After reading · Part II · Chapter 20
Part II · Chapter 20Lucie’s Plea for Carton
Reading boundary
Start: When the newly-married pair came home
Stop after: God bless her for her sweet compassion!
Summary
Carton visits the returned couple and asks Darnay to forget an earlier drunken claim that they were friends. He then asks permission to come and go on the unusual terms of a privileged, though irregular, visitor, and Darnay agrees.
One evening Darnay jokes about Carton’s carelessness. Lucie privately asks him to be considerate: she believes Carton has a wounded heart and is capable of good, tender acts. Darnay regrets speaking lightly and promises always to remember her plea.
Who’s who
- Sydney Carton — Seeking a modest place in the Darnays’ household.
- Charles Darnay — Initially amused by Carton, then corrected by Lucie.
- Lucie Darnay — Defending Carton’s hidden pain and capacity for good.