0.2 Book report on 'a tale of two cities'  (Page 5/5)

At the time Lucie helped her infirm father to be seated in the stage coach, Governess along with the child were still in the house collecting some last few articles to be carried along to London. Just at that time Madame Defarge arrives, tries to snatch the child and shoot her according to her vow. Her vow was to eliminate this Royal family along with its descendants. In the ensuing scuffle the pistol misfires and Madame Defarge instead gets killed. Also the pistol fires so close to the ear of the Governess that the ear diaphragm is ruptured and the Governess becomes permanently deaf. But she immediately recovers and along with the child she rushes to the coach and occupies her seat as if nothing has happened. About the same time the assistant arrives with the unconscious impersonator of Sydney Carton and gets him seated in the coach.

At every check post the papers are checked. In course of one of these routine checks Lucies suddenly realizes that in places of Sydney Carton it is her husband Charles Darney in the coach.

At this sudden realization Lucies is dumb-founded. She realizes that for her sake and for the sake of her happiness, Sydney has laid down his life. But infact he laid down his own life for the perpetuation of life and particularly human life. Sydney had no family of his own. The nearest and the dearest family to him was Lucies’s family and to ensure their safety, as he saw, was his supreme duty. By ensuring their safety he was making his contribution towards the perpetuation of life - the ultimate objective of every life.

After all we inherit out lifes and this world from out ancestors. We in turn give life to out descendants. We simultaneously develop, enrich and diversify our heritage in our respective fields and pass on that enriched heritage to our coming generations.

Exactly at that time Sydney, now the prisoner number 408, is being taken to the execution ground. On the preceding days Charles was taken to the execution ground in an identical manner. In the same carriage Charles’ paternal cousin sister was being carried as a prisoner. The sister immediately recognizes that his brother's place has been taken by a stranger and asks him,

“Oh good soul, why are you endangering your life for my brother.”

Following is the reply given by Sydney Carton,

“I see those life’s for which I lay down my life-those life’s are peaceful, useful, rich and happy in that England which I will see no more. I see her with a male child clasped to her bosom who has been christened by my name. I see her father, aged and bent otherwise in good health, going about his duty faithfully and keeping peace with himself. I see that gentle old lawyer who remained a true friend to this family for a long time, who enriched Mannette’s family with his whole body, mind and wealth and who peacefully passed away for his final award.

“I see that I hold a special place in their hearts and in the hearts of their descendants. Two generations later in her ripe old age I see her weeping on the anniversary of this day. I see her and her husband lying side by side in the bosom of mother Earth in deep sleep and I know that both are as adorable in each one’s hearts as I am in the hearts of both.

“I also see that child, who had been given my name, successfully treading forward on the path which once was mine. He is brilliantly successful in his legal profession so as to make his name and my name famous. The blemish which I had brought to my name by my weakness, I see him removing them through his dutifulness.

“I also see him foremost in the ranks of Justices and Celebrities and I see him grooming and nurturing a child who has a forehead like that of Lucie and having golden hair as those of Lucie and whose face is completely free of the present day trauma. I see my protagonist telling my story to this lovely child in soft and poignant voice.

“What I do today is far better than what I have done till this day. The ultimate rest towards which I am proceeding today is far better than all the rest I have known till date”

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Bijay Kumar Sharma