- While Carton and Barsad are talking in the next room, Mr. Lorry sits in silence.
- He’s staring at Jerry Cruncher. Hard.
- Finally, he asks what Jerry does besides working at Tellson’s.
- Jerry says that his work is "agricultural" in nature.
- We’re guessing that’s because it involves dirt. Oh, and bodies. Lots of dead bodies.
- Mr. Lorry isn’t fooled.
- In fact, he’s angry. If Jerry’s been using the respectable name of Tellson’s as a front for illegal activities, then Mr. Lorry will terminate his position as soon as they all get back to London.
- Jerry takes deep offense to this.
- He has an amazing speech about moral relativism that he gives here. It’s so good that we suggest you read it yourselves.
- Basically, he says that what he does isn’t so bad…if only because everyone else does bad things, too.
- Carton and Barsad come into the room, and Jerry and Barsad leave.
- Left alone with Carton, Mr. Lorry asks what sort of deal Barsad made.
- Carton says that he’s managed to make sure that someone can get in to see Darnay, just once, if things go very poorly at the trial.
- He didn’t want to ask for anything more: it’s a bit perilous in the prison these days.
- Mr. Lorry starts to tear up a bit at the thought of the danger ahead.
- Carton says that Mr. Lorry is a good man and a true friend.
- Abruptly, he asks if Mr. Lorry is heading over to see Lucie.
- Carton doesn’t want her to know that he’s here. Mr. Lorry agrees to keep it a secret.
- Staring into the fire, Carton asks Mr. Lorry if he has led a good life.
- Mr. Lorry says that he’s an old bachelor—no one would weep if he died.
- Carton scoffs at that. She would weep for him!
- As they get up to go, Mr. Lorry says that he’s an old man…but Carton is still very young.
- Carton smiles sadly. He’s young, sure, but he’s not made for the age that he lives in.
- They each go their separate ways. Mr. Lorry heads to the Manettes’ place. Carton goes to a small woodworking shop in Saint Antoine.
- He stands outside it, and the wood sawyer comes out to see him.
- The wood sawyer seems astonished at the resemblance between Carton and the prisoner.
- He also comments on Carton’s perfect French.
- Next, Carton heads to a chemist. He buys two different drugs.
- The pharmacist warns him that combining the two would be fatal.
- We’re beginning to suspect that Carton has some sort of plan here…
- It’s already midnight. Carton walks through the streets of Paris all night, thinking of his childhood.
- He was orphaned at an early age. He’s never felt at home anywhere.
- By morning, he’s back at Mr. Lorry’s door.
- Together, they head to the Tribunal.
- Today, one of the judges is Jacques Three, the most bloodthirsty of all the Jacques.
- There’s a huge audience in the court as the judges call Charles Evrémonde to the stand.
- He’s been denounced by three people: M. and Mme. Defarge, and Dr. Manette.
- Wait…what? Dr. Manette?
- The doctor seems as shocked as the rest of the court.
- He cries out that the accusation is a mistake.
- The judges, however, rebuke him. Nothing could be dearer to him than the fate of the Republic, right?
- He doesn’t seem to agree. Then again, they don’t seem to care what he thinks.
- The court calls Defarge to the stand. They ask him if he was one of the patriots who stormed the Bastille.
- The Vengeance, who’s sitting in the front row, shrieks that he’s a French hero.
- Honestly, the woman is beginning to irritate us a little bit.
- Defarge, however, agrees. He says that he found a letter hidden in the walls of the Bastille…a letter written by Alexandre Manette during his imprisonment.
- The courtroom gasps.
- The judges order that the letter be read aloud.