TheshiningBull\'sEyeoftheCourtwasgone,oritwouldhavebeenthemarkforahurricaneofnationalbullets.Ithadneverbeenagoodeyetoseewith——hadlonghadthemoteinitofLucifer\'spride,Sardanapalus\'sluxury,andamole\'sblindness——butithaddroppedoutandwasgone.TheCourt,fromthatexclusiveinnercircletoitsoutermostrottenringofintrigue,corruption,anddissimulation,wasallgonetogether.Royaltywasgone;hadbeenbesiegedinitsPalaceand`suspended,\'whenthelasttidingscameover.
TheAugustoftheyearonethousandsevenhundredandninety-twowascome,andMonseigneurwasbythistimescatteredfarandwide.
Aswasnatural,thehead-quartersandgreatgathering-placeofMonseigneur,inLondon,wasTellson\'sBank.Spiritsaresupposedtohaunttheplaceswheretheirbodiesmostresorted,andMonseigneurwithoutaguineahauntedthespotwherehisguineasusedtobe.Moreover,itwasthespottowhichsuchFrenchintelligenceaswasmosttobereliedupon,camequickest.Again:Tellson\'swasamunificenthouse,andextendedgreatliberalitytooldcustomerswhohadfallenfromtheirhighestate.Again:thosenobleswhohadseenthecomingstormintime,andanticipatingplunderorconfiscation,hadmadeprovidentremittancestoTellson\'s,werealwaystobeheardoftherebytheirneedybrethren.TowhichitmustbeaddedthateverynewcomerfromFrancereportedhimselfandhistidingsatTellson\'s,almostasamatterofcourse.Forsuchvarietyofreasons,Tellson\'swasatthattime,astoFrenchintelligence,akindofHighExchange;andthiswassowellknowntothepublic,andtheinquiriesmadetherewereinconsequencesonumerous,thatTellson\'ssometimeswrotethelatestnewsoutinalineorsoandposteditintheBankwindows,forallwhoranthroughTempleBartoread.
Onasteaming,mistyafternoon,Mr.Lorrysatathisdesk,andCharlesDarnaystoodleaningonit,talkingwithhiminalowvoice.ThepenitentialdenoncesetapartforinterviewswiththeHouse,wasnowthenews-Exchange,andwasfilledtooverflowing.Itwaswithinhalfanhourorsoofthetimeofclosing.
`But,althoughyouaretheyoungestmanthateverlived,\'saidCharlesDarnay,ratherhesitating,`Imuststillsuggesttoyou——\'