A Tale of Two Cities
Book 2, Chapter 19: An Opinion: Page 3
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| “Now, my dear Manette,” said Mr. Lorry, at length, in his most considerate and most affectionate way, “I am a mere man of business, and unfit to cope with such intricate and difficult matters. I do not possess the kind of information necessary; I do not possess the kind of intelligence; I want guiding. There is no man in this world on whom I could so rely for right guidance, as on you. Tell me, how does this relapse come about? Is there danger of another? Could a repetition of it be prevented? How should a repetition of it be treated? How does it come about at all? What can I do for my friend? No man ever can have been more desirous in his heart to serve a friend, than I am to serve mine, if I knew how. | “Now, my dear Dr. Manette,” said Mr. Lorry after a little while and in his most compassionate way. “I am just a businessman. I am not fit to deal with such complicated matters. I don’t have the necessary information or intelligence, and I need help. There is no man in the world that I could rely on for help more than you. Tell me, how does this relapse happen? Is it possible there will be another? Is there a way to stop it from happening again? If it does happen again, what should we do? How does it happen at all? What can I do to help my friend? There is no man that could want to help his friend more than I want to help mine, if I only knew how.” |
| “But I don’t know how to originate, in such a case. If your sagacity, knowledge, and experience, could put me on the right track, I might be able to do so much; unenlightened and undirected, I can do so little. Pray discuss it with me; pray enable me to see it a little more clearly, and teach me how to be a little more useful.” | “But I don’t know how to begin in such a case,” continued Mr. Lorry. “If your wisdom, knowledge, and experience could put me on the right track, I might be able to do a lot. But uninformed and without help, I can’t do much of anything. Please talk with me about it. Please help me understand it better and teach me how to be of more help.” |
| Doctor Manette sat meditating after these earnest words were spoken, and Mr. Lorry did not press him. | Dr. Manette sat thinking over these sincere words, and Mr. Lorry did not pressure him. |
| “I think it probable,” said the Doctor, breaking silence with an effort, “that the relapse you have described, my dear friend, was not quite unforeseen by its subject.” | “I think it’s likely that the patient may have expected the relapse you have described,” said the doctor, requiring an effort to break the silence. |
| “Was it dreaded by him?” Mr. Lorry ventured to ask. | “Was he afraid it might happen again?” Mr. Lorry asked. |
| “Very much.” He said it with an involuntary shudder. | “Very much.” He said it with an involuntary shudder. |
| “You have no idea how such an apprehension weighs on the sufferer’s mind, and how difficult—how almost impossible—it is, for him to force himself to utter a word upon the topic that oppresses him.” | “You have no idea how troublesome such a fear is to a person, and how difficult—how almost impossible—it is for him to make himself talk about the subject that haunts him.” |
| “Would he,” asked Mr. Lorry, “be sensibly relieved if he could prevail upon himself to impart that secret brooding to any one, when it is on him?” | “Would it help him,” asked Mr. Lorry, “if he could tell someone else that secret when it is bothering him?” |
| “I think so. But it is, as I have told you, next to impossible. I even believe it—in some cases—to be quite impossible.” | “I think so. But it is, as I have told you, almost impossible. I even think that, in some cases, it is impossible.” |
| “Now,” said Mr. Lorry, gently laying his hand on the Doctor’s arm again, after a short silence on both sides, “to what would you refer this attack?” | “Now,” said Mr. Lorry, gently laying his hand on the doctor’s arm again. After a short silence he said, “Why do you think this attack happened?” |
| “I believe,” returned Doctor Manette, “that there had been a strong and extraordinary revival of the train of thought and remembrance that was the first cause of the malady. Some intense associations of a most distressing nature were vividly recalled, I think. It is probable that there had long been a dread lurking in his mind, that those associations would be recalled—say, under certain circumstances—say, on a particular occasion. He tried to prepare himself in vain; perhaps the effort to prepare himself made him less able to bear it.” | “I believe,” answered Dr. Manette, “that something caused him to start thinking about the things that first caused the sickness. He recalled some strong, intense memories. It’s likely that, for a long time, there had been a dread in the back of his mind that those memories might come back to him, under certain circumstances, for instance, or on a particular occasion. He tried to prepare himself for it, but it was no use. It’s possible that trying to prepare himself for it made it worse.” |
| “Would he remember what took place in the relapse?” asked Mr. Lorry, with natural hesitation. | “Would he remember what happened during the relapse?” asked Mr. Lorry hesitantly. |
| The Doctor looked desolately round the room, shook his head, and answered, in a low voice, “Not at all.” | The doctor looked around the room sadly, shook his head, and answered quietly, “Not at all.” |
