riding and now walking, through the rest of yesterday and through

last night. And here you see me!”

After a gloomy silence, the first Jacques said, “Good! You have

acted and recounted faithfully. Will you wait for us a little, outside

the door?”

“Very willingly,” said the mender of roads, whom Defarge

escorted to the top of the stairs, and, leaving seated there,

returned.

The three had risen, and their heads were together when he

came back to the garret.

“How say you, Jacques?” demanded Number One. “To be

registered?”

“To be registered, as doomed to destruction,” returned Defarge.

“Magnificent!” croaked the man with craving, “The chateau,

and all the race?” inquired the first.

“The chateau and all the race,” returned Defarge.

“Extermination.”

The hungry man repeated, in a rapturous croak, “Magnificent!”

and began gnawing another finger.

“Are you sure,” asked Jacques Two, of Defarge, “that no

embarrassment can rise from our manner of keeping the register?

Without doubt it is safe, for no one beyond ourselves can decipher

it; but shall we always be able to decipher itor, I ought to say,

will she?”

“Jacques,” returned Defarge, drawing himself up, “if madame

my wife undertook to keep the register in her memory alone, she

would not lose a word of itnot a syllable of it. Knitted, in her own

stitches and her own symbols, it will always be as plain to her as

the sun. Confide in Madame Defarge. It would be easier for the

Charles Dickens ElecBook Classics

weakest poltroon that lives, to erase himself from existence, than

to erase one letter of his name or crimes from the knitted register

of Madame Defarge.”

There was a murmur of confidence and approval, and then the

man who hungered, asked: “Is this rustic to be sent back soon? I

hope so. He is very simple; is he not a little dangerous?”

“He knows nothing,” said Defarge; “at least nothing more than

would easily elevate himself to a gallows of the same height. I

charge myself with him; let him remain with me; I will take care of

him, and set him on his road. He wishes to see the fine worldthe

King, the Queen, and Court; let him see them on Sunday.”

“What?” exclaimed the hungry man, staring. “Is it a good sign,

that he wishes to see Royalty and Nobility?”

“Jacques,” said Defarge; “judiciously show a cat milk, if you

wish her to thirst for it. Judiciously show a dog his natural prey, if

you wish him to bring it down one day.”

Nothing more was said, and the mender of roads, being found

already dozing on the topmost stair, was advised to lay himself

down on the pallet-bed and take some rest. He needed no

persuasion, and was soon asleep.