The hours went on aS he walked to and fro, and the clocks struck the number
he would never hear again. Nine gone for ever, ten gone for ever, eleven gone
for ever, twelve coming on to pass away. Darnay walked up and down, softly -. the names of his
loved ones to himself, praying for hlmself and for them,
Twelve gone for ever.
He had been told that the final hour was Three, and he knew he would be irr- Some time earlier,
since the tuinbrils jolted heavily and slowly through tLc it«.. He had therefore resolved to keep
Two in his mind as the HouT, and to itrecpr. himself meanwhile so that he might be able, after that
time, to strengthen oJc›
Walking regularly to and fro with his arms folded on his breast, he heard 0r‹ awa from him
without surprise. The houf hi1) il3SD£i like most other houfs. ?' :- thankful to Heaven for his
recovered sill-po›Sec»lv•+1, he thought, “There 1s bcI - - nowt and turned to walk again.
He stopped—he heard footsteps in the stone pass‹igeoutsi‹ie the door.
The key was put in the lock, and turned. The door was qtticklyopened aRd dJt*38 and there stood
before him face to I.ice,‹juiet, intent upon hint, with the )1 $t ** on his featufes, and a
warning finger on his lips—Sydney Caf ton.
¿},ere ia'as soitietluqg SO bright and remarkable in his look, that, for a momest, Darnay mistook
him tO be an apparition—an invention of his imagination. But, he
.spoke, and it was Carton'sVoice; he took Darnay's hand, and it was Cartons real grasp.
of all the J7eople upon earth, you least expected to see me?” said Carton
I could ilot believe it to be you. I can scarcely believe it now. You are not. ”—
thedreadcaine $uddenly into his mind—”...a prisoner?” asked Darnay.
“No. I am known to one of the keepers here,and because of it I stand before you. I come from your
wife,
dear Darnay. I bring you a request
from her.”
“What is it?”
“A strong appeal, addressed to you in the voice se dear to you,1at you weM remember. You have no
timeto
ask me why I bring it, or what it means;
I have no time to teP you. You must
complywith it?'
Carton, pressing forward, had already,
with the speed of lightning,
sat Darnay down in a chair in the cell, and stood over him, barefoot.
“Put on these boots of mine. Put your hands to them; put your will to them. Quick!”
“Carton, there is no escaping from this place; it never can be done. You will only die with me. It
is madness/’
“It would be madness if I asked you to escape; but do 1? Change that cravat for this of mine, that
coat for this of mine. While you do it, let me take this ribbon from your
hair, and shake out your hair like mine!” With wonderttil quickness, he forced a5 these changes
upon Darnay, who was like a young child in his hands.
“Dear Carton! It is madness. It cannot be acrontplished, it never can be done, it has been
attempted,and has always failed. I implore you not to add your dea lo the bitterness of mine!'
apparition: ghost dread: anxiety; fear
COnlply with it: follow it without question
cravat: an old-fashioned type of necktie
implore: beg
’59
’
“TO I ask you, my dear Darnay, to walk out the door? There are pen and iRy tq on this
table. Is your hand steady enough to write?”
“It was wheli you caine in'’
“Steady it again, and write what I shall dictate. Quick, friend, quick!”
Pressing his hand to his bewildered head, Darnay sat down at the table. Carton,
with his right hand in his breast pocket, stood close beside him.
“Write exactly as I speak.”
“To whom do I address it?”
“To no one'’ Carton still had his hand in his pocket. “Do I date it?”
“No''
Darnay looked up at each question. Carton, standing over him with his hand in his pocket, looked
down.
“If you remember'’ said Carton, dictating, “the words that passed between us, long you will
readily understand this when you see it.”
He was drawing his hand from his pocket; he stopped when Darnay looked up. “Have you written ’see
it’?” Carton asked.
“I have. Is that a weapon in your hand?” “No. I am not armed'’
“What is in your hand?”
“You shall know directly. Write on, there are but a few words more'’ He dictated “I am thankful
that the time has come when I can prove them. That I do so is no for regret or grief'’ As he said
these words with his eyes fixed on Darnay, his hand and softly moved down close to Darnay's face.
The pen dropped from Darnay's fingers on the table. “What vapour is that?” he
“Vapour? I know of no such thing. There is nothing here. Take up the pen and f i h• Hurry,
hurry!”
The prisoner looked at Carton with clouded eyes and an altered manner of breathifl8 Carton—his hand
again in his pocket—looked steadily at him.
“Hurry, hurry!”
bewildered: confused
p«riiay made an ftO i i .t›iint himself. Then he bent over the papef once more.
“if it had been otherwise—” t?arton's hand was at Darnay’s face again. He looked
It the (men and SOW it was trailing off into unintelligible signs.
carton’shand dropped to his side. Darnay sprang up with a reproachful look, but CartOfl’S
|,$; d was close and firm at his nostrils, and Carton's left arm caught him round the waist.
Apr a few seconds Darnaystruggled slightly with the man who had come to lay down
his life for him, but within a minute or so, he was stretched insensible on the ground.
Quickly,but with hands and heart true to his purpose, Carton dressed himself
in the clothes Darnay had laid aside, combed back his halr, and tied it with the ribbon the
prisoner had worn. He put the paper in the breast pocket. Then he seated himself at the table,
resting his forehead in his hands and called, “Enter there! Come in!”
A man came to the door.
“The parting interview has overpowered my friend. He was faint when he came in, and is fainter now.
Quick! Call assistance!”
The man withdrew. He returned with two others. They raised the unconscious figure, placed it on a
litter they had brought to the door, and carried it away.
The door closed,
and Carton was left alone. He listened for any sound that might signal suspicion or alarm. There
was none. Keys turned, doors clashed, footsteps passed along distant passages—no cry was raised or
unusual hurry made. breathing more freely in a little while,
he sat down at the table again, and listened until the clock struck Two.
reproachful: disapproving
adapted from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
litter: a stretcher used to carry sick people
Charles Dickens (1812—1870) was an English writer and social commentator.
Regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era, his works, including
Christmas Carol, David Copp rfield and Oliver Twist, contini:e to be po J•H 0
/? Comprehend' **
i . A. Answer these questiOflS•
he for it?
,
1. What was the Holm? O
Darnay9 *P£ˡ
py did Darnaydread h ce?
2. Who entered Darnil-y •ᵉ
3. Why did Darnay believe af Ofl
had
O e to see him Why did Cabot
not correct him?
4. What did Carton do to
had taken place?
ensure that nobody would suspeCt th£i £t S itC¿
SWitch had worked?
5. How did Carton kIlOW the
B. Answer the questions with reference to t e C outext.
I. The hour had passed like mos( other hour-
about Darnay's 5tate of mind?
What does this line tell us
2. ‘—an invention ofhis imagination.’ What does ‘invention’ refer to? Of tp
imagination is it? Why would it seem to be an invention?
3. ”A strong appeal... You must comply with if.” What was the ‘strong appeal’
Was the messenger being truthful?
4. Darnay sprang up with a reproachful look. Why did Darnay look reproach
5. “The parting interview has overpowered my friend.” Who is speaking a6ou whom? What has
actually happened?
6. Think and answer. Why does Carton ask Darnay to write the letter? Mo letter reached
its intended receiver, what would the reaction have been?
7. Read the introduction and the text again. Then, work in pairs and the tun to complete this
table with characteristics that you t(l apply to the two Explain your choices.
8. People make many S8Crlfices both big and
In pairs, talk about Sydney Carton'ssacri
ways you would be preparJedatoke
ce.
love of family!!
Then d1SCUSs why and 111 !** !
