FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   244   245   246   247   248   249   250   251   252   253   254   255   256   257   258   259   260   261   262   263   264   265   266   267   268  
269   270   271   272   273   274   275   276   277   278   279   280   281   282   283   284   285   286   287   288   289   290   291   292   293   >>   >|  
as, over the water." "No?" "No. But I'll swear it was a name of two syllables." "Indeed?" "Yes. T'other one's was one syllable. I know you. You was a spy--witness at the Bailey. What, in the name of the Father of Lies, own father to yourself, was you called at that time?" "Barsad," said another voice, striking in. "That's the name for a thousand pound!" cried Jerry. The speaker who struck in, was Sydney Carton. He had his hands behind him under the skirts of his riding-coat, and he stood at Mr. Cruncher's elbow as negligently as he might have stood at the Old Bailey itself. "Don't be alarmed, my dear Miss Pross. I arrived at Mr. Lorry's, to his surprise, yesterday evening; we agreed that I would not present myself elsewhere until all was well, or unless I could be useful; I present myself here, to beg a little talk with your brother. I wish you had a better employed brother than Mr. Barsad. I wish for your sake Mr. Barsad was not a Sheep of the Prisons." Sheep was a cant word of the time for a spy, under the gaolers. The spy, who was pale, turned paler, and asked him how he dared-- "I'll tell you," said Sydney. "I lighted on you, Mr. Barsad, coming out of the prison of the Conciergerie while I was contemplating the walls, an hour or more ago. You have a face to be remembered, and I remember faces well. Made curious by seeing you in that connection, and having a reason, to which you are no stranger, for associating you with the misfortunes of a friend now very unfortunate, I walked in your direction. I walked into the wine-shop here, close after you, and sat near you. I had no difficulty in deducing from your unreserved conversation, and the rumour openly going about among your admirers, the nature of your calling. And gradually, what I had done at random, seemed to shape itself into a purpose, Mr. Barsad." "What purpose?" the spy asked. "It would be troublesome, and might be dangerous, to explain in the street. Could you favour me, in confidence, with some minutes of your company--at the office of Tellson's Bank, for instance?" "Under a threat?" "Oh! Did I say that?" "Then, why should I go there?" "Really, Mr. Barsad, I can't say, if you can't." "Do you mean that you won't say, sir?" the spy irresolutely asked. "You apprehend me very clearly, Mr. Barsad. I won't." Carton's negligent recklessness of manner came powerfully in aid of his quickness and skill, in such a business as
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   244   245   246   247   248   249   250   251   252   253   254   255   256   257   258   259   260   261   262   263   264   265   266   267   268  
269   270   271   272   273   274   275   276   277   278   279   280   281   282   283   284   285   286   287   288   289   290   291   292   293   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Barsad

 

Sydney

 

walked

 

purpose

 
Carton
 

brother

 

present

 

Bailey

 
openly
 

conversation


unreserved
 
rumour
 

calling

 

random

 

gradually

 

nature

 

deducing

 

admirers

 

stranger

 

associating


misfortunes
 

friend

 

syllables

 

connection

 

reason

 

unfortunate

 
direction
 
difficulty
 

street

 
irresolutely

apprehend

 

Really

 
negligent
 

quickness

 

business

 
powerfully
 
recklessness
 

manner

 

confidence

 

minutes


favour

 

dangerous

 

explain

 
company
 

office

 
threat
 

Tellson

 

instance

 

troublesome

 
arrived