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第19节

a tale of two cities(双城记)-第19节

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

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e stealthily and unsteadily to his lodgings; like a dissipated cat。 At last; it began to get about; among such as were interested in the matter; that although Sydney Carton would never be a lion; he was an amazingly good jackal; and that he rendered suit and service to Stryver in that humble capacity。 
 ‘Ten o'clock; sir;' said the man at the tavern; whom he had charged to wake him'ten o'clock; sir。' 
 ‘What's the matter?' 
 ‘Ten o'clock; sir。' 
 ‘What do you mean? Ten o'clock at night?' 
 ‘Yes; sir。 Your honour told me to call you。' 
 ‘Oh! I remember。 Very well; very well。' 
 After a few dull efforts to get to sleep again; which the man dexterously combated by stirring the fire continuously for five minutes; he got up; tossed his hat on; and walked out。 He turned into the Temple; and; having revived himself by twice pacing the pavements of King's Bench…walk and Paper…buildings; turned into the Stryver chambers。 
 The Stryver clerk; who never assisted at these conferences; had gone home; and the Stryver principal opened the door。 He had his slippers on; and a loose bed…gown; and his throat was bare for his greater ease。 He had that rather wild; strained; seared marking about the eyes; which may be observed in all free livers of his class; from the portrait of Jeffries downward; and which can be traced; under various disguises of Art; through the portraits of every Drinking Age。 
 ‘You are a little late; Memory;' said Stryver。 
 ‘About the usual time; it may be a quarter of an hour later。' 
 They went into a dingy room lined with books and littered with papers; where there was a blazing fire。 A kettle steamed upon the hob; and in the midst of the wreck of papers a table shone; with plenty of wine upon it; and brandy; and rum; and sugar; and lemons。 
 ‘You have had your bottle; I perceive; Sydney。' 
 ‘Two to…night; I think。 I have been dining with the day's client; or seeing him dineit's all one!' 
 ‘That was a rare point; Sydney; that you brought to bear upon the identification。 How did you come by it? When did it strike you?' 
 ‘I thought he was rather a handsome fellow; and I thought I should have been much the same sort of fellow; if I had had any luck。' 
 Mr。 Stryver laughed till he shook his precocious paunch。 
 ‘You and your luck; Sydney! Get to work; get to work。' Sullenly enough; the jackal loosened his dress; went into an adjoining room; and came back with a large jug of cold water; a basin; and a towel or two。 Steeping the towels in the water; and partially wringing them out; he folded them on his head in a manner hideous to behold; sat down at the table; and said; ‘Now I am ready!' 
 ‘Not much boiling down to be done to…night; Memory;' said Mr。 Stryver; gaily; as he looked among his papers。 
 ‘How much?' 
 ‘Only two sets of them。' 
 ‘Give me the worst first。' 
 ‘There they are; Sydney。 Fire away!' 
 The lion then composed himself on his back on a sofa on one side of the drinking…table; while the jackal sat at his own Paper bestrewn table proper; on the other side of it; with the bottles and glasses ready to his hand。 Both resorted to the drinking…table without stint; but each in a different way; the lion for the most part reclining with his hands in his waistband; looking at the fire; or occasionally flirting with some lighter document; the jackal; with knitted brows and intent face; so deep in his task; that his eyes did not even follow the hand he stretched out for his glasswhich often groped about; for a minute or more; before it found the glass for his lips。 Two or three times; the matter in hand became so knotty; that the jackal found it imperative on him to get up; and steep his towels anew。 From these pilgrimages to the jug and basin; he returned with such eccentricities of damp headgear as no words can describe; which were made the more ludicrous by his anxious gravity。 
 At length the jackal had got together a compact repast for the lion; and proceeded to offer it to him。 The lion took it with care and caution; made his selections from it; and his remarks upon it; and the jackal assisted both。 When the repast was fully discussed; the lion put his hands in his waistband again; and lay down to meditate。 The jackal then invigorated himself with a bumper for his throttle; and a fresh application to his head; and applied himself to the collection of a second meal; this was administered to the lion in the same manner; and was not disposed of until the clocks struck three in the morning。 
 ‘And now we have done; Sydney; fill a bumper of punch;' said Mr。 Stryver。 
 The jackal removed the towels from his head; which had been steaming again; shook himself; yawned; shivered; and complied。 
 ‘You were very sound; Sydney; in the matter of those crown witnesses to…day。 Every question told。' 
 ‘I always am sound; am I not?' 
 ‘I don't gainsay it。 What has roughen'ed your temper? Put some punch to it and smooth it again。 
 With a deprecatory grunt; the jackal again complied。 
 ‘The old Sydney Carton of old Shrewsbury School;' said Stryver; nodding his head over him as he reviewed him in the present and the past; ‘the old seesaw Sydney。 Up one minute and down the next; now in spirits and now in despondency!' 
 ‘Ah!' returned the other; sighing: ‘yes! The same Sydney; with the same luck。 Even then; I did exercises for other boys; and seldom did my own。' 
 ‘And why not?' ‘God knows。 It was my way; I suppose。' 
 He sat; with his hands in his pockets and his legs stretched out before him; looking at the fire。 
 ‘Carton;' said his friend; squaring himself at him with a bullying air; as if the fire…grate had been the furnace in which sustained endeavour was forged; and the one delicate thing to be done for the old Sydney Carton of old Shrewsbury School was to shoulder him into it; ‘your way is; and always was; a lame way。 You summon no energy and purpose。 Look at me。 
 ‘Oh; botheration!' returned Sydney; with a lighter and more good…humoured laugh; ‘don't *you be moral!' 
 ‘How have I done what I have done?' said Stryver; ‘how do I do what I do?' 
 ‘Partly through paying me to help you; I suppose。 But it's not worth your while to apostrophise me; or the air; about it; what you want to do; you do。 You were always in the front rank; and I was always behind。' 
 ‘I had to get into the front rank; I was not born there; was I?' 
 ‘I was not present at the ceremony; but my opinion is you were;' said Carton。 At this; he laughed again; and they both laughed。 
 ‘Before Shrewsbury; and at Shrewsbury; and ever since Shrewsbury;' pursued Carton; ‘you have fallen into your rank; and I have fallen into mine。 Even when we were fellow students in the Student…Quarter of Paris; picking up French; and French law; and other French crumbs that we didn't get much good of; you were always somewhere; and I was alwaysnowhere。' 
 ‘And whose fault was that?' 
 ‘Upon my soul; I am not sure that it was not yours。 You were always driving and riving and shouldering and pressing; to that restless degree that I had no chance for my life but in rust and repose。 It's a gloomy thing; however; to talk about one's Own past; with the day breaking。 Turn me in some other direction before I go。' 
 ‘Well then! Pledge me to the pretty witness;' said Stryver; holding up his glass。 ‘Are you turned in a pleasant direction?' 
 Apparently not; for he became gloomy again。 
 ‘Pretty witness;' he muttered; looking down into his glass。 ‘I have had enough of witnesses to…day and to…night; who's your pretty witness?' 
 ‘The picturesque doctor's daughter; Miss Manette。' 
 ‘She pretty?' 
 ‘Is she not?' 
 ‘No。' 
 ‘Why; man alive; she was the admiration of the whole Court!' 
 ‘Rot the admiration of the whole Court! Who made the Old Bailey a judge of beauty? She was a golden…haired doll!' 
 ‘Do you know; Sydney;' said Mr。 Stryver; looking at him with sharp eyes; and slowly drawing a hand across his florid face: ‘do you know; I rather thought; at the time; that you sympathised with the golden…haired doll; and were quick to see what= happened to the golden…haired doll?' 
 ‘Quick to see what happened! If a girl; doll or no doll; swoons within a yard or two of a man's nose; he can see it without a perspective…glass。 I pledge you; but I deny the beauty。 And now I'll have no more drink; I'll get to bed。' 
 When his host followed him out on the staircase with a candle; to light him down the stairs; the day was coldly looking in through its grimy windows。 When he got out of the house; the air was cold and sad; the dull sky overcast; the river dark and dim; the whole scene like a lifeless desert。 And wreaths of dust were spinning round and round before the morning blast; as if the desert…sand had risen far away; and the first spray of it in its advance had begun to overwhelm the city。 
 Waste forces within him; and a desert' all around; this man stood still on his way across a silent terrace; and saw for a moment; lying in the wilderness before him; a mirage of honourable ambition; self…denial; and perseverance。 In the fair city of this vision; there were airy galleries from which the loves and graces looked upon him; gardens in which the fruits of life hung ripening; waters of Hope that sparkled in his sight。 A moment; and it was gone。 Climbing to a high 

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