Water to Quench the Fire

"But, the fierce figures were steadily wending East, West, North, and South, be that as it would; and whosoever hung, fire burned. The altitude of the gallows that would turn to water and quench it, no functionary, by any stretch of mathematics, was able to calculate successfully." p 242

The revolution has started a fire, which is steadily spreading throughout France, consuming the people in violence and starting new flames as the citizens execute each aristocrat and individual. The people, referenced to an ocean, are trying to use the water to put out the fire that is slowly burning France. The ocean of people themselves will simply try to overwhelm the fire of anger and vengeance by unifying the people together, but they are not able to 'quench' the fire, although how many more people join in the ocean of water. As a result, they continue to turn to  the 'gallows', or death, and then try to use the water to bring life back into their country. But by using the 'gallows' they are spreading the fire, and will never be able to be satisfied with their amount of water. Meaning that the revolution will keep spreading consuming more people, or water, until the entire country is consumed in flames and the people will use themselves to try to put out the flame.