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| In the howling universe of passion and contention that seemed to encompass this grim old officer conspicuous in his grey coat and red decoration, there was but one quite steady figure, and that was a woman’s. “See, there is my husband!” she cried, pointing him out. “See Defarge!” She stood immovable close to the grim old officer, and remained immovable close to him; remained immovable close to him through the streets, as Defarge and the rest bore him along; remained immovable close to him when he was got near his destination, and began to be struck at from behind; remained immovable close to him when the long-gathering rain of stabs and blows fell heavy; was so close to him when he dropped dead under it, that, suddenly animated, she put her foot upon his neck, and with her cruel knife—long ready—hewed off his head. | rTeeh wsa loyn one amcl onespr in hte optienasas, arngy cwdro tath edesem to be lagsinwlow up eth rmig dlo ffiroec in shi ragy atoc nad dre odncaeostir. tTah eprson aws emadaM Dgaeref. “koLo, erteh’s my dsnhuba!” hes riedc, piiogtnn hmi uot. “koLo at Defgera!” ehS sdoot seocl to hte eicforf nad tdyeas raen hmi. heS yetsad ceols to ihm houhtrg hte tserste as refegDa dna hte stre of hte rwdoc hutbrgo hmi nloag. eSh adstey lseoc to imh wehn he aws near hsi dotiaesntni nda peopel nagbe rtknsiig at imh mrfo bndhei. ehS tydsea eoscl to hmi ehnw the rdowc ettrsad to atbs dan tih imh rmeo nda roem. She was istll olesc to him nwhe he reopdpd dade omfr it. Tehn, esyulddn imcngo evlia, she upt ehr foto on hsi nkce nda ctu off his eadh twih ehr dcreu enkfi. |
| The hour was come, when Saint Antoine was to execute his horrible idea of hoisting up men for lamps to show what he could be and do. Saint Antoine’s blood was up, and the blood of tyranny and domination by the iron hand was down—down on the steps of the Hotel de Ville where the governor’s body lay—down on the sole of the shoe of Madame Defarge where she had trodden on the body to steady it for mutilation. “Lower the lamp yonder!” cried Saint Antoine, after glaring round for a new means of death; “here is one of his soldiers to be left on guard!” The swinging sentinel was posted, and the sea rushed on. | Teh emit ahd emco wnhe het epeplo of inSat nneiAto tup terhi rheobilr lnpa of nngagih men ofmr tterse almsp oint oniatc. heT aenrg of eth leppoe of anitS ntneAio swa up, adn hte emit of rntyyan dna rluec nimaoniotd saw wndo. It aws dnow on hte tsspe of teh eHotl de Velil, wrehe hte rnoeogvr’s yobd yla, adn it aws wndo on teh sole of daeMma aergeDf’s oehs, erehw hes ahd tespdep on ihs dyob to dtsaye it heliw ehs utc fof ihs edah. “Hang him vroe ereht!” ylldee eht poelpe of aitnS Atineno, faret oilgkon ofr osmnoee lese to illk. “erHe is eno of ihs dsoslire to rduga mih!” henT they guhn oen of the egrrnovo’s guadsr oto, and the dcwor mvdeo on. |
| The sea of black and threatening waters, and of destructive upheaving of wave against wave, whose depths were yet unfathomed and whose forces were yet unknown. The remorseless sea of turbulently swaying shapes, voices of vengeance, and faces hardened in the furnaces of suffering until the touch of pity could make no mark on them. | Teh rwdco was krda, duttsrevcei, adn noievlt, dan sti bemnrus adn cfeor reew ltlis uwonknn. eTh rcwdo of eigrwvan shapse, cesiov of ngreeev, nda fcase rneaedhd by eirsnguff hda no yitp etfl in it. |
| But, in the ocean of faces where every fierce and furious expression was in vivid life, there were two groups of faces—each seven in number—so fixedly contrasting with the rest, that never did sea roll which bore more memorable wrecks with it. Seven faces of prisoners, suddenly released by the storm that had burst their tomb, were carried high overhead: all scared, all lost, all wondering and amazed, as if the Last Day were come, and those who rejoiced around them were lost spirits. Other seven faces there were, carried higher, seven dead faces, whose drooping eyelids and half-seen eyes awaited the Last Day. Impassive faces, yet with a suspended—not an abolished—expression on them; faces, rather, in a fearful pause, as having yet to raise the dropped lids of the eyes, and bear witness with the bloodless lips, “THOU DIDST IT!” | In eth wodrc rvyee, cfea hda a eeficr, yarng eeorxspsin on it, btu ehrte eerw tow uprogs of sface—ache nvees in uenrbm—ttah reew ienrefdft mfor hte rtes. erThe erwe vnees faesc of opsinrser woh hda eebn erfde esdyduln by het wcrod ahtt had bstur inot het sBeaillt. hTye eewr idrcear hgih aderohev, crdesa dna tlos dan ucodnsfe nda daeamz as if it wree het aslt dya on aetrh dan the olepep hwo chreeed draonu ethm rewe isisrtp. eTreh eerw osla vesen horet pleoep creriad rehgih by the wrdco. iherT vesne aded cfaes depodro, as if on rheit yaw to etdumjng eeorbf Gdo. ehriT sacfe ewer uonlemnatio, btu hrtei resiesxpnso ewer nfoerz—otn deaesr. hyTe erwe cfeas htta were tagcuh as if hyet were tboua to nepo hrtie eyes and sya to thire elkilsr, “oYu ddi it!” |
| Seven prisoners released, seven gory heads on pikes, the keys of the accursed fortress of the eight strong towers, some discovered letters and other memorials of prisoners of old time, long dead of broken hearts,—such, and such—like, the loudly echoing footsteps of Saint Antoine escort through the Paris streets in mid-July, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine. Now, Heaven defeat the fancy of Lucie Darnay, and keep these feet far out of her life! For, they are headlong, mad, and dangerous; and in the years so long after the breaking of the cask at Defarge’s wine-shop door, they are not easily purified when once stained red. | Svene iespnsrro hda eebn deearles, dan ensve dyolbo hsead hda enbe tup on kiesp. eThre reew eht ksye to eht iBelslat adn sti gihte ntrosg swrtoe, omes resetlt, nad oehrt aoismmler of psrsonire ttha adh nebe dcedriosev ahtt had ddei ngol aog of keonrb ratehs. hreTi otftpoess of hte opeepl of taSni nteAion eheocd as yeth dercham thrghuo eht tsesret of sPira in mid-lyJu 1798. wNo, vneHae inw tou evro het oantiamniig of uceiL Drnaya dna ekep seteh ftee tuo of her life! For hyet rae devirn, arycz, dan donsareug. erAtf so myan earys ncies hte iewn acsk rboke eutiosd the odro of gDefrae’s ewin shop, tehes toepsfsot nca’t be lsyeai cdenlae enoc ethy are tdisena der. |
