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第98章

zanoni-第98章

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promised me I should be one of the elect!〃



Here the women were jostled aside by some newcomers; who talked

loud and eagerly。



〃Yes;〃 cried a brawny man; whose garb denoted him to be a

butcher; with bare arms; and a cap of liberty on his head; 〃I am

come to warn Robespierre。  They lay a snare for him; they offer

him the Palais National。  'On ne peut etre ami du peuple et

habiter un palais。'〃 (〃No one can be a friend of the people; and

dwell in a palace。〃〃Papiers inedits trouves chez Robespierre;〃

etc。; volume ii。 page 132。)



〃No; indeed;〃 answered a cordonnier; 〃I like him best in his

little lodging with the menuisier:  it looks like one of US。〃



Another rush of the crowd; and a new group were thrown forward in

the vicinity of Nicot。  And these men gabbled and chattered

faster and louder than the rest。



〃But my plan is〃



〃Au diable with YOUR plan!  I tell you MY scheme is〃



〃Nonsense!〃 cried a third。  〃When Robespierre understands MY new

method of making gunpowder; the enemies of France shall〃



〃Bah! who fears foreign enemies?〃 interrupted a fourth; 〃the

enemies to be feared are at home。  MY new guillotine takes off

fifty heads at a time!〃



〃But MY new Constitution!〃 exclaimed a fifth。



〃MY new Religion; citizen!〃 murmured; complacently; a sixth。



〃Sacre mille tonnerres; silence!〃 roared forth one of the Jacobin

guard。



And the crowd suddenly parted as a fierce…looking man; buttoned

up to the chin; his sword rattling by his side; his spurs

clinking at his heel; descended the stairs;his cheeks swollen

and purple with intemperance; his eyes dead and savage as a

vulture's。  There was a still pause; as all; with pale cheeks;

made way for the relentless Henriot。  (Or H_a_nriot。  It is

singular how undetermined are not only the characters of the

French Revolution; but even the spelling of their names。  With

the historians it is Vergniau_d_;with the journalists of the

time it is Vorgniau_x_。  With one authority it is Robespierre;

with another Robe_r_spierre。)  Scarce had this gruff and iron

minion of the tyrant stalked through the throng; than a new

movement of respect and agitation and fear swayed the increasing

crowd; as there glided in; with the noiselessness of a shadow; a

smiling; sober citizen; plainly but neatly clad; with a downcast

humble eye。  A milder; meeker face no pastoral poet could assign

to Corydon or Thyrsis;why did the crowd shrink and hold their

breath?  As the ferret in a burrow crept that slight form amongst

the larger and rougher creatures that huddled and pressed back on

each other as he passed。  A wink of his stealthy eye; and the

huge Jacobins left the passage clear; without sound or question。

On he went to the apartment of the tyrant; and thither will we

follow him。





CHAPTER 7。VII。



Constitutum est; ut quisquis eum HOMINEM dixisset fuisse;

capitalem penderet poenam。

St。 Augustine; 〃Of the God Serapis;〃 l。 18; 〃de Civ。 Dei;〃 c。 5。)



(It was decreed; that whoso should say that he had been a MAN;

should suffer the punishment of a capital offence。)



Robespierre was reclining languidly in his fauteuil; his

cadaverous countenance more jaded and fatigued than usual。  He to

whom Catherine Theot assured immortal life; looked; indeed; like

a man at death's door。  On the table before him was a dish heaped

with oranges; with the juice of which it is said that he could

alone assuage the acrid bile that overflowed his system; and an

old woman; richly dressed (she had been a Marquise in the old

regime) was employed in peeling the Hesperian fruits for the sick

Dragon; with delicate fingers covered with jewels。  I have before

said that Robespierre was the idol of the women。  Strange

certainly!but then they were French women!  The old Marquise;

who; like Catherine Theot; called him 〃son;〃 really seemed to

love him piously and disinterestedly as a mother; and as she

peeled the oranges; and heaped on him the most caressing and

soothing expressions; the livid ghost of a smile fluttered about

his meagre lips。  At a distance; Payan and Couthon; seated at

another table; were writing rapidly; and occasionally pausing

from their work to consult with each other in brief whispers。



Suddenly one of the Jacobins opened the door; and; approaching

Robespierre; whispered to him the name of Guerin。  (See for the

espionage on which Guerin was employed; 〃Les Papiers inedits;〃

etc。; volume i。 page 366; No。 xxviii。)  At that word the sick man

started up; as if new life were in the sound。



〃My kind friend;〃 he said to the Marquise; 〃forgive me; I must

dispense with thy tender cares。  France demands me。  I am never

ill when I can serve my country!〃



The old Marquise lifted up her eyes to heaven and murmured; 〃Quel

ange!〃



Robespierre waved his hand impatiently; and the old woman; with a

sigh; patted his pale cheek; kissed his forehead; and

submissively withdrew。  The next moment; the smiling; sober man

we have before described; stood; bending low; before the tyrant。

And well might Robespierre welcome one of the subtlest agents of

his power;one on whom he relied more than the clubs of his

Jacobins; the tongues of his orators; the bayonets of his armies;

Guerin; the most renowned of his ecouteurs;the searching;

prying; universal; omnipresent spy; who glided like a sunbeam

through chink and crevice; and brought to him intelligence not

only of the deeds; but the hearts of men!



〃Well; citizen; well!and what of Tallien?〃



〃This morning; early; two minutes after eight; he went out。〃



〃So early?hem!〃



〃He passed Rue des Quatre Fils; Rue de Temple; Rue de la Reunion;

au Marais; Rue Martin; nothing observable; except that〃



〃That what?〃



〃He amused himself at a stall in bargaining for some books。〃



〃Bargaining for books!  Aha; the charlatan!he would cloak the

intriguant under the savant!  Well!〃



〃At last; in the Rue des Fosses Montmartre; an individual in a

blue surtout (unknown) accosted him。  They walked together about

the street some minutes; and were joined by Legendre。〃



〃Legendre! approach; Payan!  Legendre; thou hearest!〃



〃I went into a fruit…stall; and hired two little girls to go and

play at ball within hearing。  They heard Legendre say; 'I believe

his power is wearing itself out。'  And Tallien answered; 'And

HIMSELF too。  I would not give three months' purchase for his

life。'  I do not know; citizen; if they meant THEE?〃



〃Nor I; citizen;〃 answered Robespierre; with a fell smile;

succeeded by an expression of gloomy thought。  〃Ha!〃 he muttered;

〃I am young yet;in the prime of life。  I commit no excess。  No;

my constitution is sound; sound。  Anything farther of Tallien?〃



〃Yes。  The woman whom he lovesTeresa de Fontenaiwho lies in

prison; still continues to correspond with him; to urge him to

save her by thy destruction:  this my listeners overheard。  His

servant is the messenger between the prisoner and himself。〃



〃So!  The servant shall be seized in the open streets of Paris。

The Reign of Terror is not over yet。  With the letters found on

him; if such their context; I will pluck Tallien from his benches

in the Convention。〃



Robespierre rose; and after walking a few moments to and fro the

room in thought; opened the door and summoned one of the Jacobins

without。  To him he gave his orders for the watch and arrest of

Tallien's servant; and then threw himself again into his chair。

As the Jacobin departed; Guerin whispered;



〃Is not that the Citizen Aristides?〃



〃Yes; a faithful fellow; if he would wash himself; and not swear

so much。〃



〃Didst thou not guillotine his brother?〃



〃But Aristides denounced him。〃



〃Nevertheless; are such men safe about thy person?〃



〃Humph! that is true。〃  And Robespierre; drawing out his pocket…

book; wrote a memorandum in it; replaced it in his vest; and

resumed;



〃What else of Tallien?〃


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