Aftersomementaldebatingofthepoint,hecametotheconclusionthatitwouldbeaswelltogetallthepreliminariesdonewith,andtheycouldthenarrangeattheirleisurewhetherheshouldgiveherhishandaweekortwobeforeMichaelmasTerm,orinthelittleChristmasvacationbetweenitandHilary.
Arguedwiththejuryonsubstantialworldlygrounds—theonlygroundseverworthtakingintoaccount—itwasaplaincase,andhadnotaweakspotinit.
Hecalledhimselffortheplaintiff,therewasnogettingoverhisevidence,thecounselforthedefendantthrewuphisbrief,andthejurydidnoteventurntoconsider.
Accordingly,Mr.StryverinauguratedtheLongVacationwithaformalproposaltotakeMissManettetoVauxhallGardens;thatfailing,toRanelagh;thatunaccountablyfailingtoo,itbehovedhimtopresenthimselfinSoho,andtheredeclarehisnoblemind.
TowardsSoho,therefore,Mr.StryvershoulderedhiswayfromtheTemple,whilethebloomoftheLongVacation’sinfancywasstilluponit.
AnybodywhohadseenhimprojectinghimselfintoSohowhilehewasyetonSaintDunstan’ssideofTempleBar,burstinginhisfull-blownwayalongthepavement,tothejostlementofallweakerpeople,mighthaveseenhowsafeandstronghewas.
HiswaytakinghimpastTellson’s,andhebothbankingatTellson’sandknowingMr.LorryastheintimatefriendoftheManettes,itenteredMr.Stryver’smindtoenterthebank,andrevealtoMr.LorrythebrightnessoftheSohohorizon.
So,hepushedopenthedoorwiththeweakrattleinitsthroat,stumbleddownthetwosteps,gotpastthetwoancientcashiers,andshoulderedhimselfintothemustybackclosetwhereMr.Lorrysatatgreatbooksruledforfigures,withperpendicularironbarstohiswindowasifthatwereruledforfigurestoo,andeverythingunderthecloudswereasum.
HewassomuchtoobigforTellson’s,thatoldclerksindistantcornerslookedupwithlooksofremonstrance,asthoughhesqueezedthemagainstthewall.
TheHouseitself,magnificentlyreadingthepaperquiteinthefar-offperspective,lowereddispleased,asiftheStryverheadhadbeenbuttedintoitsresponsiblewaistcoat.
ThediscreetMr.Lorrysaid,inasampletoneofthevoicehewouldrecommendunderthecircumstances,“Howdoyoudo,Mr.Stryver?Howdoyoudo,sir?”andshookhands.
Therewasapeculiarityinhismannerofshakinghands,alwaystobeseeninanyclerkatTellson’swhoshookhandswithacustomerwhentheHousepervadedtheair.
“Iamgoing,”saidMr.Stryver,leaninghisarmsconfidentiallyonthedesk:whereupon,althoughitwasalargedoubleone,thereappearedtobenothalfdeskenoughforhim:“Iamgoingtomakeanofferofmyselfinmarriagetoyouragreeablelittlefriend,MissManette,Mr.Lorry.”
“Mymeaning,”answeredthemanofbusiness,“is,ofcourse,friendlyandappreciative,andthatitdoesyouthegreatestcredit,and—inshort,mymeaningiseverythingyoucoulddesire.
But—really,youknow,Mr.Stryver—”Mr.Lorrypaused,andshookhisheadathimintheoddestmanner,asifhewerecompelledagainsthiswilltoadd,internally,“youknowtherereallyissomuchtoomuchofyou!”
“Well!”saidStryver,slappingthedeskwithhiscontentioushand,openinghiseyeswider,andtakingalongbreath,“ifIunderstandyou,Mr.Lorry,I’llbehanged!”
“Ifyoucometoadvancingyouknow,”saidMr.Lorry,delightedtobeabletomakeanotheradmission,“nobodycandoubtthat.”
“Why?”saidStryver.“Now,I’llputyouinacorner,”forensicallyshakingaforefingerathim.“Youareamanofbusinessandboundtohaveareason.Stateyourreason.Whywouldn’tyougo?”
“Because,”saidMr.Lorry,“Iwouldn’tgoonsuchanobjectwithouthavingsomecausetobelievethatIshouldsucceed.”
“Here’samanofbusiness—amanofyears—amanofexperience—INaBank,”saidStryver;“andhavingsummedupthreeleadingreasonsforcompletesuccess,hesaysthere’snoreasonatall!Saysitwithhisheadon!”
Mr.Stryverremarkeduponthepeculiarityasifitwouldhavebeeninfinitelylessremarkableifhehadsaiditwithhisheadoff.
“WhenIspeakofsuccess,Ispeakofsuccesswiththeyounglady;andwhenIspeakofcausesandreasonstomakesuccessprobable,Ispeakofcausesandreasonsthatwilltellassuchwiththeyounglady.
Theyounglady,mygoodsir,”saidMr.Lorry,mildlytappingtheStryverarm,“theyounglady.Theyoungladygoesbeforeall.”
“Thenyoumeantotellme,Mr.Lorry,”saidStryver,squaringhiselbows,“thatitisyourdeliberateopinionthattheyoungladyatpresentinquestionisamincingFool?”
“Notexactlyso.Imeantotellyou,Mr.Stryver,”saidMr.Lorry,reddening,“thatIwillhearnodisrespectfulwordofthatyoungladyfromanylips;andthatifIknewanyman—whichIhopeIdonot—whosetastewassocoarse,andwhosetemperwassooverbearing,thathecouldnotrestrainhimselffromspeakingdisrespectfullyofthatyoungladyatthisdesk,notevenTellson’sshouldpreventmygivinghimapieceofmymind.”
ThenecessityofbeingangryinasuppressedtonehadputMr.Stryver’sblood-vesselsintoadangerousstatewhenitwashisturntobeangry;Mr.Lorry’sveins,methodicalastheircoursescouldusuallybe,wereinnobetterstatenowitwashisturn.
Mr.Stryversuckedtheendofarulerforalittlewhile,andthenstoodhittingatuneoutofhisteethwithit,whichprobablygavehimthetoothache.Hebroketheawkwardsilencebysaying:
“Thisissomethingnewtome,Mr.Lorry.YoudeliberatelyadvisemenottogouptoSohoandoffermyself—MYself,StryveroftheKing’sBenchbar?”
“AndallIcansayofitis,”laughedStryverwithavexedlaugh,“thatthis—ha,ha!—beatseverythingpast,present,andtocome.”
“Nowunderstandme,”pursuedMr.Lorry.“Asamanofbusiness,Iamnotjustifiedinsayinganythingaboutthismatter,for,asamanofbusiness,Iknownothingofit.
But,asanoldfellow,whohascarriedMissManetteinhisarms,whoisthetrustedfriendofMissManetteandofherfathertoo,andwhohasagreataffectionforthemboth,Ihavespoken.
“WhatIsuppose,Mr.Stryver,Iclaimtocharacteriseformyself—Andunderstandme,sir,”saidMr.Lorry,quicklyflushingagain,“Iwillnot—notevenatTellson’s—haveitcharacterisedformebyanygentlemanbreathing.”
Well,Mr.Stryver,Iwasabouttosay:—itmightbepainfultoyoutofindyourselfmistaken,itmightbepainfultoDoctorManettetohavethetaskofbeingexplicitwithyou,itmightbeverypainfultoMissManettetohavethetaskofbeingexplicitwithyou.
Ifyouplease,committingyouinnoway,representingyouinnoway,Iwillundertaketocorrectmyadvicebytheexerciseofalittlenewobservationandjudgmentexpresslybroughttobearuponit.
Ifyoushouldthenbedissatisfiedwithit,youcanbuttestitssoundnessforyourself;if,ontheotherhand,youshouldbesatisfiedwithit,anditshouldbewhatitnowis,itmayspareallsideswhatisbestspared.Whatdoyousay?”
“ThenIsayyes,”saidStryver:“Iwon’tgouptherenow,Iamnotsohotuponitasthatcomesto;Isayyes,andIshallexpectyoutolookinto-night.Goodmorning.”
ThenMr.StryverturnedandburstoutoftheBank,causingsuchaconcussionofaironhispassagethrough,thattostandupagainstitbowingbehindthetwocounters,requiredtheutmostremainingstrengthofthetwoancientclerks.
Thosevenerableandfeeblepersonswerealwaysseenbythepublicintheactofbowing,andwerepopularlybelieved,whentheyhadbowedacustomerout,stilltokeeponbowingintheemptyofficeuntiltheybowedanothercustomerin.
Thebarristerwaskeenenoughtodivinethatthebankerwouldnothavegonesofarinhisexpressionofopiniononanylesssolidgroundthanmoralcertainty.
“Andnow,”saidMr.Stryver,shakinghisforensicforefingerattheTempleingeneral,whenitwasdown,“mywayoutofthis,is,toputyouallinthewrong.”
ItwasabitoftheartofanOldBaileytactician,inwhichhefoundgreatrelief.“Youshallnotputmeinthewrong,younglady,”saidMr.Stryver;“I’lldothatforyou.”
Accordingly,whenMr.Lorrycalledthatnightaslateasteno’clock,Mr.Stryver,amongaquantityofbooksandpaperslitteredoutforthepurpose,seemedtohavenothinglessonhismindthanthesubjectofthemorning.
“Well!”saidthatgood-naturedemissary,afterafullhalf-hourofbootlessattemptstobringhimroundtothequestion.“IhavebeentoSoho.”
“AndIhavenodoubt,”saidMr.Lorry,“thatIwasrightintheconversationwehad.Myopinionisconfirmed,andIreiteratemyadvice.”
“Iassureyou,”returnedMr.Stryver,inthefriendliestway,“thatIamsorryforitonyouraccount,andsorryforitonthepoorfather’saccount.
Havingsupposedthattherewassensewherethereisnosense,andalaudableambitionwherethereisnotalaudableambition,Iamwelloutofmymistake,andnoharmisdone.
Youngwomenhavecommittedsimilarfolliesoftenbefore,andhaverepentedtheminpovertyandobscurityoftenbefore.
Inanunselfishaspect,Iamsorrythatthethingisdropped,becauseitwouldhavebeenabadthingformeinaworldlypointofview;inaselfishaspect,Iamgladthatthethinghasdropped,becauseitwouldhavebeenabadthingformeinaworldlypointofview—itishardlynecessarytosayIcouldhavegainednothingbyit.Thereisnoharmatalldone.
Ihavenotproposedtotheyounglady,and,betweenourselves,Iambynomeanscertain,onreflection,thatIevershouldhavecommittedmyselftothatextent.
Mr.Lorry,youcannotcontrolthemincingvanitiesandgiddinessesofempty-headedgirls;youmustnotexpecttodoit,oryouwillalwaysbedisappointed.Now,praysaynomoreaboutit.
AndIamreallyverymuchobligedtoyouforallowingmetosoundyou,andforgivingmeyouradvice;youknowtheyoungladybetterthanIdo;youwereright,itneverwouldhavedone.”
Mr.Lorrywassotakenaback,thathelookedquitestupidlyatMr.Stryvershoulderinghimtowardsthedoor,withanappearanceofshoweringgenerosity,forbearance,andgoodwill,onhiserringhead.
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