nervously on the ground.

“You do not find it easy to advise me?” said Mr. Lorry. “I quite

understand it to be a nice question. And yet I think” And there

he shook his head, and stopped.

“You see,” said Doctor Manette, turning to him after an uneasy

pause, “it is very hard to explain, consistently, the innermost

workings of this poor man’s mind. He once yearned so frightfully

for that occupation, and it was so welcome when it came; no doubt

it relieved his pain so much, by substituting the perplexity of the

fingers for the perplexity of the brain, and by substituting, as he

became more practised, the ingenuity of the hands, for the

ingenuity of the mental torture; that he has never been able to

bear the thought of putting it quite out of his reach. Even now,

when I believe he is more hopeful of himself than he has ever

been, and even speaks of himself with a kind of confidence, the

idea that he might need that old employment, and not find it, gives

him a sudden sense of terror, like that which one may fancy

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strikes to the heart of a lost child.”

He looked like his allusion as he raised his eyes to Mr. Lorry’s

face.

“But may notmind! I ask for information, as a plodding man

of business who only deals with such material objects as guineas,

shillings, and banknotesmay not the retention of the thing

involve the retention of the idea? If the thing were gone, my dear

Manette, might not the fear go with it? In short, is it not a

concession to the misgiving, to keep the forge?”

There was another silence.

“You see, too,” said the Doctor, tremulously, “it is such an old

companion.”

“I would not keep it,” said Mr. Lorry, shaking his head; for he

gained in firmness as he saw the Doctor disquieted. “I would

recommend him to sacrifice it. I only want your authority. I am

sure it does no good. Come! Give me your authority, like a dear

good man. For his daughter’s sake, my dear Manette!”

Very strange to see what a struggle there was within him!

“In her name, then, let it be done; I sanction it. But, I would not

take it away while he was present. Let it be removed when he is

not there; let him miss his old companion after an absence.”

Mr. Lorry readily engaged for that, and the conference was

ended. They passed the day in the country, and the Doctor was

quite restored. On the three following days he remained perfectly

well, and on the fourteenth day he went away to join Lucie and

her husband. The precaution that had been taken to account for

his silence, Mr. Lorry had previously explained to him, and he had

written to Lucie in accordance with it, and she had no suspicions.

On the night of the day on which he left the house, Mr. Lorry

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went into his room with a chopper, saw, chisel, and hammer,

attended by Miss Pross carrying a light. There, with closed doors,