Chapter-17
As they went out into the courtyard, Mr. Lorry saw Madame Defarge standing near the grindstone. Knitting as she had been when Mr. Lorry had last seen her years before.
“My wife will come with us,” said Defarge, “so she can recognize the people we are going to see. It is for their safety.”
Mr. Lorry was slightly suspicious of this reasoning, but did not wish to delay.
When Mr. Lorry and the Defarges arrived at the apartment, they found Lucie weeping. She read the brief note from Charles:
“Be brave, darling. I am well, and your father is helping me. Kiss our child for me.”
Lucie turned to the Defarges to thank them tearfully, but the cold glare she got in return from Madame Defarge gave her a moment of terror. That terror grew when the glare was turned on her child and Miss Pross as well.
“Come,” said Madame Defarge, smiling slyly at her husband, “I have seen them. We can go now.”
Dr. Manette did not return from La Force for four days. During that time, eleven hundred prisoners were murdered by the bloodthirsty mobs. During that time also, Dr. Manette had appeared before a self- appointed people’s court, which had been sentencing most prisoners to death, and told of his eighteen years of suffering in the Bastille, Those members of the court who were not asleep or drunk listened to him, including Ernest Defarge, who backed up his story. The decision was made to spare the prisoner’s life but for his own safety. Charles would have to remain in jail.
Dr. Manette begged for permission to remain too and thus assure himself that Charles would not mistakenly be dragged out and killed by the mob.
On the fourth day, Dr. Manette returned home to bring news to Lucie. And because of his new-found fame, he had been named inspecting doctor of La Force Prison. Thus, in the days. weeks, and months following, he was able to see Charles often and to inform Lucie that he was well. But Dr. Manette could not get Charles freed, or even brought to trial.
The king, however, was tried and found guilty of crimes against the people. His sentence-beheading by the guillotine, that terrible instrument of death created by the Revolution. Its victims were wheeled through the streets in wooden carts amid cheering and jeering mobs and dragged onto the platform. Yes, the guillotine provided great excitement for the bloodthirsty mobs. Would Charles be its next victim?
One evening, upon his return from the prison, Dr. Manette told Lucie that if she stood at a certain place in the road across from La Force at three every afternoon, he could arrange to have Charles at an upper window from which he could see her.
From that time on, Lucie went to the spot every day, in all weather, often with her daughter. She couldn’t see Charles, but even if she could, it would have been very dangerous to wave to him. Still, she hoped he saw her.
On that same street where Lucie stood each day was a dark and dirty hut, the home of a woodcutter, who was once a road fixer. After seeing Lucie there day after day, the woodcutter called, “Good afternoon, dear lady!”
“Good afternoon, Citizen,” she replied, using the new words ordered by the Revolution.
“You walk here often, dear lady!” he said.
“But that’s none of my business. My business is sawing wood to build guillotines.”
This conversation was repeated every day, with Lucie becoming more and more frightened at the sight of the Revolution’s new instrument of death.
One snowy afternoon, Dr. Manette met Lucie on that street and brought her the news, “Charles is being put on trial tomorrow.”
Behind them, rattling through the snow, came the wooden carts, carrying their victims to the guillotine.
