthefrenchcoasttobeseen，becameagainchargedwithmistandvapour，mr.lorry'sthoughtsseemedtocloudtoo.whenitwasdark，andhesatbeforethecoffee-roomfire，awaitinghisdinnerashehadawaitedhisbreakfast，hismindwasbusilying，ing，ing，intheliveredcoals.

abottleofgoodclaretafterdinnerdoesaerintheredcoalsnoharm，otherwisethanasithasatendencytothrowhimoutofwork.mr.lorryhadbeenidlealongtime，andhadjustpouredouthislastglassfulofwinewithascompleteanappearanceofsatisfactionasisevertobefoundinanelderlygentlemanofafreshcomplexionwhohasgottotheendofabottle，whenarattlingofwheelscameupthenarrowstreet，andrumbledintotheinn-yard.

hesetdownhisglassuntouched.'thisismam'selle！'hesaid.

inaveryfewminutesthewaitercameintoannouncethatmissmanettehadarrivedfromlondon，andwouldbehappytoseethegentlemanfromtellson's.

'sosoon？'

missmanettehadtakensomerefreshmentontheroad，andrequirednonethen，andwasextremelyanxioustoseethegentlemanfromtellson'simmediately，ifitsuitedhispleasureandconvenience.

thegentlemanfromtellson'shadnothingleftforitbuttoemptyhisglasswithanairofstoliddesperation，settlehisoddlittleflaxenwigattheears，andfollowthewaitertomissmanette'sapartment.itwasalarge，darkroom，furnishedinafunerealmannerwithblackhorsehair，andloadedwithheavydarktables.thesehadbeenoiledandoiled，untilthetwotallcandlesonthetableinthemiddleoftheroomweregloomilyreflectedoneveryleaf；asiftheywereburied，indeepgravesofblackmahogany，andnolighttospeakofcouldbeexpectedfromthemuntiltheyweredugout.