Повесть о двух городах / A Tale of Two Cities

You can bear it?’

�I can bear anything but the uncertainty you leave me in at this moment.’

�You speak collectedly, and you – are collected. That’s good!’ (Though his manner was less satisfied than his words.) �A matter of business. Regard it as a matter of business – business that must be done. Now if this doctor’s wife, though a lady of great courage and spirit, had suffered so intensely from this cause before her little child was born – ’

�The little child was a daughter, sir.

’

�A daughter. A – a – matter of business – don’t be distressed. Miss, if the poor lady had suffered so intensely before her little child was born, that she came to the determination of sparing the poor child the inheritance of any part of the agony she had known the pains of, by rearing her in the belief that her father was dead – No, don’t kneel! In Heaven’s name why should you kneel to me!’

�For the truth. O dear, good, compassionate sir, for the truth!’

�A – a matter of business.

You confuse me, and how can I transact business if I am confused? Let us be clear-headed. If you could kindly mention now, for instance, what nine times ninepence are, or how many shillings in twenty guineas, it would be so encouraging. I should be so much more at my ease about your state of mind.’

Without directly answering to this appeal, she sat so still when he had very gently raised her, and the hands that had not ceased to clasp his wrists were so much more steady than they had been, that she communicated some reassurance to Mr.

Jarvis Lorry.

�That’s right, that’s right. Courage! Business! You have business before you; useful business. Miss Manette, your mother took this course with you. And when she died – I believe broken-hearted – having never slackened her unavailing search for your father, she left you, at two years old, to grow to be blooming, beautiful, and happy, without the dark cloud upon you of living in uncertainty whether your father soon wore his heart out in prison, or wasted there through many lingering years.

’

As he said the words he looked down, with an admiring pity, on the flowing golden hair; as if he pictured to himself that it might have been already tinged with grey.

�You know that your parents had no great possession, and that what they had was secured to your mother and to you.