双城记 查尔斯·狄更斯-第24部分

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‘How　do　you　do？'　inquired　that　lady　then……sharply；　and　yet　as　if　to　express　that　she　bore　him　no　malice。
‘I　am　pretty　well；　I　thank　you；'　answered　Mr。　Lorry；　with　meekness；　‘how　are　you？'
‘Nothing　to　boast　of；'　said　Miss　Pross。
‘Indeed？'
‘Ah！　indeed！'　said　Miss　Pross。　‘I　am　very　much　put　out　about　my　Ladybird。'
‘Indeed？'
‘For　gracious　sake　say　something　else　besides　‘‘indeed；''　or　you'll　fidget　me　to　death；'　said　Miss　Pross：　whose　character　（dissociated　from　stature）　was　shortness。'
‘Really；　then？'　said　Mr。　Lorry；　as　an　amendment。
‘Really；　is　bad　enough；'　returned　Miss　Pross；　‘but　better。　Yes；　I　am　very　much　put　out。'
‘May　I　ask　the　cause？'
‘I　don't　want　dozens　of　people　who　are　not　at　all　worthy　of　Ladybird；　to　e　here　looking　after　her；'　said　Miss　Pross。
‘Do　dozens　e　for　that　purpose？'
‘Hundreds；'　said　Miss　Pross。
It　was　characteristic　of　this　lady　（as　of　some　other　people　before　her　time　and　since）　that　whenever　her　original　pro…position　was　questioned；　she　exaggerated　it。
‘Dear　me！'　said　Mr。　Lorry；　as　the　safest　remark　he　could　think　of。
‘I　have　lived　with　the　darling……or　the　darling　has　lived　with　me；　and　paid　me　for　it；　which　she　certainly　should　never　have　done；　you　may　take　your　affidavit；　if　I　could　have　afforded　to　keep　either　myself　or　her　for　nothing……since　she　was　ten　years　old。　And　it's　really　very　hard；'　said　Miss　Pross。
Not　seeing　with　precision　what　was　very　hard；　Mr。　Lorry　shook　his　head；　using　that　important　part　of　himself　as　a　sort　of　fairy　cloak　that　would　fit　anything。
‘All　sorts　of　people　who　are　not　in　the　least　degree　worthy　of　the　pet；　are　always　turning　up；'　said　Miss　Pross。　‘When　you　began　it………'
‘I　began　it；　Miss　Pross？'
‘Didn't　you？　Who　brought　her　father　to　life？'
‘Oh！　If　that　was　beginning　it………'said　Mr。　Lorry。
‘It　wasn't　ending　it；　I　suppose？　I　say；　when　you　began　it；　it　was　hard　enough；　not　that　I　have　any　fault　to　find　with　Doctor　Manette；　except　that　he　is　not　worthy　of　such　a　daughter；　which　is　no　imputation　on　him；　for　it　was　not　to　be　expected　that　anybody　should　be；　under　any　circumstances。　But　it　really　is　doubly　and　trebly　hard　to　have　crowds　and　multitudes　of　people　turning　up　after　him　（I　could　have　forgiven　him）；　to　take　Ladybird's　affections　away　from　me。'
Mr。　Lorry　knew　Miss　Pross　to　be　very　jealous；　but　he　also　knew　her　by　this　time　to　be；　beneath　the　surface　of　her　eccentricity；　one　of　those　unselfish　creatures……found　only　among　women……who　will；　for　pure　love　and　admiration；　bind　themselves　willing　slaves；　to　youth　when　they　have　lost　it；　to　beauty　that　they　never　had；　to　acplishments　that　they　were　never　fortunate　enough　to　gain；　to　bright　hopes　that　never　shone　upon　their　own　sombre　lives。　He　knew　enough　of　the　world　to　know　that　there　is　nothing　in　it　better　than　the　faithful　service　of　the　heart；　so　rendered　and　so　free　from　any　mercenary　taint；　he　had　such　an　exalted　respect　for　it；　that　in　the　retributive　arrangements　made　by　his　own　mind……we　all　make　such　arrangements；　more　or　less……he　stationed　Miss　Pross　much　nearer　to　the　lower　Angels　than　many　ladies　immeasurably　better　got　up　both　by　Nature　and　Art；　who　had　balances　at　Tellson's。
‘There　never　was；　nor　will　be；　but　one　man　worthy　of　Lady…bird；'　said　Miss　Pross；　‘and　that　was　my　brother　Solomon；　if　he　hadn't　made　a　mistake　in　life。'
Here　again：　Mr。　Lorry's　inquiries　into　Miss　Pross's　personal　history　had　established　the　fact　that　her　brother　Solomon　was　a　heartless　scoundrel　who　had　stripped　her　of　everything　she　possessed；　as　a　stake　to　speculate　with；　and　had　abandoned　her　in　her　poverty　for　evermore；　with　no　touch　of　punction。　Miss　Pross's　fidelity　of　belief　in　Solomon　（deducting　a　mere　trifle　for　this　slight　mistake）　was　quite　a　serious　matter　with　Mr。　Lorry；　and　had　its　weight　in　his　good　opinion　of　her。
‘As　we　happen　to　be　alone　for　the　moment；　and　are　both　people　of　business；'　he　said；　when　they　had　got　back　to　the　drawing…room　and　had　sat　down　there　in　friendly　relations；　‘let　me　ask　you……does　the　Doctor；　in　talking　with　Lucie；　never　refer　to　the　shoemaking　time；　yet？'
‘Never。'
‘And　yet　keeps　that　bench　and　those　tools　beside　him？'
‘Ah！'　returned　Miss　Pross；　shaking　her　head。　‘But　I　don't　say　he　don't　refer　to　it　within　himself。'
‘Do　you　believe　that　he　thinks　of　it　much？'
‘I　do；'　said　Miss　Pross。
‘Do　you　imagine………'　Mr。　Lorry　had　begun；　when　Miss　Pross　took　him　up　short　with：
‘Never　imagine　anything。　Have　no　imagination　at　all。'
‘I　stand　corrected；；　do　you　suppose……you　go　so　far　as　to　Suppose；　sometimes？
‘Now　and　then；'　said　Miss　Pross。
‘Do　you　suppose；'　Mr。　Lorry　went　on；　with　a　laughing　twinkle　in　his　bright　eye；　as　it　looked　kindly　at　her；　‘that　Doctor　Manette　has　any　theory　of　his　own；　preserved　through　all　those　years；　relative　to　the　cause　of　his　being　so　oppressed；　perhaps；　even　to　the　name　of　his　oppressor？'
‘I　don't　suppose　anything　about　it　but　what　Ladybird　tells　me。'
‘And　that　is………？'
‘That　she　thinks　he　has。'
‘Now　don't　be　angry　at　my　asking　all　these　questions；　because　I　am　a　mere　dull　man　of　business；　and　you　are　a　woman　of　business。'
‘Dull？'　Miss　Pross　inquired；　with　placidity。
Rather　wishing　his　modest　adjective　away；　Mr。　Lorry　replied；　‘No；　no；　no。　Surely　not。　To　return　to　business：…　Is　it　not　remarkable　that　Doctor　Manette；　unquestionably　innocent　of　any　crime　as　we　are　all　well　assured　he　is；　should　never　touch　upon　that　question？　I　will　not　say　with　me；　though　he　had　business　relations　with　me　many　years　ago；　and　we　are　now　intimate；　I　will　say　with　the　fair　daughter　to　whom　he　is　so　devotedly　attached；　and　who　is　so　devotedly　attached　to　him？　Believe　me；　Miss　Pross；　I　don't　approach　the　topic　with　you；　out　of　curiosity；　but　out　of　zealous　interest。'
‘Well！　To　the　best　of　my　understanding；　and　bad's　the　best；　you'll　tell　me；'　said　Miss　Pross；　softened　by　the　tone　of　the　apology；　‘he　is　afraid　of　the　whole　subject。
‘Afraid？'
‘It's　plain　enough；　I　should　think；　why　he　may　be。　It's　a　dreadful　remembrance。　Besides　that；　his　loss　of　himself　grew　out　of　it。　Not　knowing　how　he　lost　himself；　or　how　he　re…covered　himself；　he　may　never　feel　certain　of　not　losing　himself　again。　That　alone　wouldn't　make　the　subject　pleasant；　I　should　think。'
It　was　a　profounder　remark　than　Mr。　Lorry　had　looked　for。　‘True；'　said　he；　‘and　fearful　to　reflect　upon。　Yet；　a　doubt　lurks　in　my　mind；　Miss　Pross；　whether　it　is　good　for　Doctor　Manette　to　have　that　suppression　always　shut　up　within　him。　Indeed；　it　is　this　doubt　and　the　uneasiness　it　sometimes　causes　me　that　has　led　me　to　our　present　confidence。'
‘Can't　be　helped；'　said　Miss　Pross；　shaking　her　head。　‘Touch　that　string；　and　he　instantly　changes　for　the　worse。　Better　leave　it　alone。　In　short；　must　leave　it　alone；　like　or　no　like。　Sometimes；　lie　gets　up　in　the　dead　of　the　night；　and　will　be　heard；　by　us　overhead　there；　walking　up　and　down；　walking　up　and　down；　in　his　room。　Ladybird　has　learnt　to　know　then　that　his　mind　is　walking　up　and　down；　walking　up　and　down；　in　his　old　prison。　She　hurries　to　him；　and　they　go　on　together；　walking　up　and　down；　walking　up　and　down；　until　he　is　posed。　But　he　never　says　a　word　of　the　true　reason　of　his　restlessness；　to　her；　and　she　finds　it　best　not　to　hint　at　it　to　him。　In　silence　they　go　walking　up　and　down　together；　walking　up　and　down　together；　till　her　love　and　pany　have　brought　him　to　himself。'
Notwithstanding　Miss　Pross's　denial　of　her　own　imagination；　there　was　a　perception　of　the　pain　of　being　monotonously　haunted　by　one　sad　idea；　in　her　repetition　of　the　phrase；　walking　up　and　down；　which　testified　to　her　possessing　such　a　thing。
The　corner　has　been　mentioned　as　a　wonderful　corner　for　echoes；　it　had　begun　to　echo　so　resoundingly　to　the　tread　of　ing　feet；　that　it　seemed　as　though　the　very　mention　of　that　weary　pacing　to　and　fro　had　set　it　going。
‘Here　they　are！'　said　Miss　Pross；　rising　to　break　up　the　conference；　‘and　now　we　shall　have　hundreds　of　people　pretty　soon！'
It　was　such　a　curious　er　in　its　acoustical　properties；　such　a　peculiar　Ear　of　a　place；　that　as　Mr。　Lorry　stood　at　the　open　window；　looking　for　the　father　and　daughter　whose　steps　he　heard；　he　fancied　they　would　never　approach。　Not　only　would　the　echoes　die　away；　as　though　the　steps　had　gone；　but；　echoes　of　other　steps　t