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"These fools know nothing. While they despise your breath, and

would stop it for ever and ever, in you or in a hundred like you

rather than in one of their own horses or dogs, they only know

what your breath tells them. Let it deceive them, then, a little

longer; it cannot deceive them too much."

Madame Defarge looked superciliously at the client, and nodded in

confirmation.

"As to you," said she, "you would shout and shed tears for

anything, if it made a show and a noise. Say! Would you not?"

"Truly, madame, I think so. For the moment."

"If you were shown a great heap of dolls, and were set upon them

to pluck them to pieces and despoil them for your own advantage,

you would pick out the richest and gayest. Say! Would you not?"

"Truly yes, madame."

"Yes. And if you were shown a flock of birds, unable to fly, and

were set upon them to strip them of their feathers for your own

advantage, you would set upon the birds of the finest feathers;

would you not?"

"It is true, madame."