Book III - Chapter II. The Grindstone Practice Quiz — A Tale of Two Cities
by Charles Dickens — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Book III - Chapter II. The Grindstone
Where is Tellson's Bank in Paris located at the start of Chapter 2?
In a wing of a large house in the Saint Germain Quarter, behind a high wall and strong gate. The house belonged to a nobleman who fled France.
How did the nobleman (Monseigneur) escape from Paris?
He fled disguised in his own cook's dress and got across the borders.
What has happened to Monseigneur's house since he fled?
It has been sequestrated, then confiscated. Patriot emissaries of the law occupy it, have marked it with the tricolor, and drink brandy in its state apartments.
What day does this chapter take place on?
The third night of September — during the September Massacres of 1792.
What strange object does Mr. Lorry see in the courtyard from his window?
A large grindstone, roughly mounted, that appears to have been hurriedly brought from a nearby smithy.
Who bursts into Mr. Lorry's room at the bank?
Lucie Manette and her father, Doctor Manette.
What news does Lucie bring to Mr. Lorry?
That her husband Charles Darnay has come to Paris, been stopped at the barrier, and sent to prison at La Force.
Why did Charles Darnay come to Paris?
On "an errand of generosity" — to help his former servant Gabelle — unknown to Lucie and her father.
Why does Mr. Lorry desperately warn Dr. Manette not to look out the window?
Because outside in the courtyard, a blood-soaked mob is sharpening weapons at the grindstone — they are murdering the prisoners.
Why does Dr. Manette say he has "a charmed life" in Paris?
As a former Bastille prisoner, he is revered by the revolutionaries. No patriot would touch him except to embrace or carry him in triumph.
How does Dickens describe the two men turning the grindstone?
Their faces are more horrible than the wildest savages — with false eyebrows and moustaches, bloody, sweaty, awry with howling, staring with beastly excitement and want of sleep.
What are the people at the grindstone sharpening?
Hatchets, knives, bayonets, and swords — all red with blood.
What does Mr. Lorry whisper to Dr. Manette about the mob?
"They are murdering the prisoners."
What happens when Dr. Manette rushes into the courtyard?
His white hair and commanding manner carry him to the heart of the crowd. The mob recognizes him and forms a line of twenty men to escort him to La Force, shouting to save the Bastille prisoner's kindred.
What does Mr. Lorry tell Lucie when she asks about the grinding noise during the night?
He tells her mercifully that "the soldiers' swords are sharpened there" and the place is used "as a kind of armoury."
How many times total does the bell ring and the mob return to the grindstone during the night?
Two more times after the initial scene, for a total of three episodes — though the last spell of work is feeble and fitful.
What powerful image closes the chapter at dawn?
A blood-soaked man rises from the pavement and crawls into Monseigneur's abandoned carriage to sleep. The grindstone stands alone with "a red upon it that the sun had never given, and would never take away."
What does the "red upon it that the sun had never given, and would never take away" mean?
The red is dried blood, not sunlight. The stain is permanent — suggesting the moral stain of the massacres can never be erased.
What atmosphere does Dickens create around the grindstone scene?
He describes a "wicked atmosphere" of "gore and fire" — blood dripping, wine spilling, and sparks from the stone combining into a hellish vision.
What is La Force?
A prison in Paris where Charles Darnay is being held. It was one of the prisons targeted during the September Massacres.
What shout does the mob raise as they escort Dr. Manette?
"Live the Bastille prisoner! Help for the Bastille prisoner's kindred in La Force! Room for the Bastille prisoner in front there! Save the prisoner Evremonde at La Force!"