WORN out by anxious watching, Mr. Lorry fell asleep at his post. On the tenth morning of his suspense, he was startled by the shining of the sun into the room where a heavy slumber had overtaken him when it was dark night.

He rubbed his eyes and roused himself; but he doubted, when he had done so, whether he was not still asleep. For, going to the door of the Doctor's room and looking in, he perceived that the shoemaker's bench and tools were put aside again, and that the Doctor himself sat reading at the window. He was in his usual morning dress, and his face (which Mr. Lorry could distinctly see), though still very pale, was calmly studious and attentive.

Even when he had satisfied himself that he was awake, Mr. Lorry felt giddily uncertain for some few moments whether the late shoemaking might not be a disturbed dream of his own; for, did not his eyes show him his friend before him in his accustomed clothing and aspect, and employed as usual; and was there any sign within their range, that the change of which he had so strong an impression had actually happened?

It was but the inquiry of his first confusion and astonishment, the answer being obvious. If the impression were not produced by a real corresponding and sufficient cause, how came he, Jarvis Lorry, there? How came he to have fallen asleep, in his clothes, on the sofa in Dr. Manette's consulting-room, and to be debating these points outside the Doctor's bedroom door in the early morning?

Within a few minutes, Miss Pross stood whispering at his side. If he had had any particle of doubt left, her talk would of necessity have resolved it; but he was by that time clearheaded, and had none. He advised that they should let the time go by until the regular breakfast-hour, and should then meet the Doctor as if nothing unusual had occurred. If he appeared to be in his customary state of mind, Mr. Lorry would then cautiously proceed to seek direction and guidance from the opinion he had
been, in his anxiety, so anxious to obtain.

Miss Pross submitting herself to his judgment, the scheme was worked out with care. Having abundance of time for his usual methodical toilette, Mr. Lorry presented himself at the breakfast-hour in his usual white linen, and with his usual neat leg. The Doctor was summoned in the usual way, and came to breakfast.

So far as it was possible to comprehend him without overstepping those delicate and gradual approaches which Mr. Lorry felt to be the only safe advance, he at first supposed that his daughter's marriage had taken place yesterday. An incidental allusion, purposely thrown out, to the day of the week, and the day of the month, set him thinking and counting, and evidently made him uneasy. In all other respects, however, he was so composedly himself, that Mr. Lorry determined to have the aid he sought. And that aid was his own.

Therefore, when the breakfast was done and cleared away, and he and the Doctor were left together, Mr. Lorry said, feelingly:

`My dear Manette, I am anxious to have your opinion, in confidence, on a very curious case in which I am deeply interested; that is to say, it is very curious to me; perhaps, to your better information it may be less so.'

Glancing at his hands, which were discoloured by his late work, the Doctor looked troubled, and listened attentively. He had already glanced at his hands more than once.

`Doctor Manette,' said Mr. Lorry, touching him affectionately on the arm, `the case is the case of a particularly dear friend of mine. Pray give your mind to it, and advise me well for his sake--and above all, for his daughter's--his daughter's, my dear Manette.'

`If I understand,' said the Doctor, in a subdued tone, `some mental shock---?'

`Yes!'

`Be explicit,' said the Doctor. `Spare no detail.'

Mr. Lorry saw that they understood one another, and proceeded.

`My dear Manette, it is the case of an old and a prolonged shock, of great acuteness and severity to the affections, the feelings, the--the--as you express it--the mind. The mind. It is the case of a shock under which the sufferer was borne down, one cannot say for how long, because I believe he cannot calculate the time himself, and there are no other means of getting at it. It is the case of a shock from which the sufferer recovered, by a process that he cannot trace himself--as I once heard him publicly relate in a striking manner. It is the case of a shock from which he has recovered, so completely, as to be a highly intelligent man, capable of close application of mind, and great exertion of body, and of constantly making fresh additions to his stock of knowledge, which was already very large. But, unfortunately, there has been'--he paused add took a deep breath--`a slight relapse.'

The Doctor, in a low voice, asked, `Of how long duration?'

`Nine days and nights.'

`How did it show itself? I infer,' glancing at his hands again, `in the resumption of some old pursuit connected with the shock?'

`That is the fact.'

`Now, did you ever see him,' asked the Doctor, distinctly and collectedly, though in the same low voice, `engaged in that pursuit originally?'

`Once.'

`And when the relapse fell on him, was he in most respects--or in all respects--as he was then?'

`I think in all respects.'

`You spoke of his daughter. Does his daughter know of the relapse?'

`No. It has been kept from her, and I hope will always be kept from her. It is known only to myself, and to one other who may be trusted.'

The Doctor grasped his hand, and murmured, `That was very kind. That was very thoughtful!' Mr. Lorry grasped his hand in return, and neither of the two spoke for a little while.

`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. 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.'

Doctor Manette sat meditating after these earnest words were spoken, and Mr. Lorry did not press him.

`I think so' 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.'

`Was it dreaded by him?' Mr. Lorry ventured to ask.

`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.'

`Would he,' asked Mr. Lorry, `he sensibly relieved if he could prevail upon himself to impart that secret brooding to any one, when it is on 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.'

`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?'

`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.'

`Would he remember what took place in the relapse?' asked Mr. Lorry, with natural hesitation.

The Doctor looked desolately round the room, shook his head, and answered, in a low voice, `Not at all.'

`Now, as to the future,' hinted Mr. Lorry.

`As to the future,' said the Doctor, recovering firmness, `I should have great hope. As it pleased Heaven in its mercy to restore him so soon, I should have great hope. He; yielding under the pressure of a complicated something, long dreaded and long vaguely foreseen and contended against, and recovering after the cloud had burst and passed, I should hope that the worst was over.'

`Well, well! That's good comfort. I am thankful!' said Mr. Lorry.

`I am thankful!' repeated the Doctor, bending his head with reverence.

`There are two other points,' said Mr. Lorry, `on which I am anxious to be instructed. I may go on?

`You cannot do your friend a better service.' The Doctor gave him his hand.

`To the first, then. He is of a studious habit, and unusually energetic; he applies himself with great ardour to the acquisition of professional knowledge, to the conducting of experiments, to many things. Now, does he do too much?'

`I think not. It may be the character of his mind, to be always in singular need of occupation. That may be, in part, natural to it; in part, the result of affliction. The less it was occupied with healthy things, the more it would be in danger of turning in the
unhealthy direction. He may have observed himself, and made the discovery.'

`You are sure that he is not under too great a strain?'

`I think I am quite sure of it.'

`My dear Manette, if he were overworked now'

`My dear Lorry, I doubt if that could easily be. There has been a violent stress in one direction, and it needs a counter-weight.'

`Excuse me, as a persistent man of business. Assuming for a moment, that he was overworked; it would show itself in some renewal of this disorder?'

`I do not think so. I do not think,' said Doctor Manette with the firmness of self-conviction, `that anything but the one train of association would renew it. I think that, hence-forth, nothing but some extraordinary jarring of that chord could renew it. Alter what has happened, and after his recovery, I find it difficult to imagine any such violent sounding of that string again. I trust, and I almost believe, that the circumstances likely to renew it are exhausted.'

He spoke with the diffidence of a man who knew how slight a thing would overset the delicate organisation of the mind, and yet with the confidence of a man who had slowly won his assurance out of personal endurance and distress. It was not for his friend to abate that confidence. He professed himself more relieved and encouraged than he really was, and approached his second and last point. He felt it to be the most difficult of all; but, remembering his old Sunday morning conversation with Miss Pross, and remembering what he had seen in the last nine days, he knew that he must face it.

`The occupation resumed under the influence of this passing affliction so happily recovered from,' said Mr. Lorry, clearing his throat, `we will call-Blacksmith's work, Blacksmith's work. We will say, to put a case and for the sake of illustration, that he had been used, in his bad time, to work at a little forge. We will say that he was unexpectedly found at his forge again. Is it not a pity that he should keep it by him?'

The Doctor shaded his forehead with his hand, and beat his foot nervously on the ground.

`He has always kept it by him,' said Mr. Lorry, with an anxious look at his friend. `Now, would it not be better that he should let it go?'

Still, the Doctor, with shaded forehead, beat his foot nervously on the ground.

`You do not find it easy to advise me?' said Mr. Lorry.

`I quite understand it to be a nice question. And yet I think---' And there he shook his head, and stopped.

`You see,' said Doctor Manette, turning to him after an uneasy pause, `it is very hard to explain, consistently, the innermost workings of this poor man's mind. He once yearned so frightfully for that occupation, and it was so welcome when it came; no doubt it relieved his pain so much, by substituting the perplexity of the fingers for the perplexity of the brain, and by substituting, as he became more practised, the ingenuity of the hands, for the ingenuity of the mental torture; that he has never been able to bear the thought of putting it quite out of his reach. Even now, when I believe he is more hopeful of himself than he has ever been, and even speaks of himself with a kind of confidence, the idea that he might need that old employment, and not find it, gives him a sudden sense of terror, like that which one may fancy strikes to the heart of a lost child.'

He looked like his illustration, as he raised his eyes to Mr. Lob's face. `But may not--mind! I ask for information, as a plodding man of business who only deals with such material objects as guineas, shillings, and bank-notes--may not the retention of the thing involve the retention of the idea? If the thing were gone, my dear Manette, might not the fear go with it? In short, is it not a concession to the misgiving, to keep the forge?'

There was another silence.

`You see, too,' said the Doctor, tremulously, `it is such an old companion.'

`I would not keep it,' said Mr. Lorry, shaking his head; for he gained in firmness as he saw the Doctor disquieted. `I would recommend him to sacrifice it. I only want your authority. I am sure it does no good. Come! Give me your authority, like a dear good man. For his daughter's sake, my dear Manette!'

Very strange to see what a struggle there was within him! `In her name, then, let it be done; I sanction it. But, I would not take it away while he was present. Let it be removed when he is not there; let him miss his old companion after an absence.'

Mr. Lorry readily engaged for that, and the conference was ended. They passed the day in the country, and the Doctor was quite restored. On the three following days he remained perfectly well, and on the fourteenth day he went away to join Lucie and her husband. The precaution that had been taken to account for his silence, Mr. Lorry had previously explained to him, and he had written to Lucie in accordance with it, and she had no suspicions.

On the night of the day on which he left the house, Mr. Lorry went into his room with a   chopper, saw, chisel, and hammer, attended by Miss Pross carrying a light. There, with closed doors, and in a mysterious and guilty manner, Mr. Lorry hacked the shoemaker's bench to pieces, while Miss Pross held the candle as if she were assisting at a murder--or which, indeed, in her grimness, she was no unsuitable figure. The burning of the body (previously reduced to pieces convenient for the purpose) was commenced without delay in the kitchen fire; and the tools, shoes, and leather, were buried in the garden. So wicked do destruction and secrecy appear to honest minds, that Mr. Lorry and Miss Pross, while enraged in the commission of their deed and in the removal of its traces, almost felt, and almost looked, like accomplices in a horrible crime. 

罗瑞先生被忧心忡忡的观察弄得筋疲力尽，在他的岗位上睡着了。在他提心吊胆度过的第十个早上，他被射进屋里的阳光惊醒了，原来他在夜里昏昏沉沉睡了一个好觉。

他揉着眼睛坐了起来，怀疑自己还在梦里。因为，他走到医生寝室往里看时，发现鞋匠的凳子和工具又已经收拾好，医生也坐在窗前读书了。他穿着平时穿的晨衣，那张脸（罗瑞先生刚好可以看得清楚）虽然依旧苍白，却平静、勤奋，而且专注。

尽管罗瑞先生因为他已恢复了正常而感到满意，却仍然糊涂了好大一会儿，不知道最近这做鞋的事是否是一个令人心烦意乱的梦。他不是明明看见他的朋友衣着如常、神态如故做着一向都做的事么？他眼前能有什么迹象说明那给了他强烈印象的事确实出现过呢？

可是在迷惑惊讶之余一想，答案又很清楚。若是那印象并非产生于相应的、现实的、充分的原因，他贾维斯.罗瑞又怎么会到这儿来呢？又怎么会在曼内特医生诊室的沙发上和衣而卧睡着了呢？怎么又会一大早站在医生寝室的门口思考着这些问题呢？

几分钟之后普洛丝小姐已站在他身旁消声说话。若是他还有丝毫怀疑，她那话也肯定能让他释然于心了。但他那时已经头脑清醒，并不怀疑。他建议先别声张，直到早饭时再像没有发生任何事情一样跟医生见面。若是那时医生心情跟过去一样，罗瑞先生就可以小心寻求指示和引导。他很着急，急于求得个答案。

普洛丝小姐同意了他的判断，两人细心作了安排。罗瑞先生有充裕的时间有条有理地洗漱梳理，到早饭时才穿着他一向穿的那一身白衬衫和整洁的裤子出现。医生和平时一样得到通知才出来吃早饭。

罗瑞先生设想了一套循序渐进的精细操作法，认为那才是唯一的安全措施。他想在不背离这套措施的前提下去理解他。医生起初以为他女儿是昨天才结婚的。采取偶然的方式故意提起的日期问题（今天是星期几？是本月几号？）引起了医生的考虑和计算，他显然感到不安了。但在其它方面他仍然十分平静，因此罗瑞先生决定寻求他所需要的帮助——那帮助来自医生自己。

吃完早饭撤下杯盘，桌旁只有他跟医生在一起时，罗瑞先生很带感情地说：

“亲爱的曼内特先生，我很想向你请教一个需要保密的问题。是一个我很感兴趣的奇特病例。就是说，我感到很奇特，你见多识广，也许并不觉得如此。”

医生瞥了一眼他那双因最近的工作而变了颜色的手，露出迷惑的神色，仔细听着。他已经不止一次望过自己的手了。

“曼内特医生，”罗瑶先生深情地碰碰他的手臂，“那是我一个特别好的朋友。请为他费点心给我出个好主意。尤其是为了他的女儿——他的女儿，亲爱的曼内特。”

“如果我的理解不错的话，”医生压低了嗓子说，“是一种心理休克吧？”，

“对！”

“介绍清楚一点，”医生说，“不要遗漏任何细节。”

罗瑞先生看出彼此很默契，便说了下去。

“亲爱的曼内特，这是一种陈旧性的长期休克，对感情和感觉都十分痛苦，十分严重，正是你所说的心理休克，心理上的。病情是：病人因心理休克而崩溃过不知道多少时间，因为我相信他自己无法计算，也没有其它的方式计算。后来病人自行复原了，复原的过程他自己也无法追溯——我曾听他公开讲述过，很动人。他的病好得很彻底，作为一个智力很高的人他已可以作沉重的脑力劳动，也可以作沉重的体力劳动，可以对他已经很丰富的知识又增加新的东西了。可是不幸的是——”他住了嘴，深深地吸了一口气，“他的病出现了一次轻微的反复。”

医生低声问道，“有多久时间？”

“九天九夜。”

“有什么表现？”说时又看了看他的手，“我估计是因为又接触到某种跟休克有关的问题了，是么？”

“正是。”

“晤，你过去，”医生问道，显然是在控制自己，虽然声音还是很低，“见过他休克时的活动么？”

“见过一次。”

“他什么时候犯病的？他是大体上还是完全回复到了以前的状态？”

“我相信是完全回复到了以前的状态。”

“你刚才谈到过他的女儿。他的女儿知道他又犯病了么？”

“不知道。对她保了密，我希望还会对她永远保密。只有我一个人知道，还有一个值得信任的人知道。”

医生抓住他的手喃喃地说，“做得很细心，很周到！”罗瑞先生也抓住他的手，两人无言，静默了好一会儿。

“现在，我亲爱的曼内特，”罗瑞先生终于以他最关切最深情的态度说，“我只是个生意人，不适宜处理这类困难复杂的问题。我不具备必需的知识．我需要指导。我在这个世界上要想得到正确的指导只能依靠你了。告诉我，这种病为什么会犯？有再犯的危险吗？可以防止再犯吗？犯了该怎么治？这病的起因是什么？我可以为我的朋友做些什么？我只要知道了该怎么办，是最急于为我的朋友效劳的，谁也比不上我。但是我不知道对这样的病情如何下手。若是你的智慧、知识和经验能引我上路，我可以做许多事。但若得不到启蒙和指导，我就差不多无能为力了。请跟我讨论，让我更了解情况，多起点作用。”

听完这番恳切的话，曼内特医生沉思了一会儿。罗瑞先生没有催促他。

“我认为，”医生鼓起勇气打破了沉默，“病号很可能并非完全没有预料到你所描绘的那次犯病，我亲爱的朋友。”

“他害怕犯病么？”罗瑞先生大胆地问。

“很害怕，”他说时不自觉地发起抖来。

“你不知道这种恐惧压在患者心里有多么沉重。你也不知道要让他谈起自己所遭受过的迫害又有多么困难，即使是一个字他也几乎不可能提起。”

“患者有了那种秘密的预感之后，”罗瑞先生问道，“若是能说服自己向别人透露透露，对缓解痛苦能起作用么？”

“我看可以。但我也要告诉你，要他向别人透露差不多是不可能的，在某些病例上甚至是绝对不可能的。”

“那么，”两人沉默了一会儿，罗瑞先生又把手放在医生的手臂上说，“你认为犯病的原因何在？”

“我相信，”曼内特医生回答，“是因为导致疾病的一连串思想和回忆重新以激烈的、异常的形式出现所致。我认为是某种最痛苦的紧张联想又在记忆中活跃了起来。他心里很可能有一种长期隐藏的恐惧，他惧怕回忆起有关的问题。比如某种环境，或是某个特定的时期。他努力准备克服，却失败了；也许他准备克服的努力正好削弱了他的承受力。”

“他能记得旧病复发时的情景吗？”罗瑞先生问，难免有些犹豫。

医生痛苦地环顾了一下屋子，摇摇头，低声回答，“一点也不记得。”

“那以后呢？”罗瑞先生暗示。

“以后，”医生坚强了起来说，“我认为以后是大有希望的。既然上天怜悯他，让他很快就复了原，我想会很有希望的。他在某种复杂的东西的压力之下崩溃了，他曾长期害怕过它，长期模糊地害怕过它，跟它斗争过，直到乌云裂开，而且消失，他又恢复了正常。我认为最严重的时期已经过去了。”

“好，好！这就叫人放心了。我很感谢！”罗瑞先生说。

“我也很感谢！”医生虔诚地低下头重复他的话。

“还有两个问题，”罗瑞先生说，“很希望你指教。我能再问问么？”

“问了对你的朋友会更有好处的。”医生向他伸出手来。

“先谈第一个。他有用功的习惯，而且精力异常充沛。为了增加业务知识，为了做实验，为了许多事他都很刻苦。那么，他的工作是不是太多？”

“我看不多。他的心智特点也许正是特别需要有所寄托。这种情况一部分可能是出于天性，一部分也可能是因为痛苦。占领他心灵的健康的东西越少，转向不健康方向的危险就越大。他可能自己做了观察，发现了这一点。”

“你可以肯定他不是过度劳累么？”

“我很有把握。”

“亲爱的曼内特，若是他现在过度劳累——”

“我亲爱的罗瑞，过度劳累是否就那么容易，我表示怀疑。有一种压力往一个方向拉，
就得有另一种力量去对消它。”

“我是个看问题执著的业务人员，请原谅。假定他确实有一段时间过度劳累，会不会重
新引起这种混乱呢？”

“我想不会的，”曼内特医生自信地说，“我认为除了那一系列联想之外，其它的东西都不会重新引起混乱。我认为除非以后那根弦又受到异常严重的拨动，那病是不会发作的。在他已经发生上述情况又已恢复正常后，我觉得很难设想还会有什么东西能那么强烈地拨动那根弦了。我认为，也差不多是相信，可能引起发作的条件已经枯竭了。”

他说话时不大自信，因为他深知心灵的结构很微妙，即使最轻微的活动也能把它推翻，同时也十分自信，因为他亲身承受过苦难，逐渐产生了把握。罗瑞先生觉得不宜挫伤他的信心，便表示了大于实际感受的信心和鼓舞，然后转向了第二个也是最后一个问题，他心目中最棘手的问题。但是一回忆到星期天早上跟普洛丝小姐的谈话和自己这九天里观察到的情况，他知道他必须勉为其难面对它。

“在这次侥幸度过的病患的影响之下，患者恢复了一种职业活动，”罗瑞先生清了清嗓子，说，“我们可以把它叫作——铁匠活儿，就叫铁匠活儿吧！为了举例说明，我们可以说在他生病的时候已养成了在小熔炉边工作的习惯。这回他又出人意外地在他的小熔炉边干起活儿来。若是他还把那小熔炉保留起来，会不会令人遗憾呢？”

医生用手按住前额，一只脚紧张地敲着地板。

“他总把那炉子保留在身边，”罗瑞先生焦急地望望他的朋友说。“他若是把炉子扔掉会不会好一些呢？”

医生仍然按住前额，用脚紧张地敲着地板。

“你很为难，不好替我拿主意么？”罗瑞先生说。“这个问题很微妙，我明白，可我认为——”他摇摇头住了嘴。

“你看，”曼内特医生尴尬地过了一会儿才转向他说，“对这个可怜的人最深层的内心活动很难做前后一致的解释。他曾经严重地渴望那种职业活动，在它出现时他便非常欢迎。那无疑大大减轻了他的痛苦，因为它使他用手指上的忙碌代替了头脑里的煌惑，在更熟练之后又以手的灵巧代替了精神的折磨。因此一想到把那工具放到他所找不到的地方他就受不了。即使到了现在，虽然我也相信他比以前对自己有了更多的希望，甚至谈到自己也有了某种信心，但一想到他万一要从事往昔的活动而又找不到，便不禁突然感到恐怖。我们可以想象那正像一个迷了路的孩子。”

他抬起眼睛望着罗瑞先生的脸，那样子正像他用以举例的孩子。

“不过，对那工具的保留会不会造成对那种想法的保留呢？——请注意！我是以一个跟畿尼、先令、钞票之类物质的东西打交道的辛苦的业务工作者找你出主意的。若是那东西消失了，亲爱的曼内特，那恐惧可不可能随之消失呢？简而言之，保留那小熔炉是否是对那种顾虑的让步呢？”

又是一阵沉默。

“你也明白，”医生语低声颤地说，“那东西是个老伙伴呢！”

“我是不同意保留它的，”罗瑞先生摇摇头说；他见到医生感到不安，便愈加坚定了。“我要建议他拿它做牺牲。我只希望你授权给我。我相信那东西不会有好处。来！做个可爱的善人，授权给我吧！为了他女儿的缘故，亲爱的曼内特！”

观察他心里的斗争是一种很奇怪的经验。

“要是以他女儿的名义，那就照办吧。我批准，但我是不会当着他的面把那东西拿走的。还是趁他不在的时候办为好。让他离开再回来之后去怀念老朋友吧！”

罗瑞先生立即同意了，谈话就此结束。两人在乡下过了一天，医生完全正常了。随后的三天里也一直完全正常，到了第十四天他离开伦敦跟露西和他的丈夫会合了。罗瑞先生事先向他说明了他们为解释他没有去信所采取的预防措施，他便按那种解释去了信，女儿一点也没有怀疑。

他离开屋子的那天晚上，罗瑞先生拿了柴刀、锯子、钻子和锤子进了他的屋，普洛丝小姐掌着烛陪伴他。他们关上了门。罗瑞先生神秘地、惴惴不安地把皮匠的板凳劈成了几块,普洛丝小姐擎着烛火，仿佛是在协助搞一桩谋杀——实际上她那副凶狠的模样倒也并非不像那个角色。板凳立即在厨房的灶火里烧掉了（事先已劈成碎块）；工具、鞋和皮革则埋在了花园里。毁灭与秘密对诚实的心是十分邪恶的，罗瑞先生和普洛丝小姐在完成任务和消灭踪迹的时候几乎感到自己是在合谋进行一桩恐怖的谋杀。