After reading · Part II · Chapter 7
Part II · Chapter 7Monseigneur’s Chocolate
Reading boundary
Start: Monseigneur, one of the great lords in power at the Court
Stop after: all things ran their course.
Summary
At his Paris hotel, Monseigneur requires four servants merely to drink chocolate. Courtiers devoted to appearance and advancement crowd his reception while public affairs decay. The Marquis leaves in a racing carriage that scatters pedestrians before it.
The carriage kills a child in Saint Antoine. The Marquis responds by tossing a coin to the grieving father, Gaspard, and complaining about delay and damage to his horses. Defarge comforts Gaspard; a coin is thrown back into the carriage. The Marquis threatens the crowd, then drives away as the people close around the father and child.
Who’s who
- Monseigneur — A great court lord surrounded by luxury and dependence.
- The Marquis — An aristocrat whose carriage enters Saint Antoine.
- Gaspard — The bereaved father.
- Defarge — The wine-shop keeper who helps Gaspard.