In this short scene, we learn that Dr. Manette is in a perilous state of mind. He is about to be killed by the little brat, who has just jumped off a cliff. He has no chance of catching the boy alive, and he is afraid that the boy will be seriously injured if he survives. He still wants to catch the boy to see what he has just done, but he realizes that he will not be able to do so since the boy has already guessed his identity. He also realizes that this little brat is no more than a "flunky" , and that he must have been in a hurry to escape from the city.