Page 716 of 896

It was a poorer hand than he suspected. Mr. Barsad saw losing

cards in it that Sydney Carton knew nothing of. Thrown out of his

honourable employment in England, through too much unsuccessful

hard swearing there--not because he was not wanted there; our

English reasons for vaunting our superiority to secrecy and spies

are of very modern date--he knew that he had crossed the Channel,

and accepted service in France: first, as a tempter and an

eavesdropper among his own countrymen there: gradually, as a

tempter and an eavesdropper among the natives. He knew that under

the overthrown government he had been a spy upon Saint Antoine

and Defarge's wine-shop; had received from the watchful police

such heads of information concerning Doctor Manette's

imprisonment, release, and history, as should serve him for an

introduction to familiar conversation with the Defarges; and

tried them on Madame Defarge, and had broken down with them

signally.