第77章 BOOK THE SECOND：THE GOLDEN THREAD(60)
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.
The men were terrible，in the bloody-minded anger with which they looked from windows，caught up what arms they had，and came pouring down into the streets；but，the women were a sight to chill the boldest. From such household occupations as their bare poverty yielded，from their children，from their aged and their sick crouching on the bare ground famished and naked，they ran out with streaming hair，urging one another，and themselves，to madness with the wildest cries and actions.Villain Foulon taken，my sister！Old Foulon taken，my mother！Miscreant Foulon taken，my daughter！Then，a score of others ran into the midst of these，beating their breasts，tearing their hair，and screaming，Foulon alive！Foulon who told the starving people they might eat grass！Foulon who told my old father that he might eat grass，when I had no bread to give him！Foulon who told my baby itmight suck grass，when these breasts were dry with want！O mother of God，this Foulon！O Heaven，our suffering！Hear me，my dead baby and my withered father：I swear on my knees，on these stones to avenge you on Foulon！Husbands，and brothers，and young men，Give us the blood of Foulon，Give us the head of Foulon，Give us the heart of Foulon，Give us the body and soul of Foulon，Rend Foulon to pieces，and dig him into the ground，that grass may grow from him！With these cries，numbers of the women，lashed into blind frenzy，whirled about，striking and tearing at their own friends until they dropped into a passionate swoon，and were only saved by the men belonging to them from being trampled under foot.
Nevertheless，not a moment was lost；not a moment！This Foulon was at the Hotel de Ville，and might be loosed. Never，if Saint Antoine knew his own sufferings，insults，and wrongs！Armed men and women flocked out of the Quarter so fast，and drew even these last dregs after them with such a force of suction，that within a quarter of an hour there was not a human creature in Saint Antoine's bosom but a few old crones and the wailing children.
No. They were all by that time choking the Hall of Examination where this old man，ugly and wicked，was，and overflowing into the adjacent open space and streets.The Defarges，husband and wife，The Vengeance，and Jacques Three，were in the first press，and at no great distance from him in the Hall.
'See！'cried madame，pointing with her knife.'See the old villain bound with ropes. That was well done to tie a bunch of grass upon his back.Ha，ha！That was well done.Let him eat it now！'Madame put her knife under her arm，and clapped herhands as at a play.
The people immediately behind Madame Defarge，explaining the cause of her satisfaction to those behind them，and those again explaining to others，and those to others，the neighbouring streets resounded with the clapping of hands. Similarly，during two or three hours of drawl，and the winnowing of many bushels of words，Madame Defarge's frequent expressions of impatience were taken up，with marvellous quickness，at a distance：the more readily，because certain men who had by some wonderful exercise of agility climbed up the external architecture to look in from the windows，knew Madame Defarge well，and acted as a telegraph between her and the crowd outside the building.
At length the sun rose so high that it struck a kindly ray as of hope or protection，directly down upon the old prisoner's head. The favour was too much to bear；in an instant the barrier of dust and chaff that had stood surprisingly long，went to the winds，and Saint Antoine had got him！
It was known directly，to the furthest confines of the crowd. Defarge had but sprung over a railing and a table，and folded the miserable wretch in a deadly embrace—Madame Defarge had but followed and turned her hand in one of the ropes with which he was tied—The Vengeance and Jacques Three were not yet up with them，and the men at the windows had not yet swooped into the Hall，like birds of prey from their high perches—when the cry seemed to go up，all over the city，'Bring him out！Bring him to the lamp！'
Down，and up，and head foremost on the steps of the building；now，on his knees；now，on his feet；now，on his back；dragged and struck at，and stifled by the bunches of grass and straw that werethrust into his face by hundreds of hands；torn，bruised，panting，bleeding，yet always entreating and beseeching for mercy；now full of vehement agony of action，with a small clear space about him as the people drew one another back that they might see；now，a log of dead wood drawn through a forest of legs；he was hauled to the nearest street corner where one of the fatal lamps swung，and there Madame Defarge let him go—as a cat might have done to a mouse—and silently and composedly looked at him while they made ready，and while he besought her：the women passionately screeching at him all the time，and the men sternly calling out to have him killed with grass in his mouth. Once，he went aloft，and the rope broke，and they caught him shrieking；twice，he went aloft，and the rope broke，and they caught him shrieking；then，the rope was merciful，and held him，and his head was soon upon a pike，with grass enough in the mouth for all Saint Antoine to dance at the sight of.