A Tale of Two Cities

XI

A Companion Picture

«Sydney,» said Mr. Stryver, on that self-same night, or morning, to his jackal; «mix another bowl of punch; I have something to say to you.»

Sydney had been working double tides that night, and the night before, and the night before that, and a good many nights in succession, making a grand clearance among Mr. Stryver's papers before the setting in of the long vacation. The clearance was effected at last; the Stryver arrears were handsomely fetched up; everything was got rid of until November should come with its fogs atmospheric, and fogs legal, and bring grist to the mill again.

Sydney was none the livelier and none the soberer for so much application. It had taken a deal of extra wet-towelling to pull him through the night; a correspondingly extra quantity of wine had preceded the towelling; and he was in a very damaged condition, as he now pulled his turban off and threw it into the basin in which he had steeped it at intervals for the last six hours.

«Are you mixing that other bowl of punch?» said Stryver the portly, with his hands in his waistband, glancing round from the sofa where he lay on his back.

«I am.»

«Now, look here! I am going to tell you something that will rather surprise you, and that perhaps will make you think me not quite as shrewd as you usually do think me. I intend to marry.»