双城记 查尔斯·狄更斯-第25部分

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ut；　echoes　of　other　steps　that　never　came　would　be　heard　in　their　stead；　and　would　die　away　for　good　when　they　seemed　close　at　hand。　However；　father　and　daughter　did　at　last　appear；　and　Miss　Pross　was　ready　at　the　street　door　to　receive　them。
Miss　Pross　was　a　pleasant　sight；　albeit　wild；　and　red；　and　grim；　taking　off　her　darling's　bonnet　when　she　came　up…stairs；　and　touching　it　up　with　the　ends　of　her　handkerchief；　and　blowing　the　dust　off　it；　and　folding　her　mantle　ready　for　laying　by；　and　smoothing　her　rich　hair　with　as　much　pride　as　she　could　possibly　have　taken　in　her　own　hair　if　she　had　been　the　vainest　and　handsomest　of　women。　Her　darling　was　a　pleasant　sight　too；　embracing　her　and　thanking　her；　and　protesting　against　her　taking　so　much　trouble　for　her……which　last　she　only　dared　to　do　playfully；　or　Miss　Pross；　sorely　hurt；　would　have　retired　to　her　own　chamber　and　cried。　The　Doctor　was　a　pleasant　sight　too；　looking　on　at　them；　and　telling　Miss　Pross　how　she　spoilt　Lucie；　in　accents　and　with　eyes　that　had　as　much　spoiling　in　them　as　Miss　Pross　had；　and　would　have　had　more　if　it　were　possible。　Mr。　Lorry　was　a　pleasant　sight　too；　beaming　at　all　this　in　his　little　wig；　and　thanking　his　bachelor　stars　for　having　lighted　him　in　his　declining　years　to　a　Home。　But；　no　Hundreds　of　people　came　to　see　the　sights；　and　Mr。　Lorry　looked　in　vain　for　the　fulfilment　of　Miss　Pross's　prediction。
Dinner…time；　and　still　no　Hundreds　of　people。　In　the　arrangements　of　the　little　household；　Miss　Pross　took　charge　of　the　lower　regions；　and　always　acquitted　herself　marvellously。　Her　dinners；　of　a　very　modest　quality；　were　so　well　cooked　and　so　well　served；　and　so　neat　in　their　contrivances；　half　English　and　half　French；　that　nothing　could　be　better。　Miss　Pross's　friendship　being　of　the　thoroughly　practical　kind；　she　had　ravaged　Soho　and　the　adjacent　provinces；　in　search　of　impoverished　French；　who；　tempted　by　shillings　and　half…crowns；　would　impart　culinary　mysteries　to　her。　From　these　decayed　sons　and　daughters　of　Gaul；　she　had　acquired　such　wonderful　arts；　that　the　woman　and　girl　who　formed　the　staff　of　domestics　regarded　her　as　quite　a　Sorceress；　or　Cinderella's　Godmother：　who　would　send　out　for　a　fowl；　a　rabbit；　a　vegetable　or　two　from　the　garden；　and　change　them　into　any…thing　she　pleased。
On　Sundays；　Miss　Pross　dined　at　the　Doctor's　table；　but　on　other　days　persisted　in　taking　her　meals　at　unknown　periods；　either　in　the　lower　regions；　or　in　her　own　room　on　the　second　floor……a　blue　chamber；　to　which　no　one　but　her　Ladybird　ever　gained　admittance。　On　this　occasion；　Miss　Pross；　responding　to　Ladybird's　pleasant　face　and　pleasant　efforts　to　please　her；　unbent　exceedingly；　so　the　dinner　was　very　pleasant；　too。
It　was　an　oppressive　day；　and；　after　dinner；　Lucie　proposed　that　the　wine　should　be　carried　out　under　the　plane…tree；　and　they　should　sit　there　in　the　air。　As　everything　turned　upon　her；　and　revolved　about　her；　they　went　out　under　the　plane…tree；　and　she　carried　the　wine　down　for　the　special　benefit　of　Mr。　Lorry。　She　had　installed　herself；　some　time　before；　as　Mr。　Lorry's　cup…bearer；　and　while　they　sat　under　the　plane…tree；　talking；　she　kept　his　glass　replenished。　Mysterious　backs　and　ends　of　houses　peeped　at　them　as　they　talked；　and　the　plane…tree　whispered　to　them　in　its　own　way　above　their　heads。
Still；　the　Hundreds　of　people　did　not　present　themselves。　Mr。　Darnay　presented　himself　while　they　were　sitting　under　the　plane…tree；　but　he　was　only　One。
Doctor　Manette　received　him　kindly；　and　so　did　Lucie。　But；　Miss　Pross　suddenly　became　afflicted　with　a　twitching　in　the　head　and　body；　and　retired　into　the　house。　She　was　not　unfrequently　the　victim　of　this　disorder；　and　she　called　it；　in　familiar　conversation；　‘a　fit　of　the　jerks。'
The　Doctor　was　in　his　best　condition；　and　looked　specially　young。　The　resemblance　between　him　and　Lucie　was　very　strong　at　such　times；　and　as　they　sat　side　by　side；　she　leaning　on　his　shoulder；　and　he　resting　his　arm　on　the　back　of　her　chair；　it　was　very　agreeable　to　trace　the　likeness。
He　had　been　talking　all　day；　on　many　subjects；　and　with　unusual　vivacity。　‘Pray；　Doctor　Manette；'　said　Mr。　Darnay；　as　they　sat　under　the　plane…tree……and　he　said　it　in　the　natural　pursuit　of　the　topic　in　hand；　which　happened　to　be　the　old　buildings　of　London…have　you　seen　much　of　the　Tower？'
‘Lucie　and　I　have　been　there；　but　only　casually。　We　have　seen　enough　of　it；　to　know　that　it　teems　with　interest；　little　more。'
‘I　have　been　there；　as　you　remember；'　said　Darnay；　with　a　smile；　though　reddening　a　little　angrily；　‘in　another　character；　and　not　in　a　character　that　gives　facilities　for　seeing；　much　of　it。　They　told　me　a　curious　thing　when　I　was　there。
‘What　was　that？'　Lucie　asked。
‘In　making　some　alterations；　the　workmen　came　upon　an　old　dungeon；　which　had　been；　for　many　years；　built　up　and　forgotten。　Every　stone　of　its　inner　wall　was　covered　by　inscriptions　which　had　been　carved　by　prisoners……dates；　names；　plaints；　and　prayers。　Upon　a　corner　stone　in　an　angle　of　the　wall；　one　prisoner；　who　seemed　to　have　gone　to　execution；　had　cut　as　his　last　work；　three　letters。　They　were　done　with　some　very　poor　instrument；　and　hurriedly；　with　an　unsteady　hand。　At　first；　they　were　read　as　D。　I。　C。；　but；　on　being　more　carefully　examined；　the　last　letter　was　found　to　be　G。　There　was　no　record　or　legend　of　any　prisoner　with　those　initials；　and　many　fruitless　guesses　were　made　what　the　name　could　have　been。　At　length；　it　was　suggested　that　the　letters　were　not　initials；　but　the　plete　word；　DIG。　The　floor　was　examined　very　carefully　under　the　inscription；　and；　in　the　earth　beneath　a　stone；　or　tile；　or　some　fragment　of　paving；　were　found　the　ashes　of　a　paper；　mingled　with　the　ashes　of　a　small　leathern　case　or　bag。　What　the　unknown　prisoner　had　written　will　never　be　read；　but　he　had　written　something；　and　hidden　it　away　to　keep　it　from　the　gaoler。'
‘My　father；'　exclaimed　Lucie；　‘you　are　ill！'
He　had　suddenly　started　up；　with　his　hand　to　his　head。　His　manner　and　his　look　quite　terrified　them　all。
‘No；　my　dear；　not　ill。　There　are　large　drops　of　rain　falling；　and　they　made　me　start。　We　had　better　go　in。'
He　recovered　himself　almost　instantly。　Rain　was　really　falling　in　large　drops；　and　he　showed　the　back　of　his　hand　with　rain…drops　on　it。　But；　he　said　not　a　single　word　in　reference　to　the　discovery　that　had　been　told　of；　and；　as　they　went　into　the　house；　the　business　eye　of　Mr。　Lorry　either　detected；　or　fancied　it　detected；　on　his　face；　as　it　turned　towards　Charles　Darnay；　the　same　singular　look　that　had　been　upon　it　when　it　turned　towards　him　in　the　passages　of　the　Court　House。
He　recovered　himself　so　quickly；　however；　that　Mr。　Lorry　had　doubts　of　his　business　eye。　The　arm　of　the　golden　giant　in　the　hall　was　not　more　steady　than　he　was；　when　he　stopped　under　it　to　remark　to　them　that　he　was　not　yet　proof　against　slight　surprises　（if　he　ever　would　be）；　and　that　the　rain　had　startled　him。
Tea…time；　and　Miss　Pross　making　tea；　with　another　fit　of　the　jerks　upon　her；　and　yet　no　Hundreds　of　people。　Mr。　Garton　had　lounged　in；　but　he　made　only　Two。
The　night　was　so　very　sultry；　that　although　they　sat　with　doors　and　windows　open；　they　were　overpowered　by　heat。　When　the　tea…table　was　done　with；　they　all　moved　to　one　of　the　windows；　and　looked　out　into　the　heavy　twilight。　Lucie　sat　by　her　father；　Darnay　sat　beside　her；　Carton　leaned　against　a　window。　The　curtains　were　long　and　white；　and　some　of　the　thunder…gusts　that　whirled　into　the　corner；　caught　them　up　to　the　ceiling；　and　waved　them　like　spectral　wings。
‘The　rain…drops　are　still　falling；　large；　heavy；　and　few；'　said　Doctor　Manette。　‘It　es　slowly。
‘It　es　surely；'　said　Carton。
They　spoke　low；　as　people　watching　and　waiting　mostly　do；　as　people　in　a　dark　room；　watching　and　waiting　for　Lightning；　always　do。
There　was　a　great　hurry　in　the　streets；　of　people　speeding　away　to　get　shelter　before　the　storm　broke；　the　wonderful　corner　for　echoes　resounded　with　the　echoes　of　footsteps　ing　and　going；　yet　not　a　footstep　was　there。
‘A　multitude　of　people；　and　yet　a　solitude！'　said　Darnay；　when　they　had　listened　for　a　while。
‘Is　it　not　impressive；　Mr。　Darnay？'　asked　Lucie。　‘Sometimes；　I　have　sat　here　of　an　eveni