“When you were talking to Lucie,” Mr. Lorry repeated. “Yes. I

wonder you are not ashamed to mention the name of Lucie!

Wishing you were going to France at this time of day!”

“However, I am not going,” said Charles Darnay, with a smile.

“It is more to the purpose that you say you are.”

“And I am in plain reality. The truth is, my dear Charles,” Mr.

Lorry glanced at the distant House, and lowered his voice, “you

can have no conception of the difficulty with which our business is

transacted, and of the peril in which our books and papers over

yonder are involved. The Lord above knows what the

compromising consequences would be to numbers of people, if

some of our documents were seized or destroyed; and they might

be, at any time, you know, for who can say that Paris is not set afire

today or sacked tomorrow! Now, a judicious selection from

these, with the least possible delay, and the burying of them, or

otherwise getting of them out of harm’s way is within the power

(without loss of precious time) of scarcely any one but myself, if

any one. And shall I hang back, when Tellson’s knows this and

says thisTellson’s, whose bread I have eaten these sixty years

because I am a little stiff about the joints? Why, I am a boy, sir, to

half a dozen old codgers here!”

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“How I admire the gallantry of your youthful spirit, Mr. Lorry.”

“Tut! Nonsense, sir!And my dear Charles,” said Mr. Lorry,

glancing at the House again, “you are to remember, that getting

things out of Paris at this present time, no matter what things, is

next to an impossibility. Papers and precious matters were this

very day brought to us here (I speak in strict confidence; it is not

business-like to whisper it, even to you), by the strangest bearers

you can imagine, every one of whom had his head hanging on by a

single hair as he passed the Barriers. At another time, our parcels

would come and go, as easily as in business-like Old England; but

now, everything is stopped.”

“And do you really go tonight?”

“I really go tonight, for the case has become too pressing to

admit of delay.”

“And do you take no one with you?”

“All sorts of people have been proposed to me, but I will have

nothing to say to any of them. I intend to take Jerry. Jerry has

been my bodyguard on Sunday nights for a long time past, and I

am used to him. No body will suspect Jerry of being anything but

an English bulldog, or of having any design in his head but to fly at

anybody who touches his master.”

“I must say again that I heartily admire your gallantry and

youthfulness.”

“I must say again, nonsense, nonsense! When I have executed

this little commission, I shall, perhaps, accept Tellson’s proposal to

retire and live at my ease. Time enough, then, to think about

growing old.”

This dialogue had taken place at Mr. Lorry’s usual desk, with