ice 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. He always remembered with fear and

trembling, that that terrible woman had knitted when he talked

with her, and had looked ominously at him as her fingers moved.

He had since seen her, in the Section of Saint Antoine, over and

over again produce her knitted registers, and denounce people

whose lives the guillotine then surely swallowed up. He knew, as

every one employed as he was did, that he was never safe; that

flight was impossible; that he was tied fast under the shadow of

the axe; and that in spite of his utmost tergiversation and

treachery in furtherance of the reigning terror, a word might bring

it down upon him. Once denounced, and on such grave grounds as

had just now been suggested to his mind, he foresaw that the

dreadful woman of whose unrelenting character he had seen many

proofs