第 43 节
作者:恐龙王      更新:2022-11-23 12:10      字数:9322
  rface of face had come back to him。 He worked hardimpatientlyas if in some sense of having been interrupted。
  Mr。 Lorry glanced at the work in his hand; and observed that it was a shoe of the old size and shape。 He took up another that was lying by him; and asked what it was?
  ‘A young lady's walking shoe;' he muttered; without looking up' ‘It ought to have been finished long ago。 Let it be。'
  ‘But; Doctor Manette。 Look at me'
  He obeyed; in the old mechanically submissive manner; without pausing in his work。
  ‘You know me; my dear friend? Think again。 This is not your proper occupation。 Think; dear friend!'
  Nothing would induce him to speak more。 He looked up; for an instant at a time; when he was requested to do so; but; no persuasion would extract a word from him。 He worked; and worked; and worked; in silence; and words fell on him as they would have fallen on an echoless wall; or on the air。 The only ray of hope that Mr。 Lorry could discover; was; that he sometimes furtively looked up without being asked。 In that; there seemed a faint expression of curiosity or perplexityas though he were trying to reconcile some doubts in his mind。
  Two things at once impressed themselves on Mr。 Lorry; as important above all others; the first; that this must be kept secret from Lucie; the second that it must be kept secret from all who knew him。 In conjunction with Miss Pross; he took immediate steps towards the latter precaution; by giving out that the Doctor was not well; and required a few days of complete rest。 In aid of the kind deception to be practised on his daughter; Miss Pross was to write; describing his having been called away professionally; and referring to an imaginary letter of two or three hurried lines in his own hand; represented to have been addressed to her by the same post。
  These measures; advisable to be taken in any case; Mr。 Lorry took in the hope of his coming to himself。 If that should happen soon; he kept another course in reserve; which was; to have a certain opinion that he thought the best; on the Doctor's case。
  In the hope of his recovery; and of resort to this third course being thereby rendered practicable; Mr。 Lorry resolved to watch him attentively; with as little appearance as possible of doing so。 He therefore made arrangements to absent himself from Tellson's for the first time in his life; and took his post by the window in the same room。
  He was not long in discovering that it was worse than useless to speak to him; since; on being pressed; he became worried。 He abandoned that attempt on the first day; and resolved merely to keep himself always before him; as a silent protest against the delusion into which he had fallen; or was falling。 He remained; therefore; in his seat near the window; reading and writing; and expressing in as many pleasant and natural ways as he could think of that it was a free place。
  Doctor Manette took what was given him to eat and drink; and worked on; that first day; until it was too dark to seeworked on; half an hour after Mr。 Lorry could not have seen; for his life; to read or write。 When he put his tools aside as useless; until morning; Mr。 Lorry rose and said to him:
  ‘Will you go out?' 〃
  He looked down at the floor on either side of him in the old manner; looked up in the old manner; and repeated in the old low voice:
  ‘Out?'
  ‘Yes; for a walk with me。 Why not?'
  He made no effort to say why not; and said not a word more。 But; Mr。 Lorry thought he saw; as he leaned forward on his bench in the dusk; with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands; that he was in some misty way asking himself ‘Why not?' The sagacity of the man of business perceived an advantage here; and determined to hold it。
  Miss Pross and he divided the night into two watches; and observed him at intervals from the adjoining room。 He paced up and down for a long time before he lay down; but; when he did finally lay himself down; he fell asleep。 In the morning; he was up betimes; and went straight to his bench and to work。
  On this second day; Mr。 Lorry saluted him cheerfully by his name; and spoke to him on topics that had been of late familiar to them。 He returned no reply; but it was evident that he heard what was said; and that he thought about it; however confusedly。 This encouraged Mr。 Lorry to have Miss Pross in with her work; several times during the day; at those times; they quietly spoke of Lucie; and of her father then present; precisely in the usual manner; and as if there were nothing amiss。 This was done without any demonstrative accompaniment; not long enough; or often enough to harass him; and it lightened Mr。 Lorry's friendly heart to believe that he looked up oftener; and that he appeared to be stirred by some perception of inconsistencies surrounding him。
  When it fell dark again; Mr。 Lorry asked him as before:
  ‘Dear Doctor; will you go out?'
  As before; he repeated; ‘Out?'
  ‘Yes; for a walk with me。 Why not?'
  This time; Mr。 Lorry feigned to go out when he could extract no answer from him; and; after remaining absent for an hour; returned。 In the meanwhile; the Doctor had removed to the seat in the window; and had sat there looking down at the plane…tree; but; on Mr。 Lorry's return; he slipped away to his bench。
  The time went very slowly on; and Mr。 Lorry's hope darkened; and his heart grew heavier again; and grew yet heavier and heavier every day。 The third day came and went; the fourth; the fifth。 Five days; six days; seven days; eight days; nine days。
  With a hope ever darkening; and with a heart always growing heavier and heavier; Mr。 Lorry passed through this anxious time。 The secret was well kept; and Lucie was unconscious and happy; but he could not fail to observe that the shoemaker; whose hand had been a little out at first; was growing dreadfully skilful; and that he had never been so intent on his work; and that his hands had never been so nimble and expert; as in the dusk of the ninth evening。
  CHAPTER XIX
  An Opinion
  WORN out by anxious watching; Mr。 Lorry fell asleep at his post。 On the tenth morning of his suspense; he was startled by the shining of the sun into the room where a heavy slumber had overtaken him when it was dark night。
  He rubbed his eyes and roused himself; but he doubted; when he had done so; whether he was not still asleep。 For; going to the door of the Doctor's room and looking in; he perceived that the shoemaker's bench and tools were put aside again; and that the Doctor himself sat reading at the window。 He was in his usual morning dress; and his face (which Mr。 Lorry could distinctly see); though still very pale; was calmly studious and attentive。
  Even when he had satisfied himself that he was awake; Mr。 Lorry felt giddily uncertain for some few moments whether the late shoemaking might not be a disturbed dream of his own; for; did not his eyes show him his friend before him in his accustomed clothing and aspect; and employed as usual; and was there any sign within their range; that the change of which he had so strong an impression had actually happened?
  It was but the inquiry of his first confusion and astonishment; the answer being obvious。 If the impression were not produced by a real corresponding and sufficient cause; how came he; Jarvis Lorry; there? How came he to have fallen asleep; in his clothes; on the sofa in Dr。 Manette's consulting…room; and to be debating these points outside the Doctor's bedroom door in the early morning?
  Within a few minutes; Miss Pross stood whispering at his side。 If he had had any particle of doubt left; her talk would of necessity have resolved it; but he was by that time clearheaded; and had none。 He advised that they should let the time go by until the regular breakfast…hour; and should then meet the Doctor as if nothing unusual had occurred。 If he appeared to be in his customary state of mind; Mr。 Lorry would then cautiously proceed to seek direction and guidance from the opinion he had been; in his anxiety; so anxious to obtain。
  Miss Pross submitting herself to his judgment; the scheme was worked out with care。 Having abundance of time for his usual methodical toilette; Mr。 Lorry presented himself at the breakfast…hour in his usual white linen; and with his usual neat leg。 The Doctor was summoned in the usual way; and came to breakfast。
  So far as it was possible to comprehend him without overstepping those delicate and gradual approaches which Mr。 Lorry felt to be the only safe advance; he at first supposed that his daughter's marriage had taken place yesterday。 An incidental allusion; purposely thrown out; to the day of the week; and the day of the month; set him thinking and counting; and evidently made him uneasy。 In all other respects; however; he was so composedly himself; that Mr。 Lorry determined to have the aid he sought。 And that aid was his own。
  Therefore; when the breakfast was done and cleared away; and he and the Doctor were left together; Mr。 Lorry said; feelingly:
  ‘My dear Manette; I am anxious to have your opinion; in confidence; on a very curious case in which I am deeply interested; that is to say; it is very curious to me; perhaps; to your better information it may be less so。'
  Glancing at his hands