Two Cities

Chapter 46 Shadow
As soon as the bank's business hours came, one of the first considerations in Mr. Lorry's business mind was that he had no right to keep the wife of an imprisoned fugitive under the roof of Tellson's without letting the bank There is a crisis.For Lucy and her children, he can risk all of himself. Although the company is managed by him, the company does not belong to him. He is only a staff member who abides by professional rules when dealing with business responsibilities.

At first he thought of Defarge, and if he went to that hotel again, he would discuss with the boss about arranging the safest lodging in this mad city.In fact, even the thought of Defarge denied him at the same time: Defarge lived in the most chaotic area, undoubtedly had a lot of influence there, and was deeply connected with dangerous activities.

It's almost noon, and the doctor hasn't come back yet.Every passing minute of time could bring danger to Tellson's Bank.Mr. Lorry had to discuss it with Lucy.She said her father had talked about renting a house near the bank building for a short period of time.It would do no harm, and it would be good for Charles, though he was still in captivity and had no hope of leaving Paris.Mr. Lorry went out to look for lodging.He found a suitable apartment on a high-rise in a side street.The building is next to a depressed square, and the shutters of the tall buildings around the square are all closed, which means that no one lives here anymore.

He immediately moved Lucy, the child, and Miss Pross there to live, and did his best to create the best living conditions for them-compared with himself.He left Jerry--whose head should be able to block a few hits--to watch the door, and he went back.He was anxious and painful for them, and his life was extremely difficult.

Time passed very slowly, and the day finally passed, and the bank was off work.He went back to the room from the night before, thinking about his next plan.Then he heard footsteps on the stairs.Not long after, I had already met him face to face.The man looked at him sharply and called out his name.

"At your service," said Mr. Lorry. "Do you know who I am?" The man was a stocky, dark, curly-haired man of forty-five to fifty years of age.

Because he wanted to get an answer, the visitor repeated what he said just now, without even changing his tone:

"Have we met before?" "I've seen you somewhere else." "Maybe at my hotel."

Mr. Lorry's spirits were high, and his curiosity aroused.Mr. Lorry said: "Are you sent by Mr. Manette?"

"Yes, he asked me to come." "What did he say? Did he ask you to bring anything?" Defarge handed an open note to his urgent hand, and it could be seen from the handwriting It was from the doctor: "Charles is all well. I am not yet safe to leave. A messenger has been authorized to bring a note to Charles's wife. Please let him see her." The address on the note was LaForce, Just an hour ago. "Come with me to his wife's place, will you?" Mr. Lorry read the note aloud, reassured at last. "Yes," replied Defarge.

Defarge's answer was simple and peculiar, but Mr. Lorry paid no attention to it.He put on his hat, and they went downstairs into the yard.There are two women in the yard, one is knitting.

"Mrs. Defarge, it must be," said Mr. Lorry, in exactly the same manner as when we parted.

"It's her," said her husband.

"Is the lady going too?" asked Mr. Lorry, seeing that she was following her. "Yes. Let her get acquainted. For their safety." Mr. Lorry began to notice that Defarge's attitude was not friendly, so he glanced at him suspiciously, and then led the way.Both women followed.The other woman is Nemesis.

A group of people crossed the street at a fast speed, walked up the stairs of the new house, and were let in by Jerry.They saw Lucy crying alone.She was so wild with joy when Mr. Lorry mentioned something about her husband to her, that she refused to let go of the hand which handed her the note--she never imagined that that hand had done to her husband that night. What has happened, and will he do anything to him.

"Dearest—don't be afraid. I am as usual. Your father is a great influence around me. Can't answer. Kiss our child for me." A few words and no more words were spoken.But the recipient was overjoyed.

She turned away from Defarge to his wife, and kissed a hand that was knitting.It was an emotionally feminine movement, but there was no response—it just drooped coldly and heavily, continuing her knitting.

There was something in the contact with that hand that turned Lucy off.She was about to put the note in her bodice when she froze for a moment, resting her hands on her neck, and looked in horror at Madame Defarge, who was staring at her raised brow indifferently and impassively. .

"My dear," Mr. Lorry explained hastily, "the streets are not very peaceful, and although it may not affect you, Mrs. Defarge wants to meet the person she can still protect now, and get to know her—in this way It won't be known until later, which I believe it is," Mr Lowry said.He said these comforting words, but he was actually hesitating, because the blunt expressions of the three of them made him more and more impressed. "That's right, citizen of Defarge?"

Defarge looked at his wife sullenly, and only snorted to express his acquiescence, but did not speak.

"You'd better keep your dear child and our good Pross here, Lucy," said Mr. Lorry, trying to reassure in tone and manner, "our good Pross is an English lady, and here You don't understand the language, Defarge."

This lady has a firm idea: she is better than any foreigner.No matter what situation she faces, this belief will not change.Now she came out with her arms folded, and said to Furies in English, "Well, no problem, daredevil! I hope you're doing well!" She coughed suddenly - it was British, and the others didn't pay attention.

"Is that his child?" said Madame Defarge, stopping her knitting for the first time, and pointing her needles at little Lucy like the finger of fate.

"Yes, ma'am," answered Mr. Lorry, "the only daughter of our dreadful prisoner."

The shadow of Madame Defarge and her companion fell on the child, and there was a feeling of oppression, which made her mother instinctively kneel down on the ground beside her, and hugged her tightly.And so the shadow of Madame Defarge and her companion fell upon the mother and daughter again, menacingly and menacingly. "Come, my lord," said Madame Defarge. "We've already met, we can go." But there was a trace of oppression in her barely controlled expression, although it was not obvious, Lucy also began to be wary.She stretched out a beseeching hand to Madame Defarge's dress:
"You will not be cruel to my poor husband! You will not hurt him! Will you help me see him if you have the chance?" "Your husband has nothing to do with me here," Madame Defarge looked at her blankly, and replied, "It is your father's daughter who concerns me here." "Then please have pity on my husband for me, and pity him for my children! I will be pious Praying for your sympathy. You are one of us who scares us."

Madame Defarge took this as a compliment, and looked at her husband.Defarge, who stood anxiously and looked at her while biting his thumbnail, immediately put on a stern look.

"What did he tell you in his letter?" said Madame Defarge, glancing at her, and laughing. "Influence, did he say anything about influence?"

"My father has an influence on the people around my husband," Lucy hurriedly took out the letter from her corset, looked at the person who asked the question very worriedly, but did not look at the letter.

"His influence will surely set him free!" said Madame Defarge. "Influence must work!" "As wife and mother," said Lucy reverently, "I beg you to have mercy on me, and not to use your influence against my innocent husband. Use it to help him! O sister, Think about it for me from the perspective of a wife and mother!"

Madame Defarge looked coldly at the beggar as usual, then turned to the Furies and said:

"Have we seen fewer wives and mothers since we were the child's age—or younger? Haven't we thought about them before? Haven't we often seen their husbands and fathers locked up In prison, can we meet? Don't we see our sisters suffer all the time? See ourselves suffer, our children suffer, have no money, have nothing to wear, have nothing to eat, have nothing to drink, suffer, be oppressed , are you belittled?"

"I haven't seen anything else," replied Furies. "We have suffered for many years," Madame Defarge's eyes returned to Lucy, "think for yourself! Is the suffering of a wife and mother worth mentioning to us?"

She went on knitting again and went out.Nemesis followed her.Defarge was the last to go out, closing the door behind him.

"Don't be afraid, Lucy dear," said Rory, helping her to her feet. "Fear not, courage! Nothing has hindered us so far—we are better than many unfortunates of late. Take heart, and thank God!" "But I am not thankful to God! But the dreadful Women seem to cast a shadow over me and all my hopes." "Nonsense, nonsense!" said Mr. Lorry, "how can you be so pessimistic and disappointed! A shadow, not worth mentioning at all? Nothing, Lucy .”

No matter what he said, the attitude of the Defarges left a mark on his heart. In fact, deep down in his heart, he was also anxious.

(End of this chapter)