登陆注册
12109300000024

第24章 BOOK THE SECOND:THE GOLDEN THREAD(7)

Had he ever been a spy himself?No,he scorned the base insinuation. What did he live upon?His property.Where was his property?He didn't precisely remember where it was.What wasit?No business of anybody's.Had he inherited it?Yes,he had.From whom?Distant relatives.Very distant?Rather.Ever been in prison?Certainly not.Never in a debtor's prison?Didn't see what that had to do with it.Never in a debtor's prison?—Come,once again.Never?Yes.How many times?Two or three times.Not five or six?Perhaps.Of what profession?Gentleman.Ever been kicked?Might have been.Frequently?No.Ever kicked downstairs?Decidedly not;once received a kick on the top of the staircase and fell downstairs of his own accord.Kicked on that occasion for cheating at dice?Something to that effect was said by the intoxicated liar who committed the assault,but it was not true.Swear it was not true?Positively.Ever live by cheating at play?Never.Ever live by play?Not more than other gentlemen do.Ever borrow money of the prisoner?Yes.Ever pay him?No.Was not this intimacy with the prisoner,in reality a very slight one,forced upon the prisoner in coaches,inns,and packets?No.Sure he saw the prisoner with these lists?Certain.Knew no more about the lists?No.Had not procured them himself,for instance?No.Expect to get anything by this evidence?No.Not in regular government pay and employment,to lay traps?Oh dear no.Or to do anything?Oh dear no.Swear that?Over and again.No motives but motives of sheer patriotism?None whatever.

The virtuous servant,Roger Cly,swore his way through the case at a great rate. He had taken service with the prisoner,in good faith and simplicity,four years ago.He had asked the prisoner,aboard the Calais packet,if he wanted a handy fellow,and the prisoner had engaged him.He had not asked the prisoner to take the handy fellow as an act of charity—never thought of such a thing.He began to have suspicions of the prisoner,and tokeep an eye upon him,soon afterwards.In arranging his clothes,while travelling,he had seen similar lists in the prisoner's pockets,over and over again.He had taken these lists from the drawer of the prisoner's desk.He had not put them there first.He had seen the prisoner show these identical lists to French gentlemen at Calais,and similar lists to French gentlemen,both at Calais and Boulogne.He loved his country,and couldn't bear it,and had given information.He had never been suspected of stealing a silver teapot;he had been maligned respecting a mustard-pot,but it turned out to be only a plated one.He had known the last witness seven or eight years;that was merely a coincidence.He didn't call it a particularly curious coincidence;most coincidences were curious.Neither did he call it a curious coincidence that true patriotism was his only motive too.He was a true Briton,and hoped there were many like him.

The blue-flies buzzed again,and Mr. Attorney-General called Mr.Jarvis Lorry.

'Mr. Jarvis Lorry,are you a clerk in Tellson's Bank?

'I am.'

'On a certain Friday night in November one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five,did business occasion you to travel between London and Dover by the mail?'

'It did.'

'Were there any other passengers in the mail?'

'Two.'

'Did they alight on the road in the course of the night?'

'They did.'

'Mr. Lorry,look upon the prisoner.Was he one of those two passengers?'

'I cannot undertake to say that he was.'

'Does he resemble either of those two passengers?'

'Both were so wrapped up,and the night was so dark,and we were all so reserved,that I cannot undertake to say even that.'

'Mr. Lorry,look again upon the prisoner.Supposing him wrapped up as those two passengers were,is there anything in his bulk and stature to render it unlikely that he was one of them?'

'No.'

'You will not swear,Mr. Lorry,that he was not one of them?'

'No.'

'So at least you say that he may have been one of them?'

'Yes. Except that I remember them both to have been—like myself—timorous of highwaymen,and the prisoner has not a timorous air.'

'Did you ever see a counterfeit of timidity,Mr. Lorry?'

'I certainly have seen that.'

'Mr. Lorry,look once more upon the prisoner.Have you seen him,to your certain knowledge,before?'

'I have.'

'When?'

'I was returning from France a few days afterwards,and,at Calais,the prisoner came on board the packet-ship in which I returned,and made the voyage with me.'

'At what hour did he come on board?'

'At a little after midnight.'

'In the dead of the night. Was he the only passenger who came on board at that untimely hour?'

'He happened to be the only one.'

'Never mind about'happening',Mr. Lorry.He was the onlypassenger who came on board in the dead of the night?'

'He was.'

'Were you travelling alone,Mr. Lorry,or with any companion?'

'With two companions. A gentleman and lady.They are here.'

'They are here. Had you any conversation with the prisoner?'

'Hardly any. The weather was stormy,and the passage long and rough,and I lay on a sofa,almost from shore to shore.'

'Miss Manette!'

The young lady,to whom all eyes had been turned before,and were now turned again,stood up where she had sat. Her father rose with her,and kept her hand drawn through his arm.

'Miss Manette,look upon the prisoner.'

To be confronted with such pity,and such earnest youth and beauty,was far more trying to the accused than to be confronted with all the crowd. Standing,as it were,apart with her on the edge of his grave,not all the staring curiosity that looked on,could,for the moment,nerve him to remain quite still.His hurried right hand parcelled out the herbs before him into imaginary beds of flowers in a garden;and his efforts to control and steady his breathing shook the lips from which the colour rushed to his heart.The buzz of the great flies was loud again.

'Miss Manette,have you seen the prisoner before?'

'Yes,sir.'

'Where?'

'On board of the packet-ship just now referred to,sir,and on the same occasion.'

同类推荐
  • 金刚摧碎陀罗尼

    金刚摧碎陀罗尼

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 达变权禅师语录

    达变权禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 杜骗新书

    杜骗新书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 诫子拾遗

    诫子拾遗

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 频毗娑罗王诣佛供养经

    频毗娑罗王诣佛供养经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 夏在南方

    夏在南方

    南方紧紧的握住她的手,他不愿再次失去她。从1996年到2001年,整整五年,他的心从未变过。美琪不知道南方为什么拉她的手,只是觉得南方非常开心。南方知道她已经失忆了,这样也好,但愿她忘记那些痛苦的事情。“美琪,我想永远这样牵着你的手。”南方看着美琪的眼睛,深情的说出这句话。
  • 仙剑执缘之纸上缘

    仙剑执缘之纸上缘

    多年前,她跪于菩萨面前启誓,今生绝不会爱上那手持半截白玉之人。而多年之后,她与他的相遇,他与她的爱情……你若敢伤她一毫,我让你地府无孟婆,你若敢损她一丝,我让你天庭之内无仙人……
  • 绝世元天

    绝世元天

    主角重生元天大陆,激发体内奇异天火,得到神秘功法,从此走上了一条独特的修炼道路,随着修为的提升,他发觉了元天大陆被隐藏的无数秘密,为了生存,为了身后的形形色色的美女,奶奶滴,拼了........
  • 凰鸣天娇

    凰鸣天娇

    因为一场意外,米曦穿越到古代婴孩的身上,十四年后,国破家亡沦为敌国的奴隶,一次逃跑巧遇敌国的丞相,从此恩怨不休,深府宅斗,她背负血海深仇,却只是别人手中的一颗棋子,始终不得所愿,三年后,她浴血归来,假扮丞相夫人暗地参与朝政勾结朝中大臣势要灭国,阴谋与争斗之间,举国相向生灵涂炭,几个风华绝代的天之骄子,究竟该何去何从?【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 神鹰之城(兽王系列)

    神鹰之城(兽王系列)

    宠兽学校的暑假到了,三年级以上的学生全部离开了学校,在邱雷的帮助下,留在学校的兰虎有幸来到了传说中的新人类聚集之地 ——神鹰城,为了凑齐邱雷下学期的学费,两人在神鹰城开始辛苦奔波,兰虎在一个意外的情况下通过考核参加了神鹰城举办的宠兽电子大赛,然而面对来自四面八方,身怀绝技,武功强悍的宠兽战士们,兰虎也只能咬牙坚持,就在宠兽电子大赛开展得如火如荼的时候,因为兰虎暴露了兽王身份,却意外地引发了另一场危机,潜伏在暗中的敌人虎视眈眈地窥视着。
  • 我的恶魔你的天使

    我的恶魔你的天使

    当她遇上他,会碰出怎样的火花?“喂,你个变态神经男!”“哼?口气不小。”他回首一笑,倾倒万千少女。。。
  • 女大男小

    女大男小

    她找男人像是找一棵可以挡雨乘凉的大树,找来找去吊在了一棵歪脖子树上。有人说:“中国人的婚姻大部分是凑合。”她觉得也是。
  • 特战霸天

    特战霸天

    特战兵王白穿越了这是一段完全陌生的历史。北面虎视眈眈的大正帝国,南面羸弱不堪的大广帝国。巨龙关,大广帝国唯一的屏障,且看王白将特种作战带入这个时代,一步步成长,最终雄霸天下。
  • 内部审计

    内部审计

    《内部审计:公司免疫系统,提升企业价值》适合企业管理人员、内部审计人员,以及相关研究者参考阅读。
  • dnf魔皇异界游

    dnf魔皇异界游

    他是一家跨国公司的高级工程师,机械设计制作是他的强项。可是,一次意外事故却让他穿越到了一个新的世界。这里是和地下城相似的世界,却又有许多的不同。千奇百怪的事物等着他去探索,天下无尽的金钱在等着他去挥霍,众多美女等着他去泡。作为一个现代人,他的到来又会给这个世界带来怎样的改变呢?(群:458298868)