Part 2 Chapter XXX DRAWN TO THE LOADSTONE ROCK.docx
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Part 2 Chapter XXX DRAWN TO THE LOADSTONE ROCK.docx
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Part2ChapterXXXDRAWNTOTHELOADSTONEROCK
Part2ChapterXXX.DRAWNTOTHELOADSTONEROCK
Insuchrisingsoffireandrisingsofsea—thefirmearthshakenbytherushesofanangryoceanwhichhadnownoebb,butwasalwaysontheflow,higherandhigher,totheterrorandwonderofthebeholdersontheshore—threeyearsoftempestwereconsumed.ThreemorebirthdaysoflittleLuciehadbeenwovenbythegoldenthreadintothepeacefultissueofthelifeofherhome.
Manyanightandmanyadayhaditsinmateslistenedtotheechoesinthecorner,withheartsthatfailedthemwhentheyheardthethrongingfeet.For,thefootstepshadbecometotheirmindsasthefootstepsofapeople,tumultuousunderaredflagandwiththeircountrydeclaredindanger,changedintowildbeasts,byterribleenchantmentlongpersistedin.
Monseigneur,asaclass,haddissociatedhimselffromthephenomenonofhisnotbeingappreciated:
ofhisbeingsolittlewantedinFrance,astoincurconsiderabledangerofreceivinghisdismissalfromit,andthislifetogether.LikethefabledrusticwhoraisedtheDevilwithinfinitepains,andwassoterrifiedatthesightofhimthathecouldasktheEnemynoquestion,butimmediatelyfled;so,Monseigneur,afterboldlyreadingtheLord’sPrayerbackwardsforagreatnumberofyears,andperformingmanyotherpotentspellsforcompellingtheEvilOne,nosoonerbeheldhiminhisterrorsthanhetooktohisnobleheels.
TheshiningBull’sEyeoftheCourtwasgone,oritwouldhavebeenthemarkforahurricaneofnationalbullets.Ithadneverbeenagoodeyetoseewith—hadlonghadthemoteinitofLucifer’spride,Sardanapalus’sluxury,andamole’sblindness—butithaddroppedoutandwasgone.TheCourt,fromthatexclusiveinnercircletoitsoutermostrottenringofintrigue,corruption,anddissimulation,wasallgonetogether.Royaltywasgone;hadbeenbesiegedinitsPalaceand‘suspended,’whenthelasttidingscameover.
TheAugustoftheyearonethousandsevenhundredandninety-twowascome,andMonseigneurwasbythistimescatteredfarandwide.
Aswasnatural,theheadquartersandgreatgathering-placeofMonseigneur,inLondon,wasTellson’sBank.Spiritsaresupposedtohaunttheplaceswheretheirbodiesmostresorted,andMonseigneurwithoutaguineahauntedthespotwherehisguineasusedtobe.Moreover,itwasthespottowhichsuchFrenchintelligenceaswasmosttobereliedupon,camequickest.Again:
Tellson’swasamunificenthouse,andextendedgreatliberalitytooldcustomerswhohadfallenfromtheirhighestate.Again:
thosenobleswhohadseenthecomingstormintime,andanticipatingplunderorconfiscation,hadmadeprovidentremittancestoTellson’s,werealwaystobeheardoftherebytheirneedybrethren.TowhichitmustbeaddedthateverynewcomerfromFrancereportedhimselfandhistidingsatTellson’s,almostasamatterofcourse.Forsuchvarietyofreasons,Tellson’swasatthattime,astoFrenchintelligence,akindofHighExchange;andthiswassowellknowntothepublic,andtheinquiriesmadetherewereinconsequencesonumerous,thatTellson’ssometimeswrotethelatestnewsoutinalineorsoandposteditintheBankwindows,forallwhoranthroughTempleBartoread.
Onasteamy,mistyafternoon,Mr.Lorrysatathisdesk,andCharlesDarnaystoodleaningonit,talkingwithhiminalowvoice.ThepenitentialdenoncesetapartforinterviewswiththeHouse,wasnowthenewsExchange,andwasfilledtooverflowing.Itwaswithinhalfanhourorsoofthetimeofclosing.
“But,althoughyouaretheyoungestmanthateverlived,”saidCharlesDarnay,ratherhesitating,“Imuststillsuggesttoyou—”
“Iunderstand.ThatIamtooold?
”saidMr.Lorry.
“Unsettledweather,alongjourney,uncertainmeansoftravelling,adisorganisedcountry,acitythatmaynotbeevensafeforyou.”
“MydearCharles,”saidMr.Lorry,withcheerfulconfidence,“youtouchsomeofthereasonsformygoing:
notformystayingaway.Itissafeenoughforme;nobodywillcaretointerferewithanoldfellowofharduponfourscorewhentherearesomanypeopletheremuchbetterworthinterferingwith.Astoitsbeingadisorganisedcity,ifitwerenotadisorganisedcitytherewouldbenooccasiontosendsomebodyfromourHouseheretoourHousethere,whoknowsthecityandthebusiness,ofold,andisinTellson’sconfidence.Astotheuncertaintravelling,thelongjourney,andthewinterweather,ifIwerenotpreparedtosubmitmyselftoafewinconveniencesforthesakeofTellson’s,afteralltheseyears,whooughttobe?
”
“IwishIweregoingmyself,”saidCharlesDarnay,somewhatrestlessly,andlikeonethinkingaloud.
“Indeed!
Youareaprettyfellowtoobjectandadvise!
”exclaimedMr.Lorry.“Youwishyouweregoingyourself?
AndyouaFrenchmanborn?
Youareawisecounsellor.”
“MydearMr.Lorry,itisbecauseIamaFrenchmanborn,thatthethought(whichIdidnotmeantoutterhere,however)haspassedthroughmymindoften.Onecannothelpthinking,havinghadsomesympathyforthemiserablepeople,andhavingabandonedsomethingtothem,”hespokehereinhisformerthoughtfulmanner,“thatonemightbelistenedto,andmighthavethepowertopersuadetosomerestraint.Onlylastnight,afteryouhadleftus,whenIwastalkingtoLucie—”
“WhenyouweretalkingtoLucie,”Mr.Lorryrepeated.“Yes.IwonderyouarenotashamedtomentionthenameofLucie!
WishingyouweregoingtoFranceatthistimeofday!
”
“However,Iamnotgoing,”saidCharlesDarnay,withasmile.“Itismoretothepurposethatyousayyouare.”
“AndIaminplainreality.Thetruthis,mydearCharles,”Mr.LorryglancedatthedistantHouse,andloweredhisvoice,“youcanhavenoconceptionofthedifficultywithwhichourbusinessistransacted,andoftheperilinwhichourbooksandpapersoveryonderareinvolved.TheLordaboveknowswhatthecompromisingconsequenceswouldbetonumbersofpeople,ifsomeofourdocumentswereseizedordestroyed;andtheymightbe,atanytime,youknow,forwhocansaythatParisisnotsetafiretodayorsackedtomorrow!
Now,ajudiciousselectionfromthese,withtheleastpossibledelay,andtheburyingofthem,orotherwisegettingofthemoutofharm’swayiswithinthepower(withoutlossofprecioustime)ofscarcelyanyonebutmyself,ifanyone.AndshallIhangback,whenTellson’sknowsthisandsaysthis—Tellson’s,whosebreadIhaveeatenthesesixtyyears—becauseIamalittlestiffaboutthejoints?
Why,Iamaboy,sir,tohalfadozenoldcodgershere!
”
“HowIadmirethegallantryofyouryouthfulspirit,Mr.Lorry.”
“Tut!
Nonsense,sir!
—AndmydearCharles,”saidMr.Lorry,glancingattheHouseagain,“youaretoremember,thatgettingthingsoutofParisatthispresenttime,nomatterwhatthings,isnexttoanimpossibility.Papersandpreciousmatterswerethisverydaybroughttoushere(Ispeakinstrictconfidence;itisnotbusiness-liketowhisperit,eventoyou),bythestrangestbearersyoucanimagine,everyoneofwhomhadhisheadhangingonbyasinglehairashepassedtheBarriers.Atanothertime,ourparcelswouldcomeandgo,aseasilyasinbusiness-likeOldEngland;butnow,everythingisstopped.”
“Anddoyoureallygotonight?
”
“Ireallygotonight,forthecasehasbecometoopressingtoadmitofdelay.”
“Anddoyoutakenoonewithyou?
”
“Allsortsofpeoplehavebeenproposedtome,butIwillhavenothingtosaytoanyofthem.IintendtotakeJerry.JerryhasbeenmybodyguardonSundaynightsforalongtimepast,andIamusedtohim.NobodywillsuspectJerryofbeinganythingbutanEnglishbulldog,orofhavinganydesigninhisheadbuttoflyatanybodywhotoucheshismaster.”
“ImustsayagainthatIheartilyadmireyourgallantryandyouthfulness.”
“Imustsayagain,nonsense,nonsense!
WhenIhaveexecutedthislittlecommission,Ishall,perhaps,acceptTellson’sproposaltoretireandliveatmyease.Timeenough,then,tothinkaboutgrowingold.”
ThisdialoguehadtakenplaceatMr.Lorry’susualdesk,withMonseigneurswarmingwithinayardortwoofit,boastfulofwhathewoulddotoavengehimselfontherascal-peoplebeforelong.ItwastoomuchthewayofMonseigneurunderhisreversesasarefugee,anditwasmuchtoomuchthewayofnativeBritishorthodoxy,totalkofthisterribleRevolutionasifitweretheoneonlyharvesteverknownundertheskiesthathadnotbeensown—asifnothinghadeverbeendone,oromittedtobedone,thathadledtoit—asifobserversofthewretchedmillionsinFrance,andofthemisusedandpervertedresourcesthatshouldhavemadethemprosperous,hadnotseenitinevitablycoming,yearsbefore,andhadnotinplainwordsrecordedwhattheysaw.Suchvapouring,combinedwiththeextravagantplotsofMonseigneurfortherestorationofastateofthingsthathadutterlyexhausteditself,andwornoutheavenandearthaswellasitself,washardtobeenduredwithoutsomeremonstrancebyanysanemanwhoknewthetruth.Anditwassuchvapouringallabouthisears,likeatroublesomeconfusionofbloodinhisownhead,addedtoalatentuneasinessinhismind,whichhadalreadymadeCharlesDarnayrestless,andwhichstillkepthimso.
Amongthetalkers,wasStryver,oftheKing’sBenchBar,faronhiswaytostatepromotion,and,therefore,loudonthetheme:
broachingtoMonseigneur,hisdevicesforblowingthepeopleupandexterminatingthemfromthefaceoftheearth,anddoingwithoutthem:
andforaccomplishingmanysimilarobjectsakinintheirnaturetotheabolitionofeaglesbysprinklingsaltonthetailsoftherace.Him,Darnayheard,withaparticularfeelingofobjection;andDarnaystooddivide
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