English
Whenthenewly-marriedpaircamehome,thefirstpersonwhoappeared,toofferhiscongratulations,wasSydneyCarton.
Theyhadnotbeenathomemanyhours,whenhepresentedhimself.
Hewasnotimprovedinhabits,orinlooks,orinmanner;buttherewasacertainruggedairoffidelityabouthim,whichwasnewtotheobservationofCharlesDarnay.
HewatchedhisopportunityoftakingDarnayasideintoawindow,andofspeakingtohimwhennooneoverheard.
“Mr.Darnay,”saidCarton,“Iwishwemightbefriends.”
“Wearealreadyfriends,Ihope.”
“Youaregoodenoughtosayso,asafashionofspeech;but,Idon’tmeananyfashionofspeech.Indeed,whenIsayIwishwemightbefriends,Iscarcelymeanquitethat,either.”
CharlesDarnay—aswasnatural—askedhim,inallgood-humourandgood-fellowship,whathedidmean?
“Uponmylife,”saidCarton,smiling,“Ifindthateasiertocomprehendinmyownmind,thantoconveytoyours.However,letmetry.
YourememberacertainfamousoccasionwhenIwasmoredrunkthan—thanusual?”
“Irememberacertainfamousoccasionwhenyouforcedmetoconfessthatyouhadbeendrinking.”
“Irememberittoo.Thecurseofthoseoccasionsisheavyuponme,forIalwaysrememberthem.
Ihopeitmaybetakenintoaccountoneday,whenalldaysareatanendforme!
Don’tbealarmed;Iamnotgoingtopreach.”
“Iamnotatallalarmed.Earnestnessinyou,isanythingbutalarmingtome.”
“Ah!”saidCarton,withacarelesswaveofhishand,asifhewavedthataway.
“Onthedrunkenoccasioninquestion(oneofalargenumber,asyouknow),Iwasinsufferableaboutlikingyou,andnotlikingyou.Iwishyouwouldforgetit.”
“Iforgotitlongago.”
“Fashionofspeechagain!But,Mr.Darnay,oblivionisnotsoeasytome,asyourepresentittobetoyou.Ihavebynomeansforgottenit,andalightanswerdoesnothelpmetoforgetit.”
“Ifitwasalightanswer,”returnedDarnay,“Ibegyourforgivenessforit.
Ihadnootherobjectthantoturnaslightthing,which,tomysurprise,seemstotroubleyoutoomuch,aside.
Ideclaretoyou,onthefaithofagentleman,thatIhavelongdismisseditfrommymind.GoodHeaven,whatwastheretodismiss!
HaveIhadnothingmoreimportanttoremember,inthegreatserviceyourenderedmethatday?”
“Astothegreatservice,”saidCarton,“Iamboundtoavowtoyou,whenyouspeakofitinthatway,thatitwasmereprofessionalclaptrap,Idon’tknowthatIcaredwhatbecameofyou,whenIrenderedit.—Mind!
IsaywhenIrenderedit;Iamspeakingofthepast.”
“Youmakelightoftheobligation,”returnedDarnay,“butIwillnotquarrelwithYOURlightanswer.”
“Genuinetruth,Mr.Darnay,trustme!Ihavegoneasidefrommypurpose;Iwasspeakingaboutourbeingfriends.
Now,youknowme;youknowIamincapableofallthehigherandbetterflightsofmen.
Ifyoudoubtit,askStryver,andhe’lltellyouso.”
“Iprefertoformmyownopinion,withouttheaidofhis.”
“Well!Atanyrateyouknowmeasadissolutedog,whohasneverdoneanygood,andneverwill.”
“Idon’tknowthatyou`neverwill.’”
“ButIdo,andyoumusttakemywordforit.Well!
Ifyoucouldenduretohavesuchaworthlessfellow,andafellowofsuchindifferentreputation,comingandgoingatoddtimes,IshouldaskthatImightbepermittedtocomeandgoasaprivilegedpersonhere;thatImightberegardedasanuseless(andIwouldadd,ifitwerenotfortheresemblanceIdetectedbetweenyouandme,anunornamental)pieceoffurniture,toleratedforitsoldservice,andtakennonoticeof.
IdoubtifIshouldabusethepermission.
ItisahundredtooneifIshouldavailmyselfofitfourtimesinayear.
Itwouldsatisfyme,Idaresay,toknowthatIhadit.”
“Willyoutry?”
“ThatisanotherwayofsayingthatIamplacedonthefootingIhaveindicated.Ithankyou,Darnay.Imayusethatfreedomwithyourname?”
“Ithinkso,Carton,bythistime.”
Theyshookhandsuponit,andSydneyturnedaway.Withinaminuteafterwards,hewas,toalloutwardappearance,asunsubstantialasever.
Whenhewasgone,andinthecourseofaneveningpassedwithMissPross,theDoctor,andMr.Lorry,CharlesDarnaymadesomementionofthisconversationingeneralterms,andspokeofSydneyCartonasaproblemofcarelessnessandrecklessness.
Hespokeofhim,inshort,notbitterlyormeaningtobearharduponhim,butasanybodymightwhosawhimasheshowedhimself.
Hehadnoideathatthiscoulddwellinthethoughtsofhisfairyoungwife;but,whenheafterwardsjoinedherintheirownrooms,hefoundherwaitingforhimwiththeoldprettyliftingoftheforeheadstronglymarked.
“Wearethoughtfulto-night!”saidDarnay,drawinghisarmabouther.
“Yes,dearestCharles,”withherhandsonhisbreast,andtheinquiringandattentiveexpressionfixeduponhim;“weareratherthoughtfulto-night,forwehavesomethingonourmindto-night.”
“Whatisit,myLucie?”
“Willyoupromisenottopressonequestiononme,ifIbegyounottoaskit?”
“WillIpromise?WhatwillInotpromisetomyLove?”
What,indeed,withhishandputtingasidethegoldenhairfromthecheek,andhisotherhandagainsttheheartthatbeatforhim!
“Ithink,Charles,poorMr.Cartondeservesmoreconsiderationandrespectthanyouexpressedforhimto-night.”
“Indeed,myown?Whyso?”
“Thatiswhatyouarenottoaskme.ButIthink—Iknow—hedoes.”
“Ifyouknowit,itisenough.Whatwouldyouhavemedo,myLife?”
“Iwouldaskyou,dearest,tobeverygenerouswithhimalways,andverylenientonhisfaultswhenheisnotby.
Iwouldaskyoutobelievethathehasahearthevery,veryseldomreveals,andthattherearedeepwoundsinit.Mydear,Ihaveseenitbleeding.”
“Itisapainfulreflectiontome,”saidCharlesDarnay,quiteastounded,“thatIshouldhavedonehimanywrong.Ineverthoughtthisofhim.”
“Myhusband,itisso.Ifearheisnottobereclaimed;thereisscarcelyahopethatanythinginhischaracterorfortunesisreparablenow.
But,Iamsurethatheiscapableofgoodthings,gentlethings,evenmagnanimousthings.”
Shelookedsobeautifulinthepurityofherfaithinthislostman,thatherhusbandcouldhavelookedatherasshewasforhours.
“And,OmydearestLove!”sheurged,clingingnearertohim,layingherheaduponhisbreast,andraisinghereyestohis,“rememberhowstrongweareinourhappiness,andhowweakheisinhismisery!”
Thesupplicationtouchedhimhome.“Iwillalwaysrememberit,dearHeart!IwillrememberitaslongasIlive.”
Hebentoverthegoldenhead,andputtherosylipstohis,andfoldedherinhisarms.
Ifoneforlornwandererthenpacingthedarkstreets,couldhaveheardherinnocentdisclosure,andcouldhaveseenthedropsofpitykissedawaybyherhusbandfromthesoftblueeyessolovingofthathusband,hemighthavecriedtothenight—andthewordswouldnothavepartedfromhislipsforthefirsttime—
“Godblessherforhersweetcompassion!”
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