dickens, a tale of two cities, 304-305, 316-317

happily unconscious of this new calamity at home she threaded her way along the narrow streets and cross the river by the bridge of the port reckoning in her mind the number of indispensable purchases she had to make mr. blair with the basket walked at her side they both looked to the left and the right in most of the shops they passed had a wary eye for all gregarious assemblages of people and turned out of their road to avoid any very excited group of talkers it was a raw evening and the misty river blurred to the eye with blazing lights and to the ear with harsh noises showed where the barges were parked where the smiths worked making guns for the army of the republic woe to the man who played tricked with that or got undeserved promotions better for him that his beard had never grown for the national razor shaved him close having purchased a few small items from the grocery and a measure of oil for the lamp she considered the wine they wanted and after pepping into several wine shops she stopped under the sign of the not far from the farley post office where the aspect of things rather took her fancy it had a quieter look than any of the places of the same description they had passed and with patriotic caps were not so patriotic anymore she sounded her walking partner and finding him of her opinion annie resorted to the good brutus of antiquity attended by her cavalier slightly observant of the smoky light of the people pipe in mouth playing with limp cards and yellow dominoes of the one bare-breasted soot-begrimed workman reading a journal aloud and of the others listening to him of the weapons worn of laid aside to be resumed of the two or three customers fallen forward asleep who in the popular big-shouldered saggy black spenser looked in that attitude like slumbering bears of dogs the two outlandish customers approached the counter and showed what they wanted as their wine was measured out a man patted from another man in a corner and rose to depart in going he had to face annie no sooner did he face her than she uttered a scream and clapped her hands in a moment the whole company were on their feet that somebody was assassinated by somebody vindicating a difference of opinion was the likeliest occurrence everybody looked to see somebody fall but only saw a man and a woman standing staring at each other the man with the outward aspect of a gentleman and a thorough republican the woman evidently english what was said in this disappointing anti-climax something very voluble and loud would have been as so much hebrew to annie and her protector through they had been all ears but they had no ears for anything in their surprise for it must be recorded that not only was annie lost in amazement and agitation but steven though it seemed on his won separate and individual was in a state of greatest wonder what is the matter said the man who caused annie to scream speaking in a vexed abrupt voice though in a low tone oh seth dear seth cried annie clapping her hands again after not setting eyes on you or hearing of you for such a long time, how do i find you here ======================= never you trouble your head about this man said the man you'll have trouble enough with giving your attention to that gentleman and look here once more he could not be restrained from making a rather ostentatious parade of his liberality i'd catch hold of your throat and choke you for ten dollars the sheep of the prisons turned from him to sydney and said with more derision it has to come to a point i go on duty and can't overstay my time you told me you had a proposal what is it? no it is no use asking too much of me asking me to do anything in my office putting my head in great danger and I had better trust my life to the chances of refusal than the chances of consent in short i should make that choice you talk of desperation we are all desperate here remember i may denounce you if i think proper and i can swear my way thru stone walls and so can others what do you want with me? so far we have spoken of these two because it was well that the merit of the cards should not rest solely between them come into the dark room here and let us have a final work alone dickens, a tale of two cities, "a hand at cards", pgs 304-305, 316-317