登陆注册
3554300000069

第69章 BOOK THE SECOND:THE GOLDEN THREAD(52)

Miss Pross,submitting herself to his judgment,the scheme was worked out with care. Having abundance of time for his usual methodical toilette,Mr.Lorry presented himself at the breakfast-hour in his usual white linen,and with his usual neat leg.The Doctor was summoned in the usual way,and came to breakfast.

So far as it was possible to comprehend him without overstepping those delicate and gradual approaches which Lorry felt to be the only safe advance,he at first supposed that his daughter's marriage had taken place yesterday. An incidental allusion,purposely thrown out,to the day of the week,and the day of the month,set him thinking and counting,and evidently made him uneasy.In all other respects,however,he was so composedly himself,that Mr.Lorry determined to have the aid he sought.And that aid was his own.

Therefore,when the breakfast was done and cleared away,and he and the Doctor were left together,Mr. Lorry said,feelingly:

'My dear Manette,I am anxious to have your opinion,in confidence,on a very curious case in which I am deeply interested;that is to say,it is very curious to me;perhaps,to yourbetter information it may be less so.'

Glancing at his hands,which were discoloured by his late work,the Doctor looked troubled,and listened attentively. He had already glanced at his hands more than once.

'Dr. Manette,'said Mr.Lorry,touching him affectionately on the arm,'the case is the case of a particularly dear friend of mine.Pray give your mind to it,and advise me well for his sake—and above all,for his daughter's,my dear Manette.'

'If I understand,'said the Doctor,in a subdued tone,'some mental shock—?'

'Yes!'

'Be explicit,'said the Doctor.'Spare no detail.'

Mr. Lorry saw that they understood one another,and proceeded.

'My dear Manette,it is the case of an old and prolonged shock,of great acuteness and severity to the affections,the feelings,the—the—as you express it—the mind. The mind.It is the case of a shock under which the sufferer was borne down,one cannot say for how long,because I believe he cannot calculate the time himself,and there are no other means of getting at it.It is the case of a shock from which the sufferer recovered,by a process that he cannot trace himself—as I once heard him publicly relate in a striking manner.It is the case of a shock from which he has recovered,so completely,as to be a highly intelligent man,capable of close application of mind,and great exertion of body,and of constantly making fresh additions to his stock of knowledge,which was already very large.But,unfortunately,there has been,'he paused and took a deep breath—'a slight relapse.'

The Doctor,in a low voice,asked,'Of how long duration?'

'Nine days and nights.'

'How did it show itself?I infer,'glancing at his hands again,'in the resumption of some old pursuit connected with the shock?'

'That is the fact.'

'Now,did you ever see him,'asked the Doctor,distinctly and collectedly,though in the same low voice,'engaged in that pursuit originally?'

'Once.'

'And when the relapse fell on him,was he in most respects—or in all respects—as he was then?'

'I think in all respects.'

'You spoke of his daughter. Does his daughter know of the relapse?'

'No. It has been kept from her,and I hope will always be kept from her.It is known only to myself,and to one other who may be trusted.'

The Doctor grasped his hand,and murmured,'That was very kind. That was very thoughtful!'Mr.Lorry grasped his hand in return,and neither of the two spoke for a little while.

'Now,my dear Manette,'said Mr. Lorry,at length in his most considerate and most affectionate way.'I am a mere man of business,and unfit to cope with such intricate and difficult matters.I do not possess the kind of information necessary;I do not possess the kind of intelligence;I want guiding.There is no man in this world on whom I could so rely for right guidance,as on you.Tell me,how does this relapse come about?Is there danger of another?Could a repetition of it be prevented?How should a repetition of it be treated?How does it come about at all?What can I do for my friend?No man ever can have been more desirous in his heart to serve a friend,than I am to serve mine,if I knew how.But I don't know how to originate,in such a case.If your sagacity,knowledge,and experience,could put me on the right track,I might be able to do so much;unenlightened and undirected,I can do so little.Pray discuss it with me;pray enable me to see it a little more clearly,and teach me how to be a little more useful.'

Doctor Manette sat meditating after these earnest words were spoken,and Mr. Lorry did not press him.

'I think it probable,'said the Doctor,breaking silence with an effort,'that the relapse you have described,my dear friend,was not quite unforeseen by its subject.'

'Was it dreaded by him?'Mr. Lorry ventured to ask.

'Very much.'He said it with an involuntary shudder.

'You have no idea how such an apprehension weighs on the sufferer's mind,and how difficult—how almost impossible—it is,for him to force himself to utter a word upon the topic that oppresses him.'

'Would he,'asked Mr. Lorry,'be sensibly relieved if he could prevail upon himself to impart that secret brooding to any one,when it is on him?'

'I think so. But it is,as I told you,next to impossible.I even believe it—in some cases—to be quite impossible.'

'Now,'said Mr. Lorry,gently laying his hand on the Doctor's arm again,after a short silence on both sides,'to what would you refer this attack?'

同类推荐
  • 劝学篇

    劝学篇

    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。
  • 非十二子

    非十二子

    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。
  • 二妙集

    二妙集

    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。
  • 将赴黔州先寄本府中

    将赴黔州先寄本府中

    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。
  • 六十种曲红拂记

    六十种曲红拂记

    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
  • 春风沉醉的晚上(郁达夫小说精选集)

    春风沉醉的晚上(郁达夫小说精选集)

    浪漫郁达夫,传奇私小说。不只有性苦闷,不全是感伤。郁达夫最可贵的品质,是文学上的诚实。那个年代的作家,大胆并细腻呈现种种似乎不该也不能有的人物心理,自然是有勇气,更为动人的,是文学上的天真之气。他写性苦闷,没有诲淫,不猥琐;叙述生存艰难,全不回避,无怨气。面对文学,他像仆人一样忠诚。读郁达夫的小说,不能唤起甜美的感受,他似一个备受煎熬的人,把伤感压向你。爱情的无望,穷困的难捱,向善的焦躁,贪恶的苦闷。这些主题反复出现,以致你不得不热爱现世生活,毕竟那里还有喘息的可能。
  • 三国鸿蒙道

    三国鸿蒙道

    洪荒初年,动乱不堪,爆发了洪荒之难,龙凤初劫两大灾难,后巫妖争斗不休,妖帝帝俊,妖皇东皇太一和十二祖巫双双身陨,洪荒破乱不开,鸿钧道祖现,修补洪荒大地。
  • 针尖上的天使

    针尖上的天使

    《针尖上的天使》创作于1969至1976年,以赫鲁晓夫下台、苏联入侵捷克斯洛伐克等1960年代苏联的重大事件为时代背景。在莫斯科,某机关报的总编在中央委员会大楼门外心脏病发作,调查推测是因为他收到一份地下刊物的原稿。没人知道是谁放到他桌上的,可是里面的内容令官方很敏感,要是泄露出去……小说通过总编的司机、报社同事,总编的妻子、儿子等许多普通苏联人的经历和生活,生动反映了特定时期人们的精神状态和生活状况,揭示了那个时代报界内幕、领导层的种种情状,还有知识阶层与政府的关系,爱情与背叛的问题……
  • 袁世凯(北洋风云人物)

    袁世凯(北洋风云人物)

    有人夸他是“济世安邦”的能人,有人骂他是窃国的“独夫民贼”。他游刃于各军阀、名臣之间,以北洋之师掀起血雨腥风,大推改革之旗,却又囿于极权高位,剑走偏锋强行复辟,终究落得个千古骂名。他就是中国近代赫赫有名的北洋鼻祖袁世凯。本书真实地再现了袁世凯在大变革时代中的奋斗、迷茫、斗争直至灭亡。
  • 大游戏设计师

    大游戏设计师

    从七八十年代游戏进入了大众视野起,电子游戏就变成了一种新的艺术。从雅达利,到任天堂,再到索尼微软,霸主的不断更替预示着电子游戏变成一个新的朝阳产业。而游戏设计师也变成了一个让人趋之若鹜的职业。这本书讲的就是一个单纯的游戏设计师的故事!欢迎来到新的游戏世界!!
  • 骑士,黑夜之子

    骑士,黑夜之子

    相传,在绝对黑暗之中生长着一种魔力之花,它以追寻自己而死去的尸体为养料,以吸收绝对的黑暗而茁壮生长,它叫做极夜。得到它的人会获得无穷的力量。浩瀚的宇宙中平行的五大界域中除了相对较弱的人域之外,其他四大域神域,冥域,兽域,魔域都在寻找着极夜,故事便从这里开始。
  • 梦幻西游之冰霜九州

    梦幻西游之冰霜九州

    被雷劈了,醒来发现到了梦幻西游的世界,然后莫名出了系统,一路打怪升级,泡妞装逼,西天取经吗?不,送精
  • 秋天的梧桐叶

    秋天的梧桐叶

    男友突然提出分手并且出了国!于子转到了男友曾想去的学校!
  • 不好,有外挂!

    不好,有外挂!

    古代杀手来现代。家贫、年幼、孤儿、养父?!这也太惨了点吧!好在莫名得了个木牌,竟能变身。楚辞撸撸袖子:开干!—————————-脑洞向,四十万字以后有感情戏,不多,介意慎入
  • 侯门娇之一品毒妻

    侯门娇之一品毒妻

    传闻她仅凭美貌,在战场上,让敌军三千士兵放下手中兵器。传闻她仅凭美貌,在刑台上,让刽子手失手掉落手中屠刀。她就是一品云华夫人姬长清,出自名门,还嫁得一个好夫君。嫁人后,三年未孕,夫君从无怨言,她心存愧疚。当获知自己怀孕的那一刻,天知道她有多高兴。“阿遥,我终于怀上了你的孩子……”明明灭灭烛火中,红绡帐底卧鸳鸯,她看到他对她的闺阁蜜友许诺:“婵儿,待她死后,我必娶你为妻。”原来,所谓的青梅竹马,夫妻情深,不过是阴谋一场。这一天,血染四方,尸横遍野,五万姬家军全军覆没。这一天,爹爹兄长被万箭穿心,母亲哀嚎痛哭,撞柱而亡。而她,被灌了堕胎药,腰斩于市。大雪纷飞,她背负着血海深仇化身为侯门弃女洛樱含恨归来,誓要手刃仇人,为爹娘兄长报仇,为五万姬家军沉冤昭雪。斗渣爹,虐渣妹,查真相,她步步为营,将前夫打入地狱,将闺蜜踩入脚底,还顺便把皇帝拉下马。这一世,她再也不要做任人宰割的鱼肉,她的命由已不由天。可是,有个男人半夜偷摸入她闺房,大言不惭对她说:“阿樱,这一生,你的命由我来守护,我的身由你来主宰,你嫁我为妻可好?”她说:“我心如蛇蝎,手段毒辣,最擅长用看不见的利器毁人不倦。”他淡淡然道:“我性情暴戾,无恶不作,最擅长用看得见的利器渡人升天。”她说:“我命里克夫。”他明媚一笑:“好巧,我命里克妻,你我以毒攻毒,天生绝配。”