In a Tale of Two Cities, how do Darnay + Stryver speak of their desire to Lucie, and who seems more likely to marry Lucie?A Tale of Two Cities by...

In Book the Second, Chapter 10 of A Tale of
Two Cities, Charles Darnay displays a certain
obsequiousness toward Dr. Manette.  Having established himself in England as a teacher
of the French language, Darnay yet expects to work hard.  So, as he approaches Dr.
Manette to ask permission to marry Lucie, Darnay is very respectful toward the old
doctor.  Having waited a year to declare his love, Darnay approaches
with acknowledgement of his and Lucie's closeness, and Manette expresses gratitude for
this show of respect.  Darnay apologizes,

readability="14">

Dear Doctor Manette, ...always seeing her and
you with this hallowed light about you, I have forborne, and forborne, as long ...and do
even now feel, that to bring my love--even mine--between you , is to touch your history
with something no quite so good as itself.  But I love her.  Heaven is my witness that I
love her!

However, when
Darnay tries to reveal his real name and explain, Manette stops him, asking Darnay not
to tell him anymore until Lucie's and his wedding day.  The poor doctor has been
disturbed by Darnay's announcements and regresses to his work table at night, cobbling
shoes.

On this same evening, in contrast to the
respectfulness of Darnay and Manette to each other, Stryver works Sydney Carton late
into the night.  He boldly announces that he intends to marry Lucie
Manette:

readability="17">

Accordingly, Mr. Stryver inaugurated the Long
Vacation with a formal proposal to take Miss Manette to Vauxhall Gardens; that failing,
to Ranelaigh; that unaccountable failing too, it behoved him to present himself in Soho,
and there declare his noble mind.

Toward Soho, therefore,
Mr. Stryver shouldered his way from the Temple...bursting in his full-blown way along
the pavement, to the jostlement of all weaker
people...

Also, in his
"shouldering way," Stryver announces to Mr. Lorry his intentions.  Distraught at the
news, Mr. Lorry tells Stryver, "you know there really is so much, too much of you!"  As
crass as ever, Stryver does not understand when Lorry asks him to postpone his asking
Lucie to marry him, but Stryver perceives himself a suitable match.  Nevertheless, Lorry
persuades Stryver to wait until he talks with Dr. Manette and Lucie.  Later that night,
Mr. Lorry confers with Stryver, telling him that they would refuse his proposal.  As
Stryver listens,

readability="6">

The necessity of being angry in a suppressed tone
had put Mr. Stryver's blood-vessels into a dangerous
state....

Mr. Stryver tells
Mr. Lorry that this news "beats everthing past, present, and to come," and he
rationalizes that this decision of Lucie to reject Stryver of King's Bar is a "vanity"
of an "empty-headed " girl; then he storms out of Tellson's Bank after requesting that
Lorry say nothing of this affair.  He vows to "put you all in the
wrong."

The sharp contrast between the suave and perceptive
Darnay and the brazen and obtuse Stryver is easily apparent.  In fact, Chapter 12 of
Book the Second offers much comic relief from a serious tale with the satiric
descriptions of Mr. Stryver.