under…standing　that　the　aforesaid；　and　over　and　over　again　aforesaid；　Charles　Darnay；　stood　there　before　him　upon　his　trial；　that　the　jury　were　swearing　in；　and　that　Mr。　Attorney…General　was　making　ready　to　speak。
  The　accused；　who　was　（and　who　knew　he　was）　being　mentally　hanged；　beheaded；　and　quartered；　by　everybody　there；　neither　flinched　from　the　situation；　nor　assumed　any　theatrical　air　in　it。　He　was　quiet　and　attentive；　watched　the　opening　proceedings　with　a　grave　interest；　and　stood　with　his　hands　resting　on　the　slab　of　wood　before　him；　so　composedly；　that　they　had　not　displaced　a　leaf　of　the　herbs　with　which　it　was　strewn。　The　court　was　all　bestrewn　with　herbs　and　sprinkled　with　vinegar；　as　a　precaution　against　gaol　air　and　gaol　fever。
  Over　the　prisoner's　head　there　was　a　mirror；　to　throw　the　light　down　upon　him。　Crowds　of　the　wicked　and　the　wretched　had　been　reflected　in　it；　and　had　passed　from　its　surface　and　this　earth's　together。　Haunted　in　a　most　ghastly　manner　that　abominable　place　would　have　been；　if　the　glass　could　ever　have　rendered　back　its　reflections；　as　the　ocean　is　one　day　to　give　up　its　dead。　Some　passing　thought　of　the　infamy　and　disgrace　for　which　it　had　been　reserved；　may　have　struck　the　prisoner's　mind。　Be　that　as　it　may；　a　change　in　his　position　making　him　conscious　of　a　bar　of　light　across　his　face；　he　looked　up；　and　when　he　saw　the　glass　his　face　flushed；　and　his　right　hand　pushed　the　herbs　away。
  It　happened；　that　the　action　turned　his　face　to　that　side　of　the　court　which　was　on　his　left。　About　on　a　level　with　his　eyes；　there　sat；　in　that　corner　of　the　Judge's　bench；　two　persons　upon　whom　his　look　immediately　rested；　so　immediately；　and　so　much　to　the　changing　of　his　aspect；　that　all　the　eyes　that　were　turned　upon　him；　turned　to　them。
  The　spectators　saw　in　the　two　figures；　a　young　lady　of　little　more　than　twenty；　and　a　gentleman　who　was　evidently　her　father；　a　man　of　a　very　remarkable　appearance　in　respect　of　the　absolute　whiteness　of　his　hair；　and　a　certain　indescribable　intensity　of　face：　not　of　an　active　kind；　but　pondering　and　self…communing。　When　this　expression　was　upon　him；　he　looked　as　if　he　were　old；　but　when　it　was　stirred　and　broken　upas　It　was　now；　in　a　moment；　on　his　speaking　to　his　daughterhe　became　a　handsome　man；　not　past　the　prime　of　life。
  His　daughter　had　one　of　her　hands　drawn　through　his　arm；　as　she　sat　by　him；　and　the　other　pressed　upon　it。　She　had　drawn　close　to　him；　in　her　dread　of　the　scene；　and　in　her　pity　for　the　prisoner。　Her　forehead　had　been　strikingly　expressive　of　an　engrossing　terror　and　compassion　that　saw　nothing　but　the　peril　of　the　accused。　This　had　been　so　very　noticeable；　so　very　powerfully　and　naturally　shown；　that　starers　who　had　had　no　pity　for　him　were　touched　by　her；　and　the　whisper　went　about；　‘Who　are　they？'
  Jerry；　the　messenger；　who　had　made　his　own　observations；　in　his　own　manner；　and　who　had　been　sucking　the　rust　off　his　fingers　in　his　absorption；　stretched　his　neck　to　hear　who　they　were。　The　crowd　about　him　had　pressed　and　passed　the　inquiry　on　to　the　nearest　attendant；　and　from　him　it　had　been　more　slowly　pressed　and　passed　back；　at　last　it　got　to　Jerry：
  ‘Witnesses。'
  ‘For　which　side？'
  ‘Against。'
  ‘Against　what　side？'
  ‘The　prisoner's。'
  The　Judge；　whose　eyes　had　gone　in　the　general　direction；　recalled　them；　leaned　back　in　his　seat；　and　looked　steadily　at　the　man　whose　life　was　in　his　hand；　as　Mr。　Attorney…General　rose　to　spin　the　rope；　grind　the　axe；　and　hammer　the　nails　into　the　scaffold。
  CHAPTER　III
  A　Disappointment
  MR。　ATTORNEY…GENERAL　had　to　inform　the　jury；　that　the　prisoner　before　them；　though　young　in　years；　was　old　in　the　treasonable　practices　which　claimed　the　forfeit　of　his　life。　That　this　correspondence　with　the　public　enemy　was　not　a　correspondence　of　to…day；　or　of　yesterday；　or　even　of　last　year；　or　of　the　year　before。　That；　it　was　certain　the　prisoner　had；　for　longer　than　that；　been　in　the　habit　of　passing　and　repassing　between　France　and　England；　on　secret　business　of　which　he　could　give　no　honest　account。　That；　if　it　were　in　the　nature　of　traitorous　ways　to　thrive　（which　happily　it　never　was）；　the　real　wickedness　and　guilt　of　his　business　might　have　remained　undiscovered。　That　Providence；　however；　had　put　it　into　the　heart　of　a　person　who　was　beyond　fear　and　beyond　reproach；　to　ferret　out　the　nature　of　the　prisoner's　schemes；　and；　struck　with　horror；　to　disclose　them　to　his　Majesty's　Chief　Secretary　of　State　and　most　honourable　Privy　Council。　That；　this　patriot　would　be　produced　before　them。　That；　his　position　and　attitude　were；　on　the　whole；　sublime。　That；　he　had　been　the　prisoner's　friend；　but；　at　once　in　an　auspicious　and　an　evil　hour　detecting　his　infamy；　had　resolved　to　immolate　the　traitor　he　could　no　longer　cherish　in　his　bosom；　on　the　sacred　altar　of　his　country。　That；　if　statues　were　decreed　in　Britain；　as　in　ancient　Greece　and　Rome；　to　public　benefactors；　this　shining　citizen　would　assuredly　have　had　one。　That；　as　they　were　not　so　decreed；　he　probably　would　not　have　one。　That；　Virtue；　as　had　been　observed　by　the　poets　（in　many　passages　which　he　well　knew　the　jury　would　have；　word　for　word；　at　the　tips　of　their　tongues；　whereat　the　jury's　countenances　displayed　a　guilty　consciousness　that　they　knew　nothing　about　the　passages）；　was　in　a　manner　contagious；　more　especially　the　bright　virtue　known　as　patriotism；　or　love　of　country。　That；　the　lofty　example　of　this　immaculate　and　unimpeachable　witness　for　the　Crown；　to　refer　to　whom　however　unworthily　was　an　honour；　had　communicated　itself　to　the　prisoner's　servant；　and　had　engendered　in　him　a　holy　determination　to　examine　his　master's　table…drawers　and　pockets；　and　secrete　his　papers。　That；　he　（Mr。　Attorney…General）　was　prepared　to　hear　some　disparagement　attempted　of　this　admirable　servant；　but　that；　in　a　general　way；　he　preferred　him　to　his　（Mr。　Attorney…General's）　brothers　and　sisters；　and　honoured　him　more　than　his　（Mr。　Attorney…General's）　father　and　mother。　That；　he　called　with　confidence　on　the　jury　to　come　and　do　likewise。　That；　the　evidence　of　these　two　witnesses；　coupled　with　the　documents　of　their　discovering　that　would　be　produced；　would　show　the　prisoner　to　have　been　furnished　with　lists　of　his　Majesty's　forces；　and　of　their　disposition　and　preparation；　both　by　sea　and　land；　and　would　leave　no　doubt　that　he　had　habitually　conveyed　such　information　to　a　hostile　power。　That；　these　lists　could　not　be　proved　to　be　in　the　prisoner's　handwriting；　but　that　it　was　all　the　same；　that；　indeed；　it　was　rather　the　better　for　the　prosecution；　as　showing　the　prisoner　to　be　artful　in　his　precautions。　That；　the　proof　would　go　back　five　years；　and　would　show　the　prisoner　already　engaged　in　these　pernicious　missions；　within　a　few　weeks　before　the　date　of　the　very　first　action　fought　between　the　British　troops　and　the　Americans。　That；　for　these　reasons；　the　jury；　being　a　loyal　jury　（as　he　knew　they　were）；　and　being　a　responsible　jury　（as　they　knew　they　were）；　must　positively　find　the　prisoner　Guilty；　and　make　an　end　of　him；　whether　they　liked　it　or　not。　That；　they　never　could　lay　their　heads　upon　their　pillows；　that；　they　never　could　tolerate　the　idea　of　their　wives　laying　their　heads　upon　their　pillows；　that；　they　never　could　endure　the　notion　of　their　children　laying　their　heads　upon　their　pillows；　in　short；　that　there　never　more　could　be；　for　them　or　theirs；　any　laying　of　heads　upon　pillows　at　all；　unless　the　prisoner's　head　was　taken　off。　That　head　Mr。　Attorney…General　concluded　by　demanding　of　them；　in　the　name　of　everything　he　could　think　of　with　a　round　turn　in　it；　and　on　the　faith　of　his　solemn　asseveration　that　he　already　considered　the　prisoner　as　good　as　dead　and　gone。
  When　the　Attorney…General　ceased；　a　buzz　arose　in　the　court　as　if　a　cloud　of　great　blue…flies　were　swarming　about　the　prisoner；　in　anticipation　of　what　he　was　soon　to　become。　When　toned　down　again；　the　unimpeachable　patriot　appeared　in　the　witness…box。
  Mr。　Solicitor…General　then；　following　his　leader's　lead；　examined　the　patriot：　John　Barsad；　gentleman；　by　name。　The　story　of　his　pure　soul　was　exactly　what　Mr。　Attorney…General　had　described　it　to　be…perhaps；　if　it　had　a　fault；　a　little　too　exactly。　Having　released　his　noble　bosom　of　its　burden；　he　would　have　modestly　withdrawn　himself；　but　that　the　wigged　gentleman　with　the　papers　before　him；　sitting　not　far　from　Mr。　Lorry；　begged　to　ask　him　a　few　questions。　The　wigged　gentleman　sitting　opposite；　still　looking　at　the　ceiling　of　the　court。
  Had　he　ever　been　a　spy　himself？　No；　he　scorned　the　base　insinuation。　What　did　he　live　upon？　His　property。　Where　was　his　property？　He　didn't　precisely　remember　where　it　was。　What　was　it？　No　business　of　anybody's。　Had　he　inherited　it？　Yes；　he　had。　From　whom？　Distant　relation。　Very　distant？　Rather。　Ever　been　in　prison？　Certainly　not。　Never　in　a　debtors'　prison？　Didn't　see　what　that　had　to　do　with　it。　Never　in　a　debtors'　prison？Come；　once　again。　Never？　Yes。　How　many　times？　Two　or　three　times。　Not　five　or　six？　Perhaps。　Of　what　profession？　Gentleman。　Ever　been　kicked？　Might　have　been。　Frequently？　No。　Ever　kicked　down…stairs？　Decidedly　not；　once　received　a　kick　on　the　top　of　a　staircase；　and　fell