English
OneofthefirstconsiderationswhicharoseinthebusinessmindofMr.Lorrywhenbusinesshourscameround,wasthis:—thathehadnorighttoimperilTellson’sbyshelteringthewifeofanemigrantprisonerundertheBankroof,Hisownpossessions,safety,life,hewouldhavehazardedforLucieandherchild,withoutamoment’sdemur;butthegreattrustheheldwasnothisown,andastothatbusinesschargehewasastrictmanofbusiness.
Atfirst,hismindrevertedtoDefarge,andhethoughtoffindingoutthewine-shopagainandtakingcounselwithitsmasterinreferencetothesafestdwelling-placeinthedistractedstateofthecity.
But,thesameconsiderationthatsuggestedhim,repudiatedhim;helivedinthemostviolentQuarter,anddoubtlesswasinfluentialthere,anddeepinitsdangerousworkings.
Nooncoming,andtheDoctornotreturning,andeveryminute’sdelaytendingtocompromiseTellson’s,Mr.LorryadvisedwithLucie.
Shesaidthatherfatherhadspokenofhiringalodgingforashortterm,inthatQuarter,neartheBanking-house.
Astherewasnobusinessobjectiontothis,andasheforesawthatevenifitwereallwellwithCharles,andheweretobereleased,hecouldnothopetoleavethecity,Mr.Lorrywentoutinquestofsuchalodging,andfoundasuitableone,highupinaremovedby-streetwheretheclosedblindsinalltheotherwindowsofahighmelancholysquareofbuildingsmarkeddesertedhomes.
TothislodgingheatonceremovedLucieandherchild,andMissPross:givingthemwhatcomforthecould,andmuchmorethanhehadhimself.
HeleftJerrywiththem,asafiguretofilladoorwaythatwouldbearconsiderableknockingonthehead,andretainedtohisownoccupations.
Adisturbedanddolefulmindhebroughttobearuponthem,andslowlyandheavilythedaylaggedonwithhim.
Itworeitselfout,andworehimoutwithit,untiltheBankclosed.
Hewasagainaloneinhisroomofthepreviousnight,consideringwhattodonext,whenheheardafootuponthestair.
Inafewmoments,amanstoodinhispresence,who,withakeenlyobservantlookathim,addressedhimbyhisname.
“Yourservant,”saidMr.Lorry.“Doyouknowme?”
Hewasastronglymademanwithdarkcurlinghair,fromforty-fivetofiftyyearsofage.Foranswerherepeated,withoutanychangeofemphasis,thewords:
“Doyouknowme?”
“Ihaveseenyousomewhere.”
“Perhapsatmywine-shop?”
Muchinterestedandagitated,Mr.Lorrysaid:“YoucomefromDoctorManette?”
“Yes.IcomefromDoctorManette.”
“Andwhatsayshe?Whatdoeshesendme?”
Defargegaveintohisanxioushand,anopenscrapofpaper.ItborethewordsintheDoctor’swriting:
“Charlesissafe,butIcannotsafelyleavethisplaceyet.
IhaveobtainedthefavourthatthebearerhasashortnotefromCharlestohiswife.Letthebearerseehiswife.”
ItwasdatedfromLaForce,withinanhour.
“Willyouaccompanyme,”saidMr.Lorry,joyfullyrelievedafterreadingthisnotealoud,“towherehiswiferesides?”
“Yes,”returnedDefarge.
Scarcelynoticingasyet,inwhatacuriouslyreservedandmechanicalwayDefargespoke,Mr.Lorryputonhishatandtheywentdownintothecourtyard.There,theyfoundtwowomen;one,knitting.
“MadameDefarge,surely!”saidMr.Lorry,whohadleftherinexactlythesameattitudesomeseventeenyearsago.
“Itisshe,”observedherhusband.
“DoesMadamegowithus?”inquiredMr.Lorry,seeingthatshemovedastheymoved.
“Yes.Thatshemaybeabletorecognisethefacesandknowthepersons.Itisfortheirsafety.”
BeginningtobestruckbyDefarge’smanner,Mr.Lorrylookeddubiouslyathim,andledtheway.Boththewomenfollowed;thesecondwomanbeingTheVengeance.
Theypassedthroughtheinterveningstreetsasquicklyastheymight,ascendedthestaircaseofthenewdomicile,wereadmittedbyJerry,andfoundLucieweeping,alone.
ShewasthrownintoatransportbythetidingsMr.Lorrygaveherofherhusband,andclaspedthehandthatdeliveredhisnote—littlethinkingwhatithadbeendoingnearhiminthenight,andmight,butforachance,havedonetohim.
“DEAREST,—Takecourage.Iamwell,andyourfatherhasinfluencearoundme.Youcannotanswerthis.Kissourchildforme.”
Thatwasallthewriting.Itwassomuch,however,toherwhoreceivedit,thatsheturnedfromDefargetohiswife,andkissedoneofthehandsthatknitted.
Itwasapassionate,loving,thankful,womanlyaction,butthehandmadenoresponse—droppedcoldandheavy,andtooktoitsknittingagain.
TherewassomethinginitstouchthatgaveLucieacheck.
Shestoppedintheactofputtingthenoteinherbosom,and,withherhandsyetatherneck,lookedterrifiedatMadameDefarge.
MadameDefargemettheliftedeyebrowsandforeheadwithacold,impassivestare.
“Mydear,”saidMr.Lorry,strikingintoexplain;“therearefrequentrisingsinthestreets;and,althoughitisnotlikelytheywillevertroubleyou,MadameDefargewishestoseethosewhomshehasthepowertoprotectatsuchtimes,totheendthatshemayknowthem—thatshemayidentifythem.
Ibelieve,”saidMr.Lorry,ratherhaltinginhisreassuringwords,asthestonymannerofallthethreeimpresseditselfuponhimmoreandmore,“Istatethecase,CitizenDefarge?”
Defargelookedgloomilyathiswife,andgavenootheranswerthanagruffsoundofacquiescence.
“Youhadbetter,Lucie,”saidMr.Lorry,doingallhecouldtopropitiate,bytoneandmanner,“havethedearchildhere,andourgoodPross.
OurgoodPross,Defarge,isanEnglishlady,andknowsnoFrench.”
Theladyinquestion,whoserootedconvictionthatshewasmorethanamatchforanyforeigner,wasnottobeshakenbydistressand,danger,appearedwithfoldedarms,andobservedinEnglishtoTheVengeance,whomhereyesfirstencountered,“Well,Iamsure,Boldface!IhopeYOUareprettywell!”
ShealsobestowedaBritishcoughonMadameDefarge;but,neitherofthetwotookmuchheedofher.
“Isthathischild?”saidMadameDefarge,stoppinginherworkforthefirsttime,andpointingherknitting-needleatlittleLucieasifitwerethefingerofFate.
“Yes,madame,”answeredMr.Lorry;“thisisourpoorprisoner’sdarlingdaughter,andonlychild.”
TheshadowattendantonMadameDefargeandherpartyseemedtofallsothreateninganddarkonthechild,thathermotherinstinctivelykneeledonthegroundbesideher,andheldhertoherbreast.
TheshadowattendantonMadameDefargeandherpartyseemedthentofall,threateninganddark,onboththemotherandthechild.
“Itisenough,myhusband,”saidMadameDefarge.“Ihaveseenthem.Wemaygo.”
But,thesuppressedmannerhadenoughofmenaceinit—notvisibleandpresented,butindistinctandwithheld—toalarmLucieintosaying,asshelaidherappealinghandonMadameDefarge’sdress:
“Youwillbegoodtomypoorhusband.Youwilldohimnoharm.Youwillhelpmetoseehimifyoucan?”
“Yourhusbandisnotmybusinesshere,”returnedMadameDefarge,lookingdownatherwithperfectcomposure.“Itisthedaughterofyourfatherwhoismybusinesshere.”
“Formysake,then,bemercifultomyhusband.Formychild’ssake!Shewillputherhandstogetherandprayyoutobemerciful.Wearemoreafraidofyouthanoftheseothers.”
MadameDefargereceiveditasacompliment,andlookedatherhusband.Defarge,whohadbeenuneasilybitinghisthumb-nailandlookingather,collectedhisfaceintoasternerexpression.
“Whatisitthatyourhusbandsaysinthatlittleletter?”askedMadameDefarge,withaloweringsmile.“Influence;hesayssomethingtouchinginfluence?”
“Thatmyfather,”saidLucie,hurriedlytakingthepaperfromherbreast,butwithheralarmedeyesonherquestionerandnotonit,“hasmuchinfluencearoundhim.”
“Surelyitwillreleasehim!”saidMadameDefarge.“Letitdoso.”
“Asawifeandmother,”criedLucie,mostearnestly,“Iimploreyoutohavepityonmeandnottoexerciseanypowerthatyoupossess,againstmyinnocenthusband,buttouseitinhisbehalf.Osister-woman,thinkofme.Asawifeandmother!”
MadameDefargelooked,coldlyasever,atthesuppliant,andsaid,turningtoherfriendTheVengeance:
“Thewivesandmotherswehavebeenusedtosee,sincewewereaslittleasthischild,andmuchless,havenotbeengreatlyconsidered?
WehaveknownTHEIRhusbandsandfatherslaidinprisonandkeptfromthem,oftenenough?
Allourlives,wehaveseenoursister-womensuffer,inthemselvesandintheirchildren,poverty,nakedness,hunger,thirst,sickness,misery,oppressionandneglectofallkinds?”
“Wehaveseennothingelse,”returnedTheVengeance.
“Wehavebornethisalongtime,”saidMadameDefarge,turninghereyesagainuponLucie.“Judgeyou!Isitlikelythatthetroubleofonewifeandmotherwouldbemuchtousnow?”
Sheresumedherknittingandwentout.TheVengeancefollowed.Defargewentlast,andclosedthedoor.
“Courage,mydearLucie,”saidMr.Lorry,asheraisedher.“Courage,courage!
Sofarallgoeswellwithus—much,muchbetterthanithasoflategonewithmanypoorsouls.Cheerup,andhaveathankfulheart.”
“Iamnotthankless,Ihope,butthatdreadfulwomanseemstothrowashadowonmeandonallmyhopes.”
“Tut,tut!”saidMr.Lorry;“whatisthisdespondencyinthebravelittlebreast?Ashadowindeed!Nosubstanceinit,Lucie.”
ButtheshadowofthemanneroftheseDefargeswasdarkuponhimself,forallthat,andinhissecretmindittroubledhimgreatly.
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