登陆注册
3554300000068

第68章 BOOK THE SECOND:THE GOLDEN THREAD(51)

In the hope of his recovery,and of resort to this third course being thereby rendered practicable,Mr. Lorry resolved to watch him attentively,with as little appearance as possible of doing so.He therefore made arrangements to absent himself from Tellson's for the first time in his life,and took his post by the window in the same room.

He was not long in discovering that it was worse than useless to speak to him,since,on being pressed,he became worried. Heabandoned that attempt on the first day,and resolved merely to keep himself always before him,as a silent protest against the delusion into which he had fallen,or was falling.He remained,therefore,in his seat near the window,reading and writing,and expressing in as many pleasant and natural ways as he could think of,that it was a free place.

Doctor Manette took what was given him to eat and drink,and worked on,that first day,until it was too dark to see—worked on,half an hour after Mr. Lorry could not have seen,for his life,to read or write.When he put his tools aside as useless,until morning,Mr.Lorry rose and said to him:

'Will you go out?'

He looked down at the floor on either side of him in the old manner,looked up in the old manner,and repeated in the old low voice:

'Out?'

'Yes;for a walk with me. Why not?'

He made no effort to say why not,and said not a word more. But,Mr.Lorry thought he saw,as he leaned forward on his bench in the dusk,with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands,that he was in some misty way asking himself,'Why not?'The sagacity of the man of business perceived an advantage here,and determined to hold it.

Miss Pross and he divided the night into two watches,and observed him at intervals from the adjoining room. He paced up and down for a long time before he lay down;but,when he did finally lay himself down,he fell asleep.In the morning,he was up betimes,and went straight to his bench and to work.

On this second day,Mr. Lorry saluted him cheerfully by hisname,and spoke to him on topics that had been of late familiar to them.He returned no reply,but it was evident that he heard what was said,and that he thought about it,however confusedly.This encouraged Mr.Lorry to have Miss Pross in with her work,several times during the day;at those times they quietly spoke of Lucie,and of her father then present,precisely in the usual manner,and as if there were nothing amiss.This was done without any demonstrative accompaniment,not long enough,or often enough to harass him;and it lightened Mr.Lorry's friendly heart to believe that he looked up oftener,and that he appeared to be stirred by some perception of inconsistencies surrounding him.

When it fell dark again,Mr. Lorry asked him as before:

'Dear Doctor,will you go out?'

As before,he repeated,'Out?'

'Yes;for a walk with me. Why not?'

This time,Mr. Lorry feigned to go out when he could extract no answer from him,and,after remaining absent for an hour,returned.In the meanwhile,the Doctor had removed to the seat in the window,and had sat there looking down at the plane-tree;but on Mr.Lorry's return,he slipped away to his bench.

The time went very slowly on,and Mr. Lorry's hope darkened,and his heart grew heavier again,and grew yet heavier and heavier every day.The third day came and went,the fourth,the fifth.Five days,six days,seven days,eight days,nine days.

With a hope ever darkening,and with a heart always growing heavier and heavier,Mr. Lorry passed through this anxious time.The secret was well kept,and Lucie was unconscious and happy;but he could not fail to observe that the shoemaker,whose hands had been a little out at first,was growing dreadfully skilful,andthat he had never been so intent on his work,and that his hands had never been so nimble and expert,as in the dusk of the ninth evening.

XXV.AN OPINION

W orn out by anxious watching,Mr. Lorry fell asleep at his post.On the tenth morning of his suspense,he was startled by the shining of the sun into the room where a slumber had overtaken him when it was dark night.

He rubbed his eyes and roused himself;but he doubted,when he had done so,whether he was not still asleep. For,going to the door of the Doctor's room and looking in,he perceived that the shoemaker's bench and tools were put aside again,and that the Doctor himself sat reading at the window.He was in his usual morning dress,and his face(which Mr.Lorry could distinctly see),though still very pale,was calmly studious and attentive.

Even when he had satisfied himself that he was awake,Mr. Lorry felt giddily uncertain for some few moments whether the late shoemaking might not be a disturbed dream of his own;for,did not his eyes show him his friend before him in his accustomed clothing and aspect,and employed as usual;and was there any sign within their range,that the change of which he had so strong an impression had actually happened?

It was but the inquiry of his first confusion and astonishment,the answer being obvious. If the impression were not produced by a real corresponding and sufficient cause,how came he,Jarvis Lorry,there?How came he to have fallen asleep,in his clothes,on the sofa in Dr.Manette's consulting-room,and to be debating these points outside the Doctor's bedroom door in the earlymorning.

Within a few minutes,Miss Pross stood whispering at his side. If he had had any particle of doubt left,her talk would of necessity have resolved it;but he was by that time clear-headed,and had none.He advised that they should let the time go by until regular breakfast-hour,and should then meet the Doctor as if nothing unusual had occurred.If he appeared to be in his customary state of mind,Mr.Lorry would then cautiously proceed to seek direction and guidance from the opinion he had been,in his anxiety,so anxious to obtain.

同类推荐
  • 冬日有怀李贺长吉

    冬日有怀李贺长吉

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说信解智力经

    佛说信解智力经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 锋剑春秋

    锋剑春秋

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说泥犁经

    佛说泥犁经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 噩梦俟解思问录经义

    噩梦俟解思问录经义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 拳倾天下

    拳倾天下

    他有兄长支撑,默默无闻,经脉独特,是名师之下的一个废徒。一朝兄长被害,愤怒的他独挑大梁,觉醒星河脉络,点亮五脏七星。从此出离宗派,崩碎枷锁,替兄休妻,迎回兄长骸骨,仇人家族上上下下,无人能挡。以拳开道,没有他到不了的地方!和光同尘,没有他吸收不了的的力量!七情六欲,供他驱使!五行阴阳,玩弄鼓掌!武皇武帝是什么东西,神灵妖魔又长什么模样?天下之大,吃我一拳再说话!
  • 职场潜伏心理学

    职场潜伏心理学

    职场是人的江湖,有多少精明能干的高手没有输在刺刀见红的沙场,而是输在了暗流汹涌的内部关系上。我们每个职场人都需要了解心理学规律,掌握“职场读心术”,知己知彼才能百战百胜。本书精选世界上最权威的心理学定律,结合最生活化的案例,让你看透周围人的内心,在职场游刃有余!
  • 百年“夜莺”在飞翔:周小燕传

    百年“夜莺”在飞翔:周小燕传

    1945年下半年,整个法国都沉浸在第二次世界大战胜利的喜悦中。5月7日凌晨2时41分,德国在法国东北部小城兰斯签字向盟军投降。三个月后的8月25日,巴黎也回到了法国人民的手中。就在饱受苦难的人们正期待欢庆之时,法国人民的骄傲--戴高乐将军在第二天的下午4点,从奥尔良门进入了法国市政大厅。他面对欢呼的人群激动地说:“此刻,我只想说心中的一句话--巴黎万岁!”整个香舍丽榭沸腾了,整个巴黎沸腾了,整个法国沸腾了。
  • 末世丧尸女王恶魔降临

    末世丧尸女王恶魔降临

    【完结】江琳看着系统助手在地上不断打滑,抑郁望天,“我只想好好看我的倒毛王,为毛我会突然变成丧尸?”系统看着打滑的助手,无语斜视:“真是对不住啊把你搞的不成人样……”江琳:“……所以你是谁来着?”系统:“……你就当成是充话费送的吧。”司道(若有所思):“原来还可以这样。”宁静妍:“维斯,月,这边商业街的小吃很好吃诶。(幸福眯眼”维斯:“宁,我已经调查过了哦,这里厨艺最好的是楼小姐,那边那个摔了一跤的女孩,啧,要拐走吗?”月:“维斯→_→。”宁静妍:“哈哈,真是特别有趣的样子啊。”江琳:“阿嚏!”
  • 品藻

    品藻

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 用心爱:中小学教师师德修养漫谈

    用心爱:中小学教师师德修养漫谈

    本书紧扣《规范》的基本精神,结合新形势下经济、社会和教育发展对中小学教师应有的道德品质和职业行为的基本要求,解读《规范》修订的基本原则以及内容体系,重点解读六条师德规范的内涵,疏理其间的逻辑关系,构成教师职业道德理论体系。
  • 技能制造大师

    技能制造大师

    想要什么技能,就能制造什么技能!视力不够好,就制造一个“鹰眼”技能!跑得不够快,就制造一个“疾跑”技能!
  • 厉青歌

    厉青歌

    二十三岁的厉青歌在她最美好的年纪嫁给了十七岁的恋人,却不料,所有的一切不过是所谓的恋人和自己的父亲编织的谎言,为的不过是她那些微不足道的财产。最终的结果是被杀,尸体被抛入冰冷的普罗河。那一天,A市下了一整夜的雪,像是为了这个可怜的姑娘。如果可以重来一次,厉青歌誓要为自己讨回一个公道!上天似是怜悯,真的让厉青歌重生在了十七岁的骗局初始。这一次,厉青歌要为自己而活!
  • 宠妻成瘾:总裁你咋不上天

    宠妻成瘾:总裁你咋不上天

    他需要孩子来交差,她需要钱来救命。纪欣然这辈子都没有想到有一天她会需要用到出卖婚姻来换取纪家的安宁。王者归来的顾漠谦完全没想到,他归国的第一件事就是献上自己的小种子……第二天,城中所有的新闻全部被第一名媛给占据。高傲不可一世的第一名媛纪欣然,因为纪家的落魄成为了众人茶余饭后消遣的话题还没褪去。转头最新的消息便是,纪欣然嫁入豪门顾家,成为城中最顶级钻石王老五的未婚妻。众人在感叹命运的眷顾同时,对纪欣然的八卦乐此不疲。坊间据说还开了赌局,猜测这段盛世婚礼的维持时间。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 鬼故事之寒

    鬼故事之寒

    一个莫名其妙失去了生前记忆的鬼,在机缘巧合之下竟和一个暴力的美女通灵师成为了通灵界里的搭档,作为交换条件,鬼答应柳家,在和柳家千金执行通灵任务中保证其安全,而柳家就要帮这个失忆的鬼查出生前之迷。