有声名著之双城记Book2 Chapter12

　　有声名著之双城记

      CHAPTER XIIThe Fellow of Delicacy 1

       MR. STRYVER having made up his mind to that magnanimousbestowal of good fortune on the Doctor's daughter, resolved tomake her happiness known to her before he left town for theLong Vacation. After some mental debating of the point, hecame to the conclusion that it would be as well to get all thepreliminaries done with, and they could then arrange at theirleisure whether he should give her his hand a week or twobefore Michaelmas Term, or in the little Christmas vacationbetween it and Hilary.

As to the strength of his case, he had not a doubt about it,but clearly saw his way to' the verdict. Argued with the juryon substantial worldly grounds--the only grounds ever worthtaking into account--it was a plain case, and had not a weakspot in it. He called himself for the plaintiff, there was nogetting over his evidence, the counsel for the defendant 3 threwup his brief, and the jury did not even turn to consider.

After trying it, Stryver, C. J., was satisfied that no plainercase could be.

Accordingly, Mr. Stryver inaugurated the Long Vacation with aformal proposal to take Miss Manette to Vauxhall Gardens; thatfailing, to Ranelagh; that unaccountably failing too, itbehoved him to present himself in Soho, and there declare hisnoble mind.

Towards Soho, therefore, Mr. Steer 4 shouldered his way fromthe Temple, while the bloom of the Long Vacation's infancy 5 wasstill upon it. Anybody who had seen him projecting himselfinto Soho while he was yet on Saint Dunstan's side of TempleBar, bursting in his full-blown way along the pavement, to thejostlement of all weaker people, might have seen how safe andstrong he was.

His way taking him past Tellson's, and he both banking 6 atTellson's and knowing Mr. Lorry as the intimate friend of theManettes, it entered Mr. Stryver's mind to enter the bank, andreveal to Mr. Lorry the brightness of the Soho horizon. So, hepushed open the door with the weak rattle 7 in its throat,stumbled down the two steps, got past the two ancientcashiers, and shouldered himself into the musty back closetwhere Mr. Lorry sat at great books ruled for figures, withperpendicular iron bars to his window as if that were ruledfor figures too, and everything under the clouds were a sum.

`Halloa!' said Mr. Stryver. `How do you do? I hope you arewell!'

It was Stryver's grand peculiarity 8 that he always seemed toobig for any place, or space. He was so much too big forTellson's, that old clerks in distant corners looked up withlooks of remonstrance 9, as though he squeezed them against thewall. The House itself, magnificently reading the paper quitein the far-off perspective, lowered displeased 10, as if theStryver head had been butted 11 into its responsible waistcoat.

The discreet 12 Mr. Lorry said, in a sample tone of the voice hewould recommend under the circumstances, `How do you do, Mr.

Stryver? How do you do, sir?' and shook hands. There was apeculiarity in his manner of shaking hands, always to be seenin any clerk at Tellson's who shook hands with a customer whenthe House pervaded 13 the air. He shook in a self-abnegating way,as one who shook for Tellson and Co.

`Can I do anything for you, Mr. Stryver?' asked Mr. Lorry, inhis business character.

`Why, no, thank you; this is a private visit to yourself, Mr.

Lorry; I have come for a private word.'

`Oh indeed!' said Mr. Lorry, bending down his ear, while hiseye strayed to the House afar off.

`I am going,' said Mr. Stryver, leaning his armsconfidentially on the desk: whereupon, although it was a largedouble one, there appeared to be not half desk enough for him:

`I am going to make an offer of myself in marriage to youragreeable little friend, Miss Manette, Mr. Lorry.'

Oh dear me!' cried Mr. Lorry, rubbing his chin, and lookingat his visitor dubiously 14.

`Oh dear me, sir?' repeated Stryver, drawing back.

`Oh dear you, sir? What may your meaning be, Mr. Lorry?'

`My meaning,' answered the man of business, `is, of course,friendly and appreciative 15, and that it does you the greatestcredit, and--in short, my meaning is everything you coulddesire. But--really, you know, Mr. Stryver ---' Mr. Lorrypaused, and shook his head at him in the oddest manner, as ifhe were compelled against his will to add, internally, `youknow there really is so much too much of you!'

`Well!' said Stryver, slapping the desk with his contentioushand, opening his eyes wider, and taking a long breath, `if Iunderstand you, Mr. Lorry, I'll be hanged!'

Mr. Lorry adjusted his little wig 16 at both ears as a meanstowards that end, and bit the feather of a pen.

`D--n it all, sir!' said Stryver, staring at him, `am I noteligible?'

`Oh dear yes! Yes. Oh yes, you're eligible 17!' said Mr. Lorry.

`If you say eligible, you are eligible.'

`Am I not prosperous?' asked Stryver.

`Oh! if you come to prosperous, you are prosperous,' said Mr.

Lorry.

`And advancing?'

`If you come to advancing, you know,' said Mr. Lorry,delighted to be able to make another admission, `nobody candoubt that.'

`Then what on earth is your meaning, Mr. Lorry?' demandedStryver, perceptibly crestfallen 18.