A TALE OF TWO CITIES - SUMMARY

Watch the summary to understand the points you missed while you were reading.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES FINAL DISCUSSION 2

2. In the book Darnay is in prison because of what one of his relatives does? Is it fair to blame someone because of someone else's faults? (For example accusing someone of something because of the things his father does). Why why not?

A TALE OF TWO CITIES FINAL DISCUSSION 1

1. A Tale of Two Cities is a famous novel by Charles. Do you think that it deserves so much fame and success? Why? What is impressive in the book, what is not? 

TIMELINE IN THE BOOK

Look at the timeline in the book and the historical events at that time. 

A TALE OF TWO CITIES CHAPTER 13 DISCUSSION 1

1. Madame Defarge dies at the end of the book. Do you think that she deserves to die or not? 

A TALE OF TWO CITIES CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The last goodbyes

 At that same hour in the early afternoon a coach going out of Paris drives up to the gates of the city.

'Who goes there? Show us your papers!' The guard looks at the papers. 'Alexandre Manette, Doctor. Which is he?'

This is Dr Manette; this helpless old man, whispering crazily to himself.

'The last few days of the Revolution have been too much for him,' said the guard with a cruel laugh. 'Lucie his daughter. The wife of Evremonde. Which is she?'

This is she. With her child, little Lucie, beside her.

'Hah, your husband has another meeting today. Sydney Carton. Lawyer, English. Which is he?'

He is here, in the corner. He is not well.

'And Jarvis Lorry. Banker, English. Which is he?'

'I am he, and the last,' says Jarvis Lorry.

'Here are your papers, Jarvis Lorry. You may go.'

There are wildly beating hearts in the coach, and trembling hands; there is the heavy breathing of the unconscious traveller. But onwards the coach goes; the horses are fast, and there are no shouts behind them on the road.

Also that afternoon Madame Defarge was talking with her friends.

'My husband is a good citizen, but he is not strong enough. He feels sorry for the Doctor. I say that all the Evremonde people must go to the Guillotine. The wife and the child must follow the husband.'

'They're both fine heads for the Guillotine,' said Jacques Three. 'Their heads will be a pretty sight when they are shown to the people. Yes, they too, must die.'

'But I'm afraid that my husband may warn them and let them escape,' Madame Defarge went on, 'and I must do something myself. After the death of Evremonde at three this afternoon we'll go to the Tribunal and accuse them.'

The others agreed willingly. 'No one must escape. More heads must fall.'

'Lucie Manette will be at home now, waiting for the moment of her husband's death,' said Madame Defarge. 'I will go to her. She will say things against the Revolution, and condemn herself. Here, take my knitting and keep my usual seat near the Guillotine.'

'Don't be late,' said her friend.

'To see the death of Evremonde, I shall not be late,' replied the cruel voice of Madame Defarge.

 There were many women in Paris at that time who hated the nobles and wanted to see them die. But of all these women, Madame Defarge was the one most feared. All her life she had been filled with hate. It was nothing to her that an innocent man was going to die because of his father's and his uncle's crimes. She wanted more. Hidden in her clothes were a gun and a sharp knife, and with her usual confident step, she began to walk to Dr Manette's house.

The house was not yet empty. Miss Pross and Jerry Cruncher were there, preparing to follow Mr Lorry's coach. Mr Lorry had decided that two coaches were better than one; with fewer passengers, each coach would travel faster. But Miss Pross was still worried. A second coach leaving from the house might suggest an escape.

'Mr Cruncher,' she said, 'you must go and stop our coach coming here. Drive to the church instead, and I'll meet you there at three o'clock.'

Jerry hurried away. It was twenty past two, and at once Miss Pross began to get herself ready to leave. She was washing her face when she suddenly looked up and saw a figure standing in the room.

Madame Defarge looked at her coldly. 'The wife of Evremonde; where is she?'

Miss Pross quickly stood in front of the door to Lucie's room. 'You're a cruel, dangerous woman, but you won't frighten me,' she said, breathing hard.

 Each woman spoke in her own language, and neither understood the other's words. But Madame Defarge knew that Miss Pross was a true friend of the Doctor's family, and Miss Pross knew that Madame Defarge was the family's enemy.

'I wish to see the wife of Evremonde. Go and tell her. Do you hear me?' said Madame Defarge. She stared angrily at Miss Pross, but Miss Pross stared back just as angrily.

'I am desperate,' said Miss Pross. 'I know that the longer I can keep you here, the greater hope there is for my darling girl. If you fight me, I'll fight back!'

Madame Defarge stepped forward and called loudly, 'Citizen Doctor! Wife of Evremonde! Answer me!'

There was no answer and Madame Defarge quickly opened three of the doors and saw that the rooms were empty. One door was still closed.

'If they are not in that room, they are gone. But they can be followed and brought back.' She went towards the door; but Miss Pross jumped forward and held her round the waist. Madame Defarge was used to the fighting in the streets and was strong, but love is stronger than hate and Miss Pross did not let go. Madame Defarge tried to pull out her knife.

'No,' said Miss Pross, 'it's under my arm. You shall not have it.'

 Madame Defarge put her hand to the front of her dress and began to pull out the gun. Miss Pross looked down, saw what it was, and hit out at it wildly. There was a loud bang, and a cloud of smoke, and Miss Pross stood alone, trembling with terror.

All this in a second. As the smoke cleared, Miss Pross saw the lifeless body of Madame Defarge on the ground. In horror, she opened her mouth to call for help, but then she thought of the dangers this would bring for her dear Lucie. With shaking hands, she got her hat and coat, locked the door of the room, and went downstairs. As she crossed the bridge on the way to the church, she dropped the key of the locked room in the river and hurried on to meet Jerry Cruncher.

As the death-carts carry the condemned prisoners through the streets of Paris, crowds watch to see the faces of those who are to die. In the chairs around the Guillotine, the friends of Madame Defarge are waiting for her. 'Teresa, Teresa Defarge! Who has seen her? She's never missed before!'

But the death-carts have arrived, and the Guillotine has already begun its work. Crash! - A head is held up, and the women who sit knitting count One.

The supposed Evremonde helps the young girl down from the cart. He carefully places her with her back to the Guillotine, and she looks up gratefully into his face.

'Because of you, dear stranger, I am calm. I think you were sent to me by God,' she whispers.

'Or perhaps He sent you to me,' says Sydney Carton. 'Keep your eyes on me, dear child, and do not think of anything else.'

'I do not mind while I hold your hand. I shall not mind when I let it go, if they are quick.'

'They are quick. Fear not!'

She kisses his lips; he kisses hers. Now the Guillotine is waiting. The young girl goes next, before him. The women count Twenty-Two, and Carton walks forward.

Twenty-Three.

They said of him that it was the most peaceful face ever seen there. What passed through Sydney Carton's mind as he walked those last steps to his death? Perhaps he saw into the future . . .

'I see Barsad, Defarge, the judges, all dying under this terrible machine. I see a beautiful city being built in this terrible place. I see that new people will live here, in real freedom. I see the lives for whom I give my life, happy and peaceful in that England which I shall never see again. I see Lucie when she is old, crying for me on this day every year, and I know that she and her husband remember me until their deaths. I see their son, who has my name, now a man. I see him become a famous lawyer and make my name famous by his work. I hear him tell his son my story.

'It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known.'

A TALE OF TWO CITIES CHAPTER 12 DISCUSSION 1

1. Why do you think that Sydney Carton wants to change clothes with Darnay? Why does he help him escape from prison and want to die?

A TALE OF TWO CITIES CHAPTER 12

CHANGE TWELVE

A change of clothes

 Charles Darnay passed his last night alone in the prison. He had no hope. He knew he must die, not for anything he had done wrong, but for the crimes of his father and his  uncle. He sat down to write to his wife:

I knew nothing about the time your father spent in prison until he told me. Even then I did not know that it was my family that had been so cruel to him. I told your father that my real name was Evremonde, and he made me promise not to tell you. I am sure that he had forgotten the paper he bad written, but what has happened now is not his fault. Take care of him and our child, and one day we shall all meet again in the happier world that comes after death.

 Darnay did not sleep peacefully that night and in the morning he walked up and down his prison, waiting. He counted the hours - nine, gone for ever, ten, eleven, twelve gone for ever. At one o'clock he heard someone outside the door. The door opened and closed and there stood Sydney Carton, holding a warning finger to his lips.

'Be quiet! I come from your wife. She begs you to do exactly what I say, and to ask no questions. There is no time. Take off your boots and put on mine.'

'Carton, my dear friend,' said Darnay, 'it is impossible to escape from this place. You will only die with me.'

'I'm not asking you to escape. Put on my shirt, and my coat.'

He did not allow Darnay time to argue or refuse. 'Now sit down and write what I say,' he said. 'Quickly, my friend, quickly!'

 'If you remember,' he said, and Darnay wrote, 'the words we spoke so long ago, you will understand this when you see it.'' As he said this, Carton took his hand from his pocket.

'What is that in your hand?' asked Darnay.

'Nothing. Have you written it"? Good, now go on writing,' said Carton quietly. 'I am happy that I can prove them now. This is not a reason for sadness.' Carton's hand was close to Darnay's face, and he gently pressed a cloth against Darnay's nose and mouth. A minute later Darnay lay unconscious on the ground. Carton quickly dressed himself in Darnay's clothes, and pushed the note that Darnay had written inside Darnay's pocket. Then he went to the door and called softly, 'Come in now.'

The spy Barsad came in.

'Quick, help me,' said Carton. 'You must help me to the coach.'

'You?' asked the spy.

'Him, man, I've changed places with him. You can say that it was too much for him, saying his last goodbye to his friend. That happens quite often, I believe.'

'Yes, often,' replied Barsad. 'But do you promise to keep me out of danger, and go on with this plan to the end? The number must be right. Fifty-two prisoners must die today.'

'Have I not already promised to be true to the death? Hurry, man! Take him to Mr Lorry, put him in the coach yourself, and tell Mr Lorry to leave at once!'

Barsad called two men into the room, and told them to lift the unconscious man and carry him out.

'The time is short, Evremonde,' said Barsad, in a warning voice.

'I know it well,' replied Carton. 'Be careful with my friend, and leave me.'

The door closed and Carton was left alone. He listened carefully but there were only normal prison sounds. No shouts, no alarm bells. He waited calmly.

Soon he heard the sound of doors opening. The door of his prison cell opened and a man said, 'Follow me, Evremonde!' and Carton followed him into a large, dark room.

There were many people there, some standing, some sitting, some walking about, some crying. Most of them stood, silent, looking at the ground. A young woman came up to him; she was thin and pale.

'Citizen Evremonde,' she said. 'I was with you in La Force.'

'True,' he said softly, 'but I forget what you were accused of.'

'I am innocent. What could a poor little thing like me do? I am not afraid to die, Citizen Evremonde, but I have done nothing.'

Her sad smile as she said this touched Carton's heart.

'They say that the Revolution will do so much good for the poor people,' said the girl. 'How can my death help the poor? If it is true, I am willing to die, but I do not know how that can be. I heard that you were set free, Citizen Evremonde,' she went on. 'I hoped it was true.'

'It was, but I was taken again, and condemned.'

'When we go from here, Citizen Evremonde, will you let me hold your hand? I am not afraid but I am little and weak, and it will help to make me brave.' The young girl looked into his face and he saw a sudden doubt come into her eyes, followed by surprise. He touched his lips with his finger.

'Are you dying for him?' she whispered.

'And his wife and child. Yes.'

'Oh, will you let me hold your brave hand, stranger?'

'Yes, my poor sister, to the last.'

A TALE OF TWO CITIES CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Madame Defarge's revenge

Lucie held out her arms to her husband. 'Let me kiss him, one last time.'

 Most of the citizens had gone out into the streets to shout how they hated the prisoners, but Barsad was still there. 'Let her kiss her husband,' he said. 'It's just for a minute.' Lucie went over to her husband and he took her in his arms. Dr Manette followed his daughter and fell on his knees before them, but Darnay pulled him to his feet, saying,

'No, no. Now we know how much you suffered, especially when you knew whose son I was. But you kept your feelings secret, because of your love for Lucie. We thank you, with all our hearts, for what you did. I tried so hard to do what my mother had wished, but I never found that poor girl. And how could that terrible story ever have a happy ending?'

He turned to his wife. 'My dearest love, we shall meet again, in the place where there are no worries. God be with you both.'

As Darnay was taken away, Lucie fell to the floor, unconscious. Sydney Carton came quickly forward to help Mr Lorry and Dr Manette. He carried Lucie to her coach and she was taken home. Then he carried her into the house where her daughter and Miss Pross waited, tears falling from their eyes.

'Before I go,' said Sydney Carton, 'may I kiss her?' He touched Lucie's face lightly with his lips, whispered a few words, and went into the next room.

'You are still very popular with the citizens, Doctor. You must try again to talk to the judges.'

'I'll do everything I can. Everything,' Dr Manette said.

Mr Lorry went with Carton to the door.

'I have no hope,' whispered Mr Lorry sadly.

'Nor have I,' replied Carton. 'After today, no judge in Paris would even try to save him. The people would be too angry. I will return here later, to see if there is any news, but there is no real hope.'

He left the house and began to walk quickly towards Saint Antoine. His face was calm and serious; he looked like a man who had decided to do something. 'I must show myself to the people here,' he thought. They should know that there is a man like me in the city.'

In Defarge's wine-shop the only customer was Jacques Three, who had been on the Tribunal that had decided Darnay should die. When Carton sat down and asked for a glass of wine, Madame Defarge looked at him carelessly at first. Then much more carefully. She went back to her husband and Jacques Three, who were talking. 'He is very much like Evremonde,' she said softly.

Defarge himself looked at Carton and said, 'Yes, but only a little,' and the three continued their conversation. Carton listened carefully, while pretending to read a newspaper.

'Madame is right,' said Jacques Three. 'Why should we stop at Evremonde?'

'We must stop somewhere,' said Defarge.

'Not until they are all dead, every one of that family,' said his wife.

'You're right, but think how much the Doctor has suffered. Perhaps he has suffered enough.'

'Listen,' said Madame Defarge coldly. 'Don't forget that I was that younger sister. And it was my family that suffered so much from the Evremonde brothers. It was my sister who died, and my sister's husband, and my father; it was my brother who was killed. Tell others to stop; don't tell me!'

Carton paid for his wine and went out quickly on his way. He went back to Dr Manette's house, where more bad news was waiting for him. The Doctor's mind had returned to the past once again. He did not recognize his friends, and wanted only to find his old table and to make shoes.

'Listen to me carefully,' Carton said to Mr Lorry. 'I believe that Lucie, her daughter, and perhaps even her father are in great danger. I heard Madame Defarge talking about them tonight. They must leave Paris tomorrow. They have the necessary papers, and so do you. Here are mine - take them and keep them safe with your own. You must leave by coach at two o'clock tomorrow. Keep a place for me in the coach, and don't leave without me. Promise that you will do exactly what I have said. Many lives will depend on it.'

'I promise,' said Mr Lorry.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES CHAPTERS 9-10 DISCUSSION 2

2. Why does Madam Defarge reads the diary written by Mr. Manette? 

A TALE OF TWO CITIES CHAPTERS 9-10 DISCUSSION 1

1. Do you think that Solomon will help Darnay? Why?

A TALE OF TWO CITIES CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER TEN

The secret paper

When Charles Darnay was led before the Tribunal the next morning, Dr Manette, Lucie and Mr Lorry were all there. The love in Lucie's eyes as she looked at her husband warmed Darnay's heart. It had the same effect on Sydney Carton, though no one saw him standing at the back of the room.

It was the same Tribunal who had let Darnay go free on the day before. But Revolution Laws were not as powerful as the anger of the people.

The President of the Tribunal asked, 'Who has accused Charles Evremonde again?'

'Three voices,' he was told. 'He is accused by Ernest Defarge, by Teresa Defarge his wife, and by Alexandre Manette, Doctor.'

There was a great noise in the room when Dr Manette's name was heard. When the shouting stopped, Dr Manette stood, pale and trembling.

'President, this cannot be true. You know that the man who is accused, Charles Darnay, is my daughter's husband. My daughter and those who are dear to her are far more important to me than my life. Where is the liar who says that I accuse my daughter's husband?'

'Citizen Manette,' said the President, 'be calm. Nothing can be more important to a good citizen than the freedom of France.'

Defarge came forward to answer questions. He told how he had been at the Bastille at the beginning of the Revolution, when that hated prison had been taken by the citizens.

'I knew that Dr Manette had been kept in a room known as One Hundred and Five, North Tower. It was the only name he had when he came to me in 1775. I went to the room and, hidden in a hole, I found a written paper. It is in Dr Manette's writing.'

'Read it to us,' said the President, and the crowd fell silent and listened.

I, Alexandre Manette, write this in the Bastille in 1767. I have been here for ten long years and I write this in my secret moments, when I can.

One evening in December, 1757, I was walking by the River Seine and a coach stopped beside me. Two men got out and one asked me if I was Dr Manette. When I replied that I was, they asked me to go with them, and made it clear that I could not refuse.

The coach left Paris and stopped at a lonely house. I could hear cries coming from a room upstairs. When I went in, I saw a young woman lying on a bed. She was young and very beautiful. She was also very ill. She kept crying out, 'My husband, my father, and my brother!' Then she listened for a moment, and began once again, 'My husband, my father, and my brother...'

I gave the girl something to make her calmer, but her feverish screams continued. Then I turned to question the two men. They were clearly brothers, and their clothes and voices suggested that they were noblemen. But they took care to prevent me from learning their name.

Before I could speak, the older brother said carelessly, There is another patient.' In a different room, they showed me a boy of about seventeen. There was a sword wound in his chest and I could see at once that he was dying.

'How did this happen?' I asked.

'He's just a crazy young peasant. He came here shouting about revenge, and made my brother fight him.' The older brother's voice was cold and hard; he seemed to think the boy was less important than a horse or a dog.

The boy's eyes looked at me. 'Have you seen her. . . my sister?' It was hard for him to speak.

'I have seen her' I replied.

'These rich nobles are cruel to us, Doctor. They destroy our land, they take our food, they steal our sisters. My sister loved a man in our village; he was sick, but she married him to take care of him. But my sister is beautiful, and that nobleman's brother saw her and wanted her. They made her husband work night and day without stopping, until he dropped dead where he stood. Then they took my sister away. When my father heard what had happened, the news was too much for his poor heart and he died suddenly. I took my younger sister to a place where she is safe, and came here to find this man. He threw some money at me, tried to buy me like a dog, but I made him pull his sword and fight me to save his life.'

The boy's life was going fast, but he cried, 'Lift me, Doctor.' He turned his face towards the older brother. 'Marquis,' he said loudly, 'I call for you and your brother, and all your family, now and in the future, to pay for what you have done.' Then he fell back, dead.

The young woman's fever continued, but I could not save her. She lived for several more days, and once the Marquis said to me, 'How long these peasants take to die!'

When she was dead, the brothers warned me to keep silent. They offered me money, but I refused it and was taken back to my home.

The next day I decided to write to the King's officials. I knew that nobles who did unlawful things were usually not punished, and I expected that nothing would happen. But I did not realize the danger for myself. Just as I had finished writing my letter, a lady came to see me. She said she was the wife of the Marquis of Evremonde and she had discovered what her husband and his brother had done. She wanted to help the younger sister of the girl who had died, and asked me where she could find her. Sadly, I did not know and so could not tell her. But that was how I learnt the brothers' name.

The wife of the Marquis was a good, kind woman, deeply unhappy in her marriage. She had brought her son with her, a boy about three years old. 'If I cannot find this poor girl,' she said, 'I shall tell my son to continue the search after my death. You will remember that, little Charles, won't you?'

The child answered, 'Yes!'

 Later that day I sent my letter to the King's officials and that night there was a knock at my door. My servant, a boy called Ernest Defarge, brought in a stranger, who asked me  to come at once to visit a sick man in the next street.

As soon as I was outside the house, several men took hold of me violently. The Evremonde brothers came out of the darkness and the Marquis took my letter out of his pocket, showed it to me, and burned it. Not a word was spoken. Then I was brought here to this prison, my living grave.

I have been here for ten long years. I do not know if my dear wife is alive or dead; these brothers have sent me no news of my family. There is no goodness in their cruel hearts. I, Alexandre Manette, in my pain and sadness, I condemn them in the face of God.

When Defarge had finished reading, a terrible sound rose from the crowd, a long wild cry of anger and revenge. Death for the hated Marquis of Evremonde, enemy of the people! The trial was over, and in less than twenty-four hours Charles Darnay would go to the Guillotine.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER NINE

The spy

While this was happening, Miss Pross was out shopping for the family. Jerry Cruncher was with her, and they had just gone into a wine-shop when Miss Pross suddenly stopped, looked at one of the customers, and cried out in a loud voice,

'Oh Solomon, dear Solomon! I've found you at last, dear brother! But whatever are you doing here in Paris?'

'Don't call me Solomon. You'll get me killed. Pay for your wine, and come outside,' said the man in a low, frightened voice.

They went outside. 'You mustn't recognize me here,' said the man. 'It's not safe. Go your way, and let me go mine.'

Miss Pross began to cry at these unbrotherly words, and Jerry Cruncher stepped forward to stare in the man's face.

 'Wait a minute,' said Jerry. 'Is your name John Solomon, or  Solomon John? Your sister calls you Solomon. I know that your name's John; I remember that. But your other name wasn't Pross at that Old Bailey trial. What was your name then?'

'Barsad' said another voice.

'Yes, Barsad, that's it,' cried Jerry. He turned round and saw Sydney Carton standing behind him.

'Don't be alarmed, my dear Miss Pross,' said Carton, smiling at her. 'But I'm afraid I have to tell you that your brother is a spy, a spy for the French prisons.'

Solomon Pross, also Barsad, went pale. 'That's not true!'

'I saw you come out of the Conciergerie today. I followed you,' said Carton, 'and I found out what you do. And I've decided that you may be able to help me. Come with me to the office of Mr Lorry.'

After a short argument, which Carton won, Barsad followed him to Mr Lorry's office.

'I bring bad news,' Carton said to Mr Lorry. 'Darnay has been arrested again.'

'But I was with him only two hours ago,' cried Mr Lorry. 'He was safe and free!'

 'Even so, he has been arrested and taken to the  Conciergerie. And I'm not sure that Dr Manette's good name can save him this time. So we must have Mr Barsad's help.'

'I will not help you,' said Solomon Pross, called John Barsad.

'Oh, I think you will,' said Sydney Carton, 'when you hear what I could say about you. Let's think. Mr Barsad is a spy, and a prison guard, but he used to be a spy in England. Is he still paid by the English?'

'No one will listen to you,' said Barsad.

'But I can say more, Mr Barsad,' replied Carton.

Barsad had more problems than Carton knew. He could not return to England because he was wanted by the police there. And in France, before he became a prison guard for the citizens' revolution, he had been a spy for the King's officers. He knew that Madame Defarge, that terrible woman, had knitted his name into her list of enemies of the people. Most of those on her list had already been killed by the Guillotine, and Barsad did not want to be next.

'You seem worried, Mr Barsad,' said Carton calmly.

The spy turned to Mr Lorry. 'Miss Pross is my sister, sir. Would you send her brother to his death, sir?'

 'The best thing for your sister, Mr Barsad,' said Carton smoothly, 'is not to have a brother like you. I think I will inform the Tribunal that I suspect you of spying for England.  You will be condemned at once, I am sure.'

'All right,' Barsad said slowly, 'I'll help you. But don't ask me to do anything that will put my life in danger, because I won't do it.'

'You're a guard at the Conciergerie prison, where Darnay is, aren't you?' said Carton. 'Come, let us talk privately in the next room.'

When Mr Carton returned alone, Mr Lorry asked what he had done.

'Not much,' replied Carton, 'but if it goes badly for Darnay tomorrow, I can visit him once. It's all I could do.'

'But that will not save him,' cried Mr Lorry sadly.

'I never said it would.'

Mr Lorry was an old man now, with a life of hard work behind him. Tears filled his eyes as he realized he could do nothing to help Lucie and her father now.

Sydney Carton felt very sorry for Mr Lorry. 'You're a good friend of Dr Manette and his daughter, but don't tell them about me or this meeting. It can't help Lucie.' He paused. 'Will you go back to London soon?'

'Yes, my work for Tellson's Bank here is finished. I have the necessary papers to leave Paris. I was ready to go tomorrow.'

'Then don't change your plans,' said Carton, very seriously.

Later that night Sydney Carton visited a shop in a quiet corner of Paris. He wrote on a piece of paper the names of several powders and gave it to the shopkeeper. 'For you, citizen?' asked the shopkeeper. 'Yes, for me.'

'You must be careful, citizen. Keep these things separate. You know what happens if you put them together.' 'Perfectly,' replied Carton.

He spent the rest of that night walking the streets of Paris. He watched the moon rise in the sky, he listened to the sounds of the River Seine flowing through the heart of the city, and he thought calmly about the past, and the future. He thought about all the deaths that the city had already seen . . . and he thought about Lucie's gentle, loving face and her sad, sad eyes.

A TALE OF TWO CITIES CHAPTERS 7-8 DISCUSSION 3

3. What do you think about Madam Defarge? Why is he so angry and why does she want to take revenge from Darnay?

A TALE OF TWO CITIES CHAPTERS 7-8 DISCUSSION 2

2. Will Darnay be free again or will he be killed by the guillotine? Why?

A TALE OF TWO CITIES CHAPTERS 7-8 DISCUSSION 1

1. Who is the person who accuses Darnay? Why do you think so?

A TALE OF TWO CITIES CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

In the hands of the citizens

 Tellson's Bank in Paris was in a large building south of the river, close to the heart of the city. Mr Lorry had arrived in Paris some days before Charles Darnay, and was now living in some rooms above the bank. One evening, looking out of the window, he saw that a large grindstone had been brought into the square below. There was a wild, shouting crowd around it, busy sharpening their knives and swords and axes, which were already red with blood. With shaking hands, Mr Lorry closed the window.

He had decided to go downstairs and talk to the bank guards, when suddenly the door of his room opened, and Lucie and her father ran in.

'Lucie! Manette! "What has happened? Why are you here?' cried Mr Lorry.

'Charles is in Paris,' cried Lucie. 'He came to help an old family servant. But he's been taken to prison.'

At that moment the shouts of the crowd outside grew louder.

'What is that noise?' asked the Doctor.

'Don't look out!' cried Mr Lorry.

'My friend,' said the Doctor. 'I am safe in Paris. I was a prisoner in the Bastille. Everybody knows about me and how I suffered. Already people want to help me; they gave us news of Charles.'

'Even so, don't look outside. Where is Charles?'

'In the prison of La Force.'

'La Force! Dear Lucie, you can do nothing tonight. You must go to one of the rooms here and wait. I must talk with your father at once.'

Lucie kissed him and left the room.

'Quick, Manette,' said Mr Lorry. 'These people outside, with their bloody knives, are murdering the prisoners. If you are so well known, if you have this power, talk to them. Tell them who you are, and go to La Force. Quick, before it is too late!'

Dr Manette hurried outside. Mr Lorry watched from the window as the Doctor talked to the crowd. He heard shouts of 'Long live the Bastille prisoner! Help his friend in La Force!'

Mr Lorry went to Lucie and found her with her daughter and Miss Pross. Together they waited all night for news, but none came.

In the morning Mr Lorry found rooms for Lucie and her family in a quiet street near the bank. He left Jerry Cruncher with them as a guard, and returned worriedly to Tellson's. At the end of the day a strong, serious man came to see him.

'My name is Defarge. I come from Dr Manette; he gave me this.' Defarge gave him a piece of paper.

The Doctor had written, Charles is safe, but I cannot leave this place yet. Take Defarge to Lucie.

'Come with me,' said Mr Lorry happily. They went downstairs and at the front door found Madame Defarge, knitting. Without a word, she joined them, and Mr Lorry led them to Lucie's rooms.

There, Defarge gave Lucie a note from her husband.

Dearest - be brave. I am well, and your father has some power here. You cannot answer this, but kiss our child for me.

Only a short letter, but it meant so much to Lucie. Gratefully, she kissed the hands of Defarge and his wife. Madame Defarge said nothing; her hand was cold and heavy, and Lucie felt frightened of her.

Miss Pross came in with little Lucie.

'Is that his child?' asked Madame Defarge, stopping her knitting to stare.

'Yes, Madame,' said Mr Lorry. 'That is our poor prisoner's little daughter.'

'It is enough, my husband,' said Madame Defarge. 'We can go now.' Her voice was as cold as her hand.

'You will be good to my husband?' asked Lucie, afraid. 'I beg you, as a wife and mother.'

'We have known many wives and mothers,' said Madame Defarge. 'And we have seen many husbands and fathers put in prison, for many years. What is one more, among so many?'

As the Defarges left, Lucie turned to Mr Lorry. 'I am more afraid of her than of any other person in Paris,' she whispered. Mr Lorry held her hands; he did not say anything, but he was also very worried.

The Doctor did not come back from La Force for several days. During that time eleven hundred prisoners were killed by the people. Inside the prison Dr Manette had come before a Tribunal, which was a group of judges appointed by the people. These judges made their own laws and threw prisoners out into the streets to be murdered by the crowds. Dr Manette told the Tribunal that he had been a prisoner in the Bastille for eighteen years, and that his son-in-law was now a prisoner in La Force. The Tribunal had agreed to keep Charles Darnay safe from the murdering crowds, but they would not let him leave the prison.

Dr Manette seemed to become stronger as he lived through these terrible days, doing everything he could to save his daughter's husband. He was able to see Darnay regularly, but noblemen and emigrants were hated by the citizens of new France, and the Doctor could not set Darnay free. The Guillotine, that new machine of death, cut off the heads of many, many people - the powerful and the cruel, but also the beautiful, the innocent, and the good. Each day Lucie did not know if her husband would live or die. She lived every moment in great fear, but her father was sure that he could save his son- in-law.

One year and three months passed and Darnay was still in prison. Dr Manette now had an official job as doctor to three prisons and was able to visit Darnay regularly. He became more and more loved by the rough people of the Revolution. But the Guillotine continued to kill.

'Try not to worry,' he told Lucie. 'Nothing can happen to Charles. I know that I can save him.' But Lucie could not see him or visit him; she could not even write to him.

On the day when Charles Darnay was at last called for his trial, Lucie and Dr Manette hurried to Tellson's Bank to tell Mr Lorry. As they arrived, a man got up and disappeared into another room. They did not see who it was, but in fact it was Sydney Carton, just arrived from London.

There were five judges in the Tribunal, and the trials were short and simple. The voices of truth, honesty, and calm reason were never heard at these trials, and most of the prisoners were sent to the Guillotine, which pleased the noisy crowds. Fifteen prisoners were called before Darnay that day, and in no more than an hour and a half, all of them had been condemned to death.

'Charles Evremonde, who is called Darnay.'

As Darnay walked in front of the judges, he tried to remember the careful advice that Dr Manette had given him.

'Charles Evremonde, you are an emigrant. All emigrants must die. That is the new law of France.'

'Kill him!' shouted the people. 'Cut off his head! He's an enemy of the people!'

The President of the judges asked Darnay, 'Is it true that you lived many years in England?'

'Yes, that is true,' replied Darnay.

'So you are an emigrant, surely.'

'No, not in the meaning of the law,' replied Darnay. 'I earn my own living in England. I have never wanted or used the name of Marquis, and I did not want to live by the work of the poor people of France. So I went to live and work in England, long before the Revolution.'

'And did you marry in England?'

'Yes, I married a Frenchwoman. The daughter of Dr Manette, a prisoner of the Bastille and a well-known friend of all good citizens!'

These words had a happy effect on the crowd. Those who had shouted for his death now shouted for his life. Then Monsieur Gabelle and Dr Manette spoke for Charles Darnay. The Doctor spoke well and clearly, and was very popular with the crowd. When he had finished, the judges decided that the prisoner should be set free, and the crowd shouted their agreement loudly. Soon they were carrying Darnay in a chair through the streets of Paris to Dr Manette's house. Lucie was waiting there, and when she ran out and fell into the arms of her husband, the men and women in the crowd kissed one another and danced for happiness. Darnay and Lucie were together again, safe and happy.

'I told you that I would save him,' said Lucie's father proudly. 'Well, I have saved him, and you must not worry now.'

But Lucie was still worried. So many innocent men and women had died, for no reason, and every day brought more deaths. A shadow of fear and hate lay over France, and no one knew what dangers the next day would bring.

It was not possible to leave Paris at once, as Charles did not have the necessary papers. They must live quietly, and hope to leave as soon as they could.

But that night, when Dr Manette, Charles and Lucie were sitting together, they heard a loud knock at the door.

'What can this be?' said Lucie, trembling. 'Hide Charles! Save him!'

'My child,' said the Doctor, 'I have saved him. He is a free man!'

But when he opened the door, four rough men pushed their way into the room.

'The Citizen Evremonde, where is he? He is again the prisoner of the people.'

'I am here,' said Darnay. 'But why am I again a prisoner?'

'You are accused by citizens of Saint Antoine.'

Dr Manette had said nothing. He seemed to be made of stone, but suddenly he spoke.

'Will you tell me who has accused my son-in-law?'

'I shouldn't tell you this,' said one of the men, 'but Citizen Evremonde, called Darnay, is accused by Monsieur and Madame Defarge, and by one other person.'

'What other?'

'You will hear that tomorrow,' replied the man.