CHAPTER I Th Peeriod 9

CHAPTER II Th Mael 12

CHAPTER III Th Niet Shadoes 17

CHAPTER IV Th Preparaeshun 21

CHAPTER V Th Wien-shop 32

CHAPTER VI Th Shoomaeker 42

CHAPTER I Fiev Yeers Laeter 55

CHAPTER II A Siet 61

CHAPTER III A Disapointment 67

CHAPTER IV Congrachulatory 79

CHAPTER V Th Jakal 85

CHAPTER VI Hundreds of Peepl 90

CHAPTER VII Monseigneur in Toun 101

CHAPTER VIII Monseigneur in th Cuntry 109

CHAPTER IX Th Gorgon's Hed 114

CHAPTER X Too Promises 124

CHAPTER XI A Companyon Pikcher 132

CHAPTER XII Th Felo of Delicasy 136

CHAPTER XIII Th Felo of no Delicasy 142

CHAPTER XIV Th Onest Traedzman 146

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CHAPTER XV Niting 156

CHAPTER XVI Stil Niting 166

CHAPTER XVII Wun Niet 176

CHAPTER XVIII Nien Daes 181

CHAPTER XIX An Opinyon 187

CHAPTER XX A Plee 194

CHAPTER XXI Ekoeing Fuutsteps 197

CHAPTER XXII Th See stil Riezes 208

CHAPTER XXIII Fier Riezes 213

CHAPTER XXIV Drawn to th Loedstoen Rok 219

CHAPTER I In Seecret 233

CHAPTER II Th Griendstoen 243

CHAPTER III Th Shado 249

CHAPTER IV Caam in Storm 254

CHAPTER V Th Wuud-sawyer 259

CHAPTER VI Trieumf 265

CHAPTER VII A Nok at th Dor 271

CHAPTER VIII A Hand at Cards 276

CHAPTER IX Th Gaem Maed 287

CHAPTER X Th Substans of th Shado 299

CHAPTER XI Dusk 312

CHAPTER XII Darknes 316

CHAPTER XIII Fifty-too 324

CHAPTER XIV Th Niting Dun 335

CHAPTER XV Th Fuutsteps die out For ever 346

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LIEF

Paej 9

PEERIOD

   IT WAS th best of tiems, it was th werst of tiems, it was th aej of wizdom, it was th aej of foolishnes, it was th epok of beleef, it was th epok of increduelity, it was th seezon of Liet, it was th seezon of Darknes, it was th spring of hoep, it was th winter of despair, we had evrything befor us, we had nuthing befor us, we wer all going direct to Heven, we wer all going direct th uther wae -- in short, th peeriod was so far liek th prezent peeriod, that sum of its noisiest authoritys insisted on its being reseevd, for guud or for eevil, in th superlativ degree of comparrison oenly.

   Thair wer a king with a larj jaw and a qeen with a plaen faes, on th throen of England; thair wer a king with a larj jaw and a qeen with a fair faes, on th throen of France. In boeth cuntrys it was cleerer than cristal to th lords of th Staet prezervs of loevs and fishes, that things in jeneral wer setld for ever.

   It was th yeer of Our Lord wun thouzand seven hundred and seventy- fiev. Spirichual revelaeshuns wer conseeded to England at that favoured peeriod, as at this. Mrs. Southcott had reesently ataend her fiev-and- twentyeth blesed berthdae, of hoom a profetic prievet in th Lief Gards had herralded th subliem apeerans bi anounsing that araenjments wer maed for th swoloeing up of London and Westminster. Eeven th Cok-laen goest had bin laed oenly a round duzen of yeers, after raping out its mesejes, as th spirits of this verry yeer last past (supernaturally defishent in orijinality) rapt out theirs. Meer mesejes in th erthly order of events had laetly cum to th English Croun and Peepl, frum a conggres of British subjects in America:

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which, straenj to relaet, hav proovd mor important to th hueman raes than eny comuenicaeshuns yet reseevd thru eny of th chikens of th Cok-laen brood.

   France, les favoured on th hoel as to maters spirichual than her sister of th sheeld and triedent, roeld with exseeding smoothnes doun hil, maeking paeper muny and spending it. Under th giedans of her Christian pastors, she entertaend herself, besieds, with such huemaen acheevments as sentensing a yooth to hav his hands cut off, his tung torn out with pincers, and his body bernd aliev, becauz he had not neeld doun in th raen to do onor to a derty proseshun of munks which past within his vue, at a distans of sum fifty or sixty yards. It is liekly enuf that, rooted in th wuuds of France and Norway, thair wer groeing trees, when that suferer was puut to deth, allredy markt bi th Wuudman, Faet, to cum doun and be sawn into bords, to maek a serten moovabl fraemwerk with a sak and a nief in it, terribl in history. It is liekly enuf that in th ruf outhouzes of sum tilers of th hevy lands ajaesent to Paris, thair wer shelterd frum th wether that verry dae, rood carts, bespattered with rustic mier, snuft about bi pigs, and roosted in bi poeltry, which th Farmer, Deth, had allredy set apart to be his tumbrels of th Revolooshun. But that Wuudman and that Farmer, tho thae werk unseesingly, werk sielently, and no wun herd them as thae went about with mufld tred: th rather, forasmuch as to entertaen eny suspishun that thae wer awaek, was to be atheistical and traetorius.

   In England, thair was scairsly an amount of order and protecshun to justifi much nashunal boesting. Dairing berglarys bi armd men, and hiewae roberys, tuuk plaes in th capital itself evry niet; familys wer publicly caushund not to go out of toun without remooving thair fernicher to upholsterers' wairhouses for secuerity; th hiewaeman in th dark was a Sity traedzman in th liet, and, being recogniezd and chalenjd bi his felo-traedzman hoom he stopt in his carracter of "th Capten," gallantly shot him thru th hed and roed awae; th mall was waelaed bi seven robers, and th gard shot three ded, and then got shot ded himself bi th uther foer, "in conseqens of th faeluer of his amuenishun:" after which th mall was robd in pees; that magnifisent poetentaet, th Lord Maeor of London, was maed to stand and deliver on Turnham Green, bi wun hiewaeman, hoo despoild th ilustrius creecher in siet of all his retinue; prizoners in London gaols faut batls with thair turnkeys, and th majesty

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of th law fierd blunderbusses in amung them, loeded with rounds of shot and ball; theevs snipt off diemond crosses frum th neks of noebl lords at Cort drawing-rooms; musketeers went into St. Giles's, to serch for contraband guuds, and th mob fierd on th musketeers, and th musketeers fierd on th mob, and noebody thaut eny of thees ocurenses much out of th comon wae. In th midst of them, th hangman, ever bizy and ever wers than uesles, was in constant reqizishun; now, stringing up long roes of miselaenius criminals; now, hanging a housebreaker on Saturday hoo had bin taeken on Tuesday; now, berning peepl in th hand at Newgate bi th duzen, and now berning pamflets at th dor of Westminster Hall; to-dae, taeking th lief of an atroeshus merderer, and to-morro of a reched pilferer hoo had robd a farmer's boi of sixpence.

   All thees things, and a thouzand liek them, caem to pas in and cloes upon th deer oeld yeer wun thouzand seven hundred and seventy-fiev. Environed bi them, whiel th Wuudman and th Farmer werkt unheeded, thoes too of th larj jaws, and thoes uther too of th plaen and th fair faeses, trod with ster enuf, and carryd thair divien riets with a hi hand. Thus did th yeer wun thouzand seven hundred and seventy-fiev conduct thair Greatnesses, and myriads of small creechers -- th creechers of this cronicl amung th rest -- along th roeds that lae befor them.

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   IT WAS th Dover roed that lae, on a Friday niet laet in November, befor th ferst of th persons with hoom this history has biznes. Th Dover roed lae, as to him, beyond th Dover mael, as it lumberd up Shooter's Hil. He waukt up hil in th mier bi th sied of th mael, as th rest of th pasenjers did; not becauz thae had th leest relish for wauking exersiez, under th sercumstanses, but becauz th hil, and th harnes, and th mud, and th mael, wer all so hevy, that th horses had three tiems allredy cum to a stop, besieds wuns drawing th coech across th roed, with th muetinus intent of taeking it bak to Blackheath. Raens and whip and coechman and gard, however, in combinaeshun, had reed that articl of wor which forbaed a perpos utherwiez strongly in faevor of th arguement, that sum broot animals ar endued with Reezon; and th teem had capichulaeted and reternd to thair duety.

   With drooping heds and tremuelus taels, thae masht thair wae thru th thik mud, floundering and stumbling between whiles, as if thae wer falling to peeses at th larjer joints. As offen as th driever rested them and braut them to a stand, with a wairy "Wo-ho! so-ho- then!" th neer leeder vieolently shuuk his hed and evrything upon it -- liek an unuezhualy emfatic hors, denieing that th coech cuud be got up th hil. Whenever th leeder maed this ratl, th pasenjer started, as a nervus pasenjer miet, and was disterbd in miend.

   Thair was a steeming mist in all th holoes, and it had roemd in its forlornness up th hil, liek an eevil spirit, seeking rest and fiending nun. A clamy and intensly coeld mist, it maed its slo wae thru th air in ripls that vizibly foloed and oeverspred wun anuther, as

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th waevs of an unhoelsum see miet do. It was dens enuf to shut out evrything frum th liet of th coech-lamps but thees its oen werkings, and a fue yards of roed; and th reek of th labouring horses steemd into it, as if thae had maed it all.

   Too uther pasenjers, besieds th wun, wer ploding up th hil bi th sied of th mael. All three wer rapt to th cheekboens and oever th eers, and wor jak-boots. Not wun of th three cuud hav sed, frum enything he saw, whut eether of th uther too was liek; and eech was hiden under allmoest as meny rapers frum th ies of th miend, as frum th ies of th body, of his too companyons. In thoes daes, travelers wer verry shi of being confidenshal on a short noetis, for enybody on th roed miet be a rober or in leeg with robers. As to th later, when evry posting-hous and ael-hous cuud produes sumbody in "th Captain's" pae, raenjing frum th landlord to th loeest staebl non- descript, it was th likeliest thing upon th cards. So th gard of th Dover mael thaut to himself, that Friday niet in November, wun thouzand seven hundred and seventy-fiev, lumbering up Shooter's Hil, as he stuud on his oen particuelar perch behiend th mael, beeting his feet, and keeping an ie and a hand on th arm-chest befor him, wherr a loeded blunderbus lae at th top of six or aet loeded hors-pistols, depozited on a substratum of cutlas.

   Th Dover mael was in its uezhual jeenial pozishun that th gard suspected th pasenjers, th pasenjers suspected wun anuther and th gard, thae all suspected evrybody els, and th coechman was shur of nuthing but th horses; as to which catl he cuud with a cleer conshens hav taeken his oeth on th too Testaments that thae wer not fit for th jerny.

   "Wo-ho!" sed th coechman. "So, then! Wun mor puul and U'r at th top and be damd to U, for I hav had trubl enuf to get U to it! -- Joe!"

   "Halloa!" th gard replied.

   "Whut o'clok do U maek it, Joe?"

   "Ten minits, guud, past eleven."

   "Mi blud!" ejacuelaeted th vext coechman, "and not atop of Shooter's yet! Tst! Yah! Get on with U! "

   Th emfatic hors, cut short bi th whip in a moest desieded negativ, maed a desieded scrambl for it, and th three uther horses foloed soot. Wuns mor, th Dover mael strugld on, with th jak-boots of its pasenjers sqoshing along bi its sied. Thae had stopt when th coech

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stopt, and thae kept cloes cumpany with it. If eny wun of th three had had th hardyhuud to propoez to anuther to wauk on a litl ahed into th mist and darknes, he wuud hav puut himself in a fair wae of geting shot instantly as a hiewaeman.

   Th last berst carryd th mael to th sumit of th hil. Th horses stopt to breeth agen, and th gard got doun to skid th wheel for th desent, and oepen th coech-dor to let th pasenjers in.

   "Tst! Joe!" cried th coechman in a worning vois, luuking doun frum his box.

   "Whut do U sae, Tom?"

   Thae boeth lisend.

   "I sae a hors at a canter cuming up, Joe."

   "I sae a hors at a galop, Tom," reternd th gard, leeving his hoeld of th dor, and mounting nimbly to his plaes. "Jentlmen! In th kings naem, all of U!"

   With this heryd ajuraeshun, he cokt his blunderbus, and stuud on th ofensiv.

   Th pasenjer buukt bi this history, was on th coech-step, geting in; th too uther pasenjers wer cloes behiend him, and about to folo. He remaend on th step, haf in th coech and haf out of; thae remaend in th roed belo him. Thae all luukt frum th coechman to th gard, and frum th gard to th coechman, and lisend. Th coechman luukt bak and th gard luukt bak, and eeven th emfatic leeder prikt up his eers and luukt bak, without contradicting.

   Th stilnes conseqent on th sesaeshun of th rumbling and labouring of th coech, aded to th stilnes of th niet, maed it verry qieet indeed. Th panting of th horses comuenicaeted a tremuelus moeshun to th coech, as if it wer in a staet of ajitaeshun. Th harts of th pasenjers beet loud enuf perhaps to be herd; but at eny raet, th qieet pauz was audibly expresiv of peepl out of breth, and hoelding th breth, and having th pulses qikend bi expectaeshun.

   Th sound of a hors at a galop caem fast and fueriusly up th hil.

   "So-ho!" th gard sang out, as loud as he cuud ror. "Yo thair! Stand! I shal fier!"

   Th paes was sudenly chekt, and, with much splashing and floundering, a man's vois calld frum th mist, "Is that th Dover mael?"

   "Never U miend whut it is!" th gard retorted. "Whut ar U?"

   "Is that th Dover mael?"

   "Whi do U wont to noe?"

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   "I wont a pasenjer, if it is."

   "Whut pasenjer?"

   "Mr. Jarvis Lory."

   Our buukt pasenjer shoed in a moement that it was his naem. Th gard, th coechman, and th too uther pasenjers ied him distrustfuly.

   "Keep wherr U ar," th gard calld to th vois in th mist, "becauz, if I shuud maek a mistaek, it cuud never be set riet in yur lieftiem. Jentlman of th naem of Lory anser straet."

   "Whut is th mater?" askt th pasenjer, then, with mieldly qaevering speech. "Hoo wonts me? Is it Jerry?"

   ("I don't liek Jerry's vois, if it is Jerry," grould th gard to himself. "He's hoarser than soots me, is Jerry.")

   "Yes, Mr. Lory."

   "Whut is th mater?"

   "A despach sent after U frum oever yonder. T. and Co."

   "I noe this mesenjer, gard," sed Mr. Lory, geting doun into th roed-asisted frum behiend mor swiftly than polietly bi th uther too pasenjers, hoo imeedyetly scrambld into th coech, shut th dor, and puuld up th windo. "He mae cum cloes; thair's nuthing rong."

   "I hoep thair ain't, but I can't maek so 'nation shur of that," sed th gard, in gruf soliloqy. "Hallo U!"

   "Wel! And hallo U!" sed Jerry, mor horsly than befor.

   "Cum on at a footpace! d'ye miend me? And if U'v got holsters to that sadl o' yourn, don't let me see yur hand go ni 'em. For I'm a devil at a qik mistaek, and when I maek wun it taeks th form of Leed. So now let's luuk at U."

   Th figuers of a hors and rieder caem sloely thru th eddying mist, and caem to th sied of th mael, wherr th pasenjer stuud. Th rieder stoopt, and, casting up his ies at th gard, handed th pasenjer a small foelded paeper. Th rider's hors was bloen, and boeth hors and rieder wer cuverd with mud, frum th huufs of th hors to th hat of th man.

   "Gard!" sed th pasenjer, in a toen of qieet biznes confidens.

   Th wochful gard, with his riet hand at th stok of his raezd blunderbus, his left at th barrel, and his ie on th horsman, anserd curtly, "Ser."

   "Thair is nuthing to aprehend. I belong to Tellson's Bank. U

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must noe Tellson's Bank in London. I am going to Paris on biznes. A croun to drink. I mae reed this?"

   "If so be as U'r qik, ser."

   He oepend it in th liet of th coech-lamp on that sied, and reed -- ferst to himself and then aloud: "'wait at Dover for Mam'selle.' It's not long, U see, gard. Jerry, sae that mi anser was, RECALLD TO LIEF."

   Jerry started in his sadl. "That's a Blaezing straenj anser, too," sed he, at his hoarsest.

   "Taek that mesej bak, and thae wil noe that I reseevd this, as wel as if I roet. Maek th best of yur wae. Guud niet."

   With thoes werds th pasenjer oepend th coech-dor and got in; not at all asisted bi his felo-pasenjers, hoo had expedishusly secreeted thair woches and perses in thair boots, and wer now maeking a jeneral preetens of being asleep. With no mor definit perpos than to escaep th hazard of orijinaeting eny uther kiend of acshun.

   Th coech lumberd on agen, with hevyer reeths of mist cloezing round it as it began th desent. Th gard soon replaest his blunderbus in his arm-chest, and, having luukt to th rest of its contents, and having luukt to th suplementary pistols that he wor in his belt, luukt to a smaller chest beneeth his seet, in which thair wer a fue smith's tools, a cupl of torches, and a tinder-box. For he was fernisht with that compleetnes that if th coech-lamps had bin bloen and stormd out, which did ocaezhunaly hapen, he had oenly to shut himself up insied, keep th flint and steel sparks wel off th straw, and get a liet with tolerabl saefty and eez (if he wer luky) in fiev minits.

   "Tom!" sofftly oever th coech roof.

   "Hallo, Joe."

   "Did U heer th mesej?"

   "I did, Joe."

   "Whut did U maek of it, Tom?"

   "Nuthing at all, Joe."

   "That's a coeinsidens, too," th gard muezd, "for I maed th saem of it mieself."

   Jerry, left aloen in th mist and darknes, dismounted meenwhiel, not oenly to eez his spent hors, but to wiep th mud frum his faes, and shaek th wet out of his hat-brim, which miet be caepabl of hoelding about haf a galon. After standing with th briedl oever his hevily- splasht arm, until th wheels of th mael wer no longger within heering and th niet was qiet stil agen, he ternd to wauk doun th hil.

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   "After that thair galop frum Templ Bar, oeld laedy, I woen't trust yur for-legs til I get U on th level," sed this hors mesenjer, glansing at his mair. "'recalled to lief.' That's a Blaezing straenj mesej. Much of that wuudn't do for U, Jerry! I sae, Jerry! U'd be in a Blaezing bad wae, if recalling to lief was to cum into fashun, Jerry!"

   A WUNDERFUL FACT to reflect upon, that evry hueman creecher is constitueted to be that profound seecret and mistery to evry uther. A solem consideraeshun, when I enter a graet sity bi niet, that evry wun of thoes darkly clusterd houses encloezes its oen seecret; that evry room in evry wun of them encloezes its oen seecret; that evry beeting hart in th hundreds of thouzands of brests thair, is, in sum of its imajinings, a seecret to th hart neerest it! Sumthing of th aufulnes, eeven of Deth itself, is referable to this. No mor can I tern th leevs of this deer buuk that I luvd, and vaenly hoep in tiem to reed it all. No mor can I luuk into th depths of this unfathomabl wauter, wherrin, as moementairy liets glanst into it, I hav had glimpses of berryd trezher and uther things submerjd. It was apointed that th buuk shuud shut with a spring, for ever and for ever, when I had reed but a paej. It was apointed that th wauter shuud be lokt in an eternal frost, when th liet was plaeing on its serfis, and I stuud in ignorans on th shor. Mi frend is ded, mi naebor is ded, mi luv, th darling of mi soel, is ded; it is th inexorabl consolidaeshun and perpechuaeshun of th seecret that was allwaes in that indivijuality, and which I shal carry in mien to mi life's end. In

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eny of th berrial-plaeses of this sity thru which I pas, is thair a sleeper mor inscrootabl than its bizy inhabitants ar, in thair inermoest personality, to me, or than I am to them?

   As to this, his nacheral and not to be aelianaeted inherritans, th mesenjer on horsbak had exactly th saem pozeshuns as th King, th ferst Minister of Staet, or th richest merchant in London. So with th three pasenjers shut up in th narro compas of wun lumbering oeld mael coech; thae wer misterys to wun anuther, as compleet as if eech had bin in his oen coech and six, or his oen coech and sixty, with th bredth of a county between him and th next.

   Th mesenjer roed bak at an eezy trot, stoping prity offen at ael- houses bi th wae to drink, but evincing a tendensy to keep his oen counsel, and to keep his hat cokt oever his ies. He had ies that asorted verry wel with that decoraeshun, being of a serfis blak, with no depth in th colour or form, and much too neer together -- as if thae wer afraed of being found out in sumthing, singgly, if thae kept too far apart. Thae had a sinister expreshun, under an oeld cokt-hat liek a three-cornerd spitoon, and oever a graet mufler for th chin and throet, which desended neerly to th wearer's nees. When he stopt for drink, he moovd this mufler with his left hand, oenly whiel he pord his likor in with his riet; as soon as that was dun, he mufld agen.

   "No, Jerry, no!" sed th mesenjer, harping on wun theem as he roed. "It wuudn't do for U, Jerry. Jerry, U onest traedzman, it wuudn't soot yur lien of biznes! Recalld -- ! Bust me if I don't think he'd bin a drinking!"

   His mesej perplext his miend to that degree that he was faen, several tiems, to taek off his hat to scrach his hed. Exsept on th croun, which was raggedly balld, he had stif, blak hair, standing jagedly all oever it, and groeing doun hil allmoest to his braud, blunt noez. It was so liek Smith's werk, so much mor liek th top of a strongly spiekt wall than a hed of hair, that th best of plaeers at leep-frog miet hav decliend him, as th moest daenjerus man in th werld to go oever.

   Whiel he troted bak with th mesej he was to deliver to th niet wochman in his box at th dor of Tellson's Bank, bi Templ Bar, hoo was to deliver it to graeter authoritys within, th shadoes of th niet tuuk such shaeps to him as aroez out of th mesej, and tuuk such shaeps to th mair as aroez out of her prievet topics of uneezynes. Thae seemd to be nuemerus, for she shied at evry shado on th roed.

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   Whut tiem, th mael-coech lumberd, jolted, ratld, and bumpt upon its tecdius wae, with its three felo-inscrutables insied. To hoom, liekwiez, th shadoes of th niet reveeld themselvs, in th forms thair doezing ies and waandering thauts sugjested.

   Tellson's Bank had a run upon it in th mael. As th bank pasenjer -- with an arm drawn thru th lethern strap, which did whut lae in it to keep him frum pounding agenst th next pasenjer, and drieving him into his corner, whenever th coech got a speshal joelt -- noded in his plaes, with haf-shut ies, th litl coech-windoes, and th coech-lamp dimly gleeming thru them, and th bulky bundl of opozit pasenjer, becaem th bank, and did a graet stroek of biznes. Th ratl of th harnes was th chink of muny, and mor drafts wer onord in fiev minits than eeven Tellson's, with all its forin and hoem conecshun, ever paed in thries th tiem. Then th strong-rooms underground, at Tellson's, with such of thair valueabl stors and seecrets as wer noen to th pasenjer (and it was not a litl that he nue about them), oepend befor him, and he went in amung them with th graet kees and th feebly-berning candl, and found them saef, and strong, and sound, and stil, just as he had last seen them.

   But, tho th bank was allmoest allwaes with him, and tho th coech (in a confuezd wae, liek th prezens of paen under an oepiaet) was allwaes with him, thair was anuther curent of impreshun that never seest to run, all thru th niet. He was on his wae to dig sum wun out of a graev.

   Now, which of th multitued of faeses that shoed themselvs befor him was th troo faes of th berryd person, th shadoes of th niet did not indicaet; but thae wer all th faeses of a man of fiev-and-forty bi yeers, and thae diferd prinsipaly in th pashuns thae exprest, and in th ghastliness of thair worn and waested staet. Pried, contempt, defieans, stubornnes, submishun, lamentaeshun, sucseeded wun anuther; so did varieetys of sunken cheek, cadaverus colour, emaeshiaeted hands and figuers. But th faes was in th maen wun faes, and evry hed was preematurly whiet. A hundred tiems th doezing pasenjer inqierd of this specter:

   "Berryd how long?"

   Th anser was allwaes th saem: "Allmoest aeteen yeers."

   "U had abandond all hoep of being dug out?"

   "Long ago."

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   "U noe that U ar recalld to lief?"

   "Thae tel me so."

   "I hoep U cair to liv?"

   "I can't sae."

   "Shal I sho her to U? Wil U cum and see her?"

   Th ansers to this qeschun wer vairius and contradictory. Sumtiems th broeken repli was, "Waet! It wuud kil me if I saw her too soon." Sumtiems, it was given in a tender raen of teers, and then it was, "Taek me to her." Sumtiems it was stairing and bewilderd, and then it was, "I don't noe her. I don't understand."

   After such imajinairy discors, th pasenjer in his fansy wuud dig, and dig, dig -- now with a spaed, now with a graet kee, now with his hands -- to dig this reched creecher out. Got out at last, with erth hanging about his faes and hair, he wuud sudenly fan awae to dust. Th pasenjer wuud then start to himself, and loeer th windo, to get th reality of mist and raen on his cheek.

   Yet eeven when his ies wer oepend on th mist and raen, on th mooving pach of liet frum th lamps, and th hej at th roedsied retreeting bi jerks, th niet shadoes outsied th coech wuud fall into th traen of th niet shadoes within. Th reeal Banking-hous bi Templ Bar, th reeal biznes of th past dae, th reeal strong rooms, th reeal expres sent after him, and th reeal mesej reternd, wuud all be thair. Out of th midst of them, th goestly faes wuud riez, and he wuud acost it agen.

   "Berryd how long?"

   "Allmoest aeteen yeers."

   "I hoep U cair to liv?"

   "I can't sae."

   Dig -- dig -- dig -- until an impaeshent moovment frum wun of th too pasenjers wuud admonish him to puul up th windo, draw his arm secuerly thru th lethern strap, and specuelaet upon th too slumbering forms, until his miend lost its hoeld of them, and thae agen slid awae into th bank and th graev.

   "Berryd how long?"

   "Allmoest aeteen yeers."

   "U had abandond all hoep of being dug out?"

   "Long ago."

Paej 21

   Th werds wer stil in his heering as just spoeken -- distinktly in his heering as ever spoeken werds had bin in his lief -- when th weery pasenjer started to th conshusnes of daeliet, and found that th shadoes of th niet wer gon.

   He loeerd th windo, and luukt out at th riezing sun. Thair was a rij of ploughed land, with a plough upon it wherr it had bin left last niet when th horses wer unyoked; beyond, a qieet copis-wuud, in which meny leevs of berning red and goelden yelo stil remaend upon th trees. Tho th erth was coeld and wet, th skie was cleer, and th sun roez briet, plasid, and buetyful.

   "Aeteen yeers!" sed th pasenjer, luuking at th sun. "Graeshus Creaetor of dae! To be berryd aliev for aeteen yeers!"

   WHEN TH MAEL got sucsesfuly to Dover, in th cors of th fornoon, th hed dror at th Roial George Hoetel oepend th coech-dor as his custom was. He did it with sum flerish of serremoeny, for a mael jerny frum London in winter was an acheevment to congrachulaet an advencherus traveler upon.

   Bi that tiem, thair was oenly wun advencherus traveler left to be congrachulaeted: for th too uthers had bin set doun at thair respectiv roedsied destinaeshuns. Th mildewy insied of th coech, with its damp and derty straw, its disageeable smel, and its obscuerity, was rather liek a larjer daug-kenel. Mr. Lory, th pasenjer, shaeking himself out of it in chaens of straw, a tanggl of shagy raper, flaping hat, and mudy legs, was rather liek a larjer sort of daug.

Paej 22

   "Thair wil be a paket to Calais, to-morro, dror?"

   "Yes, ser, if th wether hoelds and th wind sets tolerabl fair. Th tied wil serv prity niesly at about too in th afternoon, ser. Bed, ser?"

   "I shal not go to bed til niet; but I wont a bedroom, and a barber."

   "And then brekfast, ser? Yes, ser. That wae, ser, if U pleez. Sho Concord! Gentleman's valees and hot wauter to Concord. Puul off gentleman's boots in Concord. (U wil fiend a fien see-coel fier, ser.) Fech barber to Concord. Ster about thair, now, for Concord!"

   Th Concord bed-chaember being allwaes asiend to a pasenjer bi th mael, and pasenjers bi th mael being allwaes hevily rapt up frum beed to fuut, th room had th od interest for th establishment of th Roial George, that alltho but wun kiend of man was seen to go into it, all kiends and varieetys of men caem out of it. Conseqently, anuther dror, and too porters, and several maeds and th landlaedy, wer all loitering bi acsident at vairius points of th roed between th Concord and th coffy-room, when a jentlman of sixty, formaly drest in a broun soot of cloeths, prity wel worn, but verry wel kept, with larj sqair cufs and larj flaps to th pokets, past along on his wae to his brekfast.

   Th coffy-room had no uther ocuepant, that fornoon, than th jentlman in broun. His brekfast-taebl was drawn befor th fier, and as he sat, with its liet shiening on him, waeting for th meel, he sat so stil, that he miet hav bin siting for his portret.

   Verry orderly and methodical he luukt, with a hand on eech nee, and a loud woch tiking a sonorus sermon under his flapt waestcoet, as tho it pitted its gravity and longjevity agenst th levity and evanesens of th brisk fier. He had a guud leg, and was a litl vaen of it, for his broun stokings fited sleek and cloes, and wer of a fien texcher; his shoos and bukls, too, tho plaen, wer trim. He wor an od litl sleek crisp flaxen wig, seting verry cloes to his hed: which wig, it is to be prezoomd, was maed of hair, but which luukt far mor as tho it wer spun frum filaments of silk or glas. His linen, tho not of a fiennes in acordans with his stokings, was as whiet as th tops of th waevs that broek upon th neighbouring beech, or th speks of sael that glinted in th sunliet far at see. A faes habichualy suprest and qieeted, was stil lieted up under th qaent wig bi a pair of moist briet ies that it must hav cost thair oener, in yeers gon bi, sum paens to dril to th compoezd and rezervd expreshun of Tellson's Bank.

Paej 23

He had a helthy colour in his cheeks, and his faes, tho liend, bor fue traeses of angzieity. But, perhaps th confidenshal bachelor clerks in Tellson's Bank wer prinsipaly ocuepied with th cairs of uther peepl; and perhaps second-hand cairs, liek second-hand cloeths, cum eezily off and on.

   Compleeting his rezemblans to a man hoo was siting for his portret, Mr. Lory dropt off to sleep. Th arieval of his brekfast rouzd him, and he sed to th dror, as he moovd his chair to it:

   "I wish acomodaeshun prepaird for a yung laedy hoo mae cum heer at eny tiem to-dae. She mae ask for Mr. Jarvis Lory, or she mae oenly ask for a jentlman frum Tellson's Bank. Pleez to let me noe."

   "Yes, ser. Tellson's Bank in London, ser?"

   "Yes."

   "Yes, ser. We hav offtentiems th onor to entertaen yur jentlmen in thair traveling bakwards and forwards betwixt London and Paris, ser. A vast deel of traveling, ser, in Tellson and Company's Hous."

   "Yes. We ar qiet a French Hous, as wel as an English wun."

   "Yes, ser. Not much in th habit of such traveling yurself, I think, ser?"

   "Not of laet yeers. It is fifteen yeers sinss we -- sinss I -- caem last frum France."

   "Indeed, ser? That was befor mi tiem heer, ser. Befor our people's tiem heer, ser. Th George was in uther hands at that tiem, ser."

   "I beleev so."

   "But I wuud hoeld a prity waejer, ser, that a Hous liek Tellson and Cumpany was flerishing, a mater of fifty, not to speek of fifteen yeers ago?"

   "U miet trebl that, and sae a hundred and fifty, yet not be far frum th trooth."

   "Indeed, ser!"

   Rounding his mouth and boeth his ies, as he stept bakward frum th taebl, th waeter shifted his napkin frum his riet arm to his left, dropt into a cumfortabl atitued, and stuud servaeing th gest whiel he aet and drank, as frum an obzervatory or wochtower. Acording to th imemorial uesej of waeters in all aejes.

   When Mr. Lory had finisht his brekfast, he went out for a stroel on th beech. Th litl narro, cruuked toun of Dover hid itself awae frum th beech, and ran its hed into th chauk clifs, liek a mareen

Paej 24

ostrich. Th beech was a dezert of heeps of see and stoens tumbling wieldly about, and th see did whut it liekt, and whut it liekt was destrucshun. It thunderd at th toun, and thunderd at th clifs, and braut th coest doun, madly. Th air amung th houses was of so strong a piscatory flavour that wun miet hav supoezd sik fish went up to be dipt in it, as sik peepl went doun to be dipt in th see. A litl fishing was dun in th port, and a qontity of stroeling about bi niet, and luuking seeward: particuelarly at thoes tiems when th tied maed, and was neer flud. Small traedzmen, hoo did no biznes whutever, sumtiems unacountably realised larj forchuns, and it was remarkabl that noebody in th naeborhuud cuud endur a lamplieter.

   As th dae decliend into th afternoon, and th air, which had bin at intervals cleer enuf to alow th French coest to be seen, becaem agen charjd with mist and vapour, Mr. Lorry's thauts seemd to cloud too. When it was dark, and he sat befor th coffy-room fier, awaeting his diner as he had awaeted his brekfast, his miend was bizily diging, diging, diging, in th liv red coels.

   A botl of guud clarret after diner duz a diger in th red coels no harm, utherwiez than as it has a tendensy to thro him out of werk. Mr. Lory had bin iedl a long tiem, and had just pord out his last glasful of wien with as compleet an apeerans of satisfacshun as is ever to be found in an elderly jentlman of a fresh complexshun hoo has got to th end of a botl, when a ratling of wheels caem up th narro street, and rumbld into th in-yard.

   He set doun his glas untucht. "This is Mam'selle!" sed he.

   In a verry fue minits th waeter caem in to anouns that Mis Manette had arievd frum London, and wuud be hapy to see th jentlman frum Tellson's.

   "So soon?"

   Mis Manette had taeken sum refreshment on th roed, and reqierd nun then, and was extreemly ankshus to see th jentlman frum Tellson's imeedyetly, if it sooted his plezher and conveenyuns.

   Th jentlman frum Tellson's had nuthing left for it but to empty his glas with an air of stolid desperaeshun, setl his od litl flaxen wig at th eers, and folo th waeter to Mis Manette's apartment. It was a larj, dark room, fernisht in a fueneerial maner with blak hors-hair, and loeded with hevy dark taebls. Thees had bin oild and oild, until th too tall candls on th taebl in th midl of th room wer gloomily

Paej 25

reflected on evry leef; as if thae wer berryd, in deep graevs of blak mahogany, and no liet to speek of cuud be expected frum them until thae wer dug out.

   Th obscuerity was so dificult to penetraet that Mr. Lory, piking his wae oever th wel-worn Terky carpet, supoezd Mis Manette to be, for th moement, in sum ajaesent room, until, having got past th too tall candls, he saw standing to reseev him bi th taebl between them and th fier, a yung laedy of not mor than seventeen, in a rieding-cloek, and stil hoelding her straw traveling-hat bi its ribon in her hand. As his ies rested on a short, sliet, prity figuer, a qontity of goelden hair, a pair of bloo ies that met his oen with an inqiering luuk, and a forhed with a singguelar capasity (remembering how yung and smooth it was), of rifting and niting itself into an expreshun that was not qiet wun of perplexity, or wunder, or alarm, or meerly of a briet fixt atenshun, tho it inclooded all th foer expreshuns -- as his ies rested on thees things, a suden vivid lieknes past befor him, of a chield hoom he had held in his arms on th pasej across that verry Chanel, wun coeld tiem, when th hael drifted hevily and th see ran hi. Th lieknes past awae, liek a breth along th serfis of th gaunt peer-glas behiend her, on th fraem of which, a hospital proseshun of negro cupids, several hedles and all cripples, wer offering blak baskets of Ded See froot to blak divinitys of th feminin jender -- and he maed his formal bow to Mis Manette.

   "Prae taek a seet, ser." In a verry cleer and plezant yung vois; a litl forin in its acsent, but a verry litl indeed.

   "I kis yur hand, mis," sed Mr. Lory, with th maners of an erlyer daet, as he maed his formal bow agen, and tuuk his seet.

   "I reseevd a leter frum th Bank, ser, yesterdae, informing me that sum intelijens -- or discuvery -- "

   "Th werd is not mateerial, mis; eether werd wil do."

   " -- respecting th small property of mi pur faather, hoom I never saw-so long ded -- "

   Mr. Lory moovd in his chair, and cast a trubld luuk tords th hospital proseshun of negro cupids. As if thae had eny help for enybody in thair abserd baskets!

   " -- renderd it nesesairy that I shuud go to Paris, thair to comuenicaet with a jentlman of th Bank, so guud as to be despacht to Paris for th perpos."

Paej 26

   "Mieself."

   "As I was prepaird to heer, ser."

   She curtseyed to him (yung laedys maed curtseys in thoes daes), with a prity dezier to convae to him that she felt how much oelder and wiezer he was than she. He maed her anuther bow.

   "I replied to th Bank, ser, that as it was considerd nesesairy, bi thoes hoo noe, and hoo ar so kiend as to adviez me, that I shuud go to France, and that as I am an orfan and hav no frend hoo cuud go with me, I shuud esteem it hiely if I miet be permited to plaes mieself, during th jerny, under that werthy gentleman's protecshun. Th jentlman had left London, but I think a mesenjer was sent after him to beg th faevor of his waeting for me heer."

   "I was hapy," sed Mr. Lory, "to be entrusted with th charj. I shal be mor hapy to execuet it."

   "Ser, I thank U indeed. I thank U verry graetfuly. It was toeld me bi th Bank that th jentlman wuud explaen to me th deetaels of th biznes, and that I must prepair mieself to fiend them of a serpriezing naecher. I hav dun mi best to prepair mieself, and I nacheraly hav a strong and eeger interest to noe whut thae ar."

   "Nacheraly," sed Mr. Lory. "Yes -- I -- "

   After a pauz, he aded, agen setling th crisp flaxen wig at th eers,

   "It is verry dificult to begin."

   He did not begin, but, in his indesizhun, met her glans. Th yung forhed lifted itself into that singguelar expreshun -- but it was prity and carracteristic, besieds being singguelar -- and she raezd her hand, as if with an involuntairy acshun she caut at, or staed sum pasing shado.

   "Ar U qiet a straenjer to me, ser?"

   "Am I not?" Mr. Lory oepend his hands, and extended them outwards with an arguementativ smiel.

   Between th iebrows and just oever th litl feminin noez, th lien of which was as deliket and fien as it was posibl to be, th expreshun deepend itself as she tuuk her seet thautfuly in th chair bi which she had hitherto remaend standing. He wocht her as she muezd, and th moement she raezd her ies agen, went on:

   "In yur adopted cuntry, I prezoom, I cannot do beter than adres U as a yung English laedy, Mis Manette?"

   "If U pleez, ser."

   "Mis Manette, I am a man of biznes. I hav a biznes charj to

Paej 27

aqit mieself of. In yur resepshun of it, don't heed me eny mor than if I was a speeking masheen -- trooly, I am not much els. I wil, with yur leev, relaet to U, mis, th story of wun of our customers."

   "Story!"

   He seemd wilfuly to mistaek th werd she had repeeted, when he aded, in a hery, "Yes, customers; in th banking biznes we uezhualy call our conecshun our customers. He was a French jentlman; a sieentific jentlman; a man of graet acquirements -- a Doctor."

   "Not of Beauvais?"

   "Whi, yes, of Beauvais. Liek Monsieur Manette, yur faather, th jentlman was of Beauvais. Liek Monsieur Manette, yur faather, th jentlman was of repuet in Paris. I had th onor of noeing him thair. Our relaeshuns wer biznes relaeshuns, but confidenshal. I was at that tiem in our French Hous, and had bin -- o! twenty yeers."

   "At that tiem -- I mae ask, at whut tiem, ser?"

   "I speek, mis, of twenty yeers ago. He marryd -- an English laedy -- and I was wun of th trustees. His afairs, liek th afairs of meny uther French jentlmen and French familys, wer entierly in Tellson's hands. In a similar wae I am, or I hav bin, trustee of wun kiend or uther for scors of our customers. Thees ar meer biznes relaeshuns, mis; thair is no frendship in them, no particuelar interest, nuthing liek sentiment. I hav past frum wun to anuther, in th cors of mi biznes lief, just as I pas frum wun of our customers to anuther in th cors of mi biznes dae; in short, I hav no feelings; I am a meer masheen. To go on -- "

   "But this is mi father's story, ser; and I begin to think" -- th cueriusly rufend forhed was verry intent upon him -- "that when I was left an orfan thru mi mother's servieving mi faather oenly too yeers, it was U hoo braut me to England. I am allmoest shur it was U."

   Mr. Lory tuuk th hezitaeting litl hand that confidingly advanst to taek his, and he puut it with sum serremoeny to his lips. He then conducted th yung laedy straetwae to her chair agen, and, hoelding th chairback with his left hand, and uezing his riet bi terns to rub his chin, puul his wig at th eers, or point whut he sed, stuud luuking doun into her faes whiel she sat luuking up into his.

   "Mis Manette, it was I. And U wil see how trooly I spoek of mieself just now, in saeing I had no feelings, and that all th relaeshuns I hoeld with mi felo-creechers ar meer biznes relaeshuns, when U reflect

Paej 28

that I hav never seen U sinss. No; U hav bin th word of Tellson's Hous sinss, and I hav bin bizy with th uther biznes of Tellson's Hous sinss. Feelings! I hav no tiem for them, no chans of them. I pas mi hoel lief, mis, in terning an imens pecueniairy Manggl."

   After this od descripshun of his daely rooteen of emploiment, Mr. Lory flatend his flaxen wig upon his hed with boeth hands (which was moest unnesesairy, for nuthing cuud be flater than its shiening serfis was befor), and rezoomd his former atitued.

   "So far, mis (as U hav remarkt), this is th story of yur regreted faather. Now cums th diferens. If yur faather had not died when he did -- Don't be frietend! How U start!"

   She did, indeed, start. And she caut his rist with boeth her hands.

   "Prae," sed Mr. Lory, in a soothing toen, bringing his left hand frum th bak of th chair to lae it on th supplicatory finggers that claspt him in so vieolent a trembl: "prae controel yur ajitaeshun -- a mater of biznes. As I was saeing -- "

   Her luuk so discomposed him that he stopt, waanderd, and began anue:

   "As I was saeing; if Monsieur Manette had not died; if he had sudenly and sielently disapeerd; if he had bin spirited awae; if it had not bin dificult to ges to whut dredful plaes, tho no art cuud traes him; if he had an enemy in sum compaetriot hoo cuud exersiez a privilej that I in mi oen tiem hav noen th boeldest peepl afraed to speek of in a whisper, across th wauter thair; for instans, th privilej of filing up blank forms for th consienment of eny wun to th oblivion of a prizon for eny length of tiem; if his wief had implord th king, th qeen, th cort, th clerjy, for eny tiedings of him, and all qiet in vaen; -- then th history of yur faather wuud hav bin th history of this unforchunet jentlman, th Doctor of Beauvais."

   "I entreet U to tel me mor, ser."

   "I wil. I am going to. U can bair it?"

   "I can bair enything but th unsertanty U leev me in at this moement."

   "U speek collectedly, and U -- ar colected. That's guud!" (Tho his maner was les satisfied than his werds.) "A mater of biznes. Regard it as a mater of biznes -- biznes that must be dun. Now if this doctor's wief, tho a laedy of graet curej and spirit, had suferd so intensly frum this cauz befor her litl chield was born -- "

Paej 29

   "Th litl chield was a dauter, ser."

   "A dauter. A -- a -- mater of biznes -- don't be distrest. Mis, if th pur laedy had suferd so intensly befor her litl chield was born, that she caem to th determinaeshun of spairing th pur chield th inherritans of eny part of th agony she had noen th paens of, bi reering her in th beleef that her faather was ded -- No, don't neel! In Heaven's naem whi shuud U neel to me!"

   "For th trooth. O deer, guud, compashunet ser, for th trooth!"

   "A -- a mater of biznes. U confuez me, and how can I transact biznes if I am confuezd? Let us be cleer-heded. If U cuud kiendly menshun now, for instans, whut nien tiems ninepence ar, or how meny shilings in twenty guineas, it wuud be so encurejing. I shuud be so much mor at mi eez about yur staet of miend."

   Without directly ansering to this apeel, she sat so stil when he had verry jently raezd her, and th hands that had not seest to clasp his rists wer so much mor stedy than thae had bin, that she comuenicaeted sum re-ashurans to Mr. Jarvis Lory.

   "That's riet, that's riet. Curej! Biznes! U hav biznes befor U; uesful biznes. Mis Manette, yur muther tuuk this cors with U. And when she died -- I beleev broeken-hearted -- having never slakend her unavaeling serch for yur faather, she left U, at too yeers oeld, to gro to be blooming, buetyful, and hapy, without th dark cloud upon U of living in unsertanty whether yur faather soon wor his hart out in prizon, or waested thair thru meny linggering yeers."

   As he sed th werds he luukt doun, with an admiering pity, on th floeing goelden hair; as if he pikcherd to himself that it miet hav bin allredy tinged with grae.

   "U noe that yur pairents had no graet pozeshun, and that whut thae had was secuerd to yur muther and to U. Thair has bin no nue discuvery, of muny, or of eny uther property; but -- "

   He felt his rist held cloeser, and he stopt. Th expreshun in th forhed, which had so particuelarly atracted his noetis, and which was now imoovabl, had deepend into wun of paen and horror.

   "But he has bin -- bin found. He is aliev. Graetly chaenjd, it is too probabl; allmoest a rek, it is posibl; tho we wil hoep th best. Stil, aliev. Yur faather has bin taeken to th hous of an oeld servant in Paris, and we ar going thair: I, to iedentifi him if I can: U, to restor him to lief, luv, duety, rest, cumfort."

   A shiver ran thru her fraem, and frum it thru his. She sed, in

Paej 30

a lo, distinkt, au-striken vois, as if she wer saeing it in a dreem,

   "I am going to see his Goest! It wil be his Goest -- not him!"

   Mr. Lory qieetly chafed th hands that held his arm. "Thair, thair, thair! See now, see now! Th best and th werst ar noen to U, now. U ar wel on yur wae to th pur rongd jentlman, and, with a fair see voiej, and a fair land jerny, U wil be soon at his deer sied."

   She repeeted in th saem toen, sunk to a whisper, "I hav bin free, I hav bin hapy, yet his Goest has never haunted me!"

   "Oenly wun thing mor," sed Mr. Lory, laeing stres upon it as a hoelsum meens of enforsing her atenshun: "he has bin found under anuther naem; his oen, long forgoten or long conseeld. It wuud be wers than uesles now to inqier which; wers than uesles to seek to noe whether he has bin for yeers oeverluukt, or allwaes designedly held prizoner. It wuud be wers than uesles now to maek eny inqierys, becauz it wuud be daenjerus. Beter not to menshun th subject, enywhair or in eny wae, and to remoov him -- for a whiel at all events -- out of France. Eeven I, saef as an Englishman, and eeven Tellson's, important as thae ar to French credit, avoid all naeming of th mater. I carry about me, not a scrap of rieting oepenly refering to it. This is a seecret servis alltogether. Mi credenshals, entrys, and memoranda, ar all comprehended in th wun lien, 'recalled to Lief;' which mae meen enything. But whut is th mater! She duzn't noetis a werd! Mis Manette!"

   Perfectly stil and sielent, and not eeven fallen bak in her chair, she sat under his hand, uterly insensible; with her ies oepen and fixt upon him, and with that last expreshun luuking as if it wer carvd or branded into her forhed. So cloes was her hoeld upon his arm, that he feerd to detach himself lest he shuud hert her; thairfor he calld out loudly for asistans without mooving.

   A wield-luuking wuuman, hoom eeven in his ajitaeshun, Mr. Lory obzervd to be all of a red colour, and to hav red hair, and to be drest in sum extraordinairy tiet-fiting fashun, and to hav on her hed a moest wunderful bonet liek a Grenadeer wuuden mezher, and guud mezher too, or a graet Stilton cheez, caem runing into th room in advans of th in servants, and soon setld th qeschun of his detachment frum th pur yung laedy, bi laeing a brauny hand upon his chest, and sending him flieing bak agenst th neerest wall.

   ("I reealy think this must be a man!" was Mr. Lorry's brethles reflecshun, siemultaeniusly with his cuming agenst th wall.)

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   "Whi, luuk at U all!" balld this figuer, adresing th in servants. "Whi don't U go and fech things, insted of standing thair stairing at me? I am not so much to luuk at, am I? Whi don't U go and fech things? I'l let U noe, if U don't bring smeling-sallts, coeld wauter, and vinegar, qik, I wil."

   Thair was an imeedyet dispersal for thees restoratives, and she sofftly laed th paeshent on a soefa, and tended her with graet skil and jentlnes: calling her "mi preshus!" and "mi berd!" and spreding her goelden hair asied oever her shoelders with graet pried and cair.

   "And U in broun!" she sed, indignantly terning to Mr. Lory; cuudn't U tel her whut U had to tel her, without frietening her to deth? Luuk at her, with her prity pael faes and her coeld hands. Do U call that being a Banker?"

   Mr. Lory was so exseedingly disconserted bi a qeschun so hard to anser, that he cuud oenly luuk on, at a distans, with much feebler simpathy and huemility, whiel th strong wuuman, having banisht th in servants under th misteerius penalty of "leting them noe" sumthing not menshund if thae staed thair, stairing, recuverd her charj bi a reguelar seerys of graedaeshuns, and coext her to lae her drooping hed upon her shoelder.

   "I hoep she wil do wel now," sed Mr. Lory.

   "No thanks to U in broun, if she duz. Mi darling prity!"

   "I hoep," sed Mr. Lory, after anuther pauz of feebl simpathy and huemility, "that U acumpany Mis Manette to France?"

   "A liekly thing, too!" replied th strong wuuman. "If it was ever intended that I shuud go across sallt wauter, do U supoez Providens wuud hav cast mi lot in an ieland?"

   This being anuther qeschun hard to anser, Mr. Jarvis Lory withdroo to consider it.

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   A LARJ CASK of wien had bin dropt and broeken, in th street. Th acsident had hapend in geting it out of a cart; th cask had tumbld out with a run, th hoops had berst, and it lae on th stoens just outsied th dor of th wien-shop, shaterd liek a wallnut-shel.

   All th peepl within reech had suspended thair biznes, or thair iedlnes, to run to th spot and drink th wien. Th ruf, irreguelar stoens of th street, pointing evry wae, and deziend, wun miet hav thaut, expresly to laem all living creechers that aproecht them, had damd it into litl pools; thees wer serounded, eech bi its oen jostling groop or croud, acording to its siez. Sum men neeld doun, maed scoops of thair too hands joind, and sipt, or tried to help wimen, hoo bent oever thair shoelders, to sip, befor th wien had all run out between thair finggers. Uthers, men and wimen, dipt in th pudls with litl mugs of muetilaeted erthenwair, or eeven with hankerchifs frum women's heds, which wer sqeezd dri into infants' mouths; uthers maed small mud-embankments, to stem th wien as it ran; uthers, directed bi lookers-on up at hi windoes, darted heer and thair, to cut off litl streems of wien that started awae in nue direcshuns; uthers devoeted themselvs to th soden and lee-died peeses of th cask, liking, and eeven champing th moister wien-rotted fragments with eeger relish. Thair was no draenej to carry off th wien, and not oenly did it all get taeken up, but so much mud got taeken up along with it, that thair miet hav bin a scavenjer in th street, if enybody aqaented with it cuud hav beleevd in such a miracuelus prezens.

   A shril sound of lafter and of amuezd voises -- voises of men,

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wimen, and children -- rezounded in th street whiel this wien gaem lasted. Thair was litl rufnes in th sport, and much playfulness. Thair was a speshal companyonship in it, an obzervabl inclinaeshun on th part of evry wun to join sum uther wun, which led, espeshaly amung th lukyer or lieter-hearted, to froliksum embraeses, drinking of healths, shaeking of hands, and eeven joining of hands and dansing, a duzen together. When th wien was gon, and th plaeses wherr it had bin moest abundant wer raekt into a gridiern-patern bi finggers, thees demonstraeshuns seest, as sudenly as thae had broeken out. Th man hoo had left his saw stiking in th fierwuud he was cuting, set it in moeshun agen; th wimen hoo had left on a dor-step th litl pot of hot ashes, at which she had bin trieing to soffen th paen in her oen starvd finggers and toes, or in thoes of her chield, reternd to it; men with bair arms, matted loks, and cadaverus faeses, hoo had emerjd into th winter liet frum selars, moovd awae, to desend agen; and a gloom gatherd on th seen that apeerd mor nacheral to it than sunshien.

   Th wien was red wien, and had staend th ground of th narro street in th suberb of Saent Antoine, in Paris, wherr it was spild. It had staend meny hands, too, and meny faeses, and meny naeked feet, and meny wuuden shoos. Th hands of th man hoo sawd th wuud, left red marks on th bilets; and th forhed of th wuuman hoo nursed her baeby, was staend with th staen of th oeld rag she wound about her hed agen. Thoes hoo had bin greedy with th staves of th cask, had aqierd a tigerish smeer about th mouth; and wun tall joeker so besmercht, his hed mor out of a long sqolid bag of a nightcap than in it, scralld upon a wall with his fingger dipt in mudy wien-lees -- BLUD.

   Th tiem was to cum, when that wien too wuud be spild on th street-stoens, and when th staen of it wuud be red upon meny thair.

   And now that th cloud setld on Saent Antoine, which a moementairy gleem had driven frum his saecred countenans, th darknes of it was hevy -- coeld, dert, siknes, ignorans, and wont, wer th lords in waeting on th saently prezens -- noebls of graet power all of them; but, moest espeshaly th last. Sampls of a peepl that had undergon a terribl griending and regrinding in th mil, and sertenly not in th fabuelus mil which ground oeld peepl yung, shiverd at evry corner, past in and out at evry dorwae, luukt frum evry windo, fluterd in evry vestej of a garment that th wind shuuk. Th mil which had werkt them doun, was th mil that griends yung peepl oeld; th

Paej 34

children had aenshent faeses and graev voises; and upon them, and upon th groen faeses, and ploughed into evry fero of aej and cuming up afresh, was th si, Hungger. It was prevalent evrywhair. Hungger was puusht out of th tall houses, in th reched cloething that hung upon poels and liens; Hungger was pacht into them with straw and rag and wuud and paeper; Hungger was repeeted in evry fragment of th small modicum of fierwuud that th man sawd off; Hungger staird doun frum th smoekles chimnys, and started up frum th filthy street that had no offal, amung its refuez, of enything to eet. Hungger was th inscripshun on th baker's shelvs, riten in evry small loef of his scanty stok of bad bred; at th sausej-shop, in evry ded-daug preparaeshun that was offerd for sael. Hungger ratld its dri boens amung th roesting chesnuts in th ternd silinder; Hungger was shred into atomics in evry farthing porinjer of husky chips of potaeto, fried with sum reluctant drops of oil.

   Its abieding plaes was in all things fited to it. A narro wiending street, fuul of ofens and stench, with uther narro wiending streets diverjing, all peepld bi rags and nightcaps, and all smeling of rags and nightcaps, and all vizibl things with a brooding luuk upon them that luukt il. In th hunted air of th peepl thair was yet sum wield-beest thaut of th posibility of terning at bae. Deprest and slinking tho thae wer, ies of fier wer not wonting amung them; nor comprest lips, whiet with whut thae suprest; nor forheds nited into th lieknes of th galoes-roep thae muezd about enduring, or inflicting. Th traed siens (and thae wer allmoest as meny as th shops) wer, all, grim ilustraeshuns of Wont. Th buucher and th porkman paented up, oenly th leanest scrags of meet; th baeker, th coarsest of meagre loevs. Th peepl roodly pikcherd as drinking in th wien-shops, croekt oever thair scanty mezhers of thin wien and beer, and wer gloweringly confidenshal together. Nuthing was reprezented in a flerishing condishun, saev tools and wepons; but, th cutler's nievs and axes wer sharp and briet, th smith's hamers wer hevy, and th gunmaker's stok was merderus. Th cripling stoens of th paevment, with thair meny litl rezervors of mud and wauter, had no footways, but broek off abruptly at th dors. Th kenel, to maek amends, ran doun th midl of th street -- when it ran at all: which was oenly after hevy raens, and then it ran, bi meny ecsentric fits, into th houses. Across th streets, at wied intervals, wun clumzy lamp was slung bi a roep and puuly; at niet, when th lamplieter had let thees doun, and lieted, and hoisted them

Paej 35

agen, a feebl groev of dim wicks swung in a sikly maner oeverhed, as if thae wer at see. Indeed thae wer at see, and th ship and croo wer in perril of tempest.

   For, th tiem was to cum, when th gaunt scaircroes of that reejon shuud hav wocht th lamplieter, in thair iedlnes and hungger, so long, as to conseev th iedeea of improoving on his method, and halling up men bi thoes roeps and puulys, to flair upon th darknes of thair condishun. But, th tiem was not cum yet; and evry wind that bloo oever France shuuk th rags of th scaircroes in vaen, for th berds, fien of song and fether, tuuk no worning.

   Th wien-shop was a corner shop, beter than moest uthers in its apeerans and degree, and th master of th wien-shop had stuud outsied it, in a yelo waestcoet and green breeches, luuking on at th strugl for th lost wien. "It's not mi afair," sed he, with a fienal shrug of th shoelders. "Th peepl frum th market did it. Let them bring anuther."

   Thair, his ies hapening to cach th tall joeker rieting up his joek, he calld to him across th wae:

   "Sae, then, mi Gaspard, whut do U do thair?"

   Th felo pointed to his joek with imens significans, as is offen th wae with his trieb. It mist its mark, and compleetly faeld, as is offen th wae with his trieb too.

   "Whut now? Ar U a subject for th mad hospital?" sed th wien- shop keeper, crossing th roed, and obliteraeting th jest with a handful of mud, pikt up for th perpos, and smeerd oever it. "Whi do U riet in th public streets? Is thair -- tel me thow -- is thair no uther plaes to riet such werds in?"

   In his exposchulaeshun he dropt his cleener hand (perhaps acsidentaly, perhaps not) upon th joker's hart. Th joeker rapt it with his oen, tuuk a nimble spring upward, and caem doun in a fantastic dansing atitued, with wun of his staend shoos jerkt off his fuut into his hand, and held out. A joeker of an extreemly, not to sae wuulfishly practical carracter, he luukt, under thoes sercumstanses.

   "Puut it on, puut it on," sed th uther. "Call wien, wien; and finish thair." With that advies, he wiept his soild hand upon th joker's dres, such as it was -- qiet deliberetly, as having dirtied th hand on his acount; and then recrossed th roed and enterd th wien-shop.

   This wien-shop keeper was a buul-necked, marshal-luuking man of therty, and he shuud hav bin of a hot temperament, for, alltho it was a biter dae, he wor no coet, but carryd wun slung oever his shoelder.

Paej 36

His shert-sleevs wer roeld up, too, and his broun arms wer bair to th elboes. Neether did he wair enything mor on his hed than his oen crisply-curling short dark hair. He was a dark man alltogether, with guud ies and a guud boeld bredth between them. Guud-humoured luuking on th hoel, but implacabl-luuking, too; evidently a man of a strong rezolooshun and a set perpos; a man not dezierabl to be met, rushing doun a narro pas with a gulf on eether sied, for nuthing wuud tern th man.

   Madame Defarge, his wief, sat in th shop behiend th counter as he caem in. Madame Defarge was a stout wuuman of about his oen aej, with a wochful ie that seldom seemd to luuk at enything, a larj hand hevily ringd, a stedy faes, strong feechers, and graet compoezher of maner. Thair was a carracter about Madame Defarge, frum which wun miet hav predicated that she did not offen maek mistaeks agenst herself in eny of th rekonings oever which she prezieded. Madame Defarge being sensitiv to coeld, was rapt in fer, and had a qontity of briet shall twiend about her hed, tho not to th conseelment of her larj eer-rings. Her niting was befor her, but she had laed it doun to pik her teeth with a toothpik. Thus engaejd, with her riet elbo suported bi her left hand, Madame Defarge sed nuthing when her lord caem in, but cauft just wun graen of cauf. This, in combinaeshun with th lifting of her darkly defiend iebrows oever her toothpik bi th bredth of a lien, sugjested to her huzband that he wuud do wel to luuk round th shop amung th customers, for eny nue customer hoo had dropt in whiel he stept oever th wae.

   Th wien-shop keeper acordingly roeld his ies about, until thae rested upon an elderly jentlman and a yung laedy, hoo wer seeted in a corner. Uther cumpany wer thair: too plaeing cards, too plaeing dominoes, three standing bi th counter lengthening out a short supli of wien. As he past behiend th counter, he tuuk noetis that th elderly jentlman sed in a luuk to th yung laedy, "This is our man."

   "Whut th devil do U do in that galy thair?" sed Monsieur Defarge to himself; "I don't noe U."

   But, he faend not to noetis th too straenjers, and fel into discors with th trieumveret of customers hoo wer drinking at th counter.

   "How goes it, Jacques?" sed wun of thees three to Monsieur Defarge. "Is all th spilt wien swoloed?"

   "Evry drop, Jacques," anserd Monsieur Defarge.

   When this interchaenj of Christian naem was efected, Madame Defarge,

Paej 37

piking her teeth with her toothpik, cauft anuther graen of cauf, and raezd her iebrows bi th bredth of anuther lien.

   "It is not offen," sed th second of th three, adresing Monsieur Defarge, "that meny of thees mizerabl beests noe th taest of wien, or of enything but blak bred and deth. Is it not so, Jacques?"

   "It is so, Jacques," Monsieur Defarge reternd.

   At this second interchaenj of th Christian naem, Madame Defarge, stil uezing her toothpik with profound compoezher, cauft anuther graen of cauf, and raezd her iebrows bi th bredth of anuther lien.

   Th last of th three now sed his sae, as he puut doun his empty drinking vesel and smakt his lips.

   "Aa! So much th wers! A biter taest it is that such pur catl allwaes hav in thair mouths, and hard lievs thae liv, Jacques. Am I riet, Jacques?"

   "U ar riet, Jacques," was th respons of Monsieur Defarge.

   This therd interchaenj of th Christian naem was compleeted at th moement when Madame Defarge puut her toothpik bi, kept her iebrows up, and slietly rusld in her seet.

   "Hoeld then! Troo!" muterd her huzband. "Jentlmen -- mi wief!"

   Th three customers puuld off thair hats to Madame Defarge, with three flerishes. She aknolejd thair homej bi bending her hed, and giving them a qik luuk. Then she glanst in a cazhual maner round th wien-shop, tuuk up her niting with graet aparrent caamnes and repoez of spirit, and becaem absorbd in it.

   "Jentlmen," sed her huzband, hoo had kept his briet ie observantly upon her, "guud dae. Th chaember, fernisht bachelor-fashun, that U wisht to see, and wer inqiering for when I stept out, is on th fifth flor. Th dorwae of th staircaes givs on th litl cort-yard cloes to th left heer," pointing with his hand, "neer to th windo of mi establishment. But, now that I remember, wun of U has allredy bin thair, and can sho th wae. Jentlmen, adieu!"

   Thae paed for thair wien, and left th plaes. Th ies of Monsieur Defarge wer studying his wief at her niting when th elderly jentlman advanst frum his corner, and begd th faevor of a werd.

   "Wilingly, ser," sed Monsieur Defarge, and qieetly stept with him to th dor.

   Thair conferens was verry short, but verry desieded. Allmoest at th ferst werd, Monsieur Defarge started and becaem deeply atentiv. It had not lasted a minit, when he noded and went out. Th jentlman then

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bekond to th yung laedy, and thae, too, went out. Madame Defarge nited with nimble finggers and stedy iebrows, and saw nuthing.

   Mr. Jarvis Lory and Mis Manette, emerjing frum th wien-shop thus, joind Monsieur Defarge in th dorwae to which he had directed his oen cumpany just befor. It oepend frum a stinking litl blak cort-yard, and was th jeneral public entrans to a graet piel of houses, inhabited bi a graet number of peepl. In th gloomy tiel-paevd entry to th gloomy tiel-paevd staircaes, Monsieur Defarge bent doun on wun nee to th chield of his oeld master, and puut her hand to his lips. It was a jentl acshun, but not at all jently dun; a verry remarkabl transformaeshun had cum oever him in a fue seconds. He had no guud-huemor in his faes, nor eny oepennes of aspect left, but had becum a seecret, anggry, daenjerus man.

   "It is verry hi; it is a litl dificult. Beter to begin sloely." Thus, Monsieur Defarge, in a stem vois, to Mr. Lory, as thae began asending th stairs.

   "Is he aloen?" th later whisperd.

   "Aloen! God help him, hoo shuud be with him!" sed th uther, in th saem lo vois.

   "Is he allwaes aloen, then?"

   'yes.

   "Of his oen dezier?"

   "Of his oen nesesity. As he was, when I ferst saw him after thae found me and demanded to noe if I wuud taek him, and, at mi perril be discreet -- as he was then, so he is now."

   "He is graetly chaenjd?"

   "Chaenjd!"

   Th keeper of th wien-shop stopt to striek th wall with his hand, and muter a tremendus curs. No direct anser cuud hav bin haf so forsibl. Mr. Lorry's spirits groo hevyer and hevyer, as he and his too companyons asended hieer and hieer.

   Such a staircaes, with its acsesorys, in th oelder and mor crouded parts of Paris, wuud be bad enuf now; but, at that tiem, it was viel indeed to unacustomd and unhardened senses. Evry litl habitaeshun within th graet foul nest of wun hi bilding -- that is to sae, th room or rooms within evry dor that oepend on th jeneral staircaes -- left its oen heep of refuez on its oen landing, besieds flinging uther refuez frum its oen windoes. Th uncontroelabl and hoeples mas of deecompozishun so enjenderd, wuud hav polooted th air, eeven if poverty and deprivaeshun

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had not loeded it with thair intanjibl impueritys; th too bad sorses combiend maed it allmoest insupportable. Thru such an atmosfeer, bi a steep dark shaft of dert and poizon, th wae lae. Yeelding to his oen disterbans of miend, and to his yung companion's ajitaeshun, which becaem graeter evry instant, Mr. Jarvis Lory twies stopt to rest. Eech of thees stopejes was maed at a doelful graeting, bi which eny langgwishing guud airs that wer left uncorrupted, seemd to escaep, and all spoilt and sikly vapours seemd to crall in. Thru th rusted bars, taests, rather than glimpses, wer caut of th jumbld naeborhuud; and nuthing within raenj, neerer or loeer than th summits of th too graet towers of Notre-Daem, had eny promis on it of helthy lief or hoelsum aspiraeshuns.

   At last, th top of th staircaes was gaend, and thae stopt for th therd tiem. Thair was yet an uper staircaes, of a steeper inclinaeshun and of contracted dimenshuns, to be asended, befor th garret story was reecht. Th keeper of th wien-shop, allwaes going a litl in advans, and allwaes going on th sied which Mr. Lory tuuk, as tho he dreded to be askt eny qeschun bi th yung laedy, ternd himself about heer, and, cairfuly feeling in th pokets of th coet he carryd oever his shoelder, tuuk out a kee.

   "Th dor is lokt then, mi frend?" sed Mr. Lory, serpriezd.

   "Ay. Yes," was th grim repli of Monsieur Defarge.

   "U think it nesesairy to keep th unforchunet jentlman so retierd?"

   "I think it nesesairy to tern th kee." Monsieur Defarge whisperd it cloeser in his eer, and fround hevily.

   "Whi?"

   "Whi! Becauz he has livd so long, lokt up, that he wuud be frietend -- rave -- tair himself to peeses -- die -- cum to I noe not whut harm -- if his dor was left oepen."

   "Is it posibl!" exclaemd Mr. Lory.

   "Is it posibl!" repeeted Defarge, biterly. "Yes. And a buetyful werld we liv in, when it is posibl, and when meny uther such things ar posibl, and not oenly posibl, but dun -- dun, see U! -- under that skie thair, evry dae. Long liv th Devil. Let us go on."

   This diealog had bin held in so verry lo a whisper, that not a werd of it had reecht th yung lady's eers. But, bi this tiem she trembld under such strong emoeshun, and her faes exprest such deep angzieity, and, abuv all, such dred and terror, that Mr. Lory felt it incumbent on him to speek a werd or too of re-ashurans.

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   "Curej, deer mis! Curej! Biznes! Th werst wil be oever in a moement; it is but pasing th room-dor, and th werst is oever. Then, all th guud U bring to him, all th releef, all th hapynes U bring to him, begin. Let our guud frend heer, asist U on that sied. That's wel, frend Defarge. Cum, now. Biznes, biznes!"

   Thae went up sloely and sofftly. Th staircaes was short, and thae wer soon at th top. Thair, as it had an abrupt tern in it, thae caem all at wuns in siet of three men, hoos heds wer bent doun cloes together at th sied of a dor, and hoo wer intently luuking into th room to which th dor belongd, thru sum chinks or hoels in th wall. On heering fuutsteps cloes at hand, thees three ternd, and roez, and shoed themselvs to be th three of wun naem hoo had bin drinking in th wien-shop.

   "I forgot them in th serpriez of yur vizit," explaend Monsieur Defarge. "Leev us, guud bois; we hav biznes heer."

   Th three glieded bi, and went sielently doun.

   Thair apeering to be no uther dor on that flor, and th keeper of th wien-shop going straet to this wun when thae wer left aloen, Mr. Lory askt him in a whisper, with a litl angger:

   "Do U maek a sho of Monsieur Manette?"

   "I sho him, in th wae U hav seen, to a choezen fue."

   "Is that wel?"

   "I think it is wel."

   "Hoo ar th fue? How do U chooz them?"

   "I chooz them as reeal men, of mi naem -- Jacques is mi naem -- to hoom th siet is liekly to do guud. Enuf; U ar English; that is anuther thing. Stae thair, if U pleez, a litl moement."

   With an admonitory jescher to keep them bak, he stoopt, and luukt in thru th crevis in th wall. Soon raezing his hed agen, he struk twies or thries upon th dor -- evidently with no uther object than to maek a noiz thair. With th saem intenshun, he droo th kee across it, three or foer tiems, befor he puut it clumzily into th lok, and ternd it as hevily as he cuud.

   Th dor sloely oepend inward under his hand, and he luukt into th room and sed sumthing. A faent vois anserd sumthing. Litl mor than a singgl silabl cuud hav bin spoeken on eether sied.

   He luukt bak oever his shoelder, and bekond them to enter. Mr. Lory got his arm secuerly round th daughter's waest, and held her; for he felt that she was sinking.

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   "A -- a -- a -- biznes, biznes!" he erjd, with a moischer that was not of biznes shiening on his cheek. "Cum in, cum in!"

   "I am afraed of it," she anserd, shudering.

   "Of it? Whut?"

   "I meen of him. Of mi faather."

   Renderd in a maner desperet, bi her staet and bi th bekoning of thair conductor, he droo oever his nek th arm that shuuk upon his shoelder, lifted her a litl, and heryd her into th room. He sat her doun just within th dor, and held her, clinging to him.

   Defarge droo out th kee, cloezd th dor, lokt it on th insied, tuuk out th kee agen, and held it in his hand. All this he did, methodicaly, and with as loud and harsh an acumpanyment of noiz as he cuud maek. Fienaly, he waukt across th room with a mezherd tred to wherr th windo was. He stopt thair, and faest round.

   Th garret, bilt to be a depozitory for fierwuud and th liek, was dim and dark: for, th windo of dormer shaep, was in trooth a dor in th roof, with a litl craen oever it for th hoisting up of stors frum th street: unglaezd, and cloezing up th midl in too peeses, liek eny uther dor of French construcshun. To exclood th coeld, wun haf of this dor was fast cloezd, and th uther was oepend but a verry litl wae. Such a scanty porshun of liet was admited thru thees meens, that it was dificult, on ferst cuming in, to see enything; and long habit aloen cuud hav sloely formd in eny wun, th ability to do eny werk reqiering nicety in such obscuerity. Yet, werk of that kiend was being dun in th garret; for, with his bak tords th dor, and his faes tords th windo wherr th keeper of th wien-shop stuud luuking at him, a whiet-haired man sat on a lo bench, stooping forward and verry bizy, maeking shoos.

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   "GUUD DAE!" sed Monsieur Defarge, luuking doun at th whiet hed that bent lo oever th shoemaking.

   It was raezd for a moement, and a verry faent vois responded to th saluetaeshun, as if it wer at a distans:

   "Guud dae!"

   "U ar stil hard at werk, I see?"

   After a long sielens, th hed was lifted for anuther moement, and th vois replied, "Yes -- I am werking." This tiem, a pair of hagard ies had luukt at th qeschuner, befor th faes had dropt agen.

   Th faentnes of th vois was pitiabl and dredful. It was not th faentnes of fizical weeknes, tho confienment and hard fair no dout had thair part in it. Its deplorabl pecueliarrity was, that it was th faentnes of solitued and disues. It was liek th last feebl eko of a sound maed long and long ago. So entierly had it lost th lief and rezonans of th hueman vois, that it afected th senses liek a wuns buetyful colour faeded awae into a pur weak staen. So sunken and suprest it was, that it was liek a vois underground. So expresiv it was, of a hoeples and lost creecher, that a famished traveler, weeryd out bi loenly waandering in a wildernes, wuud hav rememberd hoem and frends in such a toen befor lieing doun to die.

   Sum minits of sielent werk had past: and th hagard ies had luukt up agen: not with eny interest or cueriosity, but with a dul mecanical persepshun, beforhand, that th spot wherr th oenly vizitor thae wer awair of had stuud, was not yet empty.

   "I wont," sed Defarge, hoo had not remoovd his gaez frum th shoomaeker,

Paej 43

"to let in a litl mor liet heer. U can bair a litl mor?"

   Th shoomaeker stopt his werk; luukt with a vaecant air of lisening, at th flor on wun sied of him; then similarly, at th flor on th uther sied of him; then, upward at th speeker.

   "Whut did U sae?"

   "U can bair a litl mor liet?"

   "I must bair it, if U let it in." (Laeing th paelest shado of a stres upon th second werd.)

   Th oepend haf-dor was oepend a litl ferther, and secuerd at that anggl for th tiem. A braud rae of liet fel into th garret, and shoed th werkman with an unfinisht shoo upon his lap, pauzing in his laebor. His fue comon tools and vairius scraps of lether wer at his feet and on his bench. He had a whiet beerd, raggedly cut, but not verry long, a holo faes, and exseedingly briet ies. Th holoenes and thinnes of his faes wuud hav cauzd them to luuk larj, under his yet dark iebrows and his confuezd whiet hair, tho thae had bin reealy utherwiez; but, thae wer nacheraly larj, and luukt unnacheraly so. His yelo rags of shert lae oepen at th throet, and shoed his body to be witherd and worn. He, and his oeld canvas frok, and his loos stokings, and all his pur tatters of cloeths, had, in a long secloozhun frum direct liet and air, faeded doun to such a dul ueniformity of parchment- yelo, that it wuud hav bin hard to sae which was which.

   He had puut up a hand between his ies and th liet, and th verry boens of it seemd transpairent. So he sat, with a stedfastly vaecant gaez, pauzing in his werk. He never luukt at th figuer befor him, without ferst luuking doun on this sied of himself, then on that, as if he had lost th habit of asoeshiaeting plaes with sound; he never spoek, without ferst waandering in this maner, and forgeting to speek.

   "Ar U going to finish that pair of shoos to-dae?" askt Defarge, moeshuning to Mr. Lory to cum forward.

   "Whut did U sae?"

   "Do U meen to finish that pair of shoos to-dae?"

   "I can't sae that I meen to. I supoez so. I don't noe."

   But, th qeschun remiended him of his werk, and he bent oever it agen.

   Mr. Lory caem sielently forward, leeving th dauter bi th dor. When he had stuud, for a minit or too, bi th sied of Defarge, th shoomaeker luukt up. He shoed no serpriez at seeing anuther figuer, but th unstedy finggers of wun of his hands straed to his lips as he luukt at it (his lips and his naels wer of th saem pael leed-colour),

Paej 44

and then th hand dropt to his werk, and he wuns mor bent oever th shoo. Th luuk and th acshun had ocuepied but an instant.

   "U hav a vizitor, U see," sed Monsieur Defarge.

   "Whut did U sae?"

   "Heer is a vizitor."

   Th shoomaeker luukt up as befor, but without remooving a hand frum his werk.

   "Cum!" sed Defarge. "Heer is monsieur, hoo noes a wel-maed shoo when he sees wun. Sho him that shoo U ar werking at. Taek it, monsieur."

   Mr. Lory tuuk it in his hand.

   "Tel monsieur whut kiend of shoo it is, and th maker's naem."

   Thair was a longger pauz than uezhual, befor th shoomaeker replied:

   "I forget whut it was U askt me. Whut did U sae?"

   "I sed, cuudn't U descrieb th kiend of shoo, for monsieur's informaeshun?"

   "It is a lady's shoo. It is a yung lady's wauking-shoo. It is in th prezent moed. I never saw th moed. I hav had a patern in mi hand." He glanst at th shoo with sum litl pasing tuch of pried.

   "And th maker's naem?" sed Defarge.

   Now that he had no werk to hoeld, he laed th nukls of th riet hand in th holo of th left, and then th nukls of th left hand in th holo of th riet, and then past a hand across his beerded chin, and so on in reguelar chaenjes, without a moment's intermishun. Th task of recalling him frum th vaegransy into which he allwaes sank when he had spoeken, was liek recalling sum verry weak person frum a swoon, or endeavouring, in th hoep of sum discloezher, to stae th spirit of a fast-dieing man.

   "Did U ask me for mi naem?"

   "Ashuredly I did."

   "Wun Hundred and Fiev, North Tower."

   "Is that all?"

   "Wun Hundred and Fiev, North Tower."

   With a weery sound that was not a si, nor a groen, he bent to werk agen, until th sielens was agen broeken.

   "U ar not a shoomaeker bi traed?" sed Mr. Lory, luuking stedfastly at him.

   His hagard ies ternd to Defarge as if he wuud hav transferd th

Paej 45

qeschun to him: but as no help caem frum that qorter, thae ternd bak on th qeschuner when thae had saut th ground.

   "I am not a shoomaeker bi traed? No, I was not a shoomaeker bi traed. I -- I learnt it heer. I taut mieself. I askt leev to -- "

   He lapst awae, eeven for minits, ringing thoes mezherd chaenjes on his hands th hoel tiem. His ies caem sloely bak, at last, to th faes frum which thae had waanderd; when thae rested on it, he started, and rezoomd, in th maner of a sleeper that moement awaek, reverting to a subject of last niet.

   "I askt leev to teech mieself, and I got it with much dificulty after a long whiel, and I hav maed shoos ever sinss."

   As he held out his hand for th shoo that had bin taeken frum him, Mr. Lory sed, stil luuking stedfastly in his faes:

   "Monsieur Manette, do U remember nuthing of me?"

   Th shoo dropt to th ground, and he sat luuking fixedly at th qeschuner.

   "Monsieur Manette"; Mr. Lory laed his hand upon Defarge's arm; "do U remember nuthing of this man? Luuk at him. Luuk at me. Is thair no oeld banker, no oeld biznes, no oeld servant, no oeld tiem, riezing in yur miend, Monsieur Manette?"

   As th captiv of meny yeers sat luuking fixedly, bi terns, at Mr. Lory and at Defarge, sum long obliteraeted marks of an activly intent intelijens in th midl of th forhed, grajualy forst themselvs thru th blak mist that had fallen on him. Thae wer overclouded agen, thae wer fainter, thae wer gon; but thae had bin thair. And so exactly was th expreshun repeeted on th fair yung faes of her hoo had crept along th wall to a point wherr she cuud see him, and wherr she now stuud luuking at him, with hands which at ferst had bin oenly raezd in frietend compashun, if not eeven to keep him off and shut out th siet of him, but which wer now extending tords him, trembling with eegernes to lae th spectral faes upon her worm yung brest, and luv it bak to lief and hoep -- so exactly was th expreshun repeeted (tho in strongger carracters) on her fair yung faes, that it luukt as tho it had past liek a mooving liet, frum him to her.

   Darknes had faten on him in its plaes. He luukt at th too, les and les atentivly, and his ies in gloomy abstracshun saut th ground and luukt about him in th oeld wae. Fienaly, with a deep long si, he tuuk th shoo up, and rezoomd his werk.

   "Hav U recogniezd him, monsieur?" askt Defarge in a whisper.

Paej 46

   "Yes; for a moement. At ferst I thaut it qiet hoeples, but I hav unqeschunably seen, for a singgl moement, th faes that I wuns nue so wel. Hush! Let us draw ferther bak. Hush!"

   She had moovd frum th wall of th garret, verry neer to th bench on which he sat. Thair was sumthing auful in his unconsciousness of th figuer that cuud hav puut out its hand and tucht him as he stoopt oever his laebor.

   Not a werd was spoeken, not a sound was maed. She stuud, liek a spirit, besied him, and he bent oever his werk.

   It hapend, at length, that he had ocaezhun to chaenj th instrument in his hand, for his shoemaker's nief. It lae on that sied of him which was not th sied on which she stuud. He had taeken it up, and was stooping to werk agen, when his ies caut th skert of her dres. He raezd them, and saw her faes. Th too spectaetors started forward, but she staed them with a moeshun of her hand. She had no feer of his strieking at her with th nief, tho thae had.

   He staird at her with a feerful luuk, and after a whiel his lips began to form sum werds, tho no sound proseeded frum them. Bi degrees, in th pauzes of his qik and laboured breething, he was herd to sae:

   "Whut is this?"

   With th teers streeming doun her faes, she puut her too hands to her lips, and kist them to him; then claspt them on her brest, as if she laed his rooind hed thair.

   "U ar not th gaoler's dauter?"

   She sied "No."

   "Hoo ar U?"

   Not yet trusting th toens of her vois, she sat doun on th bench besied him. He recoild, but she laed her hand upon his arm. A straenj thril struk him when she did so, and vizibly past oever his fraem; he laed th nief down' sofftly, as he sat stairing at her.

   Her goelden hair, which she wor in long curls, had bin herydly puusht asied, and fel doun oever her nek. Advansing his hand bi litl and litl, he tuuk it up and luukt at it. In th midst of th acshun he went astrae, and, with anuther deep si, fel to werk at his shoemaking.

   But not for long. Releesing his arm, she laed her hand upon his shoelder. After luuking doutfuly at it, too or three tiems, as if to be shur that it was reealy thair, he laed doun his werk, puut his hand to his nek, and tuuk off a blakend string with a scrap of foelded rag atacht to it. He

Paej 47

oepend this, cairfuly, on his nee, and it contaend a verry litl qontity of hair: not mor than wun or too long goelden hairs, which he had, in sum oeld dae, wound off upon his fingger.

   He tuuk her hair into his hand agen, and luukt cloesly at it. "It is th saem. How can it be! When was it! How was it!"

   As th consentraeted expreshun reternd to his forhed, he seemd to becum conshus that it was in hers too. He ternd her fuul to th liet, and luukt at her.

   "She had laed her hed upon mi shoelder, that niet when I was sumond out -- she had a feer of mi going, tho I had nun -- and when I was braut to th North Tower thae found thees upon mi sleev. 'you wil leev me them? Thae can never help me to escaep in th body, tho thae mae in th spirit.' Thoes wer th werds I sed. I remember them verry wel."

   He formd this speech with his lips meny tiems befor he cuud uter it. But when he did fiend spoeken werds for it, thae caem to him coherently, tho sloely.

   "How was this? -- Was it U?"

   Wuns mor, th too spectaetors started, as he ternd upon her with a frietful sudennes. But she sat perfectly stil in his grasp, and oenly sed, in a lo vois, "I entreet U, guud jentlmen, do not cum neer us, do not speek, do not moov!"

   "Hark!" he exclaemd. "Hoos vois was that?"

   His hands releest her as he uterd this cri, and went up to his whiet hair, which thae tore in a frenzy. It died out, as evrything but his shoemaking did die out of him, and he re-foelded his litl paket and tried to secuer it in his brest; but he stil luukt at her, and gloomily shuuk his hed.

   "No, no, no; U ar too yung, too blooming. It can't be. See whut th prizoner is. Thees ar not th hands she nue, this is not th faes she nue, this is not a vois she ever herd. No, no. She was -- and He was -- befor th slo yeers of th North Tower -- aejes ago. Whut is yur naem, mi jentl aenjel?"

   Haeling his soffend toen and maner, his dauter fel upon her nees befor him, with her apeeling hands upon his brest.

   "O, ser, at anuther tiem U shal noe mi naem, and hoo mi muther was, and hoo mi faather, and how I never nue thair hard, hard history. But I cannot tel U at this tiem, and I cannot tel U heer. All that I

Paej 48

mae tel U, heer and now, is, that I prae to U to tuch me and to bles me. Kis me, kis me! O mi deer, mi deer!"

   His coeld whiet hed minggld with her raediant hair, which wormd and lieted it as tho it wer th liet of Freedom shiening on him.

   "If U heer in mi vois -- I don't noe that it is so, but I hoep it is -- if U heer in mi vois eny rezemblans to a vois that wuns was sweet muezic in yur eers, weep for it, weep for it! If U tuch, in tuching mi hair, enything that recalls a beluved hed that lae on yur brest when U wer yung and free, weep for it, weep for it! If, when I hint to U of a Hoem that is befor us, wherr I wil be troo to U with all mi duety and with all mi faethful servis, I bring bak th remembrans of a Hoem long desolet, whiel yur pur hart pined awae, weep for it, weep for it!"

   She held him cloeser round th nek, and rokt him on her brest liek a chield.

   "If, when I tel U, deerest deer, that yur agony is oever, and that I hav cum heer to taek U frum it, and that we go to England to be at pees and at rest, I cauz U to think of yur uesful lief laed waest, and of our naetiv France so wiked to U, weep for it, weep for it! And if, when I shal tel U of mi naem, and of mi faather hoo is living, and of mi muther hoo is ded, U lern that I hav to neel to mi onord faather, and implor his pardon for having never for his saek striven all dae and laen awaek and wept all niet, becauz th luv of mi pur muther hid his torcher frum me, weep for it, weep for it! Weep for her, then, and for me! Guud jentlmen, thank God! I feel his saecred teers upon mi faes, and his sobs striek agenst mi hart. O, see! Thank God for us, thank God!"

   He had sunk in her arms, and his faes dropt on her brest: a siet so tuching, yet so terribl in th tremendus rong and sufering which had gon befor it, that th too beholders cuverd thair faeses.

   When th qieet of th garret had bin long undisterbd, and his heeving brest and shaeken form had long yeelded to th caam that must folo all storms -- emblem to huemanity, of th rest and sielens into which th storm calld Lief must hush at last -- thae caem forward to raez th faather and dauter frum th ground. He had grajualy dropt to th flor, and lae thair in a letharjy, worn out. She had nesld doun with him, that his hed miet lie upon her arm; and her hair drooping oever him curtend him frum th liet.

   "If, without disterbing him," she sed, raezing her hand to Mr. Lory

Paej 49

as he stoopt oever them, after repeeted blowings of his noez, "all cuud be araenjd for our leeving Paris at wuns, so that, frum th, verry dor, he cuud be taeken awae -- "

   "But, consider. Is he fit for th jerny?" askt Mr. Lory.

   "Mor fit for that, I think, than to remaen in this sity, so dredful to him."

   "It is troo," sed Defarge, hoo was neeling to luuk on and heer. "Mor than that; Monsieur Manette is, for all reezons, best out of France. Sae, shal I hier a carrej and poest-horses?"

   "That's biznes," sed Mr. Lory, rezooming on th shortest noetis his methodical maners; "and if biznes is to be dun, I had beter do it."

   "Then be so kiend," erjd Mis Manette, "as to leev us heer. U see how compoezd he has becum, and U cannot be afraed to leev him with me now. Whi shuud U be? If U wil lok th dor to secuer us frum interupshun, I do not dout that U wil fiend him, when U cum bak, as qieet as U leev him. In eny caes, I wil taek cair of him until U retern, and then we wil remoov him straet."

   Boeth Mr. Lory and Defarge wer rather disinclined to this cors, and in faevor of wun of them remaening. But, as thair wer not oenly carrej and horses to be seen to, but traveling paepers; and as tiem prest, for th dae was drawing to an end, it caem at last to thair haestily divieding th biznes that was nesesairy to be dun, and herying awae to do it.

   Then, as th darknes cloezd in, th dauter laed her hed doun on th hard ground cloes at th father's sied, and wocht him. Th darknes deepend and deepend, and thae boeth lae qieet, until a liet gleemd thru th chinks in th wall.

   Mr. Lory and Monsieur Defarge had maed all redy for th jerny, and had braut with them, besieds traveling cloaks and rapers, bred and meet, wien, and hot coffy. Monsieur Defarge puut this provender, and th lamp he carryd, on th shoemaker's bench (thair was nuthing els in th garret but a palet bed), and he and Mr. Lory rouzd th captiv, and asisted him to his feet.

   No hueman intelijens cuud hav reed th misterys of his miend, in th scaird blank wunder of his faes. Whether he nue whut had hapend, whether he recolected whut thae had sed to him, whether he nue that he was free, wer qeschuns which no sagasity cuud hav solvd. Thae tried speeking to him; but, he was so confuezd, and so verry slo to anser, that thae tuuk friet at his bewilderment, and agreed for th tiem to tamper with him no mor. He had a wield, lost maner of

Paej 50

ocaezhunaly clasping his hed in his hands, that had not bin seen in him befor; yet, he had sum plezher in th meer sound of his daughter's vois, and invairiably ternd to it when she spoek.

   In th submisiv wae of wun long acustomd to oebae under coeershun, he aet and drank whut thae gaev him to eet and drink, and puut on th cloek and uther wrappings, that thae gaev him to wair. He redily responded to his daughter's drawing her arm thru his, and tuuk -- and kept -- her hand in boeth his oen.

   Thae began to desend; Monsieur Defarge going ferst with th lamp, Mr. Lory cloezing th litl proseshun. Thae had not traverst meny steps of th long maen staircaes when he stopt, and staird at th roof and round at th waels.

   "U remember th plaes, mi faather? U remember cuming up heer?"

   "Whut did U sae?"

   But, befor she cuud repeet th qeschun, he mermerd an anser as if she had repeeted it.

   "Remember? No, I don't remember. It was so verry long ago."

   That he had no recolecshun whutever of his having bin braut frum his prizon to that hous, was aparrent to them. Thae beerd him muter, "Wun Hundred and Fiev, North Tower;" and when he luukt about him, it evidently was for th strong fortres-walls which had long encompast him. On thair reeching th cort-yard he instinktivly allterd his tred, as being in expectaeshun of a drawbrij; and when thair was no drawbrij, and he saw th carrej waeting in th oepen street, he dropt his daughter's hand and claspt his hed agen.

   No croud was about th dor; no peepl wer disernibl at eny of th meny windoes; not eeven a chans paserbi was in th street. An unnacheral sielens and dezershun raend thair. Oenly wun soel was to be seen, and that was Madame Defarge -- hoo leend agenst th dor-poest, niting, and saw nuthing.

   Th prizoner had got into a coech, and his dauter had foloed him, when Mr. Lorry's feet wer arested on th step bi his asking, mizerably, for his shoemaking tools and th unfinisht shoos. Madame Defarge imeedyetly calld to her huzband that she wuud get them, and went, niting, out of th lampliet, thru th cort-yard. She qikly braut them doun and handed them in; -- and imeedyetly afterwards leend agenst th dor-poest, niting, and saw nuthing.

   Defarge got upon th box, and gaev th werd "To th Barryer!" Th

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postilion crakt his whip, and thae claterd awae under th feebl oever- swinging lamps.

   Under th oever-swinging lamps -- swinging ever brieter in th beter streets, and ever dimer in th wers -- and bi lieted shops, gae crouds, iloominaeted coffy-houses, and theeater-dors, to wun of th sity gaets. Soeljers with lanterns, at th gard-hous thair. "Yur paepers, travelers!" "See heer then, Monsieur th Offiser," sed Defarge, geting doun, and taeking him graevly apart, "thees ar th paepers of monsieur insied, with th whiet hed. Thae wer consiend to me, with him, at th -- " He dropt his vois, thair was a fluter amung th militairy lanterns, and wun of them being handed into th coech bi an arm in ueniform, th ies conected with th arm luukt, not an evry dae or an evry niet luuk, at monsieur with th whiet hed. "It is wel. Forward!" frum th ueniform. "Adieu!" frum Defarge. And so, under a short groev of feebler and feebler oever-swinging lamps, out under th graet groev of stars.

   Beneeth that arch of unmoovd and eternal liets; sum, so remoet frum this litl erth that th lernd tel us it is doutful whether thair raes hav eeven yet discuverd it, as a point in spaes wherr enything is suferd or dun: th shadoes of th niet wer braud and blak. All thru th coeld and restles interval, until daun, thae wuns mor whisperd in th eers of Mr. Jarvis Lory -- siting opozit th berryd man hoo had bin dug out, and wundering whut sutl powers wer for ever lost to him, and whut wer caepabl of restoraeshun -- th oeld inqiery:

   "I hoep U cair to be recalld to lief?"

   And th oeld anser:

   "I can't sae." TH END OF TH FERST BUUK.

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THRED

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   TELLSON'S BANK bi Templ Bar was an oeld-fashund plaes, eeven in th yeer wun thouzand seven hundred and aety. It was verry small, verry dark, verry ugly, verry incomoedius. It was an oeld-fashund plaes, moroever, in th moral atribuet that th partners in th Hous wer proud of its smallnes, proud of its darknes, proud of its uglynes, proud of its incommodiousness. Thae wer eeven boestful of its eminens in thoes particuelars, and wer fierd bi an expres convicshun that, if it wer les objecshunabl, it wuud be les respectabl. This was no pasiv beleef, but an activ wepon which thae flasht at mor conveenyunt plaeses of biznes. Tellson's (thae sed) wonted no elbo-room, Tellson's wonted no liet, Tellson's wonted no embelishment. Noakes and Co.'s miet, or Snooks Brothers' miet; but Tellson's, thank Heven! --

   Eny wun of thees partners wuud hav disinherrited his sun on th qeschun of re-bilding Tellson's. In this respect th Hous was much on a par with th Cuntry; which did verry offen disinherrit its suns for sugjesting improovments in laws and customs that had long bin hiely objecshunabl, but wer oenly th mor respectabl.

   Thus it had cum to pas, that Tellson's was th trieumfant perfecshun of inconveenyuns. After bersting oepen a dor of idiotic obstinasy with a weak ratl in its throet, U fel into Tellson's doun too steps, and caem to yur senses in a mizerabl litl shop, with too litl counters, wherr th oeldest of men maed yur cheque shaek as if th wind rusld it, whiel thae examind th signacher bi th dingiest of windoes, which wer allwaes under a shower-bath of mud frum Fleet-street, and which wer maed th dingier bi thair oen ieern bars proper, and th hevy shado of

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Templ Bar. If yur biznes nesesitaeted yur seeing "th Hous," U wer puut into a speeshys of Condemd Hoeld at th bak, wherr U meditaeted on a misspent lief, until th Hous caem with its bands in its pokets, and U cuud hardly blink at it in th dizmal twieliet. Yur muny caem out of, or went into, wermy oeld wuuden drors, particls of which floo up yur noez and doun yur throet when thae wer oepend and shut. Yur bank-noets had a musty odour, as if thae wer fast deecompoezing into rags agen. Yur plaet was stoed awae amung th neighbouring cesspools, and eevil comuenicaeshuns corupted its guud polish in a dae or too. Yur deeds got into extemporised strong-rooms maed of kichens and sculleries, and freted all th fat out of thair parchments into th banking-hous air. Yur lieter boxes of family paepers went up-stairs into a Barmecide room, that allwaes had a graet diening- taebl in it and never had a diner, and wherr, eeven in th yeer wun thouzand seven hundred and aety, th ferst leters riten to U bi yur oeld luv, or bi yur litl children, wer but nuely releest frum th horror of being ogld thru th windoes, bi th heds expoezd on Templ Bar with an insensate brootality and ferosity werthy of Abyssinia or Ashantee.

   But indeed, at that tiem, puuting to deth was a resipy much in voeg with all traeds and profeshuns, and not leest of all with Tellson's. Deth is Nature's remedy for all things, and whi not Legislation's? Acordingly, th forjer was puut to Deth; th utterer of a bad noet was puut to Deth; th unlawful oepener of a leter was puut to Deth; th purloiner of forty shilings and sixpence was puut to Deth; th hoelder of a hors at Tellson's dor, hoo maed off with it, was puut to Deth; th coiner of a bad shiling was puut to Deth; th sounders of three-fourths of th noets in th hoel gamut of Criem, wer puut to Deth. Not that it did th leest guud in th wae of prevenshun -- it miet allmoest hav bin werth remarking that th fact was exactly th revers -- but, it cleerd off (as to this werld) th trubl of eech particuelar caes, and left nuthing els conected with it to be luukt after. Thus, Tellson's, in its dae, liek graeter plaeses of biznes, its contemporairys, had taeken so meny lievs, that, if th heds laed lo befor it had bin raenjd on Templ Bar insted of being prievetly dispoezd of, thae wuud probably hav exclooded whut litl liet th ground flor bad, in a rather significant maner.

   Cramped in all kiends of dun cubords and hutches at Tellson's, th oeldest of men carryd on th biznes graevly. When thae tuuk a yung man into Tellson's London hous, thae hid him sumwherr til he was

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oeld. Thae kept him in a dark plaes, liek a cheez, until he had th fuul Tellson flavour and bloo-moeld upon him. Then oenly was he permited to be seen, spectacuelarly poring oever larj buuks, and casting his breeches and gaeters into th jeneral waet of th establishment.

   Outsied Tellson's -- never bi eny meens in it, unles calld in -- was an od-job-man, an ocaezhunal porter and mesenjer, hoo servd as th liv sien of th hous. He was never absent during biznes ours, unles upon an errand, and then he was reprezented bi his sun: a grizly erchin of twelv, hoo was his expres imej. Peepl understuud that Tellson's, in a staetly wae, toleraeted th od-job-man. Th hous had allwaes toleraeted sum person in that capasity, and tiem and tied had drifted this person to th poest. His sernaem was Cruncher, and on th yoothful ocaezhun of his renounsing bi proxy th werks of darknes, in th eesterly parrish cherch of Hounsditch, he had reseevd th aded apelaeshun of Jerry.

   Th seen was Mr. Cruncher's prievet lojing in Hanging-sord-aly, Whitefriars: th tiem, haf-past seven of th clok on a windy March morning, Anno Domini seventeen hundred and aety. (Mr. Cruncher himself allwaes spoek of th yeer of our Lord as Anna Dominoes: aparrently under th impreshun that th Christian eera daeted frum th invenshun of a popuelar gaem, bi a laedy hoo had bestoed her naem upon it.)

   Mr. Cruncher's apartments wer not in a savoury naeborhuud, and wer but too in number, eeven if a clozet with a singgl paen of glas in it miet be counted as wun. But thae wer verry deesently kept. Erly as it was, on th windy March morning, th room in which he lae abed was allredy scrubd thruout; and between th cups and sausers araenjd for brekfast, and th lumbering deel taebl, a verry cleen whiet clauth was spred.

   Mr. Cruncher repoezd under a pachwerk counterpaen, liek a Harliqin at hoem. At fast, he slept hevily, but, bi degrees, began to roel and serj in bed, until he roez abuv th serfis, with his spiky hair luuking as if it must tair th sheets to ribons. At which junkcher, he exclaemd, in a vois of dier exasperaeshun:

   "Bust me, if she ain't at it agin!"

   A wuuman of orderly and industrius apeerans roez frum her nees in a corner, with sufishent haest and trepidaeshun to sho that she was th person referd to.

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   "Whut!" sed Mr. Cruncher, luuking out of bed for a boot. "U'r at it agin, ar U?"

   After haeling th mom with this second saluetaeshun, he throo a boot at th wuuman as a therd. It was a verry mudy boot, and mae introdues th od sercumstans conected with Mr. Cruncher's domestic economy, that, wherras he offen caem hoem after banking ours with cleen boots, he offen got up next morning to fiend th saem boots cuverd with clae.

   "Whut," sed Mr. Cruncher, vairying his apostrofy after mising his mark -- "whut ar U up to, Aggerawayter?"

   "I was oenly saeing mi prairs."

   "Saeing yur prairs! U'r a nies wuuman! Whut do U meen bi floping yurself doun and praeing agin me?"

   "I was not praeing agenst U; I was praeing for U."

   "U wern't. And if U wer, I woen't be tuuk th liberty with. Heer! yur mother's a nies wuuman, yung Jerry, going a praeing agin yur father's prosperrity. U'v got a duetyful muther, U hav, mi sun. U'v got a relijus muther, U hav, mi boi: going and floping herself doun, and praeing that th bred-and-buter mae be snacht out of th mouth of her oenly chield."

   Master Cruncher (hoo was in his shert) tuuk this verry il, and, terning to his muther, strongly deprecated eny praeing awae of his personal bord.

   "And whut do U supoez, U conseeted feemael," sed Mr. Cruncher, with unconshus inconsistensy, "that th werth of yur prairs mae be? Naem th pries that U puut yur prairs at!"

   "Thae oenly cum frum th hart, Jerry. Thae ar werth no mor than that."

   "Werth no mor than that," repeeted Mr. Cruncher. "Thae ain't werth much, then. Whether or no, I woen't be praed agin, I tel U. I can't aford it. I'm not a going to be maed unluky bi yur sneeking. If U must go floping yurself doun, flop in faevor of yur huzband and chield, and not in opozishun to 'em. If I had had eny but a unnat'ral wief, and this pur boi had had eny but a unnat'ral muther, I miet hav maed sum muny last week insted of being counter-praed and countermined and relijusly circumwented into th werst of luk. B-u-u-ust me!" sed Mr. Cruncher, hoo all this tiem had bin puuting on his cloeths, "if I ain't, whut with pieety and wun blowed thing and anuther, bin choused this last week into as bad luk as ever a pur devil of a onest traedzman met with! Yung Jerry, dres yurself, mi boi, and

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whiel I cleen mi boots keep a ie upon yur muther now and then, and if U see eny siens of mor floping, giv me a call. For, I tel U," heer he adrest his wief wuns mor, "I woen't be gon agin, in this maner. I am as rikety as a hakny-coech, I'm as sleepy as laudanum, mi liens is straend to that degree that I shuudn't noe, if it wasn't for th paen in 'em, which was me and which sumbody els, yet I'm nun th beter for it in poket; and it's mi suspishun that U'v bin at it frum morning to niet to prevent me frum being th beter for it in poket, and I woen't puut up with it, Aggerawayter, and whut do U sae now!"

   Grouling, in adishun, such fraezes as "Aa! yes! U'r relijus, too. U wuudn't puut yurself in opozishun to th interests of yur huzband and chield, wuud U? Not U!" and throeing off uther sarcastic sparks frum th wherling griendstoen of his indignaeshun, Mr. Cruncher betook himself to his boot-cleening and his jeneral preparaeshun for biznes. In th meentiem, his sun, hoos hed was garnished with tenderer spieks, and hoos yung ies stuud cloes bi wun anuther, as his father's did, kept th reqierd woch upon his muther. He graetly disterbd that pur wuuman at intervals, bi darting out of his sleeping clozet, wherr he maed his toilet, with a suprest cri of "U ar going to flop, muther. -- Halloa, faather!" and, after raezing this fictishus alarm, darting in agen with an undutiful grin.

   Mr. Cruncher's temper was not at all improovd when he caem to his brekfast. He rezented Mrs. Cruncher's saeing graes with particuelar animosity.

   "Now, Aggerawayter! Whut ar U up to? At it agen?"

   His wief explaend that she had meerly "askt a blesing."

   "Don't do it!" sed Mr. Crunches luuking about, as if he rather expected to see th loef disapeer under th eficasy of his wife's petishuns. "I ain't a going to be blest out of hous and hoem. I woen't hav mi wittles blest off mi taebl. Keep stil!"

   Exseedingly red-ied and grim, as if he had bin up all niet at a party which had taeken enything but a convivial tern, Jerry Cruncher weryd his brekfast rather than aet it, grouling oever it liek eny foer-fuuted inmaet of a menajery. Tords nien o'clok he smoothd his rufld aspect, and, prezenting as respectabl and biznes-liek an exteerior as he cuud oeverlae his nacheral self with, ishood forth to th ocuepaeshun of th dae.

   It cuud scairsly be calld a traed, in spiet of his favourite descripshun of himself as "a onest traedzman." His stok consisted of a wuuden

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stool, maed out of a broeken-bakt chair cut doun, which stool, yung Jerry, wauking at his father's sied, carryd evry morning to beneeth th banking-hous windo that was neerest Templ Bar: wherr, with th adishun of th ferst handful of straw that cuud be gleend frum eny pasing veeicl to keep th coeld and wet frum th od-job-man's feet, it formd th encampment for th dae. On this poest of his, Mr. Cruncher was as wel noen to Fleet-street and th Templ, as th Bar itself, -- and was allmoest as il-luuking.

   Encampt at a qorter befor nien, in guud tiem to tuch his three- cornerd hat to th oeldest of men as thae past in to Tellson's, Jerry tuuk up his staeshun on this windy March morning, with yung Jerry standing bi him, when not engaejd in maeking foraes thru th Bar, to inflict bodily and mental injerys of an acuet descripshun on pasing bois hoo wer small enuf for his aemiabl perpos. Faather and sun, extreemly liek eech uther, luuking sielently on at th morning trafic in Fleet- street, with thair too heds as neer to wun anuther as th too ies of eech wer, bor a considerabl rezemblans to a pair of munkys. Th rezemblans was not lesend bi th acsidental sercumstans, that th matur Jerry bit and spat out straw, whiel th twinkling ies of th yoothful Jerry wer as restlesly wochful of him as of evrything els in Fleet-street.

   Th hed of wun of th reguelar indor mesenjers atacht to Tellson's establishment was puut thru th dor, and th werd was given:

   "Porter wonted!"

   "Hoorae, faather! Heer's an erly job to begin with!"

   Having thus given his pairent God speed, yung Jerry seeted himself on th stool, enterd on his reverzhunairy interest in th straw his faather had bin chooing, and cogitated.

   "Al-waes rusty! His finggers is allwaes rusty!" muterd yung Jerry. "Wherr duz mi faather get all that ieern rust frum? He don't get no ieern rust heer!"

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   "U NOE th Oeld Bailey, wel, no dout?" sed wun of th oeldest of clerks to Jerry th mesenjer.

   "Ye-es, ser," reternd Jerry, in sumthing of a daugd maner. "I do noe th Bailey."

   "Just so. And U noe Mr. Lory."

   "I noe Mr. Lory, ser, much beter than I noe th Bailey. Much beter," sed Jerry, not unliek a reluctant witnes at th establishment in qeschun, "than I, as a onest traedzman, wish to noe th Bailey."

   "Verry wel. Fiend th dor wherr th witneses go in, and sho th dor-keeper this noet for Mr. Lory. He wil then let U in."

   "Into th cort, ser?"

   "Into th cort."

   Mr. Cruncher's ies seemd to get a litl cloeser to wun anuther, and to interchaenj th inqiery, "Whut do U think of this?"

   "Am I to waet in th cort, ser?" he askt, as th rezult of that conferens.

   "I am going to tel U. Th dor-keeper wil pas th noet to Mr. Lory, and do U maek eny jescher that wil atract Mr. Lorry's atenshun, and sho him wherr U stand. Then whut U hav to do, is, to remaen thair until he wonts U."

   "Is that all, ser?"

   "That's all. He wishes to hav a mesenjer at hand. This is to tel him U ar thair."

   As th aenshent clerk deliberetly foelded and superscribed th noet, Mr.

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Cruncher, after servaeing him in sielens until he caem to th bloting- paeper staej, remarkt:

   "I supoez thae'l be trieing Forjerys this morning?"

   "Treezon!"

   "That's quartering," sed Jerry. "Barbarus!"

   "It is th law," remarkt th aenshent clerk, terning his serpriezd spectacls upon him. "It is th law."

   "It's hard in th law to spile a man, I think. Ifs hard enuf to kil him, but it's wery hard to spile him, ser."

   "Not at all," retaend th aenshent clerk. "Speek wel of th law. Taek cair of yur chest and vois, mi guud frend, and leev th law to taek cair of itself. I giv U that advies."

   "It's th damp, ser, whut setls on mi chest and vois," sed Jerry. "I leev U to juj whut a damp wae of erning a living mien is."

   "Wel, wel," sed th oeld clerk; "we all hav our vairius waes of gaening a lievlyhuud. Sum of us hav damp waes, and sum of us hav dri waes. Heer is th leter. Go along."

   Jerry tuuk th leter, and, remarking to himself with les internal deferens than he maed an outward sho of, "U ar a leen oeld wun, too," maed his bow, informd his sun, in pasing, of his destinaeshun, and went his wae.

   Thae hangd at Tyburn, in thoes daes, so th street outsied Newgate had not obtaend wun infamus noetorieety that has sinss atacht to it. But, th jael was a viel plaes, in which moest kiends of debauchery and vilany wer practist, and wherr dier dizeezes wer bred, that caem into cort with th prizoners, and sumtiems rusht straet frum th dok at mi Lord Cheef Justis himself, and puuld him off th bench. It had mor than wuns hapend, that th Juj in th blak cap pronounst his oen doom as sertenly as th prisoner's, and eeven died befor him. For th rest, th Oeld Bailey was faemus as a kiend of dedly in-yard, frum which pael travelers set out continuealy, in carts and coeches, on a vieolent pasej into th uther werld: traversing sum too miels and a haf of public street and roed, and shaming fue guud sitizens, if eny. So powerful is ues, and so dezierabl to be guud ues in th begining. It was faemus, too, for th pilory, a wiez oeld institueshun, that inflicted a punishment of which no wun cuud forsee th extent; allso, for th whiping-poest, anuther deer oeld institueshun, verry humanising and soffening to behoeld in acshun; allso, for extensiv transacshuns in blud-muny, anuther fragment of ansestral wizdom, sistematicaly

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leeding to th moest frietful mersenairy criems that cuud be comited under Heven. Alltogether, th Oeld Bailey, at that daet, was a chois ilustraeshun of th preesept, that "Whutever is is riet;" an aforizm that wuud be as fienal as it is laezy, did it not inclood th trublsum conseqens, that nuthing that ever was, was rong.

   Maeking his wae thru th taented croud, disperst up and doun this hidius seen of acshun, with th skil of a man acustomd to maek his wae qieetly, th mesenjer found out th dor he saut, and handed in his leter thru a trap in it. For, peepl then paed to see th plae at th Oeld Bailey, just as thae paed to see th plae in Bedlam -- oenly th former entertaenment was much th deerer. Thairfor, all th Oeld Bailey dors wer wel garded -- exsept, indeed, th soeshal dors bi which th criminals got thair, and thoes wer allwaes left wied oepen.

   After sum delae and demer, th dor grujingly ternd on its hinjes a verry litl wae, and alowd Mr. Jerry Cruncher to sqeez himself into cort.

   "Whut's on?" he askt, in a whisper, of th man he found himself next to.

   "Nuthing yet."

   "Whut's cuming on?"

   "Th Treezon caes."

   "Th quartering wun, eh?"

   "Aa!" reternd th man, with a relish; "he'l be drawn on a herdl to be haf hangd, and then he'l be taeken doun and sliest befor his oen faes, and then his insied wil be taeken out and bernt whiel he luuks on, and then his hed wil be chopt off, and he'l be cut into qorters. That's th sentens."

   "If he's found Gilty, U meen to sae?" Jerry aded, bi wae of proviezo.

   "O! thae'l fiend him gilty," sed th uther. "Don't U be afraed of that."

   Mr. Cruncher's atenshun was heer diverted to th dor-keeper, hoom he saw maeking his wae to Mr. Lory, with th noet in his hand. Mr. Lory sat at a taebl, amung th jentlmen in wigs: not far frum a wigged jentlman, th prisoner's counsel, hoo had a graet bundl of paepers befor him: and neerly opozit anuther wigged jentlman with his hands in his pokets, hoos hoel atenshun, when Mr. Cruncher luukt at him then or afterwards, seemd to be consentraeted on th seeling of th cort. After sum gruf caufing and rubing of his chin and siening with his

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hand, Jerry atracted th noetis of Mr. Lory, hoo had stuud up to luuk for him, and hoo qieetly noded and sat doun agen.

   "Whut's he got to do with th caes?" askt th man he had spoeken with.

   "Blest if I noe," sed Jerry.

   "Whut hav U got to do with it, then, if a person mae inqier?"

   "Blest if I noe that eether," sed Jerry.

   Th entrans of th Juj, and a conseqent graet ster and setling doun in th cort, stopt th diealog. Prezently, th dok becaem th sentral point of interest. Too gaolers, hoo had bin standing thair, wont out, and th prizoner was braut in, and puut to th bar.

   Evrybody prezent, exsept th wun wigged jentlman hoo luukt at th seeling, staird at him. All th hueman breth in th plaes, roeld at him, liek a see, or a wind, or a fier. Eeger faeses straend round pilars and corners, to get a siet of him; spectaetors in bak roes stuud up, not to mis a hair of him; peepl on th flor of th cort, laed thair hands on th shoelders of th peepl befor them, to help themselvs, at anybody's cost, to a vue of him -- stuud a-tiptoe, got upon lejes, stuud upon next to nuthing, to see evry inch of him. Conspicueus amung thees later, liek an animaeted bit of th spiekt wall of Newgate, Jerry stuud: aeming at th prizoner th beery breth of a whet he had taeken as he caem along, and discharjing it to minggl with th waevs of uther beer, and jin, and tee, and coffy, and whut not, that floed at him, and allredy broek upon th graet windoes behiend him in an impuer mist and raen.

   Th object of all this stairing and blairing, was a yung man of about fiev-and-twenty, wel-groen and wel-luuking, with a sunbernt cheek and a dark ie. This condishun was that of a yung jentlman. He was plaenly drest in blak, or verry dark grae, and his hair, which was long and dark, was gatherd in a ribon at th bak of his nek; mor to be out of his wae than for ornament. As an emoeshun of th miend wil expres itself thru eny cuvering of th body, so th paelnes which his sichuaeshun enjenderd caem thru th broun upon his cheek, shoeing th soel to be strongger than th sun. He was utherwiez qiet self-pozest, bowd to th Juj, and stuud qieet.

   Th sort of interest with which this man was staird and breethd at, was not a sort that elevaeted huemanity. Had he stuud in perril of a les horribl sentens -- had thair bin a chans of eny wun of its savej deetaels being spaird -- bi just so much wuud he hav lost in his fasinaeshun. Th form that was to be doomd to be so shamefully manggld, was th

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siet; th imortal creecher that was to be so buucherd and torn asunder, yeelded th sensaeshun. Whutever gloss th vairius spectaetors puut upon th interest, acording to thair several arts and powers of self-deseet, th interest was, at th root of it, Ogreish.

   Sielens in th cort! Charles Darnay had yesterdae pleeded Not Gilty to an indietment denounsing him (with infinit jinggl and janggl) for that he was a falls traetor to our sereen, ilustrius, exselent, and so forth, prins, our Lord th King, bi reezon of his having, on dievers ocaezhuns, and bi dievers meens and waes, asisted Lewis, th French King, in his wors agenst our sed sereen, ilustrius, exselent, and so forth; that was to sae, bi cuming and going, between th dominyons of our sed sereen, ilustrius, exselent, and so forth, and thoes of th sed French Lewis, and wikedly, fallsly, traitorously, and utherwiez eevil -- adverbiously, reveeling to th sed French Lewis whut forses our sed sereen, ilustrius, exselent, and so forth, had in preparaeshun to send to Canada and North America. This much, Jerry, with his hed becuming mor and mor spiky as th law terms brisld it, maed out with huej satisfacshun, and so arievd circuitously at th understanding that th aforsed, and oever and oever agen aforsed, Charles Darnay, stuud thair befor him upon his trieal; that th jury wer swairing in; and that Mr. Aterny-Jeneral was maeking redy to speek.

   Th acuezd, hoo was (and hoo nue he was) being mentaly hangd, beheded, and quartered, bi evrybody thair, neether flinched frum th sichuaeshun, nor asoomd eny theatrical air in it. He was qieet and atentiv; wocht th oepening proseedings with a graev interest; and stuud with his hands resting on th slab of wuud befor him, so composedly, that thae had not displaest a leef of th herbs with which it was stroon. Th cort was all bestrewn with herbs and sprinkld with vinegar, as a precaushun agenst jael air and jael feever.

   Oever th prisoner's hed thair was a miror, to thro th liet doun upon him. Crouds of th wiked and th reched had bin reflected in it, and had past frum its serfis and this earth's together. Haunted in a moest gastly maner that abominabl plaes wuud hav bin, if th glas cuud ever hav renderd bak its reflecshuns, as th oeshan is wun dae to giv up its ded. Sum pasing thaut of th infamy and disgraes for which it had bin rezervd, mae hav struk th prisoner's miend. Be that as it mae, a chaenj in his pozishun maeking him conshus of a bar of liet across his faes, he luukt up; and when he saw th glas his faes flusht, and his riet hand puusht th herbs awae.

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   It hapend, that th acshun ternd his faes to that sied of th cort which was on his left. About on a level with his ies, thair sat, in that corner of th Judge's bench, too persons upon hoom his luuk imeedyetly rested; so imeedyetly, and so much to th chaenjing of his aspect, that all th ies that wer taemd upon him, ternd to them.

   Th spectaetors saw in th too figuers, a yung laedy of litl mor than twenty, and a jentlman hoo was evidently her faather; a man of a verry remarkabl apeerans in respect of th absoloot whietnes of his hair, and a serten indescriebabl intensity of faes: not of an activ kiend, but pondering and self-communing. When this expreshun was upon him, he luukt as if he wer oeld; but when it was sterd and broeken up -- as it was now, in a moement, on his speeking to his dauter -- he becaem a hansum man, not past th priem of lief.

   His dauter had wun of her hands drawn thru his arm, as she sat bi him, and th uther prest upon it. She had drawn cloes to him, in her dred of th seen, and in her pity for th prizoner. Her forhed had bin striekingly expresiv of an engroesing terror and compashun that saw nuthing but th perril of th acuezd. This had bin so verry noetisabl, so verry powerfuly and nacheraly shoen, that starers hoo had had no pity for him wer tucht bi her; and th whisper went about, "Hoo ar thae?"

   Jerry, th mesenjer, hoo had maed his oen obzervaeshuns, in his oen maner, and hoo had bin suking th rust off his finggers in his absorpshun, strecht his nek to heer hoo thae wer. Th croud about him had prest and past th inqiery on to th neerest atendant, and frum him it had bin mor sloely prest and past bak; at last it got to Jerry:

   "Witneses."

   "For which sied?"

   "Agenst."

   "Agenst whut sied?"

   "Th prisoner's."

   Th Juj, hoos ies had gon in th jeneral direcshun, recalld them, leend bak in his seet, and luukt stedily at th man hoos lief was in his hand, as Mr. Aterny-Jeneral roez to spin th roep, griend th ax, and hamer th naels into th scafold.

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   MR. ATERNY-JENERAL had to inform th jury, that th prizoner befor them, tho yung in yeers, was oeld in th treezonabl practises which claemd th forfit of his lief. That this corespondens with th public enemy was not a corespondens of to-dae, or of yesterdae, or eeven of last yeer, or of th yeer befor. That, it was serten th prizoner had, for longger than that, bin in th habit of pasing and repassing between France and England, on seecret biznes of which he cuud giv no onest acount. That, if it wer in th naecher of traetorius waes to thriev (which hapily it never was), th reeal wikednes and gilt of his biznes miet hav remaend undiscovered. That Providens, however, had puut it into th hart of a person hoo was beyond feer and beyond reproech, to ferret out th naecher of th prisoner's skeems, and, struk with horror, to discloez them to his Majesty's Cheef Secretairy of Staet and moest honourable Privy Counsil. That, this paetriot wuud be produest befor them. That, his pozishun and atitued wer, on th hoel, subliem. That, he had bin th prisoner's frend, but, at wuns in an auspishus and an eevil our detecting his infamy, had rezolvd to imoelaet th traetor he cuud no longger cherrish in his buuzom, on th saecred alltar of his cuntry. That, if stachoos wer decreed in Britain, as in aenshent Greece and Rome, to public benefactors, this shiening sitizen wuud ashuredly hav had wun. That, as thae wer not so decreed, he probably wuud not hav wun. That, Verchoo, as had bin obzervd bi th poeets (in meny pasejes which he wel nue th jury wuud hav, werd for werd, at th tips of thair tungs; wherrat th jury's countenances displaed a gilty conshusnes that thae nue nuthing about th pasejes),

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was in a maner contaejus; mor espeshaly th briet verchoo noen as paetriotizm, or luv of cuntry. That, th loffty exampl of this imacuelet and unimpeechabl witnes for th Croun, to refer to hoom however unwerthily was an onor, had comuenicaeted itself to th prisoner's servant, and had enjenderd in him a hoely determinaeshun to examin his master's taebl-drors and pokets, and secreet his paepers. That, he (Mr. Aterny-Jeneral) was prepaird to heer sum disparrejment atempted of this admerabl servant; but that, in a jeneral wae, he preferd him to his (Mr. Aterny-General's) bruthers and sisters, and onord him mor than his (Mr. Aterny-General's) faather and muther. That, he calld with confidens on th jury to cum and do liekwiez. That, th evidens of thees too witneses, cupld with th docuements of thair discuvering that wuud be produest, wuud sho th prizoner to hav bin fernisht with lists of his Majesty's forses, and of thair dispozishun and preparaeshun, boeth bi see and land, and wuud leev no dout that he had habichualy convaed such informaeshun to a hostil power. That, thees lists cuud not be proovd to be in th prisoner's hand-rieting; but that it was all th saem; that, indeed, it was rather th beter for th prosecueshun, as shoeing th prizoner to be artful in his precaushuns. That, th proof wuud go bak fiev yeers, and wuud sho th prizoner allredy engaejd in thees pernishus mishuns, within a fue weeks befor th daet of th verry ferst acshun faut between th British troops and th Americans. That, for thees reezons, th jury, being a loial jury (as he nue thae wer), and being a responsibl jury (as thae nue thae wer), must pozitivly fiend th prizoner Gilty, and maek an end of him, whether thae liekt it or not. That, thae never cuud lae thair heds upon thair piloes; that, thae never cuud toleraet th iedeea of thair wievs laeing thair heds upon thair piloes; that, thae never cuud endur th noeshun of thair children laeing thair heds upon thair piloes; in short, that thair never mor cuud be, for them or theirs, eny laeing of heds upon piloes at all, unles th prisoner's hed was taeken off. That hed Mr. Aterny-Jeneral conclooded bi demanding of them, in th naem of evrything he cuud think of with a round tern in it, and on th faeth of his solem aseveraeshun that he allredy considerd th prizoner as guud as ded and gon.

   When th Aterny-Jeneral seest, a buz aroez in th cort as if a cloud of graet bloo-flies wer sworming about th prizoner, in antisipaeshun of whut he was soon to becum. When toned doun agen, th unimpeechabl paetriot apeerd in th witnes-box.

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   Mr. Solisitor-Jeneral then, foloeing his leader's leed, examind th paetriot: John Barsad, jentlman, bi naem. Th story of his puer soel was exactly whut Mr. Aterny-Jeneral had descriebd it to be -- perhaps, if it had a fallt, a litl too exactly. Having releest his noebl buuzom of its berden, he wuud hav modestly withdrawn himself, but that th wigged jentlman with th paepers befor him, siting not far frum Mr. Lory, begd to ask him a fue qeschuns. Th wigged jentlman siting opozit, stil luuking at th seeling of th cort.

   Had he ever bin a spi himself? No, he scornd th baes insinueaeshun. Whut did he liv upon? His property. Wherr was his property? He didn't presiesly remember wherr it was. Whut was it? No biznes of anybody's. Had he inherrited it? Yes, he had. Frum hoom? Distant relaeshun. Verry distant? Rather. Ever bin in prizon? Sertenly not. Never in a debtors' prizon? Didn't see whut that had to do with it. Never in a debtors' prizon? -- Cum, wuns agen. Never? Yes. How meny tiems? Too or three tiems. Not fiev or six? Perhaps. Of whut profeshun? Jentlman. Ever bin kikt? Miet hav bin. Freeqently? No. Ever kikt dounstairs? Desiededly not; wuns reseevd a kik on th top of a staircaes, and fel doun-stairs of his oen acord. Kikt on that ocaezhun for cheeting at dies? Sumthing to that efect was sed bi th intoxicaeted lieer hoo comited th asallt, but it was not troo. Swair it was not troo? Pozitivly. Ever liv bi cheeting at plae? Never. Ever liv bi plae? Not mor than uther jentlmen do. Ever borro muny of th prizoner? Yes. Ever pae him? No. Was not this intimasy with th prizoner, in reality a verry sliet wun, forst upon th prizoner in coeches, ins, and pakets? No. Shur he saw th prizoner with thees lists? Serten. Nue no mor about th lists? No. Had not proecuerd them himself, for instans? No. Expect to get enything bi this evidens? No. Not in reguelar guvernment pae and emploiment, to lae traps? O deer no. Or to do enything? O deer no. Swair that? Oever and oever agen. No moetivs but moetivs of sheer paetriotizm? Nun whutever.

   Th verchuos servant, Roger Cly, swor his wae thru th caes at a graet raet. He had taeken servis with th prizoner, in guud faeth and simplisity, foer yeers ago. He had askt th prizoner, abord th Calais paket, if he wonted a handy felo, and th prizoner had engaejd him. He had not askt th prizoner to taek th handy felo as an act of charrity -- never thaut of such a thing. He began to hav suspishuns of th prizoner, and to keep an ie upon him, soon afterwards. In araenjing his cloeths, whiel traveling, he had seen similar lists to thees in th

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prisoner's pokets, oever and oever agen. He had taeken thees lists frum th dror of th prisoner's desk. He had not puut them thair ferst. He had seen th prizoner sho thees iedentical lists to French jentlmen at Calais, and similar lists to French jentlmen, boeth at Calais and Boulogne. He luvd his cuntry, and cuudn't bair it, and had given informaeshun. He had never bin suspected of steeling a silver tee-pot; he had bin maliend respecting a mustard-pot, but it ternd out to be oenly a plaeted wun. He had noen th last witnes seven or aet yeers; that was meerly a coeinsidens. He didn't call it a particuelarly cuerius coeinsidens; moest coeinsidenses wer cuerius. Neether did he call it a cuerius coeinsidens that troo paetriotizm was his oenly moetiv too. He was a troo Briton, and hoept thair wer meny liek him.

   Th bloo-flies buzd agen, and Mr. Aterny-Jeneral calld Mr. Jarvis Lory.

   "Mr. Jarvis Lory, ar U a clerk in Tellson's bank?"

   "I am."

   "On a serten Friday niet in November wun thouzand seven hundred and seventy-fiev, did biznes ocaezhun U to travel between London and Dover bi th mael?"

   "It did."

   "Wer thair eny uther pasenjers in th mael?"

   "Too."

   "Did thae aliet on th roed in th cors of th niet?"

   ('they did."

   "Mr. Lory, luuk upon th prizoner. Was he wun of thoes too pasenjers?"

   "I cannot undertaek to sae that he was."

   "Duz he rezembl eether of thees too pasenjers?"

   "Boeth wer so rapt up, and th niet was so dark, and we wer all so rezervd, that I cannot undertaek to sae eeven that."

   "Mr. Lory, luuk agen upon th prizoner. Supoezing him rapt up as thoes too pasenjers wer, is thair enything in his bulk and stacher to render it unliekly that he was wun of them?"

   "No."

   "U wil not swair, Mr. Lory, that he was not wun of them?"

   "No."

   "So at leest U sae he mae hav bin wun of them?"

   "Yes. Exsept that I remember them boeth to hav bin -- liek mieself -- timorus of highwaymen, and th prizoner has not a timorus air."

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   "Did U ever see a counterfit of timidity, Mr. Lory?"

   "I sertenly hav seen that."

   "Mr. Lory, luuk wuns mor upon th prizoner. Hav U seen him, to yur serten nolej, befor?"

   "I hav."

   "When?"

   "I was reterning frum France a fue daes afterwards, and, at Calais, th prizoner caem on bord th paket-ship in which I reternd, and maed th voiej with me."

   "At whut our did he cum on bord?"

   "At a litl after midniet."

   "In th ded of th niet. Was he th oenly pasenjer hoo caem on bord at that untiemly our?"

   "He hapend to be th oenly wun."

   "Never miend about 'happening,' Mr. Lory. He was th oenly pasenjer hoo caem on bord in th ded of th niet?"

   "He was."

   "Wer U traveling aloen, Mr. Lory, or with eny companyon?"

   "With too companyons. A jentlman and laedy. Thae ar heer."

   "Thae ar heer. Had U eny conversaeshun with th prizoner?"

   "Hardly eny. Th wether was stormy, and th pasej long and ruf, and I lae on a soefa, allmoest frum shor to shor."

   "Mis Manette!"

   Th yung laedy, to hoom all ies had bin ternd befor, and wer now ternd agen, stuud up wherr she had sat. Her faather roez with her, and kept her hand drawn thru his arm.

   "Mis Manette, luuk upon th prizoner."

   To be confrunted with such pity, and such ernest yooth and buety, was far mor trieing to th acuezd than to be confrunted with all th croud. Standing, as it wer, apart with her on th ej of his graev, not all th stairing cueriosity that luukt on, cuud, for th moement, nerv him to remaen qiet stil. His heryd riet hand parcelled out th herbs befor him into imajinairy beds of flowers in a garden; and his eforts to controel and stedy his breething shuuk th lips frum which th colour rusht to his hart. Th buz of th graet flies was loud agen.

   "Mis Manette, hav U seen th prizoner befor?"

   "Yes, ser."

   "Wherr?"

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   "On bord of th paket-ship just now referd to, ser, and on th saem ocaezhun."

   "U ar th yung laedy just now referd to?"

   "O! moest unhapily, I am!"

   Th plaentiv toen of her compashun merjd into th les muezical vois of th Juj, as he sed sumthing feersly: "Anser th qeschuns puut to U, and maek no remark upon them."

   "Mis Manette, had U eny conversaeshun with th prizoner on that pasej across th Chanel?"

   "Yes, ser."

   "Recall it."

   In th midst of a profound stilnes, she faently began:

   "When th jentlman caem on bord -- "

   "Do U meen th prizoner?" inqierd th Juj, niting his brous.

   "Yes, mi Lord."

   "Then sae th prizoner."

   "When th prizoner caem on bord, he noetist that mi faather," terning her ies luvingly to him as he stuud besied her, "was much fateegd and in a verry weak staet of helth. Mi faather was so reduest that I was afraed to taek him out of th air, and I had maed a bed for him on th dek neer th cabin steps, and I sat on th dek at his sied to taek cair of him. Thair wer no uther pasenjers that niet, but we foer. Th prizoner was so guud as to beg permishun to adviez me how I cuud shelter mi faather frum th wind and wether, beter than I had dun. I had not noen how to do it wel, not understanding how th wind wuud set when we wer out of th harbour. He did it for me. He exprest graet jentlnes and kiendnes for mi father's staet, and I am shur he felt it. That was th maner of our begining to speek together."

   "Let me interupt U for a moement. Had he cum on bord aloen?"

   "No."

   "How meny wer with him?"

   "Too French jentlmen."

   "Had thae conferd together?"

   "Thae had conferd together until th last moement, when it was nesesairy for th French jentlmen to be landed in thair boet."

   "Had eny paepers bin handed about amung them, similar to thees lists?"

   "Sum paepers had bin handed about amung them, but I don't noe whut paepers."

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   "Liek thees in shaep and siez?"

   "Posibly, but indeed I don't noe, alltho thae stuud whispering verry neer to me: becauz thae stuud at th top of th cabin steps to hav th liet of th lamp that was hanging thair; it was a dul lamp, and thae spoek verry lo, and I did not heer whut thae sed, and saw oenly that thae luukt at paepers."

   "Now, to th prisoner's conversaeshun, Mis Manette."

   "Th prizoner was as oepen in his confidens with me -- which aroez out of mi helples sichuaeshun -- as he was kiend, and guud, and uesful to mi faather. I hoep," bersting into teers, "I mae not re-pae him bi doing him harm to-dae."

   Buzing frum th bloo-flies.

   "Mis Manette, if th prizoner duz not perfectly understand that U giv th evidens which it is yur duety to giv -- which U must giv -- and which U cannot escaep frum giving -- with graet unwilingnes, he is th oenly person prezent in that condishun. Pleez to go on."

   "He toeld me that he was traveling on biznes of a deliket and dificult naecher, which miet get peepl into trubl, and that he was thairfor traveling under an asoomd naem. He sed that this biznes had, within a fue daes, taeken him to France, and miet, at intervals, taek him bakwards and forwards between France and England for a long tiem to cum."

   "Did he sae enything about America, Mis Manette? Be particuelar."

   "He tried to explaen to me how that qorrel had arizen, and he sed that, so far as he cuud juj, it was a rong and foolish wun on England's part. He aded, in a jesting wae, that perhaps George Washington miet gaen allmoest as graet a naem in history as George th Therd. But thair was no harm in his wae of saeing this: it was sed lafingly, and to begiel th tiem."

   Eny strongly markt expreshun of faes on th part of a cheef actor in a seen of graet interest to hoom meny ies ar directed, wil be unconshusly imitaeted bi th spectaetors. Her forhed was paenfuly ankshus and intent as she gaev this evidens, and, in th pauzes when she stopt for th Juj to riet it doun, wocht its efect upon th counsel for and agenst. Amung th lookers-on thair was th saem expreshun in all qorters of th cort; insoemuch, that a graet majority of th forheds thair, miet hav bin mirors reflecting th witnes, when th Juj luukt up frum his noets to glair at that tremendus herresy about George Washington.

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   Mr. Aterny-Jeneral now signified to mi Lord, that he deemd it nesesairy, as a mater of precaushun and form, to call th yung lady's faather, Doctor Manette. Hoo was calld acordingly.

   "Doctor Manette, luuk upon th prizoner. Hav U ever seen him befor?"

   "Wuns. When he caejd at mi lojings in London. Sum three yeers, or three yeers and a haf ago."

   "Can U iedentifi him as yur felo-pasenjer on bord th paket, or speek to his conversaeshun with yur dauter?"

   "Ser, I can do neether."

   "Is thair eny particuelar and speshal reezon for yur being unaebl to do eether?"

   He anserd, in a lo vois, "Thair is."

   "Has it bin yur misforchen to undergo a long imprizonment, without trieal, or eeven acuezaeshun, in yur naetiv cuntry, Doctor Manette?"

   He anserd, in a toen that went to evry hart, "A long imprizonment."

   "Wer U nuely releest on th ocaezhun in qeschun?"

   "Thae tel me so."

   "Hav U no remembrans of th ocaezhun?"

   "Nun. Mi miend is a blank, frum sum tiem -- I cannot eeven sae whut tiem -- when I emploid mieself, in mi captivity, in maeking shoos, to th tiem when I found mieself living in London with mi deer dauter heer. She had becum familyar to me, when a graeshus God restord mi facultys; but, I am qiet unaebl eeven to sae how she had becum familyar. I hav no remembrans of th proses."

   Mr. Aterny-Jeneral sat doun, and th faather and dauter sat doun together.

   A singguelar sercumstans then aroez in th caes. Th object in hand being to sho that th prizoner went doun, with sum felo-ploter untrakt, in th Dover mael on that Friday niet in November fiev yeers ago, and got out of th mael in th niet, as a bliend, at a plaes wherr he did not remaen, but frum which he traveld bak sum duzen miels or mor, to a garrison and dok-yard, and thair colected informaeshun; a witnes was calld to iedentifi him as having bin at th presies tiem reqierd, in th coffy-room of an hoetel in that garrison-and-dok-yard toun, waeting for anuther person. Th prisoner's counsel was cross- examining this witnes with no rezult, exsept that he had never seen th prizoner on eny uther ocaezhun, when th wigged jentlman hoo had

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all this tiem bin luuking at th seeling of th cort, roet a werd or too on a litl pees of paeper, scrood it up, and tosst it to him. Oepening this pees of paeper in th next pauz, th counsel luukt with graet atenshun and cueriosity at th prizoner.

   "U sae agen U ar qiet shur that it was th prizoner?"

   Th witnes was qiet shur.

   "Did U ever see enybody verry liek th prizoner?"

   Not so liek (th witnes sed) as that he cuud be mistaeken.

   "Luuk wel upon that jentlman, mi lernd frend thair," pointing to him hoo had tosst th paeper oever, "and then luuk wel upon th prizoner. How sae U? Ar thae verry liek eech uther?"

   Alowing for mi lernd friend's apeerans being cairles and sluvenly if not debauched, thae wer sufishently liek eech uther to serpriez, not oenly th witnes, but evrybody prezent, when thae wer thus braut into comparrison. Mi Lord being praed to bid mi lernd frend lae asied his wig, and giving no verry graeshus consent, th lieknes becaem much mor remarkabl. Mi Lord inqierd of Mr. Stryver (th prisoner's counsel), whether thae wer next to tri Mr. Carton (naem of mi lernd frend) for treezon? But, Mr. Stryver replied to mi Lord, no; but he wuud ask th witnes to tel him whether whut hapend wuns, miet hapen twies; whether he wuud hav bin so confident if he had seen this ilustraeshun of his rashnes sooner, whether he wuud be so confident, having seen it; and mor. Th upshot of which, was, to smash this witnes liek a crokery vesel, and shiver his part of th caes to uesles lumber.

   Mr. Cruncher had bi this tiem taeken qiet a lunch of rust off his finggers in his foloeing of th evidens. He had now to atend whiel Mr. Stryver fited th prisoner's caes on th jury, liek a compact soot of cloeths; shoeing them how th paetriot, Barsad, was a hierd spi and traetor, an unblushing trafficker in blud, and wun of th graetest scoundrels upon erth sinss acurst Judas -- which he sertenly did luuk rather liek. How th verchuos servant, Cly, was his frend and partner, and was werthy to be; how th wochful ies of thoes forgers and falls swearers had rested on th prizoner as a victim, becauz sum family afairs in France, he being of French extracshun, did reqier his maeking thoes pasejes across th Chanel -- tho whut thoes afairs wer, a consideraeshun for uthers hoo wer neer and deer to him, forbaed him, eeven for his lief, to discloez. How th evidens that had bin worpt and wrested frum th yung laedy, hoos anggwish in giving it thae had

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witnest, caem to nuthing, involving th meer litl inosent gallantries and politenesses liekly to pas between eny yung jentlman and yung laedy so throen together; -- with th exsepshun of that referens to George Washington, which was alltogether too extravagant and imposibl to be regarded in eny uther liet than as a monstrus joek. How it wuud be a weeknes in th guvernment to braek doun in this atempt to practis for popuelarrity on th loeest nashunal antipathies and feers, and thairfor Mr. Aterny-Jeneral had maed th moest of it; how, nevertheles, it rested upon nuthing, saev that viel and infamus carracter of evidens too offen disfiguring such caeses, and of which th Staet Trieals of this cuntry wer fuul. But, thair mi Lord interpoezd (with as graev a faes as if it had not bin troo), saeing that he cuud not sit upon that Bench and sufer thoes aloozhuns.

   Mr. Stryver then calld his fue witneses, and Mr. Cruncher had next to atend whiel Mr. Aterny-Jeneral ternd th hoel soot of cloeths Mr. Stryver had fited on th jury, insied out; shoeing how Barsad and Cly wer eeven a hundred tiems beter than he had thaut them, and th prizoner a hundred tiems wers. Lastly, caem mi Lord himself, terning th soot of cloeths, now insied out, now outsied in, but on th hoel desiededly triming and shaeping them into graev-cloeths for th prizoner.

   And now, th jury ternd to consider, and th graet flies swormd agen.

   Mr. Carton, hoo had so long sat luuking at th seeling of th cort, chaenjd neether his plaes nor his atitued, eeven in this exsietment. Whiel his teemd frend, Mr. Stryver, masing his paepers befor him, whisperd with thoes hoo sat neer, and frum tiem to tiem glanst ankshusly at th jury; whiel all th spectaetors moovd mor or les, and groopt themselvs anue; whiel eeven mi Lord himself aroez frum his seet, and sloely paest up and doun his platform, not unatended bi a suspishun in th miends of th audyens that his staet was feeverish; this wun man sat leening bak, with his torn goun haf off him, his untiedy wig puut on just as it had hapend to fiet on his hed after its remooval, his hands in his pokets, and his ies on th seeling as thae had bin all dae. Sumthing espeshaly rekles in his demeanour, not oenly gaev him a disrepuetabl luuk, but so diminisht th strong rezemblans he undoutedly bor to th prizoner (which his moementairy ernestnes, when thae wer compaird together, had strengthend), that meny of th lookers-on, taeking noet of him now, sed to wun anuther thae wuud hardly hav thaut

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th too wer so aliek. Mr. Cruncher maed th obzervaeshun to his next naebor, and aded, "I'd hoeld haf a guinea that he don't get no law- werk to do. Don't luuk liek th sort of wun to get eny, do he?"

   Yet, this Mr. Carton tuuk in mor of th deetaels of th seen than he apeerd to taek in; for now, when Mis Manette's hed dropt upon her father's brest, he was th ferst to see it, and to sae audibly: "Offiser! luuk to that yung laedy. Help th jentlman to taek her out. Don't U see she wil fall!"

   Thair was much comizeraeshun for her as she was remoovd, and much simpathy with her faather. It had evidently bin a graet distres to him, to hav th daes of his imprizonment recalld. He had shoen strong internal ajitaeshun when he was qeschund, and that pondering or brooding luuk which maed him oeld, had bin upon him, liek a hevy cloud, ever sinss. As he past out, th jury, hoo had ternd bak and pauzd a moement, spoek, thru thair forman.

   Thae wer not agreed, and wisht to retier. Mi Lord (perhaps with George Washington on his miend) shoed sum serpriez that thae wer not agreed, but signified his plezher that thae shuud retier under woch and word, and retierd himself. Th trieal had lasted all dae, and th lamps in th cort wer now being lieted. It began to be rumoured that th jury wuud be out a long whiel. Th spectaetors dropt off to get refreshment, and th prizoner withdroo to th bak of th dok, and sat doun.

   Mr. Lory, hoo had gon out when th yung laedy and her faather went out, now re-apeerd, and bekond to Jerry: hoo, in th slakend interest, cuud eezily get neer him.

   "Jerry, if U wish to taek sumthing to eet, U can. But, keep in th wae. U wil be shur to heer when th jury cum in. Don't be a moement behiend them, for I wont U to taek th verdict bak to th bank. U ar th qikest mesenjer I noe, and wil get to Templ Bar long befor I can."

   Jerry had just enuf forhed to nukl, and he nukld it in acknowledgment of this comuenicaeshun and a shiling. Mr. Carton caem up at th moement, and tucht Mr. Lory on th arm.

   "How is th yung laedy?"

   "She is graetly distrest; but her faather is cumforting her, and she feels th beter for being out of cort."

   "I'l tel th prizoner so. It woen't do for a respectabl bank jentlman liek U, to be seen speeking to him publicly, U noe."

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   Mr. Lory redend as if he wer conshus of having debaeted th point in his miend, and Mr. Carton maed his wae to th outsied of th bar. Th wae out of cort lae in that direcshun, and Jerry foloed him, all ies, eers, and spieks.

   "Mr. Darnay!"

   Th prizoner caem forward directly.

   "U wil nacheraly be ankshus to heer of th witnes, Mis Manette. She wil do verry wel. U hav seen th werst of her ajitaeshun."

   "I am deeply sorry to hav bin th cauz of it. Cuud U tel her so for me, with mi fervent aknolejments?"

   "Yes, I cuud. I wil, if U ask it."

   Mr. Carton's maner was so cairles as to be allmoest insolent. He stuud, haf ternd frum th prizoner, lounjing with his elbo agenst th bar.

   "I do ask it. Acsept mi corjal thanks."

   "Whut," sed Carton, stil oenly haf ternd tords him, "do U expect, Mr. Darnay?"

   "Th werst."

   "It's th wiezest thing to expect, and th likeliest. But I think thair withdrawing is in yur faevor."

   Loitering on th wae out of cort not being alowd, Jerry herd no mor: but left them -- so liek eech uther in feecher, so unliek eech uther in maner -- standing sied bi sied, boeth reflected in th glas abuv them.

   An our and a haf limpt hevily awae in th theef-and-rascal crouded pasejes belo, eeven tho asisted off with muton pies and ael. Th hors mesenjer, uncumfortably seeted on a form after taeking that refection, had dropt into a doez, when a loud mermer and a rapid tied of peepl seting up th stairs that led to th cort, carryd him along with them.

   "Jerry! Jerry!" Mr. Lory was allredy calling at th dor when he got thair.

   "Heer, ser! It's a fiet to get bak agen. Heer I am, ser!"

   Mr. Lory handed him a paeper thru th throng. "Qik! Hav U got it?"

   "Yes, ser."

   Haestily riten on th paeper was th werd "AQUITTED."

   "If U had sent th mesej, 'recalled to Lief,' agen," muterd Jerry, as he ternd, "I shuud hav noen whut U ment, this tiem."

   He had no oportuenity of saeing, or so much as thinking, enything

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els, until he was cleer of th Oeld Bailey; for, th croud caem poring out with a veeemens that neerly tuuk him off his legs, and a loud buz swept into th street as if th bafld bloo-flies wer dispersing in serch of uther carrion.

   FRUM th dimly-lieted pasejes of th cort, th last sediment of th hueman stoo that had bin boiling thair all dae, was straening off, when Doctor Manette, Lucie Manette, his dauter, Mr. Lory, th solisitor for th defence, and its counsel, Mr. Stryver, stuud gatherd round Mr. Charles Darnay -- just releest -- congratulating him on his escaep frum deth.

   It wuud hav bin dificult bi a far brieter liet, to recognise in Doctor Manette, intelekchual of faes and upriet of bairing, th shoomaeker of th garret in Paris. Yet, no wun cuud hav luukt at him twies, without luuking agen: eeven tho th oportuenity of obzervaeshun had not extended to th mornful caedens of his lo graev vois, and to th abstracshun that overclouded him fitfuly, without eny aparrent reezon. Whiel wun external cauz, and that a referens to his long linggering agony, wuud allwaes -- as on th trieal -- evoek this condishun frum th depths of his soel, it was allso in its naecher to ariez of itself, and to draw a gloom oever him, as incomprehensibl to thoes unaqaented with his story as if thae had seen th shado of th akchual Bastille throen upon him bi a sumer sun, when th substans was three hundred miels awae.

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   Oenly his dauter had th power of charming this blak brooding frum his miend. She was th goelden thred that uenieted him to a Past beyond his mizery, and to a Prezent beyond his mizery: and th sound of her vois, th liet of her faes, th tuch of her hand, had a strong benefishal inflooens with him allmoest allwaes. Not absolootly allwaes, for she cuud recall sum ocaezhuns on which her power had faeld; but thae wer fue and sliet, and she beleevd them oever.

   Mr. Darnay had kist her hand fervently and graetfuly, and had ternd to Mr. Stryver, hoom he wormly thankt. Mr. Stryver, a man of litl mor than therty, but luuking twenty yeers oelder than he was, stout, loud, red, bluf, and free frum eny drawbak of delicasy, had a puushing wae of shoeldering himself (moraly and fizicaly) into cumpanys and conversaeshuns, that argued wel for his shoeldering his wae up in lief.

   He stil had his wig and goun on, and he sed, squaring himself at his laet clieent to that degree that he sqeezd th inosent Mr. Lory cleen out of th groop: "I am glad to hav braut U off with onor, Mr. Darnay. It was an infamus prosecueshun, groesly infamus; but not th les liekly to sucseed on that acount."

   "U hav laed me under an obligaeshun to U for lief -- in too senses," sed his laet clieent, taeking his hand.

   "I hav dun mi best for U, Mr. Darnay; and mi best is as guud as anuther man's, I beleev."

   It cleerly being incumbent on sum wun to sae, "Much beter," Mr. Lory sed it; perhaps not qiet disinterestedly, but with th interested object of sqeezing himself bak agen.

   "U think so?" sed Mr. Stryver. "Wel! U hav bin prezent all dae, and U aut to noe. U ar a man of biznes, too."

   "And as such," quoth Mr. Lory, hoom th counsel lernd in th law had now shoelderd bak into th groop, just as he had preeviusly shoelderd him out of it -- "as such I wil apeel to Doctor Manette, to braek up this conferens and order us all to our hoems. Mis Lucie luuks il, Mr. Darnay has had a terribl dae, we ar worn out."

   "Speek for yurself, Mr. Lory," sed Stryver; "I hav a night's werk to do yet. Speek for yurself."

   "I speek for mieself," anserd Mr. Lory, "and for Mr. Darnay, and for Mis Lucie, and -- Mis Lucie, do U not think I mae speek for us all?" He askt her th qeschun pointedly, and with a glans at her faather.

   His faes had becum froezen, as it wer, in a verry cuerius luuk at

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Darnay: an intent luuk, deepening into a froun of disliek and distrust, not eeven unmixt with feer. With this straenj expreshun on him his thauts had waanderd awae.

   "Mi faather," sed Lucie, sofftly laeing her hand on his.

   He sloely shuuk th shado off, and ternd to her.

   "Shal we go hoem, mi faather?"

   With a long breth, he anserd "Yes."

   Th frends of th aqited prizoner had disperst, under th impreshun -- which he himself had orijinaeted -- that he wuud not be releest that niet. Th liets wer neerly all extinggwisht in th pasejes, th ieern gaets wer being cloezd with a jar and a ratl, and th dizmal plaes was dezerted until to-morro morning's interest of galoes, pilory, whiping-poest, and branding-ieern, shuud repeople it. Wauking between her faather and Mr. Darnay, Lucie Manette past into th oepen air. A hakny-coech was calld, and th faather and dauter departed in it.

   Mr. Stryver had left them in th pasejes, to shoelder his wae bak to th robing-room. Anuther person, hoo had not joind th groop, or interchanged a werd with eny wun of them, but hoo had bin leening agenst th wall wherr its shado was darkest, had sielently stroeld out after th rest, and had luukt on until th coech droev awae. He now stept up to wherr Mr. Lory and Mr. Darnay stuud upon th paevment.

   "So, Mr. Lory! Men of biznes mae speek to Mr. Darnay now?"

   Noebody had maed eny acknowledgment of Mr. Carton's part in th day's proseedings; noebody had noen of it. He was unrobed, and was nun th beter for it in apeerans.

   "If U nue whut a conflict goes on in th biznes miend, when th biznes miend is divieded between guud-naecherd impuls and biznes apeeranses, U wuud be amuezd, Mr. Darnay."

   Mr. Lory redend, and sed, wormly, "U hav menshund that befor, ser. We men of biznes, hoo serv a Hous, ar not our oen masters. We hav to think of th Hous mor than ourselvs."

   "I noe, I noe," rejoind Mr. Carton, cairlesly. "Don't be netld, Mr. Lory. U ar as guud as anuther, I hav no dout: beter, I dair sae."

   "And indeed, ser," persood Mr. Lory, not miending him, "I reealy don't noe whut U hav to do with th mater. If U'l excues me, as verry much yur elder, for saeing so, I reealy don't noe that it is yur biznes."

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   "Biznes! Bles U, I hav no biznes," sed Mr. Carton.

   "It is a pity U hav not, ser."

   "I think so, too."

   "If U had," persood Mr. Lory, "perhaps U wuud atend to it."

   "Lord luv U, no! -- I shuudn't," sed Mr. Carton.

   "Wel, ser!" cried Mr. Lory, theroely heeted bi his indiferens, "biznes is a verry guud thing, and a verry respectabl thing. And, ser, if biznes impoezes its restraents and its sielenses and impediments, Mr. Darnay as a yung jentlman of jenerosity noes how to maek alowans for that sercumstans. Mr. Darnay, guud niet, God bles U, ser! I hoep U hav bin this dae prezervd for a prosperus and hapy lief. -- Chair thair!"

   Perhaps a litl anggry with himself, as wel as with th barrister, Mr. Lory bustled into th chair, and was carryd off to Tellson's. Carton, hoo smelt of port wien, and did not apeer to be qiet soeber, laft then, and ternd to Darnay:

   "This is a straenj chans that throes U and me together. This must be a straenj niet to U, standing aloen heer with yur counterpart on thees street stoens?"

   "I hardly seem yet," reternd Charles Darnay, "to belong to this werld agen."

   "I don't wunder at it; it's not so long sinss U wer prity far advanst on yur wae to anuther. U speek faently."

   "I begin to think I am faent."

   "Then whi th devil don't U dien? I diend, mieself, whiel thoes numskulls wer deliberaeting which werld U shuud belong to -- this, or sum uther. Let me sho U th neerest tavern to dien wel at."

   Drawing his arm thru his oen, he tuuk him doun Ludgate-hil to Fleet-street, and so, up a cuverd wae, into a tavern. Heer, thae wer shoen into a litl room, wherr Charles Darnay was soon recrooting his strength with a guud plaen diner and guud wien: whiel Carton sat opozit to him at th saem taebl, with his separaet botl of port befor him, and his fuuly haf-insolent maner upon him.

   "Do U feel, yet, that U belong to this terrestrial skeem agen, Mr. Darnay?"

   "I am frietfuly confuezd regarding tiem and plaes; but I am so far mended as to feel that."

   "It must be an imens satisfacshun!"

   He sed it biterly, and fild up his glas agen: which was a larj wun.

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   "As to me, th graetest dezier I hav, is to forget that I belong to it. It has no guud in it for me -- exsept wien liek this -- nor I for it. So we ar not much aliek in that particuelar. Indeed, I begin to think we ar not much aliek in eny particuelar, U and l."

   Confuezd bi th emoeshun of th dae, and feeling his being thair with this Dubl of cors deportment, to be liek a dreem, Charles Darnay was at a loss how to anser; fienaly, anserd not at all.

   "Now yur diner is dun," Carton prezently sed, "whi don't U call a helth, Mr. Darnay; whi don't U giv yur toest?"

   "Whut helth? Whut toest?"

   "Whi, it's on th tip of yur tung. It aut to be, it must be, I'l swair it's thair."

   "Mis Manette, then!"

   "Mis Manette, then!"

   Luuking his companyon fuul in th faes whiel he drank th toest, Carton flung his glas oever his shoelder agenst th wall, wherr it shiverd to peeses; then, rang th bel, and orderd in anuther.

   "That's a fair yung laedy to hand to a coech in th dark, Mr. Darnay!" he sed, ruing his nue goblet.

   A sliet froun and a laconic "Yes," wer th anser.

   "That's a fair yung laedy to be pityd bi and wept for bi! How duz it feel? Is it werth being tried for one's lief, to be th object of such simpathy and compashun, Mr. Darnay?"

   Agen Darnay anserd not a werd.

   "She was mietily pleezd to hav yur mesej, when I gaev it her. Not that she shoed she was pleezd, but I supoez she was."

   Th aloozhun servd as a tiemly remiender to Darnay that this disagreeabl companyon had, of his oen free wil, asisted him in th straet of th dae. He ternd th diealog to that point, and thankt him for it.

   "I neether wont eny thanks, nor merrit eny," was th cairles rejoinder. "It was nuthing to do, in th ferst plaes; and I don't noe whi I did it, in th second. Mr. Darnay, let me ask U a qeschun."

   "Wilingly, and a small retern for yur guud offises."

   "Do U think I particuelarly liek U?"

   "Reealy, Mr. Carton," reternd th uther, odly disconserted, "I hav not askt mieself th qeschun."

   "But ask yurself th qeschun now."

   "U hav acted as if U do; but I don't think U do."

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   "I don't think I do," sed Carton. "I begin to hav a verry guud opinyon of yur understanding."

   "Nevertheles," persood Darnay, riezing to ring th bel, "thair is nuthing in that, I hoep, to prevent mi calling th rekoning, and our parting without il-blud on eether sied."

   Carton rejoining, "Nuthing in lief!" Darnay rang. "Do U call th hoel rekoning?" sed Carton. On his ansering in th afermativ, "Then bring me anuther pient of this saem wien, dror, and cum and waek me at ten."

   Th bil being paed, Charles Darnay roez and wisht him guud niet. Without reterning th wish, Carton roez too, with sumthing of a thret of defieans in his maner, and sed, "A last werd, Mr. Darnay: U think I am drunk?"

   "I think U hav bin drinking, Mr. Carton."

   "Think? U noe I hav bin drinking."

   "Sinss I must sae so, I noe it."

   "Then U shal liekwiez noe whi. I am a disapointed druj, ser. I cair for no man on erth, and no man on erth cairs for me."

   "Much to be regreted. U miet hav uezd yur talents beter."

   "Mae be so, Mr. Darnay; mae be not. Don't let yur soeber faes elaet U, however; U don't noe whut it mae cum to. Guud niet!"

   When he was left aloen, this straenj being tuuk up a candl, went to a glas that hung agenst th wall, and servaed himself mienuetly in it.

   "Do U particuelarly liek th man?" he muterd, at his oen imej; "whi shuud U particuelarly liek a man hoo rezembls U? Thair is nuthing in U to liek; U noe that. Aa, confound U! Whut a chaenj U hav maed in yurself! A guud reezon for taeking to a man, that he shoes U whut U hav fallen awae frum, and whut U miet hav bin! Chaenj plaeses with him, and wuud U hav bin luukt at bi thoes bloo ies as he was, and commiserated bi that ajitaeted faes as he was? Cum on, and hav it out in plaen werds! U haet th felo."

   He rezorted to his pient of wien for consolaeshun, drank it all in a fue minits, and fel asleep on his arms, with his hair stragling oever th taebl, and a long wiending-sheet in th candl driping doun upon him.

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   THOES WER drinking daes, and moest men drank hard. So verry graet is th improovment Tiem has braut about in such habits, that a moderet staetment of th qontity of wien and punch which wun man wuud swolo in th cors of a niet, without eny detriment to his repuetaeshun as a perfect jentlman, wuud seem, in thees daes, a ridicuelus exajeraeshun. Th lernd profeshun of th law was sertenly not behiend eny uther lernd profeshun in its Bacchanalian propensities; neether was Mr. Stryver, allredy fast shoeldering his wae to a larj and loocrativ practis, behiend his compeers in this particuelar, eny mor than in th drieer parts of th leegal raes.

   A favourite at th Oeld Bailey, and eek at th Seshuns, Mr. Stryver had begun caushusly to hue awae th loeer staves of th lader on which he mounted. Seshuns and Oeld Bailey had now to sumon thair favourite, speshaly, to thair longing arms; and shoeldering itself tords th vizej of th Lord Cheef Justis in th Cort of King's Bench, th florid countenans of Mr. Stryver miet be daely seen, bersting out of th bed of wigs, liek a graet sunflower puushing its wae at th sun frum amung a rank garden-fuul of flairing companyons.

   It had wuns bin noeted at th Bar, that whiel Mr. Stryver was a glib man, and an unscroopuelus, and a redy, and a boeld, he had not that faculty of extracting th esens frum a heep of staetments, which is amung th moest strieking and nesesairy of th advocate's accomplishments. But, a remarkabl improovment caem upon him as to this. Th mor biznes he got, th graeter his power seemd to gro of geting at its pith and marro; and however laet at niet he sat carouzing with

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Sydney Carton, he allwaes had his points at his fingers' ends in th morning.

   Sydney Carton, idlest and moest unpromising of men, was Stryver's graet ali. Whut th too drank together, between Hilary Term and Michaelmas, miet hav floeted a king's ship. Stryver never had a caes in hand, enywhair, but Carton was thair, with his hands in his pokets, stairing at th seeling of th cort; thae went th saem Serkit, and eeven thair thae prolongd thair uezhual orjys laet into th niet, and Carton was rumoured to be seen at braud dae, going hoem stelthily and unstedily to his lojings, liek a disipaeted cat. At last, it began to get about, amung such as wer interested in th mater, that alltho Sydney Carton wuud never be a lieon, he was an amaezingly guud jakal, and that he renderd soot and servis to Stryver in that humbl capasity.

   "Ten o'clok, ser," sed th man at th tavern, hoom he had charjd to waek him -- "ten o'clok, ser."

   "Whut's th mater?"

   "Ten o'clok, ser."

   "Whut do U meen? Ten o'clok at niet?"

   "Yes, ser. Yur onor toeld me to call U."

   "O! I remember. Verry wel, verry wel."

   After a fue dul eforts to get to sleep agen, which th man dexterously combated bi stering th fier continueusly for fiev minits, he got up, tosst his hat on, and waukt out. He ternd into th Templ, and, having revievd himself bi twies paesing th paevments of King's Bench-wauk and Paeper-bildings, ternd into th Stryver chaembers.

   Th Stryver clerk, hoo never asisted at thees conferenses, had gon hoem, and th Stryver prinsipal oepend th dor. He had his slipers on, and a loos bed-goun, and his throet was bair for his graeter eez. He had that rather wield, straend, seerd marking about th ies, which mae be obzervd in all free livers of his clas, frum th portret of Jeffries dounward, and which can be traest, under vairius disgiezes of Art, thru th portrets of evry Drinking Aej.

   "U ar a litl laet, Memory," sed Stryver.

   "About th uezhual tiem; it mae be a qorter of an our laeter."

   Thae went into a dinjy room liend with buuks and literd with paepers, wherr thair was a blaezing fier. A ketl steemd upon th hob, and in th midst of th rek of paepers a taebl shoen, with plenty of wien upon it, and brandy, and rum, and shuugar, and lemons.

   "U hav had yur botl, I perseev, Sydney."

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   "Too to-niet, I think. I hav bin diening with th day's clieent; or seeing him dien -- it's all wun!"

   "That was a rair point, Sydney, that U braut to bair upon th iedentificaeshun. How did U cum bi it? When did it striek U?"

   "I thaut he was rather a hansum felo, and I thaut I shuud hav bin much th saem sort of felo, if I had had eny luk."

   Mr. Stryver laft til he shuuk his precoeshus paunch.

   "U and yur luk, Sydney! Get to werk, get to werk."

   Sulenly enuf, th jakal loosend his dres, went into an ajoining room, and caem bak with a larj jug of coeld wauter, a baesin, and a towel or too. Steeping th towels in th wauter, and parshaly wringing them out, he foelded them on his hed in a maner hidius to behoeld, sat doun at th taebl, and sed, "Now I am redy!"

   "Not much boiling doun to be dun to-niet, Memory," sed Mr. Stryver, gaely, as he luukt amung his paepers.

   "How much?"

   "Oenly too sets of them."

   "Giv me th werst ferst."

   "Thair thae ar, Sydney. Fier awae!"

   Th lieon then compoezd himself on his bak on a soefa on wun sied of th drinking-taebl, whiel th jakal sat at his oen paeper-bestrewn taebl proper, on th uther sied of it, with th botls and glases redy to his hand. Boeth rezorted to th drinking-taebl without stint, but eech in a diferent wae; th lieon for th moest part recliening with his hands in his waestband, luuking at th fier, or ocaezhunaly flirting with sum lieter docuement; th jakal, with nited brous and intent faes, so deep in his task, that his ies did not eeven folo th hand he strecht out for his glas -- which offen groept about, for a minit or mor, befor it found th glas for his lips. Too or three tiems, th mater in hand becaem so noty, that th jakal found it imperrativ on him to get up, and steep his towels anue. Frum thees pilgrimejes to th jug and baesin, he reternd with such ecsentrisitys of damp hedgeer as no werds can descrieb; which wer maed th mor loodicrus bi his ankshus gravity.

   At length th jakal had got together a compact repast for th lieon, and proseeded to offer it to him. Th lieon tuuk it with cair and caushun, maed his selecshuns frum it, and his remarks upon it, and th jakal asisted boeth. When th repast was fuuly discust, th lieon puut his hands in his waestband agen, and lae doun to meediaet. Th jakal then invigorated himself with a bumper for his throtl, and a fresh aplicaeshun

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to his hed, and aplied himself to th colecshun of a second meel; this was administerd to th lieon in th saem maner, and was not dispoezd of until th cloks struk three in th morning.

   "And now we hav dun, Sydney, fil a bumper of punch," sed Mr. Stryver.

   Th jakal remoovd th towels frum his hed, which had bin steeming agen, shuuk himself, yawned, shiverd, and complied.

   "U wer verry sound, Sydney, in th mater of thoes croun witneses to-dae. Evry qeschun toeld."

   "I allwaes am sound; am I not?"

   "I don't gaensae it. Whut has rufend yur temper? Puut sum punch to it and smooth it agen."

   With a deprecatory grunt, th jakal agen complied.

   "Th oeld Sydney Carton of oeld Shrewsbury Scool," sed Stryver, noding his hed oever him as he revued him in th prezent and th past, "th oeld seesaw Sydney. Up wun minit and doun th next; now in spirits and now in despondensy!"

   "Aa!" reternd th uther, sieing: "yes! Th saem Sydney, with th saem luk. Eeven then, I did exersiezes for uther bois, and seldom did mi oen.))

   "And whi not?"

   "God noes. It was mi wae, I supoez."

   He sat, with his hands in his pokets and his legs strecht out befor him, luuking at th fier.

   "Carton," sed his frend, squaring himself at him with a buulying air, as if th fier-graet had bin th fernis in which sustaend endevor was forjd, and th wun deliket thing to be dun for th oeld Sydney Carton of oeld Shrewsbury Scool was to shoelder him into it, "yur wae is, and allwaes was, a laem wae. U sumon no enerjy and perpos. Luuk at me."

   "O, botheration!" reternd Sydney, with a lieter and mor guud- humoured laf, "don't U be moral!"

   "How hav I dun whut I hav dun?" sed Stryver; "how do I do whut I do?"

   "Partly thru paeing me to help U, I supoez. But it's not werth yur whiel to apostrophise me, or th air, about it; whut U wont to do, U do. U wer allwaes in th frunt rank, and I was allwaes behiend."

   "I had to get into th frunt rank; I was not born thair, was I?"

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   "I was not prezent at th serremoeny; but mi opinyon is U wer," sed Carton. At this, he laft agen, and thae boeth laft.

   "Befor Shrewsbury, and at Shrewsbury, and ever sinss Shrewsbury," persood Carton, "U hav fallen into yur rank, and I hav fallen into mien. Eeven when we wer felo-stoodents in th Stoodent-Qorter of Paris, piking up French, and French law, and uther French crumbs that we didn't get much guud of, U wer allwaes sumwherr, and I was allwaes -- noewherr."

   "And hoos fallt was that?"

   "Upon mi soel, I am not shur that it was not yurs. U wer allwaes drieving and riving and shoeldering and pasing, to that restles degree that I had no chans for mi lief but in rust and repoez. It's a gloomy thing, however, to tauk about one's oen past, with th dae braeking. Tern me in sum uther direcshun befor I go."

   "Wel then! Plej me to th prity witnes," sed Stryver, hoelding up his glas. "Ar U ternd in a plezant direcshun?"

   Aparrently not, for he becaem gloomy agen.

   "Prity witnes," he muterd, luuking doun into his glas. "I hav had enuf of witneses to-dae and to-niet; hoo's yur prity witnes?"

   "Th pikcheresk doctor's dauter, Mis Manette."

   "She prity?"

   "Is she not?"

   "No."

   "Whi, man aliev, she was th admeraeshun of th hoel Cort!"

   "Rot th admeraeshun of th hoel Cort! Hoo maed th Oeld Bailey a juj of buety? She was a goelden-haired dol!"

   "Do U noe, Sydney," sed Mr. Stryver, luuking at him with sharp ies, and sloely drawing a hand across his florid faes: "do U noe, I rather thaut, at th tiem, that U sympathised with th goelden-haired dol, and wer qik to see whut hapend to th goelden-haired dol?"

   "Qik to see whut hapend! If a gerl, dol or no dol, swoons within a yard or too of a man's noez, he can see it without a perspectiv-glas. I plej U, but I deni th buety. And now I'l hav no mor drink; I'l get to bed."

   When his hoest foloed him out on th staircaes with a candl, to liet him doun th stairs, th dae was coeldly luuking in thru its grimy windoes. When he got out of th hous, th air was coeld and sad, th dul skie oevercast, th river dark and dim, th hoel seen liek a liefles dezert. And reeths of dust wer spining round and round befor th morning

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blast, as if th dezert-sand had rizen far awae, and th ferst sprae of it in its advans had begun to oeverwhelm th sity.

   Waest forses within him, and a dezert all around, this man stuud stil on his wae across a sielent terres, and saw for a moement, lieing in th wildernes befor him, a miraazh of honourable ambishun, self-denieal, and perseveerans. In th fair sity of this vizhun, thair wer airy galerys frum which th luvs and graeses luukt upon him, gardens in which th froots of lief hung riepening, wauters of Hoep that sparkld in his siet. A moement, and it was gon. Clieming to a hi chaember in a wel of houses, he throo himself doun in his cloeths on a neglected bed, and its pilo was wet with waested teers.

   Sadly, sadly, th sun roez; it roez upon no sader siet than th man of guud abilitys and guud emoeshuns, incaepabl of thair directed exersiez, incaepabl of his oen help and his oen hapynes, sensibl of th bliet on him, and reziening himself to let it eet him awae.

   TH QIEET LOJINGS of Doctor Manette wer in a qieet street-corner not far frum Soho-sqair. On th afternoon of a serten fien Sunday when th waevs of foer munths had roiled oever th trieal for treezon, and carryd it, as to th public interest and memory, far out to see, Mr. Jarvis Lory waukt along th suny streets frum Clerkenwell wherr he livd, on his wae to dien with th Doctor. After several relapses into biznes- absorpshun, Mr. Lory had becum th Doctor's frend, and th qieet street-corner was th suny part of his lief.

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   On this serten fien Sunday, Mr. Lory waukt tords Soho, erly in th afternoon, for three reezons of habit. Ferstly, becauz, on fien Sundays, he offen waukt out, befor diner, with th Doctor and Lucie; secondly, becauz, on unfavourable Sundays, he was acustomd to be with them as th family frend, tauking, reeding, luuking out of windo, and jeneraly geting thru th dae; therdly, becauz he hapend to hav his oen litl shrood douts to solv, and nue how th waes of th Doctor's hous-hoeld pointed to that tiem as a liekly tiem for solving them.

   A quainter corner than th corner wherr th Doctor livd, was not to be found in London. Thair was no wae thru it, and th frunt windoes of th Doctor's lojings comanded a plezant litl vista of street that had a conjeenial air of retierment on it. Thair wer fue bildings then, north of th Oxford-roed, and forest-trees flerisht, and wield flowers groo, and th hauthorn blosomd, in th now vanisht feelds. As a conseqens, cuntry airs sercuelaeted in Soho with vigorus freedom, insted of langgwishing into th parrish liek strae paupers without a setlment; and thair was meny a guud south wall, not far off, on which th peeches riepend in thair seezon.

   Th sumer liet struk into th corner brilyantly in th erlyer part of th dae; but, when th streets groo hot, th corner was in shado, tho not in shado so remoet but that U cuud see beyond it into a glair of brietnes. It was a cool spot, staed but cheerful, a wunderful plaes for ekoes, and a verry harbour frum th raejing streets.

   Thair aut to hav bin a tranqil bark in such an ankorej, and thair was. Th Doctor ocuepied too flors of a larj stif hous, wherr several callings perported to be persood bi dae, but wherrof litl was audibl eny dae, and which was shund bi all of them at niet. In a bilding at th bak, ataenabl bi a cort-yard wherr a plaen-tree rusld its green leevs, cherch-organs claemd to be maed, and silver to be chaest, and liekwiez goeld to be beeten bi sum misteerius jieant hoo had a goelden arm starting out of th wall of th frunt hall -- as if he had beeten himself preshus, and menist a similar converzhun of all vizitors. Verry litl of thees traeds, or of a loenly lojer rumoured to liv up-stairs, or of a dim coech-triming maeker aserted to hav a counting-hous belo, was ever herd or seen. Ocaezhunaly, a strae werkman puuting his coet on, traverst th hall, or a straenjer peerd about thair, or a distant clink was herd across th cort-yard, or a thump frum th goelden jieant. Thees, however, wer oenly th exsepshuns reqierd to proov th

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rool that th sparroes in th plaen-tree behiend th hous, and th ekoes in th corner befor it, had thair oen wae frum Sunday morning unto Saturday niet.

   Doctor Manette reseevd such paeshents heer as his oeld repuetaeshun, and its revieval in th floeting whispers of his story, braut him. His sieentific nolej, and his vijilans and skil in conducting injeenius experriments, braut him utherwiez into moderet reqest, and he ernd as much as he wonted.

   Thees things wer within Mr. Jarvis Lorry's nolej, thauts, and noetis, when he rang th dor-bel of th tranqil hous in th corner, on th fien Sunday afternoon.

   "Doctor Manette at hoem?"

   Expected hoem.

   "Mis Lucie at hoem?"

   Expected hoem.

   "Mis Pross at hoem?"

   Posibly at hoem, but of a sertenty imposibl for handmaed to antisipaet intenshuns of Mis Pross, as to admishun or denieal of th fact.

   "As I am at hoem mieself," sed Mr. Lory, "I'l go upstairs."

   Alltho th Doctor's dauter had noen nuthing of th cuntry of her berth, she apeerd to hav inaetly derievd frum it that ability to maek much of litl meens, which is wun of its moest uesful and moest agreeabl characteristics. Simpl as th fernicher was, it was set off bi so meny litl adornments, of no value but for thair taest and fansy, that its efect was delietful. Th dispozishun of evrything in th rooms, frum th larjest object to th leest; th araenjment of colours, th elegant varieety and contrast obtaend bi thrift in trifles, bi deliket hands, cleer ies, and guud sens; wer at wuns so plezant in themselvs, and so expresiv of thair orijinaetor, that, as Mr. Lory stuud luuking about him, th verry chairs and taebls seemd to ask him, with sumthing of that pecuelyar expreshun which he nue so wel bi this tiem, whether he aproovd?

   Thair wer three rooms on a flor, and, th dors bi which thae comuenicaeted being puut oepen that th air miet pas freely thru them all, Mr. Lory, smielingly obzervant of that fansyful rezemblans which he detected all around him, waukt frum wun to anuther. Th ferst was th best room, and in it wer Lucie's berds, and flowers, and buuks, and desk, and werk-taebl, and box of wauter-colours; th second was th Doctor's consulting-room, uezd allso as th diening-room; th therd, changingly spekld bi th rusl of th plaen-tree in th yard, was th Doctor's bedroom,

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and thair, in a corner, stuud th disused shoemaker's bench and trae of tools, much as it had stuud on th fifth flor of th dizmal hous bi th wien-shop, in th suberb of Saent Antoine in Paris.

   "I wunder," sed Mr. Lory, pauzing in his luuking about, "that he keeps that remiender of his suferings about him!"

   "And whi wunder at that?" was th abrupt inqiery that maed him start.

   It proseeded frum Mis Pross, th wield red wuuman, strong of hand, ,hoos aqaentans he had ferst maed at th Roial George Hoetel at Dover, and had sinss improovd.

   "I shuud hav thaut -- " Mr. Lory began.

   "Pooh! U'd hav thaut!" sed Mis Pross; and Mr. Lory left off.

   "How do U do?" inqierd that laedy then -- sharply, and yet as if to expres that she bor him no malis.

   "I am prity wel, I thank U," anserd Mr. Lory, with meeknes; "how ar U?"

   "Nuthing to boest of," sed Mis Pross.

   "Indeed?"

   "Aa! indeed!" sed Mis Pross. "I am verry much puut out about mi Ladybird."

   "Indeed?"

   "For graeshus saek sae sumthing els besieds 'indeed,' or U'l fijet me to deth," sed Mis Pross: hoos carracter (disoeshiaeted frum stacher) was shortnes.

   "Reealy, then?" sed Mr. Lory, as an amendment.

   "Reealy, is bad enuf," reternd Mis Pross, "but beter. Yes, I am verry much puut out."

   "Mae I ask th cauz?"

   "I don't wont duzens of peepl hoo ar not at all werthy of Ladybird, to cum heer luuking after her," sed Mis Pross.

   "Do duzens cum for that perpos?"

   "Hundreds," sed Mis Pross.

   It was carracteristic of this laedy (as of sum uther peepl befor her tiem and sinss) that whenever her orijinal propozishun was qeschund, she exajeraeted it.

   "Deer me!" sed Mr. Lory, as th saefest remark he cuud think of.

   "I hav livd with th darling -- or th darling has livd with me, and paed me for it; which she sertenly shuud never hav dun, U mae taek yur afidaevit, if I cuud hav aforded to keep eether mieself or her for

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nuthing -- sinss she was ten yeers oeld. And it's reealy verry hard," sed Mis Pross.

   Not seeing with presizhun whut was verry hard, Mr. Lory shuuk his hed; uezing that important part of himself as a sort of fairy cloek that wuud fit enything.

   "All sorts of peepl hoo ar not in th leest degree werthy of th pet, ar allwaes terning up," sed Mis Pross. "When U began it -- "

   "I began it, Mis Pross?"

   "Didn't U? Hoo braut her faather to lief?"

   "O! If that was begining it -- " sed Mr. Lory.

   "It wasn't ending it, I supoez? I sae, when U began it, it was hard enuf; not that I hav eny fallt to fiend with Doctor Manette, exsept that he is not werthy of such a dauter, which is no impuetaeshun on him, for it was not to be expected that enybody shuud be, under eny sercumstanses. But it redy is dubly and trebly hard to hav crouds and multitueds of peepl terning up after him (I cuud hav forgiven him), to taek Ladybird's afecshuns awae frum me."

   Mr. Lory nue Mis Pross to be verry jelus, but he allso nue her bi this tiem to be, beneeth th servis of her ecsentrisity, wun of thoes unselfish creechers -- found oenly amung wimen -- hoo wil, for puer luv and admeraeshun, biend themselvs wiling slaevs, to yooth when thae hav lost it, to buety that thae never had, to accomplishments that thae wer never forchunet enuf to gaen, to briet hoeps that never shoen upon thair oen somber lievs. He nue enuf of th werld to noe that thair is nuthing in it beter than th faethful servis of th hart; so renderd and so free frum eny mersenairy taent, he had such an exallted respect for it, that in th retributive araenjments maed bi his oen miend -- we all maek such araenjments, mor or les -- he staeshund Mis Pross much neerer to th loeer Aenjels than meny laedys imezherably beter got up boeth bi Naecher and Art, hoo had balanses at Tellson's.

   "Thair never was, nor wil be, but wun man werthy of Ladybird," sed Mis Pross; "and that was mi bruther Solomon, if he hadn't maed a mistaek in lief."

   Heer agen: Mr. Lorry's inqierys into Mis Pross's personal history had establisht th fact that her bruther Solomon was a hartles scoundrel hoo had stript her of evrything she pozest, as a staek to specuelaet with, and had abandond her in her poverty for evermor, with no tuch of compunkshun. Mis Pross's fiedelity of beleef in Solomon (deducting a meer triefl for this sliet mistaek) was qiet a seerius mater with Mr. Lory, and had its waet in his guud opinyon of her.

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   "As we hapen to be aloen for th moement, and ar boeth peepl of biznes," he sed, when thae had got bak to th drawing-room and had sat doun thair in frendly relaeshuns, "let me ask U -- duz th Doctor, in tauking with Lucie, never refer to th shoemaking tiem, yet?"

   "Never."

   "And yet keeps that bench and thoes tools besied him?"

   "Aa!" reternd Mis Pross, shaeking her hed. "But I don't sae he don't refer to it within himself."

   "Do U beleev that he thinks of it much?"

   "I do," sed Mis Pross.

   "Do U imajin -- " Mr. Lory had begun, when Mis Pross tuuk him up short with:

   "Never imajin enything. Hav no imajinaeshun at all."

   "I stand corected; do U supoez -- U go so far as to supoez, sumtiems?"

   "Now and then," sed Mis Pross.

   "Do U supoez," Mr. Lory went on, with a lafing twinkl in his briet ie, as it luukt kiendly at her, "that Doctor Manette has eny theeory of his oen, prezervd thru all thoes yeers, relativ to th cauz of his being so oprest; perhaps, eeven to th naem of his opresor?"

   "I don't supoez enything about it but whut Ladybird tels me."

   "And that is -- ?"

   "That she thinks he has."

   "Now don't be anggry at mi asking all thees qeschuns; becauz I am a meer dul man of biznes, and U ar a wuuman of biznes."

   "Dul?" Mis Pross inqierd, with plasidity.

   Rather wishing his modest ajectiv awae, Mr. Lory replied, "No, no, no. Shurly not. To retern to biznes: -- Is it not remarkabl that Doctor Manette, unqeschunably inosent of eny craen as we ar all wel ashurd he is, shuud never tuch upon that qeschun? I wil not sae with me, tho he had biznes relaeshuns with me meny yeers ago, and we ar now intimet; I wil sae with th fair dauter to hoom he is so devoetedly atacht, and hoo is so devoetedly atacht to him? Beleev me, Mis Pross, I don't aproech th topic with U, out of cueriosity, but out of zelus interest."

   "Wel! To th best of mi understanding, and bad's th best, U'l tel me," sed Mis Pross, soffend bi th toen of th apolojy, "he is afraed of th hoel subject."

   "Afraed?"

   "It's plaen enuf, I shuud think, whi he mae be. It's a dredful remembrans.

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Besieds that, his loss of himself groo out of it. Not noeing how he lost himself, or how he recuverd himself, he mae never feel serten of not loozing himself agen. That aloen wuudn't maek th subject plezant, I shuud think."

   It was a profounder remark than Mr. Lory had luukt for. "Troo," sed he, "and feerful to reflect upon. Yet, a dout lerks in mi miend, Mis Pross, whether it is guud for Doctor Manette to hav that supreshun allwaes shut up within him. Indeed, it is this dout and th uneezynes it sumtiems cauzes me that has led me to our prezent confidens."

   "Can't be helpt," sed Mis Pross, shaeking her hed. "Tuch that string, and he instantly chaenjes for th wers. Beter leev it aloen. In short, must leev it aloen, liek or no liek. Sumtiems, he gets up in th ded of th niet, and wil be herd, bi us oeverhed thair, wauking up and doun, wauking up and doun, in his room. Ladybird has learnt to noe then that his miend is wauking up and doun, wauking up and doun, in his oeld prizon. She hurries to him, and thae go on together, wauking up and doun, wauking up and doun, until he is compoezd. But he never ses a werd of th troo reezon of his restlesnes, to her, and she fiends it best not to hint at it to him. In sielens thae go wauking up and doun together, wauking up and doun together, til her luv and cumpany hav braut him to himself."

   Notwithstanding Mis Pross's denieal of her oen imajinaeshun, thair was a persepshun of th paen of being monotonously haunted bi wun sad iedeea, in her repetishun of th fraez, wauking up and doun, which testified to her pozesing such a thing.

   Th corner has bin menshund as a wunderful corner for ekoes; it had begun to eko so resoundingly to th tred of cuming feet, that it seemd as tho th verry menshun of that weery paesing to and fro had set it going.

   "Heer thae ar!" sed Mis Pross, riezing to braek up th conferens; "and now we shal hav hundreds of peepl prity soon!"

   It was such a cuerius corner in its acoostical propertys, such a pecuelyar Eer of a plaes, that as Mr. Lory stuud at th oepen windo, luuking for th faather and dauter hoos steps he herd, he fansyd thae wuud never aproech. Not oenly wuud th ekoes die awae, as tho th steps had gon; but, ekoes of uther steps that never caem wuud be herd in thair sted, and wuud die awae for guud when thae seemd cloes at hand. However, faather and dauter did at last apeer, and Mis Pross was redy at th street dor to reseev them.

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   Mis Pross was a plezant siet, allbeeit wield, and red, and grim, taeking off her darling's bonet when she caem up-stairs, and tuching it up with th ends of her hankerchif, and bloeing th dust off it, and foelding her mantl redy for laeing bi, and smoothing her rich hair with as much pried as she cuud posibly hav taeken in her oen hair if she had bin th vainest and hansumest of wimen. Her darling was a plezant siet too, embraesing her and thanking her, and proetesting agenst her taeking so much trubl for her -- which last she oenly daird to do playfully, or Mis Pross, sorly hert, wuud hav retierd to her oen chaember and cried. Th Doctor was a plezant siet too, luuking on at them, and teling Mis Pross how she spoilt Lucie, in acsents and with ies that had as much spoiling in them as Mis Pross had, and wuud hav had mor if it wer posibl. Mr. Lory was a plezant siet too, beeming at all this in his litl wig, and thanking his bachelor stars for having lieted him in his decliening yeers to a Hoem. But, no Hundreds of peepl caem to see th siets, and Mr. Lory luukt in vaen for th fulfilment of Mis Pross's predicshun.

   Diner-tiem, and stil no Hundreds of peepl. In th araenjments of th litl hous-hoeld, Mis Pross tuuk charj of th loeer reejons, and allwaes aqited herself marvellously. Her diners, of a verry modest qolity, wer so wel cuukt and so wel servd, and so neet in thair contrievanses, haf English and haf French, that nuthing cuud be beter. Mis Pross's frendship being of th theroely practical kiend, she had ravaged Soho and th ajaesent provinses, in serch of impoverisht French, hoo, tempted bi shilings and haf-crouns, wuud impart cuelinairy misterys to her. Frum thees decaed suns and dauters of Gaul, she had aqierd such wunderful arts, that th wuuman and gerl hoo formd th staf of domestics regarded her as qiet a Sorceress, or Cinderella's Godmuther: hoo wuud send out for a foul, a rabit, a vejetabl or too frum th garden, and chaenj them into enything she pleezd.

   On Sundays, Mis Pross diend at th Doctor's taebl, but on uther daes persisted in taeking her meels at unnoen peeriods, eether in th loeer reejons, or in her oen room on th second flor -- a bloo chaember, to which no wun but her Ladybird ever gaend admitans. On this ocaezhun, Mis Pross, responding to Ladybird's plezant faes and plezant eforts to pleez her, unbent exseedingly; so th diner was verry plezant, too.

   It was an opresiv dae, and, after diner, Lucie propoezd that th wien shuud be carryd out under th plaen-tree, and thae shuud sit thair in th air. As evrything ternd upon her, and revolvd about her, thae

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went out under th plaen-tree, and she carryd th wien doun for th speshal benefit of Mr. Lory. She had installd herself, sum tiem befor, as Mr. Lorry's cup-bairer; and whiel thae sat under th plaen-tree, tauking, she kept his glas replenisht. Misteerius baks and ends of houses peeped at them as thae taukt, and th plaen-tree whisperd to them in its oen wae abuv thair heds.

   Stil, th Hundreds of peepl did not prezent themselvs. Mr. Darnay prezented himself whiel thae wer siting under th plaen-tree, but he was oenly Wun.

   Doctor Manette reseevd him kiendly, and so did Lucie. But, Mis Pross sudenly becaem aflicted with a twiching in th hed and body, and retierd into th hous. She was not unfrequently th victim of this disorder, and she calld it, in familyar conversaeshun, "a fit of th jerks."

   Th Doctor was in his best condishun, and luukt speshaly yung. Th rezemblans between him and Lucie was verry strong at such tiems, and as thae sat sied bi sied, she leening on his shoelder, and he resting his arm on th bak of her chair, it was verry agreeabl to traes th lieknes.

   He had bin tauking all dae, on meny subjects, and with unuezhual vivasity. "Prae, Doctor Manette," sed Mr. Darnay, as thae sat under th plaen-tree -- and he sed it in th nacheral persoot of th topic in hand, which hapend to be th oeld bildings of London -- "hav U seen much of th Tower?"

   "Lucie and I hav bin thair; but oenly cazhualy. We hav seen enuf of it, to noe that it teems with interest; litl mor."

   "I hav bin thair, as U remember," sed Darnay, with a smiel, tho reddening a litl anggrily, "in anuther carracter, and not in a carracter that givs fasilitys for seeing much of it. Thae toeld me a cuerius thing when I was thair."

   "Whut was that?" Lucie askt.

   "In maeking sum allteraeshuns, th werkmen caem upon an oeld dunjon, which had bin, for meny yeers, bilt up and forgoten. Evry stoen of its iner wall was cuverd bi inscripshuns which had bin carvd bi prizoners -- daets, naems, complaents, and prairs. Upon a corner stoen in an anggl of th wall, wun prizoner, hoo seemd to hav gon to execueshun, had cut as his last werk, three leters. Thae wer dun with sum verry pur instrument, and herydly, with an unstedy hand. At ferst, thae wer reed as D. I. C.; but, on being mor cairfuly examind, th last leter was found to be G. Thair was no record or lejend of eny prizoner with thoes inishals, and meny frootles geses wer maed whut th naem

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cuud hav bin. At length, it was sugjested that th leters wer not inishals, but th compleet werd, DIG. Th flor was examind verry cairfuly under th inscripshun, and, in th erth beneeth a stoen, or tiel, or sum fragment of paeving, wer found th ashes of a paeper, minggld with th ashes of a small lethern caes or bag. Whut th unnoen prizoner had riten wil never be reed, but he had riten sumthing, and hiden it awae to keep it frum th gaoler."

   "Mi faather," exclaemd Lucie, "U ar il!"

   He had sudenly started up, with his hand to his hed. His maner and his luuk qiet terrified them all.

   "No, mi deer, not il. Thair ar larj drops of raen falling, and thae maed me start. We had beter go in."

   He recuverd himself allmoest instantly. Raen was reealy falling in larj drops, and he shoed th bak of his hand with raen-drops on it. But, he sed not a singgl werd in referens to th discuvery that had bin toeld of, and, as thae went into th hous, th biznes ie of Mr. Lory eether detected, or fansyd it detected, on his faes, as it ternd tords Charles Darnay, th saem singguelar luuk that had bin upon it when it ternd tords him in th pasejes of th Cort Hous.

   He recuverd himself so qikly, however, that Mr. Lory had douts of his biznes ie. Th arm of th goelden jieant in th hall was not mor stedy than he was, when he stopt under it to remark to them that he was not yet proof agenst sliet serpriezes (if he ever wuud be), and that th raen had startld him.

   Tee-tiem, and Mis Pross maeking tee, with anuther fit of th jerks upon her, and yet no Hundreds of peepl. Mr. Carton had lounjd in, but he maed oenly Too.

   Th niet was so verry sultry, that alltho thae sat with dors and windoes oepen, thae wer oeverpowerd bi heet. When th tee-taebl was dun with, thae all moovd to wun of th windoes, and luukt out into th hevy twieliet. Lucie sat bi her faather; Darnay sat besied her; Carton leend agenst a windo. Th curtens wer long and whiet, and sum of th thunder-gusts that wherld into th corner, caut them up to th seeling, and waevd them liek spectral wings.

   "Th raen-drops ar stil falling, larj, hevy, and fue," sed Doctor Manette. "It cums sloely."

   "It cums shurly," sed Carton.

   Thae spoek lo, as peepl woching and waeting moestly do; as peepl in a dark room, woching and waeting for Lietning, allwaes do.

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   Thair was a graet hery in th streets of peepl speeding awae to get shelter befor th storm broek; th wunderful corner for ekoes rezounded with th ekoes of fuutsteps cuming and going, yet not a fuutstep was thair.

   "A multitued of peepl, and yet a solitued!" sed Darnay, when thae had lisend for a whiel.

   "Is it not impresiv, Mr. Darnay?" askt Lucie. "Sumtiems, I hav sat heer of an eevning, until I hav fansyd -- but eeven th shaed of a foolish fansy maeks me shuder to-niet, when all is so blak and solem -- "

   "Let us shuder too. We mae noe whut it is."

   "It wil seem nuthing to U. Such whims ar oenly impresiv as we orijinaet them, I think; thae ar not to be comuenicaeted. I hav sumtiems sat aloen heer of an eevning, lisening, until I hav maed th ekoes out to be th ekoes of all th fuutsteps that ar cuming bi-and-bi into our lievs."

   "Thair is a graet croud cuming wun dae into our lievs, if that be so," Sydney Carton struk in, in his moody wae.

   Th fuutsteps wer insesant, and th hery of them becaem mor and mor rapid. Th corner ekoed and re-ekoed with th tred of feet; sum, as it seemd, under th windoes; sum, as it seemd, in th room; sum cuming, sum going, sum braeking off, sum stoping alltogether; all in th distant streets, and not wun within siet.

   "Ar all thees fuutsteps destind to cum to all of us, Mis Manette, or ar we to divied them amung us?"

   "I don't noe, Mr. Darnay; I toeld U it was a foolish fansy, but U askt for it. When I hav yeelded mieself to it, I hav bin aloen, and then I hav imajind them th fuutsteps of th peepl hoo ar to cum into mi lief, and mi father's."

   "I taek them into mien!" sed Carton. "I ask no qeschuns and maek no stipulations. Thair is a graet croud bairing doun upon us, Mis Manette, and I see them -- bi th Lietning." He aded th last werds, after thair had bin a vivid flash which had shoen him lounjing in th windo.

   "And I heer them!" he aded agen, after a peel of thunder. "Heer thae cum, fast, feers, and fuerius!"

   It was th rush and ror of raen that he tipified, and it stopt him, for no vois cuud be herd in it. A memorabl storm of thunder and lietning broek with that sweep of wauter, and thair was not a moment's interval in crash, and fier, and raen, until after th moon roez at midniet.

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   Th graet bel of Saent Paul's was strieking wun in th cleerd air, when Mr. Lory, escorted bi Jerry, hi-booted and bairing a lantern, set forth on his retern-pasej to Clerkenwell. Thair wer solitairy paches of roed on th wae between Soho and Clerkenwell, and Mr. Lory, miendful of fuut-pads, allwaes retaend Jerry for this servis: tho it was uezhualy performd a guud too ours erlyer.

   "Whut a niet it has bin! Allmoest a niet, Jerry," sed Mr. Lory, "to bring th ded out of thair graevs."

   "I never see th niet mieself, master -- nor yet I don't expect to -- whut wuud do that," anserd Jerry.

   "Guud niet, Mr. Carton," sed th man of biznes. "Guud niet, Mr. Darnay. Shal we ever see such a niet agen, together!"

   Perhaps. Perhaps, see th graet croud of peepl with its rush and ror, bairing doun upon them, too.

   MONSEIGNEUR, wun of th graet lords in power at th Cort, held his fortnietly resepshun in his grand hoetel in Paris. Monseigneur was in his iner room, his sankchuairy of sanctuaries, th Holiest of Holiests to th croud of wershipers in th sweet of rooms without. Monseigneur was about to taek his chocolet. Monseigneur cuud swolo a graet meny things with eez, and was bi sum fue sulen miends supoezd to be rather rapidly swoloeing France; but, his morning's chocolet cuud not so much as get into th throet of Monseigneur, without th aed of foer strong men besieds th Cuuk.

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   Yes. It tuuk foer men, all foer ablaez with gorjus decoraeshun, and th Cheef of them unaebl to exist with fueer than too goeld woches in his poket, emulative of th noebl and chaest fashun set bi Monseigneur, to conduct th hapy chocolet to Monseigneur's lips. Wun lacquey carryd th chocolet-pot into th saecred prezens; a second, milled and frothed th chocolet with th litl instrument he bor for that funkshun; a therd, prezented th favoured napkin; a foerth (he of th too goeld woches), pord th chocolet out. It was imposibl for Monseigneur to dispens with wun of thees atendants on th chocolet and hoeld his hi plaes under th admiering Hevens. Deep wuud hav bin th blot upon his escuchun if his chocolet had bin ignoebly waeted on bi oenly three men; he must hav died of too.

   Monseigneur had bin out at a litl super last niet, wherr th Comedy and th Grand Opera wer charmingly reprezented. Monseigneur was out at a litl super moest niets, with fasinaeting cumpany. So poliet and so impresibl was Monseigneur, that th Comedy and th Grand Opera had far mor inflooens with him in th tiersum articls of staet afairs and staet seecrets, than th needs of all France. A hapy sercumstans for France, as th liek allwaes is for all cuntrys similarly favoured! -- allwaes was for England (bi wae of exampl), in th regreted daes of th merry Stuart hoo soeld it.

   Monseigneur had wun trooly noebl iedeea of jeneral public biznes, which was, to let evrything go on in its oen wae; of particuelar public biznes, Monseigneur had th uther trooly noebl iedeea that it must all go his wae -- tend to his oen power and poket. Of his plezhers, jeneral and particuelar, Monseigneur had th uther trooly noebl iedeea, that th werld was maed for them. Th text of his order (allterd frum th orijinal bi oenly a proenoun, which is not much) ran: "Th erth and th fulness thairof ar mien, seth Monseigneur."

   Yet, Monseigneur had sloely found that vulgar embarrassments crept into his afairs, boeth prievet and public; and he had, as to boeth clases of afairs, alied himself perfors with a Farmer-Jeneral. As to fienanses public, becauz Monseigneur cuud not maek enything at all of them, and must conseqently let them out to sumbody hoo cuud; as to fienanses prievet, becauz Farmer-Jenerals wer rich, and Monseigneur, after jeneraeshuns of graet lugzhury and expens, was groeing pur. Hens Monseigneur had taeken his sister frum a convent, whiel thair was yet tiem to word off th impending vael, th cheapest garment she cuud wair, and had bestoed her as a priez upon a verry rich Farmer-Jeneral, pur in

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family. Which Farmer-Jeneral, carrying an aproepryet caen with a goelden apl on th top of it, was now amung th cumpany in th outer rooms, much prostrated befor bi man-kiend -- allwaes exsepting supeerior man-kiend of th blud of Monseigneur, hoo, his oen wief inclooded, luukt doun upon him with th loftiest contempt.

   A sumpchuos man was th Farmer-Jeneral. Therty horses stuud in his staebls, twenty-foer mael domestics sat in his halls, six body-wimen waeted on his wief. As wun hoo pretended to do nuthing but plunder and forej wherr he cuud, th Farmer-Jeneral -- how-so-ever his matrimoenial relaeshuns conduced to soeshal morality -- was at leest th graetest reality amung th personejes hoo atended at th hoetel of Monseigneur that dae.

   For, th rooms, tho a buetyful seen to luuk at, and adornd with evry devies of decoraeshun that th taest and skil of th tiem cuud acheev, wer, in trooth, not a sound biznes; considerd with eny referens to th scaircroes in th rags and nightcaps elswherr (and not so far off, eether, but that th woching towers of Notre Daem, allmoest eeqidistant frum th too extreems, cuud see them boeth), thae wuud hav bin an exseedingly uncumfortabl biznes -- if that cuud hav bin anybody's biznes, at th hous of Monseigneur. Militairy offisers destituet of militairy nolej; naeval offisers with no iedeea of a ship; sivil offisers without a noeshun of afairs; braezen ecclesiastics, of th werst werld werldly, with senshual ies, loos tungs, and looser lievs; all toetaly unfit for thair several callings, all lieing horribly in pretending to belong to them, but all neerly or remoetly of th order of Monseigneur, and thairfor foisted on all public emploiments frum which enything was to be got; thees wer to be toeld off bi th scor and th scor. Peepl not imeedyetly conected with Monseigneur or th Staet, yet eeqaly unconected with enything that was reeal, or with lievs past in traveling bi eny straet roed to eny troo erthly end, wer no les abundant. Doctors hoo maed graet forchuns out of daenty remedys for imajinairy disorders that never existed, smield upon thair cortly paeshents in th anty-chaembers of Monseigneur. Projectors hoo had discuverd evry kiend of remedy for th litl eevils with which th Staet was tucht, exsept th remedy of seting to werk in ernest to root out a singgl sin, pord thair distracting babble into eny eers thae cuud lae hoeld of, at th resepshun of Monseigneur. Unbeleeving Filosofers hoo wer remodelling th werld with werds, and maeking card-towers of Babel to scael th skies with, taukt with Unbeleeving Kemists hoo had

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an ie on th transmuetaeshun of metals, at this wunderful gathering acuemuelaeted bi Monseigneur. Exqizit jentlmen of th fienest breeding, which was at that remarkabl tiem -- and has bin sinss -- to be noen bi its froots of indiferens to evry nacheral subject of hueman interest, wer in th moest exemplary staet of exaustchun, at th hoetel of Monseigneur. Such hoems had thees vairius notabilities left behiend them in th fien werld of Paris, that th spies amung th asembld devotees of Monseigneur -- forming a guudly haf of th poliet cumpany -- wuud hav found it hard to discuver amung th aenjels of that sfeer wun solitairy wief, hoo, in her maners and apeerans, oend to being a Muther. Indeed, exsept for th meer act of bringing a trublsum creecher into this werld -- which duz not go far tords th realisation of th naem of muther -- thair was no such thing noen to th fashun. Pezant wimen kept th unfashionable baebys cloes, and braut them up, and charming, grandmammas of sixty drest and supped as at twenty.

   Th leprosy of unreality disfiguerd evry hueman creecher in atendans upon Monseigneur. In th outermoest room wer haf a duzen exsepshunal peepl hoo had had, for a fue yeers, sum vaeg misgiving in them that things in jeneral wer going rather rong. As a promising wae of seting them riet, haf of th haf-duzen had becum members of a fantastic sect of Convulsionists, and wer eeven then considering within themselvs whether thae shuud foem, raej, ror, and tern cataleptic on th spot -- thairbi seting up a hiely intelijibl fingger-poest to th Fuecher, for Monseigneur's giedans. Besieds thees Dervishes, wer uther three hoo had rusht into anuther sect, which mended maters with a jargon about "th Senter of Trooth:" hoelding that Man had got out of th Senter of Trooth -- which did not need much demonstraeshun -- but had not got out of th Sercumferens, and that he was to be kept frum flieing out of th Sercumferens, and was eeven to be shuvd bak into th Senter, bi fasting and seeing of spirits. Amung thees, acordingly, much discoursing with spirits went on -- and it did a werld of guud which never becaem manifest.

   But, th cumfort was, that all th cumpany at th grand hoetel of Monseigneur wer perfectly drest. If th Dae of Jujment had oenly bin asertaend to be a dres dae, evrybody thair wuud hav bin eternaly corect. Such frizling and poudering and stiking up of hair, such deliket complexions artifishaly prezervd and mended, such galant sords to luuk at, and such deliket onor to th sens of smel, wuud shurly keep enything going, for ever and ever. Th exqizit jentlmen

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of th fienest breeding wor litl pendent trinkets that chinkt as thae languidly moovd; thees goelden fetters rang liek preshus litl bels; and whut with that ringing, and with th rusl of silk and broecaed and fien linen, thair was a fluter in th air that fand Saent Antoine and his devouring hungger far awae.

   Dres was th wun unfaeling talisman and charm uezd for keeping all things in thair plaeses. Evrybody was drest for a Fansy Ball that was never to leev off. Frum th Palis of th Tuileries, thru Monseigneur and th hoel Cort, thru th Chaembers, th Tribuenals of Justis, and all sosieety (exsept th scaircroes), th Fansy Ball desended to th Comon Execueshuner: hoo, in persooans of th charm, was reqierd to ofishiaet "frizzled, pouderd, in a goeld-laest coet, pumps, and whiet silk stokings." At th galoes and th wheel -- th ax was a rairity -- Monsieur Paris, as it was th episcopal moed amung his bruther Profesors of th provinses, Monsieur Orleans, and th rest, to call him, prezieded in this daenty dres. And hoo amung th cumpany at Monseigneur's resepshun in that seventeen hundred and aetyeth yeer of our Lord, cuud posibly dout, that a sistem rooted in a frizzled hangman, pouderd, goeld-laest, pumpt, and whiet-silk stockinged, wuud see th verry stars out!

   Monseigneur having eezd his foer men of thair berdens and taeken his chocolet, cauzd th dors of th Holiest of Holiests to be throen oepen, and ishood forth. Then, whut submishun, whut crinjing and fauning, whut servility, whut abject huemiliaeshun! As to bowing doun in body and spirit, nuthing in that wae was left for Heven -- which mae hav bin wun amung uther reezons whi th wershipers of Monseigneur never trubld it.

   Bestowing a werd of promis heer and a smiel thair, a whisper on wun hapy slaev and a waev of th hand on anuther, Monseigneur affably past thru his rooms to th remoet reejon of th Sercumferens of Trooth. Thair, Monseigneur ternd, and caem bak agen, and so in due cors of tiem got himself shut up in his sankchuairy bi th chocolet sprites, and was seen no mor.

   Th sho being oever, th fluter in th air becaem qiet a litl storm, and th preshus litl bels went ringing doun-stairs. Thair was soon but wun person left of all th croud, and he, with his hat under his arm and his snuff-box in his hand, sloely past amung th mirors on his wae out.

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   "I devoet U," sed this person, stoping at th last dor on his wae, and terning in th direcshun of th sankchuairy, "to th Devil!"

   With that, he shuuk th snuff frum his finggers as if he had shaeken th dust frum his feet, and qieetly waukt doun-stairs.

   He was a man of about sixty, hansumly drest, hauty in maner, and with a faes liek a fien mask. A faes of a transpairent paelnes; evry feecher in it cleerly defiend; wun set expreshun on it. Th noez, buetyfuly formd utherwiez, was verry slietly pincht at th top of eech nostril. In thoes too compressions, or dints, th oenly litl chaenj that th faes ever shoed, rezieded. Thae persisted in chaenjing colour sumtiems, and thae wuud be ocaezhunaly dielaeted and contracted bi sumthing liek a faent pulsaeshun; then, thae gaev a luuk of trechery, and crooelty, to th hoel countenans. Examind with atenshun, its capasity of helping such a luuk was to be found in th lien of th mouth, and th liens of th orbits of th ies, being much too horizontal and thin; stil, in th efect of th faes maed, it was a hansum faes, and a remarkabl wun.

   Its oener went doun-stairs into th cort-yard, got into his carrej, and droev awae. Not meny peepl had taukt with him at th resepshun; he had stuud in a litl spaes apart, and Monseigneur miet hav bin wormer in his maner. It apeerd, under th sercumstanses, rather agreeabl to him to see th comon peepl disperst befor his horses, and offen bairly escaeping frum being run doun. His man droev as if he wer charjing an enemy, and th fuerius reklesnes of th man braut no chek into th faes, or to th lips, of th master. Th complaent had sumtiems maed itself audibl, eeven in that def sity and dum aej, that, in th narro streets without footways, th feers patrishan custom of hard drieving endaenjerd and maemd th meer vulgar in a barbarus maner. But, fue caird enuf for that to think of it a second tiem, and, in this mater, as in all uthers, th comon wretches wer left to get out of thair dificultys as thae cuud.

   With a wield ratl and clater, and an inhueman abandonment of consideraeshun not eezy to be understuud in thees daes, th carrej dasht thru streets and swept round corners, with wimen screeming befor it, and men cluching eech uther and cluching children out of its wae. At last, swooping at a street corner bi a founten, wun of its wheels caem to a sikening litl joelt, and thair was a loud cri frum a number of voises, and th horses reerd and plunjd.

   But for th later inconveenyuns, th carrej probably wuud not

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hav stopt; carrejes wer offen noen to driev on, and leev thair woonded behiend, and whi not? But th frietend valae had got doun in a hery, and thair wer twenty hands at th horses' bridles.

   "Whut has gon rong?" sed Monsieur, caamly luuking out.

   A tall man in a nightcap had caut up a bundl frum amung th feet of th horses, and had laed it on th baesment of th founten, and was doun in th mud and wet, houling oever it liek a wield animal.

   "Pardon, Monsieur th Marqis!" sed a raged and submisiv man, "it is a chield."

   "Whi duz he maek that abominabl noiz? Is it his chield?"

   "Excues me, Monsieur th Marqis -- it is a pity -- yes."

   Th founten was a litl remoovd; for th street oepend, wherr it was, into a spaes sum ten or twelv yards sqair. As th tall man sudenly got up frum th ground, and caem runing at th carrej, Monsieur th Marqis clapt his hand for an instant on his sord-hilt.

   "Kild!" shreekt th man, in wield desperaeshun, extending boeth arms at thair length abuv his hed, and stairing at him. "Ded!"

   Th peepl cloezd round, and luukt at Monsieur th Marqis. Thair was nuthing reveeld bi th meny ies that luukt at him but watchfulness and eegernes; thair was no vizibl menising or angger. Neether did th peepl sae enything; after th ferst cri, thae had bin sielent, and thae remaend so. Th vois of th submisiv man hoo had spoeken, was flat and taem in its extreem submishun. Monsieur th Marqis ran his ies oever them all, as if thae had bin meer rats cum out of thair hoels.

   He tuuk out his pers.

   "It is extraordinairy to me," sed he, "that U peepl cannot taek cair of yurselvs and yur children. Wun or th uther of U is for ever in th, wae. How do I noe whut injery U hav dun mi horses. See! Giv him that."

   He throo out a goeld coin for th valae to pik up, and all th heds craned forward that all th ies miet luuk doun at it as it fel. Th tall man calld out agen with a moest unerthly cri, "Ded!"

   He was arested bi th qik arieval of anuther man, for hoom th rest maed wae. On seeing him, th mizerabl creecher fel upon his shoelder, sobing and crieing, and pointing to th founten, wherr sum wimen wer stooping oever th moeshunles bundl, and mooving jently about it. Thae wer as sielent, however, as th men.

   "I noe all, I noe all," sed th last comer. "Be a braev man, mi Gaspard! It is beter for th pur litl plaething to die so, than to liv.

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It has died in a moement without paen. Cuud it hav livd an our as hapily?"

   "U ar a filosofer, U thair," sed th, Marqis, smieling. "How do thae call U?"

   "Thae call me Defarge."

   "Of whut traed?"

   "Monsieur th Marqis, vendor of wien."

   "Pik up that, filosofer and vendor of wien," sed th Marqis, throeing him anuther goeld coin, "and spend it as U wil. Th horses thair; ar thae riet?"

   Without deigning to luuk at th asemblej a second tiem, Monsieur th Marqis leend bak in his seet, and was just being driven awae with th air of a jentlman hoo had acsidentaly broek sum comon thing, and had paed for it, and cuud aford to pae for it; when his eez was sudenly disterbd bi a coin flieing into his carrej, and ringing on its flor.

   "Hoeld!" sed Monsieur th Marqis. "Hoeld th horses! Hoo throo that?"

   He luukt to th spot wherr Defarge th vendor of wien had stuud, a moement befor; but th reched faather was grovelling on his faes on th paevment in that spot, and th figuer that stuud besied him was th figuer of a dark stout wuuman, niting.

   "U daugs!" sed th Marqis, but smoothly, and with an unchaenjd frunt, exsept as to th spots on his noez: "I wuud ried oever eny of U verry wilingly, and exterminaet U frum th erth. If I nue which rascal throo at th carrej, and if that brigand wer sufishently neer it, he shuud be crusht under th wheels."

   So cowed was thair condishun, and so long and hard thair expeeryens of whut such a man cuud do to them, within th law and beyond it, that not a vois, or a hand, or eeven an ie was raezd. Amung th men, not wun. But th wuuman hoo stuud niting luukt up stedily, and luukt th Marqis in th faes. It was not for his dignity to noetis it; his contempchuos ies past oever her, and oever all th uther rats; and he leend bak in his seet agen, and gaev th werd "Go on!"

   He was driven on, and uther carrejes caem wherling bi in qik sucseshun; th Minister, th Staet-Projector, th Farmer-Jeneral, th Doctor, th Lawyer, th Ecleeziastic, th Grand Opera, th Comedy, th hoel Fansy Ball in a briet continueus flo, caem wherling bi. Th rats had crept out of thair hoels to luuk on, and thae remaend

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luuking on for ours; soeljers and polees offen pasing between them and th spectacl, and maeking a barryer behiend which thae slunk, and thru which thae peeped. Th faather had long ago taeken up his bundl and bidden himself awae with it, when th wimen hoo had tended th bundl whiel it lae on th baes of th founten, sat thair woching th runing of th wauter and th roeling of th Fansy Ball -- when th wun wuuman hoo had stuud conspicueus, niting, stil nited on with th steadfastness of Faet. Th wauter of th founten ran, th swift river ran, th dae ran into eevning, so much lief in th sity ran into deth acording to rool, tiem and tied waeted for no man, th rats wer sleeping cloes together in thair dark hoels agen, th Fansy Ball was lieted up at super, all things ran thair cors.

   A BUETYFUL LANDSCAEP, with th corn briet in it, but not abundant. Paches of pur ri wherr com shuud hav bin, paches of pur pees and beens, paches of moest cors vejetabl substituets for wheet. On inanimet naecher, as on th men and wimen hoo cultivaeted it, a prevalent tendensy tords an apeerans of vejetaeting unwilingly -- a dejected dispozishun to giv up, and wither awae.

   Monsieur th Marqis in his traveling carrej (which miet hav bin lieter), conducted bi foer poest-horses and too postilions, fagd up a steep hil. A blush on th countenans of Monsieur th Marqis was no impeechment of his hi breeding; it was not frum within; it was ocaezhund bi an external sercumstans beyond his controel -- th seting sun.

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   Th sunset struk so brilyantly into th traveling carrej when it gaend th hil-top, that its ocuepant was steept in crimzon. "It wil die out," sed Monsieur th Marqis, glansing at his hands, "directly."

   In efect, th sun was so lo that it dipt at th moement. When th hevy drag had bin ajusted to th wheel, and th carrej slid doun hil, with a cinderous smel, in a cloud of dust, th red glo departed qikly; th sun and th Marqis going doun together, thair was no glo left when th drag was taeken off.

   But, thair remaend a broeken cuntry, boeld and oepen, a litl vilej at th botom of th hil, a braud sweep and riez beyond it, a cherch- tower, a windmil, a forest for th chaes, and a crag with a fortres on it uezd as a prizon. Round upon all thees darkening objects as th niet droo on, th Marqis luukt, with th air of wun hoo was cuming neer hoem.

   Th vilej had its wun pur street, with its pur brooery, pur tanery, pur tavern, pur staebl-yard for relays of poest-horses, pur founten, all uezhual pur apointments. It had its pur peepl too. All its peepl wer pur, and meny of them wer siting at thair dors, shreding spair unyons and th liek for super, whiel meny wer at th founten, woshing leevs, and grases, and eny such small yieldings of th erth that cuud be eeten. Expresiv sips of whut maed them pur, wer not wonting; th tax for th staet, th tax for th cherch, th tax for th lord, tax loecal and tax jeneral, wer to be paed heer and to be paed thair, acording to solem inscripshun in th litl vilej, until th wunder was, that thair was eny vilej left unswallowed.

   Fue children wer to be seen, and no daugs. As to th men and wimen, thair chois on erth was staeted in th prospect -- Lief on th loeest terms that cuud sustaen it, doun in th litl vilej under th mil; or captivity and Deth in th dominant prizon on th crag.

   Herralded bi a curyer in advans, and bi th craking of his postilions' whips, which twiend snaek-liek about thair heds in th eevning air, as if he caem atended bi th Furies, Monsieur th Marqis droo up in his traveling carrej at th posting-hous gaet. It was hard bi th founten, and th pezants suspended thair operaeshuns to luuk at him. He luukt at them, and saw in them, without noeing it, th slo shur fieling doun of mizery-worn faes and figuer, that was to maek th meagreness of Frenchmen an English sooperstishun which shuud serviev th trooth thru th best part of a hundred yeers.

   Monsieur th Marqis cast his ies oever th submisiv faeses that

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droopt befor him, as th liek of himself had droopt befor Monseigneur of th Cort -- oenly th diferens was, that thees faeses droopt meerly to sufer and not to propishiaet -- when a grizld mender of th roeds joind th groop.

   "Bring me hither that felo!" sed th Marqis to th curyer.

   Th felo was braut, cap in hand, and th uther feloes cloezd round to luuk and lisen, in th maner of th peepl at th Paris founten.

   "I past U on th roed?"

   "Monseigneur, it is troo. I had th onor of being past on th roed."

   "Cuming up th hil, and at th top of th hil, boeth?"

   "Monseigneur, it is troo."

   "Whut did U luuk at, so fixedly?"

   "Monseigneur, I luukt at th man."

   He stoopt a litl, and with his taterd bloo cap pointed under th carrej. All his feloes stoopt to luuk under th carrej.

   "Whut man, pig? And whi luuk thair?"

   "Pardon, Monseigneur; he swung bi th chaen of th shoo -- th drag."

   "Hoo?" demanded th traveler.

   "Monseigneur, th man."

   "Mae th Devil carry awae thees idiots! How do U can th man? U noe all th men of this part of th cuntry. Hoo was he?"

   "Yur clemensy, Monseigneur! He was not of this part of th cuntry. Of all th daes of mi lief, I never saw him."

   "Swinging bi th chaen? To be sufocaeted?"

   "With yur graeshus permishun, that was th wunder of it, Monseigneur. His hed hanging oever -- liek this!"

   He ternd himself siedwaes to th carrej, and leend bak, with his faes throen up to th skie, and his hed hanging doun; then recuverd himself, fumbld with his cap, and maed a bow.

   "Whut was he liek?"

   "Monseigneur, he was whiter than th miler. All cuverd with dust, whiet as a specter, tall as a specter!"

   Th pikcher produest an imens sensaeshun in th litl croud; but all ies, without compairing noets with uther ies, luukt at Monsieur th Marqis. Perhaps, to obzerv whether he had eny specter on his conshens.

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   "Trooly, U did wel," sed th Marqis, felicitously sensibl that such vermin wer not to rufl him, "to see a theef acumpanying mi carrej, and not oepen that graet mouth of yurs. Baa! Puut him asied, Monsieur Gabelle!"

   Monsieur Gabelle was th Poestmaster, and sum uther taxing funkshunairy uenieted; he had cum out with graet obsequiousness to asist at this examinaeshun, and had held th examind bi th draepery of his arm in an ofishal maner.

   "Baa! Go asied!" sed Monsieur Gabelle.

   "Lae hands on this straenjer if he seeks to loj in yur vilej to- niet, and be shur that his biznes is onest, Gabelle."

   "Monseigneur, I am flaterd to devoet mieself to yur orders."

   "Did he run awae, felo? -- wherr is that Acurst?"

   Th acurst was allredy under th carrej with sum haf-duzen particuelar frends, pointing out th chaen with his bloo cap. Sum haf- duzen uther particuelar frends promptly halld him out, and prezented him brethles to Monsieur th Marqis.

   "Did th man run awae, Doelt, when we stopt for th drag?"

   "Monseigneur, he presipitaeted himself oever th hil-sied, hed ferst, as a person plunjes into th river."

   "See to it, Gabelle. Go on!"

   Th haf-duzen hoo wer peering at th chaen wer stil amung th wheels, ne sheep; th wheels ternd so sudenly that thae wer luky to saev thair skins and boens; thae had verry litl els to saev, or thae miet not hav bin so forchunet.

   Th berst with which th carrej started out of th vilej and up th riez beyond, was soon chekt bi th steepness of th hil. Grajualy, it subsieded to a fuut paes, swinging and lumbering upward amung th meny sweet sents of a sumer niet. Th postilions, with a thouzand gosamer gnats sercling about them in loo of th Furies, qieetly mended th points to th lashes of thair whips; th valae waukt bi th horses; th curyer was audibl, troting on ahed into th dun distans.

   At th steepest point of th hil thair was a litl berrial-ground, with a Cross and a nue larj figuer of Our Saevuer on it; it was a pur figuer in wuud, dun bi sum inexpeeryenst rustic carver, but he had studyd th figuer frum th lief -- his oen lief, maebe -- for it was dredfuly spair and thin.

   To this distressful emblem of a graet distres that had long bin groeing wers, and was not at its werst, a wuuman was neeling. She

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ternd her hed as th carrej caem up to her, roez qikly, and prezented herself at th carrej-dor.

   "It is U, Monseigneur! Monseigneur, a petishun."

   With an exclamaeshun of impaeshens, but with his unchaenjabl faes, Monseigneur luukt out.

   "How, then! Whut is it? Allwaes petishuns!"

   "Monseigneur. For th luv of th graet God! Mi huzband, th forester. "

   "Whut of yur huzband, th forester? Allwaes th saem with U peepl. He cannot pae sumthing?"

   "He has paed all, Monseigneur. He is ded."

   "Wel! He is qieet. Can I restor him to U?"

   "Alas, no, Monseigneur! But he lies yonder, under a litl heep of pur gras."

   "Wel?"

   "Monseigneur, thair ar so meny litl heeps of pur gras?"

   "Agen, wel?"

   She luukt an oeld wuuman, but was yung. Her maner was wun of pashunet greef; bi terns she claspt her veinous and noted hands together with wield enerjy, and laed wun of them on th carrej-dor -- tenderly, caressingly, as if it had bin a hueman brest, and cuud be expected to feel th apeeling tuch.

   "Monseigneur, heer me! Monseigneur, heer mi petishun! Mi huzband died of wont; so meny die of wont; so meny mor wil die of wont."

   "Agen, wel? Can I feed them?"

   "Monseigneur, th guud God noes; but I don't ask it. Mi petishun is, that a morsel of stoen or wuud, with mi husband's naem, mae be plaest oever him to sho wherr he lies. Utherwiez, th plaes wil be qikly forgoten, it wil never be found when I am ded of th saem malady, I shal be laed under sum uther heep of pur gras. Monseigneur, thae ar so meny, thae increes so fast, thair is so much wont. Monseigneur! Monseigneur!"

   Th valae had puut her awae frum th dor, th carrej had broeken into a brisk trot, th postilions had qikend th paes, she was left far behiend, and Monseigneur, agen escorted bi th Furies, was rapidly diminishing th leeg or too of distans that remaend between him and his shato.

   Th sweet sents of th sumer niet roez all around him, and roez, as th raen falls, imparshaly, on th dusty, raged, and toil-worn groop

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at th founten not far awae; to hoom th mender of roeds, with th aed of th bloo cap without which he was nuthing, stil enlarjd upon his man liek a specter, as long as thae cuud bair it. Bi degrees, as thae cuud bair no mor, thae dropt off wun bi wun, and liets twinkled in litl casements; which liets, as th casements darkend, and mor stars caem out, seemd to hav shot up into th skie insted of having bin extinggwisht.

   Th shado of a larj hi-rooft hous, and of meny oever-hanging trees, was upon Monsieur th Marqis bi that tiem; and th shado was exchaenjd for th liet of a flambo, as his carrej stopt, and th graet dor of his shato was oepend to him.

   "Monsieur Charles, hoom I expect; is he arievd frum England?"

   "Monseigneur, not yet."

   IT WAS a hevy mas of bilding, that shato of Monsieur th Marqis, with a larj stoen cort-yard befor it, and too stoen sweeps of staircaes meeting in a stoen terres befor th prinsipal dor. A stoeny biznes alltogether, with hevy stoen balustrades, and stoen erns, and stoen flowers, and stoen faeses of men, and stoen heds of lieons, in all direcshuns. As if th Gorgon's hed had servaed it, when it was finisht, too sencherys ago.

   Up th braud fliet of shalo steps, Monsieur th Marqis, flambo preseeded, went frum his carrej, sufishently disterbing th darknes to elisit loud remonstrans frum an oul in th roof of th graet piel of

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staebl bilding awae amung th trees. All els was so qieet, that th flambo carryd up th steps, and th uther flambo held at th graet dor, bernt as if thae wer in a cloes room of staet, insted of being in th oepen niet-air. Uther sound than th owl's vois thair was nun, saev th faeling of a founten into its stoen baesin; for, it was wun of thoes dark niets that hoeld thair breth bi th our together, and then heev a long lo si, and hoeld thair breth agen.

   Th graet dor clangd behiend him, and Monsieur th Marqis crosst a hall grim with serten oeld bor-spears, sords, and nievs of th chaes; grimer with serten hevy rieding-rods and rieding-whips, of which meny a pezant, gon to his benefactor Deth, had felt th waet when his lord was anggry.

   Avoiding th larjer rooms, which wer dark and maed fast for th niet, Monsieur th Marqis, with his flambo-bairer going on befor, went up th staircaes to a dor in a coridor. This throen oepen, admited him to his oen prievet apartment of three rooms: his bed-chaember and too uthers. Hi vallted rooms with cool uncarpeted flors, graet daugs upon th hearths for th berning of wuud in winter tiem, and all lugzhurys befiting th staet of a marqis in a lugzhurius aej and cuntry. Th fashun of th last Louis but wun, of th lien that was never to braek -- th forteenth Louis -- was conspicueus in thair rich fernicher; but, it was diversified bi meny objects that wer ilustraeshuns of oeld paejes in th history of France.

   A super-taebl was laed for too, in th therd of th rooms; a round room, in wun of th chateau's foer extinggwisher-topt towers. A small loffty room, with its windo wied oepen, and th wuuden jalusy-bliends cloezd, so that th dark niet oenly shoed in sliet horizontal liens of blak, allternaeting with thair braud liens of stoen colour.

   "Mi nefue," sed th Marqis, glansing at th super preparaeshun; "thae sed he was not arievd."

   Nor was he; but, he had bin expected with Monseigneur.

   "Aa! It is not probabl he wil ariev to-niet; nevertheles, leev th taebl as it is. I shal be redy in a qorter of an our."

   In a qorter of an our Monseigneur was redy, and sat doun aloen to his sumpchuos and chois super. His chair was opozit to th windo, and he had taeken his soop, and was raezing his glas of Bordeaux to his lips, when he puut it doun.

   "Whut is that?" he caamly askt, luuking with atenshun at th horizontal liens of blak and stoen colour.

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   "Monseigneur? That?"

   "Outsied th bliends. Oepen th bliends."

   It was dun.

   "Wel?"

   "Monseigneur, it is nuthing. Th trees and th niet ar all that ar heer."

   Th servant hoo spoek, had throen th bliends wied, had luukt out into th vaecant darknes, and stuud with that blank behiend him, luuking round for instrucshuns.

   "Guud," sed th imperterbabl master. "Cloez them agen."

   That was dun too, and th Marqis went on with his super. He was haf wae thru it, when he agen stopt with his glas in his hand, heering th sound of wheels. It caem on briskly, and caem up to th frunt of th shato.

   "Ask hoo is arievd."

   It was th nefue of Monseigneur. He had bin sum fue leegs behiend Monseigneur, erly in th afternoon. He had diminisht th distans rapidly, but not so rapidly as to cum up with Monseigneur on th roed. He had herd of Monseigneur, at th posting-houses, as being befor him.

   He was to be toeld (sed Monseigneur) that super awaeted him then and thair, and that he was praed to cum to it. In a litl whiel he caem. He had bin noen in England as Charles Darnay.

   Monseigneur reseevd him in a cortly maner, but thae did not shaek hands.

   "U left Paris yesterdae, ser?" he sed to Monseigneur, as he tuuk his seet at taebl.

   "Yesterdae. And U?"

   "I cum direct."

   "Frum London?"

   "Yes."

   "U hav bin a long tiem cuming," sed th Marqis, with a smiel.

   "On th contrairy; I cum direct."

   "Pardon me! I meen, not a long tiem on th jerny; a long tiem intending th jerny."

   "I hav bin detaend bi" -- th nefue stopt a moement in his anser -- "vairius biznes."

   "Without dout," sed th polisht unkl.

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   So long as a servant was prezent, no uther werds past between them. When coffy had bin servd and thae wer aloen together, th nefue, luuking at th unkl and meeting th ies of th faes that was liek a fien mask, oepend a conversaeshun.

   "I hav cum bak, ser, as U antisipaet, persooing th object that tuuk me awae. It carryd me into graet and unexpected perril; but it is a saecred object, and if it had carryd me to deth I hoep it wuud hav sustaend me."

   "Not to deth," sed th unkl; "it is not nesesairy to sae, to deth."

   "I dout, ser," reternd th nefue, "whether, if it had carryd me to th utmoest brink of deth, U wuud hav caird to stop me thair."

   Th deepend marks in th noez, and th lengthening of th fien straet liens in th crooel faes, luukt ominus as to that; th unkl maed a graesful jescher of protest, which was so cleerly a sliet form of guud breeding that it was not re-ashuring.

   "Indeed, ser," persood th nefue, "for enything I noe, U mae hav expresly werkt to giv a mor suspishus apeerans to th suspishus sercumstanses that serounded me."

   "No, no, no," sed th unkl, plezantly.

   "But, however that mae be," rezoomd th nefue, glansing at him with deep distrust, "I noe that yur diploemasy wuud stop me bi eny meens, and wuud noe no scroopl as to meens."

   "Mi frend, I toeld U so," sed th unkl, with a fien pulsaeshun in th too marks. "Do me th faevor to recall that I toeld U so, long ago."

   "I recall it."

   "Thank U," sed th Marqis -- verry sweetly indeed.

   His toen linggerd in th air, allmoest liek th toen of a muezical instrument.

   "In efect, ser," persood th nefue, "I beleev it to be at wuns yur bad forchun, and mi guud forchun, that has kept me out of a prizon in France heer."

   "I do not qiet understand," reternd th unkl, siping his coffy. "Dair I ask U to explaen?"

   "I beleev that if U wer not in disgraes with th Cort, and had not bin oevershadoed bi that cloud for yeers past, a leter de cashae wuud hav sent me to sum fortres indefinitly."

   "It is posibl," sed th unkl, with graet caamnes. "For th onor of th family, I cuud eeven rezolv to incomoed U to that extent. Prae excues me!"

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   "I perseev that, hapily for me, th Resepshun of th dae befor yesterdae was, as uezhual, a coeld wun," obzervd th nefue.

   "I wuud not sae hapily, mi frend," reternd th unkl, with refiend polietnes; "I wuud not be shur of that. A guud oportuenity for consideraeshun, serounded bi th advantejes of solitued, miet inflooens yur destiny to far graeter advantej than U inflooens it for yurself. But it is uesles to discus th qeschun. I am, as U sae, at a disadvantej. Thees litl instruments of corecshun, thees jentl aeds to th power and onor of familys, thees sliet favours that miet so incomoed U, ar oenly to be obtaend now bi interest and importuenity. Thae ar saut bi so meny, and thae ar granted (comparrativly) to so fue! It uezd not to be so, but France in all such things is chaenjd for th wers. Our not remoet ansestors held th riet of lief and deth oever th serounding vulgar. Frum this room, meny such daugs hav bin taeken out to be hangd; in th next room (mi bedroom), wun felo, to our nolej, was poniarded on th spot for profesing sum insolent delicasy respecting his dauter -- his dauter? We hav lost meny privilejes; a nue filosofy has becum th moed; and th asershun of our staeshun, in thees daes, miet (I do not go so far as to sae wuud, but miet) cauz us reeal inconveenyuns. All verry bad, verry bad!"

   Th Marqis tuuk a jentl litl pinch of snuff, and shuuk his hed; as elegantly despondent as he cuud becumingly be of a cuntry stil contaening himself, that graet meens of rejeneraeshun.

   "We hav so aserted our staeshun, boeth in th oeld tiem and in th modern tiem allso," sed th nefue, gloomily, "that I beleev our naem to be mor detested than eny naem in France."

   "Let us hoep so," sed th unkl. "Deetestaeshun of th hi is th involuntairy homej of th lo."

   "Thair is not," persood th nefue, in his former toen, "a faes I can luuk at, in all this cuntry round about us, which luuks at me with eny deferens on it but th dark deferens of feer and slaevery."

   "A compliment," sed th Marqis, "to th granjer of th family, merrited bi th maner in which th family has sustaend its granjer. Hah!" And he tuuk anuther jentl litl pinch of snuff, and lietly crosst his legs.

   But, when his nefue, leening an elbo on th taebl, cuverd his ies thautfuly and dejectedly with his hand, th fien mask luukt at him siedwaes with a strongger consentraeshun of keennes, cloesnes, and

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disliek, than was comportable with its wearer's asumpshun of indiferens.

   "Represhun is th oenly lasting filosofy. Th dark deferens of feer and slaevery, mi frend," obzervd th Marqis, "wil keep th daugs oebeedyent to th whip, as long as this roof," luuking up to it, "shuts out th skie."

   That miet not be so long as th Marqis supoezd. If a pikcher of th shato as it was to be a verry fue yeers hens, and of fifty liek it as thae too wer to be a verry fue yeers hens, cuud hav bin shoen to him that niet, he miet hav bin at a loss to claem his oen frum th gastly, fier-chard, plunder-rekt raens. As for th roof he vaunted, he miet hav found that shuting out th skie in a nue wae -- to wit, for ever, frum th ies of th bodys into which its leed was fierd, out of th barrels of a hundred thouzand muskets.

   "Meenwhiel," sed th Marqis, "I wil prezerv th onor and repoez of th family, if U wil not. But U must be fateegd. Shal we terminaet our conferens for th niet?"

   "A moement mor."

   "An our, if U pleez."

   "Ser," sed th nefue, "we hav dun rong, and ar reeping th froots of rong."

   "We hav dun rong?" repeeted th Marqis, with an inqiering smiel, and deliketly pointing, ferst to his nefue, then to himself.

   "Our family; our honourable family, hoos onor is of so much acount to boeth of us, in such diferent waes. Eeven in mi father's tiem, we did a werld of rong, injering evry hueman creecher hoo caem between us and our plezher, whutever it was. Whi need I speek of mi father's tiem, when it is eeqaly yurs? Can I separaet mi father's twin- bruther, joint inherritor, and next sucsesor, frum himself?"

   "Deth has dun that!" sed th Marqis.

   "And has left me," anserd th nefue, "bound to a sistem that is frietful to me, responsibl for it, but powerles in it; seeking to execuet th last reqest of mi deer mother's lips, and oebae th last luuk of mi deer mother's ies, which implord me to hav mersy and to redress; and torcherd bi seeking asistans and power in vaen."

   "Seeking them frum me, mi nefue," sed th Marqis, tuching him on th brest with his forfingger -- thae wer now standing bi th harth -- "U wil for ever seek them in vaen, be ashurd."

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   Evry fien straet lien in th cleer whietnes of his faes, was crooely, craftily, and cloesly comprest, whiel he stuud luuking qieetly at his nefue, with his snuff-box in his hand. Wuns agen he tucht him on th brest, as tho his fingger wer th fien point of a small sord, with which, in deliket fines, he ran him thru th body, and sed,

   "Mi frend, I wil die, perpechuaeting th sistem under which I hav livd."

   When he had sed it, he tuuk a culminaeting pinch of snuff, and puut his box in his poket.

   "Beter to be a rashunal creecher," he aded then, after ringing a small bel on th taebl, "and acsept yur nacheral destiny. But U ar lost, Monsieur Charles, I see."

   "This property and France ar lost to me," sed th nefue, sadly; "I renouns them."

   "Ar thae boeth yurs to renouns? France mae be, but is th property? It is scairsly werth menshuning; but, is it yet?"

   "I had no intenshun, in th werds I uezd, to claem it yet. If it past to me frum U, to-morro -- "

   "Which I hav th vanity to hoep is not probabl."

   " -- or twenty yeers hens -- "

   "U do me too much onor," sed th Marqis; "stil, I prefer that supozishun."

   " -- I wuud abandon it, and liv utherwiez and elswherr. It is litl to relinqish. Whut is it but a wildernes of mizery and rooin!"

   "Hah!" sed th Marqis, glansing round th lugzhurius room.

   "To th ie it is fair enuf, heer; but seen in its integrity, under th skie, and bi th daeliet, it is a crumbling tower of waest, mismanejment, extorshun, det, morgej, opreshun, hungger, nakedness, and sufering."

   "Hah!" sed th Marqis agen, in a wel-satisfied maner.

   "If it ever becums mien, it shal be puut into sum hands beter qolified to free it sloely (if such a thing is posibl) frum th waet that drags it doun, so that th mizerabl peepl hoo cannot leev it and hoo hav bin long wrung to th last point of endurans, mae, in anuther jeneraeshun, sufer les; but it is not for me. Thair is a curs on it, and on all this land."

   "And U?" sed th unkl. "Forgiv mi cueriosity; do U, under yur nue filosofy, graeshusly intend to liv?"

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   "I must do, to liv, whut uthers of mi cuntrymen, eeven with noebility at thair baks, mae hav to do sum dae-werk."

   "In England, for exampl?"

   "Yes. Th family onor, ser, is saef frum me in this cuntry. Th family naem can sufer frum me in no uther, for I bair it in no uther."

   Th ringing of th bel had cauzd th ajoining bed-chaember to be lieted. It now shoen brietly, thru th dor of comuenicaeshun. Th Marqis luukt that wae, and lisend for th retreeting step of his valae.

   "England is verry atractiv to U, seeing how indiferently U hav prosperd thair," he obzervd then, terning his caam faes to his nefue with a smiel.

   "I hav allredy sed, that for mi prospering thair, I am sensibl I mae be indeted to U, ser. For th rest, it is mi Refuej."

   "Thae sae, thoes boestful English, that it is th Refuej of meny. U noe a compaetriot hoo has found a Refuej thair? A Doctor?"

   "Yes."

   "With a dauter?"

   "Yes."

   "Yes," sed th Marqis. "U ar fateegd. Guud niet!"

   As he bent his hed in his moest cortly maner, thair was a seecresy in his smieling faes, and he convaed an air of mistery to thoes werds, which struk th ies and eers of his nefue forsibly. At th saem tiem, th thin straet liens of th seting of th ies, and th thin straet lips, and th markings in th noez, curvd with a sarcazm that luukt hansumly dieabolic.

   "Yes," repeeted th Marqis. "A Doctor with a dauter. Yes. So comenses th nue filosofy! U ar fateegd. Guud niet!"

   It wuud hav bin of as much avael to interrogaet eny stoen faes outsied th shato as to interrogaet that faes of his. Th nefue luukt at him, in vaen, in pasing on to th dor.

   "Guud niet!" sed th unkl. "I luuk to th plezher of seeing U agen in th morning. Guud repoez! Liet Monsieur mi nefue to his chaember thair! -- And bern Monsieur mi nefue in his bed, if U wil," he aded to himself, befor he rang his litl ben agen, and sumond his valae to his oen bedroom.

   Th valae cum and gon, Monsieur th Marqis waukt to and fro in his loos chaember-roeb, to prepair himself jently for sleep, that hot stil niet. Rusling about th room, his sofftly-slippered feet maeking no noiz on th flor, he moovd liek a refiend tieger: -- luukt liek sum enchanted

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marqis of th impenitently wiked sort, in story, hoos peeriodical chaenj into tieger form was eether just going off, or just cuming on.

   He moovd frum end to end of his volupchuos bedroom, luuking agen at th scraps of th day's jerny that caem unbiden into his miend; th slo toil up th hil at sunset, th seting sun, th desent, th mil, th prizon on th crag, th litl vilej in th holo, th pezants at th founten, and th mender of roeds with his bloo cap pointing out th chaen under th carrej. That founten sugjested th Paris founten, th litl bundl lieing on th step, th wimen bending oever it, and th tall man with his arms up, crieing, "Ded!"

   "I am cool now," sed Monsieur th Marqis, "and mae go to bed."

   So, leeving oenly wun liet berning on th larj harth, he let his thin gauz curtens fa]J around him, and herd th niet braek its sielens with a long si as he compoezd himself to sleep.

   Th stoen faeses on th outer waels staird bliendly at th blak niet for three hevy ours; for three hevy ours, th horses in th staebls ratld at thair raks, th daugs barked, and th oul maed a noiz with verry litl rezemblans in it to th noiz convenshunaly asiend to th oul bi men- poeets. But it is th obstinet custom of such creechers hardly ever to sae whut is set doun for them.

   For three hevy ours, th stoen faeses of th shato, lieon and hueman, staird bliendly at th niet. Ded darknes lae on all th landscaep, ded darknes aded its oen hush to th hushing dust on all th roeds. Th berrial-plaes had got to th pas that its litl heeps of pur gras wer undistinguishable frum wun anuther; th figuer on th Cross miet hav cum doun, for enything that cuud be seen of it. In th vilej, taxers and taxt wer fast asleep. Dreeming, perhaps, of banqets, as th starvd uezhualy do, and of eez and rest, as th driven slaev and th yoked ox mae, its leen inhabitants slept soundly, and wer fed and freed.

   Th founten in th vilej floed unseen and unherd, and th founten at th shato dropt unseen and unherd -- boeth melting awae, liek th minits that wer falling frum th spring of Tiem -- thru three dark ours. Then, th grae wauter of boeth began to be goestly in th liet, and th ies of th stoen faeses of th shato wer oepend.

   Lieter and lieter, until at last th sun tucht th tops of th stil trees, and pord its raedians oever th hil. In th glo, th wauter of th shato founten seemd to tern to blud, and th stoen faeses crimsoned. Th carrol of th berds was loud and hi, and, on th wether-beeten sil of th graet windo of th bed-chaember of Monsieur th Marqis, wun

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litl berd sang its sweetest song with all its miet. At this, th neerest stoen faes seemd to stair amaezd, and, with oepen mouth and dropt under-jaw, luukt au-striken.

   Now, th sun was fuul up, and moovment began in th vilej. Caesment windoes oepend, craezy dors wer unbarred, and peepl caem forth shivering -- child, as yet, bi th nue sweet air. Then began th rairly lietend toil of th dae amung th vilej popuelaeshun. Sum, to th founten; sum, to th feelds; men and wimen heer, to dig and delv; men and wimen thair, to see to th pur liv stok, and leed th boeny cows out, to such pascher as cuud be found bi th roedsied. In th cherch and at th Cross, a neeling figuer or too; atendant on th later prairs, th leed cow, trieing for a brekfast amung th weeds at its fuut.

   Th shato awoek laeter, as becaem its qolity, but awoek grajualy and shurly. Ferst, th loenly bor-spears and nievs of th chaes had bin redend as of oeld; then, had gleemd trenchant in th morning sunshien; now, dors and windoes wer throen oepen, horses in thair staebls luukt round oever thair shoelders at th liet and freshnes poring in at dorwaes, leevs sparkld and rusld at ieern-graeted windoes, daugs puuld hard at thair chaens, and reerd impaeshent to be loosed.

   All thees trivial insidents belongd to th rooteen of lief, and th retern of morning. Shurly, not so th ringing of th graet bel of th shato, nor th runing up and doun th stairs; nor th heryd figuers on th terres; nor th booting and tramping heer and thair and evrywhair, nor th qik saddling of horses and rieding awae?

   Whut winds convaed this hery to th grizld mender of roeds, allredy at werk on th hil-top beyond th vilej, with his day's diner (not much to carry) lieing in a bundl that it was werth no crow's whiel to pek at, on a heep of stoens? Had th berds, carrying sum graens of it to a distans, dropt wun oever him as thae soe chans seeds? Whether or no, th mender of roeds ran, on th sultry morning, as if for his lief, doun th hil, nee-hi in dust, and never stopt til he got to th founten.

   All th peepl of th vilej wer at th founten, standing about in thair deprest maner, and whispering lo, but shoeing no uther emoeshuns than grim cueriosity and serpriez. Th leed cows, haestily braut in and tetherd to enything that wuud hoeld them, wer luuking stoopidly on, or lieing doun chooing th cud of nuthing particuelarly repaying thair trubl, which thae had pikt up in thair interupted saunter. Sum of th peepl of th shato, and sum of thoes of th posting-hous, and

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all th taxing authoritys, wer armd mor or les, and wer crouded on th uther sied of th litl street in a perposles wae, that was hiely fraut with nuthing. Allredy, th mender of roeds had penetraeted into th midst of a groop of fifty particuelar frends, and was smiting himself in th brest with his bloo cap. Whut did all this portend, and whut portended th swift hoisting-up of Monsieur Gabelle behiend a servant on horsbak, and th convaeing awae of th sed Gabelle (dubl-laeden tho th hors was), at a galop, liek a nue verzhun of th German balad of Leonora?

   It portended that thair was wun stoen faes too meny, up at th shato.

   Th Gorgon had servaed th bilding agen in th niet, and had aded th wun stoen faes wonting; th stoen faes for which it had waeted thru about too hundred yeers.

   It lae bak on th pilo of Monsieur th Marqis. It was liek a fien mask, sudenly startld, maed anggry, and petrified. Driven hoem into th hart of th stoen figuer atacht to it, was a nief. Round its hilt was a fril of paeper, on which was scralld:

   "Driev him fast to his toom. This, frum JACQUES."

   MOR MUNTHS, to th number of twelv, had cum and gon, and Mr. Charles Darnay was establisht in England as a hieer teecher of th French langgwej hoo was conversant with French literachur. In this aej, he wuud hav bin a Profesor; in that aej, he was a Tuetor. He reed with yung men hoo cuud fiend eny leezher and interest for th study of a living tung spoeken all oever th werld, and he cultivaeted a taest for its

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stors of nolej and fansy. He cuud riet of them, besieds, in sound English, and render them into sound English. Such masters wer not at that tiem eezily found; Prinses that had bin, and Kings that wer to be, wer not yet of th Teecher clas, and no rooind noebility had dropt out of Tellson's lejers, to tern cuuks and carpenters. As a tuetor, hoos ataenments maed th student's wae unuezhualy plezant and profitabl, and as an elegant translaetor hoo braut sumthing to his werk besieds meer dicshunairy nolej, yung Mr. Darnay soon becaem noen and encurejd. He was wel aqaented, moroever, with th sercumstanses of his cuntry, and thoes wer of ever-groeing interest. So, with graet perseveerans and untiering industry, he prosperd.

   In London, he had expected neether to wauk on paevments of goeld, nor to lie on beds of roezes; if he had had eny such exallted expectaeshun, he wuud not hav prosperd. He had expected laebor, and he found it, and did it and maed th best of it. In this, his prosperrity consisted.

   A serten porshun of his tiem was past at Cambridge, wherr he reed with undergradjuits as a sort of toleraeted smuggler hoo droev a contraband traed in European langgwejes, insted of convaeing Greek and Latin thru th Custom-hous. Th rest of his tiem he past in London.

   Now, frum th daes when it was allwaes sumer in Eden, to thees daes when it is moestly winter in fallen latitueds, th werld of a man has invairiably gon wun wae -- Charles Darnay's wae -- th wae of th luv of a wuuman.

   He had luvd Lucie Manette frum th our of his daenjer. He had never herd a sound so sweet and deer as th sound of her compashunet vois; he had never seen a faes so tenderly buetyful, as hers when it was confrunted with his oen on th ej of th graev that had bin dug for him. But, he had not yet spoeken to her on th subject; th asasinaeshun at th dezerted shato far awae beyond th heeving wauter and th long, tong, dusty roeds -- th solid stoen shato which had itself becum th meer mist of a dreem -- had bin dun a yeer, and he had never yet, bi so much as a singgl spoeken werd, discloezd to her th staet of his hart.

   That he had his reezons for this, he nue fuul wel. It was agen a sumer dae when, laetly arievd in London frum his colej ocuepaeshun, he ternd into th qieet corner in Soho, bent on seeking an oportuenity of oepening his miend to Doctor Manette. It was th cloez of th sumer dae, and he nue Lucie to be out with Mis Pross.

   He found th Doctor reeding in his arm-chair at a windo. Th enerjy

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which had at wuns suported him under his oeld suferings and agravaeted thair sharpnes, had bin grajualy restord to him. He was now a verry enerjetic man indeed, with graet fermnes of perpos, strength of rezolooshun, and vigour of acshun. In his recuverd enerjy he was sumtiems a litl fitful and suden, as he had at ferst bin in th exersiez of his uther recuverd facultys; but, this had never bin freeqently obzervabl, and had groen mor and mor rair.

   He studyd much, slept litl, sustaend a graet deel of fateeg with eez, and was eqably cheerful. To him, now enterd Charles Darnay, at siet of hoom he laed asied his buuk and held out his hand.

   "Charles Darnay! I rejois to see U. We hav bin counting on yur retern thees three or foer daes past. Mr. Stryver and Sydney Carton wer boeth heer yesterdae, and boeth maed U out to be mor than due."

   "I am obliejd to them for thair interest in th mater," he anserd, a litl coeldly as to them, tho verry wormly as to th Doctor. "Mis Manette -- "

   "Is wel," sed th Doctor, as he stopt short, "and yur retern wil deliet us all. She has gon out on sum hous-hoeld maters, but wil soon be hoem. "

   "Doctor Manette, I nue she was frum hoem. I tuuk th oportuenity of her being frum hoem, to beg to speek to U."

   Thair was a blank sielens.

   "Yes?" sed th Doctor, with evident constraent. "Bring yur chair heer, and speek on."

   He complied as to th chair, but apeerd to fiend th speeking on les eezy.

   "I hav had th hapynes, Doctor Manette, of being so intimet heer," so he at length began, "for sum yeer and a haf, that I hoep th topic on which I am about to tuch mae not -- "

   He was staed bi th Doctor's puuting out his hand to stop him. When he had kept it so a litl whiel, he sed, drawing it bak:

   "Is Lucie th topic?"

   "She is."

   "It is hard for me to speek of her at eny tiem. It is verry hard for me to heer her spoeken of in that toen of yurs, Charles Darnay."

   "It is a toen of fervent admeraeshun, troo homej, and deep luv, Doctor Manette!" he sed deferentially.

   Thair was anuther blank sielens befor her faather rejoind:

   "I beleev it. I do U justis; I beleev it."

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   His constraent was so manifest, and it was so manifest, too, that it orijinaeted in an unwilingnes to aproech th subject, that Charles Darnay hezitaeted.

   "Shal I go on, ser?"

   Anuther blank.

   "Yes, go on."

   "U antisipaet whut I wuud sae, tho U cannot noe how ernestly I sae it, how ernestly I feel it, without noeing mi seecret hart, and th hoeps and feers and angzieitys with which it has long bin laeden. Deer Doctor Manette, I luv yur dauter fondly, deerly, disinterestedly, devoetedly. If ever thair wer luv in th werld, I luv her. U hav luvd yurself; let yur oeld luv speek for me!"

   Th Doctor sat with his faes ternd awae, and his ies bent on th ground. At th last werds, he strecht out his hand agen, herydly, and cried:

   "Not that, ser! Let that be! I ajur U, do not recall that!"

   His cri was so liek a cri of akchual paen, that it rang in Charles Darnay's eers long after he had seest. He moeshund with th hand he had extended, and it seemd to be an apeel to Darnay to pauz. Th later so reseevd it, and remaend sielent.

   "I ask yur pardon," sed th Doctor, in a subdued toen, after sum moements. "I do not dout yur luving Lucie; U mae be satisfied of it."

   He ternd tords him in his chair, but did not luuk at him, or raez his ies. His chin dropt upon his hand, and his whiet hair oevershadoed his faes:

   "Hav U spoeken to Lucie?"

   "No."

   "Nor riten?"

   "Never."

   "It wuud be ungenerous to afect not to noe that yur self-denieal is to be referd to yur consideraeshun for her faather. Her faather thanks U.))

   He offerd his hand; but his ies did not go with it.

   "I noe," sed Darnay, respectfuly, "how can I fael to noe, Doctor Manette, I hoo hav seen U together frum dae to dae, that between U and Mis Manette thair is an afecshun so unuezhual, so tuching, so belonging to th sercumstanses in which it has bin nercherd, that it can hav fue parralels, eeven in th tendernes between a faather and chield. I noe, Doctor Manette -- how can I fael to noe -- that, minggld with th

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afecshun and duety of a dauter hoo has becum a wuuman, thair is, in her hart, tords U, all th luv and relieans of infansy itself. I noe that, as in her chieldhuud she had no pairent, so she is now devoeted to U with all th constansy and fervour of her prezent yeers and carracter, uenieted to th trustfulness and atachment of th erly daes in which U wer lost to her. I noe perfectly wel that if U had bin restord to her frum th werld beyond this lief, U cuud hardly be invested, in her siet, with a mor saecred carracter than that in which U ar allwaes with her. I noe that when she is clinging to U, th hands of baeby, gerl, and wuuman, all in wun, ar round yur nek. I noe that in luving U she sees and luvs her muther at her oen aej, sees and luvs U at mi aej, luvs her muther broeken-hearted, luvs U thru yur dredful trieal and in yur blesed restoraeshun. I hav noen this, niet and dae, sinss I hav noen U in yur hoem."

   Her faather sat sielent, with his faes bent doun. His breething was a litl qikend; but he represt all uther siens of ajitaeshun.

   "Deer Doctor Manette, allwaes noeing this, allwaes seeing her and U with this haloed liet about U, I hav forborn, and forborn, as long as it was in th naecher of man to do it. I hav felt, and do eeven now feel, that to bring mi luv -- eeven mien -- between U, is to tuch yur history with sumthing not qiet so guud as itself. But I luv her. Heven is mi witnes that I luv her!"

   "I beleev it," anserd her faather, mornfuly. "I hav thaut so befor now. I beleev it."

   "But, do not beleev," sed Darnay, upon hoos eer th mornful vois struk with a reproechful sound, "that if mi forchun wer so cast as that, being wun dae so hapy as to maek her mi wief, I must at eny tiem puut eny separaeshun between her and U, I cuud or wuud breeth a werd of whut I now sae. Besieds that I shuud noe it to be hoeples, I shuud noe it to be a baseness. If I had eny such posibility, eeven at a remoet distans of yeers, harboured in mi thauts, and hiden in mi hart -- if it ever had bin thair -- if it ever cuud be thair -- I cuud not now tuch this onord hand."

   He laed his oen upon it as he spoek.

   "No, deer Doctor Manette. Liek U, a voluntairy exiel frum France; liek U, driven frum it bi its distracshuns, opreshuns, and mizerys; liek U, strieving to liv awae frum it bi mi oen exershuns, and trusting in a hapyer fuecher; I luuk oenly to shairing yur forchuns, shairing yur lief and hoem, and being faethful to U to th deth. Not to divied with

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Lucie her privilej as yur chield, companyon, and frend; but to cum in aed of it, and biend her cloeser to U, if such a thing can be."

   His tuch stil linggerd on her father's hand. Ansering th tuch for a moement, but not coeldly, her faather rested his hands upon th arms of his chair, and luukt up for th ferst tiem sinss th begining of th conferens. A strugl was evidently in his faes; a strugl with that ocaezhunal luuk which had a tendensy in it to dark dout and dred.

   "U speek so feelingly and so manfuly, Charles Darnay, that I thank U with all mi hart, and wil oepen all mi hart -- or neerly so. Hav U eny reezon to beleev that Lucie luvs U?"

   "Nun. As yet, nun."

   "Is it th imeedyet object of this confidens, that U mae at wuns asertaen that, with mi nolej?"

   "Not eeven so. I miet not hav th hopefulness to do it for weeks; I miet (mistaeken or not mistaeken) hav that hopefulness to-morro."

   "Do U seek eny giedans frum me?"

   "I ask nun, ser. But I hav thaut it posibl that U miet hav it in yur power, if U shuud deem it riet, to giv me sum."

   "Do U seek eny promis frum me?"

   "I do seek that."

   "Whut is it?"

   "I wel understand that, without U, I cuud hav no hoep. I wel understand that, eeven if Mis Manette held me at this moement in her inosent hart -- do not think I hav th prezumpshun to asoom so much -- I cuud retaen no plaes in it agenst her luv for her faather."

   "If that be so, do U see whut, on th uther hand, is involvd in it?"

   "I understand eeqaly wel, that a werd frum her faather in eny suitor's faevor, wuud outwae herself and all th werld. For which reezon, Doctor Manette," sed Darnay, modestly but fermly, "I wuud not ask that werd, to saev mi lief."

   "I am shur of it. Charles Darnay, misterys ariez out of cloes luv, as wel as out of wied divizhun; in th former caes, thae ar sutl and deliket, and dificult to penetraet. Mi dauter Lucie is, in this wun respect, such a mistery to me; I can maek no ges at th staet of her hart."

   "Mae I ask, ser, if U think she is -- " As he hezitaeted, her faather suplied th rest.

   "Is saut bi eny uther sootor?"

   "It is whut I ment to sae."

   Her faather considerd a litl befor he anserd:

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   "U hav seen Mr. Carton heer, yurself. Mr. Stryver is heer too, ocaezhunaly. If it be at all, it can oenly be bi wun of thees."

   "Or boeth," sed Darnay.

   "I had not thaut of boeth; I shuud not think eether, liekly. U wont a promis frum me. Tel me whut it is."

   "It is, that if Mis Manette shuud bring to U at eny tiem, on her oen part, such a confidens as I hav vencherd to lae befor U, U wil bair testimoeny to whut I hav sed, and to yur beleef in it. I hoep U mae be aebl to think so wel of me, as to erj no inflooens agenst me. I sae nuthing mor of mi staek in this; this is whut I ask. Th condishun on which I ask it, and which U hav an undoubted riet to reqier, I wil obzerv imeedyetly."

   "I giv th promis," sed th Doctor, "without eny condishun. I beleev yur object to be, puerly and troothfuly, as U hav staeted it. I beleev yur intenshun is to perpechuaet, and not to weeken, th ties between me and mi uther and far deerer self. If she shuud ever tel me that U ar esenshal to her perfect hapynes, I wil giv her to U. If thair wer -- Charles Darnay, if thair wer -- "

   Th yung man had taeken his hand graetfuly; thair hands wer joind as th Doctor spoek:

   " -- eny fansys, eny reezons, eny aprehenshuns, enything whut-so-ever, nue or oeld, agenst th man she reealy luvd -- th direct responsibility thairof not lieing on his hed -- thae shuud all be obliteraeted for her saek. She is evrything to me; mor to me than sufering, mor to me than rong, mor to me -- Wel! This is iedl tauk."

   So straenj was th wae in which he faeded into sielens, and so straenj his fixt luuk when he had seest to speek, that Darnay felt his oen hand tern coeld in th hand that sloely releest and dropt it.

   "U sed sumthing to me," sed Doctor Manette, braeking into a smiel. "Whut was it U sed to me?"

   He was at a loss how to anser, until he rememberd having spoeken of a condishun. Releevd as his miend reverted to that, he anserd:

   "Yur confidens in me aut to be reternd with fuul confidens on mi part. Mi prezent naem, tho but slietly chaenjd frum mi mother's, is not, as U wil remember, mi oen. I wish to tel U whut that is, and whi I am in England."

   "Stop!" sed th Doctor of Beauvais.

   "I wish it, that I mae th beter dezerv yur confidens, and hav no seecret frum U."

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   "Stop!"

   For an instant, th Doctor eeven had his too hands at his eers; for anuther instant, eeven had his too hands laed on Darnay's lips.

   "Tel me when I ask U, not now. If yur soot shuud prosper, if Lucie shuud luv U, U shal tel me on yur marrej morning. Do U promis?"

   "Wilingly.

   "Giv me yur hand. She wil be hoem directly, and it is beter she shuud not see us together to-niet. Go! God bles U!"

   It was dark when Charles Darnay left him, and it was an our laeter and darker when Lucie caem hoem; she heryd into th room aloen -- for Mis Pross had gon straet up-stairs -- and was serpriezd to fiend his reeding-chair empty.

   "Mi faather!" she calld to him. "Faather deer!"

   Nuthing was sed in anser, but she herd a lo hammering sound in his bedroom. Pasing lietly across th intermeedyet room, she luukt in at his dor and caem runing bak frietend, crieing to herself, with her blud all child, "Whut shal I do! Whut shal I do!"

   Her unsertanty lasted but a moement; she heryd bak, and tapt at his dor, and sofftly calld to him. Th noiz seest at th sound of her vois, and he prezently caem out to her, and thae waukt up and doun together for a long tiem.

   She caem doun frum her bed, to luuk at him in his sleep that niet. He slept hevily, and his trae of shoemaking tools, and his oeld unfinisht werk, wer all as uezhual.

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   "SYDNEY," sed Mr. Stryver, on that selfsame niet, or morning, to his jakal; "mix anuther boel of punch; I hav sumthing to sae to U."

   Sydney had bin werking dubl tieds that niet, and th niet befor, and th niet befor that, and a guud meny niets in sucseshun, maeking a grand cleerans amung Mr. Stryver's paepers befor th seting in of th long vaecaeshun. Th cleerans was efected at last; th Stryver areers wer hansumly fetched up; evrything was got rid of until November shuud cum with its fogs atmosferric, and fogs leegal, and bring grist to th mil agen.

   Sydney was nun th lievlyer and nun th soberer for so much aplicaeshun. It had taeken a deel of extra wet-towelling to puul him thru th niet; a corespondingly extra qontity of wien had preseeded th towelling; and he was in a verry damejd condishun, as he now puuld his terban off and throo it into th baesin in which he had steept it at intervals for th last six ours.

   "Ar U mixing that uther boel of punch?" sed Stryver th portly, with his hands in his waestband, glansing round frum th soefa wherr he lae on his bak.

   "I am."

   "Now, luuk heer! I am going to tel U sumthing that wil rather serpriez U, and that perhaps wil maek U think me not qiet as shrood as U uezhualy do think me. I intend to marry."

   "Do U?"

   "Yes. And not for muny. Whut do U sae now?"

   "I don't feel dispoezd to sae much. Hoo is she?"

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   "Ges."

   "Do I noe her?"

   "Ges."

   "I am not going to ges, at fiev o'clok in th morning, with mi braens frieing and sputering in mi hed. if U wont me to ges, U must ask me to diner."

   "Wel then, I'l tel U, sed Stryver, cuming sloely into a siting poscher. "Sydney, I rather despair of maeking mieself intelijibl to U, becauz U ar such an insensible daug.

   "And U," reternd Sydney, bizy concocting th punch, "ar such a sensitiv and poeetical spirit -- "

   "Cum!" rejoind Stryver, lafing boestfuly, "tho I don't prefer eny claem to being th soel of Roemans (for I hoep I noe beter), stil I am a tenderer sort of felo than U."

   "U ar a lukyer, if U meen that."

   "I don't meen that. I meen I am a man of mor -- mor -- "

   "Sae galantry, whiel U ar about it," sugjested Carton.

   "Wel! I'l sae galantry. Mi meening is that I am a man," sed Stryver, inflaeting himself at his frend as he maed th punch, t(hoo cairs mor to be agreeabl, hoo taeks mor paens to be agreeabl, hoo noes beter how to be agreeabl, in a woman's sosieety, than U do."

   "Go on," sed Sydney Carton.

   "No; but befor I go on," sed Stryver, shaeking his hed in his buulying wae, I'l hav this out with U. U'v bin at Doctor Manette's hous as much as I hav, or mor than I hav. Whi, I hav bin ashaemd of yur moroseness thair! Yur maners hav bin of that sielent and sulen and hangdaug kiend, that, upon mi lief and soel, I hav bin ashaemd of U, Sydney!"

   "It shuud be verry benefishal to a man in yur practis at th bar, to be ashaemd of enything," reternd Sydney; "U aut to be much obliejd to me."

   "U shal not get off in that wae," rejoind Stryver, shoeldering th rejoinder at him; "no, Sydney, it's mi duety to tel U -- and I tel U to yur faes to do U guud -- that U ar a devilish il-condishund felo in that sort of sosieety. U ar a disagreeabl felo."

   Sydney drank a bumper of th punch he had maed, and laft.

   "Luuk at me!" sed Stryver, squaring himself; "I hav les need to maek mieself agreeabl than U hav, being mor independent in sercumstanses. Whi do I do it?"

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   "I never saw U do it yet," muterd Carton.

   "I do it becauz it's politic; I do it on prinsipl. And luuk at me! I get on."

   "U don't get on with yur acount of yur matrimoenial intenshuns," anserd Carton, with a cairles air; "I wish U wuud keep to that. As to me -- wil U never understand that I am incorijibl?"

   He askt th qeschun with sum apeerans of scorn.

   "U hav no biznes to be incorijibl," was his friend's anser, deliverd in no verry soothing toen.

   "I hav no biznes to be, at all, that I noe of," sed Sydney Carton. "Hoo is th laedy?"

   "Now, don't let mi anounsment of th naem maek U uncumfortabl, Sydney," sed Mr. Stryver, prepairing him with ostentaeshus frendlynes for th discloezher he was about to maek, "becauz I noe U don't meen haf U sae; and if U ment it all, it wuud be of no importans. I maek this litl prefis, becauz U wuns menshund th yung laedy to me in slieting terms."

   "I did?"

   "Sertenly; and in thees chaembers."

   Sydney Carton luukt at his punch and luukt at his complaesent frend; drank his punch and luukt at his complaesent frend.

   "U maed menshun of th yung laedy as a goelden-haired dol. Th yung laedy is Mis Manette. If U had bin a felo of eny sensitiveness or delicasy of feeling in that kiend of wae, Sydney, I miet hav bin a litl rezentful of yur emploiing such a dezignaeshun; but U ar not. U wont that sens alltogether; thairfor I am no mor anoid when I think of th expreshun, than I shuud be anoid bi a man's opinyon of a pikcher of mien, hoo had no ie for pikchers: or of a pees of muezic of mien, hoo had no eer for muezic."

   Sydney Carton drank th punch at a graet raet; drank it bi bumpers, luuking at his frend.

   "Now U noe all about it, Syd," sed Mr. Stryver. "I don't cair about forchun: she is a charming creecher, and I hav maed up mi miend to pleez mieself: on th hoel, I think I can aford to pleez mieself. She wil hav in me a man allredy prity wel off, and a rapidly riezing man, and a man of sum distinkshun: it is a pees of guud forchun for her, but she is werthy of guud forchun. Ar U astonisht?"

   Carton, stil drinking th punch, rejoind, "Whi shuud I be astonisht?"

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   "U aproov?"

   Carton, stil drinking th punch, rejoind, "Whi shuud I not aproov?"

   "Wel!" sed his frend Stryver, "U taek it mor eezily than I fansyd U wuud, and ar les mersenairy on mi behaf than I thaut U wuud be; tho, to be shur, U noe wel enuf bi this tiem that yur aenshent chum is a man of a prity strong wil. Yes, Sydney, I hav had enuf of this stiel of lief, with no uther as a chaenj frum it; I feel that it is a plezant thing for a man to hav a hoem when he feels incliend to go to it (when he duzn't, he can stae awae), and I feel that Mis Manette wil tel wel in eny staeshun, and wil allwaes do me credit. So I hav maed up mi miend. And now, Sydney, oeld boi, I wont to sae a werd to U about yur prospects. U ar in a bad wae, U noe; U reealy ar in a bad wae. U don't noe th value of muny, U Eev hard, U'l nok up wun of thees daes, and be il and pur; U reealy aut to think about a ners."

   Th prosperus paetronej with which he sed it, maed him luuk twies as big as he was, and foer tiems as ofensiv.

   "Now, let me recomend U," persood Stryver, "to luuk it in th faes. I hav luukt it in th faes, in mi diferent wae; luuk it in th faes, U, in yur diferent wae. Marry. Provied sumbody to taek cair of U. Never miend yur having no enjoiment of women's sosieety, nor understanding of it, nor tact for it. Fiend out sumbody. Fiend out sum respectabl wuuman with a litl property -- sumbody in th landlaedy wae, or lojing-leting wae -- and marry her, agenst a raeny dae. That's th kiend of thing for U. Now think of it, Sydney."

   "I'l think of it," sed Sydney.

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   MR. STRYVER having maed up his miend to that magnanimus bestoeal of guud forchun on th Doctor's dauter, rezolvd to maek her hapynes noen to her befor he left toun for th Long Vaecaeshun. After sum mental debaeting of th point, he caem to th concloozhun that it wuud be as wel to get all th preliminairys dun with, and thae cuud then araenj at thair leezher whether he shuud giv her his hand a week or too befor Michaelmas Term, or in th litl Christmas vaecaeshun between it and Hilary.

   As to th strength of his caes, he had not a dout about it, but cleerly saw his wae to th verdict. Argued with th jury on substanshal werldly grounds -- th oenly grounds ever werth taeking into acount -- it was a plaen caes, and had not a weak spot in it. He calld himself for th plaentif, thair was no geting oever his evidens, th counsel for th defendant throo up his breef, and th jury did not eeven tern to consider. After trieing it, Stryver, C. J., was satisfied that no plainer caes cuud be.

   Acordingly, Mr. Stryver inaugueraeted th Long Vaecaeshun with a formal propoezal to taek Mis Manette to Vauxhall Gardens; that faeling, to Ranelagh; that unacountably faeling too, it behoved him to prezent himself in Soho, and thair declair his noebl miend.

   Tords Soho, thairfor, Mr. Stryver shoelderd his wae frum th Templ, whiel th bloom of th Long Vacation's infansy was stil upon it. Enybody hoo had seen him projecting himself into Soho whiel he was yet on Saent Dunstan's sied of Templ Bar, bersting in his fuul-bloen wae along th paevment, to th jostlement of all weeker peepl, miet hav seen how saef and strong he was.

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   His wae taeking him past Tellson's, and he boeth banking at Tellson's and noeing Mr. Lory as th intimet frend of th Manettes, it enterd Mr. Stryver's miend to enter th bank, and reveel to Mr. Lory th brietnes of th Soho horiezon. So, he puusht oepen th dor with th weak ratl in its throet, stumbld doun th too steps, got past th too aenshent cashiers, and shoelderd himself into th musty bak clozet wherr Mr. Lory sat at graet buuks roold for figuers, with perpendicuelar ieern bars to his windo as if that wer roold for figuers too, and evrything under th clouds wer a sum.

   "Halloa!" sed Mr. Stryver. "How do U do? I hoep U ar wel!"

   It was Stryver's grand pecueliarrity that he allwaes seemd too big for eny plaes, or spaes. He was so much too big for Tellson's, that oeld clerks in distant corners luukt up with luuks of remonstrans, as tho he sqeezd them agenst th wall. Th Hous itself, magnifisently reeding th paeper qiet in th far-off perspectiv, loeerd displeezd, as if th Stryver hed had bin buted into its responsibl waestcoet.

   Th discreet Mr. Lory sed, in a sampl toen of th vois he wuud recomend under th sercumstanses, "How do U do, Mr. Stryver? How do U do, ser?" and shuuk hands. Thair was a pecueliarrity in his maner of shaeking hands, allwaes to be seen in eny clerk at Tellson's hoo shuuk hands with a customer when th Hous pervaeded th air. He shuuk in a self-abnegating wae, as wun hoo shuuk for Tellson and Co.

   "Can I do enything for U, Mr. Stryver?" askt Mr. Lory, in his biznes carracter.

   "Whi, no, thank U; this is a prievet vizit to yurself, Mr. Lory; I hav cum for a prievet werd."

   "O indeed!" sed Mr. Lory, bending doun his eer, whiel his ie straed to th Hous afar off.

   "I am going," sed Mr. Stryver, leening his arms confidenshaly on th desk: wherrupon, alltho it was a larj dubl wun, thair apeerd to be not haf desk enuf for him: "I am going to maek an offer of mieself in marrej to yur agreeabl litl frend, Mis Manette, Mr. Lory."

   "O deer me!" cried Mr. Lory, rubing his chin, and luuking at his vizitor dubiously.

   "O deer me, ser?" repeeted Stryver, drawing bak. "O deer U, ser? Whut mae yur meening be, Mr. Lory?"

   "Mi meening," anserd th man of biznes, "is, of cors, frendly and apreeshiaetiv, and that it duz U th graetest credit, and -- in short, mi meening is evrything U cuud dezier. But -- reealy, U noe, Mr.

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Stryver -- " Mr. Lory pauzd, and shuuk his hed at him in th oddest maner, as if he wer compeld agenst his wil to ad, internaly, "U noe thair reealy is so much too much of U!"

   "Wel!" sed Stryver, slaping th desk with his contenshus hand, oepening his ies wieder, and taeking a long breth, "if I understand U, Mr. Lory, I'l be hangd!"

   Mr. Lory ajusted his litl wig at boeth eers as a meens tords that end, and bit th fether of a pen.

   "D -- n it all, ser!" sed Stryver, stairing at him, "am I not elijibl?"

   "O deer yes! Yes. O yes, U'r elijibl!" sed Mr. Lory. "If U sae elijibl, U ar elijibl."

   "Am I not prosperus?" askt Stryver.

   "O! if U cum to prosperus, U ar prosperus," sed Mr. Lory.

   "And advansing?"

   "If U cum to advansing U noe," sed Mr. Lory, delieted to be aebl to maek anuther admishun, "noebody can dout that."

   "Then whut on erth is yur meening, Mr. Lory?" demanded Stryver, perceptibly crestfallen.

   "Wel! I -- Wer U going thair now?" askt Mr. Lory.

   "Straet!" sed Stryver, with a plump of his fist on th desk.

   "Then I think I wuudn't, if I was U."

   "Whi?" sed Stryver. "Now, I'l puut U in a corner," forensicaly shaeking a forfingger at him. "U ar a man of biznes and bound to hav a reezon. Staet yur reezon. Whi wuudn't U go?"

   "Becauz," sed Mr. Lory, "I wuudn't go on such an object without having sum cauz to beleev that I shuud sucseed."

   "D -- n ME!" cried Stryver, "but this beets evrything."

   Mr. Lory glanst at th distant Hous, and glanst at th anggry Stryver.

   "Heer's a man of biznes -- a man of yeers -- a man of expeeryens -- in a Bank," sed Stryver; "and having sumd up three leeding reezons for compleet sucses, he ses thair's no reezon at all! Ses it with his hed on!" Mr. Stryver remarkt upon th pecueliarrity as if it wuud hav bin infinitly les remarkabl if he had sed it with his hed off.

   "When I speek of sucses, I speek of sucses with th yung laedy; and when I speek of cauzes and reezons to maek sucses probabl, I speek of cauzes and reezons that wil tel as such with th yung laedy. Th yung laedy, mi guud ser," sed Mr. Lory, mieldly taping th Stryver arm, "th yung laedy. Th yung laedy goes befor all."

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   "Then U meen to tel me, Mr. Lory," sed Stryver, squaring his elboes, "that it is yur deliberet opinyon that th yung laedy at prezent in qeschun is a minsing Fool?"

   "Not exactly so. I meen to tel U, Mr. Stryver," sed Mr. Lory, reddening, "that I wil heer no disrespectful werd of that yung laedy frum eny lips; and that if I nue eny man -- which I hoep I do not -- hoos taest was so cors, and hoos temper was so oeverbairing, that he cuud not restraen himself frum speeking disrespectfuly of that yung laedy at this desk, not eeven Tellson's shuud prevent mi giving him a pees of mi miend."

   Th nesesity of being anggry in a suprest toen had puut Mr. Stryver's blud-vesels into a daenjerus staet when it was his tern to be anggry; Mr. Lorry's vaens, methodical as thair corses cuud uezhualy be, wer in no beter staet now it was his tern.

   "That is whut I meen to tel U, ser," sed Mr. Lory. "Prae let thair be no mistaek about it."

   Mr. Stryver sukt th end of a rooler for a litl whiel, and then stuud hiting a tuen out of his teeth with it, which probably gaev him th toothaek. He broek th aukward sielens bi saeing:

   "This is sumthing nue to me, Mr. Lory. U deliberetly adviez me not to go up to Soho and offer mieself -- mieself, Stryver of th King's Bench bar?"

   "Do U ask me for mi advies, Mr. Stryver?"

   "Yes, I do."

   "Verry guud. Then I giv it, and U hav repeeted it corectly."

   "And all I can sae of it is," laft Stryver with a vext laf, "that this -- haa, haa! -- beets evrything past, prezent, and to cum."

   "Now understand me," persood Mr. Lory. "As a man of biznes, I am not justified in saeing enything about this mater, for, as a man of biznes, I noe nuthing of it. But, as an oeld felo, hoo has carryd Mis Manette in his arms, hoo is th trusted frend of Mis Manette and of her faather too, and hoo has a graet afecshun for them boeth, I hav spoeken. Th confidens is not of mi seeking, recolect. Now, U think I mae not be riet?"

   "Not I!" sed Stryver, whisling. "I can't undertaek to fiend therd partys in comon sens; I can oenly fiend it for mieself. I supoez sens in serten qorters; U supoez minsing bred-and-buter nonsens. It's nue to me, but U ar riet, I dair sae."

   "Whut I supoez, Mr. Stryver, I claem to characterise for mieself -- And

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understand me, ser," sed Mr. Lory, qikly flushing agen, "I wil not -- not eeven at Tellson's -- hav it characterised for me bi eny jentlman breething."

   "Thair! I beg yur pardon!" sed Stryver.

   "Granted. Thank U. Wel, Mr. Stryver, I was about to sae: -- it miet be paenful to U to fiend yurself mistaeken, it miet be paenful to Doctor Manette to hav th task of being explisit with U, it miet be verry paenful to Mis Manette to hav th task of being explisit with U. U noe th terms upon which I hav th onor and hapynes to stand with th family. If U pleez, comiting U in no wae, reprezenting U in no wae, I wil undertaek to corect mi advies bi th exersiez of a litl nue obzervaeshun and jujment expresly braut to bair upon it. If U shuud then be dissatisfied with it, U can but test its soundnes for yurself; if, on th uther hand, U shuud be satisfied with it, and it shuud be whut it now is, it mae spair all sieds whut is best spaird. Whut do U sae?"

   "How long wuud U keep me in toun?"

   "O! It is oenly a qeschun of a fue ours. I cuud go to Soho in th, eevning, and cum to yur chaembers afterwards."

   "Then I sae yes," sed Stryver: "I woen't go up thair now, I am not so hot upon it as that cums to; I sae yes, and I shal expect U to luuk in to-niet. Guud morning."

   Then Mr. Stryver ternd and berst out of th Bank, cauzing such a concushun of air on his pasej thru, that to stand up agenst it bowing behiend th too counters, reqierd th utmoest remaening strength of th too aenshent clerks. Thoes venerabl and feebl persons wer allwaes seen bi th public in th act of bowing, and wer popuelarly beleevd, when thae had bowd a customer out, stil to keep on bowing in th empty offis until thae bowd anuther customer in.

   Th barrister was keen enuf to divien that th banker wuud not hav gon so far in his expreshun of opinyon on eny les solid ground than moral sertenty. Unprepaird as he was for th larj pil he had to swolo, he got it doun. "And now," sed Mr. Stryver, shaeking his forensic forfingger at th Templ in jeneral, when it was doun, "mi wae out of this, is, to puut U all in th rong."

   It was a bit of th art of an Oeld Bailey tactishan, in which he found graet releef. "U shal not puut me in th rong, yung laedy," sed Mr. Stryver; "I'l do that for U."

   Acordingly, when Mr. Lory calld that niet as laet as ten o'clok,

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Mr. Stryver, amung a qontity of buuks and paepers literd out for th perpos, seemd to hav nuthing les on his miend than th subject of th morning. He eeven shoed serpriez when he saw Mr. Lory, and was alltogether in an absent and preocuepied staet.

   "Wel!" sed that guud-naecherd emisairy, after a fuul haf-our of bootles atempts to bring him round to th qeschun. "I hav bin to Soho."

   "To Soho?" repeeted Mr. Stryver, coeldly. "O, to be shur! Whut am I thinking of!"

   "And I hav no dout," sed Mr. Lory, "that I was riet in th conversaeshun we had. Mi opinyon is confermd, and I reeiteraet mi advies."

   "I ashur U," reternd Mr. Stryver, in th friendliest wae, "that I am sorry for it on yur acount, and sorry for it on th pur father's acount. I noe this must allwaes be a sor subject with th family; let us sae no mor about it."

   "I don't understand U," sed Mr. Lory.

   "I dair sae not," rejoind Stryver, noding his hed in a smoothing and fienal wae; "no mater, no mater."

   "But it duz mater," Mr. Lory erjd.

   "No it duzn't; I ashur U it duzn't. Having supoezd that thair was sens wherr thair is no sens, and a laudabl ambishun wherr thair is not a laudabl ambishun, I am wel out of mi mistaek, and no harm is dun. Yung wimen hav comited similar folys offen befor, and hav repented them in poverty and obscuerity offen befor. In an unselfish aspect, I am sorry that th thing is dropt, becauz it wuud hav bin a bad thing for me in a werldly point of vue; in a selfish aspect, I am glad that th thing has dropt, becauz it wuud hav bin a bad thing for me in a werldly point of vue -- it is hardly nesesairy to sae I cuud hav gaend nuthing bi it. Thair is no harm at all dun. I hav not propoezd to th yung laedy, and, between ourselvs, I am bi no meens serten, on reflecshun, that I ever shuud hav comited mieself to that extent. Mr. Lory, U cannot controel th minsing vanitys and giddinesses of empty-heded gerls; U must not expect to do it, or U wil allwaes be disapointed. Now, prae sae no mor about it. I tel U, I regret it on acount of uthers, but I am satisfied on mi oen acount. And I am reealy verry much obliejd to U for alowing me to sound U, and for giving me yur advies; U noe th yung laedy beter than I do; U wer riet, it never wuud hav dun."

   Mr. Lory was so taeken abak, that he luukt qiet stoopidly at Mr.

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Stryver shoeldering him tords th dor, with an apeerans of showering jenerosity, forbairans, and guudwil, on his ering hed. "Maek th best of it, mi deer ser," sed Stryver; "sae no mor about it; thank U agen for alowing me to sound U; guud niet!"

   Mr. Lory was out in th niet, befor he nue wherr he was. Mr. Stryver was lieing bak on his soefa, winking at his seeling.

   IF SYDNEY CARTON ever shoen enywhair, he sertenly never shoen in th hous of Doctor Manette. He had bin thair offen, during a hoel yeer, and had allwaes bin th saem moody and moroes lounger thair. When he caird to tauk, he taukt wel; but, th cloud of cairing for nuthing, which oevershadoed him with such a faetal darknes, was verry rairly peerst bi th liet within him.

   And yet he did cair sumthing for th streets that environed that hous, and for th sensles stoens that maed thair paevments. Meny a niet he vaegly and unhapily waanderd thair, when wien had braut no transitory gladnes to him; meny a dreery daebraek reveeld his solitairy figuer linggering thair, and stil linggering thair when th ferst beems of th sun braut into strong releef, remoovd buetys of arkitekcher in spiers of cherches and loffty bildings, as perhaps th qieet tiem braut sum sens of beter things, els forgoten and unataenabl, into his miend. Of laet, th neglected bed in th Templ Cort had noen him mor scantily than ever; and offen when he had throen himself upon it no longger than a fue minits, he had got up agen, and haunted that naeborhuud.

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   On a dae in August, when Mr. Stryver (after noetifieing to his jakal that "he had thaut beter of that marrying mater") had carryd his delicasy into Devonshire, and when th siet and sent of flowers in th Sity streets had sum waifs of guudnes in them for th werst, of helth for th sickliest, and of yooth for th oeldest, Sydney's feet stil trod thoes stoens. Frum being irezoloot and perposles, his feet becaem animaeted bi an intenshun, and, in th werking out of that intenshun, thae tuuk him to th Doctor's dor.

   He was shoen up-stairs, and found Lucie at her werk, aloen. She had never bin qiet at her eez with him, and reseevd him with sum litl embarrasment as he seeted himself neer her taebl. But, luuking up at his faes in th interchaenj of th ferst fue comon-plaeses, she obzervd a chaenj in it.

   "I feer U ar not wel, Mr. Carton!"

   "No. But th lief I leed, Mis Manette, is not conduesiv to helth. Whut is to be expected of, or bi, such profligates?"

   "Is it not -- forgiv me; I hav begun th qeschun on mi lips -- a pity to liv no beter lief?"

   "God noes it is a shaem!"

   "Then whi not chaenj it?"

   Luuking jently at him agen, she was serpriezd and sadend to see that thair wer teers in his ies. Thair wer teers in his vois too, as he anserd:

   "It is too laet for that. I shal never be beter than I am. I shal sink loeer, and be wers."

   He leend an elbo on her taebl, and cuverd his ies with his hand. Th taebl trembld in th sielens that foloed.

   She had never seen him soffend, and was much distrest. He nue her to be so, without luuking at her, and sed:

   "Prae forgiv me, Mis Manette. I braek doun befor th nolej of whut I wont to sae to U. Wil U heer me?"

   "If it wil do U eny guud, Mr. Carton, if it wuud maek U hapyer, it wuud maek me verry glad!"

   "God bles U for yur sweet compashun!"

   He unshaded his faes after a litl whiel, and spoek stedily.

   "Don't be afraed to heer me. Don't shrink frum enything I sae. I am liek wun hoo died yung. All mi lief miet hav bin."

   "No, Mr. Carton. I am shur that th best part of it miet stil be; I am shur that U miet be much, much worthier of yurself."

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   "Sae of U, Mis Manette, and alltho I noe beter -- alltho in th mistery of mi oen reched hart I noe beter -- I shal never forget it!"

   She was pael and trembling. He caem to her releef with a fixt despair of himself which maed th intervue unliek eny uther that cuud hav bin holden.

   "If it had bin posibl, Mis Manette, that U cuud hav reternd th luv of th man U see befor U -- self-flung awae, waested, drunken, pur creecher of misuez as U noe him to be -- he wuud hav bin conshus this dae and our, in spiet of his hapynes, that he wuud bring U to mizery, bring U to sorro and repentans, bliet U, disgraes U, puul U doun with him. I noe verry wel that U can hav no tendernes for me; I ask for nun; I am eeven thankful that it cannot be."

   "Without it, can I not saev U, Mr. Carton? Can I not recall U -- forgiv me agen! -- to a beter cors? Can I in no wae re-pae yur confidens? I noe this is a confidens," she modestly sed, after a litl hezitaeshun, and in ernest teers, "I noe U wuud sae this to no wun els. Can I tern it to no guud acount for yurself, Mr. Carton?"

   He shuuk his hed.

   "To nun. No, Mis Manette, to nun. If U wil heer me thru a verry litl mor, all U can ever do for me is dun. I wish U to noe that U hav bin th last dreem of mi soel. In mi degradaeshun I hav not bin so degraeded but that th siet of U with yur faather, and of this hoem maed such a hoem bi U, has sterd oeld shadoes that I thaut had died out of me. Sinss I nue U, I hav bin trubld bi a remors that I thaut wuud never reproech me agen, and hav herd whispers frum oeld voises impeling me upward, that I thaut wer sielent for ever. I hav had unformd iedeeas of strieving afresh, begining anue, shaeking off sloth and senshuality, and fieting out th abandond fiet. A dreem, all a dreem, that ends in nuthing, and leevs th sleeper wherr he lae doun, but I wish U to noe that U inspierd it."

   "Wil nuthing of it remaen? O Mr. Carton, think agen! Tri agen!"

   "No, Mis Manette; all thru it, I hav noen mieself to be qiet undezerving. And yet I hav had th weeknes, and hav stil th weeknes, to wish U to noe with whut a suden mastery U kindld me, heep of ashes that I am, into fier -- a fier, however, inseparable in its naecher frum mieself, qikening nuthing, lieting nuthing, doing no servis, iedly berning awae."

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   "Sinss it is mi misforchen, Mr. Carton, to hav maed U mor unhapy than U wer befor U nue me -- "

   "Don't sae that, Mis Manette, for U wuud hav reclaemd me, if enything cuud. U wil not be th cauz of mi becuming wers."

   "Sinss th staet of yur miend that U descrieb, is, at all events, atribuetabl to sum inflooens of mien -- this is whut I meen, if I can maek it plaen -- can I uez no inflooens to serv U? Hav I no power for guud, with U, at all?"

   "Th utmoest guud that I am caepabl of now, Mis Manette, I hav cum heer to realise. Let me carry thru th, rest of mi misdirected lief, th remembrans that I oepend mi hart to U, last of all th werld; and that thair was sumthing left in me at this tiem which U cuud deplor and pity."

   "Which I entreeted U to beleev, agen and agen, moest fervently, with all mi hart, was caepabl of beter things, Mr. Carton!"

   "Entreet me to beleev it no mor, Mis Manette. I hav proovd mieself, and I noe beter. I distres U; I draw fast to an end. Wil U let me beleev, when I recall this dae, that th last confidens of mi lief was repoezd in yur puer and inosent brest, and that it lies thair aloen, and wil be shaird bi no wun?"

   "If that wil be a consolaeshun to U, yes."

   "Not eeven bi th deerest wun ever to be noen to U?"

   "Mr. Carton," she anserd, after an ajitaeted pauz, "th seecret is yurs, not mien; and I promis to respect it."

   "Thank U. And agen, God bles U."

   He puut her hand to his lips, and moovd tords th dor.

   "Be under no aprehenshun, Mis Manette, of mi ever rezooming this conversaeshun bi so much as a pasing werd. I wil never refer to it agen. If I wer ded, that cuud not be surer than it is hensforth. in th our of mi deth, I shal hoeld saecred th wun guud remembrans -- and shal thank and bles U for it -- that mi last avowal of mieself was maed to U, and that mi naem, and fallts, and mizerys wer jently carryd in yur hart. Mae it utherwiez be liet and hapy!"

   He was so unliek whut he had ever shoen himself to be, and it was so sad to think how much he had throen awae, and how much he evry dae kept doun and perverted, that Lucie Manette wept mornfuly for him as he stuud luuking bak at her.

   "Be cumforted!" he sed, "I am not werth such feeling, Mis Manette. An our or too hens, and th lo companyons and lo habits that I

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scorn but yeeld to, wil render me les werth such teers as thoes, than eny rech hoo creeps along th streets. Be cumforted! But, within mieself, I shal allwaes be, tords U, whut I am now, tho outwardly I shal be whut U hav heertofor seen me. Th last suplicaeshun but wun I maek to U, is, that U wil beleev this of me."

   "I wil, Mr. Carton."

   "Mi last suplicaeshun of all, is this; and with it, I wil releev U of a vizitor with hoom I wel noe U hav nuthing in uenison, and between hoom and U thair is an impasabl spaes. It is uesles to sae it, I noe, but it riezes out of mi soel. For U, and for eny deer to U, I wuud do enything. If mi career wer of that beter kiend that thair was eny oportuenity or capasity of sacrifies in it, I wuud embraes eny sacrifies for U and for thoes deer to U. Tri to hoeld me in yur miend, at sum qieet tiems, as ardent and sinseer in this wun thing. Th tiem wil cum, th tiem wil not be long in cuming, when nue ties wil be formd about U -- ties that wil biend U yet mor tenderly and strongly to th hoem U so adorn -- th deerest ties that wil ever graes and gladen U. O Mis Manette, when th litl pikcher of a hapy father's faes luuks up in yurs, when U see yur oen briet buety springing up anue at yur feet, think now and then that thair is a man hoo wuud giv his lief, to keep a lief U luv besied U!"

   He sed, "Fairwel!" sed a last "God bles U!" and left her.

   TO TH IES of Mr. Jeremiah Cruncher, siting on his stool in Fleet- street with his grizly erchin besied him, a vast number and varieety of objects in moovment wer evry dae prezented. Hoo cuud sit upon enything in Fleet-street during th bizy ours of th dae, and not be daezd

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and defend bi too imens processions, wun ever tending westward with th sun, th uther ever tending eestward frum th sun, boeth ever tending to th plaens beyond th raenj of red and perpl wherr th sun goes doun!

   With his straw in his mouth, Mr. Cruncher sat woching th too streems, liek th heethen rustic hoo has for several sencherys bin on duety woching wun streem -- saeving that Jerry had no expectaeshun of thair ever runing dri. Nor wuud it hav bin an expectaeshun of a hoepful kiend, sinss a small part of his incum was derievd frum th pilotage of timid wimen (moestly of a fuul habit and past th midl term of lief) frum Tellson's sied of th tieds to th opozit shor. Breef as such companyonship was in evry separaet instans, Mr. Cruncher never faeld to becum so interested in th laedy as to expres a strong dezier to hav th onor of drinking her verry guud helth. And it was frum th gifts bestoed upon him tords th execueshun of this benevolent perpos, that he recrooted his fienanses, as just now obzervd.

   Tiem was, when a poeet sat upon a stool in a public plaes, and muezd in th siet of men. Mr. Cruncher, siting on a stool in a public plaes, but not being a poeet, muezd as litl as posibl, and luukt about him.

   It fel out that he was thus engaejd in a seezon when crouds wer fue, and belaeted wimen fue, and when his afairs in jeneral wer so unprosperous as to awaeken a strong suspishun in his brest that Mrs. Cruncher must hav bin "floping" in sum pointed maner, when an unuezhual concors poring doun Fleet-street westward, atracted his atenshun. Luuking that wae, Mr. Cruncher maed out that sum kiend of fueneral was cuming along, and that thair was popuelar objecshun to this fueneral, which enjenderd upror.

   "Yung Jerry," sed Mr. Cruncher, terning to his offspring, "it's a buryin'."

   "Hooroar, faather!" cried Yung Jerry.

   Th yung jentlman uterd this exultant sound with misteerius significans. Th elder jentlman tuuk th cri so HI, that he wocht his oportuenity, and smoet th yung jentlman on th eer.

   "Whut d'ye meen? Whut ar U hooroaring at? Whut do U wont to conwey to yur oen faather, U yung Rip? This boi is a geting too meny for me!" sed Mr. Cruncher, servaeing him. "Him and his hooroars! Don't let me heer no mor of U, or U shal feel sum mor of me. D'ye heer?"

   "I warn't doing no harm," Yung Jerry proetested, rubing his cheek.

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   "Drop it then," sed Mr. Cruncher; "I woen't hav nun of yur no harms. Get a top of that thair seet, and luuk at th croud."

   His sun oebaed, and th croud aproecht; thae wer bawling and hising round a dinjy hers and dinjy morning coech, in which morning coech thair was oenly wun morner, drest in th dinjy trapings that wer considerd esenshal to th dignity of th pozishun. Th pozishun apeerd bi no meens to pleez him, however, with an increesing rabl serounding th coech, deriding him, maeking grimaces at him, and insesantly groening and calling out: "Yah! Spies! Tst! Yaha! Spies!" with meny compliments too nuemerus and forsibl to repeet.

   Fuenerals had at all tiems a remarkabl atracshun for Mr. Cruncher; he allwaes prikt up his senses, and becaem exsieted, when a fueneral past Tellson's. Nacheraly, thairfor, a fueneral with this uncomon atendans exsieted him graetly, and he askt of th ferst man hoo ran agenst him:

   "Whut is it, bruther? Whut's it about?"

   "I don't noe," sed th man. "Spies! Yaha! Tst! Spies!"

   He askt anuther man. "Hoo is it?"

   "I don't noe," reternd th man, claping his hands to his mouth nevertheles, and vociferating in a serpriezing heet and with th graetest ardour, "Spies! Yaha! Tst, tst! Spi-ies!"

   At length, a person beter informd on th merrits of th caes, tumbld agenst him, and frum this person he lernd that th fueneral was th fueneral of wun Roger Cly.

   "Was He a spi?" askt Mr. Cruncher.

   "Oeld Bailey spi," reternd his informant. "Yaha! Tst! Yah! Oeld Bailey Spi-i-ies!"

   "Whi, to be shur!" exclaemd Jerry, recalling th Trieal at which he had asisted. "I'v seen him. Ded, is he?"

   "Ded as muton," reternd th uther, "and can't be too ded. Hav 'em out, thair! Spies! Puul 'em out, thair! Spies!"

   Th iedeea was so acseptabl in th prevalent absens of eny iedeea, that th croud caut it up with eegernes, and loudly repeeting th sugjeschun to hav 'em out, and to puul 'em out, mobd th too veeicls so cloesly that thae caem to a stop. On th crowd's oepening th coech dors, th wun morner scuffled out of himself and was in thair bands for a moement; but he was so alert, and maed such guud ues of his tiem, that in anuther moement he was scouring awae up a bi-street, after sheding

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his cloek, hat, long hatband, whiet poket-hankerchif, and uther simbolical teers.

   Thees, th peepl tore to peeses and scaterd far and wied with graet enjoiment, whiel th traedzmen herydly shut up thair shops; for a croud in thoes tiems stopt at nuthing, and was a monster much dreded. Thae had allredy got th length of oepening th hers to taek th coffin out, when sum brieter jeenius propoezd insted, its being escorted to its destinaeshun amidst jeneral rejoising. Practical sugjeschuns being much needed, this sugjeschun, too, was reseevd with aclamaeshun, and th coech was imeedyetly fild with aet insied and a duzen out, whiel as meny peepl got on th roof of th hers as cuud bi eny exersiez of injenooity stik upon it. Amung th ferst of thees volunteers was Jerry Cruncher himself, hoo modestly conseeld his spiky hed frum th obzervaeshun of Tellson's, in th ferther corner of th morning coech.

   Th ofishiaeting undertaekers maed sum protest agenst thees chaenjes in th serremoenys; but, th river being alarmingly neer, and several voises remarking on th eficasy of coeld imerzhun in bringing refractory members of th profeshun to reezon, th protest was faent and breef. Th remodelled proseshun started, with a chimny-sweep drieving th hers -- adviezd bi th reguelar driever, hoo was percht besied him, under cloes inspecshun, for th perpos -- and with a pieman, allso atended bi his cabinet minister, drieving th morning coech. A bair-leeder, a popuelar street carracter of th tiem, was imprest as an adishunal ornament, befor th cavalcaed had gon far doun th Strand; and his bair, hoo was blak and verry maenjy, gaev qiet an Undertaeking air to that part of th proseshun in which he waukt.

   Thus, with beer-drinking, piep-smoeking, song-roring, and infinit caricaturing of woe, th disorderly proseshun went its wae, recrooting at evry step, and all th shops shuting up befor it. Its destinaeshun was th oeld cherch of Saent Pancras, far off in th feelds. It got thair in cors of tiem; insisted on poring into th berrial-ground; fienaly, acomplisht th interment of th deseest Roger Cly in its oen wae, and hiely to its oen satisfacshun.

   Th ded man dispoezd of, and th croud being under th nesesity of provieding sum uther entertaenment for itself, anuther brieter jeenius (or perhaps th saem) conseevd th huemor of impeaching cazhual passersby, as Oeld Bailey spies, and reeking vengeance on them. Chaes was given to sum scors of inofensiv persons hoo had never bin

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neer th Oeld Bailey in thair lievs, in th realisation of this fansy, and thae wer rufly husld and maltreated. Th tranzishun to th sport of windo-braeking, and thens to th plundering of public-houses, was eezy and nacheral. At last, after several ours, when sundry sumer- houses had bin puuld doun, and sum airia-railings had bin torn up, to arm th mor belijerent spirits, a rumour got about that th Gards wer cuming. Befor this rumour, th croud grajualy melted awae, and perhaps th Gards caem, and perhaps thae never caem, and this was th uezhual progres of a mob.

   Mr. Cruncher did not asist at th cloezing sports, but had remaend behiend in th cherch-yard, to confer and condoel with th undertaekers. Th plaes had a soothing inflooens on him. He proecuerd a piep frum a neighbouring public-hous, and smoekt it, luuking in at th railings and maturely considering th spot.

   "Jerry," sed Mr. Cruncher, apostrophising himself in his uezhual wae, "U see that thair Cly that dae, and U see with yur oen ies that he was a yung 'un and a straet maed 'un."

   Having smoekt his piep out, and ruminated a litl longger, he ternd himself about, that he miet apeer, befor th our of cloezing, on his staeshun at Tellson's. Whether his meditaeshuns on mortality had tucht his liver, or whether his jeneral helth had bin preeviusly at all amis, or whether he dezierd to sho a litl atenshun to an eminent man, is not so much to th perpos, as that he maed a short call upon his medical adviezer -- a distinggwisht serjen -- on his wae bak.

   Yung Jerry releevd his faather with duetyful interest, and reported No job in his absens. Th bank cloezd, th aenshent clerks caem out, th uezhual woch was set, and Mr. Cruncher and his sun went hoem to tee.

   "Now, I tel U wherr it is!" sed Mr. Cruncher to his wief, on entering. "If, as a onest traedzman, mi wenturs goes rong to-niet, I shal maek shur that U'v bin praeing agen me, and I shal werk U for it just th saem as if I seen U do it."

   Th dejected Mrs. Cruncher shuuk her hed.

   "Whi, U'r at it afore mi faes!" sed Mr. Cruncher, with siens of anggry aprehenshun.

   "I am saeing nuthing."

   "Wel, then; don't meditaet nuthing. U miet as wel flop as meditaet. U mae as wel go agen me wun wae as anuther. Drop it alltogether."

   "Yes, Jerry."

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   "Yes, Jerry," repeeted Mr. Cruncher siting doun to tee. "Aa! It is yes, Jerry. That's about it. U mae sae yes, Jerry."

   Mr. Cruncher had no particuelar meening in thees sulky corroborations, but maed ues of them, as peepl not unfrequently do, to expres jeneral ieronical dissatisfacshun.

   "U and yur yes, Jerry," sed Mr. Cruncher, taeking a biet out of his bred-and-buter, and seeming to help it doun with a larj invisibl oister out of his sauser. "Aa! I think so. I beleev U."

   "U ar going out to-niet?" askt his deesent wief, when he tuuk anuther biet.

   "Yes, I am."

   "Mae I go with U, faather?" askt his sun, briskly.

   "No, U mayn't. I'm a going -- as yur muther noes -- a fishing. That's wherr I'm going to. Going a fishing."

   "Yur fishing-rod gets rayther rusty; don't it, faather?"

   "Never U miend."

   "Shal U bring eny fish hoem, faather?"

   "If I don't, U'l hav short comons, to-morro," reternd that jentlman, shaeking his hed; "that's qeschuns enuf for U; I ain't a going out, til U'v bin long abed."

   He devoeted himself during th remaender of th eevning to keeping a moest vijilant woch on Mrs. Cruncher, and sulenly hoelding her in conversaeshun that she miet be prevented frum meditaeting eny petishuns to his disadvantej. With this vue, he erjd his sun to hoeld her in conversaeshun allso, and led th unforchunet wuuman a hard lief bi dweling on eny cauzes of complaent he cuud bring agenst her, rather than he wuud leev her for a moement to her oen reflecshuns. Th devoutest person cuud hav renderd no graeter homej to th eficasy of an onest prair than he did in this distrust of his wief. It was as if a profest unbeleever in goests shuud be frietend bi a goest story.

   "And miend U!" sed Mr. Cruncher. "No gaems to-morro! If I, as a onest traedzman, sucseed in provieding a jinte of meet or too, nun of yur not tuching of it, and stiking to bred. If I, as a onest traedzman, am aebl to provied a litl beer, nun of yur declairing on wauter. When U go to Rome, do as Rome duz. Rome wil be a ugly customer to U, if U don't. I'm yur Rome, U noe."

   Then he began grumbling agen:

   "With yur flieing into th faes of yur oen wittles and drink! I don't noe how scairs U mayn't maek th wittles and drink heer, bi yur

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floping triks and yur unfeeling conduct. Luuk at yur boi: he is your'n, ain't he? He's as thin as a lath. Do U call yurself a muther, and not noe that a mother's ferst duety is to blo her boi out?"

   This tucht Yung Jerry on a tender plaes; hoo adjured his muther to perform her ferst duety, and, whutever els she did or neglected, abuv all things to lae espeshal stres on th discharj of that maternal funkshun so afectingly and deliketly indicaeted bi his uther pairent.

   Thus th eevning wor awae with th Cruncher family, until Yung Jerry was orderd to bed, and his muther, laed under similar injunkshuns, oebaed them. Mr. Cruncher begield th erlyer woches of th niet with solitairy pieps, and did not start upon his excurzhun until neerly wun o'clok. Tords that small and goestly our, he roez up frum his chair, tuuk a kee out of his poket, oepend a lokt cubord, and braut forth a sak, a croebar of conveenyunt siez, a roep and chaen, and uther fishing takl of that naecher. Disposing thees articls about him in skilful maner, he bestoed a parting defieans on Mrs. Cruncher, extinggwisht th liet, and went out.

   Yung Jerry, hoo had oenly maed a faent of undresing when he went to bed, was not long after his faather. Under cuver of th darknes he foloed out of th room, foloed doun th stairs, foloed doun th cort, foloed out into th streets. He was in no uneezynes conserning his geting into th hous agen, for it was fuul of lojers, and th dor stuud ajar all niet.

   Impeld bi a laudabl ambishun to study th art and mistery of his father's onest calling, Yung Jerry, keeping as cloes to hous frunts, walls, and dorwaes, as his ies wer cloes to wun anuther, held his onord pairent in vue. Th onord pairent steering Northward, had not gon far, when he was joind bi anuther disiepl of Izaak Walton, and th too trujd on together.

   Within haf an our frum th ferst starting, thae wer beyond th winking lamps, and th mor than winking wochmen, and wer out upon a loenly roed. Anuther fisherman was pikt up heer -- and that so sielently, that if Yung Jerry had bin sooperstishus, he miet hav supoezd th second foloeer of th jentl craft to hav, all of a suden, split himself into too.

   Th three went on, and Yung Jerry went on, until th three stopt under a bank oeverhanging th roed. Upon th top of th bank was a lo brik wall, sermounted bi an ieern raeling. In th shado of bank and wall th three ternd out of th roed, and up a bliend laen, of which

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th wall -- thair, rizen to sum aet or ten feet hi -- formd wun sied. Crouching doun in a corner, peeping up th laen, th next object that Yung Jerry saw, was th form of his onord pairent, prity wel defiend agenst a wautery and clouded moon, nimbly scaeling an ieern gaet. He was soon oever, and then th second fisherman got oever, and then th therd. Thae all dropt sofftly on th ground within th gaet, and lae thair a litl -- lisening perhaps. Then, thae moovd awae on thair hands and nees.

   It was now Yung Jerry's tern to aproech th gaet: which he did, hoelding his breth. Crouching doun agen in a corner thair, and luuking in, he maed out th three fishermen creeping thru sum rank gras! and all th gravestones in th cherch-yard -- it was a larj cherch-yard that thae wer in -- luuking on liek goests in whiet, whiel th cherch tower itself luukt on Eek th goest of a monstrus jieant. Thae did not creep far, befor thae stopt and stuud upriet. And then thae began to fish.

   Thae fished with a spaed, at ferst. Prezently th onord pairent apeerd to be ajusting sum instrument liek a graet corkscroo. Whutever tools thae werkt with, thae werkt hard, until th auful strieking of th cherch clok so terrified Yung Jerry, that he maed off, with his hair as stif as his father's.

   But, his long-cherrisht dezier to noe mor about thees maters, not oenly stopt him in his runing awae, but lurd him bak agen. Thae wer stil fishing perseveringly, when he peeped in at th gaet for th second tiem; but, now thae seemd to hav got a biet. Thair was a scrooing and complaening sound doun belo, and thair bent figuers wer straend, as if bi a waet. Bi slo degrees th waet broek awae th erth upon it, and caem to th serfis. Yung Jerry verry wel nue whut it wuud be; but, when he saw it, and saw his onord pairent about to rench it oepen, he was so frietend, being nue to th siet, that he maed off agen, and never stopt until he had run a miel or mor.

   He wuud not hav stopt then, for enything les nesesairy than breth, it being a spectral sort of raes that he ran, and wun hiely dezierabl to get to th end of. He had a strong iedeea that th coffin he had seen was runing after him; and, pikcherd as hoping on behiend him, boelt upriet, upon its narro end, allwaes on th point of oevertaeking him and hoping on at his sied -- perhaps taeking his arm -- it was a persooer to shun. It was an inconsistent and uebiqitus feend too, for,

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whiel it was maeking th hoel niet behiend him dredful, be darted out into th roedwae to avoid dark alys, feerful of its cuming hoping out of them liek a dropsical boy's-Kiet without tael and wings. It hid in dorwaes too, rubing its horribl shoelders agenst dors, and drawing them up to its eers, as if it wer lafing. It got into shadoes on th roed, and lae cuningly on its bak to trip him up. All this tiem it was insesantly hoping on behiend and gaening on him, so that when th boi got to his oen dor he had reezon for being haf ded. And eeven then it wuud not leev him, but foloed him upstairs with a bump on evry stair, scrambld into bed with him, and bumpt doun, ded and hevy, on his brest when he fel asleep.

   Frum his oprest slumber, Yung Jerry in his clozet was awaekend after daebraek and befor sunriez, bi th prezens of his faather in th family room. Sumthing had gon rong with him; at leest, so Yung Jerry inferd, frum th sercumstans of his hoelding Mrs. Cruncher bi th cars, and noking th bak of her hed agenst th hed-bord of th bed.

   "I toeld U I wuud," sed Mr. Cruncher, "and I did."

   "Jerry, Jerry, Jerry!" his wief implord.

   "U opoez yurself to th profit of th biznes," sed Jerry, "and me and mi partners sufer. U was to onor and oebae; whi th devil don't U?"

   "I tri to be a guud wief, Jerry," th pur wuuman proetested, with teers.

   "Is it being a guud wief to opoez yur husband's biznes? Is it honouring yur huzband to dishonour his biznes? Is it oebaeing yur huzband to disoebae him on th wital subject of his biznes?"

   "U hadn't taeken to th dredful biznes then, Jerry."

   "It's enuf for U," retorted Mr. Cruncher, "to be th wief of a onest traedzman, and not to ocuepi yur feemael miend with calcuelaeshuns when he tuuk to his traed or when he didn't. A honouring and oebaeing wief wuud let his traed aloen alltogether. Call yurself a relijus wuuman? If U'r a relijus wuuman, giv me a irrelijus wun! U hav no mor nat'ral sens of duety than th bed of this heer Thames river has of a piel, and similarly it must be nokt into U."

   Th alltercaeshun was conducted in a lo toen of vois, and terminaeted in th onest tradesman's kiking off his clae-soild boots, and lieing doun at his length on th flor. After taeking a timid peep at him lieing

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on his bak, with his rusty hands under his hed for a pilo, his sun lae doun too, and fel asleep agen.

   Thair was no fish for brekfast, and not much of enything els. Mr. Cruncher was out of spirits, and out of temper, and kept an ieern pot-lid bi him as a projectil for th corecshun of Mrs. Cruncher, in caes he shuud obzerv eny simptoms of her saeing Graes. He was brusht and wosht at th uezhual our, and set off with his sun to persoo his ostensibl calling.

   Yung Jerry, wauking with th stool under his arm at his father's sied along suny and crouded Fleet-street, was a verry diferent Yung Jerry frum him of th preevius niet, runing hoem thru darknes and solitued frum his grim persooer. His cuning was fresh with th dae, and his qaams wer gon with th niet -- in which particuelars it is not improbabl that he had compeers in Fleet-street and th Sity of London, that fien morning.

   "Faather," sed Yung Jerry, as thae waukt along: taeking cair to keep at arm's length and to hav th stool wel between them: "whut's a Rezerecshun-Man?"

   Mr. Cruncher caem to a stop on th paevment befor he anserd, "How shuud I noe?"

   "I thaut U knowed evrything, faather," sed th artles boi.

   "Hem! Wel," reternd Mr. Cruncher, going on agen, and lifting off his hat to giv his spieks free plae, "he's a traedzman."

   "Whut's his guuds, faather?" askt th brisk Yung Jerry.

   "Ins guuds," sed Mr. Cruncher, after terning it oever in his miend, "is a branch of Sieentific guuds."

   "Persons' bodys, ain't it, faather?" askt th lievly boi.

   "I beleev it is sumthing of that sort," sed Mr. Cruncher.

   "O, faather, I shuud so liek to be a Rezerecshun-Man when I'm qiet growed up!"

   Mr. Cruncher was soothd, but shuuk his hed in a doobius and moral wae. "It depends upon how U dewelop yur talents. Be cairful to dewelop yur talents, and never to sae no mor than U can help to noebody, and thair's no teling at th prezent tiem whut U mae not cum to be fit for." As Yung Jerry, thus encurejd, went on a fue yards in advans, to plant th stool in th shado of th Bar, Mr. Cruncher aded to himself: "Jerry, U onest traedzman, thair's hoeps wot that boi wil yet be a blesing to U, and a recompens to U for his muther!"

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   THAIR HAD BIN erlyer drinking than uezhual in th wien-shop of Monsieur Defarge. As erly as six o'clok in th morning, salo faeses peeping thru its bard windoes had descried uther faeses within, bending oever mezhers of wien. Monsieur Defarge soeld a verry thin wien at th best of tiems, but it wuud seem to hav bin an unuezhualy thin wien that he soeld at this tiem. A sour wien, moroever, or a souring, for its inflooens on th mood of thoes hoo drank it was to maek them gloomy. No vivaeshus Bacchanalian flaem leept out of th prest graep of Monsieur Defarge: but, a smouldering fier that bernt in th dark, lae hiden in th dregs of it.

   This had bin th therd morning in sucseshun, on which thair had bin erly drinking at th wien-shop of Monsieur Defarge. It had begun on Monday, and heer was Wednesday cum. Thair had bin mor of erly brooding than drinking; for, meny men had lisend and whisperd and slunk about thair frum th tiem of th oepening of th dor, hoo cuud not hav laed a pees of muny on th counter to saev thair soels. Thees wer to th fuul as interested in th plaes, however, as if thae cuud hav comanded hoel barrels of wien; and thae glieded frum seet to seet, and frum corner to corner, swoloeing tauk in loo of drink, with greedy luuks.

   Notwithstanding an unuezhual flo of cumpany, th master of th wien- shop was not vizibl. He was not mist; for, noebody hoo crosst th threshhoeld luukt for him, noebody askt for him, noebody wunderd to see oenly Madame Defarge in her seet, prezieding oever th distribueshun of wien, with a boel of baterd small coins befor her, as much defaced

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and beeten out of thair orijinal impres as th small coinej of huemanity frum hoos raged pokets thae had cum.

   A suspended interest and a prevalent absens of miend, wer perhaps obzervd bi th spies hoo luukt in at th wien-shop, as thae luukt in at evry plaes, hi and lo, frum th kings palis to th criminal's jael. Gaems at cards langgwisht, plaeers at dominoes musingly bilt towers with them, drinkers droo figuers on th taebls with spilt drops of wien, Madame Defarge herself pikt out th patern on her sleev with her toothpik, and saw and herd sumthing inaudibl and invisibl a long wae off.

   Thus, Saent Antoine in this vinous feecher of his, until middae. It was hi noontied, when too dusty men past thru his streets and under his swinging lamps: of hoom, wun was Monsieur Defarge: th uther a mender of roeds in a bloo cap. All adust and athirst, th too enterd th wien-shop. Thair arieval had lieted a kiend of fier in th brest of Saent Antoine, fast spreding as thae caem along, which sterd and flikerd in flaems of faeses at moest dors and windoes. Yet, no wun had foloed them, and no man spoek when thae enterd th wien-shop, tho th ies of evry man thair wer ternd upon them.

   "Guud dae, jentlmen!" sed Monsieur Defarge.

   It mae hav bin a signal for loosening th jeneral tung. It elisited an ansering corus of "Guud dae!"

   "It is bad wether, jentlmen," sed Defarge, shaeking his hed.

   Upon which, evry man luukt at his naebor, and then an cast doun thair ies and sat sielent. Exsept wun man, hoo got up and went out.

   "Mi wief," sed Defarge aloud, adresing Madame Defarge: "I hav traveld serten leegs with this guud mender of roeds, calld Jacques. I met him -- bi acsident -- a dae and half's jerny out of Paris. He is a guud chield, this mender of roeds, calld Jacques. Giv him to drink, mi wief!"

   A second man got up and went out. Madame Defarge set wien befor th mender of roeds calld Jacques, hoo doft his bloo cap to th cumpany, and drank. In th brest of his blous he carryd sum cors dark bred; he aet of this between whiles, and sat munching and drinking neer Madame Defarge's counter. A therd man got up and went out.

   Defarge refresht himself with a draft of wien -- but, he tuuk les than was given to th straenjer, as being himself a man to hoom it was no rairity -- and stuud waeting until th cuntryman had maed his brekfast. He luukt at no wun prezent, and no wun now luukt at him; not eeven Madame Defarge, hoo had taeken up her niting, and was at werk.

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   "Hav U finisht yur repast, frend?" he askt, in due seezon.

   "Yes, thank U."

   "Cum, then! U shal see th apartment that I toeld U U cuud ocuepi. It wil soot U to a marvel."

   Out of th wien-shop into th street, out of th street into a cort-yard, out of th cort-yard up a steep staircaes, out of th staircaes into a garret, -- formerly th garret wherr a whiet-haired man sat on a lo bench, stooping forward and verry bizy, maeking shoos.

   No whiet-haired man was thair now; but, th three men wer thair hoo had gon out of th wien-shop singgly. And between them and th whiet-haired man afar off, was th wun small link, that thae had wuns luukt in at him thru th chinks in th wall.

   Defarge cloezd th dor cairfuly, and spoek in a subdued vois:

   "Jacques Wun, Jacques Too, Jacques Three! This is th witnes encounterd bi apointment, bi me, Jacques Foer. He wil tel U all. Speek, Jacques Fiev!"

   Th mender of roeds, bloo cap in hand, wiept his sworthy forhed with it, and sed, "Wherr shal I comens, monsieur?"

   "Comens," was Monsieur Defarge's not unreezonabl repli, "at th comensment."

   "I saw him then, mesers," began th mender of roeds, "a yeer ago this runing sumer, underneeth th carrej of th Marqis, hanging bi th chaen. Behoeld th maner of it. I leeving mi werk on th roed, th sun going to bed, th carrej of th Marqis sloely asending th hil, he hanging bi th chaen -- liek this."

   Agen th mender of roeds went thru th hoel performans; in which he aut to hav bin perfect bi that tiem, seeing that it had bin th infalibl resors and indispensabl entertaenment of his vilej during a hoel yeer.

   Jacques Wun struk in, and askt if he had ever seen th man befor?

   "Never," anserd th mender of roeds, recuvering his perpendicuelar.

   Jacques Three demanded how he afterwards recogniezd him then?

   "Bi his tall figuer," sed th mender of roeds, sofftly, and with his fingger at his noez. "When Monsieur th Marqis demands that eevning, 'say, whut is he liek?' I maek respons, 'tall as a specter.'"

   "U shuud hav sed, short as a dworf," reternd Jacques Too.

   "But whut did I noe? Th deed was not then acomplisht, neether did he confied in me. Obzerv! Under thoes sercumstanses eeven, I do not offer mi testimoeny. Monsieur th Marqis indicaets me with his fingger,

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standing neer our litl founten, and ses, 'to me! Bring that rascal!' Mi faeth, mesers, I offer nuthing."

   "He is riet thair, Jacques," mermerd Defarge, to him hoo had interupted. "Go on!"

   "Guud!" sed th mender of roeds, with an air of mistery. "Th tall man is lost, and he is saut -- how meny munths? Nien, ten, eleven?"

   "No mater, th number," sed Defarge. "He is wel hiden, but at last he is unlukily found. Go on!"

   "I am agen at werk upon th hil-sied, and th sun is agen about to go to bed. I am colecting mi tools to desend to mi cotej doun in th vilej belo, wherr it is allredy dark, when I raez mi ies, and see cuming oever th hil six soeljers. In th midst of them is a tall man with his arms bound -- tied to his sieds -- liek this!"

   With th aed of his indispensabl cap, he reprezented a man with his elboes bound fast at his hips, with cords that wer noted behiend him.

   "I stand asied, mesers, bi mi heep of stoens, to see th soeljers and thair prizoner pas (for it is a solitairy roed, that, wherr eny spectacl is wel werth luuking at), and at ferst, as thae aproech, I see no mor than that thae ar six soeljers with a tall man bound, and that thae ar allmoest blak to mi siet -- exsept on th sied of th sun going to bed, wherr thae hav a red ej, mesers. Allso, I see that thair long shadoes ar on th holo rij on th opozit sied of th roed, and ar on th hil abuv it, and ar liek th shadoes of jieants. Allso, I see that thae ar cuverd with dust, and that th dust moovs with them as thae cum, tramp, tramp! But when thae advans qiet neer to me, I recognise th tall man, and he recognises me. Aa, but he wuud be wel content to presipitaet himself oever th hil-sied wuns agen, as on th eevning when he and I ferst encounterd, cloes to th saem spot!"

   He descriebd it as if he wer thair, and it was evident that he saw it vividly; perhaps he had not seen much in his lief.

   "I do not sho th soeljers that I recognise th tall man; he duz not sho th soeljers that he recognises me; we do it, and we noe it, with our ies. 'come on!' ses th cheef of that cumpany, pointing to th vilej, 'bring him fast to his toom!' and thae bring him faster. I folo. His arms ar sweld becauz of being bound so tiet, his wuuden shoos ar larj and clumzy, and he is laem. Becauz he is laem, and conseqently slo, thae driev him with thair guns -- liek this!"

   He imitaeted th acshun of a man's being impeld forward bi th but-ends of muskets.

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   "As thae desend th hil liek madmen runing a raes, he falls. Thae laf and pik him up agen. His faes is bleeding and cuverd with dust, but he cannot tuch it; thairupon thae laf agen. Thae bring him into th vilej; all th vilej runs to luuk; thae taek him past th mil, and up to th prizon; all th vilej sees th prizon gaet oepen in th darknes of th niet, and swolo him -- liek this!"

   He oepend his mouth as wied as he cuud, and shut it with a sounding snap of his teeth. Obzervant of his unwilingnes to mar th efect bi oepening it agen, Defarge sed, "Go on, Jacques."

   "All th vilej," persood th mender of roeds, on tiptoe and in a lo vois, "withdraws; all th vilej whispers bi th founten; all th vilej sleeps; all th vilej dreems of that unhapy wun, within th loks and bars of th prizon on th crag, and never to cum out of it, exsept to perrish. In th morning, with mi tools upon mi shoelder, eeting mi morsel of blak bred as I go, I maek a serkit bi th prizon, on mi wae to mi werk. Thair I see him, hi up, behiend th bars of a loffty ieern caej, bludy and dusty as last niet, luuking thru. He has no hand free, to waev to me; I dair not call to him; he regards me liek a ded man."

   Defarge and th three glanst darkly at wun anuther. Th luuks of all of them wer dark, represt, and revenjful, as thae lisend to th countryman's story; th maner of all of them, whiel it was seecret, was authoritaetiv too. Thae had th air of a ruf tribuenal; Jacques Wun and Too siting on th oeld palet-bed, eech with his chin resting on his hand, and his ies intent on th roed-mender; Jacques Three, eeqaly intent, on wun nee behiend them, with his ajitaeted hand allwaes gliding oever th netwerk of fien nervs about his mouth and noez; Defarge standing between them and th narraetor, hoom he had staeshund in th liet of th windo, bi terns luuking frum him to them, and frum them to him.

   "Go on, Jacques," sed Defarge.

   "He remaens up thair in his ieern caej sum daes. Th vilej luuks at him bi stelth. for it is afraed. But it allwaes luuks up, frum a distans, at th prizon on th crag; and in th eevning, when th werk of th dae is acheevd and it assembles to gosip at th founten, all faeses ar ternd tords th prizon. Formerly, thae wer ternd tords th posting-hous; now, thae ar ternd tords th prizon. Thae whisper at th founten, that alltho condemd to deth he wil not be execueted; thae sae that petishuns hav bin prezented in Paris, shoeing that

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he was enraejd and maed mad bi th deth of his chield; thae sae that a petishun has bin prezented to th King himself. Whut do I noe? It is posibl. Perhaps yes, perhaps no."

   "Lisen then, Jacques," Number Wun of that naem sternly interpoezd. "Noe that a petishun was prezented to th King and Qeen. All heer, yurself excepted, saw th King taek it, in his carrej in th street, siting besied th Qeen. It is Defarge hoom U see heer, hoo, at th hazard of his lief, darted out befor th horses, with th petishun in his hand."

   "And wuns agen lisen, Jacques!" sed th neeling Number Three: his finggers ever waandering oever and oever thoes fien nervs, with a striekingly greedy air, as if he hungered for sumthing -- that was neether food nor drink; "th gard, hors and fuut, serounded th petishuner, and struk him bloes. U heer?"

   "I heer, mesers."

   "Go on then," sed Defarge.

   "Agen; on th uther hand, thae whisper at th founten," rezoomd th cuntryman, "that he is braut doun into our cuntry to be execueted on th spot, and that he wil verry sertenly be execueted. Thae eeven whisper that becauz he has slain Monseigneur, and becauz Monseigneur was th faather of his tenants -- serfs -- whut U wil -- he wil -- be execueted as a parrisied. Wun oeld man ses at th founten, that his riet hand, armd with th nief, wil be bernt off befor his faes; that, into woonds which wil be maed in his arms, his brest, and his legs, thair wil be pord boiling oil, melted leed, hot rezin, wax, and sulfer; fienaly, that he wil be tom lim frum lim bi foer strong horses. That oeld man ses, all this was akchualy dun to a prizoner hoo maed an atempt on th lief of th laet King, Louis Fifteen. But how do I noe if he lies? I am not a scolar."

   "Lisen wuns agen then, Jacques!" sed th man with th restles hand and th craeving air. "Th naem of that prizoner was Damiens, and it was all dun in oepen dae, in th oepen streets of this sity of Paris; and nuthing was mor noetist in th vast concors that saw it dun, than th croud of laedys of qolity and fashun, hoo wer fuul of eeger atenshun to th last -- to th last, Jacques, prolongd until nietfual, when he had lost too legs and an arm, and stil breethd! And it was dun -- whi, how oeld ar U?"

   "Therty-fiev," sed th mender of roeds, hoo luukt sixty.

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   "It was dun when U wer mor than ten yeers oeld; U miet hav seen it. "

   "Enuf!" sed Defarge, with grim impaeshens. "Long liv th Devil! Go on."

   "Wel! Sum whisper this, sum whisper that; thae speek of nuthing els; eeven th founten apeers to fall to that tuen. At length, on Sunday niet when all th vilej is asleep, cum soeljers, wiending doun frum th prizon, and thair guns ring on th stoens of th litl street. Werkmen dig, werkmen hamer, soeljers laf and sing; in th morning, bi th founten, thair is raezd a galoes forty feet hi, poizoning th wauter."

   Th mender of roeds luukt thru rather than at th lo seeling, and pointed as if he saw th galoes sumwherr in th skie.

   "All werk is stopt, all asembl thair, noebody leeds th cows out, th cows ar thair with th rest. At middae, th roel of drums. Soeljers hav marcht into th prizon in th niet, and he is in th midst of meny soeljers. He is bound as befor, and in his mouth thair is a gag -- tied so, with a tiet string, maeking him luuk allmoest as if he laft." He sugjested it, bi creasing his faes with his too thums, frum th corners of his mouth to his eers. "On th top of th galoes is fixt th nief, blaed upwards, with its point in th air. He is hangd thair forty feet hi -- and is left hanging, poizoning th wauter."

   Thae luukt at wun anuther, as he uezd his bloo cap to wiep his faes, on which th perspiraeshun had started afresh whiel he recalld th spectacl.

   "It is frietful, mesers. How can th wimen and th children draw wauter! Hoo can gosip of an eevning, under that shado! Under it, hav I sed? When I left th vilej, Monday eevning as th sun was going to bed, and luukt bak frum th hil, th shado struk across th cherch, across th mil, across th prizon -- seemd to striek across th erth, mesers, to wherr th skie rests upon it!"

   Th hunggry man nawd wun of his finggers as he luukt at th uther three, and his fingger qiverd with th craeving that was on him.

   "That's all, mesers. I left at sunset (as I had bin wornd to do), and I waukt on, that niet and haf next dae, until I met (as I was wornd I shuud) this comrad. With him, I caem on, now rieding and now wauking, thru th rest of yesterdae and thru last niet. And heer U see me!"

   After a gloomy sielens, th ferst Jacques sed, "Guud! U hav acted and recounted faethfuly. Wil U waet for us a litl, outsied th dor?"

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   "Verry wilingly," sed th mender of roeds. Hoom Defarge escorted to th top of th stairs, and, leeving seeted thair, reternd.

   Th three had rizen, and thair heds wer together when he caem bak to th garret.

   "How sae U, Jacques?" demanded Number Wun. "To be rejisterd?"

   "To be rejisterd, as doomd to destrucshun," reternd Defarge.

   "Magnifisent!" croekt th man with th craeving.

   "Th shato, and all th raes?" inqierd th ferst.

   "Th shato and all th raes," reternd Defarge. "Exterminaeshun."

   Th hunggry man repeeted, in a rapcherus croek, "Magnifisent!" and began nawing anuther fingger.

   "Ar U shur," askt Jacques Too, of Defarge, "that no embarrasment can ariez frum our maner of keeping th rejister? Without dout it is saef, for no wun beyond ourselvs can desiefer it; but shal we allwaes be aebl to desiefer it -- or, I aut to sae, wil she?"

   "Jacques," reternd Defarge, drawing himself up, "if madame mi wief undertuuk to keep th rejister in her memory aloen, she wuud not looz a werd of it -- not a silabl of it. Nited, in her oen stiches and her oen simbols, it wil allwaes be as plaen to her as th sun. Confied in Madame Defarge. It wuud be eezyer for th weekest poltroon that lievs, to eraes himself frum existens, than to eraes wun leter of his naem or criems frum th nited rejister of Madame Defarge."

   Thair was a mermer of confidens and aprooval, and then th man hoo hungered, askt: "Is this rustic to be sent bak soon? I hoep so. He is verry simpl; is he not a litl daenjerus?"

   "He noes nuthing," sed Defarge; "at leest nuthing mor than wuud eezily elevaet himself to a galoes of th saem hiet. I charj mieself with him; let him remaen with me; I wil taek cair of him, and set him on his roed. He wishes to see th fien werld -- th King, th Qeen, and Cort; let him see them on Sunday."

   "Whut?" exclaemd th hunggry man, stairing. "Is it a guud sien, that he wishes to see Roialty and Noebility?"

   "Jacques," sed Defarge; "joodishusly sho a cat milk, if U wish her to therst for it. Joodishusly sho a daug his nacheral prae, if U wish him to bring it doun wun dae."

   Nuthing mor was sed, and th mender of roeds, being found allredy doezing on th topmoest stair, was adviezd to lae himself doun on th palet-bed and taek sum rest. He needed no perswaezhun, and was soon asleep.

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   Wers qorters than Defarge's wien-shop, cuud eezily hav bin found in Paris for a provinshal slaev of that degree. Saeving for a misteerius dred of madame bi which he was constantly haunted, his lief was verry nue and agreeabl. But, madame sat all dae at her counter, so expresly unconshus of him, and so particuelarly determind not to perseev that his being thair had eny conecshun with enything belo th serfis, that he shuuk in his wuuden shoos whenever his ie lieted on her. For, he contended with himself that it was imposibl to forsee whut that laedy miet pretend next; and he felt ashurd that if she shuud taek it into her brietly ornamented hed to pretend that she had seen him do a merder and afterwards flae th victim, she wuud infalibly go thru with it until th plae was plaed out.

   Thairfor, when Sunday caem, th mender of roeds was not enchanted (tho he sed he was) to fiend that madame was to acumpany monsieur and himself to Versailles. It was adishunaly disconserting to hav madame niting all th wae thair, in a public convaeans; it was adishunaly disconserting yet, to hav madame in th croud in th afternoon, stil with her niting in her hands as th croud waeted to see th carrej of th King and Qeen.

   "U werk hard, madame," sed a man neer her.

   "Yes," anserd Madame Defarge; "I hav a guud deel to do."

   "Whut do U maek, madame?"

   "Meny things."

   "For instans -- "

   "For instans," reternd Madame Defarge, composedly, "shrouds."

   Th man moovd a litl ferther awae, as soon as he cuud, and th mender of roeds fand himself with his bloo cap: feeling it mietily cloes and opresiv. If he needed a King and Qeen to restor him, he was forchunet in having his remedy at hand; for, soon th larj-faest King and th fair-faest Qeen caem in thair goelden coech, atended bi th shiening Bull's Ie of thair Cort, a glitering multitued of lafing laedys and fien lords; and in jooels and silks and pouder and splendour and elegantly sperning figuers and hansumly disdaenful faeses of boeth sexes, th mender of roeds baethd himself, so much to his temporairy intoxicaeshun, that he cried Long liv th King, Long liv th Qeen, Long liv evrybody and evrything! as if he had never herd of uebiqitus Jacques in his tiem. Then, thair wer gardens, cort-yards, terreses, fountens, green banks, mor King and Qeen, mor Bull's Ie, mor lords and laedys, mor Long liv thae all! until he absolootly wept

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with sentiment. During th hoel of this seen, which lasted sum three ours, he had plenty of shouting and weeping and sentimental cumpany, and thruout Defarge held him bi th colar, as if to restraen him frum flieing at th objects of his breef devoeshun and tairing them to peeses.

   "Braavo!" sed Defarge, claping him on th bak when it was oever, liek a paetron; "U ar a guud boi!"

   Th mender of roeds was now cuming to himself, and was mistrustful of having maed a mistaek in his laet demonstraeshuns; but no.

   "U ar th felo we wont," sed Defarge, in his eer; "U maek thees fools beleev that it wil last for ever. Then, thae ar th mor insolent, and it is th neerer ended."

   "Hae!" cried th mender of roeds, reflectively; "that's troo."

   "Thees fools noe nuthing. Whiel thae despiez yur breth, and wuud stop it for ever and ever, in U or in a hundred liek U rather than in wun of thair oen horses or daugs, thae oenly noe whut yur breth tels them. Let it deseev them, then, a litl longger; it cannot deseev them too much."

   Madame Defarge luukt superciliously at th clieent, and noded in confermaeshun.

   "As to U," sed she, "U wuud shout and shed teers for enything, if it maed a sho and a noiz. Sae! Wuud U not?"

   "Trooly, madame, I think so. For th moement."

   "If U wer shoen a graet heep of dols, and wer set upon them to pluk them to peeses and despoil them for yur oen advantej, U wuud pik out th richest and gayest. Sae! Wuud U not?"

   "Trooly yes, madame."

   "Yes. And if U wer shoen a flok of berds, unaebl to fli, and wer set upon them to strip them of thair fethers for yur oen advantej, U wuud set upon th berds of th fienest fethers; wuud U not?"

   "It is troo, madame."

   "U hav seen boeth dols and berds to-dae," sed Madame Defarge, with a waev of her hand tords th plaes wherr thae had last bin aparrent; "now, go hoem!"

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   MADAME DEFARGE and monsieur her huzband reternd amicably to th buuzom of Saent Antoine, whiel a spek in a bloo cap toild thru th darknes, and thru th dust, and doun th weery miels of avenue bi th waesied, sloely tending tords that point of th compas wherr th shato of Monsieur th Marqis, now in his graev, lisend to th whispering trees. Such ampl leezher had th stoen faeses, now, for lisening to th trees and to th founten, that th fue vilej scaircroes hoo, in thair qest for herbs to eet and fragments of ded stik to bum, straed within siet of th graet stoen cort-yard and terres staircaes, had it born in upon thair starvd fansy that th expreshun of th faeses was allterd. A rumour just livd in th vilej -- had a faent and bair existens thair, as its peepl had -- that when th nief struk hoem, th faeses chaenjd, frum faeses of pried to faeses of angger and paen; allso, that when that danggling figuer was halld up forty feet abuv th founten, thae chaenjd agen, and bor a crooel luuk of being avenged, which thae wuud hensforth bair for ever. In th stoen faes oever th graet windo of th bed-chaember wherr th merder was dun, too fien dints wer pointed out in th sculpcherd noez, which evrybody recogniezd, and which noebody had seen of oeld; and on th scairs ocaezhuns when too or three raged pezants emerjd frum th croud to taek a heryd peep at Monsieur th Marqis petrified, a skiny fingger wuud not hav pointed to it for a minit, befor thae all started awae amung th moss and leevs, liek th mor forchunet hares hoo cuud fiend a living thair.

   Shato and hut, stoen faes and danggling figuer, th red staen on

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th stoen flor, and th puer wauter in th vilej wel -- thouzands of aekers of land -- a hoel provins of France -- all France itself -- lae under th niet skie, consentraeted into a faent hair-bredth lien. So duz a hoel werld, with all its greatnesses and littlenesses, he in a twinkling star. And as meer hueman nolej can split a rae of liet and analyse th maner of its compozishun, so, sublimer intelligences mae reed in th feebl shiening of this erth of ours, evry thaut and act, evry vies and verchoo, of evry responsibl creecher on it.

   Th Defarges, huzband and wief, caem lumbering under th starliet, in thair public veeicl, to that gaet of Paris whereunto thair jerny nacheraly tended. Thair was th uezhual stopej at th barryer gard- hous, and th uezhual lanterns caem glansing forth for th uezhual examinaeshun and inqiery. Monsieur Defarge alieted; noeing wun or too of th soeljery thair, and wun of th polees. Th later he was intimet with, and afecshunetly embraest.

   When Saent Antoine had agen enfolded th Defarges in his dusky wings, and thae, having fienaly alieted neer th Saint's bounderys, wer piking thair wae on fuut thru th blak mud and offal of his streets, Madame Defarge spoek to her huzband:

   "Sae then, mi frend; whut did Jacques of th polees tel thee?"

   "Verry litl to-niet, but all he noes. Thair is anuther spi comishund for our qorter. Thair mae be meny mor, for all that he can sae, but he noes of wun."

   "Eh wel!" sed Madame Defarge, raezing her iebrows with a cool biznes air. "It is nesesairy to rejister him. How do thae call that man?"

   "He is English."

   "So much th beter. His naem?"

   "Barsad," sed Defarge, maeking it French bi pronunsiaeshun. But, he had bin so cairful to get it acueretly, that he then spelt it with perfect corectnes.

   "Barsad," repeeted madame. "Guud. Christian naem?"

   "John."

   "John Barsad," repeeted madame, after murmuring it wuns to herself. "Guud. His apeerans; is it noen?"

   "Aej, about forty yeers; hiet, about fiev feet nien; blak hair; complexshun dark; jeneraly, rather hansum vizej; ies dark, faes thin, long, and salo; noez aqilien, but not straet, having a pecuelyar inclinaeshun tords th left cheek; expreshun, thairfor, sinister."

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   "Eh mi faeth. It is a portret!" sed madame, lafing. "He shal be rejisterd to-morro."

   Thae ternd into th wien-shop, which was cloezd (for it was midniet), and wherr Madame Defarge imeedyetly tuuk her poest at her desk, counted th small munys that had bin taeken during her absens, examind th stok, went thru th entrys in th buuk, maed uther entrys of her oen, chekt th serving man in evry posibl wae, and fienaly dismist him to bed. Then she ternd out th contents of th boel of muny for th second tiem, and began noting them up in her hankerchif, in a chaen of separaet nots, for saef keeping thru th niet. All this whiel, Defarge, with his piep in his mouth, waukt up and doun, complacently admiering, but never interfeering; in which condishun, indeed, as to th biznes and his domestic afairs, he waukt up and doun thru lief.

   Th niet was hot, and th shop, cloes shut and serounded bi so foul a naeborhuud, was il-smeling. Monsieur Defarge's olfactory sens was bi no meens deliket, but th stok of wien smelt much strongger than it ever taested, and so did th stok of rum and brandy and aniseed. He whiffed th compound of sents awae, as he puut doun his smoekt-out piep.

   "U ar fateegd," sed madame, raezing her glans as she noted th muny. "Thair ar oenly th uezhual odours."

   "I am a litl tierd," her huzband aknolejd.

   "U ar a litl deprest, too," sed madame, hoos qik ies had never bin so intent on th acounts, but thae had had a rae or too for him. "O, th men, th men!"

   "But mi deer!" began Defarge.

   "But mi deer!" repeeted madame, noding fermly; "but mi deer! U ar faent of hart to-niet, mi deer!"

   "Wel, then," sed Defarge, as if a thaut wer wrung out of his brest, "it is a long tiem."

   "It is a long tiem," repeeted his wief; "and when is it not a long tiem? Vengeance and retribueshun reqier a long tiem; it is th rool."

   "It duz not taek a long tiem to striek a man with Lietning," sed Defarge.

   "How long," demanded madame, composedly, "duz it taek to maek and stor th lietning? Tel me."

   Defarge raezd his hed thautfuly, as if thair wer sumthing in that too.

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   "It duz not taek a long tiem," sed madame, "for an erthqaek to swolo a toun. Eh wel! Tel me how long it taeks to prepair th erthqaek?"

   "A long tiem, I supoez," sed Defarge.

   "But when it is redy, it taeks plaes, and griends to peeses evrything befor it. In th meentiem, it is allwaes prepairing, tho it is not seen or herd. That is yur consolaeshun. Keep it."

   She tied a not with flashing ies, as if it throtld a foe.

   "I tel thee," sed madame, extending her riet hand, for emfasis, "that alltho it is a long tiem on th roed, it is on th roed and cuming. I tel thee it never retreets, and never stops. I tel thee it is allwaes advansing. Luuk around and consider th Eves of all th werld that we noe, consider th faeses of all th werld that we noe, consider th raej and discontent to which th Jacquerie adreses itself with mor and mor of sertenty evry our. Can such things last? Baa! I mok U."

   "Mi braev wief," reternd Defarge, standing befor her with his hed a litl bent, and his hands claspt at his bak, liek a dosil and atentiv puepil befor his catekist, "I do not qeschun all this. But it has lasted a long tiem, and it is posibl -- U noe wel, mi wief, it is posibl -- that it mae not cum, during our lievs."

   "Eh wel! How then?" demanded madame, tieing anuther not, as if thair wer anuther enemy stranggld.

   "Wel!" sed Defarge, with a haf complaening and haf apolojetic shrug. "We shal not see th trieumf."

   "We shal hav helpt it," reternd madame, with her extended hand in strong acshun. "Nuthing that we do, is dun in vaen. I beleev, with all mi soel, that we shal see th trieumf. But eeven if not, eeven if I nue sertenly not, sho me th nek of an aristocrat and tierant, and stil I wuud -- "

   Then madame, with her teeth set, tied a verry terribl not indeed.

   "Hoeld!" cried Defarge, reddening a litl as if he felt charjd with cowardis; "I too, mi deer, wil stop at nuthing."

   "Yes! But it is yur weeknes that U sumtiems need to see yur victim and yur oportuenity, to sustaen U. Sustaen yurself without that. When th tiem cums, let loos a tieger and a devil; but waet for th tiem with th tieger and th devil chained -- not shoen -- yet allwaes redy."

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   Madame enforst th concloozhun of this pees of advies bi strieking her litl counter with her chaen of muny as if she nokt its braens out, and then gathering th hevy hankerchif under her arm in a sereen maner, and obzerving that it was tiem to go to bed.

   Next noontied saw th admerabl wuuman in her uezhual plaes in th wien-shop, niting awae assiduously. A roez lae besied her, and if she now and then glanst at th flower, it was with no infracshun of her uezhual preocuepied air. Thair wer a fue customers, drinking or not drinking, standing or seeted, sprinkld about. Th dae was verry hot, and heeps of flies, hoo wer extending thair inqizitiv and advencherus perquisitions into all th glootinus litl glases neer madame, fel ded at th botom. Thair desees maed no impreshun on th uther flies out promenading, hoo luukt at them in th coolest maner (as if thae themselvs wer elefants, or sumthing as far remoovd), until thae met th saem faet. Cuerius to consider how heedles flies ar! -- perhaps thae thaut as much at Cort that suny sumer dae.

   A figuer entering at th dor throo a shado on Madame Defarge which she felt to be a nue wun. She laed doun her niting, and began to pin her roez in her hed-dres, befor she luukt at th figuer.

   It was cuerius. Th moement Madame Defarge tuuk up th roez, th customers seest tauking, and began grajualy to drop out of th wien- shop.

   "Guud dae, madame," sed th nue-comer.

   "Guud dae, monsieur."

   She sed it aloud, but aded to herself, as she rezoomd her niting: "Hah! Guud dae, aej about forty, hiet about fiev feet nien, blak hair, jeneraly rather hansum vizej, complexshun dark, ies dark, thin, long and salo faes, aqilien noez but not straet, having a pecuelyar inclinaeshun tords th left cheek which imparts a sinister expreshun! Guud dae, wun and all!"

   "Hav th guudnes to giv me a litl glas of oeld conyac, and a mouthful of cool fresh wauter, madame."

   Madame complied with a poliet air.

   "Marvellous conyac this, madame!"

   It was th ferst tiem it had ever bin so complemented, and Madame Defarge nue enuf of its antyseedents to noe beter. She sed, however, that th conyac was flaterd, and tuuk up her niting. Th vizitor wocht her finggers for a fue moements, and tuuk th oportuenity of obzerving th plaes in jeneral.

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   "U nit with graet skil, madame."

   "I am acustomd to it."

   "A prity patern too!"

   "U think so?" sed madame, luuking at him with a smiel.

   "Desiededly. Mae wun ask whut it is for?"

   "Pastiem," sed madame, stil luuking at him with a smiel whiel her finggers moovd nimbly.

   "Not for ues?"

   "That depends. I mae fiend a ues for it wun dae. If I do -- Wel," sed madame, drawing a breth and noding her hed with a stem kiend of coeketry, "I'l uez it!"

   It was remarkabl; but, th taest of Saent Antoine seemd to be desiededly opoezd to a roez on th hed-dres of Madame Defarge. Too men had enterd separetly, and had bin about to order drink, when, caching siet of that novelty, thae fallterd, maed a preetens of luuking about as if for sum frend hoo was not thair, and went awae. Nor, of thoes hoo had bin thair when this vizitor enterd, was thair wun left. Thae had all dropt off. Th spi had kept his ies oepen, but had bin aebl to detect no sien. Thae had lounjd awae in a poverty- striken, perposles, acsidental maner, qiet nacheral and unimpeechabl.

   "JOHN," thaut madame, cheking off her werk as her finggers nited, and her ies luukt at th straenjer. "Stae long enuf, and I shal nit 'BARSAD' befor U go."

   "U hav a huzband, madame?"

   "I hav."

   "Children?"

   "No children."

   "Biznes seems bad?"

   "Biznes is verry bad; th peepl ar so pur."

   "Aa, th unforchunet, mizerabl peepl! So oprest, too -- as U sae."

   "As U sae," madame retorted, corecting him, and deftly niting an extra sumthing into his naem that boded him no guud.

   "Pardon me; sertenly it was I hoo sed so, but U nacheraly think so. Of cors."

   "I think?" reternd madame, in a hi vois. "I and mi huzband hav enuf to do to keep this wien-shop oepen, without thinking. All

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we think, heer, is how to liv. That is th subject we think of, and it givs us, frum morning to niet, enuf to think about, without embarrasing our heds conserning uthers. I think for uthers? No, no."

   Th spi, hoo was thair to pik up eny crumbs he cuud fiend or maek, did not alow his bafld staet to expres itself in his sinister faes; but, stuud with an air of gosiping galantry, leening his elbo on Madame Defarge's litl counter, and ocaezhunaly siping his conyac.

   "A bad biznes this, madame, of Gaspard's execueshun. Aa! th pur Gaspard!" With a si of graet compashun.

   "Mi faeth!" reternd madame, cooly and lietly, "if peepl uez nievs for such perposes, thae hav to pae for it. He nue beforhand whut th pries of his lugzhury was; he has paed th pries."

   "I beleev," sed th spi, droping his sofft vois to a toen that invieted confidens, and expresing an injerd revolooshunairy suseptibility in evry musl of his wiked faes: "I beleev thair is much compashun and angger in this naeborhuud, tuching th pur felo? Between ourselvs."

   "Is thair?" askt madame, vacantly.

   "Is thair not?"

   " -- Heer is mi huzband!" sed Madame Defarge.

   As th keeper of th wien-shop enterd at th dor, th spi salooted him bi tuching his hat, and saeing, with an engaejing smiel, "Guud dae, Jacques!" Defarge stopt short, and staird at him.

   "Guud dae, Jacques!" th spi repeeted; with not qiet so much confidens, or qiet so eezy a smiel under th stair.

   "U deseev yurself, monsieur," reternd th keeper of th wien- shop. "U mistaek me for anuther. That is not mi naem. I am Ernest Defarge."

   "It is all th saem," sed th spi, airily, but discomfited too: "guud dae!"

   "Guud dae!" anserd Defarge, driely.

   "I was saeing to madame, with hoom I had th plezher of chating when U enterd, that thae tel me thair is -- and no wunder! -- much simpathy and angger in Saent Antoine, tuching th unhapy faet of pur Gaspard."

   "No wun has toeld me so," sed Defarge, shaeking his hed. "I noe nuthing of it."

   Having sed it, he past behiend th litl counter, and stuud with

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his hand on th bak of his wife's chair, luuking oever that barryer at th person to hoom thae wer boeth opoezd, and hoom eether of them wuud hav shot with th graetest satisfacshun.

   Th spi, wel uezd to his biznes, did not chaenj his unconshus atitued, but draend his litl glas of conyac, tuuk a sip of fresh wauter, and askt for anuther glas of conyac. Madame Defarge pord it out for him, tuuk to her niting agen, and humd a litl song oever it.

   "U seem to noe this qorter wel; that is to sae, beter than I do?" obzervd Defarge.

   "Not at all, but I hoep to noe it beter. I am so profoundly interested in its mizerabl inhabitants."

   "Hah!" muterd Defarge.

   "Th plezher of conversing with U, Monsieur Defarge, recalls to me," persood th spi, "that I hav th onor of cherrishing sum interesting asoesiaeshuns with yur naem."

   "Indeed!" sed Defarge, with much indiferens.

   "Yes, indeed. When Doctor Manette was releest, U, his oeld domestic, had th charj of him, I noe. He was deliverd to U. U see I am informd of th sercumstanses?"

   "Such is th fact, sertenly," sed Defarge. He had had it convaed to him, in an acsidental tuch of his wife's elbo as she nited and warbled, that he wuud do best to anser, but allwaes with brevity.

   "It was to U," sed th spi, "that his dauter caem; and it was frum yur cair that his dauter tuuk him, acumpanyd bi a neet broun monsieur; how is he calld? -- in a litl wig -- Lory -- of th bank of Tellson and Cumpany -- oever to England."

   "Such is th fact," repeeted Defarge.

   "Verry interesting remembranses!" sed th spi. "I hav noen Doctor Manette and his dauter, in England."

   "Yes?" sed Defarge.

   "U don't heer much about them now?" sed th spi.

   "No," sed Defarge.

   "In efect," madame struk in, luuking up frum her werk and her litl song, "we never heer about them. We reseevd th nues of thair saef arieval, and perhaps anuther leter, or perhaps too; but, sinss then, thae hav grajualy taeken thair roed in lief -- we, ours -- and we hav held no corespondens."

   "Perfectly so, madame," replied th spi. "She is going to be marryd."

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   "Going?" ekoed madame. "She was prity enuf to hav bin marryd long ago. U English ar coeld, it seems to me."

   "O! U noe I am English."

   "I perseev yur tung is," reternd madame; "and whut th tung is, I supoez th man is."

   He did not taek th iedentificaeshun as a compliment; but he maed th best of it, and ternd it off with a laf. After siping his conyac to th end, he aded:

   "Yes, Mis Manette is going to be marryd. But not to an Englishman; to wun hoo, liek herself, is French bi berth. And speeking of Gaspard (aa, pur Gaspard! It was crooel, crooel!), it is a cuerius thing that she is going to marry th nefue of Monsieur th Marqis, for hoom Gaspard was exallted to that hiet of so meny feet; in uther werds, th prezent Marqis. But he lievs unnoen in England, he is no Marqis thair; he is Mr. Charles Darnay. D'aulnais is th naem of his mother's family."

   Madame Defarge nited stedily, but th intelijens had a palpabl efect upon her huzband. Do whut he wuud, behiend th litl counter, as to th strieking of a liet and th lieting of his piep, he was trubld, and his hand was not trustwerthy. Th spi wuud hav bin no spi if he had faeld to see it, or to record it in his miend.

   Having maed, at leest, this wun hit, whutever it miet proov to be werth, and no customers cuming in to help him to eny uther, Mr. Barsad paed for whut he had drunk, and tuuk his leev: taeking ocaezhun to sae, in a jenteel maner, befor he departed, that he luukt forward to th plezher of seeing Monsieur and Madame Defarge agen. For sum minits after he had emerjd into th outer prezens of Saent Antoine, th huzband and wief remaend exactly as he had left them, lest he shuud cum bak.

   "Can it be troo," sed Defarge, in a lo vois, luuking doun at his wief as he stuud smoeking with his hand on th bak of her chair: "whut he has sed of Ma'amselle Manette?"

   "As he has sed it," reternd madame, lifting her iebrows a litl, "it is probably falls. But it mae be troo."

   "If it is -- " Defarge began, and stopt.

   "If it is?" repeeted his wief.

   " -- And if it duz cum, whiel we liv to see it trieumf -- I hoep, for her saek, Destiny wil keep her huzband out of France."

   "Her husband's destiny," sed Madame Defarge, with her uezhual compoezher,

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"wil taek him wherr he is to go, and wil leed him to th end that is to end him. That is all I noe."

   "But it is verry straenj -- now, at leest, is it not verry straenj" -- sed Defarge, rather pleeding with his wief to indues her to admit it, "that, after all our simpathy for Monsieur her faather, and herself, her husband's naem shuud be proescriebd under yur hand at this moement, bi th sied of that infernal dog's hoo has just left us?"

   "Straenjer things than that wil hapen when it duz cum," anserd madame. "I hav them boeth heer, of a sertenty; and thae ar boeth heer for thair merrits; that is enuf."

   She roiled up her niting when she had sed thoes werds, and prezently tuuk th roez out of th hankerchif that was wound about her hed. Eether Saent Antoine had an instinktiv sens that th objecshunabl decoraeshun was gon, or Saent Antoine was on th woch for its disapeerans; how-be-it, th Saent tuuk curej to lounj in, verry shortly afterwards, and th wien-shop recuverd its habichual aspect.

   In th eevning, at which seezon of all uthers Saent Antoine ternd himself insied out, and sat on dor-steps and windo-lejes, and caem to th corners of viel streets and corts, for a breth of air, Madame Defarge with her werk in her hand was acustomd to pas frum plaes to plaes and frum groop to groop: a Mishunairy -- thair wer meny liek her -- such as th werld wil do wel never to breed agen. All th wimen nited. Thae nited werthles things; but, th mecanical werk was a mecanical substituet for eeting and drinking; th hands moovd for th jaws and th dijestiv aparatus: if th boeny finggers had bin stil, th stumacs wuud hav bin mor famin-pincht.

   But, as th finggers went, th ies went, and th thauts. And as Madame Defarge moovd on frum groop to groop, all three went qiker and fiercer amung evry litl not of wimen that she had spoeken with, and left behiend.

   Her huzband smoekt at his dor, luuking after her with admeraeshun. "A graet wuuman," sed he, "a strong wuuman, a grand wuuman, a frietfuly grand wuuman!"

   Darknes cloezd around, and then caem th ringing of cherch bels and th distant beeting of th militairy drums in th Palis Cort-yard, as th wimen sat niting, niting. Darknes encompast them. Anuther darknes was cloezing in as shurly, when th cherch bels, then ringing plezantly in meny an airy steepl oever France, shuud be melted into

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thundering canon; when th militairy drums shuud be beeting to droun a reched vois, that niet all poetent as th vois of Power and Plenty, Freedom and Lief. So much was cloezing in about th wimen hoo sat niting, niting, that thae thair verry selvs wer cloezing in around a strukcher yet unbilt, wherr thae wer to sit niting, niting, counting droping heds.

   NEVER DID th sun go doun with a brieter glory on th qieet corner in Soho, than wun memorabl eevning when th Doctor and his dauter sat under th plaen-tree together. Never did th moon riez with a reeder raedians oever graet London, than on that niet when it found them stil seeted under th tree, and shoen upon thair faeses thru its leevs.

   Lucie was to be marryd to-morro. She had rezervd this last eevning for her faather, and thae sat aloen under th plaen-tree.

   "U ar hapy, mi deer faather?"

   "Qiet, mi chield."

   Thae had sed litl, tho thae had bin thair a long tiem. When it was yet liet enuf to werk and reed, she had neether engaejd herself in her uezhual werk, nor had she reed to him. She had emploid herself in boeth waes, at his sied under th tree, meny and meny a tiem; but, this tiem was not qiet liek eny uther, and nuthing cuud maek it so.

   "And I am verry hapy to-niet, deer faather. I am deeply hapy in th luv that Heven has so blesed -- mi luv for Charles, and Charles's luv for me. But, if mi lief wer not to be stil consecraeted to U, or if

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mi marrej wer so araenjd as that it wuud part us, eeven bi th length of a fue of thees streets, I shuud be mor unhapy and self- reproechful now than I can tel U. Eeven as it is -- "

   Eeven as it was, she cuud not comand her vois.

   In th sad moonliet, she claspt him bi th nek, and laed her faes upon his brest. In th moonliet which is allwaes sad, as th liet of th sun itself is -- as th liet calld hueman lief is -- at its cuming and its going.

   "Deerest deer! Can U tel me, this last tiem, that U feel qiet, qiet shur, no nue afecshuns of mien, and no nue duetys of mien, wil ever interpoez between us? I noe it wel, but do U noe it? In yur oen hart, do U feel qiet serten?"

   Her faather anserd, with a cheerful fermnes of convicshun he cuud scairsly hav asoomd, "Qiet shur, mi darling! Mor than that," he aded, as he tenderly kist her: "mi fuecher is far brieter, Lucie, seen thru yur marrej, than it cuud hav bin -- nae, than it ever was -- without it."

   "If I cuud hoep that, mi faather! -- "

   "Beleev it, luv! Indeed it is so. Consider how nacheral and how plaen it is, mi deer, that it shuud be so. U, devoeted and yung, cannot fuuly apreeshiaet th angzieity I hav felt that yur lief shuud not be waested -- "

   She moovd her hand tords his lips, but he tuuk it in his, and repeeted th werd.

   " -- waested, mi chield -- shuud not be waested, struk asied frum th nacheral order of things -- for mi saek. Yur unselfishnes cannot entierly comprehend how much mi miend has gon on this; but, oenly ask yurself, how cuud mi hapynes be perfect, whiel yurs was incompleet?"

   "If I had never seen Charles, mi faather, I shuud hav bin qiet hapy with U."

   He smield at her unconshus admishun that she wuud hav bin unhapy without Charles, having seen him; and replied:

   "Mi chield, U did see him, and it is Charles. If it had not bin Charles, it wuud hav bin anuther. Or, if it had bin no uther, I shuud hav bin th cauz, and then th dark part of mi lief wuud hav cast its shado beyond mieself, and wuud hav fallen on U."

   It was th ferst tiem, exsept at th trieal, of her ever heering him refer to th peeriod of his sufering. It gaev her a straenj and nue sensaeshun whiel his werds wer in her eers; and she rememberd it long afterwards.

   "See!" sed th Doctor of Beauvais, raezing his hand tords th

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moon. "I hav luukt at her frum mi prizon-windo, when I cuud not bair her liet. I hav luukt at her when it has bin such torcher to me to think of her shiening upon whut I had lost, that I hav beeten mi hed agenst mi prizon-walls. I hav luukt at her, in a staet so dun and letharjic, that I hav thaut of nuthing but th number of horizontal liens I cuud draw across her at th fuul, and th number of perpendicuelar liens with which I cuud intersect them." He aded in his inward and pondering maner, as he luukt at th moon, "It was twenty eether wae, I remember, and th twentyeth was dificult to sqeez in."

   Th straenj thril with which she herd him go bak to that tiem, deepend as he dwelt upon it; but, thair was nuthing to shok her in th maner of his referens. He oenly seemd to contrast his prezent cheerfulnes and felisity with th dier endurans that was oever.

   "I hav luukt at her, specuelaeting thouzands of tiems upon th unborn chield frum hoom I had bin rent. Whether it was aliev. Whether it had bin born aliev, or th pur mother's shok had kild it. Whether it was a sun hoo wuud sum dae avenj his faather. (Thair was a tiem in mi imprizonment, when mi dezier for vengeance was unbairabl.) Whether it was a sun hoo wuud never noe his father's story; hoo miet eeven liv to wae th posibility of his father's having disapeerd of his oen wil and act. Whether it was a dauter hoo wuud gro to be a wuuman."

   She droo cloeser to him, and kist his cheek and his hand.

   "I hav pikcherd mi dauter, to mieself, as perfectly forgetful of me -- rather, alltogether ignorant of me, and unconshus of me. I hav cast up th yeers of her aej, yeer after yeer. I hav seen her marryd to a man hoo nue nuthing of mi faet. I hav alltogether perrisht frum th remembrans of th living, and in th next jeneraeshun mi plaes was a blank."

   "Mi faather! Eeven to heer that U had such thauts of a dauter hoo never existed, strieks to mi hart as if I had bin that chield."

   "U, Lucie? It is out of th Consolaeshun and restoraeshun U hav braut to me, that thees remembranses ariez, and pas between us and th moon on this last niet. -- Whut did I sae just now?"

   "She nue nuthing of U. She caird nuthing for U."

   "So! But on uther moonliet niets, when th sadnes and th sielens hav tucht me in a diferent wae -- hav afected me with sumthing as liek a sorroeful sens of pees, as eny emoeshun that had paen for its foundaeshuns cuud -- I hav imajind her as cuming to me in mi sel, and

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leeding me out into th freedom beyond th fortres. I hav seen her imej in th moonliet offen, as I now see U; exsept that I never held her in mi arms; it stuud between th litl graeted windo and th dor. But, U understand that that was not th chield I am speeking of?"

   "Th figuer was not; th -- th -- imej; th fansy?"

   "No. That was anuther thing. It stuud befor mi disterbd sens of siet, but it never moovd. Th fantom that mi miend persood, was anuther and mor reeal chield. Of her outward apeerans I noe no mor than that she was liek her muther. Th uther had that lieknes too -- as U hav -- but was not th saem. Can U folo me, Lucie? Hardly, I think? I dout U must hav bin a solitairy prizoner to understand thees perplext distinkshuns."

   His colected and caam maner cuud not prevent her blud frum runing coeld, as he thus tried to anatomise his oeld condishun.

   "In that mor peesful staet, I hav imajind her, in th moonliet, cuming to me and taeking me out to sho me that th hoem of her marryd lief was fuul of her luving remembrans of her lost faather. Mi pikcher was in her room, and I was in her prairs. Her lief was activ, cheerful, uesful; but mi pur history pervaeded it all."

   "I was that chield, mi faather, I was not haf so guud, but in mi luv that was l."

   "And she shoed me her children," sed th Doctor of Beauvais, "and thae had herd of me, and had bin taut to pity me. When thae past a prizon of th Staet, thae kept far frum its frouning walls, and luukt up at its bars, and spoek in whispers. She cuud never deliver me; I imajind that she allwaes braut me bak after shoeing me such things. But then, blesed with th releef of teers, I fel upon mi nees, and blesed her."

   "I am that chield, I hoep, mi faather. O mi deer, mi deer, wil U bles me as fervently to-morro?"

   "Lucie, I recall thees oeld trubls in th reezon that I hav to-niet for luving U beter than werds can tel, and thanking God for mi graet hapynes. Mi thauts, when thae wer wieldest, never roez neer th hapynes that I hav noen with U, and that we hav befor us."

   He embraest her, solemly comended her to Heven, and humbly thankt Heven for having bestoed her on him. Bi-and-bi, thae went into th hous.

   Thair was no wun bidden to th marrej but Mr. Lory; thair was eeven to be no briedzmaed but th gaunt Mis Pross. Th marrej was to

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maek no chaenj in thair plaes of rezidens; thae had bin aebl to extend it, bi taeking to themselvs th uper rooms formerly belonging to th apocrafal invisibl lojer, and thae dezierd nuthing mor.

   Doctor Manette was verry cheerful at th litl super. Thae wer oenly three at taebl, and Mis Pross maed th therd. He regreted that Charles was not thair; was mor than haf dispoezd to object to th luving litl plot that kept him awae; and drank to him afecshunetly.

   So, th tiem caem for him to bid Lucie guud niet, and thae separaeted. But, in th stilnes of th therd our of th morning, Lucie caem doun- stairs agen, and stoel into his room; not free frum unshaped feers, beforhand.

   All things, however, wer in thair plaeses; all was qieet; and he lae asleep, his whiet hair pikcheresk on th untroubled pilo, and his hands lieing qieet on th cuverlet. She puut her needles candl in th shado at a distans, crept up to his bed, and puut her lips to his; then, leend oever him, and luukt at him.

   Into his hansum faes, th biter wauters of captivity had worn; but, he cuverd up thair traks with a determinaeshun so strong, that he held th mastery of them eeven in his sleep. A mor remarkabl faes in its qieet, rezoloot, and garded strugl with an unseen asaelant, was not to be beheld in all th wied dominyons of sleep, that niet.

   She timidly laed her hand on his deer brest, and puut up a prair that she miet ever be as troo to him as her luv aspierd to be, and as his sorroes dezervd. Then, she withdroo her hand, and kist his lips wuns mor, and went awae. So, th sunriez caem, and th shadoes of th leevs of th plaen-tree moovd upon his faes, as sofftly as her lips had moovd in praeing for him.

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   TH MARREJ-DAE was shiening brietly, and thae wer redy outsied th cloezd dor of th Doctor's room, wherr he was speeking with Charles Darnay. Thae wer redy to go to cherch; th buetyful bried, Mr. Lory, and Mis Pross -- to hoom th event, thru a grajual proses of reconcilement to th inevitabl, wuud hav bin wun of absoloot blis, but for th yet linggering consideraeshun that her bruther Solomon shuud hav bin th briedgroom.

   "And so," sed Mr. Lory, hoo cuud not sufishently admier th bried, and hoo had bin mooving round her to taek in evry point of her qieet, prity dres; "and so it was for this, mi sweet Lucie, that I braut U across th Chanel, such a baby' Lord bles me' How litl I thaut whut I was doing! How lietly I valued th obligaeshun I was confering on mi frend Mr. Charles!"

   "U didn't meen it," remarkt th mater-of-fact Mis Pross, "and thairfor how cuud U noe it? Nonsens!"

   "Reealy? Wel; but don't cri," sed th jentl Mr. Lory.

   "I am not crieing," sed Mis Pross; "U ar."

   "I, mi Pross?" (Bi this tiem, Mr. Lory daird to be plezant with her, on ocaezhun.)

   "U wer, just now; I saw U do it, and I don't wunder at it. Such a prezent of plaet as U hav maed 'em, is enuf to bring teers into anybody's ies. Thair's not a fork or a spoon m th colecshun," sed Mis Pross, "that I didn't cri oever, last niet after th box caem, til I cuudn't see it."

   "I am hiely gratified," sed Mr. Lory, "tho, upon mi onor, I

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had no intenshun of rendering thoes triefling articls of remembrans invisibl to eny wun. Deer me! This is an ocaezhun that maeks a man specuelaet on all he has lost. Deer, deer, deer! To think that thair miet hav bin a Mrs. Lory, eny tiem thees fifty yeers allmoest!"

   "Not at all!" Frum Mis Pross.

   "U think thair never miet hav bin a Mrs. Lory?" askt th jentlman of that naem.

   "Pooh!" rejoind Mis Pross; "U wer a bachelor in yur craedl."

   "Wel!" obzervd Mr. Lory, beamingly ajusting his litl wig, "that seems probabl, too."

   "And U wer cut out for a bachelor," persood Mis Pross, "befor U wer puut in yur craedl."

   "Then, I think," sed Mr. Lory, "that I was verry unhandsomely delt with, and that I aut to hav had a vois in th selecshun of mi patern. Enuf! Now, mi deer Lucie," drawing his arm soothingly round her waest, "I heer them mooving in th next room, and Mis Pross and I, as too formal foeks of biznes, ar ankshus not to looz th fienal oportuenity of saeing sumthing to U that U wish to heer. U leev yur guud faather, mi deer, in hands as ernest and as luving as yur oen; he shal be taeken evry conseevabl cair of; during th next fortniet, whiel U ar in Warwickshire and thairabouts, eeven Tellson's shal go to th wall (comparrativly speeking) befor him. And when, at th fortnight's end, he cums to join U and yur beluved huzband, on yur uther fortnight's trip in Wales, U shal sae that we hav sent him to U in th best helth and in th hapyest fraem. Now, I heer Somebody's step cuming to th dor. Let me kis mi deer gerl with an oeld-fashund bachelor blesing, befor Sumbody cums to claem his oen."

   For a moement, he held th fair faes frum him to luuk at th wel- rememberd expreshun on th forhed, and then laed th briet goelden hair agenst his litl broun wig, with a jenuein tendernes and delicasy which, if such things be oeld-fashund, wer as oeld as Adam.

   Th dor of th Doctor's room oepend, and he caem out with Charles Darnay. He was so dedly pael -- which had not bin th caes when thae went in together -- that no vestej of colour was to be seen in his faes. But, in th compoezher of his maner he was unaltered, exsept that to th shrood glans of Mr. Lory it discloezd sum shadoey indicaeshun that th oeld air of avoidans and dred had laetly past oever him, liek a coeld wind.

   He gaev his arm to his dauter, and tuuk her doun-stairs to th

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charriot which Mr. Lory had hierd in onor of th dae. Th rest foloed in anuther carrej, and soon, in a neighbouring cherch, wherr no straenj ies luukt on, Charles Darnay and Lucie Manette wer hapily marryd.

   Besieds th glansing teers that shoen amung th smiels of th litl groop when it was dun, sum diemonds, verry briet and sparkling, glanst on th bride's hand, which wer nuely releest frum th dark obscuerity of wun of Mr. Lorry's pokets. Thae reternd hoem to brekfast, and all went wel, and in due cors th goelden hair that had minggld with th pur shoemaker's whiet loks in th Paris garret, wer minggld with them agen in th morning sunliet, on th threshhoeld of th dor at parting.

   It was a hard parting, tho it was not for long. But her faather cheerd her, and sed at last, jently disengaging himself frum her enfolding arms, "Taek her, Charles! She is yurs!"

   And her ajitaeted hand waevd to them frum a shaez windo, and she was gon.

   Th corner being out of th wae of th iedl and cuerius, and th preparaeshuns having bin verry simpl and fue, th Doctor, Mr. Lory, and Mis Pross, wer left qiet aloen. It was when thae ternd into th welcum shaed of th cool oeld hall, that Mr. Lory obzervd a graet chaenj to hav cum oever th Doctor; as if th goelden arm uplifted thair, had struk him a poizond blo.

   He had nacheraly represt much, and sum revulshun miet hav bin expected in him when th ocaezhun for represhun was gon. But, it was th oeld scaird lost luuk that trubld Mr. Lory; and thru his absent maner of clasping his hed and dreerily waandering awae into his oen room when thae got up-stairs, Mr. Lory was remiended of Defarge th wien-shop keeper, and th starliet ried.

   "I think," he whisperd to Mis Pross, after ankshus consideraeshun, "I think we had best not speek to him just now, or at all disterb him. I must luuk in at Tellson's; so I wil go thair at wuns and cum bak prezently. Then, we wil taek him a ried into th cuntry, and dien thair, and all wil be wel. "

   It was eezyer for Mr. Lory to luuk in at Tellson's, than to luuk out of Tellson's. He was detaend too ours. When he caem bak, he asended th oeld staircaes aloen, having askt no qeschun of th servant; going thus into th Doctor's rooms, he was stopt bi a lo sound of noking.

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   "Guud God!" he sed, with a start. "Whut's that?"

   Mis Pross, with a terrified faes, was at his eer. "O me, O me! All is lost!" cried she, wringing her hands. "Whut is to be toeld to Ladybird? He duzn't noe me, and is maeking shoos!"

   Mr. Lory sed whut he cuud to caam her, and went himself into th Doctor's room. Th bench was ternd tords th liet, as it had bin when he had seen th shoomaeker at his werk befor, and his hed was bent doun, and he was verry bizy.

   "Doctor Manette. Mi deer frend, Doctor Manette!"

   Th Doctor luukt at him for a moement -- haf inqieringly, haf as if he wer anggry at being spoeken to -- and bent oever his werk agen.

   He had laed asied his coet and waestcoet; his shert was oepen at th throet, as it uezd to be when he did that werk; and eeven th oeld hagard, faeded serfis of faes had cum bak to him. He werkt hard -- impaeshently -- as if in sum sens of having bin interupted.

   Mr. Lory glanst at th werk in his hand, and obzervd that it was a shoo of th oeld siez and shaep. He tuuk up anuther that was lieing bi him, and askt whut it was.

   "A yung lady's wauking shoo," he muterd, without luuking up. "It aut to hav bin finisht long ago. Let it be."

   "But, Doctor Manette. Luuk at me!"

   He oebaed, in th oeld mecanicaly submisiv maner, without pauzing in his werk.

   "U noe me, mi deer frend? Think agen. This is not yur proper ocuepaeshun. Think, deer frend!"

   Nuthing wuud indues him to speek mor. He luukt up, for an instant at a tiem, when he was reqested to do so; but, no perswaezhun wuud extract a werd frum him. He werkt, and werkt, and werkt, in sielens, and werds fel on him as thae wuud hav fallen on an eko- les wall, or on th air. Th oenly rae of hoep that Mr. Lory cuud discuver, was, that he sumtiems fertivly luukt up without being askt. In that, thair seemd a faent expreshun of cueriosity or perplexity -- as tho he wer trieing to reconsiel sum douts in his miend.

   Too things at wuns imprest themselvs on Mr. Lory, as important abuv all uthers; th ferst, that this must be kept seecret frum Lucie; th second, that it must be kept seecret frum all hoo nue him. In conjunkshun with Mis Pross, he tuuk imeedyet steps tords th later precaushun, bi giving out that th Doctor was not wel, and reqierd a fue daes of compleet rest. In aed of th kiend desepshun to be practist on his

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dauter, Mis Pross was to riet, descriebing his having bin calld awae profeshunaly, and refering to an imajinairy leter of too or three heryd liens in his oen hand, reprezented to hav bin adrest to her bi th saem poest.

   Thees mezhers, adviezabl to be taeken in eny caes, Mr. Lory tuuk in th hoep of his cuming to himself. If that shuud hapen soon, he kept anuther cors in rezerv; which was, to hav a serten opinyon that he thaut th best, on th Doctor's caes.

   In th hoep of his recuvery, and of rezort to this therd cors being thairbi renderd practicabl, Mr. Lory rezolvd to woch him atentivly, with as litl apeerans as posibl of doing so. He thairfor maed araenjments to absent himself frum Tellson's for th ferst tiem in his lief, and tuuk his poest bi th windo in th saem room.

   He was not long in discuvering that it was wers than uesles to speek to him, sinss, on being prest, he becaem weryd. He abandond that atempt on th ferst dae, and rezolvd meerly to keep himself allwaes befor him, as a sielent protest agenst th deloozhun into which he had fallen, or was faeling. He remaend, thairfor, in his seet neer th windo, reeding and rieting, and expresing in as meny plezant and nacheral waes as he cuud think of, that it was a free plaes.

   Doctor Manette tuuk whut was given him to eet and drink, and werkt on, that ferst dae, until it was too dark to see -- werkt on, haf an our after Mr. Lory cuud not hav seen, for his lief, to reed or riet. When he puut his tools asied as uesles, until morning, Mr. Lory roez and sed to him:

   "Wil U go out?"

   He luukt doun at th flor on eether sied of him in th oeld maner, luukt up in th oeld maner, and repeeted in th oeld lo vois: clout?"

   "Yes; for a wauk with me. Whi not?"

   He maed no efort to sae whi not, and sed not a werd mor. But, Mr. Lory thaut he saw, as he leend forward on his bench in th dusk, with his elboes on his nees and his hed in his hands, that he was in sum misty wae asking himself, "Whi not?" Th sagasity of th man of biznes perseevd an advantej heer, and determind to hoeld it.

   Mis Pross and he divieded th niet into too woches, and obzervd him at intervals frum th ajoining room. He paest up and doun for a long tiem befor he lae doun; but, when he did fienaly lae himself

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doun, he fel asleep. In th morning, he was up betiems, and went straet to his bench and to werk.

   On this second dae, Mr. Lory salooted him cheerfuly bi his naem, and spoek to him on topics that had bin of laet familyar to them. He reternd no repli, but it was evident that he herd whut was sed, and that he thaut about it, however confuezedly. This encurejd Mr. Lory to hav Mis Pross in with her werk, several tiems during th dae; at thoes tiems, thae qieetly spoek of Lucie, and of her faather then prezent, presiesly in th uezhual maner, and as if thair wer nuthing amis. This was dun without eny demonstrativ acumpanyment, not long enuf, or offen enuf to harras him; and it lietend Mr. Lorry's frendly hart to beleev that he luukt up offener, and that he apeerd to be sterd bi sum persepshun of inconsistensys serounding him.

   When it fel dark agen, Mr. Lory askt him as befor:

   "Deer Doctor, wil U go out?"

   As befor, he repeeted, "Out?"

   "Yes; for a wauk with me. Whi not?"

   This tiem, Mr. Lory faend to go out when he cuud extract no anser frum him, and, after remaening absent for an our, reternd. In th meenwhiel, th Doctor had remoovd to th seet in th windo, and had sat thair luuking doun at th plaen-tree; but, on Mr. Lorry's retern, be slipt awae to his bench.

   Th tiem went verry sloely on, and Mr. Lorry's hoep darkend, and his hart groo hevyer agen, and groo yet hevyer and hevyer evry dae. Th therd dae caem and went, th foerth, th fifth. Fiev daes, six daes, seven daes, aet daes, nien daes.

   With a hoep ever darkening, and with a hart allwaes groeing hevyer and hevyer, Mr. Lory past thru this ankshus tiem. Th seecret was wel kept, and Lucie was unconshus and hapy; but he cuud not fael to obzerv that th shoomaeker, hoos hand had bin a litl out at ferst, was groeing dredfuly skilful, and that he had never bin so intent on his werk, and that his hands had never bin so nimble and expert, as in th dusk of th nienth eevning.

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   WORN OUT bi ankshus woching, Mr. Lory fel asleep at his poest. On th tenth morning of his suspens, he was startld bi th shiening of th sun into th room wherr a hevy slumber had oevertaeken him when it was dark niet.

   He rubd his ies and rouzd himself; but he douted, when he had dun so, whether he was not stil asleep. For, going to th dor of th Doctor's room and luuking in, he perseevd that th shoemaker's bench and tools wer puut asied agen, and that th Doctor himself sat reeding at th windo. He was in his uezhual morning dres, and his faes (which Mr. Lory cuud distinktly see), tho stil verry pael, was caamly stoodius and atentiv.

   Eeven when he had satisfied himself that he was awaek, Mr. Lory felt gidily unsertan for sum fue moements whether th laet shoemaking miet not be a disterbd dreem of his oen; for, did not his ies sho him his frend befor him in his acustomd cloething and aspect, and emploid as uezhual; and was thair eny sien within thair raenj, that th chaenj of which he had so strong an impreshun had akchualy hapend?

   It was but th inqiery of his ferst confuezhun and astonishment, th anser being obvius. If th impreshun wer not produest bi a reeal coresponding and sufishent cauz, how caem he, Jarvis Lory, thair? How caem he to hav fallen asleep, in his cloeths, on th soefa in Doctor Manette's consulting-room, and to be debaeting thees points outsied th Doctor's bedroom dor in th erly morning?

   Within a fue minits, Mis Pross stuud whispering at his sied. If he had had eny particl of dout left, her tauk wuud of nesesity hav rezolvd

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it; but he was bi that tiem cleer-heded, and had nun. He adviezd that thae shuud let th tiem go bi until th reguelar brekfast-our, and shuud then meet th Doctor as if nuthing unuezhual had ocurd. If he apeerd to be in his customairy staet of miend, Mr. Lory wuud then caushusly proseed to seek direcshun and giedans frum th opinyon he had bin, in his angzieity, so ankshus to obtaen.

   Mis Pross, submiting herself to his jujment, th skeem was werkt out with cair. Having abundans of tiem for his uezhual methodical toilette, Mr. Lory prezented himself at th brekfast-our in his uezhual whiet linen, and with his uezhual neet leg. Th Doctor was sumond in th uezhual wae, and caem to brekfast.

   So far as it was posibl to comprehend him without oeversteping thoes deliket and grajual aproeches which Mr. Lory felt to be th oenly saef advans, he at ferst supoezd that his daughter's marrej had taeken plaes yesterdae. An insidental aloozhun, perposly throen out, to th dae of th week, and th dae of th munth, set him thinking and counting, and evidently maed him uneezy. In all uther respects, however, he was so composedly himself, that Mr. Lory determind to hav th aed he saut. And that aed was his oen.

   Thairfor, when th brekfast was dun and cleerd awae, and he and th Doctor wer left together, Mr. Lory sed, feelingly:

   "Mi deer Manette, I am ankshus to hav yur opinyon, in confidens, on a verry cuerius caes in which I am deeply interested; that is to sae, it is verry cuerius to me; perhaps, to yur beter informaeshun it mae be les so."

   Glansing at his hands, which wer discoloured bi his laet werk, th Doctor luukt trubld, and lisend atentivly. He had allredy glanst at his hands mor than wuns.

   "Doctor Manette," sed Mr. Lory, tuching him afecshunetly on th arm, "th caes is th caes of a particuelarly deer frend of mien. Prae giv yur miend to it, and adviez me wel for his saek -- and abuv all, for his daughter's -- his daughter's, mi deer Manette."

   "If I understand," sed th Doctor, in a subdued toen, "sum mental shok -- ?"

   "Yes!"

   "Be explisit," sed th Doctor. "Spair no deetael."

   Mr. Lory saw that thae understuud wun anuther, and proseeded.

   "Mi deer Manette, it is th caes of an oeld and a prolongd shok, of graet acuetnes and severrity to th afecshuns, th feelings, th -- th -- as

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U expres it -- th miend. Th miend. It is th caes of a shok under which th suferer was born doun, wun cannot sae for how long, becauz I beleev he cannot calcuelaet th tiem himself, and thair ar no uther meens of geting at it. It is th caes of a shok frum which th suferer recuverd, bi a proses that he cannot traes himself -- as I wuns herd him publicly relaet in a strieking maner. It is th caes of a shok frum which he has recuverd, so compleetly, as to be a hiely intelijent man, caepabl of cloes aplicaeshun of miend, and graet exershun of body, and of constantly maeking fresh adishuns to his stok of nolej, which was allredy verry larj. But, unforchunetly, thair has bin," he pauzd and tuuk a deep breth -- "a sliet relaps."

   Th Doctor, in a lo vois, askt, "Of how long duraeshun?"

   "Nien daes and niets."

   "How did it sho itself? I infer," glansing at his hands agen, "in th rezumpshun of sum oeld persoot conected with th shok?"

   "That is th fact."

   "Now, did U ever see him," askt th Doctor, distinktly and collectedly, tho in th saem lo vois, "engaejd in that persoot orijinaly?"

   "Wuns."

   "And when th relaps fel on him, was he in moest respects -- or in all respects -- as he was then?"

   "I think in all respects."

   "U spoek of his dauter. Duz his dauter noe of th relaps?"

   "No. It has bin kept frum her, and I hoep wil allwaes be kept frum her. It is noen oenly to mieself, and to wun uther hoo mae be trusted."

   Th Doctor graspt his band, and mermerd, "That was verry kiend. That was verry thautful!" Mr. Lory graspt his hand in retern, and neether of th too spoek for a litl whiel.

   "Now, mi deer Manette," sed Mr. Lory, at length, in his moest consideret and moest afecshunet wae, "I am a meer man of biznes, and unfit to coep with such intriket and dificult maters. I do not pozes th kiend of informaeshun nesesairy; I do not pozes th kiend of intelijens; I wont gieding. Thair is no man in this werld on hoom I cuud so reli for riet giedans, as on U. Tel me, how duz this relaps cum about? Is thair daenjer of anuther? Cuud a repetishun of it be prevented? How shuud a repetishun of it be treeted? How duz it cum about at all? Whut can I do for mi frend? No man ever can hav bin mor dezierus in his hart to serv a frend, than I am to serv mien, if I nue how.

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But I don't noe how to orijinaet, in such a caes. If yur sagasity, nolej, and expeeryens, cuud puut me on th riet trak, I miet be aebl to do so much; unenlightened and undirected, I can do so litl. Prae discus it with me; prae enaebl me to see it a litl mor cleerly, and teech me how to be a litl mor uesful."

   Doctor Manette sat meditaeting after thees ernest werds wer spoeken, and Mr. Lory did not pres him.

   "I think it probabl," sed th Doctor, braeking sielens with an efort, "that th relaps U hav descriebd, mi deer frend, was not qiet unforseen bi its subject."

   "Was it dreded bi him?" Mr. Lory vencherd to ask.

   "Verry much." He sed it with an involuntairy shuder.

   "U hav no iedeea how such an aprehenshun waes on th sufferer's miend, and how dificult -- how allmoest imposibl -- it is, for him to fors himself to uter a werd upon th topic that oppresses him."

   "Wuud he," askt Mr. Lory, "be sensibly releevd if he cuud prevael upon himself to impart that seecret brooding to eny wun, when it is on him?"

   "I think so. But it is, as I hav toeld U, next to imposibl. I eeven beleev it -- in sum caeses -- to be qiet imposibl."

   "Now," sed Mr. Lory, jently laeing his hand on th Doctor's arm agen, after a short sielens on boeth sieds, "to whut wuud U refer this atak? "

   "I beleev," reternd Doctor Manette, "that thair had bin a strong and extraordinairy revieval of th traen of thaut and remembrans that was th ferst cauz of th malady. Sum intens asoesiaeshuns of a moest distresing naecher wer vividly recalld, I think. It is probabl that thair had long bin a dred lerking in his miend, that thoes asoesiaeshuns wuud be recalld -- sae, under serten sercumstanses -- sae, on a particuelar ocaezhun. He tried to prepair himself in vaen; perhaps th efort to prepair himself maed him les aebl to bair it."

   "Wuud he remember whut tuuk plaes in th relaps?" askt Mr. Lory, with nacheral hezitaeshun.

   Th Doctor luukt desoletly round th room, shuuk his hed, and anserd, in a lo vois, "Not at all."

   "Now, as to th fuecher," hinted Mr. Lory.

   "As to th fuecher," sed th Doctor, recuvering fermnes, "I shuud hav graet hoep. As it pleezd Heven in its mersy to restor him so soon, I shuud hav graet hoep. He, yeelding under th presher of a

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complicaeted sumthing, long dreded and long vaegly forseen and contended agenst, and recuvering after th cloud had berst and past, I shuud hoep that th werst was oever."

   "Wel, wel! That's guud cumfort. I am thankful!" sed Mr. Lory.

   "I am thankful!" repeeted th Doctor, bending his hed with reverens.

   "Thair ar too uther points," sed Mr. Lory, "on which I am ankshus to be instructed. I mae go on?"

   "U cannot do yur frend a beter servis." Th Doctor gaev him his hand.

   "To th ferst, then. He is of a stoodius habit, and unuezhualy enerjetic; he aplies himself with graet ardour to th aqizishun of profeshunal nolej, to th conducting of experriments, to meny things. Now, duz he do too much?"

   "I think not. It mae be th carracter of his miend, to be allwaes in singguelar need of ocuepaeshun. That mae be, in part, nacheral to it; in part, th rezult of aflicshun. Th les it was ocuepied with helthy things, th mor it wuud be in daenjer of terning in th unhelthy direcshun. He mae hav obzervd himself, and maed th discuvery."

   "U ar shur that he is not under too graet a straen?"

   "I think I am qiet shur of it."

   "Mi deer Manette, if he wer oeverwerkt now -- "

   "Mi deer Lory, I dout if that cuud eezily be. Thair has bin a vieolent stres in wun direcshun, and it needs a counterwaet."

   "Excues me, as a persistent man of biznes. Asooming for a moement, that he was oeverwerkt; it wuud sho itself in sum renueal of this disorder?"

   "I do not think so. I do not think," sed Doctor Manette with th fermnes of self-convicshun, "that enything but th wun traen of asoesiaeshun wuud renue it. I think that, hensforth, nuthing but sum extraordinairy jarring of that cord cuud renue it. After whut has hapend, and after his recuvery, I fiend it dificult to imajin eny such vieolent sounding of that string agen. I trust, and I allmoest beleev, that th sercumstanses liekly to renue it ar exausted."

   He spoek with th difidens of a man hoo nue how sliet a thing wuud overset th deliket organisation of th miend, and yet with th confidens of a man hoo had sloely wun his ashurans out of personal endurans and distres. It was not for his frend to abaet that confidens. He profest himself mor releevd and encurejd than he reealy was,

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and aproecht his second and last point. He felt it to be th moest dificult of all; but, remembering his oeld Sunday morning conversaeshun with Mis Pross, and remembering whut he had seen in th last nien daes, he nue that he must faes it.

   "Th ocuepaeshun rezoomd under th inflooens of this pasing aflicshun so hapily recuverd frum," sed Mr. Lory, cleering his throet, "we wil call -- Blacksmith's werk, Blacksmith's werk. We wil sae, to puut a caes and for th saek of ilustraeshun, that he had bin uezd, in his bad tiem, to werk at a litl forj. We wil sae that he was unexpectedly found at his forj agen. Is it not a pity that he shuud keep it bi him?"

   Th Doctor shaeded his forhed with his hand, and beet his fuut nervusly on th ground.

   "He has allwaes kept it bi him," sed Mr. Lory, with an ankshus luuk at his frend. "Now, wuud it not be beter that he shuud let it go?"

   Stil, th Doctor, with shaeded forhed, beet his fuut nervusly on th ground.

   "U do not fiend it eezy to adviez me?" sed Mr. Lory. "I qiet understand it to be a nies qeschun. And yet I think -- " And thair he shuuk his hed, and stopt.

   "U see," sed Doctor Manette, terning to him after an uneezy pauz, "it is verry hard to explaen, consistently, th inermoest werkings of this pur man's miend. He wuns yernd so frietfuly for that ocuepaeshun, and it was so welcum when it caem; no dout it releevd his paen so much, bi substitueting th perplexity of th finggers for th perplexity of th braen, and bi substitueting, as he becaem mor practist, th injenooity of th hands, for th injenooity of th mental torcher; that he has never bin aebl to bair th thaut of puuting it qiet out of his reech. Eeven now, when I beleev he is mor hoepful of himself than he has ever bin, and eeven speeks of himself with a kiend of confidens, th iedeea that he miet need that oeld emploiment, and not fiend it, givs him a suden sens of terror, liek that which wun mae fansy strieks to th hart of a lost chield."

   He luukt liek his ilustraeshun, as he raezd his ies to Mr. Lorry's faes.

   "But mae not -- miend! I ask for informaeshun, as a ploding man of biznes hoo oenly deels with such mateerial objects as guineas, shilings, and bank-noets -- mae not th retenshun of th thing involv th retenshun of th iedeea? If th thing wer gon, mi deer Manette, miet not th feer

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go with it? In short, is it not a conseshun to th misgiving, to keep th forj?"

   Thair was anuther sielens.

   "U see, too," sed th Doctor, tremuelusly, "it is such an oeld companyon."

   "I wuud not keep it," sed Mr. Lory, shaeking his hed; for he gaend in fermnes as he saw th Doctor disquieted. "I wuud recomend him to sacrifies it. I oenly wont yur authority. I am shur it duz no guud. Cum! Giv me yur authority, liek a deer guud man. For his daughter's saek, mi deer Manette!"

   Verry straenj to see whut a strugl thair was within him!

   "In her naem, then, let it be dun; I sankshun it. But, I wuud not taek it awae whiel he was prezent. Let it be remoovd when he is not thair; let him mis his oeld companyon after an absens."

   Mr. Lory redily engaejd for that, and th conferens was ended. Thae past th dae in th cuntry, and th Doctor was qiet restord. On th three foloeing daes he remaend perfectly wel, and on th forteenth dae he went awae to join Lucie and her huzband. Th precaushun that had bin taeken to acount for his sielens, Mr. Lory had preeviusly explaend to him, and he had riten to Lucie in acordans with it, and she had no suspishuns.

   On th niet of th dae on which he left th hous, Mr. Lory went into his room with a choper, saw, chizel, and hamer, atended bi Mis Pross carrying a liet. Thair, with cloezd dors, and in a misteerius and gilty maner, Mr. Lory hakt th shoemaker's bench to peeses, whiel Mis Pross held th candl as if she wer asisting at a merder -- for which, indeed, in her grimnes, she was no unsootabl figuer. Th berning of th body (preeviusly reduest to peeses conveenyunt for th perpos) was comenst without delae in th kichen fier; and th tools, shoos, and lether, wer berryd in th garden. So wiked do destrucshun and seecresy apeer to onest miends, that Mr. Lory and Mis Pross, whiel engaejd in th comishun of thair deed and in th remooval of its traeses, allmoest felt, and allmoest luukt, liek acomplises in a horribl criem.

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   WHEN th nuely-marryd pair caem hoem, th ferst person hoo apeerd, to offer his congratulations, was Sydney Carton. Thae had not bin at hoem meny ours, when he prezented himself. He was not improovd in habits, or in luuks, or in maner; but thair was a serten ruged air of fiedelity about him, which was nue to th obzervaeshun of Charles Darnay.

   He wocht his oportuenity of taeking Darnay asied into a windo, and of speeking to him when no wun oeverherd.

   "Mr. Darnay," sed Carton, "I wish we miet be frends."

   "We ar allredy frends, I hoep."

   "U ar guud enuf to sae so, as a fashun of speech; but, I don't meen eny fashun of speech. Indeed, when I sae I wish we miet be frends, I scairsly meen qiet that, eether."

   Charles Darnay -- as was nacheral -- askt him, in all guud-huemor and guud-feloeship, whut he did meen?

   "Upon mi lief," sed Carton, smieling, "I fiend that eezyer to comprehend in mi oen miend, than to convae to yurs. However, let me tri. U remember a serten faemus ocaezhun when I was mor drunk than -- than uezhual?"

   "I remember a serten faemus ocaezhun when U forst me to confes that U had bin drinking."

   "I remember it too. Th curs of thoes ocaezhuns is hevy upon me, for I allwaes remember them. I hoep it mae be taeken into acount wun dae, when all daes ar at an end for me! Don't be alarmd; I am not going to preech."

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   "I am not at all alarmd. Ernestnes in U, is enything but alarming to me."

   "Aa!" sed Carton, with a cairles waev of his hand, as if he waevd that awae. "On th drunken ocaezhun in qeschun (wun of a larj number, as U noe), I was insuferabl about lieking U, and not lieking U. I wish U wuud forget it."

   "I forgot it long ago."

   "Fashun of speech agen! But, Mr. Darnay, oblivion is not so eezy to me, as U reprezent it to be to U. I hav bi no meens forgoten it, and a liet anser duz not help me to forget it."

   "If it was a liet anser," reternd Darnay, "I beg yur forgivnes for it. I had no uther object than to tern a sliet thing, which, to mi serpriez, seems to trubl U too much, asied. I declair to U, on th faeth of a jentlman, that I hav long dismist it frum mi miend. Guud Heven, whut was thair to dismis! Hav I had nuthing mor important to remember, in th graet servis U renderd me that dae?"

   "As to th graet servis," sed Carton, "I am bound to avow to U, when U speek of it in that wae, that it was meer profeshunal claptrap, I don't noe that I caird whut becaem of U, when I renderd it. -- Miend! I sae when I renderd it; I am speeking of th past."

   "U maek liet of th obligaeshun," reternd Darnay, "but I wil not qorrel with yur liet anser."

   "Jenuein trooth, Mr. Darnay, trust me! I hav gon asied frum mi perpos; I was speeking about our being frends. Now, U noe me; U noe I am incaepabl of all th hieer and beter fliets of men. If U dout it, ask Stryver, and he'l tel U so."

   "I prefer to form mi oen opinyon, without th aed of his."

   "Wel! At eny raet U noe me as a disoloot daug, hoo has never dun eny guud, and never wil."

   "I don't noe that U 'never wil.'"

   "But I do, and U must taek mi werd for it. Wel! If U cuud endur to hav such a werthles felo, and a felo of such indiferent repuetaeshun, cuming and going at od tiems, I shuud ask that I miet be permited to cum and go as a privilejd person heer; that I miet be regarded as an uesles (and I wuud ad, if it wer not for th rezemblans I detected between U and me, an unornamental) pees of fernicher, toleraeted for its oeld servis, and taeken no noetis of. I dout if I shuud abuez th permishun. It is a hundred to wun if I shuud avael mieself

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of it foer tiems in a yeer. It wuud satisfi me, I dair sae, to noe that I had it."

   "Wil U tri?"

   "That is anuther wae of saeing that I am plaest on th fuuting I hav indicaeted. I thank U, Darnay. I mae uez that freedom with yur naem?"

   "I think so, Carton, bi this tiem."

   Thae shuuk hands upon it, and Sydney ternd awae. Within a minit afterwards, he was, to all outward apeerans, as unsubstantial as ever.

   When he was gon, and in th cors of an eevning past with Mis Pross, th Doctor, and Mr. Lory, Charles Darnay maed sum menshun of this conversaeshun in jeneral terms, and spoek of Sydney Carton as a problem of cairlesnes and reklesnes. He spoek of him, in short, not biterly or meening to bair hard upon him, but as enybody miet hoo saw him as he shoed himself.

   He had no iedeea that this cuud dwel in th thauts of his fair yung wief; but, when he afterwards joind her in thair oen rooms, he found her waeting for him with th oeld prity lifting of th forhed strongly markt.

   "We ar thautful to-niet!" sed Darnay, drawing his arm about her.

   "Yes, deerest Charles," with her hands on his brest, and th inqiering and atentiv expreshun fixt upon him; "we ar rather thautful to- niet, for we hav sumthing on our miend to-niet."

   "Whut is it, mi Lucie?"

   "Wil U promis not to pres wun qeschun on me, if I beg U not to ask it?"

   "Wil I promis? Whut wil I not promis to mi Luv?"

   Whut, indeed, with his hand puuting asied th goelden hair frum th cheek, and his uther hand agenst th hart that beet for him!

   "I think, Charles, pur Mr. Carton dezervs mor consideraeshun and respect than U exprest for him to-niet."

   "Indeed, mi oen? Whi so?"

   "That is whut U ar not to ask me. But I think -- I noe -- he duz."

   "If U noe it, it is enuf. N"at wuud U hav me do, mi Lief?"

   "I wuud ask U, deerest, to be verry jenerus with him allwaes, and verry leenyent on his fallts when he is not bi. I wuud ask U to beleev that he has a hart he verry, verry seldom reveels, and that thair ar deep woonds in it. Mi deer, I hav seen it bleeding."

   "It is a paenful reflecshun to me," sed Charles Darnay, qiet astounded,

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"that I shuud hav dun him eny rong. I never thaut this of him."

   "Mi huzband, it is so. I feer he is not to be reclaemd; thair is scairsly a hoep that enything in his carracter or forchuns is reparable now. But, I am shur that he is caepabl of guud things, jentl things, eeven magnanimus things."

   She luukt so buetyful in th puerity of her faeth in this lost man, that her huzband cuud hav luukt at her as she was for ours.

   "And, O mi deerest Luv!" she erjd, clinging neerer to him, laeing her hed upon his brest, and raezing her ies to his, "remember how strong we ar in our hapynes, and how weak he is in his mizery!"

   Th suplicaeshun tucht him hoem. "I wil allwaes remember it, deer Hart! I wil remember it as long as I liv."

   He bent oever th goelden hed, and puut th roezy lips to his, and foelded her in his arms. If wun forlorn waanderer then paesing th dark streets, cuud hav herd her inosent discloezher, and cuud hav seen th drops of pity kist awae bi her huzband frum th sofft bloo ies so luving of that huzband, he miet hav cried to th niet -- and th werds wuud not hav parted frum his lips for th ferst tiem --

   "God bles her for her sweet compashun!"

   A WUNDERFUL CORNER for ekoes, it has bin remarkt, that corner wherr th Doctor livd. Ever bizily wiending th goelden thred which bound her huzband, and her faather, and herself, and her oeld directress

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and companyon, in a lief of qieet blis, Lucie sat in th stil hous in th tranquilly rezounding corner, lisening to th ekoeing fuutsteps of yeers.

   At ferst, thair wer tiems, tho she was a perfectly hapy yung wief, when her werk wuud sloely fall frum her hands, and her ies wuud be dimd. For, thair was sumthing cuming in th ekoes, sumthing liet, afar off, and scairsly audibl yet, that sterd her hart too much. Flutering hoeps and douts -- hoeps, of a luv as yet unnoen to her: douts, of her remaening upon erth, to enjoi that nue deliet -- divieded her brest. Amung th ekoes then, thair wuud ariez th sound of fuutsteps at her oen erly graev; and thauts of th huzband hoo wuud be left so desolet, and hoo wuud morn for her so much, sweld to her ies, and broek liek waevs.

   That tiem past, and her litl Lucie lae on her buuzom. Then, amung th advansing ekoes, thair was th tred of her tieny feet and th sound of her pratling werds. Let graeter ekoes rezound as thae wuud, th yung muther at th craedl sied cuud allwaes heer thoes cuming. Thae caem, and th shaedy hous was suny with a child's laf, and th Divien frend of children, to hoom in her trubl she had confieded hers, seemd to taek her chield in his arms, as He tuuk th chield of oeld, and maed it a saecred joi to her.

   Ever bizily wiending th goelden thred that bound them all together, weeving th servis of her hapy inflooens thru th tishoo of all thair lievs, and maeking it predominaet noewherr, Lucie herd in th ekoes of yeers nun but frendly and soothing sounds. Her husband's step was strong and prosperus amung them; her father's ferm and eeqal. Lo, Mis Pross, in harnes of string, awaekening th ekoes, as an unrooly charger, whip-corected, snorting and pawing th erth under th plaen-tree in th garden!

   Eeven when thair wer sounds of sorro amung th rest, thae wer not harsh nor crooel. Eeven when goelden hair, liek her oen, lae in a haelo on a pilo round th worn faes of a litl boi, and he sed, with a raediant smiel, "Deer paapa and maama, I am verry sorry to leev U boeth, and to leev mi prity sister; but I am calld, and I must go!" thoes wer not teers all of agony that wetted his yung mother's cheek, as th spirit departed frum her embraes that had bin entrusted to it. Sufer them and forbid them not. Thae see mi Father's faes. O Faather, blesed werds!

   Thus, th rusling of an Angel's wings got blended with th uther ekoes, and thae wer not hoely of erth, but had in them that breth of Heven. Sies of th winds that bloo oever a litl garden-toom wer

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minggld with them allso, and boeth wer audibl to Lucie, in a husht mermer -- liek th breething of a sumer see asleep upon a sandy shor -- as th litl Lucie, comicaly stoodius at th task of th morning, or dresing a dol at her mother's fuutstool, chaterd in th tungs of th Too Sitys that wer blended in her lief.

   Th Ekoes rairly anserd to th akchual tred of Sydney Carton. Sum haf-duzen tiems a yeer, at moest, he claemd his privilej of cuming in uninvieted, and wuud sit amung them thru th eevning, as he had wuns dun offen. He never caem thair heeted with wien. And wun uther thing regarding him was whisperd in th ekoes, which has bin whisperd bi all troo ekoes for aejes and aejes.

   No man ever reealy luvd a wuuman, lost her, and nue her with a blaemles tho an unchaenjd miend, when she was a wief and a muther, but her children had a straenj simpathy with him -- an instinktiv delicasy of pity for him. Whut fien hiden sensibilitys ar tucht in such a caes, no ekoes tel; but it is so, and it was so heer. Carton was th ferst straenjer to hoom litl Lucie held out her chuby arms, and he kept his plaes with her as she groo. Th litl boi had spoeken of him, allmoest at th last. "Pur Carton! Kis him for me!"

   Mr. Stryver shoelderd his wae thru th law, liek sum graet enjin forsing itself thru turbid wauter, and dragd his uesful frend in his waek, liek a boet toed astern. As th boet so favoured is uezhualy in a ruf pliet, and moestly under wauter, so, Sydney had a swompt lief of it. But, eezy and strong custom, unhapily so much eezyer and strongger in him than eny stimuelaeting sens of dezert or disgraes, maed it th lief he was to leed; and he no mor thaut of emerjing frum his staet of lion's jakal, than eny reeal jakal mae be supoezd to think of riezing to be a lieon. Stryver was rich; had marryd a florid wido with property and three bois, hoo had nuthing particuelarly shiening about them but th straet hair of thair dumpling heds.

   Thees three yung jentlmen, Mr. Stryver, exuding paetronej of th moest ofensiv qolity frum evry por, had waukt befor him liek three sheep to th qieet corner in Soho, and had offerd as puepils to Lucie's huzband: deliketly saeing "Halloa! heer ar three lumps of bred-and- cheez tords yur matrimoenial picnik, Darnay!" Th poliet rejecshun of th three lumps of bred-and-cheez had qiet bloeted Mr. Stryver with indignaeshun, which he afterwards ternd to acount in th traening of th yung jentlmen, bi directing them to bewair of th pried of Begars, liek that tuetor-felo. He was allso in th habit of declaiming to

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Mrs. Stryver, oever his fuul-bodyd wien, on th arts Mrs. Darnay had wuns puut in practis to "cach" him, and on th diemond-cut-diemond arts in himself, madam, which had renderd him "not to be caut." Sum of his King's Bench familiars, hoo wer ocaezhunaly partys to th fuul-bodyd wien and th lie, excuezd him for th later bi saeing that he had toeld it so offen, that he beleevd it himself -- which is shurly such an incorijibl agravaeshun of an orijinaly bad ofens, as to justifi eny such offender's being carryd off to sum sootably retierd spot, and thair hangd out of th wae.

   Thees wer amung th ekoes to which Lucie, sumtiems pensiv, sumtiems amuezd and lafing, lisend in th ekoeing corner, until her litl dauter was six yeers oeld. How neer to her hart th ekoes of her child's tred caem, and thoes of her oen deer father's, allwaes activ and self-pozest, and thoes of her deer husband's, need not be toeld. Nor, how th lietest eko of thair uenieted hoem, directed bi herself with such a wiez and elegant thrift that it was mor abundant than eny waest, was muezic to her. Nor, how thair wer ekoes all about her, sweet in her eers, of th meny tiems her faather had toeld her that he found her mor devoeted to him marryd (if that cuud be) than singgl, and of th meny tiems her huzband had sed to her that no cairs and duetys seemd to divied her luv for him or her help to him, and askt her "Whut is th majic seecret, mi darling, of yur being evrything to all of us, as if thair wer oenly wun of us, yet never seeming to be heryd, or to hav too much to do?"

   But, thair wer uther ekoes, frum a distans, that rumbld menisingly in th corner all thru this spaes of tiem. And it was now, about litl Lucie's sixth berthdae, that thae began to hav an auful sound, as of a graet storm in France with a dredful see riezing.

   On a niet in mid-July, wun thouzand seven hundred and aety-nien, Mr. Lory caem in laet, frum Tellson's, and sat himself doun bi Lucie and her huzband in th dark windo. It was a hot, wield niet, and thae wer all three remiended of th oeld Sunday niet when thae had luukt at th lietning frum th saem plaes.

   "I began to think," sed Mr. Lory, puushing his broun wig bak, "that I shuud hav to pas th niet at Tellson's. We hav bin so fuul of biznes all dae, that we hav not noen whut to do ferst, or which wae to tern. Thair is such an uneezynes in Paris, that we hav akchualy a run of confidens upon us! Our customers oever thair, seem not to be aebl to confied thair property to us fast enuf. Thair is pozitivly a maenia amung sum of them for sending it to England."

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   "That has a bad luuk," sed Darnay --

   "A bad luuk, U sae, mi deer Darnay? Yes, but we don't noe whut reezon thair is in it. Peepl ar so unreezonabl! Sum of us at Tellson's ar geting oeld, and we reealy can't be trubld out of th ordinairy cors without due ocaezhun."

   "Stil," sed Darnay, "U noe how gloomy and thretening th skie is."

   "I noe that, to be shur," asented Mr. Lory, trieing to perswaed himself that his sweet temper was soured, and that he grumbld, "but I am determind to be peevish after mi long day's botheration. Wherr is Manette?"

   "Heer he is," sed th Doctor, entering th dark room at th moement.

   "I am qiet glad U ar at hoem; for thees hurries and forebodings bi which I hav bin serounded all dae long, hav maed me nervus without reezon. U ar not going out, I hoep?"

   "No; I am going to plae bakgamon with U, if U liek," sed th Doctor.

   "I don't think I do liek, if I mae speek mi miend. I am not fit to be pitted agenst U to-niet. Is th teaboard stil thair, Lucie? I can't see."

   "Of cors, it has bin kept for U."

   "Thank ye, mi deer. Th preshus chield is saef in bed?"

   "And sleeping soundly."

   "That's riet; all saef and wel! I don't noe whi enything shuud be utherwiez than saef and wel heer, thank God; but I hav bin so puut out all dae, and I am not as yung as I was! Mi tee, mi deer! Thank ye. Now, cum and taek yur plaes in th sercl, and let us sit qieet, and heer th ekoes about which U hav yur theeory."

   "Not a theeory; it was a fansy."

   "A fansy, then, mi wiez pet," sed Mr. Lory, pating her hand. "Thae ar verry nuemerus and verry loud, tho, ar thae not? Oenly heer them!"

   Hedlong, mad, and daenjerus fuutsteps to fors thair wae into anybody's lief, fuutsteps not eezily maed cleen agen if wuns staend red, th fuutsteps raejing in Saent Antoine afar off, as th litl sercl sat in th dark London windo.

   Saent Antoine had bin, that morning, a vast dusky mas of scaircroes heeving to and fro, with freeqent gleams of liet abuv th biloey heds, wherr steel blaeds and baeonets shoen in th sun. A tremendus ror aroez frum th throet of Saent Antoine, and a forest of naeked arms

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strugld in th air liek shrivelled branches of trees in a winter wind: all th finggers convulsivly cluching at evry wepon or semblans of a wepon that was throen up frum th depths belo, no mater how far off.

   Hoo gaev them out, whens thae last caem, wherr thae began, thru whut aejensy thae crookedly qiverd and jerkt, scors at a tiem, oever th heds of th croud, liek a kiend of lietning, no ie in th throng cuud hav toeld; but, muskets wer being distribueted -- so wer cartrijes, pouder, and ball, bars of ieern and wuud, nievs, axes, pieks, evry wepon that distracted injenooity cuud discuver or deviez. Peepl hoo cuud lae hoeld of nuthing els, set themselvs with bleeding hands to fors stoens and briks out of thair plaeses in walls. Evry puls and hart in Saent Antoine was on hi-feever straen and at hi-feever heet. Evry living creecher thair held lief as of no acount, and was demented with a pashunet redynes to sacrifies it.

   As a wherlpool of boiling wauters has a senter point, so, all this raejing sercld round Defarge's wien-shop, and evry hueman drop in th calldron had a tendensy to be sukt tords th vortex wherr Defarge himself, allredy begrimed with gunpouder and swet, ishood orders, ishood arms, thrust this man bak, dragd this man forward, disarmd wun to arm anuther, laboured and stroev in th thikest of th upror.

   "Keep neer to me, Jacques Three," cried Defarge; "and do U, Jacques Wun and Too, separaet and puut yurselvs at th hed of as meny of thees paetriots as U can. Wherr is mi wief?"

   "Eh, wel! Heer U see me!" sed madame, compoezd as ever, but not niting to-dae. Madame's rezoloot riet hand was ocuepied with an ax, in plaes of th uezhual soffter implements, and in her gerdl wer a pistol and a crooel nief.

   "Wherr do U go, mi wief?"

   "I go," sed madame, "with U at prezent. U shal see me at th hed of wimen, bi-and-bi."

   "Cum, then!" cried Defarge, in a rezounding vois. "Paetriots and frends, we ar redy! Th Bastille!"

   With a ror that sounded as if all th breth in France had bin shaept into th detested werd, th living see roez, waev on waev, depth on depth, and oeverfloed th sity to that point. Alarm-bels ringing, drums beeting, th see raejing and thundering on its nue beech, th atak began.

   Deep diches, dubl drawbrij, masiv stoen walls, aet graet towers, canon, muskets, fier and smoek. Thru th fier and thru th

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smoek -- in th fier and in th smoek, for th see cast him up agenst a canon, and on th instant he becaem a cannonier -- Defarge of th wien- shop werkt liek a manful soeljer, Too feers ours.

   Deep dich, singgl drawbrij, masiv stoen walls, aet graet towers, canon, muskets, fier and smoek. Wun drawbrij doun! "Werk, comrads all, werk! Werk, Jacques Wun, Jacques Too, Jacques Wun Thouzand, Jacques Too Thouzand, Jacques Fiev-and-Twenty Thouzand; in th naem of all th Aenjels or th Devils -- which U prefer -- werk!" Thus Defarge of th wien-shop, stil at his gun, which had long goun hot.

   "To me, wimen!" cried madame his wief. "Whut! We can kil as wel as th men when th plaes is taeken!" And to her, with a shril thersty cri, trooping wimen vairiusly armd, but all armd aej in hungger and revenj.

   Canon, muskets, fier and smoek; but, stil th deep dich, th singgl drawbrij, th masiv stoen waels, and th aet graet towers. Sliet displacements of th raejing see, maed bi th falling woonded. Flashing wepons, blaezing torches, smoeking waggonloads of wet straw, hard werk at neighbouring barricaeds in all direcshuns, shrieks, volys, execrations, braevery without stint, boom smash and ratl, and th fuerius sounding of th living see; but, stil th deep dich, and th singgl drawbrij, and th masiv stoen walls, and th aet graet towers, and stil Defarge of th wien-shop at his gun, groen dubly hot bi th servis of Foer feers ours.

   A whiet flag frum within th fortres, and a parly -- this dimly perseptibl thru th raejing storm, nuthing audibl in it -- sudenly th see roez imezherably wieder and hieer, and swept Defarge of th wien-shop oever th loeerd drawbrij, past th masiv stoen outer walls, in amung th aet graet towers serenderd!

   So resistless was th fors of th oeshan bairing him on, that eeven to draw his breth or tern his hed was as impracticabl as if he had bin strugling in th serf at th South See, until he was landed in th outer cort-yard of th Bastille. Thair, agenst an anggl of a wall, he maed a strugl to luuk about him. Jacques Three was neerly at his sied; Madame Defarge, stil heding sum of her wimen, was vizibl in th iner distans, and her nief was in her hand. Evrywhair was toomult, exultaeshun, defening and manieacal bewilderment, astounding noiz, yet fuerius dum-sho.

   "Th Prizoners!"

   "Th Records!"

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   "Th seecret sels!"

   "Th instruments of torcher!"

   "Th Prizoners!"

   Of all thees cries, and ten thouzand incoherences, "Th Prizoners!" was th cri moest taeken up bi th see that rusht in, as if thair wer an eternity of peepl, as wel as of tiem and spaes. When th formoest biloes roeld past, bairing th prizon offisers with them, and thretening them all with instant deth if eny seecret nuuk remaend undiscloezd, Defarge laed his strong hand on th brest of wun of thees men -- a man with a grae hed, hoo had a lieted torch in his hand -- separaeted him frum th rest, and got him between himself and th wall.

   "Sho me th North Tower!" sed Defarge. "Qik!"

   "I wil faethfuly," replied th man, "if U wil cum with me. But thair is no wun thair."

   "Whut is th meening of Wun Hundred and Fiev, North Tower?" askt Defarge. "Qik!"

   "Th meening, monsieur?"

   "Duz it meen a captiv, or a plaes of captivity? Or do U meen that I shal striek U ded?"

   "Kil him!" croekt Jacques Three, hoo had cum cloez up.

   "Monsieur, it is a sel."

   "Sho it me!"

   "Pas this wae, then."

   Jacques Three, with his uezhual craeving on him, and evidently disapointed bi th diealog taeking a tern that did not seem to promis bludshed, held bi Defarge's arm as he held bi th turnkey's. Thair three heds had bin cloes together during this breef discors, and it had bin as much as thae cuud do to heer wun anuther, eeven then: so tremendus was th noiz of th living oeshan, in its irupshun into th Fortres, and its inundaeshun of th corts and pasejes and staircaeses. All around outsied, too, it beet th walls with a deep, hors ror, frum which, ocaezhunaly, sum parshal shouts of toomult broek and leept into th air liek sprae.

   Thru gloomy vallts wherr th liet of dae had never shoen, past hidius dors of dark dens and caejes, doun cavernus fliets of steps, and agen up steep ruged ascents of stoen and brik, mor liek dri wauterfalls than staircaeses, Defarge, th ternkee, and Jacques Three, linkt hand and arm, went with all th speed thae cuud maek. Heer and thair, espeshaly at ferst, th inundaeshun started on them and swept bi; but when

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thae had dun desending, and wer wiending and clieming up a tower, thae wer aloen. Hemd in heer bi th masiv thiknes of walls and arches, th storm within th fortres and without was oenly audibl to them in a dul, subdued wae, as if th noiz out of which thae had cum had allmoest destroid thair sens of heering.

   Th ternkee stopt at a lo dor, puut a kee in a clashing lok, swung th dor sloely oepen, and sed, as thae all bent thair heds and past in:

   "Wun hundred and fiev, North Tower!"

   Thair was a small, hevily-graeted, unglaezd windo hi in th wall, with a stoen screen befor it, so that th skie cuud be oenly seen bi stooping lo and luuking up. Thair was a small chimny, hevily bard across, a fue feet within. Thair was a heep of oeld fethery wuud-ashes on th harth. Thair was a stool, and taebl, and a straw bed. Thair wer th foer blakend walls, and a rusted ieern ring in wun of them.

   "Pas that torch sloely along thees walls, that I mae see them," sed Defarge to th ternkee.

   Th man oebaed, and Defarge foloed th liet cloesly with his ies.

   "Stop! -- Luuk heer, Jacques!"

   "A. M.!" croekt Jacques Three, as he reed greedily.

   "Alexandre Manette," sed Defarge in his eer, foloeing th leters with his swart forfingger, deeply engrained with gunpouder. "And heer he roet 'a pur fizishan.' And it was he, without dout, hoo scracht a calendar on this stoen. Whut is that in yur hand? A croebar? Giv it me!"

   He had stil th linstock of his gun in his oen hand. He maed a suden exchaenj of th too instruments, and terning on th werm-eeten stool and taebl, beet them to peeses in a fue bloes.

   "Hoeld th liet hieer!" he sed, wrathfully, to th ternkee. "Luuk amung thoes fragments with cair, Jacques. And see! Heer is mi nief," throeing it to him; "rip oepen that bed, and serch th straw. Hoeld th liet hieer, U!"

   With a menising luuk at th ternkee he cralld upon th harth, and, peering up th chimny, struk and prised at its sieds with th croebar, and werkt at th ieern graeting across it. In a fue minits, sum mortar and dust caem droping doun, which he averted his faes to avoid; and in it, and in th oeld wuud-ashes, and in a crevis in th chimny into which his wepon had slipt or raut itself, he groept with a caushus tuch.

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   "Nuthing in th wuud, and nuthing in th straw, Jacques?"

   "Nuthing."

   "Let us colect them together, in th midl of th sel. So! Liet them, U!"

   Th ternkee fierd th litl piel, which blaezd hi and hot. Stooping agen to cum out at th lo-archt dor, thae left it berning, and re-traest thair wae to th cort-yard; seeming to recuver thair sens of heering as thae caem doun, until thae wer in th raejing flud wuns mor.

   Thae found it serjing and tossing, in qest of Defarge himself. Saent Antoine was clamorus to hav its wien-shop keeper formoest in th gard upon th guvernor hoo had defended th Bastille and shot th peepl. Utherwiez, th guvernor wuud not be marcht to th Hoetel de Ville for jujment. Utherwiez, th guvernor wuud escaep, and th people's blud (sudenly of sum value, after meny yeers of werthlesnes) be unavenged.

   In th houling uenivers of pashun and contenshun that seemd to encompas this grim oeld offiser conspicueus in his grae coet and red decoraeshun, thair was but wun qiet stedy figuer, and that was a woman's. "See, thair is mi huzband!" she cried, pointing him out. "See Defarge!" She stuud imoovabl cloes to th graen oeld offiser, and remaend imoovabl cloes to him; remaend imoovabl cloes to him thru th streets, as Defarge and th rest bor him along; remaend imoovabl cloes to him when he was got neer his destinaeshun, and began to be struk at frum behiend; remaend imoovabl cloes to him when th long-gathering raen of stabs and bloes fel hevy; was so cloes to him when he dropt ded under it, that, sudenly animaeted, she puut her fuut upon his nek, and with her crooel nief -- long redy -- hued off his hed.

   Th our was cum, when Saent Antoine was to execuet his horribl iedeea of hoisting up men for lamps to sho whut he cuud be and do. Saent Antoine's blud was up, and th blud of tirany and dominaeshun bi th ieern hand was doun -- doun on th steps of th Hoetel de Ville wherr th governor's body lae -- doun on th soel of th shoo of Madame Defarge wherr she had trodden on th body to stedy it for muetilaeshun. "Loeer th lamp yonder!" cried Saent Antoine, after glairing round for a nue meens of deth; "heer is wun of his soeljers to be left on gard!" Th swinging sentinel was poested, and th see rusht on.

   Th see of blak and thretening wauters, and of destructiv upheaving of waev agenst waev, hoos depths wer yet unfathomed and hoos forses wer yet unnoen. Th remorsles see of turbulently swaeing

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shaeps, voises of vengeance, and faeses hardend in th fernises of sufering until th tuch of pity cuud maek no mark on them.

   But, in th oeshan of faeses wherr evry feers and fuerius expreshun was in vivid lief, thair wer too groops of faeses -- eech seven in number -- so fixedly contrasting with th rest, that never did see roel which bor mor memorabl reks with it. Seven faeses of prizoners, sudenly releest bi th storm that had berst thair toom, wer carryd hi oeverhed: all scaird, all lost, all wundering and amaezd, as if th Last Dae wer cum, and thoes hoo rejoist around them wer lost spirits. Uther seven faeses thair wer, carryd hieer, seven ded faeses, hoos drooping ielids and haf-seen ies awaeted th Last Dae. Impasiv faeses, yet with a suspended -- not an abolisht -- expreshun on them; faeses, rather, in a feerful pauz, as having yet to raez th dropt lids of th ies, and bair witnes with th bludles lips, "THOW DIDST IT!"

   Seven prizoners releest, seven gory heds on pieks, th kees of th acurst fortres of th aet strong towers, sum discuverd leters and uther memorials of prizoners of oeld tiem, long ded of broeken harts, -- such, and such-liek, th loudly ekoeing fuutsteps of Saent Antoine escort thru th Paris streets in mid-July, wun thouzand seven hundred and aety-nien. Now, Heven defeet th fansy of Lucie Darnay, and keep thees feet far out of her lief! For, thae ar hedlong, mad, and daenjerus; and in th yeers so long after th braeking of th cask at Defarge's wien-shop dor, thae ar not eezily puerified when wuns staend red.

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   HAGARD SAENT ANTOINE had had oenly wun exultant week, in which to soffen his modicum of hard and biter bred to such extent as he cuud, with th relish of fraternal embraeses and congratulations, when Madame Defarge sat at her counter, as uezhual, prezieding oever th customers. Madame Defarge wor no roez in her hed, for th graet brutherhuud of Spies had becum, eeven in wun short week, extreemly chary of trusting themselvs to th saint's mercies. Th lamps across his streets had a portentously elastic swing with them.

   Madame Defarge, with her arms foelded, sat in th morning liet and heet, contemplaeting th wien-shop and th street. In boeth, thair wer several nots of loungers, sqolid and mizerabl, but now with a manifest sens of power enthroned on thair distres. Th raggedest nightcap, ari on th wretchedest hed, had this cruuked significans in it: "I noe how hard it has groen for me, th wearer of this, to suport lief in mieself; but do U noe how eezy it has groen for me, th wearer of this, to destroi lief in U?" Evry leen bair arm, that bad bin without werk befor, had this werk allwaes redy for it now, that it cuud striek. Th finggers of th niting wimen wer vishus, with th expeeryens that thae cuud tair. Thair was a chaenj in th apeerans of Saent Antoine; th imej had bin hammering into this for hundreds of yeers, and th last finishing bloes had toeld mietily on th expreshun.

   Madame Defarge sat obzerving it, with such suprest aprooval as was to be dezierd in th leeder of th Saent Antoine wimen. Wun of her sisterhood nited besied her. Th short, rather plump wief of a starvd

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groeser, and th muther of too children withal, this lootenant had allredy ernd th complimentery naem of Th Vengeance.

   "Hark!" sed Th Vengeance. "Lisen, then! Hoo cums?"

   As if a traen of pouder laed frum th outermoest bound of Saent Antoine Qorter to th wien-shop dor, had bin sudenly fierd, a fast-spreding mermer caem rushing along.

   "It is Defarge," sed madame. "Sielens, paetriots!"

   Defarge caem in brethles, puuld off a red cap he wor, and luukt around him! "Lisen, evrywhair!" sed madame agen. "Lisen to him!" Defarge stuud, panting, agenst a bakground of eeger ies and oepen mouths, formd outsied th dor; all thoes within th wien-shop had sprung to thair feet.

   "Sae then, mi huzband. Whut is it?"

   "Nues frum th uther werld!"

   "How,