第69章BOOKTHESECOND：THEGOLDENTHREAD(52)

第69章bookthesecond：thegoldenthread(52)

misspross，submittingherselftohisjudgment，theschemewasworkedoutwithcare.havingabundanceoftimeforhisusualmethodicaltoilette，mr.lorrypresentedhimselfatthebreakfast-hourinhisusualwhitelinen，andwithhisusualneatleg.thedoctorwassummonedintheusualway，andcametobreakfast.

sofarasitwaspossibletocomprehendhimwithoutoversteppingthosedelicateandgradualapproacheswhichlorryfelttobetheonlysafeadvance，heatfirstsupposedthathisdaughter'smarriagehadtakenplaceyesterday.anincidentalallusion，purposelythrownout，tothedayoftheweek，andthedayofthemonth，sethimthinkingandcounting，andevidentlymadehimuneasy.inallotherrespects，however，hewassocomposedlyhimself，thatmr.lorrydeterminedtohavetheaidhesought.andthataidwashisown.

therefore，whenthebreakfastwasdoneandclearedaway，andheandthedoctorwerelefttogether，mr.lorrysaid，feelingly：'mydearmanette，iamanxioustohaveyouropinion，inconfidence，onaverycuriouscaseinwhichiamdeeplyinterested；thatistosay，itisverycurioustome；perhaps，toyourbetterinformationitmaybelessso.'

glancingathishands，whichwerediscolouredbyhislatework，thedoctorlookedtroubled，andlistenedattentively.hehadalreadyglancedathishandsmorethanonce.

'dr.manette，'saidmr.lorry，touchinghimaffectionatelyonthearm，'thecaseisthecaseofaparticularlydearfriendofmine.praygiveyourmindtoit，andadvisemewellforhissake—andaboveall，forhisdaughter's，mydearmanette.'

'ifiunderstand，'saidthedoctor，inasubduedtone，'somementalshock—？'

'yes！'

'beexplicit，'saidthedoctor.'sparenodetail.'

mr.lorrysawthattheyunderstoodoneanother，andproceeded.

'mydearmanette，itisthecaseofanoldandprolongedshock，ofgreatacutenessandseveritytotheaffections，thefeelings，the—the—asyouexpressit—themind.themind.itisthecaseofashockunderwhichthesuffererwasbornedown，onecannotsayforhowlong，becauseibelievehecannotcalculatethetimehimself，andtherearenoothermeansofgettingatit.itisthecaseofashockfromwhichthesuffererrecovered，byaprocessthathecannottracehimself—asionceheardhimpubliclyrelateinastrikingmanner.itisthecaseofashockfromwhichhehasrecovered，socompletely，astobeahighlyintelligentman，capableofcloseapplicationofmind，andgreatexertionofbody，andofconstantlymakingfreshadditionstohisstockofknowledge，whichwasalreadyverylarge.but，unfortunately，therehasbeen，'hepausedandtookadeepbreath—'aslightrelapse.'

thedoctor，inalowvoice，asked，'ofhowlongduration？'

'ninedaysandnights.'

'howdiditshowitself？iinfer，'glancingathishandsagain，'intheresumptionofsomeoldpursuitconnectedwiththeshock？'

'thatisthefact.'

'now，didyoueverseehim，'askedthedoctor，distinctlyandcollectedly，thoughinthesamelowvoice，'engagedinthatpursuitoriginally？'

'once.'

'andwhentherelapsefellonhim，washeinmostrespects—orinallrespects—ashewasthen？'

'ithinkinallrespects.'

'youspokeofhisdaughter.doeshisdaughterknowoftherelapse？'

'no.ithasbeenkeptfromher，andihopewillalwaysbekeptfromher.itisknownonlytomyself，andtooneotherwhomaybetrusted.'

thedoctorgraspedhishand，andmurmured，'thatwasverykind.thatwasverythoughtful！'mr.lorrygraspedhishandinreturn，andneitherofthetwospokeforalittlewhile.

'now，mydearmanette，'saidmr.lorry，atlengthinhismostconsiderateandmostaffectionateway.'iamameremanofbusiness，andunfittocopewithsuchintricateanddifficultmatters.idonotpossessthekindofinformationnecessary；idonotpossessthekindofintelligence；iwantguiding.thereisnomaninthisworldonwhomicouldsorelyforrightguidance，asonyou.tellme，howdoesthisrelapsecomeabout？istheredangerofanother？couldarepetitionofitbeprevented？howshouldarepetitionofitbetreated？howdoesitcomeaboutatall？whatcanidoformyfriend？nomanevercanhavebeenmoredesirousinhishearttoserveafriend，thaniamtoservemine，ifiknewhow.butidon'tknowhowtooriginate，insuchacase.ifyoursagacity，knowledge，andexperience，couldputmeontherighttrack，imightbeabletodosomuch；unenlightenedandundirected，icandosolittle.praydiscussitwithme；prayenablemetoseeitalittlemoreclearly，andteachmehowtobealittlemoreuseful.'

doctormanettesatmeditatingaftertheseearnestwordswerespoken，andmr.lorrydidnotpresshim.

'ithinkitprobable，'saidthedoctor，breakingsilencewithaneffort，'thattherelapseyouhavedescribed，mydearfriend，wasnotquiteunforeseenbyitssubject.'

'wasitdreadedbyhim？'mr.lorryventuredtoask.

'verymuch.'hesaiditwithaninvoluntaryshudder.

'youhavenoideahowsuchanapprehensionweighsonthesufferer'smind，andhowdifficult—howalmostimpossible—itis，forhimtoforcehimselftoutteraworduponthetopicthatoppresseshim.'

'wouldhe，'askedmr.lorry，'besensiblyrelievedifhecouldprevailuponhimselftoimpartthatsecretbroodingtoanyone，whenitisonhim？'

'ithinkso.butitis，asitoldyou，nexttoimpossible.ievenbelieveit—insomecases—tobequiteimpossible.'

'now，'saidmr.lorry，gentlylayinghishandonthedoctor'sarmagain，afterashortsilenceonbothsides，'towhatwouldyoureferthisattack？'