A Tale of Two Cities Page #5

But a tavern ain't a home.

No, at home you bicker and quarrel.

And here, it's all peace on Earth,

good will to men.

Drink up, gentlemen. Good will to men.

Merry Christmas!

Really, what can be keeping Mr. Darnay?

A man who would be late for Christmas

services would be late for his own wedding.

Charles told me he had to see

Mr. Lorry about something.

Important indeed.

Anything can be more important

to a young man than going to church.

For myself, I'm very sorry to see Mr. Darnay

go into Mr. Lorry's bank.

You all think it was a great kindness

on Mr. Lorry's part, but I don't...

...because I think Mr. Lorry is an atheist.

All bankers are atheists.

- Good evening, Mr. Darnay.

- Good evening.

- Merry Christmas, Charles.

- Merry Christmas, Lucie.

Merry Christmas, Miss Pross,

Dr. Manette.

Merry Christmas.

We've been waiting for you.

Will you forgive me

if I don't go to church?

I must speak to your father about...

- About something that has arisen.

- You're worried.

Oh, it's nothing serious, Lucie.

- Lf only I could speak to Dr. Manette.

- Certainly.

Mr. Lorry has sent Jerry Cruncher

to light you to the church.

We'll come back directly after the service.

You'll wait for us?

- Yes, I...

- Well, come along, Lucie.

Not going to church, indeed. Atheist.

Bankers and Frenchmen, all atheists.

May I remind you

that the port on the sideboard...

...is for the party after services

and not for haphazard consumption.

Oh, Pross, do come along.

Won't you sit down, Charles.

I will not delay disclosing to you

what I have to say, Dr. Manette.

I have just learned from Mr. Lorry

something that distresses me deeply.

It is a bitter irony, sir...

...that this man,

who did you such a dreadful injustice...

...should be my blood relation.

I'm very sorry.

Can you understand that I...?

That I had to tell you?

Yes, I understand you had to tell me.

I am an Evremonde,

but I love you and yours.

For you and Lucie I would give up my life,

if necessary.

Dr. Manette, can you find it

in your heart to forgive me?

You showed character, Charles,

in coming to me.

And I have no blame for you.

In suffering, one learns many things.

Among them,

not to punish the innocent.

I shall never forget your kindness.

- But you must promise me one thing.

- Anything.

- You must not tell Lucie.

- But I must. That would be...

You must let me tell her in my own way,

in my own time...

...or you may spoil not only

your own happiness, but hers.

Trust me, Charles.

I don't like Mr. Lorry sending dozens

of people to look after us we don't want.

If he's so anxious about us,

why didn't he come himself?

Oh, no, not himself, the old atheist.

Now, you know perfectly well

Mr. Lorry is the soul of kindness.

- Mr. Cruncher is his odd-job man.

- Odd-job man, indeed.

From what I can gather,

he's the oddest of odd-job men.

Wait.

Good evening, Mr. Carton.

- Merry Christmas.

- Thank you, Miss Manette.

Miss Pross, merry Christmas.

I'd say merry Christmas to you,

Mr. Carton...

...if it weren't plain to see

that you'd already had it.

Were you going to midnight service?

We're going. Do come with us.

Why not? Thank you, Miss Manette.

It's dangerous taking him to church,

Miss Pross.

He'll forget where he is

and call for a round of drinks.

Hold your tongue and hold that lantern

higher, or I'll bash you with this umbrella.

I'll light a candle for you.

Go along, my man. And I hope

you mend your ways in the future.

Lucie, my pet,

your father's waiting for you.

And as you know,

he doesn't like crowds of people about...

...especially on Christmas Eve.

Please tell him I'll come in

in just a moment.

Won't you come in too?

- We're having a little

Christmas celebration.

- Oh, I'm afraid not.

- Thank you, Miss Manette.

- You'll be very welcome.

I must tell you, Miss Manette, that when

you met me, I wasn't on my way to church.

I know.

My usual Christmas Eve,

going from tavern to tavern.

Well, I know, but... Well, we...

We can't always be at our best.

Won't you please come in?

Not like this.

If I may come some other time.

Please do.

I'd love to have you for a friend.

So... So would Father.

Merry Christmas.

You're making quite a tea drinker

out of me, Prossie. Aren't you ashamed?

I am Miss Pross. And as for being ashamed,

why should I be ashamed?

For giving you a decent home

to come to, I suppose.

For saving you

from the gallows, practically.

- Ashamed... indeed.

- Oh, Miss Pross...

...don't you think, at times, you're

inclined to exaggerate just a trifle?

One of Prossie's most endearing gifts.

That's why I love you.

I'll have you know, I'm not

one of those flibbertigibbeties

you can take liberties with.

No more liberties, Prossie.

And I'll thank you to call me Miss Pross

or not address me at all.

You know, I believe you've completely

captivated Pross.

She's part of the flavor

of this house to me.

I couldn't imagine it without her, no more

than without these paintings of yours.

- It's beautiful.

- Please don't look at it.

I know it's dreadful, but I do it.

That's like my drinking.

I know it's dreadful, but I do it.

There hasn't been quite so much

of that lately, has there?

With your influence...

Your visits here have meant so much to us,

to Father and me.

What do you think it's meant to me,

being able to come here and see you?

- Oh, if we've helped you, I'm glad.

- It's you. It's you who have done it.

I've always felt in you

such hidden possibilities.

- It seems such a pity to...

- To waste them? Don't be afraid to say it.

I have wasted them and myself.

It's only now, after knowing you...

...that I've told myself that perhaps

it's not too late.

I'm sure it's not.

After all, you're young.

Your whole life's before you.

- Anything you want to accomplish...

- Do you believe that?

Oh, I do.

- It makes it worth the trying.

- Thank you, Sydney.

That completes my happiness.

I wonder if you know how much

your happiness means to me.

Oh, of course I do.

You're my very dearest friend.

I must tell you.

What?

- Can't you guess?

- Guess?

I'm going to be married.

Charles Darnay.

Yes.

Aren't you going to wish me happiness?

Happiness, yes. Yes, of course.

All that you deserve.

Amen.

I join you together in marriage...

...in the name of the Father, and of the

Son, and of the Holy Ghost, amen.

And now, for the first time, Mrs. Darnay.

All my congratulations, Dr. Manette.

Dear, dear. This is an occasion...

...that makes me speculate

on all I may have lost.

To think there might have been

a Mrs. Lorry any time these 50 years.

You were a bachelor in your cradle.

You were cut out for a bachelor

before you were put in your cradle.

I may have been so in my cradle,

but since then, let me tell you...

...there have been occasions...

- Mr. Lorry.

This is not the time or place

for such confidences.

But...

- Charles, have you seen Sydney?

- Why, no.

Well, I wonder why he didn't

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