This
is a stressful chapter. No fun and games, folks. Lots of bad stuff is on the
horizon. Like this: when she hears Charles’ sentence, Lucie falls to the ground
in shock. Quickly, however, she realizes that this won’t help her husband; she
pulls herself back up to her feet.
Charles
and his guards are alone in the front of the courtroom. One of the guards is
Barsad. Barsad looks at Lucie and tells the guards that she should have an
opportunity to say goodbye to her husband. Sheepishly, they agree. (Maybe
Barsad isn’t all bad.) Lucie rushes up to Charles; they embrace.Her father
follows behind her, still in shock that his influence couldn’t save Charles. Dr.
Manette begins to fall on his knees before Charles, but his son-in-law quickly
pulls him back up. After all, there was nothing that anyone could have done to
save him this time. It’s just the way that the revolution works.
The
guards lead Charles away. As she watches Charles go, Lucie faints again. Once
she’s unconscious, Sydney rushes to her side and gently carries her out to her
carriage. Little Lucie cries out to Carton for help. She knows how much he
loves her mother – why, then, can’t he do something to stop this? Before he
leaves, Sydney asks if he can kiss Lucie. Little Lucie later remembers that, as
he bends over Lucie, he whispers, "A life you love." Confused by
that? Re-read their conversation in "The Fellow of No Delicacy" (Book
Two, Chapter Thirteen).
As
Carton approaches him, Dr. Manette decides that he’ll visit and write letters
to all the people who he thinks could save Charles. Sydney encourages him; Dr.
Manette runs off. Left alone with Mr. Lorry, Sydney says he fears that Dr.
Manette won’t have any luck. At least it will give Dr. Manette the satisfaction
of knowing he did all that he could do.
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