“You are a noble heart. Did I say we could depend upon no

better man? Tell her, tonight, what you know of her danger as

involving her child and her father. Dwell upon that, for she would

lay her own fair head beside her husband’s cheerfully.” He

faltered for an instant; then went on as before. “For the sake of her

child and her father, press upon her the necessity of leaving Paris,

with them and you at that hour. Tell her that it was her husband’s

last arrangement. Tell her that more depends upon it than she

dare believe, or hope. You think that her father, even in this sad

state. will submit himself to her; do you not?”

“I am sure of it.”

“I thought so. Quietly and steadily have all these arrangements

made in the court-yard here, even to the taking of your own seat in

the carriage. The moment I come to you, take me in, and drive

away.”

“I understand that I wait for you under all circumstances?”

“You have my certificate in your hand with the rest, you know,

Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics

and will reserve my place. Wait for nothing but to have my place

occupied, and then for England!”

“Why, then,” said Mr. Lorry, grasping his eager but so firm and

steady hand, “it does not all depend on one old man, but I shall

have a young and ardent man at my side.”

“By the help of Heaven you shall! Promise me solemnly that

nothing will influence you to alter the course on which we now

stand pledged to one another.”

“Nothing, Carton.”

“Remember these words tomorrow: change the course, or delay

in itfor any reasonand no life can possibly be saved, and many

lives must inevitably be sacrificed.”

“I will remember them. I hope to do my part faithfully.”

“And I hope to do mine. Now, good-bye!”

Though he said it with a grave smile of earnestness, and though

he even put the old man’s hand to his lips, he did not part from

him then. He helped him so far to arouse the rocking figure before

the dying embers, as to get a cloak and hat put upon it, and to

tempt it forth to find where the bench and work were hidden that

it still moaningly besought to have. He walked on the other side of

it and protected it to the court-yard of the house where the

afflicted heartso happy in the memorable time when he had

revealed his own desolate heart to itoutwatched the awful night.

He entered the courtyard and remained there for a few moments

alone, looking up at the light in the window of her room. Before he

went away, he breathed a blessing towards it and a Farewell.

Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics

Chapter XLIII

FIFTY-TWO

n the black prison of the Conciergerie, the doomed of the day

awaited their fate. They were in number as the weeks of the

year. Fifty-two were to roll that afternoon on the life-tide of