Page 29 - A Tale of Two Cities

Looking gently at him, Lucie was surprised and sad to see that
there were tears in his eyes.
‘Can you not try to change?’ she said softly.
‘It is too late for that,’ he said. ‘I shall never be better than I am,
I shall only be worse.’ He covered his eyes with his hand for a
moment.

‘No, Mr Carton,’ Lucie said. ‘I am sure that you can live a better
life for yourself.’

‘Say "for you", Miss Manette, and I will never forget it!’ he cried.
She looked at him wide-eyed and trembling, but he said
immediately, ‘I am thankful, Miss Manette, that you cannot return
the love of the man you see before you. He would have brought you
unhappiness and misery, and pulled you down with him.’
‘Is there nothing I can do to help you, Mr Carton?’ Lucie asked,
with tears in her eyes.
‘No, Miss Manette,’ he said. ‘But I want you to know that I have
seen you with your father, in this home that you have made, and I
have found feelings of happiness inside myself which I thought had
died. Your family are very special to me; they remind me of what
I could have been. For you and your father, I would do anything.
Please remember, when you are married and have a child, that there
is a man who would give his life to save a life you love!’
He said goodbye and thanked her for listening to him, and then
he left her.

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