When the quiet of the garret had been long
undisturbed, and his heaving breast and shaken form had long yielded to the
calm that must follow all storms--emblem to humanity, of the rest and silence
into which the storm called Life must hush at last--they came forward to raise
the father and daughter from the ground. He had gradually dropped to the floor,
and lay there in a lethargy, worn out. She had nestled down with him, that his
head might lie upon her arm; and her hair drooping over him curtained him from
the light.
`If, without disturbing him,' she said,
raising her hand to Mr. Lorry as he stooped over them, after repeated blowings
of his nose, `all could be arranged for our leaving Paris at once, so that,
from the very door, he could be taken away---'
`But, consider. Is he fit for the journey?'
asked Mr. Lorry.
`More fit for that, I think, than to remain
in this city, so dreadful to him.'
`It is true,' said Defarge, who was
kneeling to look on and hear. `More than that; Monsieur Manette is, for all
reasons, best out of France
`That's business,' said Mr. Lorry, resuming
on the shortest notice his methodical manners; `and if business is to be dune,
I had better do it.'
`Then be so kind,' urged Miss Manette, `as
to leave us here. You see how composed he has become, and you cannot be afraid
to leave him with me now. Why should you be? If you will lock the door to
secure us from interruption, I do not doubt that you will find him, when you
come back, as quiet as you leave him. In any case, I will take care of him
until you return, and then we will remove him straight.'
Both Mr. Lorry and Defarge were rather
disinclined to this course, and in favour of one of them remaining. But, as
there were not only carriage and horses to be seen to, but travelling papers;
and as time pressed, for the day was drawing to an end, it came at last to
their hastily dividing the business that was necessary to be done, and hurrying
away to do it.
Then, as the darkness closed in, the
daughter laid her head down on the hard ground close at the father's side, and
watched him. The darkness deepened and deepened, and they both lay quiet, until
a light gleamed through the chinks in the wall.
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