rough the law, like some

great engine forcing itself through turbid water, and dragged his

useful friend in his wake, like a boat towed astern. As the boat so

favoured is usually in a rough plight, and mostly under water, so,

Sydney had a swamped life of it. But, easy and strong custom,

unhappily so much easier and stronger in him than any

stimulating sense of desert or disgrace, made it the life he was to

lead; and he no more thought of emerging from his state of lion’s

jackal, than any real jackal may be supposed to think of rising to

be a lion. Stryver was rich; had married a florid widow with

property and three boys, who had nothing particularly shining

about them but the straight hair of their dumpling heads.

These three young gentlemen, Mr. Stryver, exuding patronage

of the most offensive quality from every pore, had walked before

Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics

him like three sheep to the quiet corner in Soho, and had offered

as pupils to Lucie’s husband: delicately saying, “Halloa! here are

three lumps of bread-and-cheese towards your matrimonial picnic,

Darnay!” The polite rejection of the three lumps of bread-and-

cheese had quite bloated Mr. Stryver with indignation, which he

afterwards turned to account in the training of the young

gentlemen, by directing them to beware of the pride of Beggars,

like that tutor-