boldest people afraid to speak of in a whisper, across the water
there; for instance, the privilege of filling up blank forms of the
consignment of any one to the oblivion of a prison for any length of
time; if his wife had implored the king, the queen, the court, the
clergy, for any tidings of him, and all quite in vain;then the
history of your father would have been the history of this
unfortunate gentleman, the Doctor of Beauvais.”
“I entreat you to tell me more, sir.”
“I will. I am going to. You can bear it?”
“I can bear anything but the uncertainty you leave me in at this
moment.”
“You speak collectedly, and youare collected. That’s good!”
(Though his manner was less satisfied than his words.) “A matter
of business. Regard it as a matter of businessbusiness that must
be done. Now if this doctor’s wife, though a lady of great courage
and spirit, had suffered so intensely from this cause before her
little child was born”
“The little child was a daughter, sir.”
“A daughter. Aamatter of businessdon’t be distressed.
Miss, if the poor lady had suffered so intensely before her little
child was born, that she came to the determination of sparing the
poor child the inheritance of any part of the agony she had known
the pains of, by rearing her in the belief that her father was dead
Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics
37
No, don’t kneel! In Heaven’s name why should you kneel to me!”
“For the truth. O dear, good, compassionate sir, for the truth!”
“Aa matter of business. You confuse me, and how can I
transact business if I am confused? Let us be clear-headed. If you
could ki