"If  they  are  not  in  that  room,  they  are  gone,  and  can  be
pursued  and  brought  back,"  said  Madame  Defarge  to  herself.
"  As  long  as  you  don't  know  whether  they  are  in  that  room
or  not,  you  are  uncertain  what  to  do,"  said  Miss  Pross  to
heiseU;  "and  you  shall  not  know  that,  if  I  can  prevent  your
knowing  it ;  and  know  that,  or  not  know  that,  you  shall  not
leave  here  while  I  can  hold  you."

"I  have  been  in  the  streets  from  the  first,  nothing  has
stopped  me,  I  will  tear  you  to  pieces,  but  I  will  have  you
from  that  door,"  said  Madame  Defarge.
"We  are  alone  at  the  top  of  a  high  house  in  a  solitary
court-yard,  we  are  not  likely  to  be  heard,  and  I  pray  for
bodily  strength  to  keep  you  here,  while  eveiy  minute  you  are
here  is  worth  a  hundred  thousand  guineas  to  my  darling,"
said  Miss  Pross.
Madame  Defarge  made  at  the  door.  Miss  Pross,  on  the
instinct  of  the  moment,  seized  her  round  the  waist  in  both
her  arms,  and  held  her  tight.  It  was  in  vain  for  Madame
Defarge  to  struggle  and  to  strike;  Miss  Pross,  with  the
vigorous  tenacity  of  love,  always  so  much  stronger  than  hate
clasped  her  tight,  and  even  lifted  her  from  the  floor  in  the
struggle  that  they  had.     The  two  hands  of  Madame  Defarge


A  FLASH  AND  A  CRASH.  429

buffeted  and  tore  her  face ;  but,  Miss  Pross,  with  her  head
down,  held  her  round  the  waist,  and  clung  to  her  with  more
than  the  hold  of  a  drowning  woman.
