Two Cities

Chapter 51: A Good Hand (1)
Fortunately Miss Pross did not know what was going on at home.She crossed the Nine Bridge through a few side streets, thinking about what she wanted to buy.Mr. Cruncher walked beside him with his basket.They walked into most of the shops on the side of the road and looked around, being wary of groups of people and staying away from people talking excitedly.It was a cold night, and the mist-shrouded river, blazing with incandescent lights and deafening noises, showed where the flat-bottomed boats where the blacksmiths were making guns for the troops of the Republic lay.Those who played tricks with that team or got a bad promotion in it would not be so lucky!Let's hope he hasn't grown a beard yet, because the "National Razor" always leaves him beardless.

Miss Pross bought a few things, bought some lamp oil, and remembered that she should also buy them some wine.They compared and came to the signboard of "Brutus, Hero of the Republic".It was not far from the Palais Nationale (twice the Tuileries), and the sights there aroused her interest.It is quieter than similar places before. Although the caps of the Patriots are also red, the red is not very bright.She listened to Mr. Cruncher's tone, and found that it was no different from her own thoughts, so she walked towards the "Ancient Hero of the Republic Brutus" under the escort of this "knight".

The two foreign customers walked into the dim light, passed by people with pipes in their mouths, playing cards that could not stand up or old dominoes, and passed by. A shirtless man covered in smoke, reading a newspaper aloud, and his audience passed by the weapons that were hung on the shelves or kept at hand, and two or three people who were sleeping bent over— Wearing the popular high-shouldered coarse black blouses, they looked like sleeping bears or dogs.The two of them didn't care about the surrounding environment, they went straight to the counter and explained what they wanted to buy.

They were sipping wine, and someone in the corner was saying goodbye to each other and stood up to leave.The man had to meet Pross face-to-face before he could go out.Miss Pross looked very excited to see him.

All of a sudden everyone stood up.The biggest possibility is that there was a quarrel, someone was killed, and everyone expected to see someone fall, but only a man and a woman looked at each other.The man had all the features of a Frenchman and a true republican in appearance, and the woman was clearly English in appearance.

Followers of the "Ancient Hero of the Republic Brutus" expressed some of their own thoughts on this anticlimactic event, and even if Miss Pross and her protectors pricked up their ears, they could only hear a great uproar, followed by Heber Levin or Chaldian oracle are about the same.But the two were very surprised and didn't pay attention to other things around them.It must be pointed out that not only Miss Pross was surprised and excited, not knowing what to do with herself, but even Cruncher was greatly surprised—but his surprise seemed to contain another meaning.

"What happened?" said the man who had made Miss Pross scream, in curt, angry tones, and in a low voice, in English.

"Oh, Solomon, dear Solomon!" cried Miss Pross, clapping her hands. "Lost contact for so long, but met here!"

"Don't call me Solomon. Are you trying to kill me?" the man said worriedly.

"Brother! Brother!" Miss Pross burst into tears. "Am I sorry for you so much, you actually say that?"

"Don't mind your business," Solomon said. "Don't talk to me here. Pay your drink and come out. Who is this man?"

Miss Pross shook her loving but dissatisfied head, shed tears and introduced to her unresponsive brother, "Mr. Cruncher."

"Let him come too," said Solomon. "Does he think I'm a ghost?"

From Mr. Cruncher's appearance he thought he had indeed seen a ghost.However, he didn't say a word.Miss Pross, with tears and difficulty, fumbled in her handbag for the drink and paid for it.At this time, Solomon turned and explained a few words in French with the followers of Lutas, the ancient hero city, and went to busy with their own affairs.

"Now," said Solomon, stopping in the dark corner, "what do you want?" "I have a great affection for him, but my brother has no affection for me!" cried Miss Pross, "see me now." Doesn't the face show any enthusiasm like this?"

"Okay, bad luck!" He touched Pros's lips with his own. "Is that all right?"

Miss Pross said nothing, but shook her head and wept. "Do you think I'd be surprised," said her brother Solomon, "but I'm not surprised at all. I knew you were here. I know most of the people here. If you really don't want to hurt me—I'm partly sure." ——Just do your own business as soon as possible, and let me do mine. I have a lot of things to do, and I am a businessman!"

"My English brother Solomon," said Miss Pross lamentingly, raising her tearful eyes, "is the most gifted man in the country, but he has gone to a foreign country to work as a businessman, and he has met such a foreigner again! I I'd rather see the sweet boy lying in his—"

"Didn't I say it before," her younger brother interjected, "I knew you wanted to kill me. I'm doing well now, but my sister-in-law wants to make people doubt me." No!" cried Miss Pross. "I have always given you my whole heart and love you forever, dear Solomon. I can never see you again, if you say a sincere and affectionate word to me, as long as you say that there is no difference between us, I can Never see you."

Good Miss Pross!The responsibility for the estrangement between the siblings seems to be because of her!As if Mr. Lorry, when he was in Soho all those years ago, didn't seem to know that her dear brother ran away at her expense!
However, he still said something affectionate, and his attitude was very ordinary and condescending. If the situation and status of the two were opposite, she would never be like this (this is no exception in the whole world).At this moment, Mr. Cruncher patted him on the shoulder, and rustled a surprisingly strange question:
"I say! I want to ask you a question? Is your name John Solomon or Solomon John?"

The official turned sharply—he never spoke. "Say it!" said Mr. Cruncher. "Say it, you should understand."

(By the way, he had a lot on his mind) "John Solomon, or Solomon John? You are her younger brother, so of course she knows your name. She calls you Solomon. But I also know your name is John, and you know that very well. Which of these two is the first and which is the last? There is also the surname Pross, please explain it too. You don’t have this surname on the other side of the sea!”

"What do you mean?" "Well, I don't know what I mean, I have forgotten your surname on the other side of the sea." "Can't remember?"

"Yes. But I can swear it has two syllables." "Really?" "That's right. The other guy's last name is only one syllable. I know who you are. You were a spy in court at Old Baylor." .Answer me in the name of the father of lies, your father, what was your name then?"

"Barça," another voice replied. "Yes, that's the name, I'll bet a thousand pounds!" exclaimed Jerry.

It was Sidney Carton who interrupted.With his hands in the hem of his riding coat, he stood beside Mr. Cruncher with the same air of indifference as at Old Baylor.

"Calm down, dear Miss Pross. I was at Mr. Lorry's last night, and he was surprised that I had gone there. We both agreed that I would not Show up. I came here to beg your brother for the favor of talking. I hope you have a brother with a better job than Mr. Bassa. Because of you, I really hope that Mr. Bassa is not a sheep in prison."

"Sheep" was a word that only existed in the prison at that time, and it meant a secret agent controlled by the warden.The pale spy's face grew paler, and he asked how he dared—"I tell you," said Sidney, "I spotted you a while ago when I was looking at the walls of the ancillary prison. You come out of there. You have a face that's easy to remember, and I'm good at remembering faces. Your connection to that prison fueled my curiosity. I have reason to connect you with the disaster of a now-unlucky friend Wake up (you know the reason for this) and I followed you. I followed you into the hotel and sat next to you. I had no trouble learning from your unscrupulous talk and the rumors openly spread by your admirers The nature of your occupation is deduced. In this way, it is quite accidental to be included in another plan, Mr. Bassa."

"What target?" replied the spy. "Let's explain in another place. Would you please let me take a few minutes of your time for us to talk privately? In Tellson's Bank office, for instance?" "Are you threatening me?"

"Ah, did I say that?" "Then why should I go?"

"It's true. If you don't go, I will take some things to heart."

"You mean you don't want to tell, sir?" asked the spy suspiciously.

"You're right, Mr. Bassa. I'll only tell you if you go." He kept thinking about the problems and people he had to face, and Carlton's nonchalant air was very conducive to showing his quickness and skill.His practiced eye saw it, and he made the most of it. "You see, I told you otherwise," said the spy, casting a complaining look at his sister. "If anything happens to me, you're not going to get away with it." "Okay, okay, Mr. Bartha," Sidney said. cried, "Say less of that. If it hadn't been for my great respect for your sister, I wouldn't have taken this pleasant way of making a little suggestion that would please us all. Will you come with me to the bank?"

"What do you think? Well, I'll go with you." "I suggest getting your sister safely to the corner where she lives first. Let me take your hand, Miss Pross. It's not safe here, At this time, you can only go out with protection. Since your protector knows Barcelona, ​​I plan to invite him to come with us to Mr. Luo Rui's house. Do you still have to think about it? Let's go!"

Miss Pross then recalled, and has always remembered well, that she felt an encouraging light in Sidney's arm as she took her hand in it, and stared into his face, and begged him not to do Solomon any harm. His eyes sparkled with excitement.This not only removed his air of indifference, but changed him and made him taller.It's just that she was distracted at that time. On the one hand, she had to worry about the brother who was not worthy of her love, and on the other hand, she had to listen to Sidney's friendly assurance, so she didn't consider her own thoughts.

After she had stayed on the corner, Carton led them to Mr. Lorry's.very close.John Bartha, or Solomon Pross, walked beside him.

Mr. Lorry had just finished his supper, and was sitting by the fire of a small log or two.Maybe he was looking for the younger Tellson in the firelight!The man had also gazed at the red coals at the King George Hotel in Dover, but that was many years ago.When a group of people entered the house, he turned around and was a little surprised to see a stranger.

"Miss Pross' brother, sir," said Sidney. "Mr. Basa." "Basa?" The old man repeated, "Basa? Why is this name so familiar—this face also reminds me of something." "I told you before, your face is easy to remember Mr. Barca?" Carlton said coldly. "Please sit down." Carlton frowned at Mr. Rory as he sat down, "Witnesses in that trial." He reminded Mr. Rory.Mr. Lorry remembered immediately, and did not look at the newcomer with a disgusted expression.

"Miss Pross recognized Mr. Bartha, the brother you've heard loved her very much," said Sidney, "and he recognized his sister. I have some bad news for you. Darnay has been arrested again."

The old man was greatly alarmed, and cried, "Impossible! I have not been away from him for two hours, and he is well. I am going back to him!"

"But he was taken. Was it just now, Mr. Bartha?" "If he was, it was just now." "Mr. Bartha's words are most powerful, sir," said Sidney. Known from the drinking of Mr. Basa with one of his sheep companions. He parted with the informant at the prison gate, and was indeed seen and taken in again. Darnay has been arrested again, this is confirmed news. "

(End of this chapter)