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10 - 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: Pierre. After dark, Harry presented himself at Louise Malan's. Have
0:06
Speaker 1: you thought of anything, Harry? Was Jean's first question. She
0:10
Speaker 1: was alone, for Louise was cooking and Virginie had laid
0:13
Speaker 1: down and cried herself to sleep. I have thought of
0:16
Speaker 1: a number of things, he replied, for while he had
0:18
Speaker 1: been sitting by Victor's bedside, he had turned over in
0:21
Speaker 1: his mind every scheme by which he could get Marie
0:23
Speaker 1: out of prison. But at present I have fixed upon nothing.
0:26
Speaker 1: I cannot carry out our original plan of seizing Marie.
0:29
Speaker 1: It would require more than one to carry out such
0:31
Speaker 1: a scheme, and a friend whom I relied upon before
0:34
Speaker 1: can no longer aid me. Who is it? Jean asked quietly.
0:38
Speaker 1: Is it Victor Dequasson? What bless me, Jean, Harry exclaimed,
0:44
Speaker 1: in surprise. How did you guess that? I felt sure
0:47
Speaker 1: it was Victor all along, the girl said, In the
0:49
Speaker 1: first place, I never believed that he had gone away.
0:52
Speaker 1: Marie told me she had begged and prayed him to go,
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Speaker 1: and that he had only gone to please her. She
0:57
Speaker 1: seemed to think it was right he should go, but
0:59
Speaker 1: I didn't think so. A gentleman should not run away
1:01
Speaker 1: and leave any one he liked behind, even if she
1:03
Speaker 1: told him it was not likely. Why here are you
1:06
Speaker 1: staying here and risking your life for us though we
1:08
Speaker 1: are not related to you and have no claim upon you.
1:11
Speaker 1: And how could Victor run away? But as Marie seemed
1:13
Speaker 1: pleased to think he was safe, I said nothing. But
1:16
Speaker 1: I know if he had gone, and some day they
1:18
Speaker 1: had been married, I should never have looked upon him
1:20
Speaker 1: as a brother. But I felt sure he wouldn't do it,
1:22
Speaker 1: and that he was in Paris. Still, then again, you
1:25
Speaker 1: did not tell us the name of the friend who
1:27
Speaker 1: was working with you, and I felt sure you must
1:29
Speaker 1: have some reason for your silence. So putting the two
1:32
Speaker 1: things together, I was sure that it was Victor. What
1:34
Speaker 1: has happened to him? Is he in prison too? No,
1:38
Speaker 1: he is not in prison, Jean Harry said, but he
1:41
Speaker 1: is very ill, and he related the whole circumstances of
1:44
Speaker 1: Victor's fever. I blamed myself awfully at first for having
1:47
Speaker 1: hit him so hard, as you may suppose, Jean, But
1:49
Speaker 1: the doctor said he thinks it makes no difference, and
1:52
Speaker 1: that Victor's delirium is due to mental shock and not
1:55
Speaker 1: in any way to the blow on the head. Still,
1:57
Speaker 1: I should not like your sister to know it. I
1:59
Speaker 1: am very glad you have guessed the truth, for it
2:01
Speaker 1: is a comfort to talk things over with you, poor Marie,
2:05
Speaker 1: Jean said softly. It is well she never knew about it.
2:08
Speaker 1: The thought that he had got safely away kept her up.
2:11
Speaker 1: And now tell me about your plans. Could I not
2:13
Speaker 1: take Victor's place and help you seize Maree. I am
2:16
Speaker 1: not strong, you know, but I could hold a knife,
2:18
Speaker 1: and to tell him I would kill him if he
2:19
Speaker 1: cried out. I don't think I could, you know, but
2:22
Speaker 1: he wouldn't know that. I am afraid that wouldn't do, Jean,
2:27
Speaker 1: Harry said with a slight smile, shaking his head. It
2:29
Speaker 1: was a desperate enterprise for two of us. Besides, it
2:32
Speaker 1: would never do for you to run the risk of
2:34
Speaker 1: being separated from Virginie. Remember you are father and mother
2:37
Speaker 1: and elder sister to her. Now, the next plan I
2:40
Speaker 1: thought of was to try and get appointed as a
2:42
Speaker 1: warder in the prison, but that seems full of difficulties,
2:44
Speaker 1: for I know no one who could get me such
2:46
Speaker 1: a berth, and certainly they would not appoint a fellow
2:48
Speaker 1: at my age, unless by some extraordinary influence. Then I
2:52
Speaker 1: thought if I let out I was English, I might
2:53
Speaker 1: get arrested and lodged in the same prison, and might
2:56
Speaker 1: help her get out. Then, from what I hear, the
2:58
Speaker 1: prisoners are not separated, but all live together. No, No, Harry,
3:02
Speaker 1: John exclaimed, in a tone of sharp pain, you must
3:05
Speaker 1: not do that. Of all things, we have only you,
3:07
Speaker 1: and if you are once in prison, we might never
3:09
Speaker 1: get you out again. Besides, there are lots of other prisons,
3:12
Speaker 1: and there is no reason why they should send you
3:14
Speaker 1: to a horse rather than anywhere else. No, I will
3:16
Speaker 1: never consent to that plan. I thought it seemed too
3:19
Speaker 1: doubtful myself, Harry said. Of course, if I knew that
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Speaker 1: they would send me to a horse, I might risk it.
3:25
Speaker 1: I could hide a file and a steel saw about
3:27
Speaker 1: me and might cut through the bars. But as you say,
3:30
Speaker 1: there is no reason why they should send me there
3:32
Speaker 1: rather than anywhere else. I would kill that villain who
3:34
Speaker 1: arrested her, the scoundrel after being a guest at the shutau.
3:38
Speaker 1: But I don't see that would do your sister any good,
3:40
Speaker 1: and would probably end in my being shut up. The
3:42
Speaker 1: most hopeful plan seems to me to try and bribe
3:44
Speaker 1: some of the warders. Some of them, no doubt, would
3:47
Speaker 1: be glad enough to take money if they could see
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Speaker 1: their way to letting her out without fear of detection.
3:51
Speaker 1: But you know we thought of that before, Harry, and
3:53
Speaker 1: agreed it would be a terrible risk to try it,
3:55
Speaker 1: for the very first man you spoke to might turn
3:57
Speaker 1: round on you. Oh there is a cert and risk, Jean. Anyway,
4:01
Speaker 1: there is no getting a prisoner out of la force
4:03
Speaker 1: without running some sort of risk. The thing is to
4:05
Speaker 1: fix on as safe a plan as we can. However,
4:08
Speaker 1: we must think it out well before we do try.
4:10
Speaker 1: A failure would be fatal, and I do not think
4:12
Speaker 1: there is any pressing danger just at present. It is
4:15
Speaker 1: hardly likely there will be any repetition of the wholesale
4:17
Speaker 1: work of the second of September. And if they have
4:20
Speaker 1: anything like a trial of the prisoners, there are such
4:22
Speaker 1: numbers of them, so many arrested every day, that it
4:25
Speaker 1: may be a long time before they come to your sister.
4:27
Speaker 1: I do not mean that we should trust to that,
4:29
Speaker 1: only that there is time for us to make our
4:31
Speaker 1: plants properly. Have you thought of anything? I have thought
4:35
Speaker 1: of all sorts of things since you left this morning, Harry.
4:37
Speaker 1: But they are, like yours, just vague sorts of schemes
4:40
Speaker 1: that do not seem possible when you try to work
4:41
Speaker 1: them out. I do not know whether they let you
4:44
Speaker 1: inside the prisons to sell everything to the prisoners, because
4:46
Speaker 1: if I did, I might go in with something and
4:48
Speaker 1: see Marie and find out how she could be got out.
4:51
Speaker 1: Harry shook his head. I do not think any one
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Speaker 1: would be allowed in like that, But if they did,
4:55
Speaker 1: it would be only a few to whom the privilege
4:57
Speaker 1: would be granted. Yes, I thought that, Harry. But one
5:01
Speaker 1: of them might be bribed, perhaps to let me take
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Speaker 1: her place. It might be possible, Harry said, but there
5:07
Speaker 1: would be a terrible risk, and I don't think any
5:09
Speaker 1: advantage to compensate for it. Even if you did get
5:12
Speaker 1: to her and spoke to her, we should still be
5:14
Speaker 1: no nearer to getting her out. Still we mustn't be disheartened.
5:17
Speaker 1: We can hardly expect to hit upon a scheme at once,
5:20
Speaker 1: and I don't think either of our heads is very
5:22
Speaker 1: clear to day. Let us think it over quietly, and
5:24
Speaker 1: perhaps some idea may occur to one of us. I
5:27
Speaker 1: expect it will be to you now. Good night, Keep
5:30
Speaker 1: your courage up. I rely upon you very much, Jean,
5:33
Speaker 1: And you don't know what a comfort it is to
5:35
Speaker 1: me that you are calm and brave, and that I
5:37
Speaker 1: can talk things over to you. I don't know what
5:39
Speaker 1: I should do if I had it all on my
5:40
Speaker 1: own shoulders. Jean made no answer, but her eyes were
5:44
Speaker 1: full of tears as she put her hands into Harry's
5:46
Speaker 1: and no sound came from her lips in answer to
5:48
Speaker 1: his good night. That girl's a trump and no mistake,
5:52
Speaker 1: Harry said to himself as he descended the stairs. She
5:54
Speaker 1: has got more pluck than most women, and is as
5:56
Speaker 1: cool and calm as if she were twice her age.
5:58
Speaker 1: Most girls would be quite knocked over if they were
6:00
Speaker 1: in her place. Her father and mother murdered her sister
6:03
Speaker 1: in the hands of these wretches, and danger hanging over
6:05
Speaker 1: herself in Virginie. It isn't that she doesn't feel it.
6:08
Speaker 1: I can see she does quite as much, if not more,
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Speaker 1: than people who would sit down and howl and wring
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Speaker 1: their hands. She is a trump, John iss, and no mistake.
6:16
Speaker 1: And now about Marie, she must be got out somehow,
6:19
Speaker 1: But how that is the question. I really don't see
6:22
Speaker 1: any possible way except by bribing her guards, and I
6:24
Speaker 1: haven't the least idea how to set about that. I
6:27
Speaker 1: think tomorrow I will tell Jacques and his wife all
6:29
Speaker 1: about it. They may know some of these men, though
6:31
Speaker 1: it isn't likely that they do. Anyhow, three heads are
6:34
Speaker 1: better than one. Accordingly, next morning he took the kind
6:37
Speaker 1: hearted couple into his council. When they heard that the
6:40
Speaker 1: young lady who had been arrested was the fiance of
6:42
Speaker 1: their sick lodger, they were greatly interested, but they shook
6:45
Speaker 1: their heads when he told them he was determined at
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Speaker 1: all hazards to get her out of prison. It isn't
6:50
Speaker 1: the risk so much. Jacques said that, I look at
6:53
Speaker 1: life doesn't seem of much account in these days. But
6:56
Speaker 1: how could it be done? Even if you made up
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Speaker 1: your mind to be killed. I don't see that would
7:00
Speaker 1: put her a bit nearer to getting out of prison.
7:02
Speaker 1: The place is too strong to break into or break
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Speaker 1: out of. No, I don't think it is possible to
7:08
Speaker 1: succeed in that sort of way. But if the men
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Speaker 1: who have the keys of the corridors could be bribed
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Speaker 1: and the guards at the gate put soundly to sleep
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Speaker 1: by drugging their drink, it might be managed. Jacques looked
7:18
Speaker 1: sharply at Harry to see if he was in earnest, and,
7:20
Speaker 1: seeing that he was so, said dryly, Yes, if we
7:23
Speaker 1: could do those things, we should no doubt see our way.
7:26
Speaker 1: But how could it be managed? That is just the point, Jacques.
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Speaker 1: In the first place, it will be necessary to find
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Speaker 1: out in which quarridor Mademoiselle de Saint Saulis can find.
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Speaker 1: In the second, to let her know that we are
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Speaker 1: working for her, and to learn, if possible, from her,
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Speaker 1: whether among those in charge of her there is one
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Speaker 1: man who shows some sort of feeling of pity and kindness.
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Speaker 1: When that is done, we should, of course try to
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Speaker 1: get hold of him. Of course, he doesn't remain in
7:49
Speaker 1: prison all day. However, we could see about that after
7:53
Speaker 1: we had found out the first points. I know a
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Speaker 1: woman who is a sister to one of the warders,
7:57
Speaker 1: Alisma Dart said, I don't know whether he is there
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Speaker 1: now or whether he has been turned out. Martha is
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Speaker 1: a good soul, and I know that sometimes she has
8:04
Speaker 1: been inside the prison. I suppose to see her brother,
8:07
Speaker 1: for before the troubles the warders used to get out
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Speaker 1: only once a month. What her brother is like I
8:11
Speaker 1: don't know, but if he is like her, he would
8:14
Speaker 1: I think, be just the man to help you. Yes,
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Speaker 1: Jacques assented, I didn't think of Martha. She is a
8:20
Speaker 1: good soul and would do her best. I am sure,
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Speaker 1: Thank you both, Harry said, but I do not wish
8:25
Speaker 1: you to run any risks. You have already incurred the
8:28
Speaker 1: greatest danger by sheltering my friend. I cannot let you
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Speaker 1: hazard your lives further. This woman may, as you say,
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Speaker 1: be ready to help us, but her brother might betray
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Speaker 1: the whole of us and screen his sister by saying
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Speaker 1: that she had only pretended to enter into the plot
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Speaker 1: in order to betray it. We all risk our lives
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Speaker 1: every day, Jacques said quietly. I am sure we can
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Speaker 1: trust Martha, and she will know whether she can rely
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Speaker 1: completely upon her brother. If she can, we will set
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Speaker 1: her to sound him a last. Will go and see
8:54
Speaker 1: her to day, and you shall know what she thinks
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Speaker 1: of it when you come this evening for your night's watching.
8:59
Speaker 1: Greatly Pleased with this unexpected stroke of luck, Harry went
9:02
Speaker 1: off at once to tell Jean that the outline of
9:04
Speaker 1: a plan to rescue Marie had been fixed upon. The
9:07
Speaker 1: girl's pale face brightened up at the news. Perhaps she said,
9:11
Speaker 1: we may be able to send a letter to her.
9:13
Speaker 1: I should like to send her just a line to
9:15
Speaker 1: say that Virginie and I are well. Do you think
9:17
Speaker 1: it can be done? I do not know, Jean, at
9:20
Speaker 1: any rate. You can rely that if it is possible
9:23
Speaker 1: and all goes well, she shall have it. But be
9:25
Speaker 1: sure and give no clue by which they might find
9:27
Speaker 1: you out if the letter falls into wrong hands. Tell
9:30
Speaker 1: her we are working to get her free, and ask
9:32
Speaker 1: if she can suggest any way of escape. Knowing the place,
9:35
Speaker 1: she may see opportunities of which we know nothing. Write
9:37
Speaker 1: it very small, only on a tiny piece of paper,
9:40
Speaker 1: so that a man can hide it anywhere, slip it
9:42
Speaker 1: into her hand, or put it in her ration of bread.
9:46
Speaker 1: Jean wrote the little note a few loving words and
9:48
Speaker 1: the message Harry had given her. Do not sign your
9:51
Speaker 1: name to it. Harry said, she will know well enough
9:53
Speaker 1: who it comes from, and it is better in case
9:55
Speaker 1: it should fall into any one else's hands. That evening,
9:58
Speaker 1: Harry learned that the woman had consented to sound her brother,
10:01
Speaker 1: who was still employed in the prison she had said
10:03
Speaker 1: she was sure he would not betray her even if
10:05
Speaker 1: he refused to aid in the plan. I am to
10:08
Speaker 1: see her tomorrow morning, Alice said, she would go straight
10:11
Speaker 1: from me to the prison. She says, discipline is not
10:13
Speaker 1: nearly so strict as it used to be. There is
10:15
Speaker 1: a very close watch kept over the prisoners, but friends
10:18
Speaker 1: of the guard can go in and out without trouble,
10:20
Speaker 1: except that on leaving they have to be accompanied by
10:22
Speaker 1: a guard to the door so as to be sure
10:23
Speaker 1: that no one is passing out in disguise. She says
10:26
Speaker 1: her brother is good natured, but very fond of money.
10:28
Speaker 1: He is always talking of retiring and settling down in
10:31
Speaker 1: a farm in brittany, where he comes from, and she
10:33
Speaker 1: thinks that if he thought he could gain enough to
10:35
Speaker 1: do this, he would be ready to run some risk,
10:37
Speaker 1: for he hates the terrible things that are being done now.
10:40
Speaker 1: He seems just the man for us. Harry said, will
10:42
Speaker 1: you tell your friend when you see her in the morning,
10:44
Speaker 1: that I will give her twenty Louis and her brother
10:46
Speaker 1: a hundred if he can succeed in getting Marie out.
10:49
Speaker 1: I will tell them, sir, that offer will set his
10:52
Speaker 1: wits to work I have no doubt. Harry then gave
10:55
Speaker 1: her the note John had written for the woman to
10:57
Speaker 1: hand to her brother for the delivery if he proved
10:59
Speaker 1: willing to enter it to their plan. Harry had a
11:02
Speaker 1: quiet night of watching for Victor lay so still that
11:04
Speaker 1: his friend several times leaned over him to see if
11:06
Speaker 1: he breathed. The doctor had looked in late and said
11:09
Speaker 1: that the crisis was at hand. Tomorrow your friend will
11:12
Speaker 1: either sink or he will turn the corner. He is
11:14
Speaker 1: asleep now and will probably sleep for many hours. He
11:17
Speaker 1: may never wake again. He may wake, recognize you for
11:20
Speaker 1: a few minutes, and then go off in the last
11:22
Speaker 1: stupor he may wake stronger and with a chance of life.
11:25
Speaker 1: Here is a draft that you will give him as
11:26
Speaker 1: soon as he opens his eyes poor besides, three or
11:29
Speaker 1: four spoonfuls of soup down his throat, and if he
11:31
Speaker 1: keeps awake, do the same every half hour. It was
11:35
Speaker 1: not until ten o'clock in the morning that Victor opened
11:37
Speaker 1: his eyes. He looked vaguely round the room, and there
11:40
Speaker 1: was no recognition in his eyes as they fell upon
11:42
Speaker 1: Harry's face, But they had lost the wild expression they
11:45
Speaker 1: had worn while he lay there. And Harry felt renewed
11:47
Speaker 1: hope as he lifted his head and poured the draft
11:49
Speaker 1: between his lips. Then he gave him a few spoonfuls
11:52
Speaker 1: of soup and had the satisfaction of seeing his eyes
11:54
Speaker 1: close again and his breathing become more and more regular.
11:58
Speaker 1: The doctor, when he came in and felt Victor's pulse,
12:00
Speaker 1: not at approval. The fever has quite left him, He said,
12:04
Speaker 1: I think he will do now. It will be slow,
12:07
Speaker 1: very slow, but I think he will regain his strength
12:10
Speaker 1: as to his mind. Of that, I can say nothing
12:12
Speaker 1: at present. About midday, Elise returned. I have good news, monsieur,
12:18
Speaker 1: she said. At once I waited outside the prison till
12:20
Speaker 1: Martha came out. Her brother has agreed to help if
12:22
Speaker 1: he can, But he said that he did not think
12:24
Speaker 1: it would be at all possible to get Mademoiselle out.
12:27
Speaker 1: There are many of the men of the Faborges mixed
12:29
Speaker 1: up with the old warders, and there is the greatest
12:31
Speaker 1: vigilance to insure that none escape. There would be many
12:34
Speaker 1: doors to be opened, and the keys are all held
12:36
Speaker 1: by different persons. He says he will think it over,
12:38
Speaker 1: and if it is any way possible, he will risk it,
12:41
Speaker 1: but he wishes first of all to declare that he
12:43
Speaker 1: does not think that any way of getting her out
12:45
Speaker 1: can be discovered. He will give her the note on
12:47
Speaker 1: the first opportunity and get an answer from her, which
12:50
Speaker 1: he will send to his sister as soon as he
12:51
Speaker 1: gets a chance. That is all we can expect, Harry
12:54
Speaker 1: said joyfully. I did not expect that it would be
12:56
Speaker 1: an easy business, or that the man would be able
12:59
Speaker 1: to hit upon a scheme at one once. But now
13:00
Speaker 1: that he has gone so far as to agree to
13:02
Speaker 1: carry notes, the thought that he may, if he succeeds,
13:05
Speaker 1: soon have his little farm in Brittany, will sharpen his
13:07
Speaker 1: wits up wonderfully. It was three days before an answer
13:11
Speaker 1: came from Marie. Jacques handed it to Harry when he
13:14
Speaker 1: came to take his turn by Victor's bedside. Victor was better,
13:17
Speaker 1: He was no longer unconscious, but followed with his eyes
13:20
Speaker 1: the movements of those in the room. Once he had
13:23
Speaker 1: said where am I? But the answer you are with friends.
13:27
Speaker 1: You have been ill. You shall hear all about it
13:29
Speaker 1: when you get stronger, had apparently satisfied him. At Harry,
13:33
Speaker 1: he looked with doubtful recognition. He seemed to remember the face,
13:36
Speaker 1: but to have no further idea about it. And even
13:38
Speaker 1: when Harry said, cheerfully, don't you remember your friend, Harry Victor,
13:42
Speaker 1: he had shaken his head in a feeble negative. I
13:45
Speaker 1: expect it will all come back to him, Jacques said,
13:48
Speaker 1: as he gets stronger, and after all, it is much
13:51
Speaker 1: better that he should remember nothing at present. It will
13:53
Speaker 1: be quite time enough for that, when he is better
13:55
Speaker 1: able to stand it. I agree with you there, Harry said,
13:59
Speaker 1: And I am really glad that he did not remember me,
14:01
Speaker 1: for had he done so, the past might have come
14:03
Speaker 1: back at once, and feeble as he is, that would
14:05
Speaker 1: have completely knocked him over. Upon the receipt of Marie's note,
14:09
Speaker 1: Harry at once started off at full speed and soon
14:11
Speaker 1: had the satisfaction of handing it to Jean. She tore
14:15
Speaker 1: it open. Do you not know what it is? Harry?
14:18
Speaker 1: How could I? Harry replied, as you see the letter
14:21
Speaker 1: is addressed to you. Of course I should not think
14:23
Speaker 1: of looking at it. Oh why not? You are as
14:26
Speaker 1: much interested in it as I am. Sit down between
14:28
Speaker 1: me and Virginie and let us read it together. Why
14:31
Speaker 1: it is quite a long epistol. It was written in
14:34
Speaker 1: pencil upon what was evidently a fly leaf of a book,
14:36
Speaker 1: and ran as follows, my darling, Jean and Virginie. You
14:40
Speaker 1: can imagine what joy I felt when I received your
14:42
Speaker 1: little note to day and heard that you were still safe.
14:45
Speaker 1: I could hardly believe my senses when, on opening the
14:48
Speaker 1: little ball of paper which one of our guards thrust
14:50
Speaker 1: into my hand, I found that it was from you,
14:52
Speaker 1: and that you were both safe and well. I am
14:55
Speaker 1: writing this crouched down on the ground behind Madame de Vonnie,
14:58
Speaker 1: and so hidden from the sight of our guards. But
15:00
Speaker 1: I can only write a few lines at a time
15:02
Speaker 1: lest I should be detected. Tell our good friend that
15:04
Speaker 1: I fear there is little chance of escape. We are
15:06
Speaker 1: watched day and night. We are locked up at night
15:09
Speaker 1: three or four together in little cells, but in the
15:11
Speaker 1: day we are in a common hall. It is a
15:13
Speaker 1: strange mixture. Here are many of the best blood in France,
15:17
Speaker 1: together with deputies, advocates and writers. We may talk together
15:20
Speaker 1: as much as we like, and sometimes even a joke
15:22
Speaker 1: and a laugh are heard. Every day, some names are
15:25
Speaker 1: called out, and these go and we never see them again.
15:28
Speaker 1: Do not fret about me, my dear sisters. We are
15:30
Speaker 1: all in God's hands. If it is his will, we
15:33
Speaker 1: shall be saved. If not, we must bravely face whatever comes.
15:38
Speaker 1: It is a day since I last wrote. A strange
15:41
Speaker 1: thing has happened which will make your blood, Boyjean, as
15:43
Speaker 1: it has made mine. I was called out this morning
15:46
Speaker 1: to a little room where the questions are sometimes asked us.
15:48
Speaker 1: And who do you think was there? Monsieur Lebas, the
15:51
Speaker 1: son of the mayor of d Jon, the man who
15:53
Speaker 1: denounced and arrested me. What do you think the wretch
15:55
Speaker 1: had the insolence to say that he loved me and
15:57
Speaker 1: that if I would consent to marry him, he could
15:59
Speaker 1: say me. He said that his influence would suffice not
16:02
Speaker 1: only to get me free, but to obtain for me
16:04
Speaker 1: some of our estates. And he told me he would
16:06
Speaker 1: give me time to consider his offer. But I must
16:08
Speaker 1: remember that nothing could save me if I refused. What
16:11
Speaker 1: do you think I did, John, something very unladylike. I
16:13
Speaker 1: am afraid. I made a step closer to him, and
16:16
Speaker 1: then I gave him a slap on the face, which
16:18
Speaker 1: made my fingers tingle. Then I made him a deep
16:20
Speaker 1: curtsey and said, that is my answer, Monsieur la bas
16:23
Speaker 1: and walked into the Great Hall again. But do not
16:26
Speaker 1: let me waste a line of this last precious letter
16:28
Speaker 1: that I may be able to write to you by
16:29
Speaker 1: saying more about this wretch. I can see no possible
16:32
Speaker 1: way of escape, DearS, So do not buoy yourselves up
16:34
Speaker 1: with hope. I have none. Strange as it may seem
16:38
Speaker 1: to you, we are not very unhappy here. There are
16:40
Speaker 1: many of our old friends, and some of the deputies
16:42
Speaker 1: of the Gironde who used to attend our salon. We
16:45
Speaker 1: keep up each other's courage. We talk of things just
16:48
Speaker 1: as if we were in a drawing room. And when
16:49
Speaker 1: the list is called out of the morning, those who
16:51
Speaker 1: are names say good bye bravely. There is seldom a
16:54
Speaker 1: tear shed. So do not think of me as wretched
16:56
Speaker 1: or unhappy in these last days. And now, my sisters,
17:00
Speaker 1: I must say adieu. You must trust yourselves entirely to
17:03
Speaker 1: our brave English friend, as you would trust a brother.
17:06
Speaker 1: He will do all that is possible to take you
17:08
Speaker 1: out of this unhappy land and conduct you to England,
17:10
Speaker 1: where you will find Victor Monsieur de Toulais and your
17:13
Speaker 1: brothers who have I trust. Weeks ago arrived there in safety.
17:17
Speaker 1: Thank our friend from me and from our dead parents
17:19
Speaker 1: for his goodness and devotion. That your lives may be happy,
17:22
Speaker 1: My dear sisters, will be the last prayer of your
17:24
Speaker 1: loving Marie. Inside the letter was another tiny note addressed
17:29
Speaker 1: for Jean Private. Having read the other, jeanque took the
17:32
Speaker 1: little note, and, walking to the window, opened it. As
17:35
Speaker 1: she did so, a burning flush of color swept across
17:37
Speaker 1: her face to her very brow. She folded it carefully
17:40
Speaker 1: again and stood looking through the window silently for a
17:43
Speaker 1: quarter of an hour before she came back to the table.
17:46
Speaker 1: What is it, Jean, Virginie asked, Have you been crying? Jean, dear,
17:50
Speaker 1: you look so flushed. You must not fret. Harry says
17:53
Speaker 1: we must not give up hope, for he believes he
17:55
Speaker 1: may hit upon some plan of saving Marie. Yet, he
17:58
Speaker 1: says it's only natural that she should think there were
17:59
Speaker 1: no means of getting away, But it was only what
18:02
Speaker 1: he expected. It is we who must invent something. Yes, dear,
18:06
Speaker 1: we will try, Jean said, with a quiver in her lip,
18:09
Speaker 1: and then she suddenly burst into tears. You mustn't give way, Jean,
18:13
Speaker 1: Harry said. When she recovered herself, a little you know
18:15
Speaker 1: how much I trust to your advice. If you were
18:17
Speaker 1: to break down, I should lose heart. Do not think
18:20
Speaker 1: of Marie's letter as a good bye. I have not
18:22
Speaker 1: lost hope yet by a long way. Why we have
18:24
Speaker 1: done wonders already in managing to get a letter in
18:26
Speaker 1: to her and to have her reply, I consider half
18:29
Speaker 1: the difficulty is over now we have a friend in there.
18:32
Speaker 1: I will try not to break down again, Jean said.
18:35
Speaker 1: It is not often I give way, but to day
18:37
Speaker 1: I do not quite feel myself, and this letter finished me.
18:40
Speaker 1: You will see that I shall be all right tomorrow.
18:43
Speaker 1: I hope, so, Harry said, as he rose to leave.
18:46
Speaker 1: But I think you had better ask Louise to give
18:48
Speaker 1: you something. Your hands are hot, and your cheeks are
18:50
Speaker 1: quite flushed, and you look as if you were feverish.
18:53
Speaker 1: Good Night, DearS. I do hope Jean is not going
18:56
Speaker 1: to break down, Harry said, as he walked towards his lodging.
18:59
Speaker 1: If she were to get laid up now, that would
19:00
Speaker 1: be the finishing touch to the whole affair. But perhaps,
19:03
Speaker 1: as she says, she will be all right in the morning.
19:06
Speaker 1: No doubt. In that note, Marie wrote as if she
19:07
Speaker 1: were sure of dying, and such a letter as that
19:09
Speaker 1: would be enough to upset any girl, even such a
19:12
Speaker 1: plucky one as Jean. However, it is a Marie, I
19:15
Speaker 1: must think now it was a brave letter of hers.
19:18
Speaker 1: It is clear she has given up all hope. This
19:20
Speaker 1: is a bad business about the scoundrel la Ba. I
19:23
Speaker 1: used to wonder why he came so often to the
19:24
Speaker 1: chateau on business that could have been done just as
19:26
Speaker 1: well by a messenger. He saw how things were going
19:29
Speaker 1: and thought that when the division of the estates came
19:31
Speaker 1: he might get a big slice. However, it is most
19:34
Speaker 1: unfortunate that he should have had this interview with Marie
19:36
Speaker 1: in the prison. If it had not been for that,
19:38
Speaker 1: it might have been months before her turn came for trial.
19:41
Speaker 1: As it is no doubt Laba will have her name
19:43
Speaker 1: put down at once in the list of those for trial,
19:45
Speaker 1: if such a farce can be called a trial, and
19:48
Speaker 1: will see that no time is lost before it appears
19:50
Speaker 1: on that fatal list for execution. He will flatter himself,
19:53
Speaker 1: of course, that when the last moment comes and she
19:55
Speaker 1: sees there is no hope whatever, she will change her mind.
19:58
Speaker 1: There is one thing. If she is murdered. I will
20:00
Speaker 1: kill him as I would a dog, for he will
20:02
Speaker 1: be her murderer just as much as if he had
20:04
Speaker 1: himself cut her throat. I would do it at once.
20:06
Speaker 1: If it were not for the girls. I must not
20:08
Speaker 1: run any unnecessary risks at any rate. I need not
20:11
Speaker 1: think of him now. The one thing at present is
20:13
Speaker 1: to get Marie out. Turning this over in his mind,
20:16
Speaker 1: he walked about for some hours, scarce noticing where he
20:19
Speaker 1: was going. It seemed to him that there must be
20:22
Speaker 1: some way of getting Marie out, if he could only
20:24
Speaker 1: hit upon it. He turned over in his mind every
20:26
Speaker 1: escape he had ever read of, But in most of
20:28
Speaker 1: these the prisoner had been a man capable of using
20:31
Speaker 1: tools passed into him to saw through iron bars, pierced walls,
20:34
Speaker 1: or overcome jailers. Some had been saved by female relatives,
20:37
Speaker 1: wives or daughters, who went in in exchanged clothes and
20:39
Speaker 1: places with them. But this was not feasible here. This
20:42
Speaker 1: was not a prison where relatives could call upon friends,
20:44
Speaker 1: for to be a relative or a friend of a
20:46
Speaker 1: prisoner was quite sufficient in the eyes of the terrorists
20:48
Speaker 1: to mark any one as being an enemy of the republic.
20:52
Speaker 1: He was suddenly roused from his reverie by a cry,
20:54
Speaker 1: and beneath the dim light of a lantern suspended over
20:56
Speaker 1: the narrow street, he saw a man feebly defending himself
20:59
Speaker 1: against two others. He sprang forward just as the man fell,
21:02
Speaker 1: and with his stick, struck a sharp blow upon the
21:04
Speaker 1: uplifted wrist of one of the assailants, sending the knife
21:07
Speaker 1: he was holding flying through the air. The other turned
21:10
Speaker 1: upon him, but he drew the pistol, which he always
21:11
Speaker 1: carried beneath his clothes, and the two men at once
21:14
Speaker 1: took to their heels. Harry replaced his pistol and stooped
21:17
Speaker 1: over the fallen man. Are you badly hurt? He asked, No,
21:21
Speaker 1: I think not, but I do not know. I think
21:24
Speaker 1: I slipped down, But they would have killed me had
21:26
Speaker 1: you not arrived. Well, let me get you to your feet,
21:30
Speaker 1: Harry said, holding out his hands, but with a feeling
21:32
Speaker 1: of some disgust at the object fear expressed in the
21:35
Speaker 1: tone of the man's voice. He was indeed trembling, so
21:37
Speaker 1: that even when Harry hauled him to his feet, he
21:39
Speaker 1: could scarcely stand. You had better lean against the wall
21:42
Speaker 1: for a minute or two to recover yourself, Harry said,
21:45
Speaker 1: I see you have had your coat cut on the
21:46
Speaker 1: shoulder and are bleeding pretty freely. But it is nothing
21:49
Speaker 1: to be frightened about. If you will give me your handkerchief,
21:51
Speaker 1: I will bind it up for you. Harry unbuttoned the
21:54
Speaker 1: man's coat, for his hands shook so much that he
21:56
Speaker 1: was unable to do so, pulled the arm out of
21:58
Speaker 1: the sleeve and tied the bandage tightly round the shoulder.
22:01
Speaker 1: The man seemed to belong to the bourgeois class, and
22:04
Speaker 1: evidently was careful as to his attire, which was neat
22:06
Speaker 1: and precise. His linen and the ruffles of his shirt
22:09
Speaker 1: were spotlessly white and of fine material. The short waisted
22:12
Speaker 1: coat was of olive green cloth with bright metal buttons.
22:15
Speaker 1: The waistcoat, extending far below the coat, was of a
22:17
Speaker 1: light buff color, brocaded with a small pattern of flowers.
22:21
Speaker 1: When he had bound the wound, Harry helped him on
22:23
Speaker 1: with his coat again. He was by this time recovering himself. Oh,
22:27
Speaker 1: these aristocrats, he murmured, how they hate me. The words
22:32
Speaker 1: startled Harry. What was this? He had not interfered, as
22:35
Speaker 1: he supposed to prevent the robbery of some quiet citizen
22:38
Speaker 1: by the ruffians of the streets. It was a political
22:40
Speaker 1: assassination that had been attempted a vengeance by royalists upon
22:44
Speaker 1: one of the men of the revolution. He looked more
22:46
Speaker 1: closely at the person whose life he had saved. He
22:48
Speaker 1: had a thin and insignificant figure. His face was pale
22:51
Speaker 1: and looked like that of a student. It seemed to
22:54
Speaker 1: Harry that he had seen it before, but where he
22:56
Speaker 1: could not say. His first thought was one of regret
22:59
Speaker 1: that he had interfered to save the life of one
23:00
Speaker 1: of the men of the second of September. Then the
23:03
Speaker 1: thought flashed through his mind that there might be some
23:05
Speaker 1: benefit to be derived from it. Young man, the stranger said,
23:10
Speaker 1: will you give me your arm and escort me home?
23:12
Speaker 1: You have saved my life. It is a humble one,
23:15
Speaker 1: but perhaps it is of some value to France. I
23:18
Speaker 1: live but two streets away. It is not often I
23:20
Speaker 1: am out alone, for I have many enemies. But I
23:22
Speaker 1: was called suddenly out on business. Though I have no
23:25
Speaker 1: doubt now the message was a fraudulent one, desired simply
23:27
Speaker 1: to put me into the hands of my foes. The
23:30
Speaker 1: man spoke in a thin, hard voice, which inspired Harry.
23:33
Speaker 1: He knew not why, with a feeling of repulsion, he
23:36
Speaker 1: had certainly heard it before. He offered him his arm
23:38
Speaker 1: and walked with him to his door. Come up, I
23:41
Speaker 1: beg you, the stranger said. He ascended to the second
23:44
Speaker 1: floor and rang a bell. A woman with a light
23:46
Speaker 1: opened it. Why, my brother, she exclaimed, on seeing his face.
23:50
Speaker 1: You are ill. Has anything happened? I have been attacked
23:53
Speaker 1: in the street, he said, but I am not hurt.
23:56
Speaker 1: Though had it not been for the Citizen, it would
23:57
Speaker 1: have gone hardly with me. You have to thank him
24:00
Speaker 1: for saving your brother's life. They had entered a sitting room.
24:04
Speaker 1: Now it was plainly but very neatly furnished. There were
24:07
Speaker 1: some birds in cages, which, late though the hour, was
24:10
Speaker 1: hopped on their perches and twittered when they heard the
24:11
Speaker 1: master's voice, and he responded with two or three words
24:14
Speaker 1: of greeting for them. Set the supper, he said to
24:17
Speaker 1: his sister. The citizen will take a meal with us.
24:20
Speaker 1: You know who I am, I suppose, he said to Harry. No.
24:25
Speaker 1: Harry replied, I have a recollection of your face and voice,
24:28
Speaker 1: but I cannot recall where I have met you. I
24:31
Speaker 1: am Robespierre, he said Harry gave a start of surprise.
24:35
Speaker 1: This man whom he had saved was the one whom
24:37
Speaker 1: he had so often execrated, one of the leaders of
24:40
Speaker 1: those who had deluged France with blood, the man who,
24:42
Speaker 1: next only to Morey was hated and feared by the
24:45
Speaker 1: royalists of France. His first feeling was one of loathing
24:48
Speaker 1: and hatred. But at that same moment there flashed through
24:51
Speaker 1: his mind the thought that chance had favored him beyond
24:53
Speaker 1: his hopes, and that the comedy which he had planned
24:56
Speaker 1: with Victor to carry out upon the person of Morey
24:58
Speaker 1: had come to pass without permitting, but with Robespierre as
25:01
Speaker 1: the chief actor. But so surprised and delighted was he
25:05
Speaker 1: that for a minute he sat unable to say a word.
25:08
Speaker 1: Robespierre was gratified at the effect which his name had produced.
25:11
Speaker 1: He was a strangely mixed character, at once timid and bold,
25:14
Speaker 1: shrinking from personal danger, yet ready to urge the extremest measures.
25:18
Speaker 1: Simple in his tastes, and yet very vain and greedy
25:20
Speaker 1: of applause. Domestic and affectionate in his private character, but
25:24
Speaker 1: ready to shed a river of blood in his public capacity,
25:27
Speaker 1: pure in morals, passionless in his resolves incorruptible and inflexible.
25:31
Speaker 1: More dangerous because he had neither passion nor hate, because
25:34
Speaker 1: he had not, like Danton and Morey, a lust for blood,
25:37
Speaker 1: but because human life to him was as nothing. Because
25:41
Speaker 1: had he considered it necessary that half of France should
25:43
Speaker 1: die for the benefit of the other half, he would
25:45
Speaker 1: have signed their death warrant without emotion or hesitation. You
25:49
Speaker 1: are surprised, young man, he said, But the ways of
25:52
Speaker 1: fate are inscrutable. The interposition of a youth has thwarted
25:55
Speaker 1: the schemes of the enemies of France. Had you been
25:58
Speaker 1: but ten seconds later, I shall have ceased to be,
26:00
Speaker 1: and one of the humble instruments by which Fate is
26:02
Speaker 1: working for the regeneration of the people would have perished.
26:06
Speaker 1: While Robespierre was speaking, Harry had rapidly thought over the
26:09
Speaker 1: role which it would be best for him to adopt.
26:11
Speaker 1: Should he avow his real character and ask for an
26:14
Speaker 1: order for the liberation of Marie as a recompense for
26:16
Speaker 1: the service he had rendered Robespierre, or should he retain
26:18
Speaker 1: his present character and obtain Robespierre's confidence. There was danger
26:22
Speaker 1: in an open appeal, for above all things, Robespierre prided
26:25
Speaker 1: himself upon his incorruptibility, and he might consider that to
26:29
Speaker 1: free a prisoner for service rendered to himself would be
26:31
Speaker 1: a breach of his duty to France. He resolved, therefore
26:34
Speaker 1: to keep silence at present, reserving an appeal to Robespierre's
26:37
Speaker 1: gratitude for the last extremity. Pardon me, monsieur, he said,
26:41
Speaker 1: after he had rapidly arrived at this conclusion. My emotion
26:44
Speaker 1: was naturally great at finding that I had unwittingly been
26:47
Speaker 1: the means of saving the life of one on whom
26:49
Speaker 1: the eyes of France are fixed. I rejoice indeed that
26:52
Speaker 1: I should have been the means of preserving such a life.
26:55
Speaker 1: This statement was strictly true, although not perhaps in the
26:58
Speaker 1: fence in which Robespierre regarded it. We will talk more
27:02
Speaker 1: after supper, he said, And my sister, is I see
27:05
Speaker 1: ready with it? Indeed, it is long past our usual hour,
27:08
Speaker 1: and we were just setting down when I was called
27:10
Speaker 1: out by what purported to be an important message from
27:12
Speaker 1: the club. End of Chapter nine