双城记 查尔斯·狄更斯-第21部分

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‘Business！　Bless　you；　I　have　no　business；'　said　Mr。　Carton。　‘It　is　a　pity　you　have　not；　sir。'
‘I　think　so；　too。'
‘If　you　had；'　pursued　Mr。　Lorry；　‘perhaps　you　would　attend　to　it。'
‘Lord　love　you；　no！……I　shouldn't；'　said　Mr。　Carton。
‘Well；　sir！'　cried　Mr。　Lorry；　thoroughly　heated　by　his　indifference；　‘business　is　a　very　good　thing；　and　a　very　respectable　thing。　And；　sir；　if　business　imposes　its　restraints　and　its　silences　and　impediments；　Mr。　Darnay　as　a　young　gentleman　of　generosity　knows　how　to　make　allowance　for　that　circumstance。　Mr。　Darnay；　good…night；　God　bless　you；　sir！　I　hope　you　have　been　this　day　preserved　for　a　prosperous　and　happy　life。……Chair　there！'
Perhaps'　a　little　angry　with　himself　as　well　as　with　the　barrister；　Mr。　Lorry　hustled　into　the　chair；　and　was　carried　off　to　Tellson's。　Carton；　who　smelt　of　port　wine；　and　did　not　appear　to　be　quite　sober；　laughed　then；　and　turned　to　Darnay：
‘This　is　a　strange　chance　that　throws　you　and　me　together。　This　must　be　a　strange　night　to　you；　standing　alone　here　with　your　counterpart　on　these　street　stones？'
‘I　hardly　seem　yet；'　returned　Charles　Darnay；　‘to　belong　to　this　world　again。'
‘I　don't　wonder　at　it；　it's　not　so　long　since　you　were　pretty　far　advanced　on　your　way　to　another。　You　speak　faintly。'
‘I　begin　to　think　I　am　faint。'
‘Then　why　the　devil　don't　you　dine？　I　dined；　myself　while　those　numskulls　were　deliberating　which　world　you　should　belong　to……this；　or　some　other。　Let　me　show　you　the　nearest　tavern　to　dine　well　at。'
Drawing　his　arm　through　his　own；　he　took　him　down　Ludgate…hill　to　Fleet…street；　and　so；　up　a　covered　way；　into　a　tavern。　Here；　they　were　shown　into　a　little　room；　where　Charles　Darnay　was　soon　recruiting　his　strength　with　a　good　plain　dinner　and　good　wine：　while　Carton　sat　opposite　to　him　at　the　same　table；　with　his　separate　bottle　of　port　before　him；　and　his　fully　half…insolent　manner　upon　him。
‘Do　you　feel；　yet；　that　you　belong　to　this　terrestrial　scheme　again；　Mr。　Darnay？'
‘I　am　frightfully　confused　regarding　time　and'　place；　but　I　am　so　far　mended　as　to　feel　that。'
‘It　must　be　an　immense　satisfaction！'
He　said　it　bitterly；　and　filled　up　his　glass　again：　which　was　a　large　one。
‘As　to　me；　the　greatest　desire　I　have；　is　to　forget　that　I　belong　to　it。　It　has　no　good　in　it　for　me……except　wine　like　this……nor　I　for　it。　So　we　are　not　much　alike　in　that　particular。　Indeed；　I　begin　to　think　we　are　not　much　alike　in　any　particular；　you　and　I。'
Confused　by　the　emotion　of　the　day；　and　feeling　his　being　there　with　this　Double　of　coarse　deportment；　to　be　like　a　dream；　Charles　Darnay　was　at　a　loss　how　to　answer；　finally；　answered　not　at　all。
‘Now　your　dinner　is　done；'　Carton　presently　said；　‘why　don't　you　call　a　health；　Mr。　Darnay；　why　don't　you　give　your　toast？'
‘What　health？　What　toast？'
‘Why；　it's　on　the　tip　of　your　tongue。　It　ought　to　be；　it　must　be；　I'll　swear　it's　there。
‘Miss　Manette；　then！'
‘Miss　Manette；　then！'
Looking　his　panion　full　in　the　face　while　he　drank　the　toast；　Carton　flung　his　glass　over　his　shoulder　against　the　wall；　where　it　shivered　to　pieces；　then；　rang　the　bell；　and　ordered　in　another。
‘That's　a　fair　young　lady　to　hand　to　a　coach　in　the　dark；　Mr。　Darnay！'　he　said；　filling　his　new　goblet。
A　slight　frown　and　a　laconic　‘Yes；'　were　the　answer。
‘That's　a　fair　young　lady　to　be　pitied　by　and　wept　for　by！　How　does　it　feel？　Is　it　worth　being　tried　for　one's　life；　to　be　the　object　of　such　sympathy　and　passion；　Mr。　Darnay？'
Again　Darnay　answered　not　a　word。
‘She　was　mightily　pleased　to　have　your　message；　when　I　gave　it　her。　Not　that　she　showed　she　was　pleased；　but　I　suppose　she　was。'
The　allusion　served　as　a　timely　reminder　to　Darnay　that　this　disagreeable　panion　had；　of　his　own　free　will；　assisted　him　in　the　strait　of　the　day。　He　turned　the　dialogue　to　that　point；　and　thanked　him　for　it。
‘I　neither　want　any　thanks；　nor　merit　any；'　was　the　careless　rejoinder。　‘It　was　nothing　to　do；　in　the　first　place；　and　I　don't　know　why　I　did　it；　in　the　second。　Mr。　Darnay；　let'　me　ask　you　a　question。'
‘Willingly；　and　a　small　return　for　your　good　offices。'
‘Do　you　think　I　particularly　like　you？'
‘Really；　Mr。　Carton；'　returned　the　other；　oddly　disconcerted；　‘I　have　not　asked　myself　the　question。'
‘But　ask　yourself　the　question　now。'
‘You　have　acted　as　if　you　do；　but　I　don't　think　you　do。'
‘1　don't　think　I　do；'　said　Carton。　‘I　begin　to　have　a　very　good　opinion　of　your　understanding。'
‘Nevertheless；'　pursued　Darnay；　rising　to　ring　the　bell；　‘there　is　nothing　in　that；　I　hope；　to　prevent　my　calling　the　reckoning；　and　our　parting　without　ill…blood　on　either　side。'
Carton　rejoining；　‘Nothing　in　life！'　Darnay　rang。　‘Do　you　call　the　whole　reckoning？'　said　Carton。　On　his　answering　in　the　affirmative；　‘Then　bring　me　another　pint　of　this　same　wine；　drawer；　and　e　and　wake　me　at　ten。'
The　bill　being　paid；　Charles　Darnay　rose　and　wished　him　good…night。　Without　returning　the　wish；　Carton　rose　too；　with　something　of　a　threat　of　defiance　in　his　manner；　and　said；　‘A　last　word；　Mr。　Darnay：　you　think　I　am　drunk？'
‘I　think　you　have　been　drinking；　Mr。　Carton。'
‘Think？　You　know　I　have　been　drinking。'
‘Since　I　must　say　so；　I　know　it。'
‘Then　you　shall　likewise　know　why。　I　am　a　disappointed　drudge；　sir。　I　care　for　no　man　on　earth；　and　no　man　on　earth　cares　for　me。'
‘Much　to　be　regretted。　You　might　have　used　your　talents　better。'
‘May　be　so；　Mr。　Darnay；　may　be　not。　Don't　let　your　sober　face　elate　you；　however；　you　don't　know　what　it　may　e　to。　Good…night！'
When　he　was　left　alone；　this　strange　being　took　up　a　candle；　went　to　a　glass　that　hung　against　the　wall；　and　surveyed　himself　minutely　in　it。
‘Do　you　particularly　like　the　man？'　he　muttered；　at　his　own　image；　‘why　should　you　particularly　like　a　man　who　resembles　you？　There　is　nothing　in　you　to　like；　you　know　that。　Ah；　confound　you！　What　a　change　you　have　made　in　yourself！　A　good　reason　for　taking　to　a　man；　that　he　shows　you　what　you　have　fallen　away　from；　and　what　you　might　have　been！　Change　places　with　him；　and　would　you　have　been　looked　at　by　those　blue　eyes　as　he　was；　and　miserated　by　that　agitated　face　as　he　was？　e　on；　and　have　it　out　in　plain　words！　You　hate　the　fellow。'
He　resorted　to　his　pint　of　wine　for　consolation；　drank　it　all　in　a　few　minutes；　and　fell　asleep　on　his　arms；　with　his　hair　straggling　over　the　table；　and　a　long　winding…sheet　in　the　candle　dripping　down　upon　him。
CHAPTER　V
The　Jackal
THOSE　were　drinking　days；　and　moot　men　drank　hard。　So　very　great　is　the　improvement　Time　has　brought　about　in　such　habits；　that　a　moderate　statement　of　the　quantity　of　wine　and　punch　which　one　man　would　swallow　in　the　course　of　a　night；　without　any　detriment　to　his　reputation　as　a　perfect　gentleman；　would　seem；　in　these　days；　a　ridiculous　exaggeration。　The　learned　profession　of　the　law　was　certainly　not　behind　any　other　learned　profession　in　its　Bacchanalian　Propensities；　neither　was　Mr。　Stryver；　already　fast　shouldering　his　way　to　a　large　and　lucrative　practice；　behind　his　peers　in　this　particular；　any　more　than　in　the　drier　parts　of　the　legal　race。
A　favourite　at　the　Old　Bailey；　and　eke　at　the　Sessions；　Mr。　Stryver　had　begun　cautiously　to　hew　away　the　lower　staves　of　the　ladder　on　which　he　mounted。　Sessions　and　Old　Bailey　had　now　to　summon　their　favourite；　specially；　to　their　longing　arms；　and　shouldering　itself　towards　the　visage　of　the　Lord　Chief　Justice　in　the　Court　of　King's　Bench；　the　florid　countenance　of　Mr。　Stryver　might　be　daily　seen；　bursting　out　of　the　bed　of　wigs；　like　a　great　sunflower　pushing　its　way　at　the　sun　from　among　a　rank　garden　full　of　flaring　panions。
ad　once　been　noted　at　the　Bar；　that　while　Mr。　Stryver　was　a　glib　man；　and　an　unscrupulous；　and　a　ready；　and　a　bold；　he　had　not　that　faculty　of　extracting　the　essence　from　a　heap　of　statements；　which　is　among　the　most　striking　and　necessary　of　the　advocate's　acplishments。　But　a　remarkable　improvement　came　upon　him　as　to　this。　The　more　business　he　got；　the　greater　his　power　seemed　to　grow　of　getting　at　its　pith　and　marrow；　and　however　late　at　night　he　sat　carousing　with　Sydney　Carton；　he　always　had　his　points　at　his　fingers'　ends　in　the　morning。
Sydney　Carton；　idlest　and　most　unpromising　of　men；　was　Stryver's　great　ally。　Wha