A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (best free ebook reader for android .txt) ๐
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- Author: Charles Dickens
Read book online ยซA Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (best free ebook reader for android .txt) ๐ยป. Author - Charles Dickens
โI believe it is something of that sort,โ said Mr. Cruncher.
โOh, father, I should so like to be a Resurrection-Man when Iโm quite growed up!โ
Mr. Cruncher was soothed, but shook his head in a dubious and moral way. โIt depends upon how you dewelop your talents. Be careful to dewelop your talents, and never to say no more than you can help to nobody, and thereโs no telling at the present time what you may not come to be fit for.โ As Young Jerry, thus encouraged, went on a few yards in advance, to plant the stool in the shadow of the Bar, Mr. Cruncher added to himself: โJerry, you honest tradesman, thereโs hopes wot that boy will yet be a blessing to you, and a recompense to you for his mother!โ
Knitting
There had been earlier drinking than usual in the wine-shop of Monsieur Defarge. As early as six oโclock in the morning, sallow faces peeping through its barred windows had descried other faces within, bending over measures of wine. Monsieur Defarge sold a very thin wine at the best of times, but it would seem to have been an unusually thin wine that he sold at this time. A sour wine, moreover, or a souring, for its influence on the mood of those who drank it was to make them gloomy. No vivacious Bacchanalian flame leaped out of the pressed grape of Monsieur Defarge: but, a smouldering fire that burnt in the dark, lay hidden in the dregs of it.
This had been the third morning in succession, on which there had been early drinking at the wine-shop of Monsieur Defarge. It had begun on Monday, and here was Wednesday come. There had been more of early brooding than drinking; for, many men had listened and whispered and slunk about there from the time of the opening of the door, who could not have laid a piece of money on the counter to save their souls. These were to the full as interested in the place, however, as if they could have commanded whole barrels of wine; and they glided from seat to seat, and from corner to corner, swallowing talk in lieu of drink, with greedy looks.
Notwithstanding an unusual flow of company, the master of the wine-shop was not visible. He was not missed; for, nobody who crossed the threshold looked for him, nobody asked for him, nobody wondered to see only Madame Defarge in her seat, presiding over the distribution of wine, with a bowl of battered small coins before her, as much defaced and beaten out of their original impress as the small coinage of humanity from whose ragged pockets they had come.
A suspended interest and a prevalent absence of mind, were perhaps observed by the spies who looked in at the wine-shop, as they looked in at every place, high and low, from the kingโs palace to the criminalโs gaol. Games at cards languished, players at dominoes musingly built towers with them, drinkers drew figures on the tables with spilt drops of wine, Madame Defarge herself picked out the pattern on her sleeve with her toothpick, and saw and heard something inaudible and invisible a long way off.
Thus, Saint Antoine in this vinous feature of his, until midday. It was high noontide, when two dusty men passed through his streets and under his swinging lamps: of whom, one was Monsieur Defarge: the other a mender of roads in a blue cap. All adust and athirst, the two entered the wine-shop. Their arrival had lighted a kind of fire in the breast of Saint Antoine, fast spreading as they came along, which stirred and flickered in flames of faces at most doors and windows. Yet, no one had followed them, and no man spoke when they entered the wine-shop, though the eyes of every man there were turned upon them.
Original
โGood day, gentlemen!โ said Monsieur Defarge.
It may have been a signal for loosening the general tongue. It elicited an answering chorus of โGood day!โ
โIt is bad weather, gentlemen,โ said Defarge, shaking his head.
Upon which, every man looked at his neighbour, and then all cast down their eyes and sat silent. Except one man, who got up and went out.
โMy wife,โ said Defarge aloud, addressing Madame Defarge: โI have travelled certain leagues with this good mender of roads, called Jacques. I met himโby accidentโa day and halfโs journey out of Paris. He is a good child, this mender of roads, called Jacques. Give him to drink, my wife!โ
A second man got up and went out. Madame Defarge set wine before the mender of roads called Jacques, who doffed his blue cap to the company, and drank. In the breast of his blouse he carried some coarse dark bread; he ate of this between whiles, and sat munching and drinking near Madame Defargeโs counter. A third man got up and went out.
Defarge refreshed himself with a draught of wineโbut, he took less than was given to the stranger, as being himself a man to whom it was no rarityโand stood waiting until the countryman had made his breakfast. He looked at no one present, and no one now looked at him; not even Madame Defarge, who had taken up her knitting, and was at work.
โHave you finished your repast, friend?โ he asked, in due season.
โYes, thank you.โ
โCome, then! You shall see the apartment that I told you you could occupy. It will suit you to a marvel.โ
Out of the wine-shop into the street, out of the street into a courtyard, out of the courtyard up a steep staircase, out of the staircase into a garretโformerly the garret where a white-haired man sat on a low bench, stooping forward and very busy, making shoes.
No white-haired man was there now; but, the three men were there who had gone out of the wine-shop singly. And between them and the white-haired man afar off, was the one small link, that they had once looked in at him through the chinks in the wall.
Defarge closed the door carefully, and spoke in a subdued voice:
โJacques One, Jacques Two, Jacques Three! This is the witness encountered by appointment, by me, Jacques Four. He will tell you all. Speak, Jacques Five!โ
The mender of roads, blue cap in hand, wiped his swarthy forehead with it, and said, โWhere shall I commence, monsieur?โ
โCommence,โ was Monsieur Defargeโs not unreasonable reply, โat the commencement.โ
โI saw him then, messieurs,โ began the mender of roads, โa year ago this running summer, underneath the carriage of the Marquis, hanging by the chain. Behold the manner of it. I leaving my work on the road, the sun going to bed, the carriage of the Marquis slowly ascending the hill, he hanging by the chainโlike this.โ
Again the mender of roads went through the whole performance; in which he ought to have been perfect by that time, seeing that it had been the infallible resource and indispensable entertainment of his village during a whole year.
Jacques One struck in, and asked if he had ever seen the man before?
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