English
“Sydney,”saidMr.Stryver,onthatself-samenight,ormorning,tohisjackal;“mixanotherbowlofpunch;Ihavesomethingtosaytoyou.”
Sydneyhadbeenworkingdoubletidesthatnight,andthenightbefore,andthenightbeforethat,andagoodmanynightsinsuccession,makingagrandclearanceamongMr.Stryver’spapersbeforethesettinginofthelongvacation.
Theclearancewaseffectedatlast;theStryverarrearswerehandsomelyfetchedup;everythingwasgotridofuntilNovembershouldcomewithitsfogsatmospheric,andfogslegal,andbringgristtothemillagain.
Sydneywasnonethelivelierandnonethesobererforsomuchapplication.
Ithadtakenadealofextrawet-towellingtopullhimthroughthenight;acorrespondinglyextraquantityofwinehadprecededthetowelling;andhewasinaverydamagedcondition,ashenowpulledhisturbanoffandthrewitintothebasininwhichhehadsteepeditatintervalsforthelastsixhours.
“Areyoumixingthatotherbowlofpunch?”saidStryvertheportly,withhishandsinhiswaistband,glancingroundfromthesofawherehelayonhisback.
“Iam.”
“Now,lookhere!Iamgoingtotellyousomethingthatwillrathersurpriseyou,andthatperhapswillmakeyouthinkmenotquiteasshrewdasyouusuallydothinkme.Iintendtomarry.”
“DOyou?”
“Yes.Andnotformoney.Whatdoyousaynow?”
“Idon’tfeeldisposedtosaymuch.Whoisshe?”
“Guess.”
“DoIknowher?”
“Guess.”
“Iamnotgoingtoguess,atfiveo’clockinthemorning,withmybrainsfryingandsputteringinmyhead.ifyouwantmetoguess,youmustaskmetodinner.”
“Wellthen,I’lltellyou,saidStryver,comingslowlyintoasittingposture.“Sydney,Iratherdespairofmakingmyselfintelligibletoyou,becauseyouaresuchaninsensibledog.
“Andyou,”returnedSydney,busyconcoctingthepunch,“aresuchasensitiveandpoeticalspirit—”
“Come!”rejoinedStryver,laughingboastfully,“thoughIdon’tpreferanyclaimtobeingthesoulofRomance(forIhopeIknowbetter),stillIamatenderersortoffellowthanYOU.”
“Youarealuckier,ifyoumeanthat.”
“Idon’tmeanthat.ImeanIamamanofmore—more—”
“Saygallantry,whileyouareaboutit,”suggestedCarton.
“Well!I’llsaygallantry.
MymeaningisthatIamaman,”saidStryver,inflatinghimselfathisfriendashemadethepunch,“whocaresmoretobeagreeable,whotakesmorepainstobeagreeable,whoknowsbetterhowtobeagreeable,inawoman’ssociety,thanyoudo.”
“Goon,”saidSydneyCarton.
“No;butbeforeIgoon,”saidStryver,shakinghisheadinhisbullyingway,I’llhavethisoutwithyou.
You’vebeenatDoctorManette’shouseasmuchasIhave,ormorethanIhave.
Why,Ihavebeenashamedofyourmorosenessthere!
Yourmannershavebeenofthatsilentandsullenandhangdogkind,that,uponmylifeandsoul,Ihavebeenashamedofyou,Sydney!”
“Itshouldbeverybeneficialtoamaninyourpracticeatthebar,tobeashamedofanything,”returnedSydney;“yououghttobemuchobligedtome.”
“Youshallnotgetoffinthatway,”rejoinedStryver,shoulderingtherejoinderathim;“no,Sydney,it’smydutytotellyou—andItellyoutoyourfacetodoyougood—thatyouareadevilishill-conditionedfellowinthatsortofsociety.Youareadisagreeablefellow.”
Sydneydrankabumperofthepunchhehadmade,andlaughed.
“Lookatme!”saidStryver,squaringhimself;“Ihavelessneedtomakemyselfagreeablethanyouhave,beingmoreindependentincircumstances.WhydoIdoit?”
“Ineversawyoudoityet,”mutteredCarton.
“Idoitbecauseit’spolitic;Idoitonprinciple.Andlookatme!Igeton.”
“Youdon’tgetonwithyouraccountofyourmatrimonialintentions,”answeredCarton,withacarelessair;“Iwishyouwouldkeeptothat.Astome—willyouneverunderstandthatIamincorrigible?”
Heaskedthequestionwithsomeappearanceofscorn.
“Youhavenobusinesstobeincorrigible,”washisfriend’sanswer,deliveredinnoverysoothingtone.
“Ihavenobusinesstobe,atall,thatIknowof,”saidSydneyCarton.“Whoisthelady?”
“Now,don’tletmyannouncementofthenamemakeyouuncomfortable,Sydney,”saidMr.Stryver,preparinghimwithostentatiousfriendlinessforthedisclosurehewasabouttomake,“becauseIknowyoudon’tmeanhalfyousay;andifyoumeantitall,itwouldbeofnoimportance.
Imakethislittlepreface,becauseyouoncementionedtheyoungladytomeinslightingterms.”
“Idid?”
“Certainly;andinthesechambers.”
SydneyCartonlookedathispunchandlookedathiscomplacentfriend;drankhispunchandlookedathiscomplacentfriend.
“Youmadementionoftheyoungladyasagolden-haireddoll.TheyoungladyisMissManette.
Ifyouhadbeenafellowofanysensitivenessordelicacyoffeelinginthatkindofway,Sydney,Imighthavebeenalittleresentfulofyouremployingsuchadesignation;butyouarenot.
Youwantthatsensealtogether;thereforeIamnomoreannoyedwhenIthinkoftheexpression,thanIshouldbeannoyedbyaman’sopinionofapictureofmine,whohadnoeyeforpictures:orofapieceofmusicofmine,whohadnoearformusic.”
SydneyCartondrankthepunchatagreatrate;drankitbybumpers,lookingathisfriend.
“Nowyouknowallaboutit,Syd,”saidMr.Stryver.
“Idon’tcareaboutfortune:sheisacharmingcreature,andIhavemadeupmymindtopleasemyself:onthewhole,IthinkIcanaffordtopleasemyself.
Shewillhaveinmeamanalreadyprettywelloff,andarapidlyrisingman,andamanofsomedistinction:itisapieceofgoodfortuneforher,butsheisworthyofgoodfortune.Areyouastonished?”
Carton,stilldrinkingthepunch,rejoined,“WhyshouldIbeastonished?”
“Youapprove?”
Carton,stilldrinkingthepunch,rejoined,“WhyshouldInotapprove?”
“Well!”saidhisfriendStryver,“youtakeitmoreeasilythanIfanciedyouwould,andarelessmercenaryonmybehalfthanIthoughtyouwouldbe;though,tobesure,youknowwellenoughbythistimethatyourancientchumisamanofaprettystrongwill.
Yes,Sydney,Ihavehadenoughofthisstyleoflife,withnootherasachangefromit;Ifeelthatitisapleasantthingforamantohaveahomewhenhefeelsinclinedtogotoit(whenhedoesn’t,hecanstayaway),andIfeelthatMissManettewilltellwellinanystation,andwillalwaysdomecredit.SoIhavemadeupmymind.
Andnow,Sydney,oldboy,IwanttosayawordtoYOUaboutYOURprospects.
Youareinabadway,youknow;youreallyareinabadway.
Youdon’tknowthevalueofmoney,youEvehard,you’llknockuponeofthesedays,andbeillandpoor;youreallyoughttothinkaboutanurse.”
Theprosperouspatronagewithwhichhesaidit,madehimlooktwiceasbigashewas,andfourtimesasoffensive.
“Now,letmerecommendyou,”pursuedStryver,“tolookitintheface.
Ihavelookeditintheface,inmydifferentway;lookitintheface,you,inyourdifferentway.Marry.Providesomebodytotakecareofyou.
Nevermindyourhavingnoenjoymentofwomen’ssociety,norunderstandingofit,nortactforit.Findoutsomebody.
Findoutsomerespectablewomanwithalittleproperty—somebodyinthelandladyway,orlodging-lettingway—andmarryher,againstarainyday.That’sthekindofthingforYOU.Nowthinkofit,Sydney.”
“I’llthinkofit,”saidSydney.
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