ATALE OF TWO CITIES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 20 June 1936, Page 3

ATALE OF TWO CITIES

Adapted by LEBBEUS MITCHELE

SYNOPSIS.—CharIes Darnay, freed of a treason charge in London through the efforts of the drunken lawyer, Sydney Carton, returns to Paris during the French Revolution to save the life of his old tutor, and is imprisoned under a new law declaring the life of all French aristocrats returning to France forfeit. Mr. Manette (freed from 18 years in the Bastille to which he was condemned through the machinations of Darnay’s uncle, the Marquis St. Evremonde, later slain) whose daughter, Lucie, Darnay has married, returns to Paris in an attempt to save Darnay whose sympathies are with the French people. Dr. Manette appeals to the Defarge. The jurors are voting “Not guilty” when the voice of Madame Defarge' cries: “Stop!” SYDNEY CARTON IN PARIS CHAPTER X The President of the Tribunal rang His bell. “Citizens, you are out of order. The prisoner has been declared not guilty.” “I defy the bell!” cried Madame Defarge turning to the revolutionaries about her. Amid shouts of approval, she continued: “I accuse the man, Evremonde, one of the family of tyrants who used their privileges fbr the oppression of the people!” “Your witnesses?” questioned the president when the uproar following her words had subsided. “Three —Ernest Defarge, Threse Deforge, and —Dr. Manette!”

New outcries threw the court into an uproar. Lucie, her face stark with horror, grasped Mr Lorry’s arm to keep from rising and running forward. Dr. Manette sprang to his feet, made his voice heard above the tumult.

“I protest! It is a lie! Who dares to'say I denounce this man?” “I do,” said Madame Defarge calmly, “and you denounce him in words that 'can never be taken back!” She unrolled a piece of paper in her hand. “Look, citizens! The record of Dr. Manette’s sufferings in the Bastille—and ... the cause of them! . . . This letter was written by Dr. Manette, himself, in prison—written in scrapings of soot and charcoal mixed with his own blood!” A new outburst i drowned her voice. When it had died! out she resumed: “Dr. Manette has told us that he spent eighteen years in solitary confinement in the Bastille! This -letter tells us why—it tells how. as a young doctor, he was summoned i to the bedside of a young girl, dying after being outraged by the Evremondes—how her brother was cut down like a dog for daring to come to the defence of his sister. It describes' the agonies of those two innocent young people ...” A -new uproar from the court com- ! pelled her to wait several minutes. “That boy is dead,” she continued when quiet had descended upon the court; “that girl is dead: All that peasant family but one, died through the cruelty and oppression of the Evremondes —all but one, a sister. That sister was hidden from them, and she lived. She lives to-day! I am that sister, and I demand the life of the last of. the Evremondes! I demand it.” Dr. Manette was on his feet at once, and v/hen he could make himself heard, shouted: “I beg to be heard. I make no accusations ...”

“And how can you say that,” demanded Madame Defarge loudly, “when it’s there in black and white 9 Let me read it —your own writing. Dr. Manette: ‘For all the Evremondes have made me suffer—the Evremondes who had me put in the Bastille because I would not be silent about these crimes, and for all that they have made the people suffer, I, Alexandre Manette, do, on this last night of the year, and in my unbearable agony, denounce the family of Evremonde’.”

For several minutes the uproar that followed was so great that Dr. Manette did not attempt to make himself heard. When a semblance of order was restored, he protested: “But this boy here has nothing to do with that!” Madame Defarge glared at him, pointing an accusing linger; then shouted to the revolutionaries: “Citizens, vote!” A simultaneous roar of “Guilty!”

burst from the lips of the jurors. Guards laid hands upon Darnay. even before the president of the Tribunal uttered judgment: “The accused is found guilty as an enemy of the Republic . . . ”

-“Citizen President, the citizens of the Republic demand the death of the prisoner,” cried the Public Prosecutor. "Granted! Death within forty-eight hours.” Sydney Carton arrived in Paris the

same day and repaired at once to Tellson’s Bank. Mr Lorry detailed to him the, result of Dr. Manette’s unsuccessful attempt to save Darnay through a public trial. When does the . . . execution take place?”

“Within forty-eight hours ... I am returning to England soon. I have done all that I can do here.”

i “You are going to Lucie’s, I hope. ! She must be very desolate—and she has such a strong attachment for you : —and reliance upon you.”

i “I shall venture to go to her later, Mr Lorry. Perhaps there is something she would like me to do for her.” “There’s nothing for you to do that I can see,” replied Mr Lorry crustily, as he took his departure. Carton ran across Jerry Cruncher in the bank; Jerry explained that he had been sent over with with documents for Mr Lorry and had remained to act as his messenger. From him Carton learned that Barsad was in Paris. “Goes in and out of the prisons as though’e was ’igh and mighty. Goes in any place. ’E’s a kind of official. ’Es a spy of the prisons.” “A spy for the prisons, you say—what prison, for example?” “Mostly La Force. ’E’s very prosperous, Barsad. Put ’im anywhere and ’e’ll get on.” “Thank you, Jerry. That information may come in handy . . , ” Lucie, in her despair, took Pross and little Lucie, and went to intercede with Madame Defarge to use her influence with the revolutionaires to save her husband. She was met with stony reserve. She appealed to her as a wife and mother. “We are wives and mothers,” responded Madame Defarge. “Did they think of us? All our lives we suffered, and our children suffered —poverty, nakedness, hunger, sickness, death. No one showed us mercy.” “But I am not an aristocrat, Madame Defarge, I am the daughter of a country doctor —one of the people, just as you are!” “I don’t trust those of the people who marry aristocrats.” “What can his life mean to you? We will return to England—you will never see us again!” “You over-rate my power, Citizeness. You speak as though I were Danton himself.” “I see that I can hope for nothing from you. You have no pity.” “No, Citizeness, none.” Lucie turned to leave in despair, saw the horrible La Vengeance dangling a toy guillotine in front of little Lucie. She took the girl into her arms. “I’ll thank you to leave my child alone! And what’s more, not to grin at me, Boldface!” La Vengeance leered at her, exchanged a sly smile with Madame Defarge. “Yes, there are still Evremondes,” she said, her eyes following the child .... When Sydney Carton called on Lucie, Dr. Manette was absent, trying to see Danton to plead for Charles Darnay’s life. Sydney was drawn into the little drama of trying to reassure Lucie. She appealed to him for hope. “You do think there’s hope Sydney? Father’s been gone a long time. Danton could save Charles if he wanted to, couldn’t he?” “Yes, Danton could save "him. Danton could not refuse your father a

hearing.” Lucie went to the window of Lorry’s apartment in the bank to watch for her fathers’ return. Carton turned with a smile to little Lucie as she entered from the bed-room. In her hands was a toy guillotine.

“Where did you get this, Lucie?” he asked.

“The nice old lady in the wine-shop gave it to me.” “Prossie, what wine shop is the child talking about?” he asked, lowering his voice.

“The Defarges. We went there . . “You mean to say the Defarges saw the child?”

Something in "Carton’s face carried its message to Miss Pross. Merciful heavens!” she gasped. Carton warned her to be quiet, but Lucie had overheard their whispering, came towards them, asking: What is it? Why are you whispering?” The opportune arrival of Dr. Manette saved them the necessity of a reply. Lucie ran to her father, 'imploring: “Father, have you seen him? Did you see Danton?” "What? What name did you say? Dan - - - My work —what have you done with my work!” He looked helplessly about, his mind wandering. Carton and Lorry understood at once that he was back in that borderland of sanity that he was in when rescued from the Bastille. “The bench—the tools,” continued Dr. Manette. “The thread —how can I make shoes without thread?” Lucie grasped his arms, crying ! hysterically: “Father! Father! Did i you see Danton? You left to see Danton—to save Charles! Father, don't you know me? Charles —to save Charles!” “My dear,” interposed Mr Lorry, “It’s no use. He doesn’t understand you. I’ll take him to his room.” “Where's Father?” asked little Lucie. “Didn’t you say he’d bring father back? ... I want my father.” (To be continued.!