Page 20 - A Tale of Two Cities

Now it was the turn of Charles Darnay’s lawyer, Mr Stryver.
A Tale of Two Cities
Before he rose to his feet, he turned and spoke quietly to another

lawyer who was sitting beside him. For the whole of the first part of
the trial, this second lawyer had been sitting back lazily in his chair,
looking at the ceiling, and there was a carelessness about him which
made him look very odd in the courtroom.

His friend Mr Stryver, though, was large, loud and well-dressed.
Under his questioning, the court soon learned the truth about
Darnay’s main accuser, Barsad.

Barsad had been sent to prison several times for failing to pay
people money that he owed them and had often borrowed money
from Charles Darnay himself. Darnay’s servant too, Mr Stryver
discovered, had previously been accused of stealing from his
employer. These were the ‘honest gentlemen’ who had brought such
terrible accusations against Charles Darnay.

Mr Stryver turned now to the witness from the hotel in Dover,
and as he did, his lawyer friend passed a piece of paper to him. Mr
Stryver read the words on the paper, and then looked very carefully
at the prisoner, before turning back to the witness.

‘Are you quite sure that the man you saw in the hotel in Dover
was the prisoner?’ he asked.
‘Quite sure,’ replied the witness.

‘Take a look at my friend Mr Carton over here,’ said Mr Stryver. ‘I
think you will agree that he looks very like the prisoner.’

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