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双城记 查尔斯·狄更斯-第章

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im into it; ‘your way is; and always was; a lame way。 You summon no energy and purpose。 Look at me。
‘Oh; botheration!' returned Sydney; with a lighter and more good…humoured laugh; ‘don't *you be moral!'
‘How have I done what I have done?' said Stryver; ‘how do I do what I do?'
‘Partly through paying me to help you; I suppose。 But it's not worth your while to apostrophise me; or the air; about it; what you want to do; you do。 You were always in the front rank; and I was always behind。'
‘I had to get into the front rank; I was not born there; was I?'
‘I was not present at the ceremony; but my opinion is you were;' said Carton。 At this; he laughed again; and they both laughed。
‘Before Shrewsbury; and at Shrewsbury; and ever since Shrewsbury;' pursued Carton; ‘you have fallen into your rank; and I have fallen into mine。 Even when we were fellow students in the Student…Quarter of Paris; picking up French; and French law; and other French crumbs that we didn't get much good of; you were always somewhere; and I was always……nowhere。'
‘And whose fault was that?'
‘Upon my soul; I am not sure that it was not yours。 You were always driving and riving and shouldering and pressing; to that restless degree that I had no chance for my life but in rust and repose。 It's a gloomy thing; however; to talk about one's Own past; with the day breaking。 Turn me in some other direction before I go。'
‘Well then! Pledge me to the pretty witness;' said Stryver; holding up his glass。 ‘Are you turned in a pleasant direction?'
Apparently not; for he became gloomy again。
‘Pretty witness;' he muttered; looking down into his glass。 ‘I have had enough of witnesses to…day and to…night; who's your pretty witness?'
‘The picturesque doctor's daughter; Miss Manette。'
‘She pretty?'
‘Is she not?'
‘No。'
‘Why; man alive; she was the admiration of the whole Court!'
‘Rot the admiration of the whole Court! Who made the Old Bailey a judge of beauty? She was a golden…haired doll!'
‘Do you know; Sydney;' said Mr。 Stryver; looking at him with sharp eyes; and slowly drawing a hand across his florid face: ‘do you know; I rather thought; at the time; that you sympathised with the golden…haired doll; and were quick to see what= happened to the golden…haired doll?'
‘Quick to see what happened! If a girl; doll or no doll; swoons within a yard or two of a man's nose; he can see it without a perspective…glass。 I pledge you; but I deny the beauty。 And now I'll have no more drink; I'll get to bed。'
When his host followed him out on the staircase with a candle; to light him down the stairs; the day was coldly looking in through its grimy windows。 When he got out of the house; the air was cold and sad; the dull sky overcast; the river dark and dim; the whole scene like a lifeless desert。 And wreaths of dust were spinning round and round before the morning blast; as if the desert…sand had risen far away; and the first spray of it in its advance had begun to overwhelm the city。
Waste forces within him; and a desert' all around; this man stood still on his way across a silent terrace; and saw for a moment; lying in the wilderness before him; a mirage of honourable ambition; self…denial; and perseverance。 In the fair city of this vision; there were airy galleries from which the loves and graces looked upon him; gardens in which the fruits of life hung ripening; waters of Hope that sparkled in his sight。 A moment; and it was gone。 Climbing to a high chamber in a well of houses; he threw himself down in his clothes on a neglected bed; and its pillow was wet with wasted tears。
Sadly; sadly; the sun rose; it rose upon no sadder sight than the man of good abilities and good emotions; incapable of their directed exercise; incapable of his own help and his own happiness; sensible of the blight on him; and resigning him…self to let it cat him away。
CHAPTER VI
Hundreds of People
THE quiet lodgings of Doctor Manette were in a quiet street…corner not far from Soho…square。 On the afternoon of a certain fine Sunday when the waves of four months had rolled over the trial for treason; and carried it; as to the public interest and memory; far out to sea; Mr。 Jarvis Lorry walked along the sunny streets from Clerkenwell where he lived; on his way to dine with the Doctor。 After several relapses into business…absorption; Mr。 Lorry had bee the Doctor's friend; and the quiet street…corner was the sunny part of his life。
On this certain fine Sunday; Mr。 Lorry walked towards Soho; early in the afternoon; for three reasons of habit。 Firstly; because; on fine Sundays; he often walked out; before dinner; with the Doctor and Lucie; secondly; because; on unfavourable Sundays; he was accustomed to be with them as the family friend; talking; reading; looking out of window; and generally getting through the day; thirdly; because he happened to have his own little shrewd doubts to solve; and knew how the ways of the Doctor's household pointed to that time as a likely time for solving them。
A quainter corner than the corner where the Doctor lived; was not to be found in London。 There was no way through it; and the front windows of the Doctor's lodgings manded a pleasant little vista of street that had a congenial air of retirement on it。 There were few buildings then; north of the Oxford…road; and forest…trees flourished; and wild flowers grew; and the hawthorn blossomed; in the now vanished fields。 As a consequence; country airs circulated in Soho with vigorous freedom; instead of languishing into the parish like stray paupers without a settlement; and there was many a good south wall; not far off; on which the peaches ripened in their season。
The summer light struck into the corner brilliantly in the earlier part of the day; but; when the streets grew hot; the corner was in shadow; though not in shadow so remote but that you could see beyond it into a glare of brightness。 It was a cool spot; staid but cheerful; a wonderful place for echoes; and a very harbour from the raging streets。
There ought to have been a tranquil bark in such an anchorage; and there was。 The Doctor occupied two floors of a large still house; where several callings purported to be pursued by day; but whereof little was audi
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