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第68节

a tale of two cities(双城记)-第68节

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

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h 'em at it! Or; if they flop; their floppings goes in favour of more patients; and how can you rightly have one without the t'other? Then; wot with undertakers; and wot with parish clerks; and wot with sextons; and wot with private watchmen (all awaricious and all in it); a man wouldn't get much by it; even if it wos so。 And wot little a man did get; would never prosper with him; Mr。 Lorry。 He'd never have no good of it; he'd want all along to be out of the line; if he could see his way out; being once ineven if it wos so。' 
 ‘Ugh!' cried Mr。 Lorry; rather relenting; nevertheless。 ‘I am shocked at the sight of you。' 
 ‘Now; what I would humbly offer to you; sir;' pursued Mr。 Cruncher; ‘even if it wos so; which I don't say it is…' 
 ‘Don't prevaricate;' said Mr。 Lorry。 
 ‘No; I will not; sir;' returned Mr。 Cruncher; as if nothing were further from his thoughts or practice‘which I don't say it iswot I would humbly offer to you; sir; would be this。 Upon that there stool; at that there Bar; sets that there boy of mine; brought up and growed up to be a man; wot will errand you; message you; general…light…job you; till your heels is where your head is; if such should be your wishes。 If it wos so; which I still don't say it is (for I will not prewaricate to you; sir); let that there boy keep his father's place; and take care of his mother; don't blow upon that boy's fatherdo not do it; sirand let that father go into the line of the reg'lar diggin'; and make amends for what he would have un…dugif it wos soby diggin' of 'em in with a will; and with conwictions respectin' the futur' keepin' of 'em safe。 That; Mr。 Lorry;' said Mr。 Cruncher; wiping his forehead with his arm; as an announcement that he had arrived at the peroration of his discourse; ‘is wot I would respectfully offer to you; sir。 A man don't see all this here a goin' on dreadful round him; in the way of Subjects without heads; dear me; plentiful enough fur to bring the price down to porterage and hardly that; without havin' his serious thoughts of things。 And these here would be mine; if it wos so; entreatin' of you fur to bear in mind that wot I said just now; I up and said in the good cause when I might have kep' it back。' 
 ‘That at least is true;' said Mr。 Lorry。 ‘Say no more now。 It may be that I shall yet stand your friend; if you deserve it; and; repent in actionnot in words。 I want no more 
 Mr。 Cruncher knuckled his forehead; as Sydney Carton and the spy returned from the dark room。 ‘Adieu; Mr。 Barsad;' said the former; ‘our arrangement thus made; you have nothing to fear from me。' 
 He sat down in a chair on the hearth; over against Mr。 Lorry。 When they were alone; Mr。 Lorry asked him what he had done? 
 ‘Not much。 If it should go ill with the prisone I have ensured access to him; Once。' 
 Mr。 Lorry's countenance fell。 
 ‘It is all I could do;' said Carton。 ‘To propose too much; would be to put this man's head under the axe; and; as he himself said; nothing worse could happen to him if he were denounced。 It was obviously the weakness of the position。 There is no help for it。' 
 ‘But access to him;' said Mr。 Lorry; ‘if it should go ill before the Tribunal; will not save him。' 
 ‘I never said it would。' 
 Mr。 Lorry's eyes gradually sought the fire; his sympathy with his darling; and the heavy disappointment of this second arrest; gradually weakened them; he was an old man now; overborne with anxiety of late; and his tears fell。 
 ‘You are a good man and a true friend;' said Carton; in an altered voice。 ‘Forgive me if I notice that you are affected。 I could not see my father weep; and sit by; careless。 And I could not respect your sorrow more; if you; were my father。 You are free from that misfortune; however。 
 Though he said the last words; with a slip into his usual manner; there was a true feeling and respect both in his tone and in his touch; that Mr。 Lorry; who had never seen the better side of him; was wholly unprepared for。 He gave him his hand; and Carton gently pressed it。 
 ‘To return to poor Darnay;' said Carton。 ‘Don't tell Her of this interview; or this arrangement。 It would not enable Her to go to see him。 She might think it was contrived; in case of the worst; to convey to him the means of anticipating the sentence。' 
 Mr。 Lorry had not thought of that; and he looked quickly at Carton to see if it were in his mind。 It seemed to be; he returned the look; and evidently understood it。 
 ‘She might think a thousand things;' Carton said; ‘and any of them would only add to her trouble。 Don't speak of me to her。 As I said to you when I first came; I had better not see her。 I can put my hand out; to do any little helpful work for her that my hand can find to do; without that。 You are going to her; I hope? She must be very desolate to…night。 
 ‘I am going now; directly。' 
 ‘I am glad of that。 She has such a strong attachment to you and reliance on you。 How does she look?' 
 ‘Anxious and unhappy; but very beautiful。' ‘Ah!' 
 It was a long; grieving sound; like a sighalmost like a sob。 It attracted Mr。 Lorry's eyes to Cartons face; which was turned to the fire。 A light; or a shade (the old gentleman could not have said which); passed from it as swiftly as a change will sweep over a hill…side on a wild bright day; and he lifted his foot to put back one of the little flaming logs; which was tumbling forward。 He wore the white riding…coat and topboots; then in vogue; and the light of the fire touching their light surfaces made him look very pale; with his long brown hair; all untrimmed; hanging loose about him。 His indifference to fire was sufficiently remarkable to elicit a word of remonstrance from Mr。 Lorry; his boot was still upon the hot embers of the flaming log; when it had broken under the weight of his foot。 
 ‘I forgot it;' he said。 
 Mr。 Lorry's eyes were again attracted to his face。 Taking note of the wasted air which clouded the naturally handsome features; and having the expression of prisoners' faces fresh in his mind; he was strongly reminded of that expression。 
 ‘And your duties here have drawn to an end; sir?' said Carton; turning to him。 
 ‘Yes。 As I was telling you last night when Lucie came in so unexpectedly; I have at length done all that I can do here。 I hoped to have left them in perfect safety; and then to have quitted Pass。 I have my Leave to Pass。 I was ready to go。' 
 They were both silent。 
‘Yours is a long life to look back upon; sir?' said Carton; wistfully。 
 ‘I am in my seventy…eighth year。' 
 ‘You have been useful all your life; steadily and constantly occupied; trusted; respected; and looked up to?' 
 ‘I have been a man of business; ever since I have been a man。 Indeed; I may say that I was a man of business when a boy。' 
 ‘See what a place you fill at seventy…eight。 How many people will miss you when you leave it empty!' 
 ‘A solitary old bachelor;' answered Mr。 Lorry; shaking his head。 ‘There is nobody to weep for me。' 
 ‘How can you say that? Wouldn't She weep for you? Wouldn't her chi!d?' 
 ‘Yes; yes; thank God。 I didn't quite mean what I said。' 
‘It is a thing to thank God for; is it not?' 
‘Surely; surely。' 
 ‘If you could say; with truth; to your own solitary heart; to…night; 〃I have secured to myself the love and attachment; the gratitude or respect; of no human creature; I have won myself a tender place in no regard; I have done nothing good or serviceable to be remembered by!〃 your seventy…eight years would be seventy…eight heavy curses; would they not?' 
 ‘You say truly; Mr。 Carton; I think they would he。 
 Sydney turned his eyes again upon the fire; and; after a silence of a few moments; said: 
 ‘I should like to ask you:Does your childhood seem far off? Do the days when you sat at your mother's knee; seem days of very long ago?' 
 Responding to his softened manner; Mr。 Lorry answered: ‘Twenty years back; yes; at this time of my life; no。 For; as I draw closer and closer to the end; I travel in the circle; nearer and nearer to the beginning。 It seems to be one of the kind smoothings and preparings of the way。 My heart is touched now; by many remembrances that had long fallen asleep; of my pretty young mother (and I so old!); and by many associations of the days when what we call the World was not so real with me; and my faults were not confirmed in me。' 
 ‘I understand the feeling!' exclaimed Carton; with a bright flush。 ‘And you are the better for it?' 
 ‘I hope so。 
 Carton terminated the conversation here; by rising to help him on with his outer coat; ‘but you;' said Mr。 Lorry; reverting to the theme; ‘you are young。' 
 ‘Yes;' said Carton。 ‘I am not old; but my young way was never the way to age。 Enough of me。 
 ‘And of me; I am sure;' said Mr。 Lorry。 ‘Are you going out?' 
 ‘I'll walk with you to her gate。 You know my vagabond and restless habits。 If I should prowl about the streets a long time; don't be uneasy; I shall reappear in the morning。 You go to the Court to…morrow?' 
 Yes; unhappily。' 
 ‘I shall be there; but only as one of the crowd。 My Spy will find a place for me。 Take my arm; sir。' 
 Mr。 Lorry did so; and they went down…stairs and out in the streets。 A few minutes brought them to Mr。 Lorry's destination。 Carton left him there; but lingered at a little distance

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