zanoni-第105章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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

（a　privilege　permitted　only　to　the　paralytic　philanthropist）　（M。

Thiers　in　his　History；　volume　iv。　page　79；　makes　a　curious

blunder：　　he　says；　〃Couthon　s'elance　a　la　tribune。'　　（Couthon

darted　towards　the　tribune。）　　Poor　Couthon！　whose　half　body　was

dead；　and　who　was　always　wheeled　in　his　chair　into　the

Convention；　and　spoke　sitting。）；　and　with　his　melodious　voice

sought　to　convert　the　crisis　into　a　triumph。



He　demanded；　not　only　that　the　harangue　should　be　printed；　but

sent　to　all　the　communes　and　all　the　armies。　　It　was　necessary　to

soothe　a　wronged　and　ulcerated　heart。　　Deputies；　the　most

faithful；　had　been　accused　of　shedding　blood。　　〃Ah！　if　HE　had

contributed　to　the　death　of　one　innocent　man；　he　should　immolate

himself　with　grief。〃　　Beautiful　tenderness！and　while　he　spoke；

he　fondled　the　spaniel　in　his　bosom。　　Bravo；　Couthon！

Robespierre　triumphs！　The　reign　of　Terror　shall　endure！　　The　old

submission　settles　dovelike　back　in　the　assembly！　　They　vote　the

printing　of　the　Death…speech；　and　its　transmission　to　all　the

municipalities。　　From　the　benches　of　the　Mountain；　Tallien；

alarmed；　dismayed；　impatient；　and　indignant；　cast　his　gaze　where

sat　the　strangers　admitted　to　hear　the　debates；　and　suddenly　he

met　the　eyes　of　the　Unknown　who　had　brought　to　him　the　letter

from　Teresa　de　Fontenai　the　preceding　day。　　The　eyes　fascinated

him　as　he　gazed。　　In　aftertimes　he　often　said　that　their　regard；

fixed；　earnest；　half…reproachful；　and　yet　cheering　and

triumphant；　filled　him　with　new　life　and　courage。　　They　spoke　to

his　heart　as　the　trumpet　speaks　to　the　war…horse。　　He　moved　from

his　seat；　he　whispered　with　his　allies：　　the　spirit　he　had　drawn

in　was　contagious；　the　men　whom　Robespierre　especially　　had

denounced；　and　who　saw　the　sword　over　their　heads；　woke　from

their　torpid　trance。　　Vadier；　Cambon；　Billaud…Varennes；　Panis；

Amar；　rose　at　once；all　at　once　demanded　speech。　　Vadier　is

first　heard；　the　rest　succeed。　　It　burst　forth；　the　Mountain；

with　its　fires　and　consuming　lava；　flood　upon　flood　they　rush；　a

legion　of　Ciceros　upon　the　startled　Catiline！　　Robespierre

falters；　hesitates；would　qualify；　retract。　　They　gather　new

courage　from　his　new　fears；　they　interrupt　him；　they　drown　his

voice；　they　demand　the　reversal　of　the　motion。　　Amar　moves　again

that　the　speech　be　referred　to　the　Committees；　to　the

Committees；to　his　enemies！　　Confusion　and　noise　and　clamour！

Robespierre　wraps　himself　in　silent　and　superb　disdain。　　Pale；

defeated；　but　not　yet　destroyed；　he　stands；a　storm　in　the　midst

of　storm！



The　motion　is　carried。　　All　men　foresee　in　that　defeat　the

Dictator's　downfall。　　A　solitary　cry　rose　from　the　galleries；　it

was　caught　up；　it　circled　through　the　hall；　the　audience：　　〃A　bas

le　tyrant！　　Vive　la　republique！〃　　（Down　with　the　tyrant！　　Hurrah

for　the　republic！）





CHAPTER　7。XII。



Aupres　d'un　corps　aussi　avili　que　la　Convention；　il　restait　des

chances　pour　que　Robespierre　sortit　vainqueur　de　cette　lutte。

Lacretelle；　volume　xii。



（Amongst　a　body　so　debased　as　the　Convention；　there　still

remained　some　chances　that　Robespierre　would　come　off　victor　in

the　struggle。）



As　Robespierre　left　the　hall；　there　was　a　dead　and　ominous

silence　in　the　crowd　without。　　The　herd；　in　every　country；　side

with　success；　and　the　rats　run　from　the　falling　tower。　　But

Robespierre；　who　wanted　courage；　never　wanted　pride；　and　the　last

often　supplied　the　place　of　the　first；　thoughtfully；　and　with　an

impenetrable　brow；　he　passed　through　the　throng；　leaning　on　St。

Just；　Payan　and　his　brother　following　him。



As　they　got　into　the　open　space；　Robespierre　abruptly　broke　the

silence。



〃How　many　heads　were　to　fall　upon　the　tenth？〃



〃Eighty；〃　replied　Payan。



〃Ah；　we　must　not　tarry　so　long；　a　day　may　lose　an　empire：

terrorism　must　serve　us　yet！〃



He　was　silent　a　few　moments；　and　his　eyes　roved　suspiciously

through　the　street。



〃St。　Just；〃　he　said　abruptly；　〃they　have　not　found　this

Englishman　whose　revelations；　or　whose　trial；　would　have　crushed

the　Amars　and　the　Talliens。　　No；　no！　my　Jacobins　themselves　are

growing　dull　and　blind。　　But　they　have　seized　a　woman；only　a

woman！〃



〃A　woman's　hand　stabbed　Marat；〃　said　St。　Just。　　Robespierre

stopped　short；　and　breathed　hard。



〃St。　Just；〃　said　he；　〃when　this　peril　is　past；　we　will　found　the

Reign　of　Peace。　　There　shall　be　homes　and　gardens　set　apart　for

the　old。　　David　is　already　designing　the　porticos。　　Virtuous　men

shall　be　appointed　to　instruct　the　young。　　All　vice　and　disorder

shall　be　NOT　exterminatedno；　no！　only　banished！　　We　must　not

die　yet。　　Posterity　cannot　judge　us　till　our　work　is　done。　　We

have　recalled　L'Etre　Supreme；　we　must　now　remodel　this　corrupted

world。　　All　shall　be　love　and　brotherhood；　andho！　　Simon！

Simon！hold！　　Your　pencil；　St。　Just！〃　　And　Robespierre　wrote

hastily。　　〃This　to　Citizen　President　Dumas。　　Go　with　it　quick；

Simon。　　These　eighty　heads　must　fall　TO…MORROW；TO…MORROW；

Simon。　　Dumas　will　advance　their　trial　a　day。　　I　will　write　to

Fouquier…Tinville；　the　public　accuser。　　We　meet　at　the　Jacobins

to…night；　Simon；　there　we　will　denounce　the　Convention　itself；

there　we　will　rally　round　us　the　last　friends　of　liberty　and

France。〃



A　shout　was　heard　in　the　distance　behind；　〃Vive　la　republique！〃



The　tyrant's　eye　shot　a　vindictive　gleam。　　〃The　republic！faugh！

We　did　not　destroy　the　throne　of　a　thousand　years　for　that

canaille！〃



THE　TRIAL；　THE　EXECUTION；　OF　THE　VICTIMS　IS　ADVANCED　A　DAY！　　By

the　aid　of　the　mysterious　intelligence　that　had　guided　and

animated　him　hitherto；　Zanoni　learned　that　his　arts　had　been　in

vain。　　He　knew　that　Viola　was　safe；　if　she　could　but　survive　an

hour　the　life　of　the　tyrant。　　He　knew　that　Robespierre's　hours

were　numbered；　that　the　10th　of　Thermidor；　on　which　he　had

originally　designed　the　execution　of　his　last　victims；　would　see

himself　at　the　scaffold。　Zanoni　had　toiled；　had　schemed　for　the

fall　of　the　Butcher　and　his　reign。　　To　what　end？　　A　single　word

from　the　tyrant　had　baffled　the　result　of　all。　　The　execution　of

Viola　is　advanced　a　day。　　Vain　seer；　who　wouldst　make　thyself　the

instrument　of　the　Eternal；　the　very　dangers　that　now　beset　the

tyrant　but　expedite　the　doom　of　his　victims！　　To…morrow；　eighty

heads；　and　hers　whose　pillow　has　been　thy　heart！　　To…morrow！　and

Maximilien　is　safe　to…night！





CHAPTER　7。XIII。



Erde　mag　zuruck　in　Erde　stauben；

Fliegt　der　Geist　doch　aus　dem　morschen　Haus。

Seine　Asche　mag　der　Sturmwind　treiben；

Sein　Leben　dauert　ewig　aus！

Elegie。



（Earth　may　crumble　back　into　earth；　the　Spirit　will　still　escape

from　its　frail　tenement。　　The　wind　of　the　storm　may　scatter　his

ashes；　his　being　endures　forever。）



To…morrow！and　it　is　already　twilight。　　One　after　one；　the

gentle　stars　come　smiling　through　the　heaven。　　The　Seine；　in　its

slow　waters；　yet　trembles　with　the　last　kiss　of　the　rosy　day；　and

still　in　the　blue　sky　gleams　the　spire　of　Notre　Dame；　and　still

in　the　blue　sky　looms　the　guillotine　by　the　Barriere　du　Trone。

Turn　to　that　time…worn　building；　once　the　church　and　the　convent

of　the　Freres…Precheurs；　known　by　the　then　holy　name　of　Jacobins；

there　the　new　Jacobins　hold　their　club。　　There；　in　that　oblong

hall；　once　the　library　of　the　peaceful　monks；　assemble　the

idolaters　of　St。　Robespierre。　　Two　immense　tribunes；　raised　at

either　end；　contain　the　lees　and　dregs　of　the　atrocious

populace；the　majority　of　that　audience　consisting　of　the　furies

of　the　guillotine　（furies　de　guillotine）。　　In　the　midst　of　the

hall　are　the　bureau　and　chair　of　the　president；the　chair　long

preserved　by　the　piety　of　the　monks　as　the　relic　of　St。　Thomas

Aquinas！　　Above　this　seat　scowls　the　harsh　bust　of　Brutus。　　An

iron　lamp　and　two　branches　scatter　over　the　vast　room　a　murky；

fuliginous　ray；　beneath　the　light　of　which　the　fierce　faces　of