For a while they said nothing to one another.
The sense of this gigantic struggle, so near and yet so remote, oppressed Graham's imagination.

Was this old man right, was the report of the people right, and were the revolutionaries winning?
Or were they all in error, and were the red guards driving all before them?
At any time the flood of warfare might pour into this silent quarter of the city and seize upon him again.

It behoved him to learn all he could while there was time.

He turned suddenly to the old man with a question and left it unsaid.

But his motion moved the old man to speech again.
"Eh! but how things work together!" said the old man.