A Tale of Two Cities Page #3

A man named Stryver.

Now, this gentleman wishes me to ask you

if you would be willing

to appear in court

in Mr Darnay's defence.

- Willingly.

- Good.

And I shall arrange for you to be

escorted there by a messenger of the bank.

Flowers, lady! Flowers.

Swam ashore from the hulks.

Be a long time before

he takes a bath again.

Don't, my precious. Lead on, you wretch.

If we haven't caught jail fever already!

I'm getting you there as quick as I can.

Might as well enjoy

the fun while you're...

Ooh! Here! Here's

something to make you laugh.

- I don't know what he's done, but I'll bet he's...

- Body snatching.

Here. This way, ladies. This way.

Make way, there. Witnesses.

Witnesses. Make way.

- Out of the way!

- Follow me, ladies.

Oh. Oh, no. We're too late.

We'll have to wait

till the prisoners go by

Which one's your treason, miss?

Ooh. Good-looking young fellow.

Shame innit what he'll look like soon!

Hold your tongue!

- What will they do to him?

- No, ladybird, no.

What will they do to

him if he's found guilty?

Oh... Well, seeing as how it's treason,

he'll be drawn on a

hurdle and half-hanged.

Then he'll be taken down and

sliced before his own face.

His insides will be taken out

and burnt while he looks on

His head will be chopped off and he'll be

cut up into quarters. That's the sentence.

It won't happen, precious. It

won't. We know he's innocent.

MISS PROSS:
Oh, for goodness'

sake, get us out of this place.

- Allow me.

- Oh, Mr... Carton.

The same. A new ache here, of course,

but in all other respects, the same.

Follow me closely.

I'm looking after these ladies, sir.

Heaven help them.

That is what we call the Tyburn Mail.

A vehicle in which, my friends assure me, I

shall one day have the pleasure of travelling.

It's a false assumption.

I live by crime in what is not only

the easiest but quite the safest way.

This is where you'll go in.

Mr Lorry will join you once he and

Stryver have completed their business.

Mr Carton,

are you acquainted with our case?

I am part of your case.

Where the great Stryver goes,

there follows his jackal.

I did not know.

Mr Carton!

Please,

you will do your best for Mr Darnay?

After such a request, I shall be

doubly industrious on his behalf.

Had you any motive, Mr Barsad,

apart from your sense of

duty to your adopted country?

Had you any motive for

denouncing the prisoner?

No, sir. None at all.

And you were not actuated

by any thought of gain?

Certainly not I did only

what I thought was right

If I'm offered any reward,

I shall decline to take it.

Mr Barsad,

what first caused you to suspect

the prisoner of being a spy?

The way he was talking in the mail.

You are sufficiently

experienced in the ways of spies

to detect one from his conversation?

Perhaps I am a little

sharper than most people.

No doubt.

So it was on account of his

conversation that you decided to get out

- and follow him when he alighted?

- It was.

As a result of which you

saw him handed certain papers

by a certain mysterious stranger?

- I did.

- You had never seen these papers before?

How could I?

These papers had never previously

been in your own possession?

I don't know what you're talking about.

I am suggesting you acquired these

papers for yourself some time previously,

and, in the darkness of the coach,

- you transferred them to the person...

- It's a lie.

.. transferred them to the person of

the man who now stands there in the dock,

falsely accused to satisfy

your own greed for enrichment.

It's a lie, I say. A foul lie.

Those papers were given to him in the

dockyard, and I wasn't the only one that saw it.

I've said I've no wish for any reward

Miss Manette, we have

heard some evidence

as to your conversation with

the prisoner in the Dover Mail.

Is there anything of

which we have not heard?

It is impossible, sir,

to recall every word.

Impossible... or inconvenient? I

will endeavour to refresh your memory!

Did you and the prisoner

hold a discussion

about the recent war with America?

- Yes, we did.

- Speak up please!

Now that I have recalled

your mind to that event,

perhaps you can tell us what was

said about the war with America.

The gentleman tried to explain to me...

- Do you mean the prisoner?

- Yes, my lord.

Then say "the prisoner".

The... the prisoner

tried to explain to me

how that quarrel had arisen.

He said...

Yes?

He said that it was a wrong and

foolish one on the part of England.

Silence!

Anything else?

He added...

There was no harm in the way he said it.

It was said laughingly to beguile the time.

What did he add?

He added that he thought

perhaps George Washington

might make as great a name

in history as George lll.

Silence!

Thank you Miss Manette

Officer, look to that young lady.

Take her outside See

she gets some fresh air

Have we your permission

to continue, Mr Carton?

Yes, my lord.

That, Mr Cly, was the only time you

ever saw the prisoner? In the dockyard?

Until today. I see the other party

hand him the papers, secret, like,

and I says to myself, "Hello," I says.

Never mind what you said to yourself.

Would it surprise you to learn that the

prisoner has never

been near the dockyard

- in Dover?

- What a wicked lie.

Look at him now and tell me if you're

quite sure he was the man you saw.

That's him sir

You're absolutely certain

that it was the prisoner?

I am, sir.

Have you ever seen anyone sufficiently

like the prisoner for

you to be mistaken?

Not as I recall, sir.

Look well upon this gentleman,

my learned friend here.

Stand up, Sydney. Let

the witness see you.

That's right.

Remove your wig.

Now look well upon the prisoner.

How say you? Do you detect some

resemblance between these gentlemen?

There is a likeness.

When I now reveal that my learned friend

was in fact in Dover

on the day in question

would you not agree that

you might have seen him there

and mistaken him for the prisoner?

Am I to take it, Mr Stryver,

that we shall next have to

try Mr Carton for treason?

I trust not, my lord.

I seek only to illustrate my contention

that the prisoner is no more

memorable by virtue of his appearance

than many others of

his age Thank you Sydney

Whatever the verdict,

I must congratulate

you, mt Stryver, on

a most able defence.

I have done my best, sir, and my best

is as good as another man's, I believe.

Is nobody going to say "much better"?

It was on the tip of my tongue.

Now, Sydney. Most impudent fellow, sir,

to have for one's junior. Oh, pardon me.

How is Miss Manette?

The better for being out of that court.

The prisoner is distressed to have

caused you so much... agitation.

Did you see Mr Darnay?

He asked me to tell you that

with his fervent apologies.

Will you be seeing him again?

I would so much like

to ask his forgiveness.

For neglecting to commit perjury?

It's a grave failing in a witness.

Let us hope you'll be able to

express your own regrets to him.

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