“I arrived at Mr. Lorry’s, to his surprise, yesterday evening; we agreed that I would not present myself elsewhere until all was well or unless I could be useful.”

Charles Darnay has spent fifteen months imprisoned in France. During that time, Lucie has remained in Paris, hoping that her husband might eventually regain his freedom. Doctor Manette has used his influence among the revolutionaries in an effort to secure Darnay's release, while Mr. Lorry has continued providing assistance to the family. Their efforts have required great patience and perseverance.

Now Sydney Carton has arrived in Paris.
Carton's decision to travel to France is remarkable because he has no formal responsibility for Darnay's predicament. He has not been involved in the family's prolonged struggle to obtain his release. He has no apparent reason to believe that his arrival will resolve the difficulties they have encountered. Yet he has come. Perhaps the more interesting question is why he did not come sooner.

For fifteen months, Darnay has remained imprisoned while Carton has apparently continued his life in England. We do not know how much Carton understood about the family's circumstances during that period or whether he believed there was anything he could accomplish by traveling to France. We should be careful not to interpret his absence as evidence of indifference. Nevertheless, the delay raises important questions about Carton's character.

Throughout our study, Carton has repeatedly described himself as incapable of accomplishing anything worthwhile. Despite possessing remarkable intelligence and an extraordinary ability to understand people, he has consistently failed to pursue opportunities for personal advancement. Could his failure to travel to France earlier reflect this same lack of confidence?

Perhaps Carton believed that Doctor Manette and Mr. Lorry were better positioned to assist Darnay. Perhaps he understood that his arrival would provide little benefit while Darnay remained imprisoned. Or perhaps he simply failed to recognize that his own abilities might eventually become useful. Whatever his reasons, something has now changed.

Carton has voluntarily entered a dangerous country where he has no legal obligation to be. Yet even after arriving, he does not immediately announce his presence to the family. Instead, he agrees to remain out of sight unless his assistance becomes necessary.

This is particularly interesting when we compare his behavior with that of Charles Darnay. During our previous lesson, we examined Darnay's decision to return to France. Darnay believed that his personal integrity and honorable intentions would distinguish him from the aristocrats whom the revolutionaries despised. His decision demonstrated a willingness to accept personal risk, but it also revealed a troubling failure to appreciate the dangers confronting him.

Carton appears to approach the situation differently. He does not assume that his presence will immediately improve the family's circumstances. He does not insist upon becoming involved simply because he has made the journey. Instead, he appears willing to wait until an opportunity arises.

Perhaps Carton recognizes something Darnay failed to appreciate: honorable intentions alone do not guarantee favorable consequences. There is another possibility worth considering. Has Carton chosen to remain out of sight because he understands the family's needs, or because he still doubts that he has anything meaningful to contribute?Perhaps both explanations contain some truth.

Carton has spent years believing himself incapable of accomplishing anything worthwhile. Now he has voluntarily traveled to France, apparently hoping that his abilities might prove useful to others.
He has not demanded an opportunity to become a hero. He has simply made himself available. Is Carton's arrival evidence that he has finally discovered the courage to act, or that he has finally recognized an opportunity worthy of abilities he has possessed all along?