双城记 查尔斯·狄更斯-第36部分

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‘Can　I　do　anything　for　you；　Mr。　Stryver？'　asked　Mr。　Lorry；　in　his　business　character。
‘Why；　no；　thank　you；　this　is　a　private　visit　to　yourself；　Mr。　Lorry；　I　have　e　for　a　private　word。'
‘Oh　indeed！'　said　Mr。　Lorry；　bending　down　his　ear；　while　his　eye　strayed　to　the　House　afar　off。
‘I　am　going；'　said　Mr。　Stryver；　leaning　his　arms　confidentially　on　the　desk：　whereupon；　although　it　was　a　large　double　one；　there　appeared　to　be　not　half　desk　enough　for　him：　‘I　am　going　to　make　an　offer　of　myself　in　marriage　to　your　agreeable　little　friend；　Miss　Manette；　Mr。　Lorry。'
Oh　dear　me！'　cried　Mr。　Lorry；　rubbing　his　chin；　and　looking　at　his　visitor　dubiously。
‘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；　and　that　it　does　you　the　greatest　credit；　and……in　short；　my　meaning　is　everything　you　could　desire。　But……really；　you　know；　Mr。　Stryver　………'　Mr。　Lorry　paused；　and　shook　his　head　at　him　in　the　oddest　manner；　as　if　he　were　pelled　against　his　will　to　add；　internally；　‘you　know　there　really　is　so　much　too　much　of　you！'　
‘Well！'　said　Stryver；　slapping　the　desk　with　his　contentious　hand；　opening　his　eyes　wider；　and　taking　a　long　breath；　‘if　I　understand　you；　Mr。　Lorry；　I'll　be　hanged！'
Mr。　Lorry　adjusted　his　little　wig　at　both　ears　as　a　means　towards　that　end；　and　bit　the　feather　of　a　pen。
‘D……n　it　all；　sir！'　said　Stryver；　staring　at　him；　‘am　I　not　eligible？'
‘Oh　dear　yes！　Yes。　Oh　yes；　you're　eligible！'　said　Mr。　Lorry。　‘If　you　say　eligible；　you　are　eligible。'
‘Am　I　not　prosperous？'　asked　Stryver。
‘Oh！　if　you　e　to　prosperous；　you　are　prosperous；'　said　Mr。　Lorry。
‘And　advancing？'
‘If　you　e　to　advancing；　you　know；'　said　Mr。　Lorry；　delighted　to　be　able　to　make　another　admission；　‘nobody　can　doubt　that。'
‘Then　what　on　earth　is　your　meaning；　Mr。　Lorry？'　demanded　Stryver；　perceptibly　crestfallen。
‘Well！　I　Were　you　going　there　now？'　asked　Mr。　Lorry。　‘Straight！'　said　Stryver；　with　a　plump　of　his　fist　on　the　desk。　‘Then　I　think　I　wouldn't；　if　I　was　you。'
‘Why？'　said　Stryver。　‘Now；　I'll　put　you　in　a　corner；'　forensically　shaking　a　forefinger　at　him。　‘You　are　a　man　of　business　and　bound　to　have　a　reason。　State　your　reason。　
Why　wouldn't　you　go？'
‘Because；'　said　Mr。　Lorry；　‘I　wouldn't　go　on　such　an　object　without　having　some　cause　to　believe　that　I　should　succeed。'
‘D……n　ME！'　cried　Stryver；　‘but　this　beats　everything。'
Mr。　Lorry　glanced　at　the　distant　House；　and　glanced　at　the　angry　Stryver。
‘Here's　a　man　of　business……a　man　of　years……a　man　of　experience……in　a　Bank；'　said　Stryver；　‘and　having　summed　up　three　leading　reasons　for　plete　success；　he　says　there's　no　reason　at　all！　Says　it　with　his　head　on！'　Mr。　Stryver　remarked　upon　tile　peculiarity　as　if　it　would　have　been　infinitely　less　remarkable　if　he　had　said　it　with　his　head　off。
‘When　I　speak　of　success；　I　speak　of　success　with　the　young　lady；　and　when　I　speak　of　causes　and　reasons　to　make　success　probable；　I　speak　of　causes　and　reasons　that　will　tell　as　such　with　the　young　lady。　The　young　lady；　my　good　sir；'　said　Mr。　Lorry；　mildly　tapping　the　Stryver　arm；　‘the　young　lady。　The　young　lady　goes　before　all。'　
‘Then　you　mean　to　tell　me；　Mr。　Lorry；'　said　Stryver；　squaring　his　elbows；　‘that　it　is　your　deliberate　opinion　that　the　young　lady　at　present　in　question　is　a　mincing　Fool？'
‘Not　exactly　so。　I　mean　to　tell　you；　Mr。　Stryver；'　said　Mr。　Lorry；　reddening；　‘that　I　will　hear　no　disrespectful　word　Of　that　young　lady　from　any　lips；　and　that　if　I　knew　any　man……which　I　hope　I　do　not……whose　taste　was　so　coarse；　and　whose　temper　was　so　overbearing；　that　he　could　not　restrain　himself　from　speaking　disrespectfully　of　that　young　lady　at　this　desk；　not　even　Tellson's　should　prevent　my　giving　him　a　piece　of　my　mind。'
The　necessity　of　being　angry　in　a　suppressed　tone　had　put　Mr。　Stryver's　blood…vessels　into　a　dangerous　state　when　it　was　his　turn　to　be　angry；　Mr。　Lorry's　veins；　methodical　as　their　courses　could　usually　be；　were　in　no　better　state　now　it　was　his　turn。
‘That　is　what　I　mean　to　tell　you；　sir；'　said　Mr。　Lorry。　‘Pray　let　there　be　no　mistake　about　it。'
Mr。　Stryver　sucked　tile　end　of　a　ruler　for　a　little　while　and　then　stood　hitting　a　tune　out　of　his　teeth　with　it；　which'　probably　gave　him　the　toothache。　He　broke　the　awkward　silence　by　saying：
‘This　is　something　new　to　me；　Mr。　Lorry。　You　deliberately　advise　me　not　to　go　up　to　Soho　and　offer　myself……myself；　Stryver　of　the　King's　Bench　bar？'
‘Do　you　ask　me　for　my　advice；　Mr。　Stryver？'
‘Yes；　I　do。'
‘Very　good。　Then　I　give　it；　and　you　have　repeated　it　correctly。'
‘And　all　I　can　say　of　it　is；'　laughed　Stryver　with　a　vexed　laugh；　‘that　this……ha；　ha！……beats　everything　past；　present；　and　to　e。'
‘Now　understand　me；'　pursued　Mr。　Lorry。　‘As　a　man　of　business；　I　am　not　justified　in　saying　anything　about　this　matter；　for；　as　a　man　of　business；　I　know　nothing　of　it。　But；　as　an　old　fellow；　who　has　carried　Miss　Manette　in　his　arms；　who　is　the　trusted　friend　of　Miss　Manette　and　of　her　father　too；　and　who　has　a　great　affection　for　them　both；　I　have　spoken。　The　confidence　is　not　of　my　seeking；　recollect。　Now；　you　think　I　may　not　be　right？'
‘Not　I！'　said　Stryver；　whistling。　‘I　can't　undertake　to　find　third　parties　in　mon　sense；　I　can　only　find　it　for　myself　I　suppose　sense　in　certain　quarters；　you　suppose　mincing　bread…and…butter　nonsense。　It's　new　to　me；　but　you　are　right；　I　dare　say。'
‘What　I　suppose；　Mr。　Stryver；　I　claim　to　characterise　for　myself　And　understand　me；　sir；'　said　Mr。　Lorry；　quickly　flushing　again；　‘I　will　not……not　even　at　Tellson's……have　it　characterised　for　me　by　any　gentleman　breathing。'
‘There！　I　beg　your　pardon！'　said　Stryver。
‘Granted。　Thank　you。　Well；　Mr。　Stryver；　I　was　about　to　say……it　might　be　painful　to　you　to　find　yourself　mistaken；　it　might　be　painful　to　Doctor　Manette　to　have　the　task　of　being　explicit　with　you；　it　might　be　very　painful　to　Miss　Manette　to　have　the　task　of　being　explicit　with　you。　You　know　the　terms　upon　which　I　have　the　honour　and　happiness　to　stand　with　the　family。　If　you　please；　mitting　you　in　no　way；　representing　you　in　no　way；　I　will　undertake　to　correct　my　advice　by　the　exercise　of　a　little　new　observation　and　judgment　expressly　brought　to　bear　upon　it。　If　you　should　then　be　dissatisfied　with　it；　you　can　but　test　its　soundness　for　yourself；　if；　on　the　other　hand；　you　should　be　satisfied　with　it；　and　it　should　be　what　it　now　is；　it　may　spare　all　sides　what　is　best　spared。　What　do　you　say？'
‘How　long　would　you　keep　me　in　town？'
‘Oh！　It　is　only　a　question　of　a　few　hours。　I　could　go　to　Soho　in　the　evening；　and　e　to　your　chambers　afterwards。'
‘Then　I　say　yes；'　said　Stryver：　‘I　won't　go　up　there　now；　I　am　not　so　hot　upon　it　as　that　es　to；　I　say　yes；　and　I　shall　expect　you　to　look　in　to…night。　Good…morning。'
Then　Mr。　Stryver　turned　and　burst　out　of　the　Bank；　causing　such　a　concussion　of　air　on　his　passage　through；　that　to　stand　up　against　it　bowing　behind　the　two　counters；　required　the　utmost　remaining　strength　of　the　two　ancient　clerks。
Those　venerable　and　feeble　persons　were　always　seen　by　the　public　in　the　act　of　bowing；　and　were　popularly　believed；　when　they　had　bowed　a　customer　out；　still　to　keep　on　bowing　in　the　empty　office　until　they　bowed　another　customer　in。
The　barrister　was　keen　enough　to　divine　that　the　banker　would　not　have　gone　so　far　in　his　expression　of　opinion　on　any　less　solid　ground　than　moral　certainty。　Unprepared　as　he　was　for　the　large　pill　he　had　to　swallow；　he　got　it　down。　‘And　now；'　said　Mr。　Stryver；　shaking　his　forensic　forefinger　at　the　Temple　in　general；　when　it　was　down；　‘my　way　out　of　this；　is；　to　put　you　all　in　the　wrong。'　
It　was　a　bit　of　the　art　of　an　Old　Bailey　tactician；　in　which　he　found　great　relief。　‘You　shall　not　put　me　in　the　wrong；　young　lady；'　said　Mr。　Stryver；　‘I'll　do　that　for　you。'
Accordingly；　when　Mr。　Lorry　called　that　night　as　late　as　ten　o'clock；　Mr。　Stryver；　among　a　quantity　of　books　and　papers　littered　out　for　the　purpose；　seemed　to　have　nothing　less　on　his　mind　than　the　subject　of　the　morning。　He　even　showed　surprise　when　he　saw　Mr。　Lorry；　and　was　altogether　in　an　absent　and　preoccupied　state。
‘Well！'　said