Book the Second - the Golden Thread
16. XVI. Still Knitting
(continued)
"We shall have helped it," returned madame, with her extended hand in
strong action. "Nothing that we do, is done in vain. I believe, with
all my soul, that we shall see the triumph. But even if not, even if
I knew certainly not, show me the neck of an aristocrat and tyrant,
and still I would--"
Then madame, with her teeth set, tied a very terrible knot indeed.
"Hold!" cried Defarge, reddening a little as if he felt charged with
cowardice; "I too, my dear, will stop at nothing."
"Yes! But it is your weakness that you sometimes need to see your
victim and your opportunity, to sustain you. Sustain yourself without
that. When the time comes, let loose a tiger and a devil; but wait
for the time with the tiger and the devil chained--not shown--yet
always ready."
Madame enforced the conclusion of this piece of advice by striking
her little counter with her chain of money as if she knocked its brains
out, and then gathering the heavy handkerchief under her arm in a
serene manner, and observing that it was time to go to bed.
Next noontide saw the admirable woman in her usual place in the
wine-shop, knitting away assiduously. A rose lay beside her, and
if she now and then glanced at the flower, it was with no infraction
of her usual preoccupied air. There were a few customers, drinking
or not drinking, standing or seated, sprinkled about. The day was
very hot, and heaps of flies, who were extending their inquisitive
and adventurous perquisitions into all the glutinous little glasses
near madame, fell dead at the bottom. Their decease made no impression
on the other flies out promenading, who looked at them in the coolest
manner (as if they themselves were elephants, or something as far
removed), until they met the same fate. Curious to consider how heedless
flies are!--perhaps they thought as much at Court that sunny summer day.
A figure entering at the door threw a shadow on Madame Defarge which
she felt to be a new one. She laid down her knitting, and began to
pin her rose in her head-dress, before she looked at the figure.
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