“Is sought by any other suitor?”

“It is what I meant to say.”

Her father considered a little before he answered:

“You have seen Mr. Carton here, yourself. Mr. Stryver is here

too, occasionally. If it be at all, it can only be by one of these.”

“Or both,” said Darnay.

“I had not thought of both; I should not think either, likely, You

want a promise from me. Tell me what it is.”

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“It is, that if Miss Manette should bring to you at any time, on

her own part, such a confidence as I have ventured to lay before

you, you will bear testimony to what I have said, and to your belief

in it. I hope you may be able to think so well of me, as to urge no

influence against me, I say nothing more of my stake in this; this is

what I ask. The condition on which I ask it, and which you have an

undoubted right to require, I will observe immediately.”

“I give the promise,” said the Doctor, “without any condition. I

believe your object to be, purely and truthfully, as you have stated

it. I believe your intention is to perpetuate, and not to weaken, the

ties between me and my other and far dearer self. If she should

ever tell me that you are essential to her perfect happiness, I will

give her to you. If there wereCharles Darnayif there were”

The young man had taken his hand gratefully; their hands were

joined as the Doctor spoke:

“any fancies, any reasons, any apprehensions, anything

whatsoever, new or old, against the man she really lovedthe

direct responsibility thereof not lying on his headthey should all

be obliterated for her sake. She is everything to me; more to me

than suffering, more to me than wrong, more to meWell! This is

idle talk.”

So strange was the way in which he faded into silence, and so

strange his fixed look when he had ceased to speak, that Darnay

felt his own hand turn cold in the hand that slowly released and

dropped it.

“You said something to me,” said Doctor Manette, breaking

into a smile. “What was it you said to me?”

He was at a loss how to answer, until he remembered having

spoken of a condition. Relieved as his mind reverted to that, he

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answered:

“Your confidence in me ought to be returned with full

confidence on my part. My present name, though but slightly

changed from my mother’s, is not, as you will remember, my own.

I wish to tell you what that is, and why I am in England.”

“Stop!” said the Doctor of Beauvais.

“I wish it, that I may the better deserve your confidence, and

have no secret from you.”

“Stop.”

For an instant, the Doctor even had his two hands at his ears;

for another instant, even had his two hands laid on Darnay’s lips.