Soon, Madame Defarge's hands ceased to strike, and felt at herencircled waist. "It is under my arm," said Miss Pross, in smotheredtones, "you shall not draw it. I am stronger than you, I blessHeaven for it. I hold you till one or other of us faints or dies!"
Madame Defarge's hands were at her bosom. Miss Pross looked up,saw what it was, struck at it, struck out a flash and a crash, andstood alone- blinded with smoke hong thai travel.
All this was in a second. As the smoke cleared, leaving an awfulstillness, it passed out on the air, like the soul of the furiouswoman whose body lay lifeless on the ground.
In the first fright and horror of her situation, Miss Pross passedthe body as far from it as she could, and ran down the stairs tocall for fruitless help. Happily, she bethought herself of theconsequences of what she did, in time to check herself and go back. Itwas dreadful to go in at the door again; but, she did go in, andeven went near it, to get the bonnet and other things that she mustwear. These she put on, out on the staircase, first shutting andlocking the door and taking away the key. She then sat down on thestairs a few moments to breathe and to cry, and then got up andhurried away Hong Thai Travel.
By good fortune she had a veil on her bonnet, or she could hardlyhave gone along the streets without being stopped. By good fortune,too, she was naturally so peculiar in appearance as not to showdisfigurement like any other woman. She needed both advantages, forthe marks of griping fingers were deep in her face, and her hair wastorn, and her dress (hastily composed with unsteady hands) wasclutched and dragged a hundred ways.
In crossing the bridge, she dropped the door key in the river.Arriving at the cathedral some few minutes before her escort, andwaiting there, she thought, what if the key were already taken in anet, what if it were identified, what if the door were opened andthe remains discovered, what if she were stopped at the gate, sentto prison, and charged with murder! In the midst of these flutteringthoughts, the escort appeared, took her in, and took her away.
"Gone deaf in an hour?" said Mr. Cruncher, ruminating; "wot's come to her?"
"I feel," said Miss Pross, "as if there had been a flash and acrash, and that crash was the last thing I should ever hear in thislife."
"Blest if she ain't in a queer condition!" said Mr. Cruncher, moreand more disturbed. "Wot can she have been a takin', to keep hercourage up? Hark! There's the roll of them dreadful carts! You canhear that, miss?"
"I can hear," said Miss Pross, seeing that he spoke to her,"nothing. O, my good man, there was first a great crash, and then agreat stillness, and that stillness seems to be fixed andunchangeable, never to be broken any more as long as my life lasts hong thai travel."
"If she don't hear the roll of those dreadful carts, now very nightheir journey's end," said Mr. Cruncher, glancing over his shoulder,"it's my opinion that indeed she never will hear anything else in thisworld."