CHAPTER XIV. THE KNITTING DONE. In that same juncture of time when the fifty-two awaited their fate, Madame Defarge held darkly ominous counsel with the Vengeance and Jacques III of the Revolutionary Jury.
not in the wine-shop did madame defarge confer with these ministers but in the shed of the wood-sawyer erst amender of roads the sawyer himself did not participate in the conference but abided at a little distance like an outer satellite who is not to speak until required or to offer an opinion until invited but our defarge said jacques three is undoubtedly a good republican eh there is no better the voluble vengeance protested in her shrill notes in france peace little vengeance said madame defarge laying her hand with a slight frown on her lieutenant's lips hear me speak my husband fellow-citizen is a good republican and a bold man he has deserved well of the republic and possesses its confidence but my husband has his weaknesses and he is so weak as to relent towards this doctor it is a great pity croaked jacques three dubiously shaking his head with his cruel fingers at his hungry mouth it is not quite like a good citizen it is a thing to regret see you said madame i care nothing for this doctor i he may wear his head or lose it for any interest i have in him it is all one to me but the evremonde people are to be exterminated and the wife and child must follow the husband and father she has a fine head for it croaked jacques i have seen blue eyes and golden hair there and they looked charming when samson held them up ogre that he was he spoke like an epicure madame defarge cast down her eyes and reflected a little the child also observed jacques three with a meditative enjoyment of his words has golden hair and blue eyes and we seldom have a child there it is a pretty sight in a word said madame defarge coming out of her short abstraction i cannot trust my husband in this matter not only do i feel since last night that i dare not confide to him the details of my projects but also i feel that if i delay there is danger of his giving warning and then they might escape that must never be croaked jacques three no one must escape we have not half enough as it is we ought to have six score a day in a word madame defarge went on my husband has not my reason for pursuing this family to annihilation and i have not his reason for regarding this doctor with any sensibility i must act for myself therefore come hither little citizen the wood-sawyer who held her in the respect and himself in the submission of mortal fear advanced with his hand to his red cap "'Touching those signals, little citizen,'said Madame Defarge sternly,"'that she made to the prisoners, you are ready to bear witness to them this very day? '"'Ay, ay, why not?'cried the Sawyer."'Every day, in all weathers, from two to four, always signalling,"'sometimes with the little one, sometimes without."'I know what I know. I have seen with my eyes.'"'He made all manner of gestures while he spoke. as if in incidental imitation of some few of the great diversity of signals that he had never seen clearly plots said jacques three transparently there is no doubt of the jury inquired madame defarge letting her eyes turn to him with a gloomy smile rely upon the patriotic jury dear citizeness i answer for my fellow jurymen now let me see said madame defarge pondering again yet once more can i spare this doctor to my husband i have no feeling either way can i spare him he would count as one head observed jacques three in a low voice we really have not heads enough it would be a pity i think he was signalling with her when i saw her argued madame defarge i cannot speak of one without the other and i must not be silent and trust the case wholly to him this little citizen here for i am not a bad witness the vengeance and jacques three vied with each other in their fervent protestations that she was the most admirable and marvellous of witnesses The little citizen, not to be outdone, declared her to be a celestial witness."'He must take his chance,'said Madame Defarge."'No, I cannot spare him. You are engaged at three o'clock. You are going to see the batch of to-day executed. You?'The question was addressed to the wood-sawyer, who hurriedly replied in the affirmative, seizing the occasion to add that he was the most ardent of Republicans, and that he would be in effect the most desolate of republicans if anything prevented him from enjoying the pleasure of smoking his afternoon pipe in the contemplation of the droll national barber he was so very demonstrative herein that he might have been suspected perhaps was by the dark eyes that looked contemptuously at him out of madame defarge's head of having his small individual fears for his own personal safety every hour in the day i said madame am equally engaged at the same place after it is over say at eight to-night come you to me in saint antoine and we will give information against these people at my section the wood-sawyer said he would be proud and flattered to attend the citizeness the citizeness looking at him he became embarrassed evaded her glance as a small dog would have done retreated among his wood and hid his confusion over the handle of his saw madame defarge beckoned the juryman and the vengeance a little nearer to the door and there expounded her further views to them thus she will now be at home awaiting the moment of his death she will be mourning and grieving she will be in a state of mind to impeach the justice of the republic she will be full of sympathy with its enemies i will go to her what an admirable woman what an adorable woman exclaimed jacques three rapturously ah my cherished cried the vengeance and embraced her take you my knitting said madame defarge placing it in her lieutenant's hands and have it ready for me in my usual seat keep me my usual chair go you there straight for there will probably be a greater concourse than usual to-day i willingly obey the orders of my chief said the vengeance with alacrity and kissing her cheek you will not be late i shall be there before the commencement and before the tumbrils arrive be sure you are there my soul said the vengeance calling after her for she had already turned into the street before the tumbrils arrive Madame Defarge slightly waved her hand, to imply that she heard, and might be relied upon to arrive in good time, and so went through the mud and round the corner of the prison wall. The vengeance and the jurymen, looking after her as she walked away, were highly appreciative of her fine figure and her superb moral endowments. There were many women at that time, upon whom the time laid a dreadfully disfiguring hand.... but there was not one among them more to be dreaded than this ruthless woman now taking her way along the streets of a strong and fearless character of shrewd sense and readiness of great determination of that kind of beauty which not only seems to impart to its possessor firmness and animosity but to strike into others an instinctive recognition of those qualities the troubled time would have heaved her up under any circumstances but imbued from her childhood with a brooding sense of wrong and an inveterate hatred of a class opportunity had developed her into a tigress she was absolutely without pity if she ever had the virtue in her it had quite gone out of her it was nothing to her that an innocent man was to die for the sins of his forefathers, she saw not him, but them. It was nothing to her that his wife was to be made a widow, and his daughter an orphan. That was it. insufficient punishment because they were her natural enemies and her prey and as such had no right to live to appeal to her was made hopeless by her having no sense of pity even for herself if she had been laid low in the streets in any of the many encounters in which she had been engaged she would not have pitied herself nor if she had been ordered to the axe to-morrow would she have gone to it with any softer feeling than a fierce desire to change places with the man who sent her there such a heart madame defarge carried under her rough robe carelessly worn it was a becoming robe enough in a certain weird way and her dark hair looked rich under her coarse red cap lying hidden in her bosom was a loaded pistol lying hidden at her waist was a sharpened dagger thus accoutred and walking with the confident tread of such a character and with the supple freedom of a woman who had habitually walked in her girlhood barefooted and bare-legged on the brown sea-sand madame defarge took her way along the streets now when the journey of the travelling coach at that very moment waiting for the completion of its load had been planned out last night the difficulty of taking miss pross in it had much engaged mr lorry's attention it was not merely desirable to avoid overloading the coach but it was of the highest importance that the time occupied in examining it and its passengers should be reduced to the utmost since their escape might depend on the saving of only a few seconds here and there finally he had proposed after anxious consideration that miss pross and jerry who were at liberty to leave the city, should leave it at three o'clock, in the lightest-wheeled conveyance known to that period. Unencumbered with luggage, they would soon overtake the coach, and, passing it and preceding it on the road, would order its horses in advance, and greatly facilitate its progress during the precious hours of the night, when delay was the most to be dreaded. seeing in this arrangement the hope of rendering real service in that pressing emergency miss pross hailed it with joy she and jerry had beheld the coach start had known who it was that solomon brought had passed some ten minutes in torches of suspense and were now concluding their arrangements to follow the coach even as madame defarge taking her way through the streets now drew nearer and nearer to the else deserted lodging in which they held their consultation now what do you think mr cruncher said miss pross whose agitation was so great that she could hardly speak or stand or move or live what do you think of our not starting from this courtyard another carriage having already gone from here to-day it might awaken suspicion my opinion miss returned mr cruncher is as you are right likewise what i'll stand by you right or wrong i'm so distracted with fear and hope for our precious creatures said miss pross wildly crying that i am incapable of forming any plan are you capable of forming any plan my dear good mr cruncher respecting the future speer o life miss returned mr cruncher i hope so respecting any present use of this ere blessed old Ed o mine, I think not. Would you do me the favour, Miss, to take notice of two promises and wows, what it is my wishes for to record in this here crisis?'"'Oh, for gracious sake! 'cried Miss Pross, still wildly crying."'Record them at once, and get them out of the way like an excellent man!' first said mr cruncher who was all in a tremble and who spoke with an ashy and solemn visage then pour things well out o this never no more will i do it never no more i am quite sure mr cruncher returned miss pross that you will never do it again whatever it is and i beg you not to think it necessary to mention more particularly what it is no miss returned jerry it shall not be named to you second them poor thing's well out o this and never no more will i interfere with mrs cruncher's flopping never no more whatever housekeeping arrangement that may be said miss pross striving to dry her eyes and compose herself i have no doubt it is best that mrs cruncher should have it entirely under her own superintendence oh my poor "'Darlings, I go so far as to say, Miss, moreover,'proceeded Mr. Cruncher, with a most alarming tendency to hold forth as from a pulpit,"'and let my words be took down, and took to Mrs. Cruncher through yourself, that what my opinions with spettin'flopping has undergone a change, and that what I only hope with all my heart, as Mrs. Cruncher may be a-flopping at the present time.'" there there there i hope she is my dear man cried the distracted miss pross and i hope she finds it answering her expectations forbid it proceeded mr cruncher with additional solemnity additional slowness and additional tendency to hold forth and hold out as anything what i have ever said or done should be wizarded on my earnest wishes for them poor creturs now forbid it as we shouldn't all flop if it was any ways conweenient to get em out of this ere dismal risk forbid it miss what i say forbid it this was mr crunch's conclusion after a protracted but vain endeavour to find a better one and still madame defarge pursuing her way along the streets came nearer and nearer "'If we ever get back to our native land,'said Miss Pross,"'you may rely upon my telling, Mrs. Cruncher,"'as much as I may be able to remember and understand"'of what you have so impressively said,"'and at all events you may be sure"'that I shall bear witness to your being thoroughly in earnest"'at this dreadful time."'Now, pray, let us think, my esteemed Mr. Cruncher, let us think! 'Still Madame Defarge, pursuing her way along the streets came nearer and nearer if you were to go before said miss pross and stop the vehicle and horses from coming here and were to wait somewhere for me wouldn't that be best mr cruncher thought it might be best where could you wait for me asked miss pross mr cruncher was so bewildered that he could think of no locality but temple bar alas temple bar was hundreds of miles away and madame defarge was drawing very near indeed by the cathedral door said miss pross would it be much out of the way to take me in near the great cathedral door between the two towers no miss answered mr cruncher then like the best of men said miss pross go to the posting-house straight and make that change i am doubtful said mr cruncher hesitating and shaking his head about leaving of you you see we don't know what may happen heaven knows we don't return miss pross but have no fear for me take me in at the cathedral at three o'clock or as near it as you can and i am sure it will be better than our going from here i feel certain of it there bless you mr cruncher think not of me but of the lives that may depend on both of us this exordium and miss pross's two hands in quite agonised entreaty clasping his decided mr cruncher with an encouraging nod or two he immediately went out to alter the arrangements and left her by herself to follow as she had proposed the having originated a precaution which was already in course of execution was a great relief to miss pross the necessity of composing her appearance so that it should attract no special notice in the streets was another relief she looked at her watch and it was twenty minutes past two she had no time to lose but must get ready at once afraid in her extreme perturbation of the loneliness of the deserted rooms and of half-imagined faces peeping from behind every open door in them miss pross got a basin of cold water and began laving her eyes which were swollen and red haunted by her feverish apprehensions she could not bear to have her sight obscured for a minute at a time by the dripping water but constantly paused and looked round to see that there was no one watching her in one of those pauses she recoiled and cried out for she saw a figure standing in the room the basin fell to the ground broken and the water flowed to the feet of madame defarge by strange stern ways and through much staining blood those feet had come to meet that water madame defarge looked coldly at her and said "'The wife of Evremonde! Where is she?'It flashed upon Miss Pross's mind that the doors were all standing open, and would suggest the flight. Her first act was to shut them. There were four in the room, and she shut them all. She then placed herself before the door of the chamber which Lucy had occupied. Madame Defarge's dark eyes followed her through this rapid movement, and rested on her when it was finished. The end. Miss Pross had nothing beautiful about her. Years had not tamed the wildness or softened the grimness of her appearance, but she too was a determined woman in her different way, and she measured Madame Defarge with her eyes, every inch."'You might from your appearance be the wife of Lucifer,'said Miss Pross in her breathing."'Nevertheless, you shall not get the better of me. I am an Englishwoman.' madame defarge looked at her scornfully but still with something of miss pross's own perception that they two were at bay she saw a tight hard wiry woman before her as mr lorry had seen in the same figure a woman with a strong hand in the years gone by she knew full well that miss pross was the family's devoted friend pross knew full well that madame defarge was the family's malevolent enemy on my way yonder said madame defarge with a slight movement of her hand towards the fatal spot where they reserve my chair and my knitting for me i am come to make my compliments to her in passing i wish to see her i know that your intentions are evil said miss pross and you may depend upon it i'll hold my own against them each spoke in her own language neither understood the other's words both were very watchful and intent to deduce from look and manner what the unintelligible words meant it will do her no good to keep herself concealed from me at this moment said madame defarge good patriots will know what that means let me see her "'Go tell her that I wish to see her.
Do you hear? '"'If those eyes of yours were bed-winches,'returned Miss Pross,"'and I was an English four-poster, they shouldn't lose a splinter of me."'No, you wicked foreign woman, I am your match!'Madame Defarge was not likely to follow these idiomatic remarks in detail, but she so far understood them as to perceive that she was set at naught. woman imbecile and piglike said madame defarge frowning i take no answer from you i demand to see her either tell her that i demand to see her or stand out of the way of the door and let me go to her this with an angry explanatory wave of her right arm i little thought said miss pross that i should ever want to understand your nonsensical language but i would give all i have except the clothes i wear to know whether you suspect the truth or any part of it neither of them for a single moment released the other's eyes madame defarge had not moved from the spot where she stood when miss pross first became aware of her but she now advanced one step i am a briton said miss pross i am desperate i don't care an english twopence for myself i know that the longer i keep you here the greater hope there is for my ladybird i'll not leave a handful of that dark hair upon your head if you lay a finger on me thus miss pross with a shake of her head and a flash of her eyes between every rapid sentence and every rapid sentence a whole breath thus miss pross who had never struck a blow in her life but her courage was of that emotional nature that it brought the irrepressible tears into her eyes this was a courage that madame defarge so little comprehended as to mistake for weakness ha she laughed you poor wretch what are you worth i address myself to that doctor then she raised her voice and called out citizen doctor wife of evremonde child of evremonde any person but this miserable fool answer the citizeness defarge perhaps the following silence perhaps some latent disclosure in the expression of miss pross's face perhaps a sudden misgiving apart from either suggestion whispered to madame defarge that they were gone three of the doors she opened swiftly and looked in those rooms are all in disorder there has been hurried packing there are odds and ends upon the ground there is no one in that room behind you let me look never said miss pross who understood the request as perfectly as madame defarge understood the answer "'If they are not in that room, they are gone, and can be pursued and brought back,'said Madame Defarge to herself."'As long as you don't know whether they are in that room or not, you are uncertain what to do,'said Miss Pross to herself."'And you shall not know that, if I can prevent your knowing it. And know that, or not know that, you shall not leave here while I can hold you. I have been in the streets from the first.
Nothing has stopped me. I will tear you to pieces.' but i will have you from that door said madame defarge we are alone at the top of a high house in a solitary courtyard we are not likely to be heard and i pray for bodily strength to keep you here while every minute you are here is worth a hundred thousand guineas to my darling said miss pross madame defarge made at the door miss pross on the instinct of the moment seized her round the waist in both her arms and held her tight it was in vain for madame defarge to struggle and to strike miss pross with the vigorous tenacity of love always so much stronger than hate clasped her tight and even lifted her from the floor in the struggle that they had the two hands of madame defarge buffeted and tore her face but miss pross with her head down held her round the waist and clung to her with more than the hold of a drowning woman soon madame defarge's hand ceased to strike and felt at her encircled waist it is under my arm said miss pross in smothered tones you shall not draw it i am stronger than you i bless heaven for it i hold you till one or other of us faints or dies Madame Defarge's hands were at her bosom. Miss Pross looked up, saw what it was, struck at it, struck out a flash and a crash, and stood alone, blinded with smoke. All this was in a second.
As the smoke cleared, leaving an awful stillness, it passed out on the air, like the soul of the furious woman whose body lay lifeless on the ground. in the first fright and horror of her situation miss pross passed the body as far from it as she could and ran down the stairs to call for fruitless help happily she bethought herself of the consequences of what she did in time to check herself and go back. It was dreadful to go in at the door again, but she did go in, and even went near it to get the bonnet and other things that she must wear.
These she put on out on the staircase, first shutting and locking the door and taking away the key. She then sat down on the stairs a few moments to breathe, and to cry and then got up and hurried away by good fortune she had a veil on her bonnet or she could hardly have gone along the streets without being stopped by good fortune too she was naturally so peculiar in appearance as not to show disfigurement like any other woman she needed both advantages for the marks of gripping fingers were deep in her face and her hair was torn and her dress hastily composed with steady hands, was clutched and dragged a hundred ways. In crossing the bridge she dropped the door-key in the river.
Arriving at the cathedral some few minutes before her escort, and waiting there she thought, what if the key were already taken in a net? What if it were identified? What if the door were opened and the remains discovered?
What if she were stopped at the gate, sent to prison, and charged with murder? In the midst of these— fluttering thoughts the escort appeared took her in and took her away is there any noise in the streets she asked him the usual noises mr cruncher replied and looked surprised by the question and by her aspect i don't hear you said miss pross what do you say it was in vain for mr cruncher to repeat what he said miss pross could not hear him so i'll nod my head thought mr cruncher amazed at all events she'll see that and she did is there any noise in the streets now asked miss pross again presently again mr cruncher nodded his head i don't hear it gone deaf in an hour said mr cruncher ruminating with his mind much disturbed what's come to her i feel said miss pross as if there had been a flash and the crash, and that crash was the last thing I should ever hear in this life.""'Blessed if she ain't in a queer condition,'said Mr. Cruncher, more and more disturbed."'What can she have been a-taking to keep her courage up? Hark! There's a roll of them dreadful carts. You can hear that, miss?'"'I can hear,'said Miss Pross, seeing that he spoke to her."'Nothing. Oh, my good man, there was first a great—' crash, and then a great stillness, and that stillness seems to be fixed and unchangeable, never to be broken any more, as long as my life lasts. If she don't hear the roll of those dreadful carts, now very nigh their journey's end, said Mr. Cruncher, glancing over his shoulder, it's my opinion that indeed she never will hear anything else in this world. and indeed she never did book three chapter fourteen recording by paul adams yorn guy dot com