After Charles Darnay's acquittal, Carton notices that he looks faint and takes him to dinner. This seems to be an act of kindness, and Darnay receives it as such. As he drinks, however, Carton becomes morose, and, when Darnay attempts to thank him for all his help, Carton snaps at him:

"I neither want any thanks, nor merit any...It was nothing to do, in the first place; and I don't know why I did it, in the second. Mr. Darnay, let me ask you a question."

"Willingly, and a small return for your good offices."

"Do you think I particularly like you?"

"Really, Mr. Carton," returned the other, oddly disconcerted, "I have not asked myself the question."

"But ask yourself the question now."

“You have acted as if you do; but I don't think you do.”

"I don't think I do," said Carton. "I begin to have a very good opinion of your understanding."

Carton's sullen temper leads him to make a mystery of his feelings. In Darnay's case, these are thoroughly mixed. He has a sneaking admiration and respect for the man. However, there are two clear reasons why he does not like Darnay. The first is that he loves Lucie Manette, and Lucie loves Darnay. This is one of the oldest and simplest reasons for the rivalry and dislike between two men.

The second reason, however, is that Carton realizes that Darnay is a better man than he is in many ways, and that he will be able to make Miss Manette happy as Carton himself could not. If she were to marry Stryver, for instance, Carton could tell himself that she had made a mistake or was a bad judge of character. With Darnay, he cannot even do this. He knows that she has made the right choice. His consciousness of inferiority to Darnay is exacerbated by their physical resemblance, which makes him see Darnay as the man he might have been.