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eating their breasts; tearing their hair; and screaming; Foulon alive! Foulon who told the starving people they might eat grass! Foulon who told my old father that he might eat grass; when I had no bread to give him! Foulon who told my baby it might suck grass; when these breasts were dry with want! O mother of God; this Foulon! O Heaven; our suffering! Hear me; my dead baby and my withered father: I swear on my knees; on these stones; to avenge you on Foulon! Husbands; and brothers; and young men; Give us the blood of Foulon; Give us the head of Foulon; Give us the heart of Foulon; Give us the body and soul of Foulon; Rend Foulon to pieces; and dig him into the ground; that grass may grow from him! With these cries; numbers of the women; lashed into blind frenzy; whirled about; striking and tearing at their own friends until they dropped into a passionate swoon; and were only saved by the men belonging to them from being trampled under foot。
Nevertheless; not a moment was lost; not a moment! This Foulon was at the H?tel de Ville; and might be loosed。 Never; if Saint Antoine knew his own sufferings; insults; and wrongs! Armed men and women flocked out of the Quarter so fast; and drew even these last dregs after them with such a force of suction; that within a quarter of an hour there was not a human creature in Saint Antoine's bosom but a few old crones and the wailing children。
No。 They were all by that time choking the Hall of Examination where this old man; ugly and wicked; was; and overflowing into the adjacent open space and streets。 The Defarges; husband and wife; The Vengeance; and Jacques Three; were in the first press; and at no great distance from him in the Hall。
‘See!' cried madame; pointing with her knife。 ‘See the old villain bound with ropes。 That was well done to tie a bunch of grass upon his back。 Ha; ha! That was well done。 Let him eat it now!' Madame put her knife under her arm; and clapped her hands as at a play。
The people immediately behind Madame Defarge; explaining the cause of her satisfaction to those behind them; and those again explaining to others; and those to others; the neighbouring streets resounded with the clapping of hands。 Similarly; during two or three hours of brawl; and the winnowing of many bushels of words; Madame Defarge's frequent expressions of impatience were taken up; with marvellous quickness; at a distance: the more readily; because certain men who had by some wonderful exercise of agility climbed up the external architecture to look in from the windows; knew Madame Defarge well; and acted as a telegraph between her and the crowd outside the building。
At length the sun rose so high that it struck a kindly ray as of hope or protection; directly down upon the old prisoner's head。 The favour was too much to bear; in an instant the barrier of dust and chaff that had stood surprisingly long; went to the winds; and Saint Antoine had got him!
It was known directly; to the furthest confines of the crowd。 Defarge had but sprung over a railing and a table; and folded the miserable wretch in a deadly embrace……Madame Defarge had but followed and turned her hand in one of the ropes with which he was tied……The Vengeance and Jacques Three were not yet up with them; and the men at the windows had not yet swooped into the Hall; like birds of prey from their high perches……when the cry seemed to go up; all over the city; ‘Bring him out! Bring him to the lamp!'
Down; and up; and head foremost on the steps of the building; now; on his knees; now; on his feet; now; on his back; dragged; and struck at; and stifled by the bunches of grass and straw that were thrust into his face by hundreds of hands; torn; bruised; panting; bleeding; yet always entreating and beseeching for mercy; now full of vehement agony of action; with a small clear space about him as the people drew one another back that they might see; now; a log of dead wood drawn through a forest of legs; he was hauled to the nearest street corner where one of the fatal lamps swung; and there Madame Defarge let him go……as a cat might have done to a mouse……and silently and posedly looked at him while they made ready; and while he besought her: the women passionately screeching at him all the time; and the men sternly calling out to have him killed with grass in his mouth。 Once; he went aloft; and the rope broke; and they caught him shrieking; twice; he went aloft; and the rope broke; and they caught him shrieking; then; the rope was merciful; and held him; and his head was soon upon a pike; with grass enough in the mouth for all Saint Antoine to dance at the sight of。 Nor was this the end of the day's bad work; for Saint Antoine so shouted and danced his angry blood up; that it boiled again; on hearing when the day closed in that the son…in…law of the despatched; another of the people's enemies and insulters; was ing into Paris under guard five hundred strong; in cavalry alone。 Saint Antoine wrote his crimes on flaring sheets of paper; seized him……would have torn him out of the breast of an army to bear Foulon pany……set his head and heart on pikes; and carried the three spoils of the day; in Wolf…procession; through the streets。
Not before dark night did the men and women e back to the children; wailing and breadless。 Then; the miserable bakers' shops were beset by long files of them; patiently waiting to buy bad bread; and while they waited with stomachs faint and empty; they beguiled the time by embracing one another on the triumphs of the day; and achieving them again in gossip。 Gradually; these strings of ragged people shortened and frayed away; and then poor lights began to shine in high windows; and slender fires were made in the streets; at which neighbours cooked in mon; afterwards supping at their doors。
Scanty and insufficient suppers those; and innocent of meat; as of most other sauce to wretched bread。 Yet; human fellowship infused some nourishment into the flinty viands; and struck some sparks of cheerfulness out of them。 Fathers and mothers who had had their full share in the worst of the day; played gently with their meagre children; and lovers; with such a world around them and before them; loved and hoped。
It was almos