Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers

Help / FAQ



<- Previous | Table of Contents | Next ->
PinkMonkey.com Digital Library - A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens


88

a single word in reference to the discovery that had been told of,
and, as they went into the house, the business eye of Mr. Lorry
either detected, or fancied it detected, on his face, as it turned
towards Charles Darnay, the same singular look that had been
upon it when it turned towards him in the passages of the Court
House.

He recovered himself so quickly, however, that Mr. Lorry had
doubts of his business eye. The arm of the golden giant in the hall
was not more steady than he was, when he stopped under it to
remark to them that he was not yet proof against slight surprises (if
he ever would be), and that the rain had startled him.

Tea-time, and Miss Pross making tea, with another fit of the jerks
upon her, and yet no Hundreds of people. Mr. Carton had lounged
in, but he made only Two.

The night was so very sultry, that although they sat with doors and
windows open, they were overpowered by heat. When the tea-
table was done with, they all moved to one of the windows, and
looked out into the heavy twilight. Lucie sat by her father; Darnay
sat beside her; Carton leaned against a window. The curtains were
long and white, and some of the thunder-gusts that whirled into
the corner, caught them up to the ceiling, and waved them like
spectral wings.

“The rain-drops are still falling, large, heavy, and few,” said
Doctor Manette.

“It comes slowly.” “It comes surely,” said Carton.
They spoke low, as people watching and waiting mostly do; as
people in a dark room, watching and waiting for Lightning, always
do.

There was a great hurry in the streets of people speeding away to
get shelter before the storm broke; the wonderful corner for echoes
resounded with the echoes of footsteps coming and going, yet not a
footstep was there.

“A multitude of people, and yet a solitude!” said Darnay, when
they had listened for a while.

“Is it not impressive, Mr. Darnay?” asked Lucie. “Sometimes, I
have sat here of an evening, until I have fancied-but even the
shade of a foolish fancy makes me shudder to-night, when all is so
black and solemn--” “Let us shudder too. We may know what it
is.” “It will seem nothing to you. Such whims are only impressive
as we originate them, I think; they are not to be communicated. I
have sometimes sat alone here of an evening, listening, until I have
made the echoes out to be the echoes of all the footsteps that are
coming by-and-bye into our lives.” “There is a great crowd coming
<- Previous | Table of Contents | Next ->



All Contents Copyright © All rights reserved.
Further Distribution Is Strictly Prohibited.

About Us | Advertising | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Home Page


Search:
Keywords:
In Association with Amazon.com