Book IIChapter 10

“Two Promises”

Characters

•Charles Darnay•Dr. Manette•Lucie Manette

Summary• Takes place a year after the events of “The Gorgon’s Head”.• Darnay is now a tutor of the French language in London. • Darnay’s motivating factor in life is his love for Lucie Manette, whom he barely

communicates with.• Dr. Manette and Darnay meet and Darnay confesses his love of Lucie, stating

that he has not given any signals to her or anyone else out of respect to Dr. Manette.

• The special bond between Dr. Manette and his daughter is mentioned, with Darnay promising not to interrupt this relationship.

• Manette is grateful of Darnay’s show of self-denial, and thus promises (FIRST PROMISE) not to speak against Darnay to Lucie should she bring his name up in conversation.

• Dr. Manette identifies Mr. Carton and Mr. Stryver as interested suitors of Lucie.• After receiving Dr. Manette’s blessing, Darnay wishes to tell him his reasons

for being in London in the first place.• Dr. Manette refuses to hear of Darnay’s secret at this time, but makes him

promise that he will tell the secret on Lucie and Darnay’s wedding day (SECOND PROMISE).

• Lucie is troubled when she returns home and discovers that her father has been shoemaking again, just as he did in prison.

Literary Devices• Allusion: “Now, from the days when it was always summer in

Eden… (135).~Summers in London are compared to the Garden of Eden, a type of paradise from the Book of Genesis in the Bible.

Alliteration: “Dear Doctor Manette, I love your daughter fondly, dearly, disinterestedly, devotedly” (137).

~Repetition of the consonant “d” in three consecutive words.

Irony: “I wish to tell you what that is, and why I am in England” (141).

~An example of dramatic irony; we as the audience are aware that Charles Darnay is the nephew of the Monsieur the Marquis from France. Dr. Manette and the other main characters however, are still completely unaware of this important fact.

Essential Quote• “You anticipate what I would say,

though you cannot know how earnestly I say it, how earnestly I feel it, without knowing my secret heart, and the hopes and fears and anxieties with which it has long been laden… If ever there were love in the world, I love her. You have loved yourself; let your old love speak for me!” (137).