Book III - Chapter VIII. A Hand at Cards Practice Quiz — A Tale of Two Cities
by Charles Dickens — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Book III - Chapter VIII. A Hand at Cards
Where do Miss Pross and Jerry Cruncher encounter Solomon Pross?
In a wine-shop called the Good Republican Brutus of Antiquity, near the National Palace (the Tuileries).
What is Solomon Pross’s real (or assumed) name?
John Barsad. He is a spy who testified against Darnay at the Old Bailey and now works as a prison informer in Paris.
Why is Solomon so alarmed when Miss Pross calls out his name?
He fears being recognized and denounced in revolutionary Paris, where any suspicion could lead to the guillotine.
How does Mr. Cruncher recognize Solomon/Barsad?
He remembers Barsad as a spy-witness from the Old Bailey trial, though he cannot recall the exact name—only that it had two syllables.
Who supplies the name "Barsad" when Cruncher cannot remember it?
Sydney Carton, who steps out of the shadows and strikes into the conversation.
What is a "Sheep of the Prisons"?
A cant word of the time for a spy who worked under the gaolers—a prison informer and turnkey.
How did Sydney Carton discover Barsad’s role as a prison spy?
He spotted Barsad leaving the Conciergerie, followed him into the wine-shop, and overheard his conversation with a fellow spy.
What devastating news does Carton deliver to Mr. Lorry at Tellson’s Bank?
That Charles Darnay has been arrested again, just hours after being acquitted.
What does Carton mean when he says "Let the Doctor play the winning game; I will play the losing one"?
Doctor Manette will try to save Darnay through his influence, while Carton will prepare a desperate backup plan—foreshadowing his eventual self-sacrifice.
What is Carton’s "Ace" in the card-game metaphor?
Denunciation of Barsad to the nearest Section Committee, which would almost certainly mean the guillotine for Barsad.
Name two "cards" Carton holds against Barsad besides the Ace of denunciation.
(1) Barsad uses a false name while serving the Republic. (2) He formerly worked for the English government, making him appear to be a spy for Pitt.
Why is Barsad’s hand even weaker than Carton realizes?
Barsad knows Madame Defarge has a knitted register that could condemn him, and he remembers her ominous look when he once tried to spy on her wine-shop.
Who is Roger Cly, and what is his connection to Barsad?
Cly was Barsad’s partner spy who also testified at Darnay’s Old Bailey trial. He supposedly died and was buried in London.
How does Jerry Cruncher prove Roger Cly’s death was faked?
Jerry insists the coffin contained paving stones and earth, not a body. He knows because he dug up the grave (as a "resurrection man").
Why is the revelation about Cly so damaging to Barsad?
If the revolutionaries learned that a supposedly dead English spy was alive and working in Paris prisons, it would look like an aristocratic conspiracy—a "certain Guillotine card."
What is the "National Razor" mentioned at the start of the chapter?
The guillotine. Dickens uses this euphemism to describe the ever-present threat of execution in revolutionary Paris.
What does Mr. Lorry remember about Solomon Pross from years ago?
That Solomon had spent Miss Pross’s money and left her, a fact known in the quiet corner in Soho.
What detail does Miss Pross notice about Sydney Carton’s demeanor as they walk?
She sees "a braced purpose in the arm and a kind of inspiration in the eyes" that contradicts his usual light manner and transforms him.
What does Carton ask Barsad to confirm about his prison access?
That he is a turnkey at the Conciergerie and can pass in and out when he chooses.
How does the chapter end?
Carton takes Barsad into a dark room for a private conversation. Dickens withholds the details of their agreement from the reader.
What literary device is the entire Carton-Barsad confrontation built upon?
An extended metaphor comparing the negotiation to a card game, with evidence as "cards" and denunciation as the "Ace."
How does this chapter foreshadow Carton’s ultimate sacrifice?
Carton says he will "play the losing game," Miss Pross senses a new purpose in him, and he secures access to the prison—all preparation for substituting himself for Darnay.