When the mail coach got successfully to Dover the head waiter at the Royal George Hotel opened the door with a flourish Mr Lorry came out of the coach shaking straw from his coat rather like a large dog Awhile later Mr Lorry sat alone in the coffee room dressed in a formal brown suit He wore an odd little flaxen wig When the waiter brought breakfast Mr Lorry said I wish rooms prepared for a young lady who may come here today She may ask for Mr Jarvis Lorry or for a gentleman from Tellson’s Bank Please to let me know Yes sir Tellson’s Bank in London sir Yes Mr Lorry confirmed The day had declined into dark when the waiter came to announce Miss Manette had arrived from London He said she would be happy to see Mr Lorry The gentleman adjusted his little wig and followed the waiter Mr Lorry saw a young lady of not more than seventeen standing by a table His eyes rested 10
on her blond hair blue eyes and slight pretty figure He made a formal bow to Miss Manette Pray take a seat sir Miss Manette had a clear pleasant voice with a little foreign accent Mr Lorry bowed again and took his seat I received a letter from the bank yesterday informing me there was some discovery about my poor father so long dead The bank told me you would explain the details to me and to prepare myself for their surprising nature I am naturally eager to know what they are It is very difficult to begin He paused Miss Manette I am a man of business I will relate to you a story of one of our customers A story Yes He was a French gentleman A scientific man of great accomplishment and a doctor like your father I speak of twenty years ago miss He married an English lady and I took care of his business affairs He silently disappeared He had an enemy in some countryman who had the power to send someone to prison for any length of time 11
His wife begged the king the queen and the court for any tidings of him in vain This doctor’s wife was a lady of great courage But she had suffered so intensely from this that she determined to spare her child A girl Yes a girl Therefore she raised her daughter in the belief that her father was dead Miss Manette your mother took this course with you You had no dark cloud of worry about whether your father died in prison The expression on Miss Manette’s face had deepened into one of pain and horror He has been found alive Greatly changed it is most likely Your father has been taken to the house of an old servant in Paris We are going there I will identify him if I can You will restore him to life love rest and comfort A shiver ran through Miss Manette’s frame She said in a low voice It will be his ghost not him Mr Lorry rubbed her hands There there The best and worst are known to you now 12
With a fair sea voyage and a fair land journey you will be soon at his side What is the matter Miss Manette Her eyes were open and fixed upon him and yet not seeing So tight was her grip on his arm that he feared it would hurt her to move He called out loudly for assistance A wild-looking woman with red hair and a most wonderful bonnet ran into the room She laid a brawny hand on Mr Lorry’s chest and sent him flying back against the nearest wall 13
