双城记 查尔斯·狄更斯-第76部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


‘How　do　you　know　it？'
‘What's　that　to　you？　Ecod！'　growled　Mr。　Cruncher；　‘it's　you　I　have　got　a　old　grudge　again；　is　it；　with　your　shameful　impositions　upon　tradesmen！　I'd　catch　hold　of　your　throat　and　choke　you　for　half　a　guinea。'
Sydney　Carton；　who；　with　Mr。　Lorry；　had　been　lost　in　amazement　at　this　turn　of　the　business；　here　requested　Mr。　Cruncher　to　moderate　and　explain　himself。
‘At　another　time；　sir；'　he　returned；　evasively；　‘the　present　time　is　ill…conwenient　for　explainin'。　What　I　stand　to；　is；　that　he　knows　well　wot　that　there　Cly　was　never　in　that　there　coffin。　Let　him　say　lie　was；　in　so　much　as　a　word　of　one　syllable；　and　I'll　either　catch　hold　of　his　throat　and　choke　him　for　half　a　guinea；'　Mr。　Cruncher　dwelt　upon　this　as　quite　a　liberal　offer；　‘or　I'll　out　and　announce　him。'
‘Humph！　I　see　one　thing；'　said　Carton。　‘I　hold　another　card；　Mr。　Barsad。　Impossible；　here　in　raging　Paris；　with　Suspicion　filling　the　air；　for　you　to　outlive　denunciation；　when　you　are　in　munication　with　another　aristocratic　spy　of　the　same　antecedents　as　yourself　who；　moreover；　has　the　mystery　about　him　of　having　feigned　death　and　e　to　life　again！　A　plot　in　the　prisons；　of　the　foreigner　against　the　Republic。　A　strong　card……a　certain　Guillotine　card！　Do　you　play？'
‘No！'　returned　the　spy。　‘I　throw　up。　I　confess　that　we　were　so　unpopular　with　the　outrageous　mob；　that　I　only　got　away　from　England　at　the　risk　of　being　ducked　to　death；　and　that　Cly　was　so　ferreted　up　and　down；　that　he　never　would　have　got　away　at　all　but　＇or　that　sham。　Though　how　this　man　knows　it　was　a　sham；　is　a　wonder　of　wonders　to　me。'
‘Never　you　trouble　your　head　about　this　man；'　retorted　the　contentious　Mr。　Cruncher；　‘you'll　have　trouble　enough　with　giving　your　attention　to　that　gentleman。　And　look　here！　Once　more！'……Mr。　Cruncher　could　not　be　restrained　from　making　rather　an　ostentatious　parade　of　his　liberality……‘I'd　catch　hold　of　your　throat　and　choke　you　for　half　a　guinea。'
The　Sheep　of　the　prisons　turned　from　him　to　Sydney　Carton；　and　said；　with　more　decision；　‘It　has　e　to　a　point。　I　go　on　duty　soon；　and　can't　overstay　my　time。　You　told　me　you　had　a　proposal；　what　is　it？　Now；　it　is　of　no　use　asking　too　much　of　me。　Ask　me　to　do　anything　in　my　office；　putting　my　head　in　great　extra　danger；　and　I　had　better　trust　my　life　to　the　chances　of　a　refusal　than　the　chances　of　consent。　In　short；　I　should　make　that　choice。　You　talk　of　desperation。　We　are　all　desperate　here。　Remember！　I　may　denounce　you　if　I　think　proper；　and　I　can　swear　my　way　through　stone　walls；　and　so　can　others。　Now；　what　do　you　want　with　me？'
‘Not　very　much。　You　are　a　turnkey　at　the　Conciergerie？'
‘I　tell　you　once　for　all；　there　is　no　such　thing　as　an　escape　possible；'　said　the　spy；　firmly。
‘Why　need　you　tell　me　what　I　have　not　asked？　You　are　a　turnkey　at　the　Conciergerie？'
‘I　am　sometimes。'
‘You　can　be　when　you　choose。'
‘I　can　pass　in　and　out　when　I　choose。'
‘Sydney　Carton　filled　another　glass　with　brandy；　poured　it　slowly　out　upon　the　hearth；　and　watched　it　as　it　dropped。　It　being　all　spent；　he　said；　rising：
‘So　far；　we　have　spoken　before　these　two；　because　it　was　as　well　that　the　merits　of　the　cards　should　not　rest　solely　between　you　and　me。　e　into　the　dark　room　here；　and　let　us　have　one　final　word　alone。'　
CHAPTER　IX
The　Game　Made
WHILE　Sydney　Carton　and　the　Sheep　of　the　prisons　were　in　the　adjoining　dark　room；　speaking　so　low　that　not　a　sound　was　heard；　Mr。　Lorry　looked　at　Jerry　in　considerable　doubt　and　mistrust。　That　honest　tradesman's　manner　of　receiving　the　look；　did　not　inspire　confidence；　he　changed　the　leg　on　which　he　rested；　as　often　as　if　he　had　fifty　of　those　limbs；　and　were　trying　them　all；　he　examined　his　finger…nails　with　a　very　questionable　closeness　of　attention；　and　whenever　Mr。　Lorry's　eye　caught　his；　he　was　taken　with　that　peculiar　kind　of　short　cough　requiring　the　hollow　of　a　hand　before　it；　which　is　seldom；　if　ever；　known　to　be　an　infirmity　attendant　on　perfect　openness　of　character。
‘Jerry；'　said　Mr。　Lorry。　‘e　here。'
Mr。　Cruncher　came　forward　sideways；　with　one　of　his　shoulders　in　advance　of　him。
‘What　have　you　been；　besides　a　messenger？'
After　some　cogitation；　acpanied　with　an　intent　look　at　his　patron；　Mr。　Cruncher　conceived　the　luminous　idea　of　replying；　‘Agricultooral　character。'
‘My　mind　misgives　me　much；'　said　Mr。　Lorry；　angrily　shaking　a　forefinger　at　him；　‘that　you　have　used　the　respectable　and　great　house　of　Tellson's　as　a　blind；　and　that　you　have　had　an　unlawful　occupation　of　an　infamous　description。　If　you　have；　don't　expect　me　to　befriend　you　when　you　get　back　to　England。　If　you　have；　don't　expect　me　to　keep　your　secret。　Tellson's　shall　not　be　imposed　upon。'
‘I　hope；　sir；'　pleaded　the　abashed　Mr。　Cruncher；　‘that　a　gentleman　like　yourself　wot　I've　had　the　honour　of　odd　jobbing　till　I'm　grey　at　it；　would　think　twice　about　harming　of　me；　even　if　it　wos；……so　I　don't　say　it　is；　but　even　if　it　wos。　And　which　it　is　to　be　took　into　account　that　if　it　wos；　it　wouldn't；　even　then；　be　all　o'　one　side。　There'd　be　two　sides　to　it。　There　might　be　medical　doctors　at　the　present　hour；　a　picking　up　their　guineas　where　a　honest　tradesman　don't　pick　up　his　fardens……fardens！　no；　nor　yet　his　half　fardens……half　fardens！　no；　nor　yet　his　quarter……a　banking　away　like　smoke　at　Tellson's；　and　a　cocking　their　medical　eyes　at　that　tradesman　on　the　sly；　a　going　in　and　going　out　to　their　own　carriages……ah！　equally　like　smoke；　if　not　more　so。　Well；　that　'ud　be　imposing；　too；　on　Tellson's。　For　you　cannot　sarse　the　goose　and　not　the　gander。　And　here's　Mrs。　Cruncher；　or　leastways　wos　in　the　Old　England　times；　and　would　be　to…morrow；　if　cause　given；　a　floppin'　again　the　business　to　that　degree　as　is　ruinating　stark　ruinating！　Whereas　them　medical　doctors'　wives　don't　flop……catch　'em　at　it！　Or；　if　they　flop；　their　floppings　goes　in　favour　of　more　patients；　and　how　can　you　rightly　have　one　without　the　t'other？　Then；　wot　with　undertakers；　and　wot　with　parish　clerks；　and　wot　with　sextons；　and　wot　with　private　watchmen　（all　awaricious　and　all　in　it）；　a　man　wouldn't　get　much　by　it；　even　if　it　wos　so。　And　wot　little　a　man　did　get；　would　never　prosper　with　him；　Mr。　Lorry。　He'd　never　have　no　good　of　it；　he'd　want　all　along　to　be　out　of　the　line；　if　he　could　see　his　way　out；　being　once　in……even　if　it　wos　so。'
‘Ugh！'　cried　Mr。　Lorry；　rather　relenting；　nevertheless。　‘I　am　shocked　at　the　sight　of　you。'
‘Now；　what　I　would　humbly　offer　to　you；　sir；'　pursued　Mr。　Cruncher；　‘even　if　it　wos　so；　which　I　don't　say　it　is………'
‘Don't　prevaricate；'　said　Mr。　Lorry。
‘No；　I　will　not；　sir；'　returned　Mr。　Cruncher；　as　if　nothing　were　further　from　his　thoughts　or　practice……‘which　I　don't　say　it　is……wot　I　would　humbly　offer　to　you；　sir；　would　be　this。　Upon　that　there　stool；　at　that　there　Bar；　sets　that　there　boy　of　mine；　brought　up　and　growed　up　to　be　a　man；　wot　will　errand　you；　message　you；　general…light…job　you；　till　your　heels　is　where　your　head　is；　if　such　should　be　your　wishes。　If　it　wos　so；　which　I　still　don't　say　it　is　（for　I　will　not　prewaricate　to　you；　sir）；　let　that　there　boy　keep　his　father's　place；　and　take　care　of　his　mother；　don't　blow　upon　that　boy's　father……do　not　do　it；　sir……and　let　that　father　go　into　the　line　of　the　reg'lar　diggin'；　and　make　amends　for　what　he　would　have　un…dug……if　it　wos　so……by　diggin'　of　'em　in　with　a　will；　and　with　conwictions　respectin'　the　futur'　keepin'　of　'em　safe。　That；　Mr。　Lorry；'　said　Mr。　Cruncher；　wiping　his　forehead　with　his　arm；　as　an　announcement　that　he　had　arrived　at　the　peroration　of　his　discourse；　‘is　wot　I　would　respectfully　offer　to　you；　sir。　A　man　don't　see　all　this　here　a　goin'　on　dreadful　round　him；　in　the　way　of　Subjects　without　heads；　dear　me；　plentiful　enough　fur　to　bring　the　price　down　to　porterage　and　hardly　that；　without　havin'　his　serious　thoughts　of　things。　And　these　here　would　be　mine；　if　it　wos　so；　entreatin'　of　you　fur　to　bear　in　mind　that　wot　I　said　just　now；　I　up　and　said　in　the　good　cause　when　I　might　have　kep'　it　back。'
‘That　at　least　is　true；'　said　Mr。　Lorry。　‘Say　no　more　now。　It　may　be　that　I　shall　yet　stand　your　friend；　if　you　deserve　it；　and；　repent　in　action……not　in　words。　I　want　no　more
Mr。　Cruncher　knuckled　his　forehead；　as　Sydney　Carton　and　th