relative to the cause of his being so oppressed; perhaps, even to

the name of his oppressor?”

“I don’t suppose anything about it but what Ladybird tells me.”

“And that is?”

“That she thinks he has.”

“Now don’t be angry at my asking all these questions; because I

am a mere dull man of business, and you are a woman of

business.”

“Dull?” Miss Pross inquired, with placidity.

Rather wishing his modest adjective away, Mr. Lorry replied,

“No, no, no. Surely not. To return to business:Is it not

remarkable that Doctor Manette, unquestionably innocent of any

crime as we are all well assured he is, should never touch upon

that question? I will not say with me, though he had business

relations with me many years ago, and we are now intimate; I will

say with the fair daughter to whom he is so devotedly attached,

and who is so devotedly attached to him? Believe me, Miss Pross, I

don’t approach the topic with you, out of curiosity, but out of

zealous interest.”

“Well! To the best of my understanding, and bad’s the best,

you’ll tell me,” said Miss Pross, softened by the tone of the

apology, “he is afraid of the whole subject.”

“Afraid?”

“It’s plain enough, I should think, why he may be. It’s a

dreadful remembrance. Besides that, his loss of himself grew out

of it. Not knowing how he lost himself, or how he recovered