zanoni-第104章

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〃Her　trial　will　give　proof　against　you；〃　said　the　stranger。　　〃Her

death　is　the　herald　of　your　own。　　Fear　not　the　populace；the

populace　would　have　rescued　your　servant。　　Fear　not　Robespierre；

he　gives　himself　to　your　hands。　　To…morrow　he　comes　to　the

Convention；to…morrow　you　must　cast　the　last　throw　for　his　head

or　your　own。〃



〃To…morrow　he　comes　to　the　Convention！　　And　who　are　you　that　know

so　well　what　is　concealed　from　me？〃



〃A　man　like　you；　who　would　save　the　woman　he　loves。〃



Before　Tallien　could　recover　his　surprise；　the　visitor　was　gone。



Back　went　the　Avenger　to　his　conclave　an　altered　man。　　〃I　have

heard　tidings；no　matter　what；〃　he　cried；〃that　have　changed　my

purpose。　　On　the　10th　we　are　destined　to　the　guillotine。　　I

revoke　my　counsel　for　delay。　　Robespierre　comes　to　the　Convention

to…morrow；　THERE　we　must　confront　and　crush　him。　　From　the

Mountain　shall　frown　against　him　the　grim　shade　of　Danton；from

the　Plain　shall　rise；　in　their　bloody　cerements；　the　spectres　of

Vergniaud　and　Condorcet。　　Frappons！〃



〃Frappons！〃　cried　even　Barrere；　startled　into　energy　by　the　new

daring　of　his　colleague；〃frappons！　il　n'y　a　que　les　morts　qui

ne　reviennent　pas。〃



It　was　observable　（and　the　fact　may　be　found　in　one　of　the

memoirs　of　the　time）　that；　during　that　day　and　night　（the　7th

Thermidor）；　a　stranger　to　all　the　previous　events　of　that　stormy

time　was　seen　in　various　parts　of　the　city；in　the　cafes；　the

clubs；　the　haunts　of　the　various　factions；　that；　to　the

astonishment　and　dismay　of　his　hearers；　he　talked　aloud　of　the

crimes　of　Robespierre；　and　predicted　his　coming　fall；　and；　as　he

spoke；　he　stirred　up　the　hearts　of　men；　he　loosed　the　bonds　of

their　fear；he　inflamed　them　with　unwonted　rage　and　daring。　　But

what　surprised　them　most　was；　that　no　voice　replied；　no　hand　was

lifted　against　him；　no　minion；　even　of　the　tyrant；　cried；　〃Arrest

the　traitor。〃　　In　that　impunity　men　read；　as　in　a　book；　that　the

populace　had　deserted　the　man　of　blood。



Once　only　a　fierce；　brawny　Jacobin　sprang　up　from　the　table　at

which　he　sat；　drinking　deep；　and；　approaching　the　stranger；　said；

〃I　seize　thee；　in　the　name　of　the　Republic。〃



〃Citizen　Aristides；〃　answered　the　stranger；　in　a　whisper；　〃go　to

the　lodgings　of　Robespierre；he　is　from　home；　and　in　the　left

pocket　of　the　vest　which　he　cast　off　not　an　hour　since　thou　wilt

find　a　paper；　when　thou　hast　read　that；　return。　　I　will　await

thee；　and　if　thou　wouldst　then　seize　me；　I　will　go　without　a

struggle。　　Look　round　on　those　lowering　brows；　touch　me　NOW；　and

thou　wilt　be　torn　to　pieces。〃



The　Jacobin　felt　as　if　compelled　to　obey　against　his　will。　　He

went　forth　muttering；　he　returned；the　stranger　was　still　there。

〃Mille　tonnerres；〃　he　said　to　him；　〃I　thank　thee；　the　poltroon

had　my　name　in　his　list　for　the　guillotine。〃



With　that　the　Jacobin　Aristides　sprang　upon　the　table　and

shouted；　〃Death　to　the　Tyrant！〃





CHAPTER　7。XI。



Le　lendemain；　8　Thermidor；　Robespierre　se　decida　a　prononcer　son

fameux　discours。

Thiers；　〃Hist。　de　la　Revolution。〃



（The　next　day；　8th　Thermidor；　Robespierre　resolved　to　deliver　his

celebrated　discourse。）



The　morning　rose；the　8th　of　Thermidor　（July　26）。　　Robespierre

has　gone　to　the　Convention。　　He　has　gone　with　his　laboured

speech；　he　has　gone　with　his　phrases　of　philanthropy　and　virtue；

he　has　gone　to　single　out　his　prey。　　All　his　agents　are　prepared

for　his　reception；　the　fierce　St。　Just　has　arrived　from　the

armies　to　second　his　courage　and　inflame　his　wrath。　　His　ominous

apparition　prepares　the　audience　for　the　crisis。　　〃Citizens！〃

screeched　the　shrill　voice　of　Robespierre　〃others　have　placed

before　you　flattering　pictures；　I　come　to　announce　to　you　useful

truths。



。。。



And　they　attribute　to　me；to　me　alone！whatever　of　harsh　or

evil　is　committed：　　it　is　Robespierre　who　wishes　it；　it　is

Robespierre　who　ordains　it。　　Is　there　a　new　tax？it　is

Robespierre　who　ruins　you。　　They　call　me　tyrant！and　why？

Because　I　have　acquired　some　influence；　but　how？in　speaking

truth；　and　who　pretends　that　truth　is　to　be　without　force　in　the

mouths　of　the　Representatives　of　the　French　people？　　Doubtless；

truth　has　its　power；　its　rage；　its　despotism；　its　accents；

touching；　terrible；　which　resound　in　the　pure　heart　as　in　the

guilty　conscience；　and　which　Falsehood　can　no　more　imitate　than

Salmoneus　could　forge　the　thunderbolts　of　Heaven。　　What　am　I　whom

they　accuse？　　A　slave　of　liberty；a　living　martyr　of　the

Republic；　the　victim　as　the　enemy　of　crime！　　All　ruffianism

affronts　me；　and　actions　legitimate　in　others　are　crimes　in　me。

It　is　enough　to　know　me　to　be　calumniated。　　It　is　in　my　very　zeal

that　they　discover　my　guilt。　　Take　from　me　my　conscience；　and　I

should　be　the　most　miserable　of　men！〃



He　paused；　and　Couthon　wiped　his　eyes；　and　St。　Just　murmured

applause　as　with　stern　looks　he　gazed　on　the　rebellious　Mountain；

and　there　was　a　dead；　mournful；　and　chilling　silence　through　the

audience。　　The　touching　sentiment　woke　no　echo。



The　orator　cast　his　eyes　around。　　Ho！　he　will　soon　arouse　that

apathy。　　He　proceeds；　he　praises；　he　pities　himself　no　more。　　He

denounces；he　accuses。　　Overflooded　with　his　venom；　he　vomits　it

forth　on　all。　　At　home；　abroad；　finances；　war；on　all！　　Shriller

and　sharper　rose　his　voice；



〃A　conspiracy　exists　against　the　public　liberty。　　It　owes　its

strength　to　a　criminal　coalition　in　the　very　bosom　of　the

Convention；　it　has　accomplices　in　the　bosom　of　the　Committee　of

Public　Safety。。。What　is　the　remedy　to　this　evil？　　To　punish　the

traitors；　to　purify　this　committee；　to　crush　all　factions　by　the

weight　of　the　National　Authority；　to　raise　upon　their　ruins　the

power　of　Liberty　and　Justice。　　Such　are　the　principles　of　that

Reform。　　Must　I　be　ambitious　to　profess　them？then　the

principles　are　proscribed；　and　Tyranny　reigns　amongst　us！　　For

what　can　you　object　to　a　man　who　is　in　the　right；　and　has　at

least　this　knowledge；he　knows　how　to　die　for　his　native　land！

I　am　made　to　combat　crime；　and　not　to　govern　it。　　The　time；　alas！

is　not　yet　arrived　when　men　of　worth　can　serve　with　impunity

their　country。　　So　long　as　the　knaves　rule；　the　defenders　of

liberty　will　be　only　the　proscribed。〃



For　two　hours；　through　that　cold　and　gloomy　audience；　shrilled

the　Death…speech。　　In　silence　it　began；　in　silence　closed。　　The

enemies　of　the　orator　were　afraid　to　express　resentment；　they

knew　not　yet　the　exact　balance　of　power。　　His　partisans　were

afraid　to　approve；　they　knew　not　whom　of　their　own　friends　and

relations　the　accusations　were　designed　to　single　forth。　　〃Take

care！〃　whispered　each　to　each；　〃it　is　thou　whom　he　threatens。〃

But　silent　though　the　audience；　it　was；　at　the　first；　wellnigh

subdued。　　There　was　still　about　this　terrible　man　the　spell　of　an

overmastering　will。　　Alwaysthough　not　what　is　called　a　great

oratorresolute；　and　sovereign　in　the　use　of　words；　words　seemed

as　things　when　uttered　by　one　who　with　a　nod　moved　the　troops　of

Henriot；　and　influenced　the　judgment　of　Rene　Dumas；　grim

President　of　the　Tribunal。　　Lecointre　of　Versailles　rose；　and

there　was　an　anxious　movement　of　attention；　for　Lecointre　was　one

of　the　fiercest　foes　of　the　tyrant。　　What　was　the　dismay　of　the

Tallien　faction；　what　the　complacent　smile　of　Couthon；when

Lecointre　demanded　only　that　the　oration　should　be　printed！　　All

seemed　paralyzed。　　At　length　Bourdon　de　l'Oise；　whose　name　was

doubly　marked　in　the　black　list　of　the　Dictator；　stalked　to　the

tribune；　and　moved　the　bold　counter…resolution；　that　the　speech

should　be　referred　to　the　two　committees　whom　that　very　speech

accused。　　Still　no　applause　from　the　conspirators；　they　sat

torpid　as　frozen　men。　　The　shrinking　Barrere；　ever　on　the　prudent

side；　looked　round　before　he　rose。　　He　rises；　and　sides　with

Lecointre！　　Then　Couthon　seized　the　occasion；　and　from　his　seat

（a　privilege　permitted　only　to　the　paralytic　philan