The Honest Tradesman's Dark Business — A Tale of Two Cities

Jerry Cruncher works as a messenger at Tellson's Bank by day, but this chapter reveals his true 'honest trade' - he's a resurrection man, stealing freshly buried bodies to sell to medical schools. The chapter opens with a mob funeral for Roger Cly, a spy from an earlier trial, which Jerry joins with disturbing enthusiasm. That evening, Jerry threatens his wife against praying, believing her prayers jinx his grave-robbing ventures.

He forbids her from being too religious, insisting she must support his business or face consequences. Young Jerry secretly follows his father that night and discovers the horrifying truth - his father and two accomplices dig up fresh graves and steal corpses. The boy is terrified but also fascinated, running home pursued by nightmares of bouncing coffins.

The next morning, Jerry is angry because the night's work apparently failed, and he blames his wife's prayers. In a darkly comic conversation, Young Jerry asks about 'Resurrection-Men' and expresses interest in the trade, which pleases his father.

This chapter exposes how poverty and limited opportunities can lead people to justify terrible acts as 'honest work.' It also shows how children inevitably discover adult hypocrisy and moral compromises, often with lasting psychological impact. Jerry's treatment of his wife reveals how desperation can poison family bonds.