Book III, Chapter Twelve – Darkness

Sydney wanders through the streets of Paris, contemplating life. He decides it will be best if the Defarges know what he looks like. Madame Defarge  is sitting at the till. Sydney heads over to the bar and asks for some wine. His French is suddenly really bad. Wait…didn’t he speak almost perfect French a few chapters ago? What’s going on here? Madame Defarge stares at him curiously and asks if he’s English. He says that he is. As she pours out the wine, he overhears her muttering to herself that he looks just like Evrémonde. Defarge enters the shop; he apparently thinks the same thing. 

He starts when he sees Sydney at the counter, then walks over to confer with his wife. She and Jacques Three are discussing when the revolution will be over. Defarge notes that the violence will have to stop somewhere. The question, of course, is where. Madame Defarge has an answer to that: they’ll stop when all of the aristocrats are exterminated. Defarge doesn’t quite agree. After all, they all saw how Dr. Manette suffered when his son-in-law’s verdict was read. Come to think of it, Madame Defarge is not so sure that Dr. Manette is a true patriot.

Defarge continues: Dr. Manette’s daughter, that sweet, innocent girl, was devastated by the trial today. Madame Defarge snaps at her husband. She’s been watching Lucie.  Madame Defarge goes on an angry tirade.  She is the younger sister of the woman who was raped and kidnapped. She’ll never stop pursuing her revenge against the Evrémondes. 

Sydney Carton listens to all of the conversation, then leaves to meet Lorry.  He tells Mr. Lorry about the conversation he overheard. Lucie and Dr. Manette are no longer safe in Paris. Quickly, Sydney lays out his plans: Mr. Lorry will gather money and traveling papers for the Manettes. He should also arrange for a coach to take them to the border. Sydney hands Mr. Lorry his own traveling papers. He says that Mr. Lorry should only wait until Sydney’s place in the coach is filled. As soon as that happens, the entire family must leave at once. He makes Mr. Lorry promise that they won’t stop for any reason.