Book II - Chapter XXIV. Drawn to the Loadstone Rock Practice Quiz — A Tale of Two Cities
by Charles Dickens — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Book II - Chapter XXIV. Drawn to the Loadstone Rock
What year is it at the beginning of Book II, Chapter 24?
August 1792, three years into the French Revolution.
Where do the French emigrant nobles gather in London?
Tellson's Bank, which serves as an unofficial intelligence exchange for French news.
Why does Mr. Lorry plan to travel to Paris?
To protect and sort critical financial documents at the Paris branch of Tellson's Bank before they can be seized or destroyed.
Who does Mr. Lorry plan to take with him as a bodyguard?
Jerry Cruncher.
What secret does Charles Darnay keep about his identity?
His real name is the Marquis St. Evremonde, a secret known only to Dr. Manette.
Who is Stryver and what does he do in this chapter?
A lawyer at the King's Bench Bar who loudly insults the absent Marquis St. Evremonde and proposes violent schemes against the revolutionaries.
What is the letter that arrives at Tellson's Bank addressed to?
"Monsieur heretofore the Marquis St. Evremonde, of France."
Who wrote the letter and from where?
Gabelle, the estate caretaker, wrote it from the Prison of the Abbaye in Paris.
What crime is Gabelle accused of?
Treason against the people for having acted on behalf of an emigrant aristocrat.
What does Gabelle beg Darnay to do?
Return to France to testify that Gabelle was following orders to help the peasants, not oppress them, and thereby save his life.
What is the "Loadstone Rock" a metaphor for?
The irresistible magnetic force drawing Darnay back to revolutionary France, an allusion to the Arabian Nights story of a magnetic rock that destroys ships.
What does Darnay believe he can accomplish by returning to France?
He believes he can save Gabelle, assert the good intentions behind his renunciation of the estate, and perhaps even guide the Revolution toward restraint and mercy.
Why does Darnay feel guilty about his situation?
He knows his renunciation of the Evremonde estate was hurried and incomplete; he never systematically supervised the transition or protected those who served him.
Why does Darnay hide his departure from Lucie and Dr. Manette?
To spare Lucie the pain of separation and to avoid reviving Dr. Manette's painful associations with France.
What two letters does Darnay write before leaving?
One to Lucie explaining his obligation to go and assuring her of his safety, and one to Dr. Manette entrusting Lucie and their child to his care.
On what date does Darnay depart for France?
The night of August 14, 1792.
What message does Darnay ask Mr. Lorry to deliver to Gabelle?
"That he has received the letter, and will come."
What has happened to the French monarchy by this point in the novel?
Royalty has been "besieged in its Palace and suspended" — the monarchy has effectively fallen.
How does Dickens describe the emigrant nobles' attitude toward the Revolution?
They treat it as if it had no cause, as if nothing had been done or omitted that led to it, and they make extravagant plots for restoring the old order.
What is the significance of Chapter 24 in the novel's structure?
It is the final chapter of Book II ("The Golden Thread") and serves as the pivotal turning point that propels Darnay into danger and launches Book III ("The Track of a Storm").