A Tale of Two Cities
by Charles Dickens
The "two cities" were Paris and London during the French Revolution. When Dr. Manette, a French doctor, is called to treat the young peasant and his sister, he realizes that they have been brutally abused by the Marquis de Sainte-Evremonde and his brother. To ensure Dr. Manette's silence, the Marquis imprisoned her in the Bastille for eighteen years. The doctor was just released, he went crazy when the story broke. He is brought to England, where he gradually regains his health and common sense. Charles Darnay, the nephew of the cruel Marquis, hid his identity under this false name and left France and left his legacy. He falls in love with Dr. Manette's daughter Lucy and they are happily married. During the terror, he travels to Paris to rescue a servant who has been condemned by a crowd. Darnay himself is arrested, sentenced to death, and at the last moment, rescued by Sidney Carton, a reckless vastr driven by Luciy's devotion. Cardboard kidnapped Darnay from prison and took his place on the dock, saying, "Much, much better than I've ever done before," is one of the most quoted lines in the entire history of literature.
