Book III, Chapter Thirteen – Fifty-two

In his room in the prison, Charles counts off the hours until his death. He writes letters to Lucie, her father, and Mr. Lorry. He knows that at three he’ll be summoned to the carriage which will take him to the guillotine. At one, however, Charles hears footsteps approaching. Sydney walks into the room.

He’s got a pressing request for Charles: he doesn’t have time to explain why he’s asking for the things he needs. Startled, Charles does what Sydney asks. They change boots, hair-ties, and shirts. Speaking rapidly, Sydney asks Charles to sit down and write a letter that he’ll dictate. 

Sydney tells him to write an unaddressed letter saying that the time has come for him to make good on the promise he once gave. He knows that the reader won’t forget the promise. He wants her to be assured that he’s glad that his time has come. Puzzled, Charles stops writing. He thinks he smells a strange vapor. He starts up to rip the bottle out of Sydney’s hand, but Sydney’s too quick for him. Charles slumps to the ground, drugged.

Sydney calls Barsad, who drags Charles out of the jail. At two, a jailer comes into the room and calls for Evrémonde. Sydney follows him. He gets into a line with fifty-one other prisoners, all of whom are scheduled to die. They board carts that will carry them to the guillotine. 

Sydney stands next to a young seamstress who stares at him. She knows Charles; she was with him in La Force. She says that she wouldn’t be afraid to die for the Republic…but she can’t understand how the death of an insignificant, innocent woman can matter at all. All of a sudden, she realizes that Sydney isn’t Charles. Startled, asks if Sydney is dying for Charles. He says he’s dying for Charles’ wife and child. The seamstress asks to hold the hand of the "brave stranger" as they ride to the guillotine.

Meanwhile, the Manettes and Mr. Lorry are going through the checkpoints out of town. Anxiously, they watch as guards check and re-check all their papers. Soon, however, the carriage is flying out of Paris. When they get out to a village, they’re stopped again. It turns out that the guards just want to know how many people are being fed to La Guillotine today.