Bank, there was a general set of the current of talkers past Mr.

Lorry’s desk. He held the letter out inquiringly; and Monseigneur

looked at it, in the person of this plotting and indignant refugee;

and This, That, and The Other, all had something disparaging to

say, in French or in English, concerning the Marquis who was not

to be found.

“Nephew, I believebut in any case degenerate successorof

the polished Marquis who was murdered,” said one. “Happy to say

I never knew him.”

“A craven who abandoned his post,” said anotherthis

Monseigneur had been got out of Paris, legs uppermost and half

Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics

suffocated, in a load of hay“some years ago.”

“Infected with the new doctrines,” said a third, eyeing the

direction through his glass in passing; “set himself in opposition to

the last Marquis, abandoned the estates when he inherited them,

and left them to the ruffian herd. They will recompense him now, I

hope, as he deserves.”

“Hey?” cried the blatant Stryver. “Did he though? Is that the

sort of fellow? Let us look at his infamous name. Dn the fellow!”

Darnay, unable to restrain himself any longer, touched Mr.

Stryver on the shoulder, and said:

“I know the fellow.”

“Do you, by Jupiter?” said Stryver. “I am sorry for it.”

“Why?”

“Why, Mr. Darnay? D’ye hear what he did? Don’t ask why, in

these times.”

“But I do ask why?”

“Then I tell you again, Mr. Darnay, I am sorry for it. I am sorry

to hear you putting any such extraordinary questions. Here is a

fellow who, infected by the most pestilent and blasphemous code

of devilry that ever was known, abandoned his property to the

vilest scum of the earth that ever did murder by wholesale, and

you ask me why I am sorry that a man who instructs youth knows

him? Well, but I’ll answer you. I am sorry because I believe there

is contamination in such a scoundrel. That’s why.”

Mindful of the secret, Darnay with great difficulty checked

himself, and said: “You may not understand the gentleman.”

“I understand how to put you in a corner, Mr. Darnay,” said

Bully Stryver, “and I’ll do it. If this fellow is a gentleman, I don’t

understand him. You may tell him so, with my compliments. You

Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics

may also tell him, from me, that after abandoning his worldly

goods and position to this butcherly mob, I wonder he is not at the

head of them. But, no, gentlemen,” said Stryver, looking all round,

and snapping his fingers, “I know something of human nature,

and I tell you that you’ll never find a fellow like this fellow,

trusting himself to the mercies of such precious proteges. No,

gentlemen; he’ll always show ’em a clean pair of heels very early in

the scuffle, and sneak away.”