Such  a  heart  Madame  Defarge  carried  under  her  rough
robe.  Carelessly  worn,  it  was  a  becoming  robe  enough,  in  a
certain  weird  way,  and  her  dark  hair  looked  rich  under  her
coarse  red  cap.  Lying  hidden  in  her  bosom,  was  a  loaded
pistol.  Lying  hidden  at  her  waist,  was  a  sharpened  dagger.
Thus  accoutred,  and  walking  with  the  confident  tread  of
such  a  character,  and  with  the  supple  freedom  of  a  woman


422  A  TAUE  OF  TWO  CITIES.
who  had  habitually  walked  in  her  girlhood,  bare-foot  and
bare-legged,  on  the  bro^vn  sea-sand,  Madame  Defarge  took
her  way  along  the  streets.
Now,  when  the  journey  of  the  travelling  coach,  at  that
very  moment  waiting  for  the  completion  of  its  load,  had
been  planned  out  last  night,  the  difficulty  of  taking  Miss
Pross  in  it  had  much  engaged  Mr.  Lorry''s  attention.  It  was
not  merely  desirable  to  avoid  overloading  the  coach,  but  it
was  of  the  highest  importance  that  the  time  occupied  in
examining  it  and  its  passengers,  should  be  reduced  to  the
utmost;  since  their  escape  might  depend  on  the  saving  of
only  a  few  seconds  here  and  there.  Finally,  he  had  proposed,
after  anxious  consideration,  that  Miss  Pross  and  Jerrj^  who
were  at  liberty  to  leave  the  city,  should  leave  it  at  three
o''clock  in  the  lightest-wheeled  conveyance  known  to  that
period.  Unencumbered  with  luggage,  they  would  soon  over-
take the  coach,  and,  passing  it  and  preceding  it  on  the  road,
would  order  its  hoi-ses  in  advance,  and  greatly  facilitate  its
progress  during  the  precious  hours  of  the  night,  when  delay
was  the  most  to  be  dreaded.
