Повесть о двух городах / A Tale of Two Cities

The first was the best room, and in it were Lucie’s birds, and flowers, and books, and desk, and work-table, and box of water-colours; the second was the Doctor’s consulting-room, used also as the dining-room; the third, changingly speckled by the rustle of the plane-tree in the yard, was the Doctor’s bedroom, and there, in a corner, stood the disused shoemaker’s bench and tray of tools, much as it had stood on the fifth floor of the dismal house by the wine-shop, in the suburb of Saint Antoine in Paris.

�I wonder,’ said Mr. Lorry, pausing in his looking about, �that he keeps that reminder of his sufferings about him!’

�And why wonder at that?’ was the abrupt inquiry that made him start.

It proceeded from Miss Pross, the wild red woman, strong of hand, whose acquaintance he had first made at the Royal George Hotel at Dover, and had since improved.

�I should have thought – ’ Mr. Lorry began.

�Pooh! You’d have thought!’ said Miss Pross; and Mr. Lorry left off.

�How do you do?’ inquired that lady then – sharply, and yet as if to express that she bore him no malice.

�I am pretty well, I thank you,’ answered Mr. Lorry, with meekness; �how are you?’

�Nothing to boast of,’ said Miss Pross.

�Indeed?’

�Ah! indeed!’ said Miss Pross. �I am very much put out about my Ladybird.’

�Indeed?’

�For gracious sake say something else besides �indeed,’ or you’ll fidget me to death,’ said Miss Pross: whose character (dissociated from stature) was shortness.

�Really, then?’ said Mr. Lorry, as an amendment.

�Really, is bad enough,’ returned Miss Pross, �but better. Yes, I am very much put out.’

�May I ask the cause?’

�I don’t want dozens of people who are not at all worthy of Ladybird, to come here looking after her,’ said Miss Pross.

�Do dozens come for that purpose?’

�Hundreds,’ said Miss Pross.

It was characteristic of this lady (as of some other people before her time and since) that whenever her original proposition was questioned, she exaggerated it.

�Dear me!’ said Mr. Lorry, as the safest remark he could think of.

�I have lived with the darling – or the darling has lived with me, and paid me for it; which she certainly should never have done, you may take your affidavit, if I could have afforded to keep either myself or her for nothing – since she was ten years old.