reddening, “that I will hear no disrespectful word of that young

lady from any lips; and that if I knew any manwhich I hope I do

notwhose taste was so coarse, and whose temper was so

overbearing, that he could not restrain himself from speaking

disrespectfully of that young lady at this desk, not even Tellson’s

should prevent my giving him a piece of my mind.”

The necessity of being angry in a suppressed tone had put Mr.

Stryver’s blood-vessels into a dangerous state when it was his turn

to be angry; Mr. Lorry’s veins, methodical as their courses could

usually be, were in no better state now it was his turn.

“That is what I mean to tell you, sir,” said Mr. Lorry. “Pray let

there be no mistake about it.”

Mr. Stryver sucked the end of a ruler for a little while, and then

stood hitting a tune out of his teeth with it, which probably gave

him the toothache. He broke the awkward silence by saying:

“This is something new to me. Mr. Lorry. You deliberately

advise me not to go up to Soho and offer myselfmyself, Stryver

of the King’s Bench bar?”

“Do you ask me for my advice, Mr. Stryver?”

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“Yes, I do.”

“Very good. Then I give it, and you have repeated it correctly.”

“And all I can say of it is,” laughed Stryver with a vexed laugh,

“that thisha, ha!beats everything past, present, and to come.”

“Now understand me,” pursued Mr. Lorry. “As a man of

business, I am not justified in saying anything about this matter,

for, as a man of business, I know nothing of it. But, as an old

fellow, who has carried Miss Manette in his arms, who is the

trusted friend of Miss Manette and of her father too, and who has a

great affection for them both, I have spoken. The confidence is not

of my seeking, recollect. Now, you think I may not be right?”

“Not I!” said Stryver, whistling. “I can’t undertake to find third

parties in common sense; I can only find it for myself. I suppose

sense in certain quarters; you suppose mincing bread-and-butter

nonsense. It’s new to me, but you are right, I daresay.”

“What I suppose, Mr. Stryver, I claim to characterise for myself.

And understand me, sir,” said Mr. Lorry, quickly flushing again, “I

will notnot even at Tellson’shave it characterised for me by

any gentleman breathing.

“There! I beg your pardon!” said Stryver.

“Granted. Thank you. Well, Mr. Stryver, I was about to say:it

might be painful too you to find yourself mistaken, it might be

painful to Doctor Manette to have the task of being explicit with

you, it might be very painful to Miss Manette to have the task of

being explicit with you. You know the terms upon which I have

the honour and happiness to stand with the family. If you please,

committing you in no way, representing you in no way, I will

undertake to correct my advice by the exercise of a little new

observation and judgment expressly brought to bear upon it. If

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