Books: The Reign Of Terror
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G. A. Henty >> The Reign Of Terror
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"You keep up my spirits and I keep up yours. Don't let there be any
talk about gratitude. There will be time enough for that if I ever
get you safely to England. Then, perhaps, I may send in my bill
and ask for payment."
Harry spoke lightly, and Jeanne with a great effort recovered her
composure; and after that, although the trial and danger of the
king were nightly discussed and lamented, she never said a word as
to any possibility of the catastrophe being averted.
One day towards the end of February Harry felt a thrill run through
him as, on glancing over the list of persons to be tried on the
following day, he saw the name of Marie, daughter of the ci-devant
Marquis de St. Caux. Although his knowledge of Robespierre's character
gave him little ground for hope, he determined upon making a direct
appeal.
"I see, citizen," he said - for such was the mode of address universal
at that time - "that among the list of persons to be tried is the
name of Marie de St. Caux."
"Say Marie Caux," Robespierre said reprovingly. "You know de and St.
are both forbidden prefixes. Yes; what would you say about her?"
"I told you, citizen, upon the first night when I came here, that
I had been in the service of the father of this female citizen.
Although I know now that he was one of those who lived upon the
blood of the people, I am bound to say that he always treated his
dependants kindly. His daughter also showed me many marks of kindness,
and this I would now fain return. Citizen, I did you some service
on the night when we first met; and I ask you now, as a full
quittance for that aid, that you will grant me the freedom of this
young woman. Whatever were the crimes of her father, she cannot have
shared in them. She is young, and cannot do harm to any; therefore
I implore you to give me her life."
"I am surprised at your request," Robespierre said calmly. "This
woman belongs to a race who have for centuries oppressed France,
and it is better that they should perish altogether. If she can
convince the tribunal that she is innocent of all crime, undoubtedly
she will be spared; but I cannot, only on account of the obligation
I am under to you, interfere on her behalf; such an act would be
treason to the people, and I hope you know me well enough by this
time to be aware that nothing whatever would induce me to allow my
private inclinations to interfere with the course of justice. Ask
of me all I have, it is little enough, but it is yours; but this
thing I cannot grant you."
For a moment Harry was on the point of bursting out indignantly,
but he checked himself and without a word went on with his writing,
although tears of disappointment for a time almost blinded him; but
he felt it would be hopeless to urge the point further, and that
did he do so he might forfeit the opportunity he now had of learning
what was going on.
Another month passed before the name appeared on the fatal list. In
the meantime Harry had corresponded regularly with Marie by means
of the warder, and had even once seen her and exchanged a few
words with her, having been sent by Robespierre with a letter to
the governor of the prison.
Marie was greatly changed: her colour had faded away, the former
somewhat haughty air and carriage had disappeared, and there was
an expression of patient resignation on her face. Harry had only
the opportunity to whisper to her "Hope always, all is not lost
yet." He had spent hours each day in his lodging imitating the
signature of Robespierre, and he had made up his mind that, should
all other efforts fail, he would boldly present himself at the prison
with an order for Marie's release, with Robespierre's signature
forged at the bottom.
He thought he could write it now plainly enough for it to pass; his
fear was that the prison authorities would not act upon it, unless
presented by a well-known official personage, without sending to
Robespierre to have it verified.
Still but little change had taken place in Victor de Gisons' condition.
He remained in a state almost of lethargy, with an expression of
dull hopelessness on his face; sometimes he passed his hand wearily
across his forehead as if he were trying to recollect something he
had lost; he was still too weak to stand, but Jacques and his wife
would dress him and place him on a couch which Harry purchased for
his use. The worthy couple ran no risk now, for the sharpest spy
would fail to recognize in the bowed-down invalid with vacant face,
the once brilliant Victor de Gisons.
Harry had many talks with Jeanne concerning him. "What should we
do, Harry," the girl said over and over again, "if we could get
Marie away and all get safe together to England, which I begin to
despair now of our ever doing, but if we should do it what should
we say to Marie? She thinks Victor is safe there. Only the other
day, as you know, she sent us out a letter to him. What would she
say when she learned on her arrival in England that Victor has all
this time been lying broken down and in suffering in Paris?"
To this question Harry, for a long time, could give no answer. At
last he said, "I have been thinking it over, Jeanne, and I feel
that we have no right to take Marie away without her knowing the
truth about Victor. His misfortunes have come upon him because he
would stop in Paris to watch over her. I feel now that she has the
right, if she chooses, of stopping in Paris to look after him."
"Oh, Harry, you would never think of our going away and leaving
her!"
"I don't know, Jeanne, if it would not be best. She could stay
in the disguise of a peasant girl with Jacques and his wife; they
would give out that she was Victor's sister who had come to nurse
him. I have great hopes that her voice and presence would do what
we have to do, namely, awaken him from his sad state of lethargy.
They could stay there for months until these evil days are over.
Jacques' workmen friends are accustomed now to Victor being with
him, and thcre is no chance of any suspicion arising that he is
not what he seems to be, a workman whom Jacques picked up injured
and insensible on that terrible night. It would seem natural that
his sister or his fiance - Marie could pass for whichever she chose
- should come and help take care of him."
"Then if she can stop in Paris with Victor, of course we can stop
with Louise?"
"I am afraid not," Harry said. "Every day the search for suspects
becomes stricter; every day people are being seized and called upon
to produce the papers proving their identity; and I fear, Jeanne,
there is no hope of permanent safety for you save in flight."
It was just a month from the mock trial, at which Marie had been
found guilty and sentenced to death, that Harry received a double
shock. Among the letters of denunciation was the following: "Citizen,
I know that you watch over the state. I would have you know that
for more than seven months two girls have been dwelling with one
Louise Moulin of 15 Rue Michel; there were three of them, but the
eldest has disappeared. This, in itself, is mysterious; the old
woman herself was a servant in the family of the ci-devant Marquis
de St. Caux. She gives out that the girls are relatives of hers,
but it is believed in the neighbourhood that they are aristocrats
in disguise. They receive many visits from a young man of whom no
one knows anything."
Harry felt the colour leave his cheeks, and his hand shook as
he hastily abstracted the note, and he could scarcely master the
meaning of the next few letters he opened.
This was a sudden blow for which he was unprepared. He could not
even think what was best to be done. However, saying to himself
that he had at any rate a few days before him, he resolutely put the
matter aside, to be thought over when he was alone, and proceeded
with his work. After a time he came to the list of those marked
out for execution on the following day, and saw with a fresh pang
the name of Marie de St. Caux.
So the crisis had arrived. That night or never Marie must be rescued,
and his plan of forging Robespierre's signature must be put into
effect that day. He opened the next few papers mechanically, but
steadied himself upon Robespierre asking him a question. For a time
he worked on; but his brain was swimming, and he was on the point
of saying that he felt strangely unwell, and must ask to be excused
his work for that day, when he heard a ring at the bell, and a
moment later Lebat entered the room.
"I have just come from the tribunal, citizen," he said, "and have
seen the list for to-morrow. I have come to you, as I know you are
just, and abhor the shedding of innocent blood. There is among the
number a young girl, who is wholly innocent. I know her well, for
she comes from my province, and her father's chateau was within a
few miles of Dijon. Although her father was a furious aristocrat,
her heart was always with the people. She was good to the poor, and
was beloved by all the tenants on the estate. It is not just that
she should die for the sins of her parents. Moreover, henceforth,
if pardoned, she will be no longer an aristocrat. I respond for
her; for she has promised to marry me, the delegate of Burgundy
to the Commune. The young woman is the daughter of the man called
the Marquis de St. Caux, who met his deserved fate on the 2d of
September."
"You are willing to respond for her, citizen?" Robespierre said.
"I am. The fact that she will be my wife is surely a guarantee?"
"It is," Robespierre said. "What you tell me convinces me that I
can without damage to the cause of the people grant your request.
I am the more glad to do so since my secretary has also prayed
for her life. But though he rendered me the greatest service, and
I owe to him a debt of gratitude, I was obliged to refuse; for
to grant his request would have been to allow private feeling to
interfere with the justice of the people; but now it is different.
You tell me that, except by birth, she is no aristocrat; that she
has long been a friend of the people, and that she is going to be
your wife; on these grounds I can with a good conscience grant her
release."
Lebat had looked with astonishment at Harry as Robespierre spoke.
"Thank you, citizen," he said to Robespierre. "It is an act of justice
which I relied upon from your well-known character. I promise you
that your clemency will not be misplaced, and that she will become a
worthy citizen. May I ask," he said, "how it is that your secretary,
whose face seems familiar to me, is interested in this young woman
also?"
"It is simple enough," Robespierre replied. "He was in the service
of her father."
"Oh, I remember now," Lebat said. "He is English. I wonder, citizen,
that you should give your confidence to one of that treacherous
nation."
"He saved my life," Robespierre replied coldly; "a somewhat good
ground, you will admit, for placing confidence in him."
"Assuredly," Lebat said hastily, seeing that Robespierre was offended.
"And now, citizen, there is another matter of importance on which
I wish to confer with you."
Harry rose.
"Citizen, I will ask you to excuse me from further work to-day.
My head aches badly, and I can scarce see what I am writing."
"I thought you were making some confusion of my papers," Robespierre
said kindly. "By all means put aside your work."
On leaving the room Harry ran up to the attic above, which he had
occupied since he had entered Robespierre's service, rapidly put on
the blue blouse and pantaloons which he had formerly worn, pulled
his cap well down over his eyes, and hurried down stairs. He
stationed himself some distance along the street and waited for
Lebat to come out. Rapidly thinking the matter over, he concluded
that the man would not present himself with the order of release until
after dark, in order that if Marie struggled or tried to make her
escape it would be unnoticed in the street. Lebat had calculated,
of course, that on the presentation of the order the prison officials
would at once lead Marie to the gates whether she wished it or not,
and would, at his order, force her into a vehicle, when she would
be completely in his power, and he could confine her in his own
house or elsewhere until she consented to be his wife.
A quarter of an hour later Lebat came out of the house and walked
down the street. Harry followed him. After walking for some distance
Lebat came to a stand of hackney-coaches and spoke to one of the
drivers. When he had gone on again Harry went up to the man.
"Comrade," he said, "do you wish to do a good action and earn a
couple of gold pieces at the same time?"
"That will suit me admirably," the coachman replied.
"Let one of your comrades look after your horse, then, and let us
have a glass of wine together in that cabaret."
As soon as they were seated at a small table with a measure of wine
before them Harry said:
"That deputy with the red sash who spoke to you just now has engaged
you for a job this evening?"
"He has," the coachman said. "I am to be at the left corner of the
Place de Carrousel at eight this evening."
"He is a bad lot," Harry said; "he is going to carry off a poor
girl to whom he has been promising marriage; but of course we know
better than that. She is a friend of mine, and so were her parents,
and I want to save her. Now what I want to do is to take your place
on the box this evening. I will drive him to the place where he
is to meet her, and when he gets her to the door of his lodging I
shall jump off and give my citizen such a thrashing as will put a
stop to his gallivanting for some time. I will give you ten crowns
for the use of your coach for an hour."
"Agreed!" the coachman said. "Between ourselves, some of these
fellows who pretend to be friends of the people are just as great
scoundrels, ay, and worse, than the aristocrats were. We drivers
know a good many things that people in general don't; but you must
mind, citizen, he carries a sword, you know, and the beating may
turn out the other way."
"Oh, I can get a comrade or two to help," Harry said laughing.
"There are others besides myself who will not see our pretty Isabel
wronged."
"And where shall I get my coach again?"
"At the end of the Rue St. Augustin. I expect I shall be there by
nine o'clock with it; but I am sure not to be many minutes later.
Here is a louis now. I will give you the other when I change places
with you. Be at the Place de Carrousel at half-past seven. I shall
be on the look-out for you.
"I won't fail," the coachman said; "you may rely upon that."
Harry now hurried away to his friend Jacques, and rapidly gave an
account of what had taken place.
"In the first place, Jacques, I want your wife to see her friend
and to get her to take a note instantly to the warder, for him
to give to Mademoiselle de St. Caux. It is to tell her to make
no resistance when Lebat presents the order for her release, but
to go with him quietly; because if she appeals to the warders and
declares that she would rather die than go with him, it is just
possible that they might refuse to let him take her away, saying
that the order was for her release, but not for her delivery to him.
I don't suppose they would do so, because as one of the members of
the Committee of Public Safety he is all-powerful; still it would
be as well to avoid any risk whatever of our scheme failing. I
will drive to the Rue Montagnard, which, as you know, is close to
La Force. It is a quiet street, and it is not likely there will be
anybody about at half-past eight. Will you be there and give me a
hand to secure the fellow?"
"Certainly I will," Jacques said heartily. "What do you propose to
do with him?"
"I propose to tie his hands and feet and gag him, and then drive
to the Rue Bluert, which is close by, and where there are some
unfinished houses. We can toss him in there, and he will be safe
till morning.
"It will be the safest plan to run him through at once and have
done with him," Jacques said. "He will be a dangerous enemy if he
is left alive; and as he would kill you without mercy if he had a
chance, I don't see why you need be overnice with him."
"The man is a scoundrel, and one of a band of men whom I regard as
murderers," Harry said; "but I could not kill him in cold blood."
"You are wrong," Jacques said earnestly, "and you are risking
everything by letting him live. Such a fellow should be killed like
a rat when you get him in a trap."
"It may be so," Harry agreed; "but I could not bring myself to do
it."
Jacques was silent, but not convinced. It seemed to him an act of
the extremest folly to leave so dangerous an enemy alive.
"He would hunt us all down," he said to himself, "Elise and I,
this poor lad and the girl, to say nothing of the Englishman and
the girl's sisters. Well, we shall see. I am risking my head in
this business, and I mean to have my say."
Having made all his arrangements, Harry returned to his attic and
lay down there until evening, having before he went in purchased a
sword. At seven o'clock he placed his pistols in his bosom, girded
on his sword, which would attract no attention, for half the
rabble of Paris carried weapons, and then set out for the Place de
Carrousel. At half-past seven his friend the coachman drew up.
"Ah, here you are!" he said. "You had better take this big cape of
mine; you will find it precious cold on the box; besides he would
notice at once that you are not the coachman he hired if you are
dressed in that blouse."
Harry took off his sword and placed it on the seat, wrapped himself
in the great cape, wound a muffler round the lower part of his
face, and waited. A few minutes after the clock had struck eight
Lebat came along.
"Here we are, citizen," Harry said in a rough voice, "I am glad you
have come, for it's no joke waiting about on such nights as this.
Where am I to drive you to?"
"The prison of La Force," Lebat said, taking his seat in the coach.
Harry's heart beat fast as he drove towards the prison. He felt
sure that success would attend his plans; but the moment was an
exciting one. It did not seem that anything could interpose to prevent
success, and yet something might happen which he had not foreseen
or guarded against. He drove at a little more than a footpace,
for the streets a short distance from the centre of town were only
lighted here and there by a dim oil lamp, and further away they
were in absolute darkness, save for the lights which gleamed through
the casements. At last he reached the entrance to the prison. Lebat
jumped out and rang at the bell.
"What is it, citizen?" the guard said looking through a grille in
the gate.
"I am Citizen Lebat of the Committee of Public Safety, and I have
an order here, signed by Citizen Robespierre, for the release of
the female prisoner known as Marie Caux."
"All right, citizen!" the man said, opening the gate. "It is late
for a discharge; but I don't suppose the prisoner will grumble at
that."
Ten minutes later the gate opened again and Lebat came out with
a cloaked female figure. She hesitated on the top step, and then
refusing to touch the hand Lebat held out to assist her, stepped
down and entered the coach.
"Rue Fosseuse No. 18," Lebat said as he followed her.
Harry drove on, and was soon in the Rue Montagnard. It was a dark
narrow street; no one seemed stirring, and Harry peered anxiously
through the darkness for the figure of Jacques. Presently he heard
a low whistle, and a figure appeared from a doorway. Harry at once
checked the horse.
"What is it?" Lebat asked, putting his head out of the window.
Harry got off the box, and going to the window said in a drunken
voice:
"I want my fare. There is a cabaret only just ahead, and I want a
glass before I go further. My feet are pretty well frozen."
"Drive on, you drunken rascal," Lebat said furiously, "or it will
be worse for you."
"Don't you speak in that way to me, citizen," Harry said hoarsely.
"One man's as good as another in these days, and if you talk like
that to me I will break your head in spite of your red sash."
With an exclamation of rage Lebat sprang from the coach, and as his
foot touched the ground Harry threw his arms round him; but as he
did so he trod upon some of the filth which so thickly littered
the thoroughfare, and slipped. Lebat wrenched himself free and drew
his sword, and before Harry could have regained his feet he would
have cut him down, when he fell himself in a heap from a tremendous
blow which Jacques struck him with his sword.
"Jump inside," Jacques said to Harry. "We may have some one out to
see what the noise is about. He will be no more trouble."
He seized the prostrate body, threw it up on the box, and taking
his seat drove on.
"Marie," Harry said as he jumped in, "thank God you are safe!"
"Oh, Harry, is it you? Can it be true?" And the spirit which had
so long sustained the girl gave way, and leaning her head upon his
shoulder she burst into tears. Harry soothed and pacified her till
the vehicle again came to a stop.
"What is it, Jacques?" Harry asked, putting his head out of the
window.
"Just what we agreed upon," the man said. "Here are the empty
houses. You stop where you are. I will get rid of this trash."
Harry, however, got out.
"Is he dead?" he asked in a low voice.
"Well, considering his head's cut pretty nigh in two, I should think
he was," Jacques said. "It could not be helped, you know; for if
I hadn't struck sharp it would have been all over with you. Anyhow
it's better as it is a hundred times. If you don't value your neck,
I do mine. Now get in again. I sha'n't be two minutes.
He slipped off the red sash and coat and waistcoat of the dead
man, emptied his trouser pockets and turned them inside out, then
lifting the body on his shoulder he carried it to one of the empty
houses and threw it down.
"They will never know who he is," he said to himself "In this
neighbourhood the first comer will take his shirt and trousers. They
will suppose he has been killed and robbed, no uncommon matter in
these days, and his body will be thrown into the public pit, and
no one be any the wiser. I will burn the coat and waistcoat as soon
as I get back."
CHAPTER XI Marie and Victor
"Are you taking me to the girls, Harry?"
"No," Harry said. "It would not be safe to do so. There are already
suspicions, and they have been denounced."
Marie gave a cry of alarm.
"I have managed to suppress the document, Marie, and we start with
them in a day or two. Still it will be better for you not to go
near them. I will arrange for you to meet them to-morrow."
"Where am I going, then?"
"You are going to the house of a worthy couple, who have shown
themselves faithful and trustworthy by nursing a friend of mine,
who has for nearly six months been lying ill there. You will be
perfectly safe there till we can arrange matters."
"But if Robespierre has signed my release, as they said, I am safe
enough, surely, and can go where I like."
"I think you will be safe from re-arrest here in Paris, Marie, because
you could appeal to him; but outside Paris it might be different.
However, we can talk about that to-morrow, when you have had a good
night's rest."
Harry did not think it necessary to say, that when Lebat was missed
it would probably be ascertained that he was last seen leaving La
Force with her, and that if inquiries were set on foot about him
she might be sought for. However, Marie said no more on the subject,
quite content that Harry should make whatever arrangements he
thought best, and she now began to ask all sorts of questions about
her sisters, and so passed the time until they were close to the
Place de Carrousel; then Harry called Jacques to stop.
"Will you please get out, Marie, and wait with our good friend here
till I return. I shall be back in five minutes. I have to hand the
coach over to its owner.
Jacques threw Lebat's clothes over his arm and got down from the
box. Harry took his seat and drove into the Place, where he found
the coachman awaiting him.
"Have you managed the job?"
"That we have," Harry said. "He has a lesson, and Isabel has gone
off to her friends again. Poor little girl, I hope it will cure her
of her flightiness. Here is your cape and your money, my friend,
and thank you."
"You are heartily welcome," the driver said, mounting his box. "I
wish I could do as well every day; but these are bad times for us,
and money is precious scarce, I can tell you."
Harry soon rejoined Jacques and Marie. There were but few words said
as they made their way through the streets, for Marie was weakened
by her long imprisonment, and shaken by what she had gone through.
She had not asked a single question as to what had become of Lebat;
but she had no doubt that he was killed. She had grown, however,
almost indifferent to death. Day after day she had seen batches
of her friends taken out to execution, and the retribution which
had fallen upon this wretch gave her scarcely a thought, except a
feeling of thankfulness that she was freed from his persecutions.
Completely as she trusted Harry, it was with the greatest difficulty
that she had brought herself to obey his instructions and to place
herself for a moment in the power of her persecutor, and appear to
go with him willingly.
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