第35章BOOKTHESECOND：THEGOLDENTHREAD(18)

第35章bookthesecond：thegoldenthread(18)

onsundays，missprossdinedatthedoctor'stable，butonotherdayspersistedintakinghermealsatunknownperiods，eitherinthelowerregions，orinherownroomonthesecondfloor—abluechamber，towhichnoonebutherladybirdevergainedadmittance.onthisoccasion，misspross，respondingtoladybird'spleasantfaceandpleasanteffortstopleaseher，unbentexceedingly；sothedinnerwasverypleasant，too.

itwasanoppressiveday，and，afterdinner，lucieproposedthatthewineshouldbecarriedoutundertheplane-tree，andtheyshouldsitthereintheair.aseverythingturneduponher，andrevolvedabouther，theywentoutundertheplane-tree，andshecarriedthewinedownforthespecialbenefitofmr.lorry.shehadinstalledherself，sometimebefore，asmr.lorry'scupbearer；andwhiletheysatundertheplane-tree，talking，shekepthisglassreplenished.mysteriousbacksandendsofhousespeepedatthemastheytalked，andtheplane-treewhisperedtotheminitsownwayabovetheirheads.

still，thehundredsofpeopledidnotpresentthemselves.mr.darnaypresentedhimselfwhiletheyweresittingundertheplane-tree，buthewasonlyone.

doctormanettereceivedhimkindly，andsodidlucie.butmissprosssuddenlybecameafflictedwithatwitchingintheheadandbody，andretiredintothehouse.shewasnotunfrequentlythevictimofthisdisorder，andshecalledit，infamiliarconversation，'afitofthejerks.'

thedoctorwasinhisbestcondition，andlookedspeciallyyoung.theresemblancebetweenhimandluciewasverystrongatsuchtimes，andastheysatsidebyside，sheleaningonhisshoulder，andherestinghisarmonthebackofherchair，itwasveryagreeabletotracethelikeness.

hehadbeentalkingallday，onmanysubjects，andwithunusualvivacity.'pray，doctormanette，'saidmr.darnay，astheysatundertheplane-tree—andhesaiditinthenaturalpursuitofthetopicinhand，whichhappenedtobetheoldbuildingsoflondon—'haveyouseenmuchofthetower？'

'lucieandihavebeenthere；butonlycasually.wehaveseenenoughofit，toknowthatitteemswithinterest；littlemore.'

'ihavebeenthere，asyouremember，'saiddarnay，withasmile，thoughreddeningalittleangrily，'inanothercharacter，andnotinacharacterthatgivesfacilitiesforseeingmuchofit.theytoldmeacuriousthingwheniwasthere.'

'whatwasthat？'lucieasked.

'inmakingsomealterations，theworkmencameuponanolddungeon，whichhadbeen，formanyyears，builtupandforgotten.everystoneofitsinnerwallwascoveredbyinionswhichhadbeencarvedbyprisoners—dates，names，complaints，andprayers.uponacornerstoneinanangleofthewall，oneprisoner，whoseemedtohavegonetoexecution，hadcutashislastwork，threeletters.theyweredonewithsomeverypoorinstrument，andhurriedly，withanunsteadyhand.atfirst，theywerereadasd.i.c.；but，onbeingmorecarefullyexamined，thelastletterwasfoundtobeg.therewasnorecordorlegendofanyprisonerwiththoseinitials，andmanyfruitlessguessesweremadewhatthenamecouldhavebeen.atlength，itwasestedthattheletterswerenotinitials，butthecompleteword，dig.thefloorwasexaminedverycarefullyundertheinion，and，intheearthbeneathastone，ortile，orsomefragmentofpaving，werefoundtheashesofapaper，mingledwiththeashesofasmallleatherncaseorbag.whattheunknownprisonerhadwrittenwillneverberead，buthehadwrittensomething，andhiddenitawaytokeepitfromthegaoler.'

'myfather，'exclaimedlucie，'youareill！'

hehadsuddenlystartedup，withhishandtohishead.hismannerandhislookquiteterrifiedthemall.

'no，mydear，notill.therearelargedropsofrainfalling，andtheymademestart.wehadbettergoin.'

herecoveredhimselfalmostinstantly.rainwasreallyfallinginlargedrops，andheshowedthebackofhishandwithraindropsonit.but，hesaidnotasinglewordinreferencetothediscoverythathadbeentoldof，and，astheywentintothehouse，thebusinesseyeofmr.lorryeitherdetected，orfancieditdetected，onhisface，asitturnedtowardscharlesdarnay，thesamesingularlookthathadbeenuponitwhenitturnedtowardshiminthepassagesofthecourthouse.

herecoveredhimselfsoquickly，however，thatmr.lorryhaddoubtsofhisbusinesseye.thearmofthegoldengiantinthehallwasnotmoresteadythanhewas，whenhestoppedunderittoremarktothemthathewasnotyetproofagainstslightsurprises（ifheeverwouldbe），andthattherainhadstartledhim.

tea-time，andmissprossmakingtea，withanotherfitofthejerksuponher，andyetnohundredsofpeople.mr.cartonhadloungedin，buthemadeonlytwo.

thenightwassoverysultry，thatalthoughtheysatwithdoorsandwindowsopen，theywereoverpoweredbyheat.whenthetea-tablewasdonewith，theyallmovedtooneofthewindows，andlookedoutintotheheavytwilight.luciesatbyherfather；darnaysatbesideher；cartonleanedagainstawindow.thecurtainswerelongandwhite，andsomeofthethunder-guststhatwhirledintothecorner，caughtthemuptotheceiling，andwavedthemlikespectralwings.

'theraindropsarestillfalling，large，heavy，andfew，'saiddoctormanette.'itcomesslowly.'

'itcomessurely，'saidcarton.

theyspokelow，aspeoplewatchingandwaitingmostlydo；aspeopleinadarkroom，watchingandwaitingforlightning，alwaysdo.

therewasagreathurryinthestreets，ofpeoplespeedingawaytogetshelterbeforethestormbroke；thewonderfulcornerforechoesresoundedwiththeechoesoffootstepscomingandgoing，yetnotafootstepwasthere.

'amultitudeofpeople，andyetasolitude，'saiddarnay，whentheyhadlistenedforawhile.

'isitnotimpressive，mr.darnay？'askedlucie.'sometimes，ihavesathereofanevening，untilihavefancied—buteventheshadeofafoolishfancymakesmeshuddertonight，whenallissoblackandsolemn—'