Headnote vignette for "A Tale of Two Cities," Book III, Chapter 11 ("Dusk"), by John McLenan in "Harper's Weekly" (12 November 1859)

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Headnote vignette: Consternation about saving Darnay

John McLenan

Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities, Book III, Chapter 11 ("Dusk").

7 cm high by 4.3 cm wide (3 inches by 1 ¾ inches)

The twenty-eighth installment of the novel appeared in Harper's Weekly (12 November 1859): 732-34; it had originally appeared in the UK on Saturday, 5 November in All the Year Round.

This illustration, which is set in Mr. Lorry's rooms, depicts the aftermath of the discussion among Lorry, Carton, and Manette as to how to save Darnay from public execution: "I will go," said Doctor Manette, "to the Prosecutor and the President straight, and I will go to others whom it is better not to name. I will write too, and — But stay! There is a Celebration in the streets, and no one will be accessible until dark" (732). After he leaves, Carton and Lorry admit they have no hope that Dr. Manette can save him, even though "The physician of Beauvais" is something of a hero to the revolutionary mob.

Passage Illustrated

When he had gone out into the next room, he turned suddenly on Mr. Lorry and her father, who were following, and said to the latter:

“You had great influence but yesterday, Doctor Manette; let it at least be tried. These judges, and all the men in power, are very friendly to you, and very recognisant of your services; are they not?”

“Nothing connected with Charles was concealed from me. I had the strongest assurances that I should save him; and I did.” He returned the answer in great trouble, and very slowly.

“Try them again. The hours between this and to-morrow afternoon are few and short, but try.”

“I intend to try. I will not rest a moment.”

“That’s well. I have known such energy as yours do great things before now — though never,” he added, with a smile and a sigh together, “such great things as this. But try! Of little worth as life is when we misuse it, it is worth that effort. It would cost nothing to lay down if it were not.”

“I will go,” said Doctor Manette, “to the Prosecutor and the President straight, and I will go to others whom it is better not to name. I will write too, and — But stay! There is a Celebration in the streets, and no one will be accessible until dark.”

“That’s true. Well! It is a forlorn hope at the best, and not much the forlorner for being delayed till dark. I should like to know how you speed; though, mind! I expect nothing! When are you likely to have seen these dread powers, Doctor Manette?”

“Immediately after dark, I should hope. Within an hour or two from this.”

“It will be dark soon after four. Let us stretch the hour or two. If I go to Mr. Lorry’s at nine, shall I hear what you have done, either from our friend or from yourself?”

“Yes.”

“May you prosper!” [Book the Third — "The Track of a Storm," Chapter XI, "Dusk," 732]

Comment

As Carton explains in the following chapter in this weekly instalment, Dr. Manette, his daughter, Mr. Lorry, Jerry Cruncher, and Sydney Carton may be unwittingly acting in such a way as to place themselves in danger of being denounced by Madame Defarge, and executed for harbouring positive feelings abut Darnay as one who has been condemned to the guillotine:

You know it is a capital crime, to mourn for, or sympathise with, a victim of the Guillotine. She and her father would unquestionably be guilty of this crime, and this woman (the inveteracy of whose pursuit cannot be described) would wait to add that strength to her case, and make herself doubly sure. [Book the Third — "The Track of a Storm," Chapter XII, "Darkness," 734]

Other Illustrated Editions (1859-1910)

Related Material

Scanned image by Philip V. Allingham; text by PVA and George P. Landow. [You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the person who scanned the image and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]

Bibliography

Allingham, Philip V. "Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities (1859) Illustrated: A Critical Reassessment of Hablot Knight Browne's Accompanying Plates." Dickens Studies. 33 (2003): 109-158.

Dickens, Charles. A Tale of Two Cities. Illustrated by Phiz (Hablot Knight Browne). London: Chapman and Hall, 21 November 1859.

Dickens, Charles. A Tale of Two Cities. Illustrated by John McLenan. Harper's Weekly: A Journal of Civilization, 7 May through 3 December 1859.

Dickens, Charles. A Tale of Two Cities: A story of the French Revolution. Project Gutenberg e-text by Judith Boss, Omaha, Nebraska. Release Date: September 25, 2004 [EBook #98].

Created 25 November 2007

Last modified 30 November 2025