midnight
It is a portrait ! '' said madame , laughing . `` He shall be registered to-morrow . '' They turned into the wine-shop , which was closed -LRB- for it was midnight -RRB- , and where Madame Defarge immediately took her post at her desk , counted the small moneys that had been taken during her absence , examined the stock , went through the entries in the book , made other entries of her own , checked the serving man in every possible way , and finally dismissed him to bed . Then she turned out the contents of the bowl of money for the second time , and began knotting them up in her handkerchief , in a chain of separate knots , for safe keeping through the night . All this while , Defarge , with his pipe in his mouth , walked up and down , complacently admiring , but never interfering ; in which condition , indeed , as to the business and his domestic affairs , he walked up and down through life . The night was hot , and the shop , close shut and surrounded by so foul a neighbourhood , was ill-smelling .