第67章BOOKTHESECOND：THEGOLDENTHREAD(50)

第67章bookthesecond：thegoldenthread(50)

foramoment，heheldthefairfacefromhimtolookatthewell-rememberedexpressionontheforehead，andthenlaidthebrightgoldenhairagainsthislittlebrownwig，withagenuinetendernessanddelicacywhich，ifsuchthingsbeold-fashioned，wereasoldasadam.

thedoorofthedoctor'sroomopened，andhecameoutwithcharlesdarnay.hewassodeadlypale—whichhadnotbeenthecasewhentheywentintogether—thatnovestigeofcolourwastobeseeninhisface.but，inthecomposureofhismannerhewasunaltered，exceptthattotheshrewdglanceofmr.lorryitdisclosedsomeshadowyindicationthattheoldairofavoidanceanddreadhadlatelypassedoverhim，likeacoldwind.

hegavehisarmtohisdaughter，andtookherdownstairstothechariotwhichmr.lorryhadhiredinhonouroftheday.therestfollowedinanothercarriage，andsoon，inaneighbouringchurch，wherenostrangeeyeslookedon，charlesdarnayandluciemanettewerehappilymarried.

besidestheglancingtearsthatshoneamongthesmilesofthelittlegroupwhenitwasdone，somediamonds，verybrightandsparkling，glancedonthebride'shand，whichwerenewlyreleasedfromthedarkobscurityofoneofmr.lorry'spockets.theyreturnedhometobreakfast，andallwentwell，andinduecoursethegoldenhairthathadmingledwiththepoorshoemaker'swhitelocksintheparisgarret，weremingledwiththemagaininthemorningsunlight，onthethresholdofthedooratparting.

itwasahardparting，thoughitwasnotforlong.butherfathercheeredher，andsaidatlast，gentlydisengaginghimselffromherenfoldingarms，'takeher，charles！sheisyours！'

andheragitatedhandwavedtothemfromachaisewindow，andshewasgone.

thecornerbeingoutofthewayoftheidleandcurious，andthepreparationshavingbeenverysimpleandfew，thedoctor，mr.lorry，andmisspross，wereleftquitealone.itwaswhentheyturnedintothewelcomeshadeofthecoololdhall，thatmr.lorryobservedagreatchangetohavecomeoverthedoctor；asifthegoldenarmupliftedthere，hadstruckhimapoisonedblow.

hehadnaturallyrepressedmuch，andsomerevulsionmighthavebeenexpectedinhimwhentheoccasionforrepressionwasgone.but，itwastheoldscaredlostlookthattroubledmr.lorry；andthroughhisabsentmannerofclaspinghisheadanddrearilywanderingawayintohisownroomwhentheygotupstairs，mr.lorrywasremindedofdefargethewine-shopkeeper，andthestarlightride.

'ithink，'hewhisperedtomisspross，afteranxiousconsideration，'ithinkwehadbestnotspeaktohimjustnow，oratalldisturbhim.imustlookinattellson's；soiwillgothereatonceandcomebackpresently.then，wewilltakehimarideinthecountry，anddinethere，andallwillbewell.'

itwaseasierformr.lorrytolookinattellson's，thantolookoutoftellson's.hewasdetainedtwohours.whenhecameback，heascendedtheoldstaircasealone，havingaskednoquestionoftheservant；goingthusintothedoctor'srooms，hewasstoppedbyalowsoundofknocking.'goodgod！'hesaid，withastart.'what'sthat？'

misspross，withaterrifiedface，wasathisear.'ome，ome！allislost！'criedshe，wringingherhands.'whatistobetoldtoladybird？hedoesn'tknowme，andismakingshoes！'

mr.lorrysaidwhathecouldtocalmher，andwenthimselfintothedoctor'sroom.thebenchwasturnedtowardsthelight，asithadbeenwhenhehadseentheshoemakerathisworkbefore，andhisheadwasbentdown，andhewasverybusy.

'doctormanette.mydearfriend，doctormanette！'

thedoctorlookedathimforamoment—halfinquiringly，halfasifhewereangryatbeingspokento—andbentoverhisworkagain.

hehadlaidasidehiscoatandwaistcoat；hisshirtwasopenatthethroat，asitusedtobewhenhedidthatwork；andeventheoldard，fadedsurfaceoffacehadcomebacktohim.heworkedhard—impatiently—asifinsomesenseofhavingbeeninterrupted.

mr.lorryglancedattheworkinhishand，andobservedthatitwasashoeoftheoldsizeandshape.hetookupanotherthatwaslyingbyhim，andaskedwhatitwas？'ayounglady'swalkingshoe，'hemuttered，withoutlookingup.'itoughttohavebeenfinishedlongago.letitbe.'

'but，doctormanette.lookatme！'

heobeyed，intheoldmechanicallysubmissivemanner，withoutpausinginhiswork.

'youknowme，mydearfriend？thinkagain.thisisnotyourproperoccupation.think，dearfriend！'

nothingwouldinducehimtospeakmore.helookedup，foraninstantatatime，whenhewasrequestedtodoso；but，nopersuasionwouldextractawordfromhim.heworked，andworked，andworked，insilence，andwordsfellonhimastheywouldhavefallenonanecholesswall，orontheair.theonlyrayofhopethatmr.lorrycoulddiscover，was，thathesometimesfurtivelylookedupwithoutbeingasked.inthat，thereseemedafaintexpressionofcuriosityorperplexity—asthoughheweretryingtoreconcilesomedoubtsinhismind.

twothingsatonceimpressedthemselvesonmr.lorry，asimportantaboveallothers；thefirst，thatthismustbekeptsecretfromlucie；thesecondthatitmustbekeptsecretfromallwhoknewhim.inconjunctionwithmisspross，hetookimmediatestepstowardsthelatterprecaution，bygivingoutthatthedoctorwasnotwell，andrequiredafewdaysofcompleterest.inaidofthekinddeceptiontobepractisedonhisdaughter，missprosswastowrite，describinghishavingbeencalledawayprofessionally，andreferringtoanimaginaryletteroftwoorthreehurriedlinesinhisownhand，representedtohavebeenaddressedtoherbythesamepost.

thesemeasures，advisabletobetakeninanycase，mr.lorrytookinthehopeofhiscomingtohimself.ifthatshouldhappensoon，hekeptanothercourseinreserve；whichwas，tohaveacertainopinionthathethoughtthebest，onthedoctor'scase.