A World Full of Dickens Stories by Angela McAllister

Author:Angela McAllister
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books
Published: 2020-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

Amid all the congratulations outside the courtroom, Charles thanked Lucie for her kind words and kissed her hand gratefully. He asked her father if he might visit them, and the Doctor happily agreed.

As Charles was walking away from the court, he met the lawyer’s assistant, whose almost identical face had saved him. The man introduced himself as Sydney Carton. Charles was feeling weak after his terrible ordeal, and so Sydney suggested that they have some dinner together at an inn nearby. However, Sydney was not good company. During the meal, he was gloomy and miserable and talked only of how awful his life was. “I’ve wasted all my talents and never achieved anything to be proud of,” he told Charles, “and I don’t expect you like me either.” The one thing that cheered him was the thought of Lucie in court that day. “How lucky you are that she looked at you with such sympathy,” he sighed.

Charles paid for their dinner and left Sydney alone feeling sorry for himself. Sydney stumbled back to his lodgings and lay down on his bed. “If I hadn’t been so idle, I could have been a man like Charles Darnay,” he sighed to himself. “Then maybe Lucie Manette’s blue eyes would have gazed at me the way she gazed at him today.” And with that he fell asleep.

After that day, Charles Darnay often visited Lucie and her father, and sometimes on a Sunday afternoon they would be joined by Mr. Lorry and Sydney, who managed to get himself invited too.

Sydney was always moody and awkward in company, but he came because he loved Lucie and wanted to be near her. She made him wish he was a better man, a man worthy of her love. One day, he found her alone at home and decided to confide his secret feelings to her.

“I know you can never love somebody like me,” he told her, “and I wouldn’t wish you to, because I am worthless and would make you miserable.”

Lucie was sad to hear that Sydney felt so hopeless about himself. “Why not make a change and lead a better life?” she said gently. “Can’t I help you, as a friend, in some way?”

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