有声名著之双城记Book2 Chapter04

　　有声名著之双城记

       CHAPTER IVCongratulatory

       FROM the dimly-lighted passages of the court, the last sediment 1 of the humanstew that had been boiling there all day, was straining off, when DoctorManette, Lucie Manette, his daughter, Mr. Lorry, the solicitor 2 for thedefence, and its counsel, Mr. Stryver, stood gathered round Mr. CharlesDarnay--just released--congratulating him on his escape from death.

It would have been difficult by a far brighter light, to recognise inDoctor Manette, intellectual of face and upright of bearing, the shoemakerof the garret in Paris. Yet, no one could have looked at him twice, withoutliking again: even though the opportunity of observation had not extended tothe mournful cadence 3 of his low grave voice, and to the abstraction thatoverclouded him fitfully, without any apparent reason. While one externalcause, and that a reference to his long lingering agony, would always--as onthe trial--evoke this condition from the depths of his soul, it was also inits nature to arise of itself, and to draw a gloom over him, asincomprehensible to those unacquainted with his story as if they had seenthe shadow of the actual Bastille thrown upon him by a summer sun, when thesubstance was three hundred miles away.

Only his daughter had the power of charming this black brooding from hismind. She was the golden thread that united him to a Past beyond his misery 5,and to a Present beyond his misery: and the sound of her voice, the light ofher face, the touch of her hand, had a strong beneficial influence with himalmost always. Not absolutely always, for she could recall some occasions onwhich her power had failed; but they were few and slight, and she believedthem over.

Mr. Darnay had kissed her hand fervently 6 and gratefully, and had turned toMr. Stryver, whom he warmly thanked. Mr. Stryver, a man of little more thanthirty, but looking twenty years older than he was, stout 7, loud, red, bluff,and free from any drawback of delicacy 8, had a pushing way of shoulderinghimself (morally and physically) into companies and conversations, thatargued well for his shouldering his way up in life.

He still had his wig 9 and gown on, and he said, squaring himself at his lateclient to that degree that he squeezed the innocent Mr. Lorry clean out ofthe group: `I am glad to have brought you off with honour, Mr. Darnay. Itwas an infamous 10 prosecution 11, grossly infamous; but not the less likely tosucceed on that account.

`You have laid me under an obligation to you for life-in two senses,' saidhis late client, taking his hand.

`I have done my best for you, Mr. Darnay; and my best is as good as anotherman's, I believe.'

It clearly being incumbent 12 on some one to say, `Much better,' Mr. Lorrysaid it; perhaps not quite disinterestedly 13, but with the interested objectof squeezing himself back again.

`You think so?' said Mr. Stryver. `Well! you have been present all day,,and you ought to know. You are a man of business, too.

`And as such,' quoth Mr. Larry, whom the counsel learned in the law had nowshouldered back into the group, just as he had previously 14 shouldered him outof it--`as such I will appeal to Doctor Manette, to break up this conferenceand order us all to our homes. Miss Lucie looks ill, Mr. Darnay has had aterrible day, we are worn out.'

`Speak for yourself, Mr. Lorry,' said Stryver; `I have a night's work to doyet. Speak for yourself.'

`I speak for myself,' answered Mr. Lorry, `and for Mr. Darnay, and for MissLucie, and--Miss Lucie, do you not think I may speak for us all?' He askedher the question pointedly 15, and with a glance at her father.

His face had become frozen, as it were, in a very curious look at Darnay:

an intent look, deepening into a frown of dislike and distrust, not evenunmixed with fear. With this strange expression on him his thoughts hadwandered away.

`My father,' said Lucie, softly laying her hand on his.

He slowly shook the shadow off, and turned to her.

`Shall we go home, my father?'