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Mohan Das asked this question about A Tale of Two Cities:
Can anyone tell me what exactly did Mr. Cruncher do late in the night out of his home back in England? What did he mean by the word "flopping"?
Marianne It becomes clear(er) later in the story, although it is never explicitly stated, but he is robbing graves to sell the body parts. There was quite a bl…moreIt becomes clear(er) later in the story, although it is never explicitly stated, but he is robbing graves to sell the body parts. There was quite a black market going at the time.

When he talks about his wife "flopping," I assume he is referring in a crude way to a kneeling position that she takes to pray. As a religious woman, she is conflicted by his nocturnal activities and prays that he will not be successful in them, and he fears that her prayers are powerful enough to disrupt his income from it.(less)
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A Tale of Two Cities
by Charles Dickens
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