A Tale of Two Cities Page #9

How do you imagine she is

with her husband condemned to die?

Why do you take up my time

asking these questions?

What...? What good are these questions?

Forgive me if I notice

you are affected.

I shouldn't respect your sorrow more

if you were my own father.

From that misfortune, however,

you are free.

Indeed, that is one thing

to be grateful for, I suppose.

When is the...?

The execution to take place?

Within 24 hours.

You're remaining long in Paris?

No, I've done all the good I can do here.

You're going to Lucie's, I hope.

She must be very desolate tonight.

And she has such a strong attachment

to you and reliance on you.

I'll be going directly.

I shall venture to go and see her later.

Perhaps there is something

she would like me to do for her.

There's nothing for you to do

that I can see.

I shall let her tell me so.

Perhaps we shall meet at Lucie's then.

Perhaps.

Hello, Mr. Carton. How are you?

Hello, Jerry.

Better than the stool I had

in London, eh, Mr. Carton?

Belonged to a duke, they say.

I paid two shillings for it.

- What are you doing here?

- I arrived with documents for Mr. Lorry.

So I'm going to stay here

and do his errands like I did at home.

I suppose you heard about Mr. Darnay?

- Yes.

- Very sad.

You know, that couldn't happen

in England, Mr. Carton.

The other day,

I was talking about this case...

...with an old friend

of yours, Mr. Barsad.

- Is he here in Paris?

- Is he here? And very important.

He goes in and out of prisons

as if he was high and mighty.

- He goes in any place.

- He does, does he?

If you ask me,

I think he's a sort of official...

...a spy of the prisons.

And he's very prosperous, is Barsad.

Whatever you say about him,

he's talented.

Put him anywhere, he'll get along.

You say a spy on prisons,

what prison, for example?

- Mostly La Force Prison.

- La Force.

That information may be useful.

- Good, sir.

- All right, Jerry.

Glad to see you sitting

on the last throne left in Paris.

- Very fitting.

- Thank you, sir.

I implore you to have pity on me.

You have such power.

It is still not too late for you to help me.

As a wife and mother, I appeal to you.

We are wives and mothers,

and did they think of us?

All our lives we suffered,

and our children suffered...

...poverty and nakedness,

hunger, sickness, death.

No one showed us mercy.

Why should the troubles of one wife

and mother mean anything to us now?

But I am not an aristocrat.

I'm the daughter of a country doctor.

- I'm one of the people, just as you are.

- I don't trust those members...

...of the people who marry aristocrats.

I see that I can hope

for nothing from you.

You have no pity, no pity.

No, citizeness, none.

I'll thank you to leave the child alone.

And what's more,

don't grin at me, boldface.

Yes, there are still Evremondes.

Here, Ladybird, drink this.

No.

Sydney, there is still hope, isn't there?

- You think so, don't you?

- Of course there's hope.

But Father's been gone for hours.

It might take a long time

to see a man so important as Danton.

- He would be able to see him, wouldn't he?

- Sure.

Your father's reputation

would affect that easily.

And Danton could save him

if he wanted to, couldn't he?

Yes, Danton could save him.

Where did you get this, Lucie?

A nice old lady gave it to me

at the wine shop.

What wine shop

is the child talking about?

The D... The Defarge's.

We went there to...

You mean to say

that the De Farges saw the child?

Merciful heaven.

What is it? Why are you whispering?

Father.

Father.

Have you...? Have you seen him?

Have you seen Danton?

What...?

What name did you say?

Dan...

My work...

What have you done with my work?

My bench, tools, thread.

- Haven't you any thread?

- Father...

...have you seen him?

You left to see Danton.

How can I make my shoes

if you don't give me any thread?

Father. Don't you know me?

Charles. You left to save Charles.

It's no use, my dear.

He doesn't understand you.

I'll take him to his room.

Not just now.

Say it.

Why not say it?

There's no hope now.

Where is Father? Didn't you say

he was going to bring back Father?

He's been delayed. He'll be here soon.

I want my father.

Come with Pross. Come, come.

I want my father.

It's going to seem

such a long time, Sydney.

Afterwards...

If only I could see him.

Just once.

I can't even do that.

Lucie, your father's calling for you.

Is there nothing we can do?

I think... I know I can get

to see Charles once.

You can? How?

Oh, I know of a man.

A way we drinking fellows have,

we always know of a man.

I spent the afternoon with him.

But what earthly good would it do

if you did see him?

You have your permit to leave Paris?

Yes.

And Lucie and the doctor, Miss Pross

and Jerry, they have theirs.

Oh, you'd have to move fast.

But why? These passes

are valid for any time.

- Until canceled.

- Canceled?

From what you've told

of Madame De Farge...

...the permits will be canceled.

- But the doctor, Lucie,

they're in no danger.

They are in great danger.

The doctor is suspected.

His behavior at the trial.

It's death for anyone

to sympathize with the condemned.

And to that tiger, Madame De Farge,

even the child...

Little Lucie? It's unthinkable.

Look. Take the doctor's permit...

...and the others.

And here's mine.

Keep it for me until tomorrow.

- I don't understand.

- Do as I ask.

Take the word

of a drinking man for once.

What do you want me to do?

At 8:
00 tomorrow...

...have your horses ready.

Start definitely at 8.

If Lucie hesitates, you must force her.

Tell her that it's Darnay's wish...

...that she leave Paris

before the execution.

Do I wait for you?

Wait for nothing

but to have my place occupied.

And then for England.

You don't wish to tell me

anything more?

Carton...

...if I've misunderstood you before,

believe me, I regret it.

You never misunderstood me, sir.

You were right.

Yours is a long life

to look back on, Mr. Lorry.

I'm 78.

Long life. Useful one.

Solitary bachelor.

Nobody will weep for me.

Wouldn't she weep for you?

Yes, thank God.

I didn't quite mean what I said.

It is a thing to thank God for, isn't it?

Tell me, if you looked back

on that long life...

...and saw that you had gained

neither love...

...gratitude nor respect

of any human being...

...it would be a bitter reflection,

wouldn't it?

Why, yes, surely.

Would you mind if I borrowed that coat?

Certainly not.

Don't let anything she may say

change your plans.

I hope to do my part faithfully.

And I hope to do mine.

- Good night, Louis.

- Good night.

Sleep well. Pleasant dreams.

Hey there.

You work late, Mr. Barsad.

Now, Mr. Carton,

what is it you want, sir?

You know what I want.

Mr. Carton, I told you this afternoon

that it can't be done.

No one's ever escaped

from one of them prisons.

- It can't be done.

- Yes, yes. I believe that...

...but there is something

that can be done.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes