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a tale of two cities(双城记)-第18节

小说: a tale of two cities(双城记) 字数: 每页4000字

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f the House more than ourselves。' 
 ‘I know; I know;' rejoined Mr。 Carton; carelessly。 ‘Don't be nettled; Mr。 Lorry。 You are as good as another; I have no doubt: better; I dare say。' 
 ‘And indeed; sir;' pursued Mr。 Lorry; not minding him; ‘I really don't know what you have to do with the matter。 If you'll excuse me; as very much your cider; for saying so; I really don't know that it is your business。' 
 ‘Business! Bless you; I have no business;' said Mr。 Carton。 ‘It is a pity you have not; sir。' 
 ‘I think so; too。' 
 ‘If you had;' pursued Mr。 Lorry; ‘perhaps you would attend to it。' 
 ‘Lord love you; no!I shouldn't;' said Mr。 Carton。 
 ‘Well; sir!' cried Mr。 Lorry; thoroughly heated by his indifference; ‘business is a very good thing; and a very respectable thing。 And; sir; if business imposes its restraints and its silences and impediments; Mr。 Darnay as a young gentleman of generosity knows how to make allowance for that circumstance。 Mr。 Darnay; good…night; God bless you; sir! I hope you have been this day preserved for a prosperous and happy life。Chair there!' 
 Perhaps' a little angry with himself as well as with the barrister; Mr。 Lorry hustled into the chair; and was carried off to Tellson's。 Carton; who smelt of port wine; and did not appear to be quite sober; laughed then; and turned to Darnay: 
 ‘This is a strange chance that throws you and me together。 This must be a strange night to you; standing alone here with your counterpart on these street stones?' 
 ‘I hardly seem yet;' returned Charles Darnay; ‘to belong to this world again。' 
 ‘I don't wonder at it; it's not so long since you were pretty far advanced on your way to another。 You speak faintly。' 
 ‘I begin to think I am faint。' 
 ‘Then why the devil don't you dine? I dined; myself while those numskulls were deliberating which world you should belong tothis; or some other。 Let me show you the nearest tavern to dine well at。' 
 Drawing his arm through his own; he took him down Ludgate…hill to Fleet…street; and so; up a covered way; into a tavern。 Here; they were shown into a little room; where Charles Darnay was soon recruiting his strength with a good plain dinner and good wine: while Carton sat opposite to him at the same table; with his separate bottle of port before him; and his fully half…insolent manner upon him。 
 ‘Do you feel; yet; that you belong to this terrestrial scheme again; Mr。 Darnay?' 
 ‘I am frightfully confused regarding time and' place; but I am so far mended as to feel that。' 
 ‘It must be an immense satisfaction!' 
 He said it bitterly; and filled up his glass again: which was a large one。 
 ‘As to me; the greatest desire I have; is to forget that I belong to it。 It has no good in it for meexcept wine like thisnor I for it。 So we are not much alike in that particular。 Indeed; I begin to think we are not much alike in any particular; you and I。' 
 Confused by the emotion of the day; and feeling his being there with this Double of coarse deportment; to be like a dream; Charles Darnay was at a loss how to answer; finally; answered not at all。 
 ‘Now your dinner is done;' Carton presently said; ‘why don't you call a health; Mr。 Darnay; why don't you give your toast?' 
 ‘What health? What toast?' 
 ‘Why; it's on the tip of your tongue。 It ought to be; it must be; I'll swear it's there。 
 ‘Miss Manette; then!' 
 ‘Miss Manette; then!' 
 Looking his companion full in the face while he drank the toast; Carton flung his glass over his shoulder against the wall; where it shivered to pieces; then; rang the bell; and ordered in another。 
 ‘That's a fair young lady to hand to a coach in the dark; Mr。 Darnay!' he said; filling his new goblet。 
 A slight frown and a laconic ‘Yes;' were the answer。 
 ‘That's a fair young lady to be pitied by and wept for by! How does it feel? Is it worth being tried for one's life; to be the object of such sympathy and compassion; Mr。 Darnay?' 
 Again Darnay answered not a word。 
 ‘She was mightily pleased to have your message; when I gave it her。 Not that she showed she was pleased; but I suppose she was。' 
 The allusion served as a timely reminder to Darnay that this disagreeable companion had; of his own free will; assisted him in the strait of the day。 He turned the dialogue to that point; and thanked him for it。 
 ‘I neither want any thanks; nor merit any;' was the careless rejoinder。 ‘It was nothing to do; in the first place; and I don't know why I did it; in the second。 Mr。 Darnay; let' me ask you a question。' 
 ‘Willingly; and a small return for your good offices。' 
 ‘Do you think I particularly like you?' 
 ‘Really; Mr。 Carton;' returned the other; oddly disconcerted; ‘I have not asked myself the question。' 
 ‘But ask yourself the question now。' 
 ‘You have acted as if you do; but I don't think you do。' 
 ‘1 don't think I do;' said Carton。 ‘I begin to have a very good opinion of your understanding。' 
 ‘Nevertheless;' pursued Darnay; rising to ring the bell; ‘there is nothing in that; I hope; to prevent my calling the reckoning; and our parting without ill…blood on either side。' 
 Carton rejoining; ‘Nothing in life!' Darnay rang。 ‘Do you call the whole reckoning?' said Carton。 On his answering in the affirmative; ‘Then bring me another pint of this same wine; drawer; and come and wake me at ten。' 
 The bill being paid; Charles Darnay rose and wished him good…night。 Without returning the wish; Carton rose too; with something of a threat of defiance in his manner; and said; ‘A last word; Mr。 Darnay: you think I am drunk?' 
 ‘I think you have been drinking; Mr。 Carton。' 
 ‘Think? You know I have been drinking。' 
 ‘Since I must say so; I know it。' 
 ‘Then you shall likewise know why。 I am a disappointed drudge; sir。 I care for no man on earth; and no man on earth cares for me。' 
 ‘Much to be regretted。 You might have used your talents better。' 
 ‘May be so; Mr。 Darnay; may be not。 Don't let your sober face elate you; however; you don't know what it may come to。 Good…night!' 
 When he was left alone; this strange being took up a candle; went to a glass that hung against the wall; and surveyed himself minutely in it。 
 ‘Do you particularly like the man?' he muttered; at his own image; ‘why should you particularly like a man who resembles you? There is nothing in you to like; you know that。 Ah; confound you! What a change you have made in yourself! A good reason for taking to a man; that he shows you what you have fallen away from; and what you might have been! Change places with him; and would you have been looked at by those blue eyes as he was; and commiserated by that agitated face as he was? Come on; and have it out in plain words! You hate the fellow。' 
 He resorted to his pint of wine for consolation; drank it all in a few minutes; and fell asleep on his arms; with his hair straggling over the table; and a long winding…sheet in the candle dripping down upon him。 


CHAPTER V
The Jackal
THOSE were drinking days; and moot men drank hard。 So very great is the improvement Time has brought about in such habits; that a moderate statement of the quantity of wine and punch which one man would swallow in the course of a night; without any detriment to his reputation as a perfect gentleman; would seem; in these days; a ridiculous exaggeration。 The learned profession of the law was certainly not behind any other learned profession in its Bacchanalian Propensities; neither was Mr。 Stryver; already fast shouldering his way to a large and lucrative practice; behind his compeers in this particular; any more than in the drier parts of the legal race。 
 A favourite at the Old Bailey; and eke at the Sessions; Mr。 Stryver had begun cautiously to hew away the lower staves of the ladder on which he mounted。 Sessions and Old Bailey had now to summon their favourite; specially; to their longing arms; and shouldering itself towards the visage of the Lord Chief Justice in the Court of King's Bench; the florid countenance of Mr。 Stryver might be daily seen; bursting out of the bed of wigs; like a great sunflower pushing its way at the sun from among a rank garden full of flaring companions。 
 ad once been noted at the Bar; that while Mr。 Stryver was a glib man; and an unscrupulous; and a ready; and a bold; he had not that faculty of extracting the essence from a heap of statements; which is among the most striking and necessary of the advocate's accomplishments。 But a remarkable improvement came upon him as to this。 The more business he got; the greater his power seemed to grow of getting at its pith and marrow; and however late at night he sat carousing with Sydney Carton; he always had his points at his fingers' ends in the morning。 
 Sydney Carton; idlest and most unpromising of men; was Stryver's great ally。 What the two drank together; between Hilary Term and Michaelmas; might have floated a king's ship。 Stryver never had a case in hand; anywhere; but Carton was there; with his hands in his pockets; staring at the ceiling of the court; they went the same Circuit; and even there they prolonged their usual orgies late into the night; and Carton was rumoured to be seen at broad day; going home stealthily and unsteadily to his lodgings; like a dissipated cat。 At last; it began to get about; 

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