"Write exactly as I speak" — Illustration for "A Tale of Two Cities," Book III, chapter chapter 13 ("Fifty-two"), by John McLenan

"Write exactly as I speak"

John McLenan

Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities, Book III, chapter 13 ("Fifty-two")

The twenty-ninth installment of the novel appeared in Harper's Weekly (19 November 1859): 749; it had originally appeared in the UK on Saturday, 12 November in All the Year Round

[See below for passage illustrated]

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. .]

Passage Illustrated

Carton, standing behind the seated Charles Darnay, dictates a letter in order to take him unawares and etherize him:

"Do I ask you, my dear Darnay, to pass the door? When I ask that, refuse. There are pen and ink and paper on this table. Is your hand steady enough to write?"

"It was when you came in."

"Steady it again, and write what I shall dictate. Quick, friend, quick!"

Pressing his hand to his bewildered head, Darnay sat down at the table. Carton, with his right hand in his breast, stood close beside him.

"Write exactly as I speak."

"To whom do I address it?"

"To no one." Carton still had his hand in his breast.

"Do I date it?"

"No."

The prisoner looked up, at each question. Carton, standing over him with his hand in his breast, looked down.

"`If you remember,'" said Carton, dictating, "`the words that passed between us, long ago, you will readily comprehend this when you see it. You do remember them, I know. It is not in your nature to forget them.'"

References

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].

Last modified 25 November 2007