登陆注册
22905600000024

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
  • The Wisdom of Father Brown

    The Wisdom of Father Brown

    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。
  • 普陀列祖录

    普陀列祖录

    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。
  • 养性延命录

    养性延命录

    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。
  • 太和正音谱

    太和正音谱

    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。
  • 经七里滩

    经七里滩

    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
  • 屹灵记

    屹灵记

    栖灵,一片拥有灵气的大陆。它孕育了各种文明,见证了无数兴衰交替。在这里你能看到亘古不变的极北溟海,那里正倒映着巍巍雪山的群影。南部有瑰丽的山川,是一片群妖横行的无尽的莽荒与生机盎然之地。西方界是巨木连天的巫楚之林,可端坐于最上首的却是衣衫华贵的君子门庭。若是一路向东而去,又有天地高渺的无垠草原和凄凉寂寥的太昊遗迹。然后,在整片大陆中心,那些自诩为中天正朔的人类帝国,从能够修灵的那天起,就想尽办法要在分合的历史间镌刻属于他们自己的印记。时光毕竟飞逝,无言的恐惧也终将从黑暗的迷雾中苏醒。而当流星坠落天际,一位叫做林屹的少年却不知道自己究竟背负了怎样的使命……这就是栖灵,一片拥有着九灵传说的神奇之地。不论王权如何更替,剑与灵气才是这片大陆上永恒不变的真理。
  • 合约特工

    合约特工

    因为利益,他们一家被家族无情的抛弃,被看做废物的他,更是险些被灭杀,幸而被小姑所救,但却被更改了记忆……从签下那张天下独一份的特工合约开始,当他真正的异能彻底觉醒之时,世间一切罪恶都只能在他的脚下匍匐颤栗!
  • 欧夙情缘:99次追妻

    欧夙情缘:99次追妻

    【NEXTIDEA暨2015星创奖征文大赏(现代言情)】他是叱咤商场的王,几乎垄断了亚欧州的所有地产行业。她是小小的夙氏集团的一个不受宠的小孤女。一个高高在上、众星捧月;一个连灰姑娘都比不上。一次交易,她成了他的‘宠物’,怎么办?答案只有一个,逃啊!可是就是这么莫名其妙,他竟然爱上了她,奈何他根本不会宠人啊……“你又跑什么?我还不够宠你吗?”男人危险的眯着眸子,极其不悦的说到。“宠?你确定你不是想杀了我?”女孩还看着桌子上的中药,眉都快拧成个疙瘩了“乖,喝完带你出去玩。”欧冥寒摸了摸小女人的头。“你丫当我是小孩啊?!”几乎是瞬间就炸毛了。“不是吗?”男人挑挑眉,笑得魅惑至极。
  • 冷王霸宠:医妃有毒

    冷王霸宠:医妃有毒

    别人穿越钱和美男大把的有,她呢?疼爱有加的父亲,相处和睦的弟弟妹妹?不存在的!就连看上的光风霁月般的男子也是别有用心。外加一个要随时随地斗智斗勇的王爷夫君,韩可不得不赶紧看了看自己满当当的药箱。“王妃,这是要与人私奔么?”月黑风高夜,某人负手而立挡了去路。他伸手拍了拍身旁的小脑袋,小家伙机灵道,“母亲,你可是要给我换个爹爹么?他有钱有粮有我爹爹长的好看就么?”韩可嘴角抽搐,看着某人眼神不善。敢来使绊子,且看她的银针答不答应!
  • 我的老婆是狐狸精

    我的老婆是狐狸精

    她是他的萌妻,生活在现代,却不用手机,甚至连电视,DVD,都不会使用。她年轻貌美,纯净可人,但是面对异性,却本能的排斥,反感。他是她的医生丈夫,面对妻子的性冷淡,他是否能够治愈?直到岳父的到来,才揭开了妻子的真实身份,原来她是半人半狐,面对这样的妻子,他还会一如既往爱她吗?精彩不断,尽在书中。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 魅色恋歌

    魅色恋歌

    [花雨授权]那个被她一脚踢掉两颗门牙的人,就是大名鼎鼎的北武神?说什么要他就要打倒他,能说出这种话的不算什么正常人吧。即使他长得我见犹怜貌美如花,她也没兴趣跟一个矮冬瓜交往。只是他这样死缠烂打,真的让她十分为难耶——
  • 阿奴阿奴

    阿奴阿奴

    阿奴不过是个普通人家的人与常人无异又与常人不同
  • 裂国:民国军阀往事之西南军阀

    裂国:民国军阀往事之西南军阀

    本书以晚清至辛亥革命前后到北洋军阀统治时期的历史为背景,以这一时期的重大历史事件为中心,以记述民国历史人物为本,着眼于对争议性历史事件和争议性历史人物的适度的重新解读。由民非明编著,适读于中学生、大学生以及各类阅读爱好者。
  • 长生战帝

    长生战帝

    任你只手遮天,权倾天下,终将身死道消!任你红颜绝世,颠倒众生,终将化为尘埃!每个人都想长生不死,遨游诸天,超越轮回,飞仙彼岸,然世上谁能不死?仙人抚我顶,结发授长生!看卑微主角秦长生如何战天斗地,一步步打开长生之门!
  • 无限穿越地球时空

    无限穿越地球时空

    一小伙深夜邂逅妙龄少女,竟被做出这种事情,事后小伙悲痛欲绝……遇到恐龙?史前文明?遥远的时空等待热血青年李二牛同志去探索,不过首先要从危险的时空存活下去。加油,奥利给!