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A moment of profound silence followed. Defarge and his wife

looked steadfastly at one another. The Vengeance stooped, and the

jar of a drum was heard as she moved it at her feet behind the

counter.

"Patriots!" said Defarge, in a determined voice, "are we ready?"

Instantly Madame Defarge's knife was in her girdle; the drum was

beating in the streets, as if it and a drummer had flown together

by magic; and The Vengeance, uttering terrific shrieks, and

flinging her arms about her head like all the forty Furies at

once, was tearing from house to house, rousing the women.