Book III, Chapter Fourteen – The Knitting Done

Back at the wine shop, Madame Defarge is holding a council – without her husband. She’s decided that he’s too soft. Madame Defarge admits that she cares nothing about Dr. Manette. He can live or die…she doesn’t mind either way. Lucie and her child, however, must be exterminated. 

 Madame Defarge stalks through the streets. As she walks towards the Manette household, Miss Pross and Jerry Cruncher are finalizing their plans to leave. They’ve been left behind to pack all the Manettes’ things. Pross sends Jerry out to get the carriage. She plans to meet him by the cathedral door. 

Once she’s left alone, Miss Pross washes her face. Opening her eyes, she sees a figure standing in the doorway. It’s Madame Defarge. She demands to know where the wife of Evrémonde is at the moment. Miss Pross, of course, doesn’t speak any French. She has a pretty good hunch that Madame Defarge is asking for her darlings, however. And she’s determined not to give that evil Frenchwoman any hints about where her darlings have gone. Quickly, Miss Pross slams all the doors in the room shut. Miss Pross and Madame Defarge say some nasty things to each other. Neither can understand the other, but they seem to communicate pretty well, just the same. At the very least, they each hate the other.

Madame Defarge throws open all the doors in the house but one: Miss Pross guards the last door herself. Realizing that Miss Pross isn’t planning to move anytime soon, Madame Defarge lunges at the door. Miss Pross grabs Madame Defarge around the waist and hangs on for dear life. They claw at each other; Madame Defarge lunges for the keys at Miss Pross’ waist. All of a sudden, Miss Pross sees Madame Defarge draw something out of her dress. She grasps Madame Defarge’s hand. A loud blast goes off. As the smoke clears, she sees Madame Defarge lying on the ground. She’s dead. Miss Pross rushes to the cathedral. Jerry calls out to her, but she can’t hear him. In fact, she never hears anything again.