Defarge Escorts Mr Lorry And Miss Manette example essay topic

CHAPTER ONE: The Period In the opening chapter, the period in which the novel is set is described. The story begins about fifteen years before the French Revolution. It is a time when many people think they live in the best of times, while others condemn it as the worst of times. The kings of England and France are both mediocre rulers, and they believe in their divine rights. People are put to death for the slightest of crimes. The condition in France is very bad, for there is a total disregard for the common people by the aristocracy; injustice, cruelty, and oppression are rampant.

The aristocracy is unaware that the masses are preparing for the revolution by turning timber into guillotines and farm carts into tumbrels to convey people to the guillotine. In England, too, lawlessness and poverty prevail. Even the colonies in America are up in arms against their English rulers, and the attempts of the American colonies to obtain freedom are not taken seriously. CHAPTER TWO: The Mail The Dover mail coach makes its way laboriously up Shooter's Hill on a wet Friday night in November, 1775. Tired horses are dragging the coach while the passengers trudge alongside. Because of the general state of affairs in England, the passengers are suspicious of the driver, of the guard, and of one another; they are also afraid of ambush from the outside.

A messenger arrives with a message for Mr. Jarvis Lorry, who is an agent of Tellson's Bank and one of the passengers. The message is that Mr. Lorry needs to wait in Dover to meet a young lady. Mr. Lorry sends a return message to the bank that states only, "recalled to life. ' The messenger thinks the message is very strange, but agrees to deliver it.

Mr. Lorry goes back into the coach. CHAPTER THREE: The Night Shadows The messenger, Jerry Cruncher, trots off into the darkness to deliver the message to the night watchman of Tellson's Bank. On the way, he stops a number of times to scratch his head and think about the perplexing message. In the coach, Mr. Lorry dozes and dreams about the man who has been all but buried alive in a prison for the last eighteen years. CHAPTER FOUR: The Preparation Mr. Lorry arrives at Dover and checks into a hotel, where he showers and changes.

At the desk, he leaves instructions for accommodations to be prepared for a certain young woman due to arrive at any time; he also asks to be notified upon her arrival. While he waits for dinner in the coffee shop, the waiter announces that Miss Manette has arrived from London and is extremely eager to see him. Mr. Lorry immediately goes to find her. Lucie Manette tells Lorry that she has been informed that he is to escort her to Paris on some matter regarding the property of her dead father.

Mr. Lorry confirms that he is to escort her to Paris and then tells her that her father is alive, recently released from an eighteen-year imprisonment. The plan is to secretly bring Dr. Manette back to. Upon hearing that her father, whom she has never known, is alive, Lucie is so shocked that she literally faints. The nurse, Miss Pross, rushes into the room, scolds Mr. Lorry, and cares for Lucie as she brings her back to consciousness.

CHAPTER FIVE: The Wine Shop The suburb of Saint Antoine in Paris is covered with the gloom of winter, casting a brooding look over everything; there is also filth, sickness, ignorance, and need everywhere. A cask of wine has just shattered outside the wine shop. The nearby people, not wanting to miss this opportunity for a free drink, rush over to the broken cask and use almost anything to hold some of the liquid. As a crowd gathers around the cask, laughter and amused voices echo in the streets. The merriment is broken when one man, whose finger is dripping with wine, scrawls the word "blood' on the wall. His action meets with disapproval from Ernest Defarge, the keeper of the wine shop.

Monsieur Defarge, a bull-necked man of thirty, has a dark appearance, a good humor, and a strong determination. Madame Defarge, his wife, is a stout woman of the same age. She has a watchful eye, large hand, steady face, strong features, and great composure. With a mere shake of her head, she directs Monsieur Defarge and the activities of the wine shop. Monsieur Defarge sees an elderly gentleman and a young woman seated in the corner of the shop, amidst others who are playing games and drinking wine. He pretends not to notice the two strangers, but the elderly gentleman, Mr. Jarvis Lorry, approaches.

The two men converse briefly, for little more than a minute, and then part ways. Madame Defarge knits away, pretending to have seen nothing. After emerging from the wine shop, Mr. Lorry and Miss Manette join Monsieur Defarge at a doorway a short distance away. Defarge's manner is secretive and his mood seems angry. It is learned that he had been a servant of Dr. Manette before his imprisonment. After the doctor is freed from prison, the Defarges have sheltered him and allowed glimpses of him to their associates in order to fan the flames of revolutionary fire in them.

These associates, who have a hatred of the upper class, are incensed at the cruel sight of Dr. Manette, who has lost his memory and desire to live after being the victim of aristocratic oppression for eighteen years. Defarge escorts Mr. Lorry and Miss Manette to where Dr. Manette lives in hiding, behind a locked door. As they enter, Miss Manette is shaking with emotion and looks terrorized. Mr. Lorry attempts to comfort her and asks her to have courage. Monsieur Defarge takes them to the garret, where there is a dingy, dark little room.

Facing the window with his back towards them, an old white-haired man sits on a bench making shoes. CHAPTER SIX: The Shoemaker Monsieur Defarge greets Dr. Manette, who responds in a faint voice, and gains the old man's permission to let more light into the room. The rays of light reveal a workman with a half- finished shoe on his lap and scraps of leather all around him. He has a raggedly cut white beard, a hollow face, and very bright eyes.

His tattered yellow shirt is open at the neck and shows a withered and worn body. He has faded down to a dull parchment color due to in exposure to direct sunlight and air; he sort of blends in to his yellow shirt, making it difficult to distinguish one from another. Monsieur Defarge informs the old man that he has a visitor. Mr. Lorry approaches Dr. Manette and asks him what his name is. Dr. Manette replies, "One hundred and five, North Tower. ' Mr. Lorry next asks him if he is a shoemaker by trade.

To this the doctor mutters something about learning it there. Mr. Lorry then looks fixedly at the doctor's face and asks whether he remembers him. At this point the Doctor drops his shoe and stares at Mr. Lorry; a faint flicker of recognition seems to cross Dr. Manette's face for an instant. Lucie Manette has been standing motionless and silent near the bench.

When the doctor leans back over his work, he notices her dress and looks up at her, seeing his grown daughter for the first time. He asks Lucie if she is the jailer's daughter. When she replies in the negative, he asks her who she is. Lucie sits down on the bench and touches his arm, causing Dr. Manette to recoil. He then notices her lovely golden curls and starts to play with them.

Suddenly he pulls out a scrap of folded rag attached to a black string. Inside are a few strands of long golden hair exactly like Lucie's. Dr. Manette grows confused and thinks that Lucie is his wife, the one who had laid her head on his shoulder when he was imprisoned and left her strands of hair behind for him to treasure. Lucie comforts the old man gently, but does not reveal who she is.

She begs him to kiss her and to weep for his desolate past and for any resemblance between her and his wife. They fall to the floor in tears. After awhile, Lorry and Defarge lift father and daughter from where they lay on the ground. Preparations begin for the return of the trio to London. A passport is obtained and a carriage is located. Through all the activity, Dr. Manette is totally submissive, following directions and eating and drinking whatever is offered to him.

His only resistance is when that try to make him leave without his tools; he insists upon taking them and the unfinished shoes with him. During the night, the threesome makes its way to England. Lucie has thoughts of how she will nurse her father back to health and memory. Mr. Lorry wonders whether the doctor can ever be restored to life.

CHAPTER ONE: Five Years Later Tellson's Bank is situated by Temple Bar. It is an old-fashioned, small, ugly, and somewhat decrepit building. Appropriately, all the employees that are seen in the bank are old men; and they are very conservative. Tellson's Bank is a strong supporter of the death penalty and has caused the death of many offenders Jerry Cruncher, the messenger seen previously in Chapter 2, is an odd-job man at the bank. He is usually found working outside the old building during business hours, unless he is out on a bank errand.

He is helped by his son, young Jerry, who is simply a smaller version of his father. In this chapter, Jerry Cruncher is at home lying in bed. He is angry with his wife and throws the boot at her saying that her prayers are like curses against him and his son. After grumbling a bit he gets up, polishes his boots, readies himself, and sets out to work with young Jerry.

He has been called to the bank by one of its messengers. CHAPTER TWO: A Sight When he arrives at the bank, the clerk tells Jerry to go down to the courthouse, the Old Bailey, and wait for Mr. Lorry. The clerk gives him a note that he is supposed to pass to Mr. Lorry by way of the doorkeeper of the courthouse. The case being tried that day is for treason.

The punishment is that the guilty be hanged, drawn, and quartered. Jerry Cruncher thinks the punishment is barbarous. Due to the nature of the trial, a large crowd of spectators has gathered outside the Old Bailey. Jerry Cruncher makes his way quietly through the crowd to the door of the courthouse and hands the note to the doorkeeper, as instructed. A few minutes later the door opens allowing him to squeeze in. The doorkeeper takes the note to Mr. Lorry, who is seated amidst some gentlemen in wigs.

Not far away sit two more wigged gentlemen. One is Mr. Stryver, counsel for the prisoner, while the other is Mr. Sydney Carton, who sits with his hands in his pockets staring at the ceiling. Jerry Cruncher manages to catch the attention of Mr. Lorry who nods and signals to him to wait there. The prisoner is brought in.

Everyone turns to look at him except Sydney Carton, who continues to stare at the ceiling. The prisoner is a young man of about twenty-five, good-looking, and obviously a gentleman. He is dressed plainly in dark colors, and his hair is gathered in a ribbon at the back of his neck. He is self-possessed, bowing to the judges and standing quietly. He looks around the room, and his eyes rest on two witnesses, a young woman of around twenty-five and a gentleman who evidently is her father.

The father looks remarkable due to the whiteness of his hair and the intense look on his face, like a man who is absorbed with his own thoughts. The daughter has one hand drawn through his arm and the other pressed upon it. CHAPTER THREE: A Disappointment The prisoner, Charles Darnay, has been accused of being a traitor to George, King of England, by assisting Louis XVI, King of France, in his wars against England. He supposedly has moved between the two countries to gain and supply information as to what forces the English have to send to Canada. The Attorney General states that the prisoner can give no honest account of his comings and goings. He produces a witness, John Barsad, who supposedly was once a friend of the prisoner.

He, however, has decided to put loyalty to his country above his friendship to the prisoner. He has obtained some information in the form of lists by inducing the prisoner's servant, Roger Cly, to examine his master's pockets and drawers. The Prosecution cannot prove the handwriting to be that of the prisoner, and Mr. Stryver, on cross examination, shows that John Barsad has a low character, is totally untrustworthy, and seems no better than a professional informer and spy. As the next witness, the servant, Roger Cly, states that he has been in the service of the prisoner for four years, meeting him aboard the Calais packet. Becoming suspicious of his master, he searches his clothes and his belongings for some clues to his mysterious travel and behavior. He finds several lists, all of a similar nature, and sees him showing one of them to French gentlemen at Calais and Boulogne.

He admits that he has known John Barsad for seven to eight years. Mr. Stryver, on cross-examination, insinuates that the servant planted the lists on Darnay and is in league with John Barsad to frame the prisoner. Miss Manette is called to testify next and appears reluctant to give evidence against the prisoner. She states that she first met Darnay five years ago, while crossing the Channel between France and England. He was very kind and advised her how to shelter her father from the wind and weather; he also expressed great concern for her father's condition.

She admits that he had come aboard with two French gentlemen, with whom he conversed at length. Before they departed the boat, the Frenchmen had handed some papers to him. She had not seen the contents of the papers or heard the men speak about them. The prisoner had told her, however, that he was traveling under an assumed name since he had some delicate, difficult business to attend to which might get people into trouble.

He also told her that his business might take him between France and England for a long time to come. Dr. Manette is called as the next witness, but cannot identify the prisoner since at that time he had just been released from prison and was not mentally sound. The object of the prosecution is to show that the prisoner had gone down in the Dover mail coach on a Friday night in November, five years ago. He got out at a place where the prisoner did not remain, but traveled to a garrison and dockyard where he collected information.

A witness is called to identify the prisoner as being the one who was at that same time in the coffee shop of the garrison-and-dockyard town, waiting for someone. Mr. Stryver cross-examines him to no avail. At this point, the wigged gentleman, who has been staring at the ceiling, scribbles a note on a piece of paper, balls it up, and tosses it to Mr. Stryver. On reading the note, Mr. Stryver looks with great attention and curiosity at the prisoner and at Mr. Carton.

He then points to Sydney Carton and asks the witness if he sees any resemblance between him and the prisoner. The likeness between the two is obvious and striking, and even more so when Carton removes his wig. The evidence of the witness becomes valueless. In his speech for the defense, Mr. Stryver shows that John Barsad is a hired spy, a traitor, and a great scoundrel, who has forged documents, sworn false oaths, and framed the prisoner because some family affair required his making frequent trips across the Channel. During the summing up by the Judge and the conference with the jury, Mr. Carton sits without moving, hands in pockets. His demeanor appears reckless and gives him a disreputable and disinterested look; but he is more observant than he appears, for when Miss Manette's head falls on her father's chest, he quickly calls an attendant to take her out.

When he discusses Miss Manette with Darnay, the prisoner says that he is sorry to have caused the young lady such agitation. After a long interval, the jury reaches a decision, and Charles Darnay is acquitted. The spectators leave the room in disappointment. CHAPTER FOUR: Congratulatory After the trial, Dr. Manette, Lucie Manette, Mr. Lorry, and Mr. Stryver stand around Charles Darnay congratulating him on his acquittal. Dr. Manette, with his intellectual face and upright figure, no longer looks like the shoemaker of the garret in Paris. However, if that past time is ever mentioned, his spirit becomes clouded with a gloomy fit of abstraction.

Only his daughter has the power to charm away the dark brooding from his mind. Darnay kisses Lucie's hand warmly and gratefully and turns to thank Mr. Stryver. Dr. Manette suddenly looks at Darnay with dislike and distrust. Since the Doctor is tired, Lucie takes him home. Mr. Lorry also departs. Sydney Carton approaches Darnay and asks him how it feels to be looking at his double, referring to himself.

Darnay responds that he only feels faint from the trial. Mr. Carton suggests that he should get something to eat and escorts him to a tavern. Darnay thanks Mr. Carton for his timely aid even though he is starting to dislike this coarse double of himself. Mr. Carton also dislikes Darnay's attention to Lucie since he too is attracted to her. At the tavern, Mr. Carton drinks too much, making Darnay uncomfortable. He pays the bill and prepares to leave.

Before he departs, Mr. Carton tells Darnay that he is alone in the world; he cares for no one, and no one cares for him. When he is by himself in the tavern, Carton drinks some more wine and falls asleep on his arms. CHAPTER FIVE: The Jackal Mr. Stryver's practice as a barrister has been rapidly increasing, probably due in part to his being loud-voiced and pushy. He is judged to be an intelligent lawyer who can extract the essentials from any information. He is also judged as bold and unscrupulous; perhaps that is why he is friendly with Mr. Carton.

The two of them often drink together into the late hours of the night; Stryver drinks for enjoyment, while Carton drinks from frustration. It is rumored that Mr. Carton often goes home, stealthily and unsteadily, at dawn. Carton, who is the most idle and unpromising of men, accompanies Mr. Stryver on every case that he tries in court. As in Darnay's trial, Carton sits silently in the courtroom with his hands in his pockets and his eyes on the ceiling. Although Sydney Carton is not aggressive, he is extremely shrewd and helps Stryver plan his defense.

Sometimes, he interjects something into the trial, as seen when he throws the piece of paper at Stryver during Darnay's trial. It was Carton's cleverness that saved Darnay for the death penalty. Mr. Carton, who is asleep in the tavern, is awakened by a man at ten o'clock as requested. He gets up, dons his hat, and makes his way to the chambers of Mr. Stryver.

They go into a dingy room lined with books and littered with papers. A kettle steams on the fire, and on the table sits a large supply of wine, brandy, rum, sugar, and lemons. It becomes apparent during their meeting that even though Mr. Stryver takes all the credit for Darnay's acquittal, it is actually Mr. Carton who had planned his defense. Mr. Stryver proposes a toast to Miss Manette, whom he judges to be beautiful; Mr. Carton calls her a golden-haired doll. When Carton finally goes off to bed, he is drunk and tearful, knowing how incapable he is of taking care of himself or his interests. CHAPTER SIX: Hundreds of People Dr. Manette lives on a quiet street corner near Soho square.

One Sunday, four months after Darnay's trial Mr. Lorry goes to dine with him. The doctor, restored to health and sanity, now earns good money by treating patients and conducting ingenious experiments. Mr. Lorry observes that the Doctor has the shoemaker's bench and tray of tools. He wonders aloud why the Doctor would want to keep such a painful reminder. He is interrupted by Miss Pross, the nurse, who feels that it is perfectly fine for him to do so.

Miss Pross is upset because hundreds of suitors come to visit Lucie every day. She is a very jealous woman, prone to exaggeration. She is also absolutely and selflessly devoted to Lucie Manette. When Mr. Darnay arrives after lunch, Miss Pross is visibly upset and goes into the house. The Manettes, however, receive him warmly. Darnay tells them a story he had heard while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Some workmen had apparently come upon an old dungeon, unused for a long time, with names of prisoners carved upon the walls. Upon digging below a corner stone, on which some unfortunate prisoner had carved the word dig, they found the ashes of a paper along with the ashes of a leather bag. All this talk of dungeons and prisoners unnerves Dr. Manette. It starts to rain, and they go indoors from the courtyard.

Inside, Miss Pross, who is still upset, serves tea, just as Mr. Carton walks in. He keeps to himself and appears moody. Lucie, while looking out of the window, gets a premonition that the footsteps outside the house signify people who are going to enter their lives someday. Mr. Carton adds his own premonition by remarking that he too sees a huge crowd coming toward the whole group in a menacing way.

CHAPTER SEVEN: The Marquis in Paris Monseigneur, the Marquis, is an influential member of the ruling oligarch, known for his selfishness. He sits in his Parisian suite drinking chocolate served by four men. Various members of high society congregate in his reception rooms. Their fancy dress and false conversations are reflective of their pretentious natures. Known for their disinterest and uselessness, they are engaged in occupations about which they know little and which interest them little. Monseigneur makes a brief public appearance during which he scorns one of the petitioners; it is Marquis St. Evremonde, a man of about sixty.

He is handsomely dressed and has a haughty manner. His pale face is clearly defined like a fine mask. Evremonde is infuriated at the slight and curses Monseigneur to the devil. The Marquis takes his carriage through the streets of Paris with his coachman driving recklessly, unchecked by his master. There have been many complaints about the rash driving by the aristocracy that has endangered and maimed many a commoner, but Evremonde does not care. When his carriage swoops around a corner, one of the wheels comes to a sickening jolt.

There is a loud cry from a number of voices, and the horses rear and force the carriage to halt. The frightened valet gets down hurriedly, while the Marquis calmly asks what the matter is. A child has been killed by the carriage, and a thin man, Gaspard, is bent over the body, howling loudly. After a while he gets up and rushes to the Marquis, arms in the air, yelling, "Killed' and "Dead.

' The people gather around without hostility or anger. The Marquis scornfully tosses a gold coin on to the street and announces that the people should take better care of their children and themselves. He is more worried about his horses than the dead child. Gaspard cries out again, but is stopped by the quick arrival of another man, for whom the others make way.

Gaspard breaks down and sobs on the man's shoulder while pointing to the lifeless bundle lying near the fountain. The man tells Gaspard to be brave. He then says that it is probably better that the child has died without pain rather than living in misery. This man knows that the poor never have so much as an hour of happiness. The Marquis calls him a philosopher and asks him his name. The man identifies himself as Defarge, a wine merchant.

The Marquis throws a gold coin at him and again asks his coachman about his horses since he is ready to leave. Suddenly a coin flies into the Marquis' carriage. The Marquis demands to know who has thrown it, looking at the spot where Defarge had stood a moment before. Gaspard, the wretched father, is still groveling on the pavement.

Standing next to him is a dark, stout woman, who is knitting. Since no one will answer him, the Marquis curses them all and says that he would gladly ride over any of them, especially the rascal that threw the coin. The common people are so cowed by the aristocracy that no one dares to speak or even raise a hand or eye. They know from personal experience that aristocratic men often inflict great harm. Mrs. Defarge is the only woman in the group that seems to have any stamina to stand up to the Marquis. As she knits, she looks the Marquis squarely and steadily in the face.

The Marquis' contemptuous stare passes over her; he then motions for the driver to go on. Very shortly, other carriages, carrying members of high society, follow the Marquis, nonchalantly passing the spot of tragedy. CHAPTER EIGHT: The Marquis in the Country The Marquis makes his way from Paris through the countryside towards the Evremonde family estate. The crops on the way look dried and withered, just like the peasants. When the carriage stops at a poor village, many peasants are at the fountain washing leaves or anything else that can be eaten. The Marquis gazes with contempt at the faces around the fountain.

Soon a dusty road- mender joins the group. The Marquis sends for him and asks what he was staring at when the carriage passed him down the road. The man tells him that someone was hanging underneath the carriage; he says the man was tall, covered with dust, and as white as a ghost. The Marquis is satisfied and drives on. The carriage passes a graveyard where a grief stricken woman begs him for a tombstone for the grave of her dead husband. The Marquis ignores her request and pushes her away.

The carriage finally arrives at the estate after dark. CHAPTER NINE: The Gorgon's Head The chateau of the Evremondes is a large, heavy mass of building, with a large courtyard before it. Two stone staircases meet in a stone terrace before the principal door. There are also stone balustrades, stone heads, and stone faces everywhere.

The Marquis, led by a torchbearer, makes his way to his private chambers, which are equipped with all manners of luxuries. It is a sharp contrast to the picture of poverty in the last chapter. A supper is laid out for two, but Evremonde begins eating alone. He is interrupted midway through the meal by the arrival of his nephew, Charles Darnay. The Marquis receives him courteously though they do not shake hands. Charles Darnay is really an Evremonde, and Darnay is an anglicized version of his mother's maiden name.

Fed up with the attitude of the aristocracy in France and disgusted with the callous and unscrupulous attitude of his uncle, Darnay has renounced his ties to the family and moved to England. He hates the French social system and wants to undo the repression caused by the aristocrats. He works toward the betterment of all, honoring the last request of his mother. Darnay assures the Marquis, however, that the family name will not suffer as a result of his activities, for he has changed his name. The Marquis bids farewell to his nephew in his most courtly manner. Nothing disturbs the polished elegance of his aristocratic breeding.

As he prepares to sleep, Evremonde thinks of the scene at the Paris fountain. He remembers the tall man, Gaspard, howling over the dead child. He also thinks of the road-mender's tale of the tall man hanging under the carriage. Not suspicious by nature, the Marquis makes no connection between these events.

The next morning, however, the Marquis of Evremonde is found dead in his bed. Driven into his heart is a common knife with a note from one of the revolutionaries who call themselves Jacques. The note simply says, "Drive him fast to his tomb. This, from Jacques. ' CHAPTER TEN: Two Promises One year goes by, and Charles Darnay is now earning a living in England as a French tutor and translator. As a result of their various roles in the trial, Darnay, Sydney Carton, and Mr. Stryver have become friends of Dr. Manette and his daughter and frequently visit them.

Darnay is in love with Lucie, but has not yet openly expressed his feelings. One summer evening, knowing that Lucie is away from home, Darnay decides to consult her father about his feelings for his daughter. Anticipating what Darnay has to say, the doctor, who is now an energetic man with a firm purpose, does not want to talk about his daughter; Darnay, however, insists on declaring his love for her. He tells Dr. Manette that he understands the closeness between the two of them and would never want to separate father and daughter. Darnay assures the older man that he would always live with them. The Doctor thanks Darnay heartily and believes him to be pure and truthful.

He promises that if Lucie ever declares her love for Darnay, he will approve their marriage. Darnay attempts to tell the Doctor his real name and the reason for his being in England, but the doctor refuses to listen. Instead, he makes Darnay promise to reveal his secret on the morning of his wedding if he is to marry Lucie. On returning home later that evening, Lucie finds her father in a great state of agitation and finds him back on his shoemaker's bench. On hearing her voice, Dr. Manette comes to her side, and they walk around for a while before going to bed.

CHAPTER ELEVEN: A Companion Picture Sydney Carton spends many long nights clearing up Mr. Stryver's legal matters before Stryver goes on his long vacation. Finally, on one such night after the work is complete, Mr. Stryver announces to Carton his intentions to marry. Mr. Stryver assumes that women find him tactful, ambitious, and successful and would be happy to become his wife. He thinks that Lucie would be a suitable choice even though she is poor. Mr. Stryver does not mention even once that he is in love with Lucie. Stryver also assumes that Carton is disagreeable to women and informs him of this.

Carton is amused with Stryver's attitude and pokes fun at him. Stryver fails to notice the satire in Carton's remarks and aggressively continues his assault on Carton's faults. He finally says that perhaps Carton can marry a commoner, someone with property who will look after him when he ages. CHAPTER TWELVE: The Fellow of Delicacy Before Stryver's vacation begins, he decides to propose to Lucie. He heads towards her house in Soho. On his way, he stops at Tellson's Bank to inform Mr. Lorry of his plans to marry Lucie.

Mr. Lorry, on hearing the news, hints that Stryver will not be successful. Stryver is shocked at the suggestion and demands to know what prevents him from being a suitable, prospective husband. Mr. Lorry intimates that Lucie may not find him agreeable. This upsets Stryver even more, and he calls Lucie silly and giddy-headed. Such criticisms of Lucie annoy Mr. Lorry, for he is excessively fond of and protective towards her. Lorry agrees to go to the Manette residence to get a feel for Lucie's estimation of Stryver.

He returns with the news that Stryver has been rejected by Lucie, as expected. Stryver pretends to be un bothered by the news and judges his proposal to be an act of charity that has somehow misfired. CHAPTER THIRTEEN: A Fellow of No Delicacy Carton is a frequent visitor at the Manette residence; during his visits, however, he is usually gloomy and pretends that he cares for nothing in life. In truth, he is obsessed with Lucie.

He wanders to her house on countless nights when his drinking has brought no relief to his melancholy. Carton just wants to be near the girl of his dreams. One day when he goes to Soho to visit the Manettes, Carton finds Lucie alone at her work. He takes the opportunity to bare his heart to Lucie, professing his deep love for her.

He states that he does not expect her to reciprocate his love, for he feels unworthy of her beauty and goodness. He admits that he is a wasted drunk who will only sink further. He is glad, however, that Lucie has rekindled a flame in him, for its warmth is enough to keep him going. He does not have to live with her to love her. In fact, he ironically promises that should the need arrive, he will gladly give his life to replace that of someone she loves.

The kind-hearted Lucie is touched by Carton's confession and tries to be reassuring. She states that Carton can be saved and brought on the right track; however, Carton feels that there is nothing to be done with his life and that his grim fate is sealed. CHAPTER FOURTEEN: The Honest Tradesman Jerry Cruncher sits on a stool outside Tellson's Bank watching the heavy traffic go by. He can make out some kind of funeral coming down the street. There is a great uproar, for a mob seems to object to the funeral. He tries to discover whose funeral it is and learns that it is for the police spy, Roger Cly, who had testified against Charles Darnay.

There is only one mourner, who is scared by the mob and runs away. The mob wants to remove the coffin from the hearse, but decide, instead, to accompany it to the churchyard, celebrating all the way. Jerry Cruncher, along with a number of other people, crowd into the hearse and take the body to the churchyard. Now, since the mob has nothing better to do, they start rioting. Jerry Cruncher stays in the cemetery to confer with the undertakers. After work, Jerry Cruncher and his son go home, where he accuses his wife of praying against him again.

Later that night he gathers a spade, crowbar, sack, and rope and heads to the churchyard. He is joined by two companions. Young Jerry has only made a pretense of going to bed and follows the trio. Through the gates of the churchyard, he sees his father and the two men dig up a grave, bring the coffin up, and begin to pry it open. Afraid of this sight, young Jerry runs back home imagining that he is being chased by a giant coffin. In the cemetery, the men find that the coffin is empty.

This upsets Jerry Cruncher a great deal. When he returns home, he again accuses his wife of praying against him. The next day Jerry's son informs his father that he would like to be a body snatcher just like him. CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Knitting Two men enter the wine shop in St. Antoine. One is Monsieur Defarge; the other is the road- mender who had been questioned by the Marquis about the tall, thin man hanging from under his carriage. As they enter, one man drinks up his wine and departs; a second man does the same and is followed by a third.

The road mender eats the coarse bread and wine offered to him by Defarge. They then make their way to the garret where Dr. Manette had once lived. The three men who had earlier left the wine shop are present. Defarge introduces the three men as Jacques One, Two, and Three. He introduces himself as Jacques Four and the road-mender as Jacques Five. The road-mender relates how he had seen Gaspard hanging from under the carriage of the Marquis; he tells how Gaspard remained hidden for a year but is finally caught.

The soldiers took him to a prison on top of a hill near the village. There were rumors circulating that Gaspard would be pardoned; other rumors suggested that he would be held prisoner and tortured for a long time. In truth, Gaspard was hanged, forty feet high, near the fountain in the center of the peasant village. The road-mender departs, leaving the others in gloomy silence; their faces show their desire to seek revenge. They decide to exterminate the entire Evremonde family; their names will go into the "register. ' Defarge assures the three Jacques that there will be no mistake in deciphering the register, for Madame Defarge has knitted, using her own symbols, the names of every aristocrat that is to perish.

No one would be able to erase even one letter from her knitting. The road-mender is later taken to Versailles to cheer the lords and their ladies. Defarge feels that the cheering will make the aristocrats more arrogant, which in turn would result in their bringing about their own downfall in a rapid manner. Defarge also trusts that when the road-mender sees the opulence of Versailles, he will thirst for the blood of the aristocracy. CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Still Knitting Defarge informs his wife that another spy has been assigned to watch the neighborhood.

His name is John Barsad, the man who had testified against Darnay in England. Defarge describes him as a man of forty, five feet nine inches tall, with black hair, a dark complexion, dark eyes, a thin, long, sallow face, and a crooked, aquiline nose that gives him a sinister expression. Madame Defarge remarks that she will add his name to the register. Defarge complains about the slow progression of the revolution. His wife replies that vengeance and retribution take a long time; she assures him, however, that the revolution will occur. The next day at noon Madame Defarge sits knitting at her usual spot in the wine shop when a stranger walks in.

On seeing him, she picks up a rose from the counter and pins it to her cap. When she does this, the customers stop talking. She recognizes him as the spy John Barsad. He greets Madame Defarge and ironically compliments her on her knitting style, saying the pattern is pretty. He asks her what her knitting is for; she replies that it is just a pastime, but maybe someday she will find a use for it. During their conversation, a few men enter the shop, but on seeing the rose they look around and leave promptly.

Also all the customers that were already in the shop have now departed. As they talk, Madame Defarge knits Barsad's name into the register. He tries in vain to extract information from her and even mentions Gaspard's execution. Madame Defarge stoically shows no reaction. Defarge enters the shop, and the spy greets him as Jacques. Defarge corrects him by calmly informing him that his name is Ernest.

Barsad tries to gather information from him as well, but to no avail. He then taunts Defarge by telling him that Lucie Manette is going to marry Charles Darnay, who is the son of Madame D'Aulnais and the nephew of Evremonde. Madame Defarge shows no reaction to this information, but her husband does. Barsad notices Defarge's response and is pleased to have made an impact.

Satisfied with his work, Barsad pays for his wine and leaves. After the spy is gone, Defarge wonders out loud if this information could possibly be true; Madame Defarge thinks it may be. Defarge, saddened by the information, hopes that Darnay does not come to France. Meanwhile, Madame Defarge knits Darnay's name in her register. At the end of the chapter, she takes off the rose, and customers re-enter the shop. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: One Night On the eve of her wedding day, Lucie is ecstatic and spends the entire evening with her father.

As they sit in the courtyard, Lucie assures Dr. Manette that her love for Darnay will never replace or change the love she has for him. The Doctor is now happy about the marriage and states how fond he is of Darnay. One of his fears has always been that Lucie would never know the happiness of a spouse and child, which have provided him with great joy in his own life. He mentions his long imprisonment and how he had often wondered about the fate of his child, still unborn at the time of his capture. Sometimes he would imagine the child to be a boy, who would seek vengeance on his behalf. At other times he imagined the child to be a girl, who looked just like her mother and who would come to visit him in prison, finally setting him free.

He confesses that the happiness that Lucie has given him far exceeds the happiness from the children about which he had dreamed. When father and daughter go inside for dinner, they are joined by Miss Pross, who is going to be the bridesmaid. Mr. Lorry is the only other person who will be present at the wedding. After dinner, the Doctor bids everyone goodnight and goes to bed.

After a while, Lucie checks in on him and sits lovingly by his bedside watching her father sleep. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Nine Days On the morning of the wedding, Lucie, Mr. Lorry, and Miss Pross wait outside Dr. Manette's room. Inside, the Doctor and Charles Darnay are having a private conference. As they wait, Mr. Lorry cannot stop admiring Lucie; he grows sentimental and teary-eyed as he remembers how he brought her across from France when she was baby. Regaining his composure, Mr. Lorry assures Lucie that he will look after the Doctor while she and Darnay are away on their honeymoon.

When Dr. Manette and Darnay emerge from the room, the doctor is shaken and looks deathly pale. Everyone makes their way to the church for the ceremony. After the wedding, they all return to the Manette home. Darnay and Lucie bid farewell to everyone and leave immediately for their two-week honeymoon. It has been pre-arranged that Dr. Manette will join them after two weeks. When Miss Pross, Mr. Lorry, and Dr. Manette are alone, Mr. Lorry notices that a great change has come over the Doctor.

He again appears old, scared, and lost; but Lorry decides to say nothing about it to Dr. Manette. He takes his leave and goes to Tellson's Bank to work for several hours. When he returns to the Manettes, he finds Miss Pross in an extremely agitated state. She tells Lorry that the Doctor has been cobbling shoes. Nothing that he or Miss Pross says or does helps the Doctor snap out of his spell. In order to watch over and help with Dr. Manette, Mr. Lorry decides to take a leave of absence from Tellson's Bank.

He and Miss Pross also decide to keep the doctor's reversion a secret from Lucie and everyone else. Dr. Manette continues his cobbling for nine days. CHAPTER NINETEEN: An Opinion On the tenth day the doctor regains normality and has no memory of the past nine days. By speaking in the third person, Mr. Lorry informs the Doctor of his nine day relapse and that his daughter has not been told of this. He also tries to find out how this relapse occurred and if it will ever happen again.

The Doctor assures him that this is not likely to happen again. He tells Mr. Lorry that the relapse occurs due to a painful recollection, which is alleviated by cobbling. In prison, the Doctor had taken up cobbling as a means of occupying himself and as a means of forgetting his mental anguish. The Doctor agrees to hand over his bench, cobbling tools, and material. The doctor then leaves for a vacation in Wales, where he will join Darnay and Lucie. During his absence, Mr. Lorry and Miss Pross chop the bench into little bits and use it as firewood.

They bury the tools, shoes, and leather in the garden. CHAPTER TWENTY: A Plea Carton drops in to see the newlyweds as soon as they get back from their honeymoon. His habits, manner, and looks have not changed. He tells Darnay that he wishes they were friends and apologizes for the remarks he had made after the trial when he was drunk. Darnay assures him that he has forgotten all about it, especially since Carton had saved his life. Carton then solicits permission to visit them occasionally.

Darnay grants him his request. After Carton leaves, Darnay speaks unkindly of him to the others. Later on, while they are preparing for bed, Lucie tells Darnay to be more considerate towards Carton. She feels that Carton is a deeper person with a bigger heart than he shows himself to be. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: Echoing Footsteps It is now 1789, eight years later. Life is pleasant for the Darnays.

Both he and the Doctor are earning good money. Lucie and Darnay have a little girl who is also named Lucie; they also had a son who died young. Lucie often feels as though she will also die soon, but the feeling always passes. Lucie also constantly hears echoes of footsteps that seem to come from afar and indicate trouble. On little Lucie's sixth birthday, these echoes seem to rumble menacingly and suddenly change in sound to that of a great storm in France. Carton comes to visit the Darnays at least six times a year.

He continues to work for Mr. Stryver, who is now married to a rich widow with three stupid children. Carton is always sober on his visits. He is also the first stranger that little Lucie reaches out to; during his visit, she grows excessively fond of him. Mr. Lorry comes in one night. He is a bit grumpy since things are very busy at the bank.

There is more work because of the unrest in Paris. Mr. Lorry recalls the footsteps that Lucie had heard earlier and confesses that he too can now hear footsteps converging upon them. Both he and Lucie have clear premonitions of the revolution in France having an affect on them. The district of St. Antoine in Paris is a seething mass of raging women and men.

Arms and weapons of all kinds are being distributed. Every woman and man seems to be mad with a fierce, implacable passion for revenge; they are ready to sacrifice everything. Finally, under the leadership of Defarge, the mob storms the Bastille and releases all the prisoners. Defarge and Jacques Three then make their way to One Hundred and Five, North Tower, the number of the cell where Dr. Manette was imprisoned. The two men search the cell for something, which Defarge evidently finds and stuffs into his pockets. They then join the mob outside, which is continuing with their bloody rioting.

They behead the governor and the prison guards and place their heads on long spikes. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: The Sea Rises A week after the storming of the Bastille, Defarge enters the wine shop. He tells the others that Foulon, an aristocrat who faked his own death to protect himself, is still alive. Some villagers have found him hiding in the country and have brought him in for trial. As the drums start beating in the street, Madame Defarge grabs her knife. Outside, a fierce woman called The Vengeance utters terrific shrieks and flails her arms.

She rushes from house to house, arousing all the women and whipping them into a fury for the blood of Foulon. As the crowd rushes to the Hall of Justice, the Defarges, the Vengeance, and Jacques Three are right in front. The mob, unable to wait for the trial to end, rushes in to the building and drags Foulon out. They hang him from a lamppost outside the Hall of Justice and stuff his mouth full of grass, for he had suggested that this was an appropriate food for the peasants. The patriots, as the revolutionaries now call themselves, then decapitate him and display Foulon's head for all to see. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: Fires Rise The road-mender's village sees a great deal of change, with frequent visits from the patriots; but the villagers remain poor and hungry.

One night a patriot meets with the road-mender. Later, the two of them, joined by two others, travel out of the village and burn down the Evremonde chateau. A village mob assembles and watches the burning image in grim satisfaction; the town officials, such as Gabelle the tax collector, stand by helpless against this mob. The assembled villagers imprison Gabelle and threaten his life since he was a faithful friend of the Evremondes. Since daylight approaches fast, the mob disperses, and Gabelle's life is spared. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: Drawn to the Load stone Rock For three years, the violent storm continues around the Bastille with the mob growing more unruly.

Many of the aristocrats escape from France; those that do not escape are captured and killed by the guillotine. The king has been suspended from his office, and the government is in chaos and paralysis. The only real law is the will of the general public, which is lawless. Many of the expatriate French aristocrats flee to London. They begin to gather at Tellson's Bank in order to transact business and hear the latest news of events in their own country. One day in August of 1792, Darnay is in the bank trying, in vain, to dissuade Mr. Lorry from going over to Paris to safeguard the bank's French interests.

While Darnay is in the bank, a letter arrives that is addressed to him by his proper name, Marquis St. Evremonde. Since no one in London outside the immediate family knows of Darnay's true identity, inquiries are made as to the whereabouts of this marquis. None of the French noblemen in the bank seem to know who this person is. Darnay volunteers to deliver the letter himself. When Darnay leaves the bank, he opens the letter. It is from Gabelle, the old, faithful servant of the Evremondes.

He has been imprisoned and is going to be tried for treason against the people. He begs Darnay to come and save him, since the only crime he committed was to follow Darnay's orders. Darnay is deeply moved by the letter and realizes that he has not done all that he intended about the abandonment of his estate and social rank. He realizes that he should have been present in person and supervised the plans for relieving the tenants of their heavy debts. He had given Gabelle written instructions to spare the people and give them what little there was to give. Darnay himself had neither oppressed nor imprisoned anyone.

Darnay decides to go back to Paris to save Gabelle and to try undo some of the wrongs done by his family. He is also stirred by the fact that Mr. Lorry is bravely going to Paris merely to look after the interests of the bank. He has no sense of the danger that Paris poses for him and naively believes that his good intentions will be gratefully acknowledged by the Revolutionists. Darnay leaves for France without informing anyone about his departure, but he immediately sends a letter of explanation to his family. CHAPTER ONE: In Secret Darnay's trip at the end of August, 1792, is very trying. The road between Calais and Paris is bad, and at every town-gate and village-taxing house, there are soldiers who stop and question him and all fellow travelers.

While staying in a small town on the way to Paris, Darnay is awakened at night by a local official and three armed soldiers in red caps. They have come to escort him to Paris. On reaching the town of Beauvais, a crowd gathers to curse him angrily and call him a traitor. The innkeeper there explains that a decree has been passed that condemns any emigrant who returns to France to be put to death; since Darnay is a Frenchman who has abandoned France, the decree applies to him. Upon arriving in Paris, an officer asks to see all of Darnay's papers and addresses him as a prisoner. When the officer finds Gabelle's letter, he shows surprise and goes off into the guardroom.

As Darnay waits for his return, he watches the city gate and realizes that it is easier for people to enter Paris than to leave. After half an hour, Darnay is taken inside to another officer, who confirms that the prisoner is an Evremonde, and is told that he will be assigned to La Force prison. Darnay tries to explain himself, but the officer tells him that he has no rights. Darnay is instructed to follow Defarge, who inquires if he is the Evremonde married to Dr. Manette's daughter. When Darnay replies in the affirmative, Defarge reveals who he is and asks him his reason for coming to France. Darnay states that he has already explained himself; Defarge looks darkly at him.

Darnay is taken to La Force. Through the dismal prison light, the jailer accompanies him through various locked doors until they come to a large, low, vaulted chamber. The room is crowded with prisoners of both genders. The women are seated at a long table, reading, writing, knitting, sewing and embroidering.

The men stand behind chairs or walk to and fro. Darnay recoils at the sight, but the prisoners greet him with refinement. He then recognizes the elegance, pride, and high breeding of aristocracy. As he passes through their chamber, they wish Darnay well and hope that his calamity will end soon. He turns at the grated door to thank them, and then finds himself in a lonely cell, where he is tormented by ghostly voices. CHAPTER TWO: The Grindstone Tellson's Bank in Paris is in a wing of a large house.

In front of it is a courtyard that is shut off from the street by a high wall and a strong gate. The house had belonged to a nobleman who had fled France, running away from the troubles of his homeland. The house has been confiscated for use by the citizen-patriots. Tellson's wing, therefore, enjoys a peculiar safety.

Mr. Lorry is sitting in his room in Paris on the night of September 3, thankful that none of his friends are here to witness the terrors that surround him. A new revolutionary power, the Paris Commune, has usurped the government, including the police and prisons. Anyone suspected of being an aristocrat or sympathetic towards the aristocratic cause is immediately imprisoned. A tribunal has been appointed to decree summary justice, and the ruthless murder of prisoners, known as the September massacres, has begun.

Mr. Lorry's thoughts are interrupted by the ringing of the bell at the gate. Lucie and her father rush inside. He is astonished to see them and wonders why they are in Paris. Lucie informs him of Darnay's being held prisoner at La Force. Lucie is sent to an adjoining room so Mr. Lorry and Dr. Manette can talk.

Lorry shows the doctor what is going on outside. Thousands of people have gathered to sharpen their bloody weapons on a grindstone. The men using the grindstone are stripped to the waist and are stained all over with blood. Mr. Lorry tells Dr. Manette that the mob is butchering all the prisoners in La Force. He tells the doctor he must act quickly to save Darnay.

Dr. Manette runs out to the crowd and tells them something. He then leaves with the mob as Mr. Lorry watches from the window. He goes in to tell Lucie that her father has gone in search of Darnay. CHAPTER THREE: The Shadow Mr. Lorry is worried about compromising Tellson's Bank by sheltering the wife of a prisoner; he would gladly risk his own security and possessions for Lucie, but he cannot risk those of the bank.

He considers going to Defarge, but decides against it. Instead, he confers with Lucie; she tells him of her father's plans of renting a lodge for a short while. Mr. Lorry thinks it is a good idea and locates a suitable place in a safe area. He then takes Lucie, Miss Pross, and little Lucie to the lodge; Jerry Cruncher is placed at the door as a guard. Defarge brings a message to Mr. Lorry from Dr. Manette, stating that Darnay is safe. There is another message from Darnay for Lucie.

As Lorry sets out for Lucie's lodging with Defarge, he sees two women knitting in the courtyard; one is Madame Defarge and the other is The Vengeance. They accompany Defarge and Mr. Lorry. Lucie is delighted to receive Darnay's letter, which asks her to have courage and reminds her that her father has influence among the revolutionaries. She is so affected by the letter that she kisses Madame Defarge's hand, in a loving, thankful, and tender way. Madame Defarge makes no response and resumes knitting.

Lucie looks at the woman in a terrified manner; Madame Defarge responds with a cold, impassive stare. Mr. Lorry tries to explain to Lucie that Madame Defarge has wished to see them so she will know whom to protect if there is any trouble. Mr. Lorry, however, is having trouble believing her reason after seeing her stony attitude. Madame Defarge asks if little Lucie is Darnay's child.

When told that she is, Madame Defarge announces that her work there is done and starts to leave. Lucie pleads with her to use her power to save Darnay. Madame Defarge, looking as cold as ever, turns to The Vengeance and explains that the mothers and wives have not been thought about when their husbands and fathers were rotting in prison. They have suffered all kinds of poverty, hunger, sickness, misery, oppression, and neglect.

Turning to Lucie she adds that the troubles of one wife and mother do not mean much to them. She resumes her knitting and walks out. The Vengeance follows, and then Defarge. CHAPTER FOUR: Calm in a Storm After four days,.