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08 - In the Reign of Terror: The Adventures of a Westminster Boy by G A Henty · In the Reign of Terror: The Adventures of a Westminster Boy

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Acording by General Mundo, chapter seven, the second of September.
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: Victor the Gisong was as usual waiting near the door
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: when Harry left louis ulad. What is the news Onri?
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: Nothing suspicious? I hope you are out sooner than usual. Yes,
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: for I have something to think of here. We have
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: been planning in Vain for the last fortnight to hit
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: upon some scheme for getting our friends out of prison.
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: And John has pointed out a way which you and
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: I never thought of. What is that, Henri, The simplest
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: thing in the world, namely, that we should seize one
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: of the leaders of these villains and compel him to
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: sign an order for their release. That certainly seems possible,
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: Victor said, I wonder it never occurred to either of us.
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: But how is it to be done? Ah, That is
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: for us to think out. Jean has given us the idea,
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: and we should be stupid if we cannot invent the details.
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: In the first place, we have got to settle which
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: of them it had better be, and in the next
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: how it is to be managed. It must be someone
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: whose signature the people at the prison would be sure
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: to obey. The Victor said, it must be either Danton,
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: rose Pierre or Mora. Harry added, I think he is
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: as powerful as either of the others. He is the
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: worst of them anyhow, Victor said, there is something straightforward
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: about Danton. No doubt he is ambitious, but I think
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: his hatred of us all is real. He is a
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: terrible enemy and will certainly stick at nothing. He is
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: ruthless and pitiless, but I do not think he is
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: double faced.
• 1:25
  Speaker 2: Robespierre is ambitious, too, but I think he is.
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: Really acting according to his principles, such as they are.
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: He would be pitiless too, but he would murder on principle.
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: He would sign unmoved, the order for a hundred heads
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: to fall if he thought there falling necessary or even
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: useful for the course of the revolution. But I do
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: not think he would shut a drop of blood to
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: satisfy private enmity. They call him the incorruptible. He is
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: more dangerous than Danton, for he has no vices. He
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: lives simply, and they say is fond of birds and pets.
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: I do not think we should make much of either
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: Danton or him, even if we got them in our power.
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: Danton would be like a wild beast in a snare,
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: he would rage with fury. But I do not think
• 2:03
  Speaker 1: that he would be intimidated into signing what we require,
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: nor do I think would Rogespierre Mara is a different
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: creature altogether. He is simply venomous. He hates the world
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: and would absolutely rejoice and slaughter.
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: So loathsome is.
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: He in appearance that even as colleagues shrink from him.
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: He is a venomous reptile whom it would be a
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: pleasure to slay, as it would be to put one's
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: heel upon a rattlesnake. Whether he is a coward or not,
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: I do not know, but I should think so. Men
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: of his type are seldom brave. I think if we
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: had him in our hands, we might frighten him into
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: doing what we want.
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: Then Marat it shall.
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: Be, Harry said that much is settled tomorrow we will
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: find out something about his habits. Till we know about that,
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: we cannot form any plan whatever. Let us meet at
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: dinner time at our usual place. Then we will go
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: outside the assembly and wait till he comes out. Fortunately
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: we both know him well by sight. He will be
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: sure to go, surrounded as usual by a mob of
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: his admirers to the Jacobin Club. From there we can
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: trace him to his home. No doubt anyone could tell
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: us where he lives, but it would be dangerous to ask.
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: When we have found that out, we can decide upon
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: our next step. They were, however, save the trouble they contemplated,
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: for they learned from the conversation of two men among
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: the mob who cheered Maraut as he entered the assembly
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: what they wanted to know. Marat is the man for me.
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: One of them said, he hates the aristocracy. He would
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: bathe in their blood. I never missed reading his articles
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: in The Friend of the People. His cry is always
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: blood blood. He does not ape the manner of the bourgeois.
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: He does not wash his face and put on clean linen.
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: He is a great man, but he is as dirty as.
• 3:34
  Speaker 2: The best of us.
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: He still lives in his old lodgings, though he could
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  Speaker 1: move if he liked, into any of the fine houses
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  Speaker 1: whose owners are in the prisons. He wants no servants,
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: but lives just as we do. Leave Maraud, Where does
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: the great citizen live? Victor asked the man, in a
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: tone of earnest entreaty. On learning the address they took
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: their way to the dirty and disreputable street where Mauraut lodged.
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: The citizen Maraud lives in this street, does he not,
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: Victor asked a man lounging at the door of the cabaret. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: in that house opposite, do you want him?
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: No?
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  Speaker 1: Only I was curious to see the house where the
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: friend of the people lives. And as I was passing
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: the end of the street turned down, will you drink
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: a glass? I am always ready for that, the man said,
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: But in these hard times one cannot do it as
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: often as one would like. That is true enough, Victor said,
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: as they took their seats at a table. And so
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: Marian lives over there. It's not much of a place
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: for a great man. It is all he wants, the
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: other said carelessly. And he is safe for here than
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: he would be in the richer quarters. There would be
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: a plot against him, and those cursed royalists would kill
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: him if they had the chance. But he is always
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: escorted home from the club by a band of patriots.
• 4:42
  Speaker 1: In the evening, Harry and Victor returned to the street
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: and watched until Maurat returned from the Jacobin Club. His
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: escort of men with torches and bloodons left him at
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  Speaker 1: the door, but two or three went upstairs with him,
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: and until far in the night visitors came and went.
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: Then the light in the upper room was extinguished. It
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: is not such an easy affair, Victor said, as they
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: moved away. And you see, as that man in the
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: wine shop told us, there is an old woman who
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: cooks for him. And it is much more difficult to
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: seize two people without an alarm being given than one.
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: That is so, Harry agreed. But it must be done somehow.
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: Every day matters grow more threatening, and those bands of
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: scoundrels from Marseilles have not been brought all this way
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  Speaker 1: for nothing. The worst of it is we have such
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: a short time to act. Maura does not seem to
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: be ever alone from early morning until late at night.
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: Supposing we did somehow get the order of release from
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  Speaker 1: him at night, we could not present it till the morning,
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: and before we could present it, someone might arrive and
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: discover him fastened up, and might take the news to
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: the prison before we could get them out. Yes, that
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: is very serious, Victor agreed. I begin to despair, Henri.
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: We must not do that, Harry, rejoined. You see, we
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: thought it impossible before till Jean gave us the idea.
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  Speaker 1: There must be some way out of it, if we
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: could only hit upon it. Perhaps by tomorrow morning an
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: idea will occur to one of us, and there is
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: another thing to be found. We must procure disguises for them.
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: It would be of no use whatever getting them out
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: unless we could conceal them. After they are freed. It
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: would not do for them to go to Louis Moland.
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: She has three visitors already, and the arrival of Moore
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: to stay with her would be sure to excite to
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  Speaker 1: talk among the neighbors. The last orders are so strict
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: about the punishment of anyone giving shelter to enemies of
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  Speaker 1: the Republic that people who let rooms will all be suspicious.
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  Speaker 1: The only plan will be to get them out of
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  Speaker 1: the city at once. It will be difficult for them
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  Speaker 1: to make their way through France on foot, for in
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: every town and village there is the strictest lookout kept
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  Speaker 1: for suspected persons. Still that must be risked. There is
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  Speaker 1: no other way. Yes, we must see about that tomorrow, Henri,
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: But I do not think the Marquise could support her journey,
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: for they would have to sleep in the fields. Moreover,
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: she will probably elect to stay near her children until
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: all can go together. Therefore, I think that it will
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: be best for her to come either to you or me.
• 6:53
  Speaker 1: We can take an additional room, saying that our mother
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: is coming up from the country to keep house for us. Yes,
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: that would be much the best, Victor. And now here
• 7:01
  Speaker 1: we are close home. I hope by the time we
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  Speaker 1: meet in the morning, one of us may have hit
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  Speaker 1: upon some plan or other for getting hold of this scoundrel.
• 7:09
  Speaker 1: I have hit upon an idea, Victor, Harry said when
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  Speaker 1: they met the next morning. I am glad to hear
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  Speaker 1: of it, for though I have lain awake all night,
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  Speaker 1: I could think of nothing. Well, what is your idea? Well,
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: you see, Mauraut often goes out.
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  Speaker 2: In the morning alone. He is so well known, and.
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  Speaker 1: He is so much regarded by the lower class, that
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  Speaker 1: he has no fear of any assault being made upon
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  Speaker 1: him during the day. My plan is that we should
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: follow him till he gets into some street with a
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  Speaker 1: few people about. Then I would rush upon him, seize
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  Speaker 1: him and draw a knife to strike, shouting, die villain.
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  Speaker 1: You should be a few paces behind and should run
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  Speaker 1: up and strike the knife out of my hand, managing
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  Speaker 1: at the same moment to tumble over Maraaut and fall
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  Speaker 1: with him to the ground. That would give me time
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  Speaker 1: to bolt. I would have a beard on, and would
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: have my other clothes under the blouse. I would rush
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: into the first doorway and run upstairs, pull off my beard,
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  Speaker 1: blouse and blue pantaloons, then walk quietly down. You would,
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  Speaker 1: of course rush upstairs and meet me on the way.
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: I should say I had just met a fellow running upstairs,
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  Speaker 1: and should slip quietly off. It would be a frightful
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  Speaker 1: risk on me. Frightful No, I think it could be
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: managed easily enough. Then, of course Murat would be very
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: grateful to you, and you could either get him to
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: visit your lodgings or could go up to his, and
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: once you had been there, you could manage to outsit
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  Speaker 1: his last visitor at.
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  Speaker 2: Night, and then we could do as we agreed.
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  Speaker 1: But you know, we thought we should hardly have time
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: in the morning. Ri No, I have been thinking of that,
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: and I have come to the conclusion that our best
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: plan would be to seize him and hold a dagger
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: to his heart and threaten to kill him instantly. If
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: he did not accompany us, then we would go down
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  Speaker 1: with him into the street and walk arm in arm
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  Speaker 1: with him to your lodging. We could thrust a ball
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: of wood into his mouth so that he could not
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  Speaker 1: call out, even if he had the courage to do so,
• 8:47
  Speaker 1: which I don't think he would have. If he were
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  Speaker 1: assured that if he made the slightest sound we would
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: kill him, then we could make him sign the order
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: and leave him fastened up there.
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  Speaker 2: It would be.
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  Speaker 1: Better to take him to your lodgings than mine, in
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: case my visits to Louise La should have been noticed,
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: and when he has released there will be a hue
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: and cry from his captors. The best plan will be
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: to put a knife into his heart at once the
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: minute you have got the order signed, Victor said savagely,
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  Speaker 1: I should have no more hesitation in killing him than
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: stamping on a snake. No, Victor, the man is a monster,
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: but we cannot kill him in cold blood. Besides, we
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: should do more harm than good to the cause, for
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: the people would consider he had died a martyr to
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: his championship of their rights, and would be more furious
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: than ever against the aristocracy. But his account of what
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: he has gone through will to have just the same
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: effect onri. I should think it probable he would keep
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: the story to himself. What has happened once may happen again.
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: And besides, his cowardice in signing the release of three
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: enemies of the people in order to save his life
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: would tell against him. No, I think he would keep silence.
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: After we have got them safe away, we can return
• 9:51
  Speaker 1: and so far loosen his bonds that he would be
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: able after a time to free himself. Five minutes start
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: would be all that we should want. But the plan
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: was not destined to be carried out. It was the
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: morning of the second of September seventeen ninety two, and
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: as they went down into the quarter where the magazines
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: of old clothes were situated in order to purchase the
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: necessary disguises, they soon became sensible that something unusual was
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: in the air. Separating, they joined the groups of men
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: at the corners of the streets and tried to learn
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: what was going on, But none seemed to know for certain.
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: All sorts of sinister rumors were about. Word had been
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: passed that the Jacobin bands were to be in readiness,
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: that evening money had been distributed, the Marseille had dropped
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: hints that a blow was to be struck at the tyrants.
• 10:35
  Speaker 1: Everywhere there was a suppressed excitement among the working classes,
• 10:39
  Speaker 1: an air of gloom and terror among the bourgeois. After
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: some time, Harry and Victor came together again and compared
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: their observations. Neither had learned anything definite, but both were
• 10:49
  Speaker 1: sure that something unusual was about to take place. It
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: may be that a large number of fresh arrests are
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: about to be made, Harry said. There are still many
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: deputies who withstand the violence of the mountain. It may
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: be that a blow is going to be struck against them.
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: We must hope that that is it. Victor said, but
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: I am terribly uneasy. Harry had the same feeling, But
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: he did his best to reassure his friend, and proposed
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: that they should at once set about buying the disguises,
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: and that on the following morning they should carry in
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: to effect their plan. With reference to Mara, the dresses
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: were bought. Two suits, such as a respectable mechanic would
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: wear on Sundays or holidays, were first purchased. There was
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: then a debate as to the disguise for the Maquis.
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: It struck them at once that it was strange for
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: two young workmen to be purchasing female attire, But after
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: some consultation, they decided upon a bonnet and long cloak,
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: and these Victor went in and bought, gaily, telling the
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: shopkeeper that he was buying a birthday present for his
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: old mother. They took the clothes up to Harry's room,
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: agreeing that Louise could easily buy the rest of the
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: garments required for the Maquis as soon as.
• 11:50
  Speaker 2: She was free.
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: But they decided to say nothing about the attempt that
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: was about to be made until it was over, as
• 11:55
  Speaker 1: it would cause an anxiety which the old woman would
• 11:58
  Speaker 1: probably be unable to conceal from the girls. Victor did
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: not accompany Harry to his room. They had never indeed
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: visited each other in their apartments, meeting always some little
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: distance away, in order that their connection should be unobserved
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: and that should one be arrested, no suspicion would follow
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: the other. As soon as he had deposited the clothes,
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: Harry sallied out again, and on rejoining Victor, they made
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: their way down to the utel le Ville being too
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: anxious to remain quiet, they could learn nothing from the crowd,
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: which was as usual assembled before the hotel. There was
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: a general impression that something was about to happen, but
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: none could give any definite reason for their belief. All
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: day they wandered about, restless and anxious. They fought their
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: way into the galleries of the Assembly when the doors opened,
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: but for a time nothing new took place. The Assembly,
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: in which the moderates had still a powerful voice, had
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: protested against the assumption of authority by the Council of
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: the Commune sitting at the Hotel de Ville, but the
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: Assembly lacked firmness. The Commune every day gained in power.
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: Already warrants of arrest were prepared against the Girondis, the
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: early leaders of the movement. Too restless to remain in
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: the Assembly, Victor and Harry again took their steps to
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: the Hotel de Ville. Just as they arrived there, twenty
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: four persons, of whom twenty two were priests, were brought
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: out from the prison of the Maris by a party
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: of Marseilles, who shouted to the abbey. These Ruffians pushed
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: their prisoners into coaches. Standing at the door shouting, you
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: will not arrive at the prison. The people are waiting
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: to tear you in pieces. But the people looked on
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: silently in sullen apathy.
• 13:28
  Speaker 2: You see them.
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: The Marseilles shouted, there they are, You are about to
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: march to Verdant. They only await for your departure to
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: butcher your wives and children. Still the crowd did not move.
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: The great mass of the people had no share in
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: the bloody deeds of the revolution. These were the work
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: of a few score of violent men, backed by the
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: ruffuse of the population. A few shouts were raised here
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: and thereof down with the Priests. But more of the
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: crowd joined in the shouts which Victor and Harry lustily
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: raised of shame, down with the Marseilles. Victor would have
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: pressed forward to attack the Marseilles, and had not. Harry
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: held his arm tightly, exclaiming in his ear, restrain yourself, Victor,
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: think of the lives that depend on ours. The mob
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: will not follow you. You can do nothing yourself. Come
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: get out of the crowd, so saying, he dragged Victor away.
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: It was well that they could not see what was
• 14:15
  Speaker 1: taking place in the coaches or Victor's fury would have
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: been ungovernable, for several of the Ruffians had drawn their
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: swords and were hacking furiously at their prisoners. We will
• 14:24
  Speaker 1: follow them, Harry said, when he and Victor had made
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: their way out of the crowd. But you must remember, Victor,
• 14:29
  Speaker 1: that come what may, you must keep cool. You would
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: only throw away your life uselessly. For Marie's sake, you
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: must keep calm. Your life belongs to her and you
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: have no right to throw it away. You are right,
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: tom Ree, Victor said gloomily. But how can one look
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: on and see men inciting others to massacre? What is
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: going to take place?
• 14:49
  Speaker 2: We must follow them.
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: I am ready to follow them, Harry said. But you
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: must not go unless you are firmly resolved to restrain
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: your feelings. Whatever may happen. You can do no possible
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: good and will only involve yourself in the destruction of others.
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: You may trust me, the young count said, I will
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: be calm for Marie's sake. Harry had his doubts as
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: to his friend's power of self control, but he was
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: anxious to see what was taking place, and they joined
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: the throng that followed the coaches. But they were now
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: in the rear and could see nothing that was taking
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: place before them. When the carriages reached the abbey, the
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: prisoners alighted. Some of them were at once cut down
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: by the Marseier. The rest fled into the hall where
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: one of the committees was sitting. Its members, however, did
• 15:28
  Speaker 1: nothing to protect them and looked on while all save
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: two were massacred unresistingly. Then the Marseille came out, brandishing
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: their bloody weapons and shouting the good work has begun,
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: down with the priests, down with the enemies of the people.
• 15:41
  Speaker 1: The better class of people in the crowd assembled at
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: the Hotel de Ville had not followed the procession to
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: the abbe. They had been horror struck at the words
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: and actions of the marseilleres, and felt that this was
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: the beginning of the fulfillment of the rumors of the
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: last few days. The murder of the first prisoner was
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: indeed the signal for every man of thought or feeling
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: and of.
• 15:59
  Speaker 2: Hearts to draw back from the revolution.
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: Thousands of earnest men who had at first thought that
• 16:04
  Speaker 1: the hour of life and liberty commenced with the meeting
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: of the States General, and had gone heart and soul
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: with that body in its early struggles for power, had
• 16:11
  Speaker 1: long since shrunk back, appalled at the new tyranny which
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: had sprung into existence. Each active usurpation of power by
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: the Jacobins had alienated a section the nobles and the clergy,
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: many of whom had at first gone heartily with the
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: early reformers, had shrunk back, appalled when they saw that
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: the religion and monarchy were menaced. The bourgeoisie who had
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: made the revolution were all ready to a man against it.
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: The Girondis, the leaders of the Third Estate, had fallen away,
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: and over their heads the axe was already hanging. The
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: Revolution had no longer a friend in France save among
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: the lowest, the basest, and the most ignorant. And now,
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: by the massacres of the second of September, the Republic
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: of France was to stand forth in the eyes of
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: Europe as a blood stained monster, the enemy not of
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: kings only, but of humanity in general. Thus the crowd
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: following the Marseilles was composed almost entirely of this scum
• 17:02
  Speaker 1: of Paris, wretches who had long been at war with society,
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: who hated the rich, hated the priests hated all above them,
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: men who had suffered so much that they had become
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: wild beasts, who were the products of that evil system
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: of society which had now been overthrown. The greater proportion
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: of them were in the party of the Commune for
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: two days before all the unemployed had been enrolled as
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: the army of the Commune. Thus there was no repetition
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: before the abbe of the cries of shame which had
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: been heard in front of the Marie. The shouts of
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: the Marseilles were taken up and re echoed by the mob.
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: Savage cries, curses and shouts for vengeance filled the air.
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: Many were armed, and knives and bludgeons, swords and pipes
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: were brandished or shaken. Blood had been tasted, and all
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: the savage instincts were on fire. This is horrible, on
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: re Victor, the yieson exclaimed, I feel as if I
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: were in a nightmare, not that any nightmare could compare
• 17:51
  Speaker 1: in terror to this. Look at those hideous faces, faces
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: of men debased by crime, sodden with drink degraded below
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: the level of brutes exulting in the fault of blood,
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: blusting for murder and to think that these creatures are
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: the masters of France. Quite heavens, what can come of
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: it in the future. What is going to take place?
• 18:09
  Speaker 2: Now?
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: Organized massacre? I fear victor. What seems incredible impossible is
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: going to take place. There is to be a massacre
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: of the prisoners. They had by this time reached the
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: monastery of the Carmelites, now converted into a prison. Here
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: a large number of priests had been collected. The Marseier entered,
• 18:27
  Speaker 1: and the prisoners were called by name to assemble in
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: the garden. First the Archbishop of Arles was murdered. Then
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: they fell upon the others and hewed them down. The
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: bishops of Saint and Bauvat were among the slain, and
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: the assassins did not desist until the last prisoner in
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: the Carmelites had been hacked to pieces. Grace had already
• 18:44
  Speaker 1: been dug near the barrier Saint Jacques, and carts were
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: waiting to convey the corpses there, showing how carefully the
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: preparations for the massacre had been made. Then the Marseier
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: returned to the Abbe, and with the crowd of followers,
• 18:56
  Speaker 1: entered the great hall. Here the bailiff Mayard organized a
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: sort of tribunal of men taken at random from the crowd.
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: Some of these were paid hirelings of the commune, some
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: were terrified workmen or small tradesmen who had merely from
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: curiosity joined the mob. The Swiss officers and soldiers, who
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: were with the priests special objects of hatred to the mob,
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: were first brought out. They were spared the farce of
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: a trial. They were ordered to march out through the doors,
• 19:21
  Speaker 1: outside which the Marseier were awaiting them. Some hesitated to
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: go out and cried for mercy. A young man with
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: head erect was the first to pass through the fatal doors.
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: He fell in a moment, pierced with pikes. The rest
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: followed him, and all save two, who were by some
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: caprice of the mob spared, shared his fate. The mob
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: had crowded into the galleries which surrounded the hall, and
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: applauded with ferocious yells the murder of the soldiers in
• 19:45
  Speaker 1: the body of the hall, as space was kept clear
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: by the armed followers of a commune round the judge's table,
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: and a pathway to the door from the interior of
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: the prison to that opening into the street when the
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: Swiss had been massacred, the trial of the other prisoners commenced.
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: One after another. The prisoners were brought out, they were
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: asked their names and occupations. A few questions followed, and
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: then the verdict of guilty. One after another. They were
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: conducted to the door, and there slain two or three.
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: By the wittiness of their answers, amused the mob, and
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: were thereupon acquitted, the acquittals being greeted by the spectators
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: as heartily as the sentences of death. Victor and Harry
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: were in the lowest gallery. They stood back from the front,
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: but between the heads of those before them they could
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: see what was going on below. Victor stood immovable, his
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: face as pale as death. His cap had fallen, his
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: hair was dank with perspiration. His eyes had a look
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: of concentrated horror. His body shook with a spasmodic shuddering
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: in vain. Harry, when he once saw what was going
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: to take place, urged him in a low whisper to leave.
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: He did not appear to hear, and even when Harry
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: pulled him by the sleeve of his blouse, he seemed
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: equally unconscious. Harry was greatly alarmed and feared that every
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: moment his companion would betray himself by some terrible outburst.
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: After the three or four first prisoners had been disposed,
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: a tall and stately man was brought him to the hall.
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: A terrible cry, which sounded loud even above the tumult
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: which reigned burst from Victor's lips. He threw himself with
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: the fury of a madman upon those in front of him,
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: and in a moment would have bounded into the hall,
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: had not Harry brought the heavy stick he carried with
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: all his force down upon his head.
• 21:19
  Speaker 2: Victor fell like a log under the blow.
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: What is it?
• 21:22
  Speaker 2: What is it?
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: Shouted those around. My comrade has gone out of his mind,
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: Harry said quietly. He has been drinking for some days,
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: and his hatred for the enemies of France has turned
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: his head. I've been watching him, and had I not
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: knocked him down, he would have thrown himself head foremost
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: off the gallery and broken his neck. The explanation seemed natural,
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: and all were too interested in what was passing in
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: the hall below to pay further attention to so trivial
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: an accident. It was well that Harry had caught sight
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: of the prisoner before Victor did so, and was prepared
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: for the outbreak, for it was the Duke de Guizant
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: who had thus been led into murder. Harry dragged Victor
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: back against the wall behind, and then tried to lift him.
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: I will lend you a hand. A tall man in
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: the dress of a mechanic, who had been standing next
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: to him, said, and lifting Victor's body on to his shoulder,
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: made his way to the top of the stairs, Harry
• 22:09
  Speaker 1: preceding him and opening a way through the crowd, and
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: another minute they were in the open air. Thank you greatly,
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: Harry said, I do not know how I should have
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: managed without your aid. If you put him down here,
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: I will try and bring him round. I live not
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: far from here, the man said, I will take him
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: to my room. You need not be afraid. He added,
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: as Harry hesitated, I have got my eyes open. You
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: can trust me, so, saying he made his way through
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: the crowd gathered outside. He was frequently asked too he
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: was carrying, for the crowd feared lest any of their
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: prey should escape, But the man's reply given with a
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: rough laugh. It is a lad whose stomach is not
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: strong enough. To bear the sight of blood, and I
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: tell you it is pretty hot in there, satisfied them.
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: Passing through several streets, the man entered a small house
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: and carried Victor to the attic and laid him on
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: a bed. Then he carefully closed the door and struck
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: a light. You struck hard, my friend, he said, as
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: he examined Victor's said, Ma foy, I should not have
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: liked such a blow myself, but I don't blame you.
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: You were but just in time to prevent his betraying himself,
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: and better a hundred times to knock on the head
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: than those pikes outside the door. I had my eye
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: on him and felt sure he would do something rash,
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: and I had intended to choke him, but he was
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: too quick for me. How came you to be so
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: foolish as to be there? We had friends in the prison,
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: and we thought we might do something to say them,
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: Harry answered, for he saw that it would be his
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: best policy to be frank. It was his father whom
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: they brought out. It was rash of you, young sir.
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: A kid might as well try to save his mother
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: from the tiger who has laid its paw upon her.
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: As for you to try to rescue any one from
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: the clutches of the mob.
• 23:43
  Speaker 2: Mon Dieu should.
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: Think that in the early days, I was fool enough
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: to go down to the assembly and cheer the deputies.
• 23:48
  Speaker 2: But I have seen my mistake. What has it brought us?
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: A ruined trade, an empty cupboard, and to be ruled
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: by the ruffians of the slums instead of the king,
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: the clergy and the upper classes. I was a brass worker,
• 23:59
  Speaker 1: and a good one, though I say it myself, and
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: earned good wages. Now for the last month I haven't
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: done a struggle of work. Who wants to buy brass
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: work when there are mansions and shops to pillage? And
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: now what are you going to do? My wife is out,
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: but she will probably be back soon. We will attend
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: to this young fellow. She is a good nurse, and
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: I tell you I think you will need all we
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: can do for him. You don't think I have seriously
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: injured him, Harry said, in a tone of dismay. No, no,
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: don't make yourself uneasy. You have stunned him, and that's all.
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: He will soon get over that. I have seen men
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: get worse knocks in a drunken row and be at
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: work again in the morning.
• 24:33
  Speaker 2: But it is different here.
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: I saw his face and he was pretty nearly mad
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: when he struck him. I doubt whether he will be
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: in his right senses when he comes round, but never fear.
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: We will look after him well. You can say if
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: you like, but if you want to go, you can
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: trust him to us. I see you can keep your
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: head and will not run into danger as he did.
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: I do want to go terribly, Harry said, terribly, And
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: I feel that I can trust you completely. You have
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: saved his life and mine already. Now you will not
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: be hurt at what I am going to say. He
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: is the son of the Duc de di Ghizon, the
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: last man we saw brought out to be murdered. We
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: have plenty of money. In a belt round his waist,
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: you will find a hundred louis. Please do not spare them.
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: If you think he wants a surgeon, call him in
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: and get everything necessary for your household. While you are
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: nursing him, you cannot go out to work. I do
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: not talk of reward. One cannot reward kindness like yours.
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: But while you are looking after him, you and your
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: wife must live. Agreed the man said, shaking Harry by
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: the hand. You speak like a man of heart. I
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: will look after him. You need be under no uneasiness.
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: Should any of my comrades come in, I shall say
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: this is a young workman who got knocked down and
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: hurt in the crowd, and whom, having nothing better to do,
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: I have brought in here. If he should recover his
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: senses before I come back, Harry said, please do not
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: let him know it was I who struck him. He
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: will be well nigh heart broken that he could not
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: share the fate of his father. Let him think that
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: he was knocked down by some one in the crowd.
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: All right, that is easily managed. The man said, Jacques
• 25:57
  Speaker 1: Mandar is no fool. Now you had best be off,
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: for I see you are on thorns, and leave me
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: to bathe his head. If you shouldn't come back, you
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: can depend upon it. I will look after him till
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: he is able to go about again. End of Chapter seven,
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: recording by General Mundo