· preface, in justice to himself, the author of the following historical romance is anxious that...
TRANSCRIPT
THE MAN
H O D A R E D
By JOHN P. RIT’
I‘
ER
A H ISTORICAL ROMANCE OF TH E
TIME OF ROB ESPI ERRE
I LLUSTRA'
rmD BY
GEORGE ELMER B ROW NE
PRIVATE LIBBAB l
1 8 3 7
LL BOW NLS
G. W . D ILLINGHAM COMPANY
PUB LISHERS NEW YOR!
MD CCCX C IX .
AUTHOR D ED ICATES TH IS
NOV EL TO H IS FRI END .
M . J . C.
PREFACE,
In justice to himself , the author of the fol lowinghistor i cal romance is anxious that its readers shallunderstand that he would never have ventured to writeit, if he had known that the great Sardou had chosenthe same theme for his wonderful tragedy,
“Robespierre ,
” which Henry Irving is now playing with suchsuccess in London .
Having always been a delighted reader of FrenchHistory, he natural l y perceived the spl endid possibil iti es for an interesting novel which the thrill ing eventsconnected with Robespierre’s last days of despotismpresented For many m onths
,the plot and incidents
of his narrative gradual ly assumed definite form in hismind , and, when he was cal l ed upon to produce aShort novel for a current publ ication, he chose Robespierre’s down fal l as his theme .The romance
,as it originally appeared, having ex
cited some attention from those who read it , he re
solved to make m any radical alterat ions in the plot ,to endue it with greater historical value , and to enlargeit to its present dimensions. In Short h e has devel
[5]
6 PREFACE.
oped a hast ily writt en sketch , into a book of doubl eits siz e, t rusting that the ext ra study and l abor involved in the task will not prove to have been spent
One merit he can claim for his rom ance , if no other.He has scrupulously followed the fact s and traditionsof the period treated , and has taken but few libertieswith the really historical personages whom he has described. If the reader finds other merits in the narrative ; i f he can conscientiously praise it for its real ism
,
plot , or styl e , the author will feel that his difficulttask has been rewarded.
CONTENTS.
Cu n t : PAGB
I. An Interruption to the B allII. A Man of MysteryII I. Robespi erreIV. Jean LouvetV. At the Rabbl e’s MercyVI. A Conference in the Maison Rousseau .
VI I. Robespi erre’5 Rise to PowerVIII . Jean Louvet Opens the Gam eIX. Love Conquers D i scret ionX. W hat Be fell André the BarberXI. How it Fared with Si mon the JailerXII . The Adventures of Francois the
IdlerXII I . Face to FaceXIV. A W oman ’8 Sense of HonorXV. André Departs on a Miss ionXVI . Simon Experi ences a SurpriseXVI I . Francois Resorts to StrategyXVII I . The Conspirators Repo rt to Thei r
Chie fXIX . The Banquet
CONTENTS.
CRAPTRR
The Fatal L i stEvents Crowd and Jost l eThe Game Grows ExcitingAmong the Condemned
Chalk Marks that D i sappearedThe Sounding Board Ceases
Spond
Lost Beyond HopeThe N inth of Therm idorToo LateW it hin Sight of the GuillotineThe Game Stil l DoubtfulThe Game i s W on
PRIVATE I IBBAB'
I
1 5 3 . «<01 bm
BEAM M.DOW M S
THEMAN WHO DARED.
CHAPTER I .
AN INTERRUPTION TO TH E BALL.
IT was during the last days o f the Reign of Terrorthat Representative Alphonse Vauban gave a ball ,in his mans ion on the Rue Saint Honoré, in honor OfRobespierre .The entire building g lared with l ights . Every apartment from basement to attic was thrown Open to the
guests , who crowded the dancers in the ballroom ,
j ostled one another on the stairways , and throngedthe upper chambers ; for, as became a good republ ican , M . Vauban had invited all Par is to the entertainm ent.
Tallien was there , and Fréro n,and Collot d’
H erbo is
and Barras , with other famous revolutionists , mingling prom iscuously w ith the rabble of citoyens and
[9]
I O TH E MAN W H O D ARED .
their w ives in a spirit o f equal ity and fratern ity—allhobnobbing cheerfully in celebrating the perpetualreign o f l iberty.
Cheerfully ?
Aye,with an enthus iastic gaiety, notwithstanding
that dread terror of the guillotine lurked deep in manya heart .In an alcove of the ballroom , under a bower Of'
broad—leaved palms,stood M . Vauban with his only
daughter,Louise
,extending a cordial greeting to the
butchers,bakers
,and candlestickm akers of Paris
whom victorious Sanscullo tism” had raised to their
own social level .“ In the name of the Republ ic, welcome, citoyen !
”
he exclaimed heartily,as he Shook each Citizen by the
hand .
And to each of their wives“My greeting, citoyenne, in the name of l iberty !
”
There could be no doubt of M . V auban’
s s incerityin expressing himsel f thus ; for his honest face glowed,and his eyes renewed their Sparkle, with each repetitionof the words .But a Close observer might have detected a certaincondescending air in the beauti ful Lou ise , wh ichwould have justified the suspicion that she consideredherself superior to her guests . In her father’s hos
pitality there was downright heartiness ; in hers agracious reserve . And this di fference was accen
tuated in their attire .
M . Vauban wore a modest black tail-coat , w ith highroll ing collar, and broad lapels black cloth knee
AN INTERRUPTION TO TH E BALL.
breeches , s ilk stock ings of the same somber hue, andlow—cut Shoes w ith plain pewter buckles .H is daughter, on the other hand , was most sumpt
uo usly arrayed . A close-fitting bodice of rich s ilk ,cut low in the neck and fastened with a jeweled claspin front, and a cl inging, diaphanous gown showedher exquisitely molded figure to advantage . Costlybracelets encircled her plump , white arms ; a circlet ofsparkling brill iants wound round her swan- l ike neck
,
and her glorious black hair was bound by bands ofgold, and twisted in a Grecian co i l behind .
The critical citoyennes, ever ready to mark theslightest aristocratic tendency in a S ister, were quickto discern that , though She
‘
Sm i led sweetly upon themas they passed before her
,her luminous
,black eyes
seemed to look over their heads . She addressed them
as her equals , i t i s true , yet there was an indefinablereservation in her manner wh ich held them at a distance .Robed like a princess , and of a refined and noble
beauty,it i s probable that no amount of condescension
on her part could have saved her from their j ealous
mistrust .But, though Lou ise Vauban was not popular w ith
the women Of Paris , she was adored by the men . Rep
resentatives of al l political parties—Jacob ins , Moderates
,Girondists
,Dantonists—agreed in call ing her a
model daughter o f the Republ ic , and even the greatRobespierre h imself had expressed the Opinion that
She was an example for all the women of new-bornFrance to follow.
I 2 TH E MAN W H O D ARED.
All men admired her, and many of the youngerones loved her . She had suitors innumerable, amongthem acknowledged leaders in the affairs of the Republic , either o n the field Of battle, or on the floor ofthe National Convention .
Many of these suitors hovered round her now,
assiduous in their attentions , although they knew thattheir gallantry was hopeless ; for she had given theworld plainly to understand that she would nevermarry . Indeed, she loved her father with an adorationthat absorbed al l her faculties , and, s ince the death ofher mother, had resolved to devote her l i fe to h ishappiness .No r was M . Vauban unworthy of her affection .
Generous , high minded , brave , he l ived for but twoObj ects—his daughter and the Republic . His homel ife was beautiful in its devotion ; h is publ ic l ife noblein its enthusiasm .
Although an ardent and cons i s tent revolut ionist,he
was not an extremist in his ideas . He had deprecatedthe execution of Louis XVI , Opposed the acts of theRevolutionary Tribunal , and even challenged the displeasure o i Robesp ierre by protesting against his san
guinary measures . That he stil l reta ined the friendship Oi the “ Incorruptible One” was due to his honesty
,rather than his tact .
It had been announced that Robesp ierre was to bethe honored guest of the evening, and his arrival wasmomentarily expected ; but the hours passed andRobesp ierre did not come .What could be the reason for his absence ? Repre
AN INTERRUPTION TO THE BALL. 1 3
sentatives Tallien and Fréro n,whispering together in
a sheltered corner,remarked upon the circumstance .
“Robespierre keeps away,i t seems ,
” said Tallien .
If he does not drop in to shake hands to-night , l et
V auban beware !“You are apprehensive
,Tallien, replied Fréro n re
assuringly .
“You must remember that Robespierrehas been keep ing much to himsel f of late . He hasabsented himself from the Committees and has notappeared in the Convention for over a month . Why,then
, Should he distinguish this gathering with hispresence ?”
“Because he professes to be V auban’
s friend . Because this bal l i s given in his honor .”
“But if he is V auban’
s friend , as you say, wh‘yShould Vauban beware of him ?”
“Have you forgotten the fate of Danton ?” askedTallien,
in tones of pro found solemnity .
“Was notDanton Robespierre’s friend ?”
“M on D ieu, Tallien !” exclaimed Fréron
,with a
Shudder,
“you pos itively frighten me . If Robespierresacrifices Vauban , who o f us is sa fe ?
”
“Ah , who indeed ?” said Tallien, with an ominous
Shake of his head .
“Certainly neither you nor I,
Fréro n,for Robespierre regards us as his enemies .
Let us look the danger squarely in the face , my friend !This Maximil ian Robespierre has grown so mighty oflate that he can guillotine whomever he chooses . Heis the virtual dictator of France ; for he has so terror~
ized the Convention that it is swayed by his absolute
wi l l . When he puts a mot ion , none dare Oppose it ;
1 4 THE MAN W HO DARED .
and,if he should appear in the Convention to-morrow
and demand our heads , not a member would protest
on our behal f .”“Then let us thank God he absents himself from themeetings !” exclaimed Fréron in frightened tones .
“And yet,
” continued Tallien,in a low , appall ing
wh isper,
“his very absence bodes us no good . Doyou know what i s rumored, FréronThe latter cast a terrified glance at his companion ,and shook his head .
It is reported that Robespierre is meditating amaster stroke to rid the Convention of his remainingOpponents . You know the process . He will accusethem of treason to the Republ ic, and hand them overto the Revolutionary Tr1buna1 fo r trial .”
And that ,” interrupted Fréro n excitedly, would
mean the guillotine for all . M on D ieu ! dare no onedenounce this tyrant ?”
“No one ,
” returned Tallien gravely ; for he is theabsolute master in France .”
At that moment an orchestra , concealed behind ascreen of palms , broke out into the melodious strainsof a brisk minuet, and a space was cleared in the ballroom for those who were to take part in the dance .Louise Vauban left her father’s s ide
,and
,advanc ing
on the arm o f one Of her most ardent suitors,too k
her place in the leading set . Others followed her example ; more sets were quickly formed, and, at a Signal from the bandmaster , the m inuet began .
TO the uncultured citoyens who looked o n—theart isans and shopkeepers of Paris—it was an entranc
AN INTERRUPTION TO THE BALL. 1 5
ing spectacle . Unaccustomed as they were to thegraceful pleasures of polite society, they formed agaping circle round the dancers , giving expression totheir admiration by rude hand-clappings and Shouts o fapproval . To them it seemed that the golden ag e ofequality had indeed arrived , when high and low, richand poor, should amuse themselves in common .
Lights , music , flowers , lovely laughing faces , sparkling j ewels and eyes that outrivalled them in bri ll iantluster—all contributed to the bewitching effect of thepicture . In l ightly-unerring gyrations , the dancersswam hither and thither , their faces flushed with '
ex
citem ent , as the ir forms swayed gracefully in timeto the st irring music . They put forth their best effortsto win the applause o f the onlookers , but , though theydanced well , none approached Louise Vauban in v ivacity and Charm .
Behold how her pretty foot darts down an inch fromher partner’s ! And now she is o ff again ; she is as aflash of l ight . Like a glittering comet she travels herell ipse, radiant, fascinating, beautiful . Happiness isin her sm il e , and delight in the gleam of her dark eyes .Those who beheld her in that triumphant
,joyous
mood , afterwards declared that they had never seenany one so light-hearted . Her flow of Spirits was SOexuberant that it was contagious ; and , al l uncon
scio usly, the faces of the Spectators glowed , and theireyes brightened with sympathetic merriment
,as they
followed her movements .Suddenly a ‘ barsh voice broke in upon the music
,
and vague terror fi l led every heart.
1 6 THE MAN W HO DARED .
I s Citizen Vauban present ?All eyes were turned toward the speaker, and aprofound hush fel l upon the assemblage, when theybeheld an Officer of the Municipal Gendarmes standing in the doorway o f the ballroom .
Is Citizen Vauban present ?” he repeated .
M . Vauban left the group of friends with whom hewas conversing, and advanced toward the intruderwith a courteous bow.
“ I am Vauban , he said calmly ; what do you w ishof me
“ I have a warrant for your arrest as a suspect,repl ied the Officer curtly.
“Come, do not keep mymen waiting, for they have other work to do .
”
While speaking he motioned toward the hall,where
s ix stalwart gendarmes were awaiting his command .
For a moment M . V auban’
s face paled then , turningtoward his guests with an air of exquisite good breeding, he said tranquillyThe Republ ic requ ires my presence elsewhere,
friends ; but do not let my absence damp your pleasures . Continue to enjoy yourselves , and I shall bewel l content .”
Before the murmur of admiration aroused by thesewords had subsided
,his daughter swept majestically
across the ballroom and confronted the officer .“SO you have come to arrest my father ?” she cried,
with flashing eyes . “By whose order, pray ? Produceyour warrantThe officer drew from h is pocket a folded document
1 8 TH E MAN W H O D ARED .
In the meantime the Officer beckoned to M . Vauban , who , cas ting a look of indescribable yearningupon h is ch i ld , bowed h is subm isswely andqu ietly left the house.
CHAPTER II .
A MAN OF MYSTERY.
ON seeing M . Vauban in the custody of thei r o f
ficer, the gendarmes unhanded Louise, and fol lowedthem into the street. The frantic girl took a few stepsafter them
, and then , realiz ing how utterly futi le anyattempt to join her father would be
,turned and stag
gered back into the ballroom .
She was conscious of a hundred pall id faces turnedupon her w ith looks of blended consternation andpity ; of the suppressed hum of excited conversation ;then a mist enveloped her senses , and She sank downupon the floor in a swoon .
When She recovered consciousness , and lookedaround , she Observed that the guests , who , but a shorttime before , were applauding her grace and beauty tothe skies , were now quietly and stealth ily taking theirdeparture—hurrying away with terror in their heartsfrom that il l-omened house .
“Take heart , deary !” a k ind voice wh ispered in her
ear. “Remember Robespierre is your father’s friendand will doubtless save h im .
”
Louise glanced up into the speaker’s face, and sawthat it was that of Marie, her faithful maid, who hadhastened to her assistance
20 TH E MAN W HO D ARED .
Under her skilfu l m inistrations the girl qu ickly re~
vived, and , as She gradually rega ined control of herfaculties
,was insp ired w ith a desperate resolution .
“Ass ist me to arise , Marie ,”She murmured,
“andsupport me wh i le I speak to our guests .”
The faithful creature obeyed , and , helping her mistress to the middle of the great ballroom , wound anarm around her waist and sustained her drooping
figu re .
“Do not desert me yet, friends, she began faintly ;for there are some among you to whom I wouldl ike to address a few words .If she was beautiful in the moment of her triumph
ant happiness,she appeared far lovel ier now in the
moment Of her supreme despair . In the struggle withthe gendarmes
,her magnificent hair had escaped
from the bands which confined it , and hung in luxuriant, wavy tresses over her fair shoulders ; her facewas as white as alabaster and infinitely pathetic inthe hopelessness of i ts expression ; while her darkeyes were soft, l iqu id, and appealing, l ike those of asorrowing angel .Casting them over the cowering creatures about
her,as if in search of one true friend , she continued in
stronger tones“Many here have protested love for me ; some haveeven sworn that they would regard it a privilege todie for me ; but hitherto I have loved no man . Ihad vowed to give all my love to my father . But,she added with sudden energy,
“ to the man who wi l l
save him from the gu illotine, I swear to be an Obedi
A MAN OF MYSTERY. 2 1
cut , loving slave to the day Of my death . To thatman I wil l give myself
,my love, my fortune, most
w ill ingly .
”
She paused and cast another look around , as if ex
pecting to see a dozen su itors spring forward to accepther challenge ; but not a s ingle man responded . Atlast her eyes rested upon the face of her late partnerin the minuet
,General Juvenal , a gallant young soldier
of ris ing fame in the Revolut ionary Army.
“What, Juvenal l” she cried,
“can you rema in S i lentafter your ardent vows of love to me during the dance ?D id you not lay your heart and l ife at my feet ?”
Thus directly appealed to , the young general turnedwhite and smiled fa intly.
“My heart and l ife, it is true, mademoisel le ; butnot my honor,
” he answered .
And, w ith these words, he le ft the room .
Louise broke into a scornful laugh .
“And yet he cla imed to love me !” she cried w ith abitter sneer.Then , Observ ing another of her su itors standing inthe alcove of a window, she called out
“But there stands the gal lant D ’
Espernay, the friendwho swore he would go to the gu i llotine
,i f I should
ask him . Come, D’
Espernay, wil l you endeavor tosave my father ?”
The man addressed trembled sl ightly at having hisvain boast brought home to him before so many, andstammered out this lame excuse
“However w i l l ingly I would die for you , Madem o iselle Vauban , I am , nevertheless , a loyal son of
22 TH E MAN W HO DARED .
the Repub l ic . If your father has fa iled in h is duty,I must respectfully decline to interfere on his behalf.”
And D ’
Espernay also le ft the room .
Again Louise broke out in laughter, only th is t imemore bitterly and hysterically than before .
“Why,surely, She exclaimed,
“ th is is the verygolden age of kn ight-errantry ! And you , M . Vi lleneuve, what have you to say to my appeal ?
” shecried a moment after
,as she caught s ight Of stil l an
other of her lovers endeavoring to steal‘
unobservedinto the hall .M . Vi lleneuve shot a frightened glance over h is
shoulder, and never paused to make answer.Louise did not laugh this time , for She real ized that
She was utterly abandoned . Grim terror of Robespierre and his ever-active gu i llotine had evidently de
prived al l men of their bravery, and even love itselfhad become a slave Of fear.In order that the reader may understand th is scene ,a few words of explanation will be necessary . Duringthe Reign o f Terror, when Robespierre was at theheight of his power
,no man in France could say with
confidence that h is head was safe . The “Law of theSuspect” was enforced with tremendous vigor, and tobe arrested on suspic ion meant almost certain death .
No r was it necessary to commit some overt actagainst the Republ ic for one to fal l w ithin the scopeof this iniquitous measure . Men and women wereguillotined for Simply express ing a k indly sympathyfor the condemned. To weep for a vict im of the gu i l
A MAN OF MYSTERY. 23
lotine, even if the unfortunate person was a near anddear relative, was equ ivalent to courting death .
Every day, at sunset, the tumbril s, fi lled with v ictims , wound the ir way Slowly through the streets ofParis, from the Conciergerie Prison to the place ofexecution . The gu il lotine reared its horrible frameover the land, and al l men trembled in its Shadow.
“Lead me away, Marie ,” moaned poor Louise
faintly, I can expect no succor here ; all my friendshave deserted me . Oh , my poor, poor father ! Whatcan I do to save you
Marie conducted her into a small apartment, adjo ining the ballroom, and la id her gently on a sofa . Thenshe went up into the banquet hal l to procure w ineand cakes for her refreshment. Wh il e return ing fromth is errand, she passed the last o f the frightened guests,hurrying toward the door that commun icated w iththe street, and was so enraged at the ir coward ice thatShe abused them roundly to their faces .
“Ye scurvy knaves ! she cried,“may the curse of
Heaven rest on ye for the way ye have treated mymaster !”
But, on reach ing the s ide of her young m istress , she ,became as gentle and tender as a child. With wordsof encouragement and hOpe, she pressed her to eat
and drink so earnestly that Lou ise had not the heartto refuse her.
“And now, deary, sa id Marie , when her m istresshad partaken of some nourishment,
“ I w il l take youupstairs to your room , and put you to bed ; for youmust sleep to ga in strength for to-morrow. Then,
24 THE MAN W HO DARED.
bright and early in the morning, we’l l go to Robes
p ierre together, and I have no doubt, when he hearsof th is outrage, he wil l have your good father setfree .With these words , she put her arms lov ingly aroundthe girl
’
s waist, and helped her to rise from the sofa .
Then, for the first t ime, they became conscious of the
presence o f a third person .
A young man of a frank , noble countenance , wasstanding in the doo rway, in an att itude of profound t espect, regard ing them with deep interest .See ing that the women started back affrighted on
beholding h im , he reassured them with a pleasantsm ile, and said, bow ing pol itely :
“Pardon my intrus ion ! I am a friend who des ires
to render you a service .”“A fr iend , monsieur ?
” excla imed Lo u ise in astonishm ent .
“Why, I do not even know you“True, answered the unknown in a low, mus icalvo ice ;
“but, Mademo isel le Vauban , you are wel lknown to me . I have long adm ired you from a distance, conscious that I was utterly unworthy of youracquaintance . No r would I have ever presumed toseek th is interv iew, were it not for the hope I entertain Of aiding you .
”
Louise examined the stranger’s countenance moreclosely
,and was struck w ith the sincerity it expressed.
The open brow,the finely-chiseled features , the firm
mouth and chin , and the pierc ing, blue eyes inspiredher with a feel ing of confidence ; and yet how could
A MAN OF MYSTERY. 25
this obscure young man assist her in her present desperate emergency ?
“Mons ieur,” she sa id
,I thank you for your Offer ;
but I fear that my case is beyond your help .
”
“That remains to be seen ,” replied the unknown .
Let me explain mysel f , mademoiselle ! I am an oh
scure person , i t i s true , and yet I have resources whichthe greatest men might envy . Being acquainted w ithyour father
,I came here at his invitation to-night. I
was a witness to his iniquitous arrest, and to the
brutal treatment you received at the hands of the gendarmes . My heart prompted me to rush to yourrescue, but had I done so all would have been lost .
“ I was present in the ballroom,mademoisel le, when
you appealed to your craven-hearted admirers to saveyour father’s l ife . I saw them desert you one by one ,and then vowed that I would champion your causemyself.
“Understand mademoisel le , he continued w ithrare del icacy, I t was not your Offer of yourself andfortune that prompted me to this resolution . It wasthe deep love and respect I have for you , nothingmore . Having come to this determination , there fore,I l ingered behind
,until the other guests had departed,
and I could see you alone . And now,Mademoiselle
Vauban , allow me to place myself at your disposal.”
Utterly amazed at the genero’
sity of this Offer, thegirl remained for a while s ilent . It seemed so oddthat she Should be be friended by -
a total stranger,at a time when even those who professed to love her
26 TH E MAN W HO DARED.
had fa iled her, that her m ind was completely bewildered . Observ ing th is
,the stranger quietly resumed
“ I am not surpri sed, mademoisel le , that you shoulddoubt the s incerity of my offer, or my ab ility to saveyour father’s l ife . Nevertheless , I assure you that Iam worthy of your trust, and am by no means as powerless as I appear.”
“But who are you asked Lou ise . What is yourname ?”
The stranger fixed upon her a look of deep Signifi
cance, and repl ied ambiguously“ I am known as Jean Louvet, and am at present an
humble Representative in the National Convention .
”
“And your pol itics asked Lou ise. “Are you a
Jacob in“My politics, repl ied the unknown , str ik ing upon
his breast w ith his palm , are kept locked up here .The girl pondered a moment doubtfully, and then,overwhelmed w ith an emotion of sudden gratitude ,stretched forth her hand im puls ively to the young m an,
with the fervent exclam ation :“ I trust you , M . Louvet
,and grateful ly accept your
brave Offer ! God grant you may not lose your ownhead in trying to save my father’s !”
He raised the hand She gave him to h is l ips andk issed it reverently.
“ If I perish in your serv ice,mademoisel le, I shal l
be well content,” he answered .
And, with these words, departed from her presence.
CHAPTER I II .
ROBESPIERRE.
ON the morn ing following the ball at M . V auban’
s,
the great Robespierre arose from the bed on which hehad tossed through a restless night , and, going overto a window that opened upon the Rue Saint Honoré ,drew aside the curtains and looked out .The hot July sun was already high in the heavens
,
beating down upon the roofs and pavements of Pariswith fierce intens ity .
“How my poor head aches !” he muttered , passinga long hand tremulously across his sal low brow .
“ Ifeel weak and sick from lack of sleep
,and yet I never
was in such sore need of all my strength and resolut ion . The Republ ic is threatened, and I alone canpreserve it . And yet, howHe turned from the w indow with an exclamat ion of
impat ience “
and despair.“Faugh ! I am heartily s ick Of i t al l ! he cried .
The guil lotine ! It is ever the guillotine by which
the cause of l iberty must be advanced . The guillotinefor one’s friends even !”
The tears started to hi s eyes,as he paced nervously
back and forth between the door Of his chamber andthe window,
combat ing with h is emotions .
[27 ]
28 THE MAN W HO D ARED .
Poor Vauban ! he exclaimed in a choked voice .Would that I could save you ! But the Republ ic re
quires your head,and , dear friend though you be , you
must perish .
”
His yellow,bloodshot eyes gleamed with fanaticism
as he u ttered these words , and h is th in lips Closedtogether in an expression Of gr im resolve . He employed the ensuing quarter of an hour in dressinghimself with scrupulous neatness , and then rang forhis breakfast .The meal
,which consisted of a single roll , an egg,
and a pot of coffee,was brought into the room by his
landlord,an humble cabinetmaker who loved him de
vo tedly.
“ I trust you slept wel l during the night, re
marked this individual with extreme sol icitude , as heplaced the frugal repast on the table at which his i llustrio us tenant had seated himself.
“ I f I did not,” repl ied Robesp ierre, w ith a sickly
sm i le, i t was because my mind was busy in devisingplans for the happiness of our beloved country .
”
“Ah , Monsieur Robespierre !” returned the cab inet
maker admiringly,“you think too l ittle of yourself.
You are too self-sacrificm g .
”
Robespierre frowned .
“You forget yoursel f,my friend
,in addressing me
asMonsieur,” he said sternly.
“You should rememberthat I am Simply Cit izen Robespierre, the brotherOf al l true Frenchmen . It i s a title in which I glory,and you should not deprive me Of it . As to sacrificingmyself for the Republic ,
” he added with ardor,“ it is
ROBESPIERRE. 29
no more than my plain duty . If the Commonwealthshould “require my head to-morrow, I would gladlygive it up ; o r
”—and here hi s voice trembled sl ightly“ if i t is necessary to the public welfare that I shouldsend my dearest friends to the guillotine, I wi l l nothes itate to do so .
He paused to sip his co ffee reflectively, while thecab inetmaker stood by, regarding him with adoringreverence . Indeed, i t was smal l wonder that this enigm atical man commanded the affections and confidenceof all men of h is landlord’s Class ; for he was simpleand democratic in his habits , poor, despite h is greatpower and influence , and outspoken in h is utterancesagainst oppress ion .
Although no greater tyrant ever l ived,he did not
Oppress the poor and humble , but retained his swayover their hearts by profess ing to act always in theirinterest . Occupying humble lodgings
,when he might
have res ided in a palace, he appeared to them as theideal ruler of a Commonwealth founded upon the principles Of l iberty, equal ity, and brotherhood , and sothey granted him their unqualified support.Realiz ing from his tenant’s abstracted manner that
he desired to be alone, the cabinetmaker was in theact of withdrawing qu ietly from the room , when aservant appeared in the doorway .
“Two women are waiting below to have a wordwith you , C itizen Robespierre, she announced .
“D O you know who they are ?” he asked suspicious
ly for ever since the assass ination of his friend, Marat ,
30 TH E MAN W H O D ARED .
by Charlotte Corday, he was cautious in granting ihterviews to s trangers .
“Yes,
” answered the servant,I know them . They
are Citizeness Vauban and her maid .
”
Robespierre’s sallow face darkened .
“Faugh he exclaimed, in tones of annoyance . Iknow what their visit means . They have come toplead with me to spare Citizen Vauban . But it is useless ; it i s necessary that he Should d ie .
”
He arose from the table with an air o f vexation , andresumed his pacing o f the apartment. It was evidentthat the thought of meeting his v isitors d isturbed himgreatly .
“Why will not people l eave me alone in the perfo rm ance of my duty ?” he exclaimed .
“Why must Ibe tortured by appeals to my sympathies ? It wouldbe, perhaps , best to refuse this audience , s ince i t canonly result in pain . And yet,
” he added, running hislong fingers through his hair distractedly,
“ if I refuseto receive these women
,my mot ives will be cruelly
misjudged . I wil l be accused Of sending my friend,Vauban , to the guillotine through sheer envy andmal ice .
”
AS he uttered these words , the l ines o f h is face hardened suddenly
,and
,turning to the servant w ith an im
perio us gesture , he said coldly“Show the women into my parlor, and tell themI wi l l be with them presently .
When the servant had departed,Robespierre went
over to a wardrobe, and took from it a sky-blue coat ,a Wh ite-s i lk waistcoat embroidered with s i lver, a pair
32 TH E MAN W H O D ARED .
ence last night,for you might have prevented amost
wicked outrage .
“An outrage ?” stammered Robespierre, with anattempt to appear astonished .
!What do you mean ?”
“ Simply this,
” repl ied Louise, in calm , del iberatetones . During the height o f the festivities last night,a company of gendarmes entered our house like somany bandits
,and dragged your friend , my father, Off
to prison . If you had been there , M . Robespierre, youwould doubtless have saved him ,
”She added iron
ically.
The crafty tyrant was fully aware o f the irony in herlast words
,but it suited his purpose to ignore it .
“What ! my friend Vauban arrested ?” he cried , assum ing an air Of surprise .
“And by whose order ,pray ?”
Still looking him steadily in the face, Louise ah
swered slowly“By order Of the Committee of Public Safety , Of
which you are a privileged member .At this the wily Robespierre suddenly affected an
a ir Of alarm and sol icitude .
“Why,the affair must be serious , he said gravely.
If the Committee of Public Safety ordered yourfather’s arrest
,it must be for some excellent reason .
It must be that he has failed in his duty to the Republ ic .
”
“ Indeed sneered the girl b itterly . If that be so,M . Robespierre , i t appears to me that you , his friend ,
should know of it.” Then suddenly casting as ide all
ROBESPIERRE. 33
hypocrisy, she addressed these bold words to the tyrant :
“ It is useless for vou to pretend ignorance of th isaffair, M . Robespierre, for it was you yourself whocaused my father’s arrest . In some way he has o ffended you . How, I do not pretend to know . He haslost the protection of your friendship , and is now aprisoner in La Force . I d id not come here to informyou of something you already know, but
'
to appeal t othe g eneros ity Of your nature .She rose from her seat, and flung herself on herknees at the tyrant’s feet .
“Oh , my dear, good , kind M . Robespierre !” shecried , in h eartrending tones ; do not let me appeal toyou in vain . I f my father has offended you in anyway, beli eve me , it was not through intention . Hehas always loved and respected you ; bel iev ing thatvou were h is dearest friend . Prove now, that youdeserve h is trust and affection by saving him from thegu il lotine . You are great
,you are all—powerful , and
one word from you w il l be sufli cient . Oh , say thatyou will save him , and keep my heart from break ing !
”
During the Whole Of th is pass ionate entreaty, Robesp ierre kept his face averted from that of the girl , asif fearful that h is resolut ion would give way beforeher beauty . When she paused for his answer, heturned upon her a troubled look and sa id , w ith forcedcalmness :
“You overrate my power , Citizeness Vauban . I ambut an humble Representative of the people .”
“Yet one whose mere word is abso lute law in
34 TH E MAN ! V H O D ARED .
France , cried Louise . Oh , I beseech you to exert
your power to save my dear father !”
“But i f he is guilty returned Robespierre . Wouldyou have me save him then ?”
“Guilty ? My father guilty ?” almost screamed thegirl . “Of what crime does he stand accused ? It i ssaid he is a suspect . Suspected of what ? Dare anyone accuse him of treason to the Republ ic ? Why ,such an idea is monstrous ; his whole life has beendevoted to the cause of l iberty .
“You plead for h im eloquently , said Robespierre ,beginning to soften .
“Because my entreaties are prompted by love ,s ighed Louise . “And yet , She added despairingly ,“of what avai l are any words of mine ? I t was onlylast night
,M . Robespierre , that I appealed. to those
who professed to love me ; who had even sworn thatthey would die for me . I offered mysel f as the lov ingand obedient s lave forever to the one who would savemy father. Yes , I vowed that I would give myself,my heart, my fortune to the man who would rescueh im from death ; but i t was in vain . One by one theydeserted me , and I was left disconsolate and alone .
“And does your Offer stil l hold good ?” askedRobespierre , in eager, tremulous tones .
“ It stil l holds good , She answered , looking up intohis face with hope and fear in her eyes .The maid, Marie , who had been a silent W itness ofth is strange scene , observed that a remarkable changehad now overspread Robespierre’s somber visage.For a brief moment i t was transfigured by an expres
ROBESPIERRE. 3 5
s ion of infinite longing. There was a wondrous soft“
ness in the look that he fixed upon the girl at his feet,
and a happy smile parted his th in l ips .The anx ious maid was beginn ing to hOpe that hermistress had triumphed over his determination , whenthe tyrant turned away with a s igh that seemed to risefrom his heart’s depths , and , bowing h is head uponhis breast, muttered sternly :
“Robespierre , no weakness .When
'
he turned toward her m istress a momentlater
,his b ilious face was Of a l ivid , greenish hue, and
inflexible in the resolution it expressed .
“Come, Citizeness Vauban,” he cried
,in a hoarse
,
hollow voice ,“ let us put an end to this painful inter
view ! I i your father is innocent, i t will appear at h istrial . I f he is guilty, ne ither you, nor I should ra isea fing er to save h im . The Revolutionary Tribunalw il l dec ide his fate .
”
And, turning on his heel , he hurried from the room .
“Oh , merciful God !” moaned the wretched Lou ise .
My dear father is lost beyond al l hope.”
Marie put her arm gently around her waist andwhispered :
“D O not despa ir , my dear mistress . Let us trust
to the promise o f the stranger.”
CHAPTER IV.
J EAN LOUVET.
WH ILE th is scene was being enacted in the humblelodgi ngs of Robespierre , another, of an equal ly dramatic character, was tak ing place in the hal l of theNational Convention . St . Just -o ne of Robesp ierre’sclosest friends
,and a member of the Revolutionary
Tribunal—had ascended the tribune to propose ameasure instigated by his ch ief, when an Obscure Representative arose from his seat , and shouted in tonesthat rang through the building like the notes of abugle :
“ I cal l upon all true Frenchmen to hear me !”
St . Just raised his eyes in astonishment from the
written Speech he was about to del iver ; the membersall turned inquiring looks toward the speaker ; wh il ePresident Thurio t extended a hand toward the bell onh is desk to ring for order . Before he could give thesignal , however, the new vo ice cried out :
“The time has arrived , my brothers , for th is Conventio n to assert its independence . The cit izen whois about to address you is but the serv i l e tool Of yourOppressor—the mouthpiece of the absent Robesp ierre.H e comes here to propose a measure devised by h is
[35 ]
JEAN Lo tJVET. 37
master . He bel ieves you wi ll al l vote for it throughfear of the man he represents . But wil l you ?”
He paused and cast a look around the hall, wherethe drop of a pin could have been heard in the profound silence that reigned . President Thurio t seizedhis bell and rang it violently ; but its clanging wasdrowned in the speaker’s vibrant voice, as he resumed,with a gesture of defiance :
“You cannot r ing me down,s ir ; I am determined
to be heard . It has long been apparent that th is assem bly is spellbound w ith terror of one man . Hisw i l l is its law . No one dare Oppose h im . No one,d id I say ? Ah , in that I was m istaken ; for I , JeanLouvet , dare to raise my voice against h im . Yes ,on the floor of this Convention , that is ruled by thewill Of Robesp ierre, I denounce him as a tyrant anddemand his accusation l”
Again you might have heard a p in drop,so s ilent
was the hal l .Pres ident Thurio t la id down his bell , and sank back
in his chair aghast . Men looked into each other’sfaces, and saw there, as in a mirro r, the terror o f theirown hearts imaged in pall id hues . And yet the majority o f Representat ives present were in secret sym pathywith the speaker .It was a moment of supreme suspense .How would the scales move—for, or aga inst, Robesp ierre ? One resolute word was sufficient to decide theissue, and this word was spoken , but, unfortunately,by St. Just.
THE MAN W HO DARED.
Real iz ing that a tremendous crisi s was impend ing,he called out contemptuously :
‘Why,the man is mad !” Then , turning to Thurio t ,
he added,in tones loud enough for all to hear : “ I
appeal to you , Mr. Pres ident , to have this disorderlyperson removed from the hall , so that we may proceedwith our business und isturbed .
”
These timely words turned the scales in Robesp ierre’s favor. Representatives Of all pol itical part iessprang to their feet
,shaking their fists at Jean Louvet ,
and hurling threats and denunciations at h is head .
The Jacobin members fi l led the place with tremendous
Shouts of “V ive Robespierre ! V ine la République!
”
wh il e the rabble in the galleries roared approval .In the midst o f this storm , Jean Louvet stoo d calmand intrepid . H i s youthful face had become pale
,but
not through fear. It was because he realized that hi sdaring had failed , and that he must abandon all hopeo f a id from the Convention .
“Cowards he muttered despairingly. I f you hadhad the heart to suppo rt my motion , the tyrant wouldhave perished and M . V auban
’
s head been saved . Itook you for freemen ; but have learned that you areslaves . Well , so be it ! As Slaves and cowards I w i l lhence forth treat you .
”
He cast a haughty look up at the roaring galleries,
a contemptuous glance upon his fellow Representatives , and, with a how of mock reverence to the Pres ident, turned on his heel and left the Convention Hal l .On reaching the street , he walked briskly in the
d irect ion of the Faubourg St . Anto ine—whose narrow
40 TH E MAN W HO DARED .
“And André the Barber ; he also frequents yourhouse, does he not ?
”
“He comes here every evening.
Then there i s another customer of yours , namedFrancois
,who does nothing to earn his bread . When
do you expect to see him again ?”
“Ah,that idler spends most of h is time here .
Well,you may tel l them both they are wanted .
And,without de ign ing to notice the curios ity h is
words had excited in the landlord , Louvet walked outof the wine Shop .
A few steps brought him to a l ittle square , wherea crowd of poor wretches had gathered to l isten tothe violent utterances o f a Jacobin demagogue whowas spouting the praises Of Robespierre .Fierce looking men , in red caps and fustian j ackets,and bloated , disheveled women crowded eagerlyaround the speaker, blocking the way SO completelythat it was almost impossible to pass . Louvet wasabout to turn into an alley to escape the throng, whenhe heard that which made him pause .The demagogue was denouncing M . Vauban .
He was g iving his audience a graphic descript ion ofthe bal l of the previous n ight, and draw ing his ownconclus ions as to its Significance . He accused M .
Vauban Of being an ari stocrat at heart, whose pro
fessions of republ icanism were hypocritical . The entertainm ent
,he said , was proof positive of th is , for it
was princely in its magnificence and display . A true
republ ican would never have indulged in such vainluxury.
JEAN LOUVET. 4 1
The incorruptible Robespierre, however, had seenthrough the des igns of the traitor. He had recognizedthat M . Vauban Wi shed to excite others to emulatehis grandeur
,and so undermine the principles of l ib
erty, equal ity, and fraternity upon which the fabric Ofthe Republ ic had been built. There fore, Robespierrehad caused M . V auban
’
s arrest, and he was now a
prisoner in La Force,awaiting, in fear and trembling,
the decree that would send h im to the guillotine .
Pausing a moment, until the savage howl of approval which followed this announcement had subsided , the demagogue changed the theme Of hisharangue .
He now called h is hearers’ attention to the scene inthe Convention that morning . Louvet could not restra in a smile, on hearing himsel f described as a meanand cowardly tra itor who had tried to instigate hisassociates to rebell ion . H is smile broadened when heheard the demagogue declare that he was an assassinwho wished to murder the great Robespierre .
But his face sobered and his heart sank,a moment
afterwards , when the Jacob in informed his hearers thatJean Louvet had been accused Of treason on leaving
the Convention Hall , and that a price had been set uponhis head .
As he was well known in the Faubourg St . Antoine ,where he had posed as an ardent revolutionist
,he
instantly realized the danger of his position . Althoughsent to the Convention from a remote district ofFrance , he had associated extensively with the lowerclasses in Par is , and especially with the residents of
42 THE MAN W HO DARED .
St. Anto ine . In fact, i t would be impossible for h imto travel through its shortest street without encountering an acquaintance . Yet, here he was , in the veryheart Of the Faubourg, surrounded by a crowd of itsinhabitants .What should he do ?For a moment he was so overcome w ith terror that
it was impossibl e for him to come to a decis ion . Rec
o gnitio n at that moment meant certain destruction ;for the savage people around him , lashed to fury bythe Jacobin , would tear him limb from l imb on thespot .Fortunately, however, the attent ion of every one
in the crowd was just now riveted upon the speaker,and Jean Louvet had a chance to collect h is wits .Realizing the necessity of leaving the perilous spot atonce
,he drew o ff quietly from the outski rts of the
throng, and glided stealthily into a narrow alley.
“ It i s probable ,” he thought,
“ that the news of mydoings in the Convention is not widely known as yet.I f I can only escape from th is neighborhood , al l maystil l b e well .He increased h is ga it to a brisk walk . Every stepthat took h im further from the crowd added to hishope and confidence . He passed by several strag
glers , but fortunately they were strangers .All at once he came w ithin s ight of another l ittlesquare
,and was dismayed to see that here also a
crowd had gathered . For what purpose ? A few stepsnearer settled al l doubts ; for he beheld a secondJacob in orator, mounted upon the top Of a wine cask
,
JEAN LOUVET. 43
address ing the throng in a hoarse , bawling voice, accompanied by the wi ldest gestures.With a fluttering heart Jean Louvet crept nearer
,
until he could hear each word the fellow uttered . The
Jacobin was denouncing him as a tra itor. Like thedemagogue he had previously heard , this speaker wasdescribing to his hearers the occurrences in the Conventio n that morn ing, call ing upon them to supportthe incorruptibl e Robespierre, and to crush all h isOpponents .Jean Louvet crept stealthily into the shelter of adark hal lway to reflect. Now that he knew the ful lextent of his peril he was no longer terrified ; butcould look the S ituation squarely in the face , with allthe resolution and courage that characterized his nature.
“I see how matters stand clearly enough , hemused . It is apparent that my defiance of Robesp ierre th is morning has produced a greater effect thanI supposed . It has awakened h is supporters to arealization that he has many enem ies in the Conventio n who are only held in check by fear. SO hisfriends , the Jacob ins , dreading lest my daring mightl ead others to emulate my example, had me accused oftreason immediately after I had left the hall . Then,after hav ing fixed a price upon my head , they sentthe ir orators among the people to stir them up to ademonstration in the tyrant’s favor. In this way theyhope to prove to his Opponents that he has the supportof the citizens of Paris , and so fr ighten them into amore complete subj ection to h is wil l .
44 THE MAN W HO DARED.
It is shrewd pol itics,he reflected further ;
“but I
wil l outwit them yet,provided I can escape from my
present peril,and reach a safe retreat. But how am I
to accomplish this ? No t by skulking and hiding in'
th is wretched quarter ; for all its inhab i tants are bythis time inflamed against me . There i s but onecourse to pursue . I must go boldly forth , face the
people with stem courage, and trust to God to carryme safely through .
”
Thereupon he left the hallway, and , hummingMarseil laise nonchalantly
,walked briskly
alley .
CHAPTER V .
AT TH E RABBLE’
S MERCY.
JEAN LOUVET had proceeded but a short distance,when he arrived at a street that intersected the narrowlane at right angles . He paused for a moment todecide which way he should turn ; then wheeledquickly to the right and hastened on .
It was his intention to reach his lodgings as soon aspossible
,in order to procure certain important docu
ments he kept there, before the gendarmes arrived toarrest him ; but, on further reflection , he determinedto abandon this purpose ; for it was imperative for himto seek a hiding place at once .
On the confines of St . Anto ine , in a Winding streethemmed in by squalid tenements , stood a very ancientdwell ing known as the Maison Rousseau , out of com
plim ent to the il lustrious philosopher Of that namewho had once made it his residence . Its present o c
cupant was a learned physician , Dr . Narbonne , of themost pronounced revolutionary principles , and consequently very popular with the people .It was sa id that he was exceedingly benevolent, andthat he had turned h is house into a hospital for theinfirm . At least it was known that many perso ns ,
(45 !
46 TH E MAN W H O D ARED .
bes ides h imself,l ived in the Maison Rous seau , and, as
he said they were his patients , no one doubted it.
It was to this venerable mans ion that Jean Lo uvetwas hurrying
,when he suddenly encountered an ac
quaintance who called upon him to halt .“B an four, Citizen Louvet !
” exclaimed the fellow,
blocking the way with his body.
“ So you have not
escaped us after all ?”
The young m an shot a qu ick glance at h is questioner, and recognized Jacques the Blacksmith, one ofthe most sanguinary wretches in the Faubourg, whohad figured conspicuously in the prison massacres of
September,’
92 .
The savage aspect of the man deprived him of allhOpe ; nevertheless he forced a smile to his lips and
repl ied composedly“Ah , friend Jacques , so i t i s you ? I thank you foryour kind greeting and return it cordial ly.
”
While speaking he attempted to pass on ; but theman would not permit it .
“No t so fast , my worthy Representat ive , he
snarled , with a sarcastic leer. I must have a wordwith you . I heard that you made a great speech in theConvention this morning, and have become suddenlyfamous . I congratulate you on behalf of St . AntoineAs he uttered these words , he squared h imsel fmenacingly before Louvet , w ith h is great , half-baredarms ak imbo , and h is red cap pulled down over oneeye .
“ I must deceive thisfellow, or I am lost , reflectedLouvet. Then , affecting an air of surpri se , he said
48 THE MAN W HO D ARED .
had obta ined his information only at second hand,began to believe that he had indeed been made the
victim o f a joke . Until that morning he had been anardent admirer of the young Representative, who hadalways treated him as a brother and an equal .Like other fanatics of the period , wh ile bloodth irstyin his zeal against those he regarded as enemies ofthe Republic , he was willing at any time to lay downhis l ife to protect the innocent . And now that he hadit in his power to either save , or destroy Jean Louvet,he found himself incapable of deciding .
In the meantime his friend , the laborer, was drawing nearer, with the crowd of maddened citizens notfar behind . He observed that Jean Louvet was gazingupon them with an innocent sm i le , l ike one uncon
scious of wrong-doing.
Was he innocent or guilty ?Should he urge him to escape
,or del iver h im over
to the mob'
s fury ?
He had but a few mom ents to decide .“Citizen Louvet,
” he asked suddenly, in stranglyappeal ing tones
,
“will you promise to answer truthfullv what I ask you ?
Louvet, who at that moment was meditating a desperate rush for liberty, noticed the change in his voice,and repl ied , artfully :Why , Jacques , have I ever told you a l ie ?
No , you have not , answered the blacksm ithqu ickly,
“and that i s why I trust you now. Are youa true friend of the people
AT THE RABBLE’
S MERCY. 49
The young man looked him full in the eyes , andanswered :
“There is none truer .Then you are my brother, and I will protect you ,
cried the blacksm ith,eagerly.
“Listen ! The crowd yousee yonder are not com ing to cheer you as you think ,but to tear you limb from l imb ; for your enemieshave been spreading l ies about you through the Faubourg. They have denounced you as a traitor, accused by the Convention , and w ith a price upon yourhead . Now, begone ! and leave the neighborhood asquickly as you can
,or I would not give one so n for
your life .
”
Louvet pressed the s inewy hand he extendedwarmly, and hurr ied on . He knew that his perils werenot yet over, in fact , that only a Short respite had beengranted him ; for in a few moments the laborer wouldcome up with the blacksm ith , and then the truthwould be revealed .
So he quickened his pace almost to a run , look ingto the right and left for a street or alley into which hecould turn , and , once out of s ight of his enemies , flyl ike the wind .
But not a break appeared in the sol id row of ten
em ents before him .
Presently he heard the sound of vo ices in eager consultatio n in his rear, and , throwing a hasty glanceover his shoulder, saw that the laborer and the blacksm ith had met .
“Nothing can save me now but speed, he m ut
tered, and broke into arun,
TH E MAN W HO D ARED .
Be ing a l ight and act ive man , and somewhat of anathlete
,Jean Louvet never for a moment doubted that
he could soon distance his pursuers . Indeed, h isch ief peri l now lay before him , rather than behind .
For it was probable that any one coming from anopposite direction , see ing him runn ing at his topmostspeed with a crowd of howling pursuers in his rear,would regard him as a fugitive from j ustice, and en
deavo r to head him o ff.
He had not gone a great di stance when this th ingactually occurred .
He had reached a bend in the street, and was in theact of turning it, when three men , in red caps andb louses , came sauntering out of a wine shop about onehundred yards ahead . The mob was now in full cryafter him , with Jacques and the laborer in the lead,shouting :
“Stop the tra itor ! Head h im Off Stop him !Hearing the tumult, the three men turned , and,seeing the fugitive suddenly dash into sight roundthe bend, Spread themselves across the narrow way tohead him
,
o ff.
By this time the wild clamor of the Chase hadaroused the whole neighborhood ; windows on both
Sides of the way were thrown open with a clatter, andheads were thrust out ; men and women rushed outof doors and hallways excitedly ; pedestrians turnedin their path to join in the pursuit , and even thegamins of the quarter paused in their play in the gut
.ters to hurl stonesand m udat the luckless man
AT THE RABBLE '
S MERCY. 5 1
I t seemed to Jean Louvet that all Paris had r isenagainst him .
As he drew nearer to the men who blocked h ispath , he collected his energies for one supreme effort.I f he could break through them , he might yet escape ;so he determined to make the attempt .Veering into
'
the middle of the street, he bent low,
and,rushing headlong against the man who stood
there to oppose him , caught him suddenly around thethighs
,and threw him over h is shoulder. Then, be
fore the other men could come to the ass istance oftheir fallen comrade
,he dashed on .
Another peril passed .
Hope now began to animate the young man’s heartfor he saw, not far ahead , a narrow lane that led intoa labyrinth of winding al leys . Confident that
,if he
could once reach th is maze,he could easily elude h is
pursuers , he put forth a terrific burst of speed thatel icited a Shout of baffled rag e from his foes . Forthese human bloodhounds instantly divined his purpose, and real ized that he might escape them yet.Suddenly , to the ir amazement , Jean Louvet came toa dead halt , and , folding his arms qu ietly across h ischest, calmly awaited their approach .
Why ?From the lane toward wh ich he was hurrying, amob was now pouring, giv ing vent to mad shouts ofvengeance, and completely blocking the way . It wasapparent that a third Jacobin meeting had been heldsomewhere in the vicini ty
,and that the people who
had attended it were returning to their homes .
THE MAN W HO DARED .
Two dense walls of humanity were now press ing inupon Louvet from oppos ite directions , and he had nochoice but to bravely await the moment when theywould meet together and crush him .
“ I am lost ,” he groaned, despairingly, and with me
all hope o f saving M . Vauban .
”
Presentlv one of his pursuers came up to him andseized him roughly .
“Ah , you vile traitor !” he panted , fiercely . You
are caught at last.”“Caught , yes,
” he answered, resolutely ; but notproved a traitor as yet . I demand a trial .”
At this moment, Jacques the blacksm ith rushed up .
“You lying aristocrat !” he howled, w ith a murderous gleam in his wo lfish eyes . “You cheated me
,you
betrayed my trust, and I w il l tear your hea rt out !”
Drawing a huge, hooked knife from his belt , hewas about to plunge it into his victim’s breast , when
a third pursuer arr ived upon the scene, and seized h isuplifted arm .
“Lunat ic ! what are you about ?” he cried , quickly.
Would you slay an innocent man ?”
Louvet turned toward h is preserver in amazement.and recognized Francois the Idler, for whom he hadleft a message at the wine shop.
CHAPTER VI .
A CONFERENCE I N TH E MAI SON ROUSSEAU.
JACQUES the Blacksmith let h is arm drop slowly tohis side, and threw upon Francois a glance of blankaston ishment .
“ Innocent ?” he asked , pointing a threatening forefinger at Jean Louvet. “Th is traitor innocent ?”
“He is no more a tra itor than you are, Jacques,answered Francois, boldly ;
“but a sturdy friend ofthe Republ ic whom we must save .”
“But he stands accused of treason by the Co nvention ,
” gasped the wondering blacksm ith . And , if heis not guilty, why has a price been fixed upon h ishead ?”
Frango is laughed scornfully.
“ Ignorant fool ! Know you not there are two Representatives of this man’s name in the National Conventio n
The blacksm ith’s lower jaw dropped . For a moment he stood silent
,looking from Louvet to his pre
server,and back again in a hal f stupefied way ; then
he asked, bewilderedly :“How can that be ?”
Li sten , and I w ill expla in !” answered Francois ,
hurr iedly ; for the angry mob was now close at hand,
[53 ]
54 TH E MAN W HO DARED .
and every second was precious. The man who defiedRobespierre this morning was not the noble patriot,Jean Louvet
,but a vil e traitor of a s imilar name who
represents a district in the department of Lyons . Theman before you spells his name L-o -u-v-e-t . Thewretch accused by the Convention spells hi s L-u-v-e-t .
Their baptismal names are the same, which accountsfor the grave mistake that has been made ; but herecomes the crowd,
” he added, as the people surgedfuriously around them .
“Let us do what we can toprotect this innocent man from their rage !It was fortunate for the hero o f th is narrative that
Jacques the Blacksmith was a power in the Faubo urgSt . Antoine . Otherwise, he would undoubtedly havebeen torn to pieces by the enraged populace before aword could have been spoken in h is defense . As it
was , the credulous monster, whom Francois had soartfully converted into his protector, was obl iged tocover him with his huge body
,and imperi l h is l i fe on
his behal f.Jean Louvet was conscious of being tossed fromside to side, as the infuriated mob pressed resistlesslyabout them . He felt his frame clasped tightly in thehuge arms of the giant blacksmith . He heard theroar of his protector’s voice bellow ing protestationsof his innocence ; caught confused glimpses of fiendi sh faces crowned by fi lthy red caps ; of wav ing clubs ,gleaming knives , and gl ittering axes .Then , believing that his last moment had come, he
muttered a fervent prayer, closed his eyes and waited .
i f Jean Louvet should visit St . Antoine before theycould warn him
,might result in saving him from in
s tant death .
On separating, Chance led them in opposite d ircetions ; so that Francois the Idler found himself in thecrowd that a fterward gave chase to Jean Louvet,while S imon the Jai ler became one of the mob whichsubsequently is sued from the lane ahead of him to barthe way of his escape . Naturally, on d iscovering whothe fugitive was , they both rushed forward to hisrescue
,Francois arriving at h is Side in time to prevent
h is assassinat ion by the blacksmith , and Simon tosave him from massacre by the people .On seeing that h is ringing shouts had caused thecrowd to hesitate, Simon followed up his advantage
with vigor.“Fellow c it izens !” he excla imed . It i s apparent
that an overruling Prov idence directed my steps h itherto save yo u from murdering an innocent man . It istrue that a Representative of a l ike name was accusedby the Convent ion th is morning, and that a pr ice wasset upon his head . But, brothers, he is in the Luxembourg Prison , where I locked him up mysel f th ismorning. You al l know me
,do you not ? I am Simon
the Jail er,and you are aware that I never stoop to
l ie . SO when I tell you that Jean Louvet, the manwhose l ife you have been seeking, i s not Jean Luvet,the traitor
,who now l ies in prison for his crimes , I
trust you w il l let th is patriot go in peace .”
A moment of s ilent suspense followed, and then avo ice cried out
A CONFERENCE IN THE MAISON ROUSSEAU . 5 7
But who is this other Jean Luvet you speak of ? Inever heard of him .
”
Before Simon could make answer, another voicereplied
“Then I would adv ise you to read your M oniteur
more carefully . For my part, I know the man to
whom Simon refers well . Then raising his voice, sothat all might hear
,he added : “ It is apparent that
th is man is innocent, Citizens . The traitor denouncedby the orators must be Jean Luvet from the department of Lyons , as Simon the Jailer says ; for we allknow his ant i-revolutionary principles . I think we
Owe some apology, therefore, to the citizen we haveso grievously wronged .
”
A tremendous cheer greeted this proposal , andevery one pressed forward to Shake Jean Louvet’shand . In fact, he now found h imself in almost asmuch peril from the crowd’s demonstrations o f affection , as he had been , but a short time before , from itsfury . After a wh il e, however, h is two preservers succeeded in extricating him from the throng, and thenal l three made o ff together in the direction of theMa ison Rousseau .
When they were out of hearing of the people, Louvetasked his companionsDid you receive my message ?NO , they answered .
“Where did you leave it ?”
W ith the landlord of the wine house you both h e
quent . However , s ince we are together, I will del iverit in person . I want you both to attend a conferenceto -n ight.”
At the Ma ison Rousseau ?”
Of course, that is understood .
Well,you can trust me to be there , said S imon.
And me also,” echoed Francois .
“But whither are you going now ?” asked Louvet
anxiously .
“To the nearest possible hiding place , respondedFrancois . “We have saved you by employing a rusewhich may be detected at any moment . So we mustmake the most Of our time .
”
“Then let us hasten to the Maison Rousseau , saidLouvet . “For it i s there the conference i s to be held .
Hi s companions offering no Obj ections to this sug
gestion,they proceeded toward Dr . Narbonne’s res i
dence at a l ively walk . When they came w ith in s ightof it
,they turned aside into a narrow lane which led
to a garden in the rear. In th is way they succeeded inreaching the back of the mansion unobserved , and,knocking at a secret door, were admitted into theinterior .After seeing Louvet safe in th is place of refuge, h ispreservers took the ir departure by the same way theyhad come
,one to return to his duty in the Luxem
bourg Prison , and the other to resume his vocat ionas an idler . Jean watched them through a window,
unti l they disappeared from view, and then walkedqu ickly upsta irs to Dr. Narbonne’s study, and rappedfor admittance .
“Who’s there ?” asked a cheery voice from w ith in .
’
Tis the chief, answered Louvet,“May I enter ?”
A CONFERENCE IN THE MAISON ROUSSEAU . 59
Without paus ing to answer, Dr . Narbonne hurriedto the door and flung it wide open .
“M on D ieu !
” he exclaimed fervently, as he claspedLouvet to his heart. “How did you manage to gethere, my dear young master ? I heard of what happened th is morn ing, and feared that you had beenkilled . May God be pra ised for your escape !”
Jean returned his embrace w ith equal fervor, and,after closing and locking the door of the study, theydrew chairs to opposite sides of a table, and began toconverse earnestly together. After describing hisadventures in St . Antoine , and h is rescue from therabble by his friends , Jean added confidently
“The conclusions I have drawn from these eventsare most encouraging. Let me state them . In thefirst place, I am convinced that Robespierre sways theNational Convention through fear. Secondly, al
though he has the support of the peopl e now , i f theireyes can be Opened to h is tyranny, they wi ll becomeh is implacable enemies . Thirdly
,he is at present
popular with the National Guard and the Mun icipalGendarmes
,and this enables him to wield an immense
power. But, if these forces could be made to underStand that Robesp ierre employs them as the instruments of h is despotism
,they would turn aga inst h im
to a man .
“But the Jacob in Club ?” interposed Dr. Narbonne .H is influence with that body is unassailable .”“True
,
” answered Louvet ; but the Jacobins’ power
is fast wan ing in France . Indeed , Robespierre is their
60 TH E MAN W HO D ARED .
chief prop and support . Take him away, and theJacobin Club would soon fal l to pieces .”
“But you have forgotten the RevolutionaryTribunal
,and the Co m m itees,
” said Dr. Narbonne .“They are composed of Robespierre’s friends—St.Just
, Co u th o n and other uncompromis ing Jacobins .“No ,
” answered Louvet, gravely,“they have not
escaped my mind . I appreciate fully that they arethe real governing bodies of France, before which theNational Convention bows submissively. I l earnedthat sad fact th is morning .
”
Dr . Narbonne cast a look of loving admiration uponthe young man
,and shook his head protestingly .
“Ah that rash speech of yours was a mistake, hesaid . What prompted you to make it ?”
“N ecessity, was the emphatic answer.Necessity ?” echoed his compan ion archly. Come,
confide in me,my dear master ! Were you not actu
ated in some measure by the arrest OfM . VaubanJean Louvet’s handsome face reddened as he t e
pl ied,con fusedly
“What makes you think that ?”
Because I know you are M . V auban’
s friend, re
turned Dr . Narbonne .
“Because I am acquaintedwith al l that occurred at the bal l last night. I aminformed that Mademoiselle Louise Vauban appealedto her admirers
,a fter her father’s arrest, Offering her
sel f and fortune to the man who would save h im .
True,but the cowards abandoned her to a man !
cried Jean,w ith infin ite scorn .
“Being there myself,I know whereof I speak .
”
A CONFERENCE IN TH E MAISON ROUSSEAU. 6 1
The'
wo rthy doctor regarded the young man with
an amused sm i le .“And being there yourself, he resumed, and beingalso an admirer of the beautiful Louise, you vo lun
teered to assist her in her distress . Come , confessthe truth dear master ! for I know your chivalrousnature .Jean blushed to the roots o f h is hair .“Since you have guessed my secret,
” he stammered ,with a confused laugh ,
“ I wil l attempt concealment nolonger. It is true, Dr. Narbonne, that I love LouiseVauban . It is true that I volunteered to save herfather, and it is al so true that my rash Speech , as youcall i t, was made in her father
’s behalf.”
But what did you hope to accomplish by it ?” askedthe doctor.
“Robespierre’s downfall ! exclaimed the youngman , strik ing the table with his clenched fist . “ I
hoped that a majority in the Convention would Sup
port me ; but now I see that I was mistaken .
“And would the fall of Robespierre save M . Vauban ?”
“He can be saved in no other way . It was Robespierre who caused his arrest, and i t wil l be Robesp ierre who will have him guillotined . Therefore , ifM . Vauban is to be saved , it must be done by rem o v
ing the tyrant .”“And you stil l hope to accomplish this result ?”“ I do, was the emphatic answer,
“and by employing his own weapons against himsel f . As his power is
the result of terror, through terror he must fall .”
62 THE MAN W HO D ARED .
H is compan ion regarded him with a perplexedlook .
“ I do not understand you in the least, he saidThen let me expla in,
” answered Louvet : It isan undeniable fact that Robespierre sways the
National Convention through fear, notwithstand ingthat the majority of Representat ives detest h im . Now,
if these men can be insp ired with a greater terror t hanRobesp ierre can command, they wil l rise in a bodyand denounce him .
”
‘And you really hope to bring this thing to passThe future wi ll reveal my plans,
” was the reply.
whose naturally strong pass ions were warped by theconditions of his time ; feroc ious toward his opponeuts , yet not devo id of generosity toward indiv iduals .The celebrated Madame Roland, h is b itter pol iticalenemy, best describes h im :
“ I never saw any countenance that so strongly expressed the v iolence o i brutal pass ions , and the mostastonishing audacity, half disgu ised by a jov ial air,an affectation of frankness , and a sort o f s impl icity,as Danton’s . In 1 7 7 8 he was a needy lawyer, moreburdened with debts than causes . He went to Belgium to augment h is resources , and , after the l o th ofAugust, had the hardihood to avow a fortune ofI pounds, and to wallow in luxury, while preaching sans cullo tism , and sleeping on heaps of Slaughtered men .
” “Danton,says Mignet ,
“was a gigantic
revolutionist . He deemed no means censurable sothey were useful . He has been termed the M i rabeauof the populace . Mirabeau
’
s vices were those of apatrician . Danton’s those of a democrat. He was anabsolute exterminator, w ithout being personally feroc ions ! inexorable toward masses , humane towardunits .But , although history has arrived at a fairly justestimate of the Character o f both Marat and Danton ,Robespierre remains to-day , as ever, an enigma . H ismorals were irreproachable ; no bribes could corrupth im ; he seems to have been s incere in h is endeavorsto establish a Republ ic founded upon the basis ofpopular l iberty and v irtue ; fo r sel f-aggrand isementapparently never entered into his aim s. Although he
ROBESPIERRE’
S RISE To POWER . 6 5
was not a blood- thirsty man,he was ever ready
,with
frigid mercilessness , to crush anybody who stood inthe way of his designs. H is soul appears to have beenalmost as insensible to any generous emotion , as wasthe blade of the guil lotine he employed so freely
“Robespierre,” sa id Napoleon at St . Helena, was
by no means the worst Character who figured in theFrench Revolution . He opposed trying the queen .
He was not an atheist ; on the contrary he had publicly maintained the existence o f a Supreme Being inopposition to many of his colleagues . N either washe of the opinion that it was necessary to exterminateall priests and nobles
,l ike many others . Marat
,for
example , maintained that it was necessary that six
hundred thousand heads should fall . Robespierrewanted to proclaim the king an outlaw, and not to gothrough the ridiculous mockery of trying h im . Robes
pierre was a fanatic, a monster, but he was incorruptible, and incapable of robbing, or caus ing the deathsof others , either from personal enmity, or a des ire o fenriching himself. He was an enthus iast ; but onewho really believed that he was acting right, and diednot worth a sou .
”
As all three of these despots mounted to powerthrough the influence they exerted in the JacobinClub , a brief h istory of the foundation and rise toauthority of this famous pol it ical organ ization wil lhere be necessary .
When Lou is XVI . and his beautiful young queen ,Marie Antoinette , ascended the throne of F rance , themeasureless extravagance of the court had plunged
66 THE MAN W HO DARED.
the nat ion into inextr icable financial embarrassment.The whole burden of the taxes— for the support of thethrone
,the nobles
,the church and the army—fell with
tremendous weight upon the unprivileged classesalone
, S inking them to the lowest cond ition of poverty,debasement and misery.
Taxes were placed upon everything.
There was hardly an occupation in wh ich a mancould engage which was not taxed to almost a pro
bib itory l imit. Tax-gatherers, to the number of twohundred thousand , employed the most cruel expedients to deprive the s tarv ing people of the ir substance .Galleys , gibbets , dungeons , racks—all were called intorequ isit ion . When the corn was absorbed, the cattlewere taken . The ground , exhausted for want o fmanure
,became steril e. Men , women and Ch i ldren
yoked themselves to the plow. The most fruitfulregions gradually became reduced to deserts ; thepopulation died o ff, and beautiful France was fast becoming but a place of graves .Just at th is time the American War of Independencebroke out. I t was the struggle of a heroic peopleaga inst unjus t taxation . The unprivil eged classes ofFrance were aroused to enthus iasm on behalf of therevolut ion ists ; and , when the American delegat ionappeared in Paris, headed by Frankl in , all hearts wereswept along by a current wh ich ne ither k ing, nornobles could w ithstand .
Wh ile the war between Great B ritain and her colo nies lasted , the people of France made no overt demonstrations to escape from their bo ndage ; but, when
ROBESPIERRE'
S RISE To POWER. 6 7
the Americans had succeeded in wresting their inde
pendence from their king, the seeds of liberty began togerminate and bear fru it in the breasts of their Frenchsympathizers . Grumblings and expressions of discontent were heard on al l s ides ; while, at intervals, thepeople broke out in Open rebell ion against their o p~
pressors . Such were the prevailing conditions , whenthe soldiers , who had served in America under Rochambeau and Lafayette , returned to their homes , and ,mingling with their countrymen , inflamed their des irefor freedom .
In May , 1 7 7 8 , Louis XVI . , by the adv ice of hisministers , determined to issue an edict to render useless the Parl iament in Paris , and the twelve Parl iaments in the other departments of France . In someway tidings of his intention reached these bodies , andthe members resolved to resist the measure to the lastgasp . A deputation of twelve was sent from theParl iament of Breton , with a remonstrance to theking at Versail les . They were al l consigned to the
B ai'
stille. A second deputation , much larger, was
sent . Agents Of the king met them , and , by threatsand menaces , drove them back .
“
A third , stil l morenumerous
,was appointed to approach Versail les by
different roads . The king refused to receive them .
At this , they held a meeting in Par is . and invited LaFayette and al l patriotic Bretons in the city to adv isew ith them .
This was the origin of the Jacob in Club .
The organization was first known as the Breton
Club , and was composed of the patriot ic members of
the National Assembly. After the removal of thisbody to Paris
,however
,the Club held its meetings in
an Old, smoky convent of the Jacobin monks , andwas hence called the Jacob in Club . I t now admittedmembers indiscriminately, unti l it numbered twelvehundred in Paris alone . Its affil iated clubs were es
tablished in every part of France , and were fi l led withthe most ardent advocates of reform . In less thantwo years , these branch organizations numbered twothousand four hundred societies in as many towns .Meanwhil e the principles advocated by the Jacobinsbecame so fiercely democratic that La Fayette andothers Of the more conservative patriots withdrewfrom their tumultuous gatherings .Indeed the Jacobins were rapidly assuming the
re ins o f government by marshaling the mob to theirsupport . By w ielding this resistless weapon
,the Club
soon became the relentless and despotic sovereign ofFrance
,more relentless and more despotic than any
S ingle sovereign who ever sat upon the throne .
It will be remembered that, as the French Revolation progressed , Louis XVI . and his consort , alarmedat the attitude of the people , deemed it expedient toescape from Par is in disgu ise . and drive o ff rapidlv
toward the front ier. Unfortunately, they were recognized and arrested at Varennes , and brought back asprisoners to the cap ital .Re ference is made to th is episode, because it affordedthe Jacobin Club the Opportunity o f becoming themost form idabl e power in France . On the morningafter the king’s flight, Marat, one o f its most popular
ROBESPIERRE’
S RISE To POWER. 69
and energetic members , i ssued a furious proclamationto the populace of Paris . Similar impassioned appealswere issued by the Jacobin journals throughout thecountry
,and the entire nation was roused to frenzy .
The king was denounced as a traitor, plotting the destruction of his subj ects
,and Marat became the idol of
the . nation .
This despicable wretch now Openly advocated theannihilation of royalty. Others followed his example .The new doctrine Spread with marvelous rapidityamong the lower orders of Par is
,and very speedily
gained ascendency among the Jacob ins . On the 23rdof June
,1 7 9 1 , Danton mounted the tribune of the
club , and demanded, in an outburst of fiery eloquence,the forfeiture of the throne .
“Your king,” said he ,
“ i s either a knave, or an idiot .If we must have one of the two , who would not preferthe latter ?”
H is utterances were received with the wildestdemonstrations of applause . Louis XVI . and MarieAntoinette were overwhelmed with a torrent of insultsand objurgations
,and it was apparent that their fate
was sealed .
It was not until the memorable tenth of August,
1 792 , however, that they were forced to abdicate thethrone . Three days later, the king and his familywere cons igned to the gloomy fortress of the Temple ,where they were held as prisoners until the executionOf Louis XVI . and Marie Anto inette upon the guillotine.
7 0 TH E MAN W H O DARED .
The sway of the Jacobin Club over the destinies ofFrance was now absolute .Danton was named M inister of Justice ; the bloodthirsty Marat was appointed President of a committeeof “ surveillance,
” which establi shed a terrible systemof espionage and domicil iary visitation in Paris
,under
pretence o f preventing conspiracies against the State ;while Robespierre , who was now
'
rapidly rising topower
,was offered the pres idency of a special criminal
tribunal,instituted for the trial of al l persons accused
of sharing in such conspiracies . He decl ined thehonor
,however
,as being incompatible with his duties
as the leading member of the Commune of Paris .The Republ ic of France dates properly from the fir stmeeting o f the National Convention , on the 2 1 5 t o fSeptember
,1 7 92 . On that day Collot d’
H erbo is proposed the motion that royalty Should be forever abolished
,and that from the fi st of September
,1 7 92 ,
should begin the year One of the French Republ ic .
On the 2 1 5 t o f January , 1 7 93 , Louis XVI . perished .
upon the guillotine , amid the wildest demonstrationsof j oy on the part of the spectators
,who rent the air
with prolonged shouts of “V ine la République! V ive
laLiberte !”
The inevitable and immediate result of his executionwas to plunge the nation into a bitter strife of politicalfact ions . The National Convention was divided intotwo strong part ies : the Girondists and the Jacobins .One of the first great advantages gained by the latterwas the establi shment, on the 1 0th of March , 1 7 93 , ofthe Revolutionary Tribunal- the most execrable en
7 2 THE MAN W H O DARED.
worthy of high commendation . H is principal colleagues in this terrible secret conclave were Barrere ,Carnot
, Co utho n,St. Just and B illaud-Varennes .
Among other arbitrary measures which they enforcedwas the famous “
lo i des suspects,” which v i rtually
placed the l iberty and property of the whole population of France at the disposal of the government , andsoon fil led the prisons w ith upward of two hundredthousand miserable captives .The Revolutionary Tribunal was brought into constant requisition
,and the scaffolds reeked w ith the
blood o f victims of al l ages , classes and conditions .The first remarkable personage to be executed wasGeneral Custine ; the second was the unfortunatequeen
,Marie Antoinette
,who died
,with touching
serenity and magnanimity on the l 6th of October,1 7 93 . The despicable Egalité ; the enthus iastic andnoble-hearted Madame Roland ; the unsuccess ful generals Houchard , Brunet and Lauzun ; and the notorio us Madame du Barry , so long the re ign ing mistress o i Louis XV.
—al l suffered in turn under thefatal knife . No r were the executions confined topersons of prominence only . Hundreds o f humblecitizens were immolated for the all-comprehens ivecrime of hostil i ty to the Republic . Lisping childrenand decrep it octogenarians shared the same fate . Thetwo e xtremes of l ife , the cradle and the grave, metupon the scaffold of the gu il lotine .In the wm eantim e, Robespie rre was rap idly acquir
ing despotic power . He controlled the Committee ofPubl ic Safety, and h is democratic princ iples , humble
ROBESPIERRE’
S RISE To POWER . 7 3
mode of l ife and incorruptible honesty rendered himthe idol of the populace . Hebert, a low, impudent andcorrupt Terrorist
,who exercised the chief sway over
the Commune of Paris , made a furious assault on theChristian religion , the very profession Of which hedetermined to root out from France , well knowing itto be the foundation of all moral ity and social order .Danton and Robespierre organized a partv to crushhim . Hebert perceived indications of this movementand began to tremble . He complained in the JacobinClub that Robespierre and Danton were plottingaga inst h im . Robesp ierre, who happened to be present on that occasion , immediately ascended thetribune
,and hurled hi s anathemas upon the heads o f
Hebert and his fanatical followers .“There are men ,
” said he,“who , under the pretext
Of destroying superstition, would fain make a rel igionof Atheism itsel f. Atheism is aristocrat ic. The ideaof a great Being, who watches over oppressed innocence , and punishes triumphant guilt is quite popular.The people, the unfortunate, applaud me . IF God didno t exist, it would beho ove m an to invent him .
Th is declaration was received with the greatest applause. The fate of the H ebertists was sealed . Theywere impeached by St . Just in the National Co nvent ion , on the 1 3th of March , 1 794, arraigned before theRevolut ionary Tr ibunal , on the 20th ,
and, a fter a trialof three days
,were condemned to death . They were
executed, to the number of n ineteen persons, on the24th of March , all but two of them betraying the mostabj ect weakness and terror in their last moments .
74 TH E MAN W HO DARED .
There now remained between Robespierre, and thepossession of the absolute despotism at which he
aimed,only the party headed by Danton .
Prior to the execution Of the H ebert ists , the twotyrants had been on terms of the most cordial friendship . They had supported one another in al l theirpol itical designs
,and Danton had recently lent hi s
powerful aid to his friend in de feating the H ebertists .
But he had now become thoroughly disgusted withthe enormities of the Revolution , and earnest ly desiredto return to a more lenient and tranquil system ofgovernment .In consequence of this change, he became an objectof mortal suspicion and enmity to Robespierre . Hewas repeatedly warned Of his danger, but disdained tofly
,replying that his enemies dared not arrest him ,
as h is name was stil l ‘universal ly feared . N evertheless ,on the I st of April , 1 7 94 , barely a week after the deathof Hebert
,the citizens o f Paris were dumbfounded
by the news that the redoubtable Danton had beense ized in his bed the n ight be fore, and, with his associates
,was a prisoner in the Luxembourg.
The Convention,mute with consternation
,offered
not a shadow o f opposition to the arraignment of Danton and his friends . To the number of fi fteen, theywere brought to trial upon various incoherent andimprobable charges . Danton defended h imself withl ion- l ike vigor and audacity, and, such was the sympathy aroused by his eloquence, that Robesp ierre andhis enslaved Revolutionary Tribunal were for sometime in trepidation as to the result . The despot finally
ROBESPIERRE’
S RISE To POWER . 7 5
triumphed by obtaining from the Convention an orderenjoining the judges to put out of court any prisonerswho might fail in respect to the Tribunal . This wasinstantly acted upon ; Danton and his friends weredragged away from the bar, ere they had finished theirdefense ; and, on the 6th of April , al l per ished uponthe guil lotine .Having thus trampled down al l Opposition , Robesp ierre reigned the undisputed despot of France . Hesti l l continued to reside in humble lodgings , and topersevere in his plans for establishing the Republicupon a basis of universal brotherhood and equality .
Nevertheless, no relaxation took place in the accursedsystem of terror. On the contrary, the gu illotine wasnever so active as during the brief period of his su
prem acy. The French historian , Thiers, computesthat, in the month of April , 1 7 94, two hundred andsixty—three persons perished upon the guillo tine . During the months that followed , the executions increasedw ith fright ful rapidity . In May, three hundred andtwenty- four were beheaded ; in June , s ix hundred andseventy-two ; in July, e ight hundred and thirty-five.
Robespierre, St . Just and Co uthon were the threeleading men in the Committee Of Public Safety, andwere hence called the Triumvirate . Any man , woman ,or child who fell under their suspicion
,as being un
friendly to the Revo lution,was immediately accused, arrested and thrown into prison . The eighteen prisonsof Paris were thus choked w ith victims . To be sus
pected meant almost certain death . It Seemed as i f thetyrant real ized that the cont inuance of h is power de
7 6 THE MAN W HO DARED .
pended on h is persevering energy in the same detestablemeasures by which he had obtained it .At this cris is , Robespierre suddenly absented himsel f
from the Convention and the Committees of Publ icSa fety and o f General Security . He now passed wholedays together
,wandering about the fields in pro found
meditation . It was evident that he was planning somemaster stroke to rid the Convention and Committees ofhis remaining enemies . Nevertheless , no one dared tooppose any o f his measures, on account o f the terror heinspired . Occasionally he made his appearance in the
Club of Jacobins—where he exercised unlimitedauthority—to mount the tribune and address his fellowmembers in impass ioned tones o f complaint ; otherwisehe kept wholly to himsel f
,broo ding and silent, l ike one
who l ives in apprehension o f approaching death .
At the time of M . V auban’
s arrest, he was the idol ofthe Jacobins controlled the National Co nventionthrough fear ; was the supreme arbiter in the Committee Of Publ ic Safety and the Revolutionary Tribunal ;had the unqual ified support of the National Municipal guards and gendarmes ; and was regarded by the
mob o f Paris as the ideal republ ican o f the nation .
Yet, it was against such an all-power ful tyrant thatJean Louvet, an Obscure and outlawed Representative,had pitted his puny strength .
CHAPTER VII I .
J EAN LOUVET OPENS TH E GAME.
IT was m idnight in the Maison Rousseau . A lightburned in Dr . Narbonne’s office, send ing its cheeringrays athwart the gloomy street ; the rest of the housewas darkened .
Belated pedestrians noticed that the Shutters o f everyw indow except one were tightly closed ; but, believingthat this .had been done to insure quiet and repose forthe doctor’s patients, attached no s ignificance to thematter .Nevertheless , beh ind two of the shutters, in a largeroom on the third floor, a company of conspirato rs
were in session . At one end o f the apartment sat JeanLouvet
,behind a table l ittered w ith papers . Two
candles,placed at Opposite ends of the table, threw a
dim light upon his resolute face , and a gavel rested between them , the emblem o f h is authority.
At his right sat Dr . Narbonne, bending over a tableo f smaller size, recording on the pages of an open bookthe minutes o f the mysterious meeting. Opposite themsat a number o f aristocratic look ing men and women ,whom the inhabitants of St . Antoine supposed to bethe doctor’s patients ; but who were in real ity the secretagents o f a pol itical party then in exile .
TH E MAN W H O D ARED .
After the usual routine business of such meetingshad been transacted, Jean Louvet arose f rom his chair,and addressed the conspirators as follows :
“You have all doubtless heard o f my attack on RobeSpierre this morning on the floor of the National Convention,
and have,perhaps , censured it as an act of
folly . Let me say a few words in explanation . Tobegin
,you must remember that I procured my elect ion
as a Representative with the sole obj ect Of striking adecis ive blow for our party whenever the opportunityshould arrive . I bel ieved that the conditions were fav~
o rable for a coup d’
etat this morning, and I think thatthey are so yet . Consequently, I trust you will supportme in the design I have in view .
”
He paused, as i f hal f expecting some Sign, or wordo f protest ; but, observing that his auditors were alleagerness and attention, went on :I f the tyrant i s ever to be overthrown , he cried,it must be done now while the maj ority o f Repre
sentatives are his secret enem ies . We must act promptly and with courage, i f we would hope to succeed . Indeed, the least delay will prove fatal to our Chances ;for it i s rumored that Robespierre intends shortly tosend all his foes to the guillotine . With his Opponentsout o f the way, he wil l become the absolute d ictator o fFrance
,and all hope o f ever accomplishing h is downfal l
wil l be ended .
Waiting until the express ions of d ismay producedby these words had subsided , Jean Louvet resumed,with a smile of satis fact ion
tyrant trusts me more than any other person in the
kingdomLouvet interrupted him with a quick gesture .“ In the Republic you Should say,
” he interposed , s ig
nificantly adding,
“You should remember , s ir, that
there is no kingdom in France at present .Apologizing humbly for his error, André the Barberassumed an air of mystery
,and
,bending over the table
toward his chie f,whispered impressively :
“You asked me i f I had learned any o f Robespierre’sdesigns . He is not the kind Of man to disclose them .
N evertheless, I am all eyes and ears when in his pres
ence .
”
“Then you have something o f importance to tel lme ?”
The young man dropped his voice to a sti ll lowerwhisper
,and repl ied
,very gravely
“ I have seen a l i st o f those W hom the tyrant intendsto destroy . While I was curl ing his hair yesterday ,he drew it from his pocket, and began examining itunder my very eyes .”
Jean Louvet started back amazed“You astound me !” he cried . What you tell meseems incredible !”
André shrugged h is shoulders disdain fully .
“ I f you do not bel ieve what I tel l you,why question
me ?” he asked .
“ It is not that I doubt your word,returned his
Chie f ;“but I am surprised at Robespierre’s lack o f
caution . He is the most suspicious and secretive ofinmen .
JEAN LOUVET OPENS TH E GAME. 8 1
Nevertheless , I saw the l ist I have mentioned .
”
But how do you know that the paper was what you
describe it ?”
“ I wil l tel l you,answered André . Supposing at
first that the names on the Sl ip were those o f personswhom he wished to honor, I asked Robespierre i f minewas among them .
”
“And he answered ?”“That I should rejoice in its omission , as the nameson the l i st were those of persons who had come underhis suspicion .
”
“Which means , of course, added Louvet, grimly,that they are those of enemies W hom he intendssending to the guillotine .
“Exactly
,
” returned André ; for everyone knows
that to be suspected by Robespierre is equivalent to being condemned .
”
D id you see any of the names ?”“No ; for he was very careful I Should not . The
moment I referred to the paper, he returned it to hispocket, and immediately changed the conversation toother subj ects .”
Jean Louvet motioned the young man to return tohis seat , and fell to pondering. M inute a fter minutepassed by ; yet he never once changed his attitude of
Carlyle and several o ther h isto rians assert that Robes
pierre’s barber was the first to see the list o f the pro scribed,
which the tyrant is said to have prepared, in anticipatio n o f
ano ther attack upo n h is enem ies in the N ational C onvention.
He seem s to have repo sed great confidence in h is barber.
8 2 TH E MAN W H O D ARED.
profound mental absorption . H i s eyes were fixed steadfastly upon the paper before him , his chin rested between his palms
,and his elbows upon the table . At
intervals he knit his brows as i f endeavoring to solvesome puzzl ing propos ition . Thus hal f an hour elapsed ,during which the conspirators remained motionlessand silent
,regarding him with the keenest anxiety .
“ Is the chief con fronted with some inextricable problem they asked themselves .A problem , yes ! But not an inextricable one . At
the beginning o f the con ference with his associates,
Jean Louvet had a wel l defined scheme to propose tothem ; but the in formation imparted to him byAndré the Barber had caused him to make a complete
Change in this plan . With Robespierre’s l i st o f theproscribed , he now proposed to overthrow the tyrantby means of a brill iant coup d
’
etat, and his hal f hour o fconcentrated reflection had been devoted to per fectingthe details o f this plot.Suddenly he raised his head , and, beckoning Andréthe Barber to again come forward, whispered thesewords in his ear
“The l ist you speak of must be procured at all hazards . It i s essential to the success o f my design . Youw i l l, therefore, employ every means in your power toobtain it, or, fail ing in that, send word to me immediately.
”
With this command , he dismissed André with a waveof his hand , and called upon another of the conspirators
to come forward .
JEAN LOUVET OPENS TH E GAME
“ I will next question the brother who passes asS imon the Jai ler,
” he cried .
The stockily-built man , who has already figured inthese pages , advanced to his chie f
’s table,and assumed
an attitude of attention .
“Have you many distinguished prisoners in yo u r
charge j ust now began Louvet .“Yes , sir,
” answered the other, promptly ; the Luxembourg is fil led with celebrities .”
“Can you name any one who has friends in the Convention
Simon the Jailer reflected a moment,and then an
swered :“ I know of one who has a very power ful friend in
that body—Madame Fontenai, with whom Representat ive Tallien i s said to be in love .
”
“Was she arrested as a suspect ? Is She in danger
Of the guillotine ?”
“ She was imprisoned by Robespierre’s order,and ex
peets daily to go to her death .
”
“Capital !” ej aculated Louvet, with a pleased smile .Nothing could be more fortunate for my purposes .Do you see this lady often ?”
Whenever I feel so d isposed .
“Then l isten to these directions carefully : Whenyou return to the Luxembourg in the morning, seek outth is Madame Fontena i
,and persuade her to write a
pleading letter to her lover. Impress upon her the ne
cessity o f playing upon h is selfishness . She must writeto M . Tallien that she has in formation that his Own
head is in danger ; that Robespierre is plotting to de
84 TH E MAN W H O D ARED .
stroy him and al l his friends . M . Tallien loves andtrusts the woman impl icitly, and will place absoluterel iance on her word . Conv ince Madame Fontenai ,there fore
,
t hat,unless she arouses him to action, she is
hopelessly lost . Do you understand ?”
Per fectly ; but how is her letter to reach Tallien’
s
hand ?”
“You must Offer to act as thei r gO—between, and del iver it to M . Tallien yoursel f . Can I rely upon you to
do this ?”“ I wil l not fail you .
Jean Louvet dismissed S imon the Jailer with agracious nod
,and then commanded Francois the Idler
to appear be fore him .
“Well ,” he said, when the latter had taken his posi
tion at the table,“what is the present temper of the
people ?”“They stil l adore Robespierre, but are beginning tomurmur at so much bloodshed .
”
“Naturally,
” said Lo uvet w ith a sad smile. Theywould be worse than fiends i f they did not . H e
paused a moment to meditate and added ,“Do you think
they would support Robespierre against the NationalConvention
“That depends upon the issue, answered Francois ,dryly .
“What do you mean ?”
That they would support the side that stood out forequal ity and freedom . Just now they bel ieve that
Robespierre is their best friend. They regard him as
JEAN LOUVET OPENS TH E GAME. 8 5
an incorruptible patriot, and not as the despot that
he is .”“But i f the Convention Should denounce him as a
tyrant ?”“ It would be a hazardous Chance ; but it might suc
ceed, i f supported by proo fs .”
“Then we must see to it that the proo fs are forthcoming,
” returned Louvet .And
,bidding Francois return to his seat, he bent over
the table,and set about writing a letter .
For a quarter of an hour not a sound broke thesilence o f the room
,save the rap id scratching of his
pen over the paper. Then , having fin ished the missive,he folded
,sealed and addressed it, and mot ioned Fran
cois to again approach h im .
“You will del iver th is message to RepresentativeBarrere the first thing in the morning, he said, as hedelivered it into the young man’s keeping.
“To Barrere, did you say ?” asked Francois in sur
prise. “Why, he is Robespierre’s most intimate
friend .
“But an older and truer friend to your chief,
re
turned Louvet, regarding him w ith a peculiar smile .“Can I trust you to del iver the letter to M . Barrere inperson ?” he added .
“You can .
”
And return to me immediately w ith the answer ?”
You can trust me .”
Very well then , you may resume your seat .After question ing and giv ing direct ions to several
86 TH E MAN W HO DARED.
others in the company,Jean Lo uvet announced
conference was at an end.
As André the Barber, Simon the Jailer, Francoisthe Idler
,and their fellow agents passed through the
door, he sl ipped in each of their hands a scrap o f paperon which was written
“I shall expect you to repo rt to m e here to -m orrow
night at the sam e hour.
”
rashly,nay
,madly in planning this affair ; but i s it too
late to retract ?”
This question he asked himsel f over and over aga in,each time with increased anxiety . A hundred wildproj ects to communicate with his agents , and warnthem to remain inactive until they met again, hurriedone after another through his mind ; but all were impracticable and had to be abandoned . He flung himsel f
down in an armchair, and remained motionless and ah
sorbed for hours . At last he perceived a dull, grey l ightglimmering through the panes of the windows, and,going to one that overlooked the garden , drew as idethe curtains and glanced out .Above, the sky was glowing with the rosy l ight ofdawn ; below, a dreamy mist enveloped everything.
Yet from beneath the mysterious curtain that hid thegarden from his view , arose the joyous caroling ofbirds
,and the intoxicat ing incense of the honeysuckle,
rose and bindweed . Entranced by such del icious warblings and Odors Jean Louvet forgot h is fears , andallowed the pleasm g reveries they suggested to possesshim . Gradually
,al l thoughts of the plot in which he
was engaged passed out of h is consc iousness,and
in the ir place arose bright v is ions of happ iness andlove .
Lo ve .In Jean Louvet’s m ind the idea suggested by th isword was invariably associated w ith the image ofLouise Vauban . It i s true that he had spoken to her
but once in h is l i fe ; nevertheless She had hallowed hisdreams and rever ies for many months . He had first
LOVE CONQUERS D ISCRETION. 89
met her at a state reception,given by the Mayor o f
Paris , and, on beholding her marvelous beauty and dis
tinguished bearing, experienced an agitation o f theheart which it was impossible for him to define .Now Louvet possessed one o f those rarely constitutednatures
,which combine the prompt resolution o f the
man of act ion, w ith the sensitive intuition o f the poet .H i s soul was overflowing with enthusiasms , aspirat ions, rhapsodies . The great heart o f Nature throbbedin un ison with his own . She revealed to him secrets ,which she j ealously guarded from her less- favoredsons, and, on his first meeting with Louise, unveiledthe greatest of all her secrets—the divine mystery o fhuman love .Lou ise was standing on the threshold o f the ballroom , il lum inated by the mellow l ight of a thousandcandles . She was leaning grace fully against one o f thel intels, a pose that showed to advantage the exquisitecurves of her figure . She was attired in a close fitt ingbodice of pale silk, and a clinging gown of the samematerial , that suggested an entrancing shapel iness Of
l imb . Her bodice, cut away at the neck, revealed thegentle swell ing of her bosom
,yet only hal f revealed , for
the open space was fil led in with a filmy cloud of snowwh ite lace.These charms Louvet beheld from a distance ; but,when he drew near the door
,and ventured a glance at
her lovely face, dimpl ing and glowing with smiles andblushes , she returned his look with a so ft beam o f herlustrous eyes , and he was love- smitten on the instant .For that brief look had kindled a consuming fire in
90 THE MAN W H O DARED .
his Soul,and the agitation , which had been hitherto in
definable,he now recognized as the first emotions of
divine passion .
Many times since that meeting he had seen Lo uiseVauban at a distance
,generally in the company o f her
father. He had met her at fetes , ball s and receptionswhere he might easily have been presented to her—yet ,such was the adoring reverence in which he held thelovely girl
,that he had not presumed to obtrude h imsel f
upon her notice, until She stood in sore need o f a braveman’s assistance . He had then offered his services toher
,and they had been accepted . With sparkling eyes
and glowing cheeks he now recalled her fervent exclamation I trust you
,M . Louvet, and grate fully ac
cept your brave offer !” But had he not neglected to
provide for her sa fety while plotting the rescue of herfather ?
This query suggested many terrible possibil it ies tohis excited mind .
Supposing that Louise Vauban Should attempt to effect the release o f her father on her own account ? Orthat She should become involved in a plot on his behal f,and so incur the displeasure o f Robespierre ? In eitherevent She would be arrested as a suspect , and eventuallyend her fair young l i fe upon the guillotine .I must hasten to her without the least delay
,he t e
flected, with terror in his heart .“ I must risk every
thing to warn her to remain quietHe was about to start out upon th is mission
,when the
indiscretion of the act made him hesitate .
“N he muttered , resolutely, I cannot venture o ut
LOVE CONQUERS D ISCRETION. 9 1
of my hiding place j ust now . It would be mere madness to do so ; for the fate o f every person involved inthi s consp iracy depends upon my remaining free tod irect them .
‘I f I should fall into the hands o f our enem ies at thi s time all would be lost .”
Here he ra ised his eyes to heaven and prayed earnestly.
“ Into Thy hands , 0 God , I del iver my beloved !Guard her from all peri l ! Inspire her with patience andprudence ! Keep her in Thy safe keeping until I haveaccompl ished my purpose !”
Nevertheless, his sol icitude regarding Louise was too
great to admit of h is acting with discretion ; for, assuming a d isgu ise, he crept no iselessly out o f the room ,
stole qu ickly down the sta irs , and proceeded to the secret door open ing into the garden . It took him but a
few moments to withdraw the bolts , turn the key in itsrusty lock , and throw the door wide open .
Then , closing it softly beh ind him,he sall ied forth on
h is errand of love .
WHAT BEFELL ANDRETH E BARBER.
AT a later hour on the same morning, André theBarber knocked on the doo r of the cabinetmaker
’shouse, in the Rue Saint Honoré, with the tools of hispro fession in his hand . He had come to Shave the incorruptible visage and frizzle the immaculate locks ofthe great Robespierre.Upon being admitted , he greeted the servant w ith amerry j est, and , without further ceremony, ran nimblyup the stairs to h is patron’s lodgings ; from wh ich itmay be inferred that he was a privileged personage,as
,apart from h is brother, Augustin , and the honest
citizen w ith whom he l ived , Robespierre perm itted tono one else such
'
freedom .
Indeed there existed between the tyrant and his barber a peculiar relationship of confidence and famil iarity, which was the logical result of those anarchistictimes .André found his patron in a mood of profound depression , and , with the art o f an accompl ished Court ier,endeavored to raise the clouds of gloom from h is spiritsby gay and Witty conversation . In this he succeededso well that, before h is task was hal f finished, the tyrantbegan to respond.
[92]
WHAT BEFELL AND RE TH E BARBER . 93
Do you know, André,” sa id he, as the latter was
scraping his throat with a keen-edged razor,“ that you
are the most trusted man in France ?”“ Indeed ?”
Undoubtedly, went on Robesp ierre ; for I wouldpermit no one else to do what you are doing now .
”
“ I do not understand you ,” said André, artfully .
Then you are far more stupid than I supposed .
Why, can’t you realize, my honest fellow ,
that withone sweep of your razor you could end my existence
,
and with it the future hopes of the Republic ?”
André uttered an exclamation of horror.“Oh , Citizen Robespierre , what a terrible thought !It is terrible indeed
,
” returned the tyrant with ashudder . “
No t that I value my own life ; but my assassinatio n would mean the end of l iberty, equality andfraternity in France . There are many traitors in theNational Convent ion who are trying to bring this verything about, and I alone can de feat them .
”
André lengthened his face and sighed hypocritically .
“Ah , i f al l our publ ic men were l ike you !” he said ;
and a moment a fterward he added,
“but console yoursel f, my generous patron ! You are no t the only greatman who has been vexed by the machinations o f wickedenem ies . H i story is fi lled w ith such examples .”
Robespierre rece ived the compl iment , as i f it werewell merited, and repl ied w ith a sad shake of thehead
“Yes, I know what others have suffered for the love
of hum an ity and country; nevertheless, h istory can
94 TH E MAN W HO DARED .
scarcely show a single case that quite parallel s myown .
”
“ In magnanimity , virtue and incorruptible honesty
NO exclaimed André w ith well-feigned enthusiasm .
You flatter me , my good fellow,
” responded Robespierre w ith a pleased smile . “ I was not alluding tomv v irtues
,but to my sufferings . What I intended to
say was that no re former in history has met with suchbase ingratitude from his associates .
“But the people love you ,” protested André.
As they loved Danton , yes ; but I am not so bl indto the fickleness of thei r affections as he was. Theylove me now , because they believe me to be their allpowerful friend and protector ; but it is quite probablethat my enemies can seduce them to abandon me.”
“ Impossible ! There l ives not a man in France whowould dare the attempt !” cried André.Robespierre’s thin l ips parted in a sardon ic smile.“You think so he inquired bitterly.
“Then it isapparent that vou hear but l ittle o f the news . Why,i t was only yesterday that an un important Representat ive, named Jean Louvet , had the audacity to addressthe National Convention and cal l for my accusationand arrest .”
The in famous wretch exclaimed the patrioticbarber.
“No r is that all , resumed the tyrant , his voice be
coming sterner and more threatening as he proceeded .
“This Obscure Representative , having failed to carryhis point, was permitted to leave the Convention Hallunmo lested . Indeed, it was no t unti l he had m ade his
96 TH E MAN W H O D ARED .
Convention , nor d id it surpr ise h im to learn that h ispatron had received intel ligence of his subsequent capture by
,and escape from the mob . But that Robes
pierre actual ly knew the names Of the men who hadsaved Jean Louvet’s l i fe was enough to fil l h is heartwith consternation .
“Oh,i f I could only warn them of thei r peril ! he
reflected with the keenest anxiety . But I fear it istoo late . By this time S imon must have returned tohis duties in the Luxembourg, while Francois i s probably airing his opinions in the ca fés and clubs he irequents .”
These thoughts were interrupted by a 'rem ark fromRobespierre .
“Do you know, m y good fellow , that you have pos itively excelled yourself this morning ?
”
André turned quickly toward him , and observed thathe was surveying his person in the mirror with theutmost complacency . He had changed his co at andwaistcoat for Similar garments of a br ighter hue, andmore elaborate design , and seemed greatly pleased athis appearance .
“Yes ,” he resumed , as he patted the hair about his
temples ,“yo u have really lent dignity to my features
by your Skil l in hairdressing. Therefore I congratulateyou be fore bidding you good-day ; for I must now beo ff to vis it a person from whom I expect to ga in valuable in formation .
”
Say ing which , he smiled approvingly upor. i s faithful barber , and strutted va inly out of the room .
Miserable egotist !” muttered André,when the last
W HAT B EFEI .L ANDRE TH E BARBER. 97
sounds of h is retreat ing footsteps had died away.
“You doubtless believe that you are the greatest ofl iving men ; yet you have j ust revealed to an humblebarber,
” —and here he laughed significantly—“the piti
able weakness of van ity in dress .”
While these words were trembling upon his l ips ,h is eyes were wandering here and there about theroom , taking note of every art icle of furniture it contained.
In an alcove Oppos ite stood the tyrant’s bed—a pla inaffair of uncarved mahogany, with four stra ight postsat the corners, support ing a canopy of coarse netting .
Between the two w indows , wh ich fronted the RueSaint Honoré , appeared a narrow cab inet-desk,equipped w ith numerous l ittle drawers and p igeonholes conta in ing papers . A few wooden cha irs ; acentre-table, covered w ith books, pamphlets and thej ournals of the day ; and a large mahogany wardrobe,w ith a highly pol ished mirror inserted in the panel o fits great door, completed the Chamber
’s appointments.“Where shall I begin ?” thought André , as he
g lanced irresolutely from one obj ect to another. Inwhat place has Robespierre secreted h is l ist Of doomedvictims ? The Chief has commanded me to procureit at al l hazards, and I must not, nay w il l not, failhim .
It may appear improbable to the reader, that a m anas shrewd and susp ic ious as Robespierre should haveleft h is apartments in the complete possess ion of h isbarber. A few words wi l l be sufficient to expla in th isapparent inconsistency,
THE MAN IV H O D ARED .
It has already been stated that the tyrant reposedunl im ited trust in André , not only because he continually placed his l i fe at the latter’s mercy, but becauseAndré had acquired a subtle influence over his melancho ly dispos ition . Moreover , l ike all despots , Robespierre had certain favorites to whom he allowed privileges of an extraordinary nature .André the Barber was one of these .“Where shall I begin he asked himsel f again .
It did not take him long to decide. Arguing thatRobesp ierre had probably placed the l ist in one of thep igeon-holes , or drawers of his cabinet-desk , he tiptoed so ftly across the room , and began his search .
First he made a thorough exam ination of the pigeonholes .They conta ined a few bundles of letters , carefullyarranged according to date , and tied neatly w ith stripso f tape . A cursory glance at their contents informedh im that they were of no part icular importance .He next appl ied h imsel f to forcing Open the l ittl e
drawers .Producing a kn i fe from h is pocket , he opened itsnarrowest blade, inserted it between the frame andfront of the largest box , and began to pry forward .
To h is surprise he found it unlocked .
He pulled it from its frame, and searched eagerlyam ong its contents for the l ist .It was not there .F ind ing that al l the other drawers were also un
locked, he submitted them , in quick success ion , to thesame scrutiny ; and, as his perilous task progressed,
1 00 TH E MAN W HO DARED.
For a moment he was overcome w ith chagrin ; then ,setting h is teeth resolutely together, he appl ied h imsel f to the formidable task o f rifling every pocket inthe wardrobe. The exc itement, that grew upon h imas he proceeded , gradually dissipated h is fears , andal l h is faculties became concentrated upon one absorbing obj ect—the securing of Robespierre’s l ist of thecondemned .
He went through pocket a fter pocket, w ith the sw i ftness and stealth o f a practiced thief , muttering incoherently , and vaci l lat ing between the extremes of hope anddespa ir.He had been engaged in th is fru itless quest for over
an hour, when he heard the door of the apartment Open ,and drew back qu ickly w ith a gu i lty, startled look uponh is face . Th is express ion passed away in an instant,however ; for, when he turned toward the door, h iscountenance was wreathed in a smile of the most ch i ldl ike innocence, and h is gaze was simpl icity itsel f .No r d id that s imple, honest gaze waver for a secondwhen it encountered the crafty, murderous eyes ofRobesp ierre .The tyrant was standing w ith in the threshold
,sus
picious , yel low , threaten ing. His thin l ips were pressedtightly together , excepting at their corners , where theycurled up cruelly, d isplaying two pointed teeth . Aheavy menac ing cloud hung over his brows ; while h isslender frame fa irly shook with m istrust, fear andrage .Suddenly he thrust a hand into h is coat pocket, drew
forth a neatly folded paper, shook it in the very face
CHAPTER XI.
H OW IT FARED WITH SIMON TH E J AI LER.
WH ILE André the Barber was on h is way to Robespierre’s lodgings , Simon the Jailer was returning tohis duties in the Luxembo urg. As he was proceedingthither
,he Shoo k h is head doubt fully and muttered at
frequent intervals“ I wonder what game the Chief is up to now . Iwish he would explain matters more clearly, instead ofkeeping his designs a secret. I’m no lover of mysteries myself
,and disl ike acting in the dark ; but Jean
Louvet loves secrecy above all things .”
Here he frowned gloomily and sighed .
“Well,
” he resumed,a fter a short period devoted to
Si lent meditation ,“ I ’ve sworn to obey the Chie f bl ind
ly,and will keep my oath , no matter what befalls .
Yes , I’l l do my best to see this Madame Fontenai, and
persuade her to write that letter to M . Tallien.
”
While thus discoursing with himself, he came withinv iew of the Luxembourg, and quickened his footstepsin order to report for duty on time . At last he arrivedat h is destination, and, having apprised the chie f j ailero f his return, passed into the interior to resume h isfunctions .Now, although the famous Luxembourg Prison had
[ 1 0 2]
HOW IT FARED WITH SIMON TH E JAILER . 1 03'
formerly been the magnificent palace o f M onsieur,
the revolutionists had converted it into a huge , loathsome dungeon . Outwardly it stil l appeared an obj ectbeauti ful to behold ; but with in were filth , disease andm isery . In spite o f its great dimensions , it was socrowded with prisoners that it was impossible to prov ide decent accommo dations for hal f thei r number.
’
Every apartment from cellar to att ic ( the great hall s,galleries , corridors , salons ! was packed with v ict imsfor the guil lotine ; and, moreover, many of these unfortunates had been part icipants in the building’s former pleasures, when its walls resounded to the stra insof enl ivening music
,and the joyous laughter of “M on
sieur’s” guests .
Alas, what a terrible change !This desecrated palace was now the abode of everykind of suffering. The despair which reigned in thebreasts of its inmates was awful . One finished his existence by poison ; another opened his veins with a na i l ;a third dashed h is brains out against the walls of hiscell ; while many lost their reason .
Those who possessed sufficient fortitude waited patiently for the summons of the executioner. The legalprocess which consigned them to death was simpleand energetic in the ex treme . Any person suspectedof being un friendly to the Revolution was accused bythe Comm ittee of Publ ic Safety
,and ordered to be
immed iately arrested and imprisoned . The eighteenpri sons of Pari s were thus
'
choked with “ suspects ”
awa it ing trial before the bar of the Revolut ionary Tribunal . Th is infamous court was a mockery of j ustice.
r04 TH E MAN W HO DARED.
To be brought before it meant one step further on theroad to death ; no th ing more. The Publ ic Accuser, the
guinary Fouquier-Tinville, boasted that he seldomallowed a suspect” to escape him.
Hav ing been condemned by the Revolutionary Tribunal
,the pri soners were herded into tumbrils, and
hurried away to the frightful Conciergerie Prison .
One night of horror in this death house ; to theguillotine to-morrow .
Yet , desp ite the gr im Shadow of this hideous scaffold,which hovered cont inuously over them , the prisonersformed hab its o f existing together that were not without social Observances , politenesses and joys . Dukesand Duchesses
,aristocrats and plebeians, flung promis
cuously together in these loathsome places, returnedto the old system of distinction in classes , and rankedthemselves according to time-honored precedent
,
The aristocrats sat down to their lean dinner ofherbs and carrion , not without etiquette and place-auxdam es ; and , while inwardly shuddering at the loathsome food provided, enl ivened the meal w ith reparteeand laughter. “Jealousies, enmities are not wanting,no r flirtations Of an effective
“Recklessness , defiant lev ity , the Stoicism ,i f not of
strength , yet of weakness, has possessed all hearts .Weak Women and Ci their locks not yet madeinto blond perukes, the ir skins not yet tanned intobreeches , are accustomed to act the Guil lotine by wayof pastime . In fantast ic mummery
,with towel-tur
bans, blanket-ermine, a mock Sanhedrim of Judges
Carlyle’s French Revo lution, V o l. I II .
1 06 THE MAN W HO DARED.
Draw ing nearer to the l ight-hearted group, S imonthe Jailer awaited a favorable opportunity to engageher in conversation. The chance presented itsel f soo nerthan he anticipated . For presently she laid as ide herneedle-work , arose from h er seat , and d ismissed heradmirers with a graceful curtsy ; after which sheturned from them
,with a gracious smile , and proceeded
toward the opposite end o f the courtyard .
As it was apparent that she was about to retire toher cell to enjoy a few hours of repose, Simon real izedthat he must act at once , or run the doubtful chanceof executing his mission at another time . So, hastening after the lady, he succeeded in reach ing her side,j ust as she was in the act of passing into the corridorcommunicating with her chamber.
“Pardon me, Madame Fontenai !
” he began,in an
earnest undertone ;“but I have something to tel l you
that concerns your future fate .
”
The lady paused,and, turning toward him with the
utmost dignity,
“What do you mean, s ir ?” she demanded haughtily .
Simply this,my dear madame
,
” he whisperedeagerly !
“ I am a friend who would save you fromdeath , i f you will permit me.
”
“Save me ?”
Aye, and a dear friend of yours as well Yo u havemerely to do as I say to insure this result.
“But how can I tel l that you speak the truth , s i r ?You are my j a i ler, whom it would be mere folly totrust.”
H OW IT FARED WITH SIMON THE JAILER . 1 07
S imon the Jailer incl ined his head to the lady withthe easy grace of a born aristocrat, saying :
“Yet I can prove my honesty i f you wil l allow me .Madame
,who was not devoid of penetration, smiled
at thi s and answered :“ I will grant the opportunityyou desire, i f you canarrange it .”
At this S imon led the way into the corridor ; m o
tioned her to accompany him to a place where theycould not be observed ; and, when they had reached it,turned suddenly toward her w ith the question
“Do you real ly bel ieve me to be a common jailer ?
Madame Fontenai laughed l ightly .
“Why real ly, s ir, I have never given the subj ect muchthought,
” she said ;“but, since you have asked me the
question, I w i l l answer—No l”
“Thank you !” he returned fervently.
Then, know ing that the ir interview might be interrupted at any moment, he proceeded to explain to herthe awful peril of her posit ion, and the fate thatawaited her friends also in the world outside .
“Alas, s ir !” cried poor Fontenai
,when he had fin
ished.
“I am aware that every word you have utteredis undeniably true. That my death i s near, I real izeo nly too well , and I tremble when I think of dearTallien and h is associates . But what can I do , sir ?
”
she added,distractedly .
“For God’s sake , advise mehow to act !”
“Wil l y ou promise to obey me i f I adv ise you ?”
Oh, yes, yes,” she sobbed in terror. “Only save
1 08 THE MAN W HO DARED.
me save my friends ! and I will do anything youask .
Simon the Jailer rema ined Si lent for a moment tocollect his thoughts , and then gave the following instructions to the despairing lady :
“There is but one way to save yoursel f, madame ,and , for that matter, to save your friends also . It i sthis : Representat ive Tallien has stil l some power inthe Convention . He is bril l iant, energetic and daring ;but at present he fancies himsel f safe . He and his suppo rters seem to have been lulled into a fatal Sl eep : forthey are deaf to all words of ill-Omen .
”
Madame Fontenai was greatly affected by thisspeech .
“Oh , can no one arouse h im from his lethargy ?” she
moaned .
“Yes,my dear madame
,was S imon’s grave re
sponse.
“M . Tallien can be awakened by you .
”
Madame gave a l ittle gasp .
“Listen !” he cont inued, in impress ive, solemn tones .You must be aware that Tallien loves you dearly .
There fore retire to your cel l at once and write him anappeal ing letter, warning h im of the imminent peri l o fh is position . Conjure him to save you , aye , and to Savehimsel f as well, by inciting the National Convent ionaga inst Robespierre. Tell him that he is alreadydoomed, and , unless he acts promptly and with vigor,he and his fol lowers will per ish upon the guillotine .
”
The lady drank in eagerly every word he uttered,and, when he paused,
1 1 0 THE MAN W HO DARED .
That i s the letter, m onsieur, she wh ispered . I
trust you will del iver it as you promised .
“ I will do my very best, he answered .
And,placing the miss ive stealthily in h is pocket,
he turned abruptly away, and hurried into the corridor,with the apparent intention of engaging in some important task .
To the credit of S imon be it said, that the prisonersunder his charge were better cared for and fed thanany others in the Luxembourg. Although he neverallowed a chance to escape h im of curs ing al l aristocrats , and indulging in v iolent utterances on behal f ofthe Republ ic , he, nevertheless, treated h is h igh-borncharges with secret k indness , keep ing their cell s asneat and clean as possible under the cim um stances, and
doing al l that lay in his power to amel iorate their sufferings .
He was employed in scrubb ing the walls of an oldroyal ist’s chamber shortly after parting w ith MadameFontenai
,when he heard the voice of the ch ief j a iler
call out from the end of the corridor :Simon ! Oh , Simon ! Where in the devil
’s name
are youThe honest j a iler dropped h is scrubb ing brushes inan instant, and w iped the soap-suds from his handson a coarse towel .
‘I’
m here , s ir,” he answered cheerily, as he hurried
out into the corridor : adding as he approached h is superior,
“and on duty as you may see from my appearance.
”
IT FARED WITH SIMON TH E JAILER . I I I
Until that moment he was under the impress ionthat the chief j a iler was alone ; but now he saw thattwo other men were accompanying him . One glanceat their sturdy figures
,and the uni forms they wore,
informed him that they were members of the Mun icipal Gendarmes ; but, as such officers were frequentvisitors to the prison , their appearance d id no d isturbh im ,
“They have probably brought another unfortunateto the Luxembourg
,
” he thought ,“and wish to learn
i f I have accommodations for his safe keeping.
”
But he was soon undeceived .
“ Is this the man we are to arrest ?” asked one, addressing h is superior, as he po inted toward him .
“He is known as S imon the Jailer ,” repl ied the
official indifferently.
“ I can tell you nothing further.“Then he is the fellow we want ,
” said the gendarme,drawing a warrant of arrest issued by the Committee ofPubl ic Safety from his pocket, and coolly presenting itto the astonished S imon .
“Un fold it and read !” he commanded .
S imon the Jailer perused the document w ith bulgingeyes , and returned it to the gendarme w ith a groan ofdespa ir ; for it accused him of being a friend of the noto rious outlaw , Jean Louvet , and of having assistedh im in escaping apprehension in the Faubourg St .Antoine .
.
“Well , sa id the gendarme , as he returned the document to h is pocket,
“are you ready to accompany usbefore the Revolut ionary Tribunal ?”
1 1 2 TH E MAN W H O D ARFD .
I am , repl ied S imon , despa iringly .
Whereupon the two gendarmes led h im forththe Luxembourg with Madame Fontena i’s comprom ising letter upon his person .
1 1 4 TH E MAN W HO D ARED .
5“ For Francois was a true Frenchman , ever ready torespond to the allurements of gayety and beauty.
I t was not until afternoon , therefore, that he reached
B arrere’
s v i lla, wh ich occupied an art ificial plateaur is ing above a fairy-l ike region of velvety lawns , trees ,graveled walks and flower beds .As he passed through the gate, and beheld al l the
beaut ies of the place , he could not keep from sm il ing atthe display of so much luxuriance in a republ ican .
“ ’Tis fortunate you are a friend o f Robespierre,
my good Barrere ,” he murmured good-naturedly
,
“orthis extravagant home of yours might cost you yourhead .
”
While th inking in this wise he arrived at the ent rance o f the splendid house, and announced to theservant in attendance that he was the bearer of a m essage to Representative Barrere .
“But my master i s il l ,” protested the lackey, and
cannot be disturbed .
”
“ Indeed ?” cr ied Francois,elevat ing his eyebrows
doubtfully.
“ I have said it, growled the lackey very sullenly,and I care not whether you bel ieve it , or not .
”
At th is Francois assumed an a ir o f authority , anddeclared, that , even i f h is master were dy ing, he mustsee h im w ithout further delay.
“Stand aside, you rascal !” he excla imed angri ly,
“or I w il l give you a taste of th is cane .”
And, accompanying the words with a wave of his
gold-headed walk ing stick , he pushed resolutely forward into the great hall .
TH E AD VENTURES OF FRANCOIS TH E ID LER . 1 1 5
There was something so compelling in his tone andmanner that the lackey dropped insolence for apology
,
and led the way into an ante-room to the right o f thegreat corridor .
“Pray be seated , m onsieur !
” he said humbly,as he
pointed to an armchair near a w indow ; adding,“Your
name, please ! so that I can inform my master who isawaiting him .
”
This query placed Francois in an awkward position ;for it seemed hardly probable that the proud Barrerewould grant a mere idler l ike himsel f the desired interv iew . True, he might have del ivered the letter to thelackey, with instructions to hand it to his master ; butJean Louvet had strictly commanded h im to del iver itin person .
“The Chief must have had some good reason forissu ing such a strict order, he reflected ,
“and I’l l obeyhim , even i f it i s necessary to employ force .
”
While these thoughts were pass ing through his mind,
the lackey stood be fore him , awaiting an answer to hisquestion . Receiving none, he again ventured to ask
“Your name, i f you please, m onsieur?”
Th is persistency on the lackey’s part suggested anidea to Francois which be determ ined to act upon atonce . Real iz ing that, i f he complied w ith the rules ofetiquette, he would be defeated in h is purpose, hesprang suddenly to his feet and seized the servant bythe arm , shouting angrily :
“My name be damned,you impudent knave ! Come,
s ir,conduct me into your master’s presence at once,
or I will wring your neck 1”
TH E MAN W HO D ARED .
The aston ished servant received th is tirade w ithcries for help ; whereupon several of his comrades,alarmed by the disturbance, came runn ing toward theante-room to learn what was the matter. As theyrushed
,one after another, into the room , Francois
w ithdrew into a corner, gave a tw ist to the handle ofhis walking stick, whipped, from its place of concealment in the wood , a long narrow blade, and assumedan attitude of resolute defense.The lackies
,imagin ing that the house had been in
vaded by a lunatic, fel l over one another in their hasteto retreat through the door, meanwhile giving utterance to such cries of affright that their master came outof the room where he had been rest ing, and appeared atthe head o f the stairs , crying z
“ In the name of l iberty, good citizens ! what meansth is clamor ?”
Be fore any of h is servants could reply, Francois theIdler sauntered out o f the ante-room
,strode leisurely
to the foot of the fl ight , saluted the Representativew ith his sword , and said calmly
“ It means , Citizen Barrere, that I have been treatedw ith gross insolence by your servants .”
He accompanied these words with such an admirablea ir o f bravado that Barrere did not doubt he spoke thetruth . He was about to repr imand his lackies when hefortunately recollected that the man who made thischarge was a total stranger. So he temporized thematter by express ing a civil regret , and then suddenlyasking Franco is what business had brought him to his
house.
1 1 8 TH E MAN W HO D ARED.
a table,and
,a fter break ing the seal from the message,
spread open the sheet o f paper and read the following
My Dear Barrere“As you are the only friend of m ine who is on termsof intimacy with Robespierre, I am compelled to callupon you to comply w ith the request I now make. Iwant you to give a bachelor dinner in your villa atClichy three days after rece iving this message . G iveit in Robespierre’s honor, and be sure to inv ite al l theleaders who are Opposed to h im in the Convent ion .
Robespierre, out o f friendship for you , will be sure toattend the gathering, and events of the greatest importance wil l fol low . I might remind you o f the obl igationsyou owe me for past benefits , and put this request inthe nature of a command ; but I prefer to trust to yourfriendship . You can rely upon me to protect you
,no
matter how th is affair may result. You will oblige meby sending an answer by my messenger.
“JEAN LOUVET.
M . Barrere gasped convuls ively wh i le perusing thesewords , and , when he had finished , arose from the tableand began pacing the floor in great agitat ion .
“Merci ful heavens !” he excla imed, with a vehementgesture . “Does th is Louvet wish to ruin me ? Is hetrying to involve me in a conspiracy ?”
Francois turned his eyes scornfully upon h im andobserved :
1
“You can trust my master to do h is friends noharm .
”
THE ADVENTURES OF FRANCOIS THE ID LER . 1 1 9
Barrere stopped in h is tracks and scrut in ized themessenger’s face closely .
“Who told you that I am th is traitor’s friend ?” heasked .
Francois shrugged his shoulders .“ I am not here to be questioned ,
” he repl ied, coolly ;but to rece ive your answer to my master’s letter.”
H i s efl’
rontery aroused Barrere to sudden anger.“So th is Jean Louvet—this condemned outlaw isyour master
,eh ? I thank you , young man , for inform
ing me of the fact !”
Wh ile speaking, he backed gradually toward thedoor leading into the hal l , and , before Francois becameaware of his intention, darted suddenly through it,slammed it shut w ith a bang, and turned the key quickly in the lock .
Francois bo unded to his feet w ith a roar l ike that ofa wild beast ; but ere he could reach the door, he heardthe voice of h is captor squeak triumphantly throughthe keyhole
“Like master, l ike man ! As you’ve had the audac ity
to approach me w ith a message from an outlawedtra itor , I presume you are an enemy of the Republic,and w il l keep you safely in my trap
,until I can summon
the gendarmes to take you o ff to prison.
”
A moment afterward,the captive heard the same
voice shout ing to his lack ies :“Fetch your muskets, my brave lads , and mountguard over this v illainous traitorThis command was immed iately obeyed , and , before
Francois the Idler had t ime to real ize h is s ituat ion, two
1 20 MAN W HO DARED.
armed retainers of B arrere’s household had uptheir station in the hal l outs ide , while two others werepromenading the graveled path that ran beneath thewindows of h is pr ison .
1 22’
TH E MAN W HO DARED .
drooped disconsolately, and extended a thousandparched leaves on every side in a mute appeal for water.The reception rooms and salons exhibited a s imilarwoe-begone aspect
,and the broad staircase, leading to
the banquet-hall above, was l ittered w ith ribbons,favors and other va in nick-nacks of pleasure . But itwas not unt i l you entered the banquet-hal l itsel f thatthe blight which had fal len upon the Vauban mans ioncould be fully real ized . The enormous table, which o c
cupied the middle of the apartment, sti l l groaned beneath the weight of costly plate and v iands . Slenderglasses
,hal f-filled with the choicest w ine, stood beside
daintily-painted dishes containing the most del iciousediblesm speaking eloquently of the sudden consternation which had caused the unfortunate V auban’
s
guests to flee panic—stricken from their places at hishospitable board . No r were other evidences o f theirterror wanting ; for, here and there, a chair was overturned, or a dish lay broken on the floor.It needed but the flam ing inscription Mene!
Mene ! Tekel Upharsin —to flash along the wall, torecall to m ind Bel shazzar’s imp ious feast, which the appearance of Daniel the Prophet brought to so tragicaclose.On the morning that witnessed the unfortunate ex
plo its of André, Simon and Francois , Louise was sitting in her bed-chamber, propped up in an armcha ir,by a window, gazing blankly down upon the gardenbelow, l ike one stupefied by gr ief. Mari e occupied astool at her feet, regard ing her w ith affect ionate so l ic i
FACE TO FACE. 1 23
tude, wh ile bravely endeavoring to inspire her withhope .
“Do not give way so,dear heart ! she said , pleading
ly, as she patted the limp hand of her mistress .“You
seem to have qu ite forgotten that gallant young manwho promised to befriend your good father .”
“ It was very kind of him , I’l l admit ,
” answered
Lo u ise, faintly.
“Kind, did you say ? It was more than that ; it wasbrave and noble .”
Lo uise s ighed gently, and a momentary flush suffused her countenance.
“Yes,” she murmured, it was certainly generous of
him to come to my a id .
” She relapsed into silence fora few moments, and then resumed, hal f dreamily,“Why, his conduct was worthy of a knight-errant .It rem inds me of the heroes o f Chival ry .
”
“ I know nothing about knight-errants and the sorto f heroes you speak of,
” said Marie with great fervor ;“ but I do know this — that young stranger is the bravest man in France . I watched him keenly while he wasoffering to aid you , dear mistress , and I know hemeant al l that he said . He wil l help you
,you may de
pend upon it .The earnestness of her manner had a st imulatingeffect upon her mistress ; for she now bent forwardeagerly and asked :
“Then you think there is stil l hope for my father ?“ I’ll tel l you all that has been passing in my minds ince I first saw and heard the young stranger. Butw il l you promise not to take offense at what I say ?”
TH E MAN W HO DARED .
“ I’l l prom ise .Then l isten !” resumed Marie, gaz ing steadily into
her eyes . “TO begin, my sweet mistress , you must
surely know that you are very beauti ful . Now don’
tblush
,deary ; for that is mere coquetry . Every one
acknowledges that you are not only beauti ful , but gentle
,good and charming. In short , you are j ust the
kind o f girl to make men love you .
”
“Love ? D id you say love, Marie ?” cried Louise,
with a bitter laugh.
“W hy, it i s a fool i sh delusion to
lure young girls to the ir ruin . Then , suddenlychanging her tone, she added with tragic scorn , Haveyou forgotten the night of the ball so soon , Marie P
”
The maid arose from her stool , and , winding herarms affect ionately around the neck o f her lovely mistress , whispered gently :
“My beloved Louise ! You speak o f love so bitterly,because you are ignorant of its d iv ine, sel f-sacrificingnature . The affect ion you have hitherto known hasbeen that you have given your father ; but your hearthas never yet been touched by passion . The admirers ,whom you have considered lovers , are all selfish, worldly men, who have adored your wealth and beauty,rather than your soul . That they fai led you in yourneed is nothing to excite wonder
,or to fil l your heart
with bitterness against true lovers“Have you ever seen a true loverP” interruptedLouise, sarcastically.
“Yes ,
” returned Marie,softly , and so have you .
What nonsense !” cried her m istress,with a gesture
1 26 TH E MAN W H O D ARED .
thereby, become a partaker in the responsibi lity o f h isundertaking.
The thought that there was at least one man whostood ready “ to lay down his l i fe to insure her happinesswas encouraging to the disconsolate girl , and determined her to battle bravely against despair. JeanLouvet had sworn to aid her in saving her father fromthe guil lotine
,and had said that he possessed resources
which the greatest men might envy. In recall ing the irextraordinary interview , Louise remembered furtherhow she had been inspired with a feel ing of confidenceby the stranger’s noble countenance. It was certainthat he was a gentleman , or he could never have approached her with such del icacy, offering to place himsel f at her d isposal , w ithout claiming her promised reward .
Wh ile she was indulg ing in these reflections, she beheld a man vault l ightly over the fence that enclosed thel ittle garden in the rear, and gl ide swi ftly toward thehouse , casting furt ive glances from s ide to s ide as beadvanced . Although he was att ired in the red cap andcoarse blouse of a workingm an , there was someth ingso fam i l iar in his graceful movements that her sus
picions were excited, and , call ing Marie to her s ide ,she pointed down at the mysterious intruder, andasked,
“Have you ever seen that man before ? It strikes methat he is not a stranger.”
Marie examined the man’s person and movementswith keen attention . Then , catching a momentary
FACE TO FACE.
-
1 27
glance at h is face as he looked upward , she cried outin great excitement :
“Why, i t’s Mons ieur Louvet, as I
’m an honest girl !He’s come here with good news , God bless him !
”
And , turning quickly toward the door, she ran clattering down the stairs to accord him a joyous welcome.Louise was so startled by the girl ’s abrupt announcement that she became Of a sudden weak , and wasobl iged to exert hersel f to the utmost to keep fromfa inting.
“Jean Louvet she murmured with fluttering heart .What good
,or evi l t idings could have brought him
here P”
Presently she heard the sound of footsteps ascendingthe sta irs , and collected al l her faculties for the ap
proaching interview . In a few moments the footstepsstopped on the landing outside ; the door of the parloradjoining her bed-chamber slowly opened ; and Mariebade Jean Louvet enter, saying,
“Be seated , m onsieur ! I will tel l my mistress that
you are here .
”
An instant a fterward , the maid swept smil ingly intothe bed-chamber, and announced to Mademoisell eVauban that her friend was in the parlor.
“Has anything serious happened P” inquired Louise,tremulously.
“NO,
deary , returned Marie , reassuringly. M .
Louvet wishes to consult with you , nothing more.
Pale and quivering with emotion , Louise arose , andwalked slowlv and unsteadily toward the apartmentwhere J ean Louvet was awa iting her. On the thresh
1 28 TH E MAN W H O D ARED .
old of the door,she paused for a moment , to ga in
greater mastery over her feel ings ; then, forcing asmile to her trembling l ips, advanced with outstretchedhand toward her vis itor.P erhaps nothing appeal s to the sens ib i l it ies of a trueman so irresistibly as the spectacle Of a beautiful woman in distress . Jean Louvet Observed the pallor o fLouise V auban’
s countenance , the l ines of acute suffering which contracted her brows, and the look ofdespair in her eyes . He would gladly have borne anytorments to have rel ieved her of her angu ish ; but hefelt utterly powerless, even to console her.Oh, i f he could have clasped her in h is arms and comforted her w ith words of undying affection ! I f hecould
,only for one brief moment, have revealed to her
the celestial passion that consumed his soul,by whis
pering the words which men have learned from angels-“I love you !”
Knowing that th is was impossible, he merely claspedthe hand she extended to him with a sl ight pressure
,
and remarked w ith cold po l itenessMademoiselle Vauban , you look worn and ill . You
must take better care o f yoursel f .“Monsieur, she answered , smil ing upon him sadly,give me back my father, and I prom ise to recover myhealth and looks that moment .”
She sank langu idly upon a d ivan at h is s ide,and re
sumed“ I observe , Mons ieur Louvet, that you are d isgu ised.May I ask the reasonP
”
THE MAN W HO DARED.
Such was my design , repl ied Louvet , in tones ofbitter disappointment .The girl raised his hands reverently to her l ips .“Monsieur
,
” she murmured , sweetly ,“you are a
brave and noble man . You have done all that you canfor me and my dear father
,and I implo re you to aban
don us to our fate . It would be a crime for me to urgeyou to further efforts ; for I now know why you goabout d isguised . Having defied Robespierre, the Convention has declared you an outlaw—am I not rightP”
“Yes , mademoisel le ,” repl ied Louvet with emotion .
“Nevertheless , this very disguise wil l be put to gooduse . As to abandoning your father to Robespierre’svengeance , it would be impossible . I have alreadystarted a plot for his release, and it i s too late to withdraw now . I have come here, not to speak of this matter, but to ask you to give me your solemn word thatyou will rema in here in seclusion until everything isover . Will you grant me this request P”
“ I will ,” answered Louise solemnly.
A short interval of si lence fol lowed,during wh ich
Lou ise leaned forward,with an elbow resting upon her
knee, and a del icate, white hand supporting her roundedchin , in an attitude Of pro found reverie . Entranced bythe charming pensiveness expressed in her countenance
,
Jean Louvet remained mute and motionless,with
bowed head and clasped hands , Offering up as an incense to this idol of his heart al l the subl ime
,adoring
,
self-sacrificing emotions that fi ll ed it .She is communing with her God, he reflected, de
vo utly.
“ I w il l not disturb her .”
FACE TO FACE. 1 3 1
By th is it wi l l be seen that he was , even as Mariehad described him
,a true lover. Nevertheless , l ike al l
other true lovers,he was attributing to the Obj ect of
h is adoration , higher and nobler med itations thanthose which really occupied her mind . For Louise
,
far from communing with her Creator, was in realityreflecting about h im .
“ I wonder why it is that this strange young manexerts such a wondrous influence over my wil l P” she
mused .
“He merely asks me to grant a request, andI consent without hesitation . Is i t because he hasproved himself worthy of my confidence ? N o ; for I
trusted him from the first . Is it that he is handsome ,gentle and courteous ? No for Juvenal is far handsomer t han this stranger ; while D
’
Espernay is thegentlest Of men , and Villeneuve is gallantry personified. What then can be the secret of his power ? Itmust be that he is so daring
,chivalrous and unselfish
,
that he is willing to sacrifice h is very l ife for my sake .
”
Satisfied that she had solved the problem of his influence over her, Louise turned suddenly to Jean Louvet and saidYou have requested me to rema in here in seclus ion
unti l you have accomplished your des igns—may I askthe reason P”
The unexpectedness of her query caused the youngman to awake from his ecstacv with a start ; but, recovering himsel f quickly, he repl ied
“The reason I made such a s ingular request , mad
em o iselle, is because of my solicitude on your behal f.I bel ieve you wi l l not be molested so long as you re~
TH E MAN W H O D ARED .
main quiet. B eing assured of your safety , I can actboldly on your father’s behalf, and concentrate all myfaculties upon the Obj ect we desire .
”
Both were so intent upon the subj ect they were discussing that they failed to hear the creaking of footsteps on the stairs .
“But,
” said Louise anxiously , it may be necessaryfor me to commun icate w ith you in the meanwhile .
Supposing, for example, that I should hear somethingabout my father that would be essential to the successof your designs . To what place could I despatch a
secret message P”
“ If you’l l promise not to resort to such a measure ,unles s the conditions are extremely urgent, I willreveal a place where I can always be found . And ,
” headded
,with the utmost confidence,
“YOu must be sure
of the trustworth iness of your messenger .”
While speaking, he drew a s lip of paper from hispocket, and , going over to a l ittle desk in a corner,dipped a qu i ll in an ink-horn and wrote down rapidly,
Ma ison Rousseau“Rue
Faubourg Saint Antoine .
Then , after drying the ink with fine sand,he re~
turned to the girl , and del ivered the paper into herpossess ion .
At that moment a few nervous taps so unded’
upo n
the door commun icating w ith the landing .
Suppo sing that theywere made by Marie—for it
FACE TO FACE. 1 33
should be rem em bered that neither she, nor Louvethad heard the footsteps that but a moment be fore ,creaked upon the stairs—Lou ise folded the sl ip into atiny square
,and
,thrusting it for safe-keeping into her
bosom , called out very graciously“Come in !”
At this invitation the person outs ide moved the doorback slowly on its hinges , crossed the threshold , and,advancing toward them hat in hand , saluted Madem o iselleVauban w ith an obsequ ious bow .
“Pardon me !” he sa id, sm i l ing upon her with great
affabi l ity ; then , turning to Jean Louvet, whom he didnot recognize in h is d isgu ise , he added in tones ofbiting irony,
“ I had no intention of interrupting sucha del ight ful tete-a-tete
,I assure you .
”
Louise sank back upon the d ivan speechless withterror ; for the slender, elegantly attired person whostood before her was Robesp ierre .As for Jean Louvet , he sprang quickly from h is
chair, stepped resolutely between the intruder and thefrightened girl , drew himself up to his full height, andconfronted the merc iless despot face to face.
CHAPTER XIV.
A WOMAN’
S SENSE OF HONOR.
FOR a brie f moment Robespierre’s face exp ressedthe utmost astonishment at such s ingular behaviouron the part of the supposed work ingman but, when
his keen perception had penetrated Jean Louvet’s dis
guise, he glared fiercely back at him without attempting to dissemble the passionate hatred that fil led h isheart .
Louvet returned h is ferocious , threaten ing glancewith a look of supreme defiance . Indeed , while thetyrant’s eyes bl inked and em itted yellow, scintillatingsparks , those of his Opponent never quivered for aninstant, but poured a deluge of terrible l ight into thedark recesses of Robespierre’s perverted soul . Eachreal ized that he was in the presence of his mortalenemy, and that there could be no reconciliation between them this s ide the grave .Robespierre was the first to break the frightfulspel l .Suddenly changing his aspect, he said with crafty
pol iteness“SO i t is you , Citizen Louvet ? Pray forgive me
my impol iteness , which you may attribute to yourdisgu is e, I assure you !
”
[ 1 34]
1 36 THE MAN W HO DARED .
errand of mercy and love . How d id you treat her, M .
Robespierre ? If my memory is correct, you ignoredher appeals to your mercy
,and, with unparalleled
rudeness , turned abruptly on your heel and left theroom . Is it not so
,M . Robespierre P”
This sudden revelation Of his conduct overwhelmedthe artful hypocrite w ith confusion , wh ich he endeavored to hide under the cloak of his zeal for the Republic .
“I f I acted as rudely as you say I d id , he repli ed
with assumed ardor,
“ it was because my duty to theRepublic requ ired it.
“And does your duty to the Republ ic requ ire youto intrude upon my privacy P”
“ I have come here as a friend , answered Robesp ierre, throw ing a s ign ificant glance toward his enemy,and then relapsing into silence .Realiz ing that Jean Louvet stood in imminent danger Of arrest, and that , i f he delayed h is departuremuch longer, escape would be impossible , Lou ise resolved to urge him to leave the house at once . So ,advancing toward h im haughtily, she made him a stiffcurtsy , artfully contr ived to present her back to Robesp ierre , and, cast ing upon h im a pass ionate glance,which gave the lie to her chill ing words and manner,said with assumed indifference
“ I am sorry, Citizen Louvet , that I cannot do anything to help you . I pardon your coming here in disguise ; but I command you never to do so again .
Even now I fear you have compromised my reputationas a true daughter of the Republ ic.
”
A WOMAN’S SENSE OF HONOR. 1 37
This studied speech was followed by a brief colloquy Of glances . From Jean Louvet’s eloquent eyesthere flashed the anxious question
“Are you safe alone with this man P”
To which the rad iant orbs of the girl made answer“Perfectly.
Apparently satisfied with th is mute reply , Jean Louvet put on an air Of d isappo intment , s ighed deeply ,returned the lady’s curtsy with a cool bow , and quicklyleft the room .
It may be asked—Why did Robespierre allow hismortal enemy to escape h im , when he had him within
h is grasp ?The reply to th is question can be given in a very
few words . Jean Louvet was an athlete ; Robespierrewas weak and slender. Their meeting took place inthe rear of a great mansion whose only inhabitantswere two fra il women . It is apparent , therefore , thatRobesp ierre was in a pos ition of far greater peri l thanhis enemy.
If he had attempted to seize Jean Louvet, the latterwould undoubtedly have overpowered him . I f he hadcr ied aloud for assistance , Jean Louvet would havethrottled h im on the instant . Moreover , i t would havebeen imposs ibl e for h im to have withdrawn qu ietlyfrom the house , to bring citizens , or gendarmes , backw ith him , without allowing h is enemy an Opportunityto escape during his absence . Confronted with thesed ilemmas , the despot ado pted the most prudent planof awaiting a safer chance to ensnare Jean Louvet .When the latter had been gone some m inutes,
THE MAN W HO DARED.
Louise turned sharply toward Robespierre and saidhaughtily :
“Well , sir, I am ready to receive your apologies .'
My apologi es ?”
Yes , for intruding into my presence, or ratherbreak ing l ike a th ief into th is house .”
“As to intruding into your apartments , I will expla in my reasons later . As regards your charge offorc ible entrance, I wi l l deny it most emphatical lynow .
Louise shrugged her shoulders and curled her l ip indisda in .
“Nevertheless al l the doors and windows were fast
ened ,” she sa id contemptuously .
Robespierre d ipped into his pocket, and drew fortha great brass key, wh ich he exhib ited to the g irl withan air of insolent triumph .
“Do you recognize this P” he asked .
Louise did not deign to reply ; whereupon Ro besp ierre continued in tones expressive of sorrow :
“That key belongs to your father, who gave it tome yesterday, w ith the request that I would take goodcare of h is daughter after h is death . You see he knowsI am stil l h is friend , although you scorn to bel ieve it ,my girl . And yet I see no reason for your doubtingm v s incerity .
”
While he was del ivering this explanat ion,Lou ise
glanced furt ively at the key , and saw that it was theone her father was in the habit of carrying about hisperson . I t fitted the huge brass lock of a private door
THE MAN W HO DARED .
I call upon God to attest the s incerity Of my m o .
tives !”
The next instant,he folded his arms across his
chest , and fixed upon the terrified girl a glance thatfa irly blazed with fanaticism .
“Unselfish ! Yes I repeat that I am unselfish !” he.
exclaimed,“For is it not an act of sublime self-abnega
tion to sacrifice one’s dearest friends to the cause ofhumanity ? I have sacrificed the w itty and charm ingDesmoul ins , and the l ion-hearted Danton , becausethey stood in the way o f our great Republ ic . And Ihave now imprisoned my most beloved friend , Vauban
,because hi s wealth and prodigal ity proclaimed
him an aristocrat at heart . No r is that all , he added ,completely carried away by his egotistic zeal ;
“ i f it were
for the good of the Republ ic that I,mysel f , should be
removed, most wil l ingly, gladly would I mount thesteps of the scaffold and bare, with my own hands ,my neck for the guillotine.”
During this impass ioned declamation , Louise re
garded him w ith a half frightened , hal f doubtful look ,such as she might have bestowed on some curious , yetappall ing, monster from another world . When he hadfinished , however, she smiled up at h im with the confidence of one who has at last solved a difficult problem
,and said with exquis ite irony
“ It i s apparent , M . Robespierre , that you consideryourself and the Republ ic of France as identical .”
Perhaps the sublime egotist was abashed at herdaring crit ic ism , or it m ight have been that he hadexhausted h is powers of oratory in one fiery outburst ;
A WOMAN ’
S SENSE OF HONOR . 1 4 1
fo rw certain it is that h is ardor suddenly cooled,and
that he resumed his seat and composure at the sametime .
When he had fully recovered h is breath , he assumedan affable smile , and turned the conversation into amore peaceful channel .
“Pardon me
,Citizeness he said, for allowing
my enthusiasm to draw me away from explaining thereasons for paying you this vis it . However
,I w il l
make amends for my forgetfulness by reveal ing themnow.
”
Lou ise Observed that the lur id light of fanaticismhad subsided in his eyes , and that their pupils hadgradually contracted to mere peepholes through whichcra ft , suspicion and falsehood peered out by turns .
! This wily man intends to entrap me, she reflectedwith the intuitive m istrust which so many womenpossess . “Well she mused further,
“ it may be wiseto learn h is des igns , so I wi ll pretend to be duped byhis cunning and lead him on to betray them.
Robesp ierre resumed“My chie f reason for paying you th is v isit , sa id he ,
is to conspire w ith you to save your father from theguil lotine . You cannot understand how dearly I lovehim , and how anxiously I 'have been plotting to savehis head .
“You are very k ind, murmured Lou ise , pretendingto be deeply grateful ,
“and if I can help you to aecom
plish your noble purpose I wil l be very happy .
”
“I am glad to hear you speak in that way,
”
returned
TH E MAN W HO DARED.
Robesp ierre in tones of satisfaction ;“ for I now feel
certain that your father can be saved .
Lou is e expressed the l ivel iest j oy at th is assurance ,and, fall ing upon her knees at hi s feet , cr ied excitedlyMay God bless you for those words ! Oh , I knew
you would not let my father perish ! But tel l me ,what must I do to save him P”
Bel ieving that it was now t ime to broach h is realpurpose
,the cunning despot placed h is long hands
upon her luxuriant tresses , and smoothed them withal l the tenderness Of a father. Then he began to unve i lhis treacherous des ign with an audacity that was wonderfully direct .
“To begin , said he, I would like you to expla inhow it happened that you were harboring an outlawin your house, at the time I came h ither to v is it you P
”
Lo u ise laughed gaily.
“Oh , i t came about through no fault of m ine, youmay be sure ,
” she replied . M . Louvet came hereun invited and in d isgu ise ; and , as I knew him to bea Representative of the people
,I very naturally ad
m itted him when he told me that he was in d istress .”“Then you did not know he had been outlawedP”
No t then .
No r that he is plann ing to effect my ru inP”
Why, such an idea is preposterous !”
And Louise broke out into another peal o f laughter.“You have no especial interest in Cit izen Louvet’s
welfare ?“How could I ?” replied Lou ise, with difficulty
1 44 THE MAN W HO D ARED .
treated step by step to the opposite end of the parlor.There she stood
,with both hands clutching the back
of a Chair, and her head thrown back , so that theastonishment and horror wh ich blazed in her eyesthrew a ghastly light upon her pale , set features .
“Have you come here to scoff at my misery P” shemuttered faintly .
“On the contrary I have come here to rel ieve i t,answered Robespierre ; and he added , with a hoarseand j eering laugh : “Come
,Citizeness Vauban , I am
not to be deceived . That you know the secret hidingplace of this Louvet is apparent . Tell me where I canfind him , and I wil l release your father from prison ;otherwise”—and here he snapped his fingers v iciously—“
I will see that your father is gu illotined .
”
Having revealed his whole plan to the girl , he assumed his habitual melancholy express ion , and beganpacing the room with rap id , nervous strides .Suddenly he heard a cry Of inexpress ible angu ish ;
then a heart-broken sigh , a plaintive repetition of thewords—“What baseness ! W hat
'
treachery ! What inconce ivable villainy !”— and finally a question ad
dressed to him in a voice that shook his very soul .“SO you actually bel ieve me capable of betraying an
honest , noble friend into your power P”
He was silent .The same voice rang out in quivering tones“NO , not to save my father ! No t to save myself !
No t even to escape the pains of hell would I betray
Jean Louvet !”
These words were qu ickly followed by the rustling
A WOMAN'
S SENSE OF HONOR. 1 45
of si lken skirts , and, ere Robesp ierre could recoverfrom his chagrin , Lou ise Vauban appeared suddenlybefore h im .
With the gesture of a queen , she po inted im perio uslvtoward the door, and, transfixing h im with the l ightn ing of her eyes ,
“Depart, v i le wretch ! she cried defiantly.
With a look of intense hatred, the mercil ess despotobeyed her in s ilence , nor d id he recover from h ishum i l iation until he reached the open air.
CHAPTER XV.
ANDRE DEPARTS ON A M ISSION.
LOUISE V AUB AN ’
S v igorous denunciation of Robespierre was followed by several important co nse
quences .
When the tyrant entered her parlor, he had noknowl edge that she was even an acqua intance of JeanLouvet. For the real Obj ect of h is v is it was to Obta infrom her certa in desirable informat ion , by pretendinga deep interest in her father’s fate, expressing a hypocri tical sympathy w ith her m isfortune, and offering todo al l in his power to save h is friend
,Vauban . Hav
ing thus rega ined her entire confidence , he had nodoubt that she would fall a v ictim to h is treachery, andreply to h is artful quest ion ings out of pure gratitudeand s imple trust.But, on behold ing her in secret conference w ith the
very man who had denounced h im before the Convention, th is des ign was immediately abandoned. Hissusp icions were aroused to a degr ee bordering on certainty ; and, with the keen insight that characterizedh is intellect, he d ivined the nature of the ir relationshipat once .
“So is was for love of Louise Vauban , he reasoned ,that th is daring young man ventured to inflame the
1463
TH E MAN W HO D ARED .
h is wardrobe . His rage on behold ing th is spectaclehas already been described .
André the Barber wa ited calmly, unt i l Robespierrehad restored the paper to h is pocket, and then,
'
re
marked good-hum o redly“ It i s apparent that my dear patron has lost h is temper this morning, Or he would not Speak SO harshlyto his devoted André .
”
Robespierre regarded h im wi th aston ishment .“What !” he exclaimed, furiously,
“am I to be defiedand insulted by my very barber ?
“ I insult you ? I defy youP”
And André bowed h is h ead upon h is breast de
jectedly, as if he had rece ived a mortal injury .
Completely bewildered by h is behavior, Robesp ierrebegan to think it possible that he had really wrongedh im . Yet he was resolved to probe the affair to thebottom , as recent events had thoroughly aroused hissusp icions .
“Don’t stand there l ike a W hipgied school-boy, youimpudent rascal !” he cried ;
“but l ift your head , andanswer truthfully to my questions !”
André the Barber raised his face Slowly, and thenit could be seen that two crocodile tears were coursing down his cheeks .What were you do ing in that wardrobeP” asked
Robespierre , po inting toward the great mahoganycase that contained his most cherished treasures .
“ I was adm iring the beautiful garments that adorn
ANDRE D EPARTS ON A M ISSION. 1 49
your sacred person , and André succeeded in forc ingtwo add itional tears from h is sorrowful eyes .It would have been imposs ible for h im to have
given a more fortunate answer to the despot’s query ;for it had struck directly upon the most vulnerablespot in h is armor. Robespierre continued in a mildertone
“But what was your motive in search ing my pockets , may I ask P
!
“Curiosity,
” stammered the barber meekly. Idlecurios ity, nothing more.
”
“And was your inqu is it iveness rewarded P”
In one way, yes ! In another, no !”
Explain yoursel f !”
“ I d iscovered that you are as neat as you are noble ;for there was not so much as a speck Of dust in yourpockets . But ,
” added André w ith a look of disappo intment,
“ I greatly regret that I could find noth ingto carry away as a memento of your friendsh ip .
”
Robesp ierre’s brow was beginn ing to brighten ; yethe determ ined to ask one question more . Aga in drawing the paper
,containing the names of h is enem ies ,
from his pocket,he held it close to André’s eyes , and
inquired with a penetrating.
glance“But had you found th is list—would you have taken
it as a mementoP”“ I would have left it undisturbed, cried André ;
adding with pretended indignation , Such a questionis unworthy of you
,Citizen Robespierre. It impl ies
a doubt of my integrity.
”
And what if I do doubt itP” returned the tyrant,with a sneer.This time the artful André threw down the Winningcard .
“ It would conv ince me that you are the b iggest foolin France
,and not the great apostl e of l iberty I have
thought yo u,
” he cried , boldly .
“You speak in enigmas , said Robespierre .Yet they are easily solved,
” retorted André . Letme expla in : Would you not be a colossal fool to al lowa man , whose honesty you doubted , to place a razoron your throat ? Would you not be utterly unworthyof the confidence of the nat ion
,if, threatened on al l
s ides as you are, you invited assassination by expos ingyour precious l i fe in such a foolhardy manner ? Youknow as well as I , Citizen Robespierre, that the futureo f the Republ ic is in your keep ing, and I would deemyou the greatest of crim inals , if you did not take everyprecaution to preserve your health and l ife for thewelfare of the brave people who adore you .
”
This short , but eloquent orat ion was interrupted bya profound sigh that seemed to struggle up from the
'
depths of André’s heart ; then , averting his face fromRobespierre’s , and feign ing to brush the tears from h iseyes
,the art ful barber resumed, in a voice hal f-choked
with emotion“Alas ! my nob l e patron doubts my honor, and
naught is le ft me but to res ign from h is service.”
Even Robesp ierre himself was no match for suchconsummate hypocrisy. In an instant al l h is faith and
THE MAN W HO DARED.
It would mean two suspects removed from his pathbut could they not serve h is purposes in a better way,
i f spared ? If perm itted their present freedom, it wasprobable that they would communicate w ith theirCh ief
,and thus lead h is sp ies to the place where he
lay concealed .
With such thoughts stil l agitating h is m ind, Robespierre finally left o ff wandering, and returnedto h is lodgings on the Rue Sa int Honoré .
CHAPTER XVI .
SIMON EX PERIENCES A SURPRISE.
STILL pressing Madame Fontenai’s letter close to h isbeating heart, Simon the Jailer accompanied the gendarmes to the dread chamber of the RevolutionaryTribunal . As he was a man of great moral courage,he walked between them fearlessly, thinking far moreof the lady’s letter than Of himself.
“ Is not this an extraordinary proceeding ?” he in
quired of one of his guardians “Why, I have beenaccustomed to see prisoners consigned to the Housesof Arrest before being tried .
”
“Aye,
” was the surly response ; but yours is noordinary case, Citizen . You stand accused of havingrescued an outlaw from justice , you must remember.
“Then why not to the guillotine at once ?” criedS imon the Ja iler defiantly .
“Why th is mockery o fjustice
,in forejudging my case at all ?”
“You wi l l b e granted the privil ege of defense, whenyou appear at the bar of the Tribunal .”
Saying which the gendarmes bade him be silentand hurried him on .
The spectacle Of a mun ic ipal j ailer in the custodyof two Officers Of the law was suffic iently novel to excite cur ios ity in many of the people, and , before they
[ 1 5 3]
1 54 THE MAN W HO DARED.
had reached the great building, where the sangu inaryTribunal was then in sess ion
,they found it difficult to
push their way through the howling mob .
“You’re good at handling the canaille, you rascal !sa id one of the gendarmes, laugh ing coarsely.
“Come,let us see what you can do to help us out of th ispressure !”
“Are you in earnest P” asked S imon , quickly.
The gendarme turned suddenly pale.“ Stir them up with one word and you’re a deadman !” he whispered
,fiercely .
A short time afterwards , they entered the gloomychamber of the Tribunal , and S imon was conductedto a bench to awa it the call ing of h is case . As theterrible Fouquier-Tinvil le was in a rare mood forbusiness , however, h is patience was by no means exhansted before he was summoned to the bar.
“Your nameP” asked St. Just , who was pres id ing.
I am known as S imon the Ja i ler,repl ied the pris
oner.“Your age P”
Twenty-eight years and a month to-morrow.
Your present occupation P”
A jailer in the Luxembourg Pr ison .
You may be seated, while the Publ ic Accuser presents h is charges .”
Whereupon , the two gendarmes , who stil l had h imin their custody, seized h im rudely by the shoulders,and hurried him back to the bench .
Almost at the same instant, T inv il l e stepped qu icklyforward, and read a short accusat ion , charging him
TH E MAN W HO DARED .
to the Luxembourg and set him free, he addedperemptorily .
At this unexpected term ination to h is adventure ,Simon the Jailer was dumbfounded, nor was it unti lhe had reached the Luxembourg that he was enlightened as to its real Significance . Happening to againmeet Madame Fontena i, he told her h is entire story ;whereupon she warned h im urgently that he mustmaintain from henceforth the greates t vigilanceagainst sp ies .That he was deeply impressed by her advice wi l l beseen by h is subsequent conduct.
M . Tallien was hasten ing from the Convention Hallthat evening, on his way to keep an engagement witha friend, when he was accosted by a man attired in thegarb of a common laborer .
“Have I the honor of address ing RepresentativeTallienP
” he asked, respectfully l ifting his cap .
“Yes , I am Citizen Tallien,
” was the answer. Whatdo you desire of me ?
“You have a dear friend in the Luxembourg Prison ,I believe P” ventured the laborer timidly .
M . Tallien s tarted and turned pale .“How do vou know thatP” he inquired
,anx iously .
The man lowered h is voice to a whisper and repl iedquickly
“M . Tallien, I am the bearer of a letter to you fromMadame Fontenai . She assured me that you are her
Robesp ierre hates Pteron and Barras .
’
And he hastened from the wine shop w ith a terror
e, the work ingman was cautiously makingh is way toward the Faubourg St .
CHAPTER XVII.
FRANCOIS RESORTS TO STRATEGY.
ON finding himsel f a prisoner in M . B arrere’
s chamber
,Francois the Idler elevated his eyebrows
,puck
ered up his l ips,and emitted a low, prolonged Whistle
indicat ive of surprise . Then he ran quickly to thedoor and rattled it with great v iolence .
“ ’T is useless to resist , m onsieur,” cried one o f his
guards through the key—hole ;“ for, even if you succeed
in forc ing the door, you would s imply be killed foryour pa ins .
“Which would mean the guil lotine for all of vou !was Francois’ defiant rejoinder.And, giv ing the door an addit ional rattle, he turnedabout and strode boldly toward the w indows .On reach ing the one to the right, he tore aside the
curtains , unloosened the fasten ings Of the sash , andswung it wide Open on its h inges . At he same momenta warning voice call ed up to h im from below,
“Stand back , or we’ll Shoot you dead ,
Francois threw a hasty glance in the direction ofh is threatener, and beheld two armed men , stand ingwithin close range, covering h im with the muzzles of
their muskets. Real iz ing now that escape by force was
[1 59]
1 60 TH E MAN W HO DARED .
impossible,he saluted the men deris ively , and shouted
back“ I did not intend to alarm you , good c itizens ! I hadno idea Of escap ing ; but merely Opened the w indowto admit the a ir.”
With these words,he w ithdrew from the Open ing,
and began pacing the chamber, deep in thought . While
pondering on some means Of regaining his l iberty, hechanced to glance casual ly upon a table .Suddenly he came to a dead stop ; gazed fixedly atsome obj ect on the table ; then , darting eagerly forward
,and snatching it up in his trembling hands ,
“M on D ieu
,it i s the Chief’s letter !” he cried, tri
um phantly.
For a brief moment he hesitated , debating in h ismind whether he was warranted by h is peculiar circum stances to read it ; then , hav ing come to the conclusion that it would be no breach of honor to do so ,he sank into an armchair and perused it from beginning to end .
Be ing as shrewd as he was bold, Franco is recognized at a glance that Jean Louvet held some secretpower over Barrere . One sentence of the ep istle inparticular conta ined a world of mysterious meaning
,
and Francois vainly endeavored to penetrate its Significance. It was this :
“I m ight rem ind yo u of the obligations you owe m e
fo r past benefits, and put this request in the nature ofa com m and; but I prefer to trus t to your friendship.
”
Having read this passage for perhaps the twentieth
1 62 TH E MAN W H O DARED .
The startled Barrere being utterly unable to replyto th is,Francois pressed h is advantage still further.
“My master placed confidence in your friendsh ip,he went on ;
“but, alas ! you have forgotten all youowe h im .
”
Then , in order to cap his stratagem with a fittingcl imax , Franco is the Idler ra ised his voice to its highest p itch , and made the house tremble with his threats .But an end to all courtesy !” he thundered .
“Thisman is incapable of gratitude ! Therefore away w ithall pretense of friendship, and resort to extremities ato nce !
”
Pausing for a moment to give emphasis to hiswords , Francois roared out
“Harken , Barrere ! In the name of Jean Lo uvet,whom I serve, I command you, on peril Of your life ,to comply w ith his request !”
These menac ing words , uttered SO imperat ively,fi l led the heart OfM . Barrere with consternation .
“Can it be poss ible ,” he thought fearfully,
“ that thisstranger knows my secret P”
For he was not aware that the prisoner had just readLouvet’s letter, which he had carelessly le ft in hischamber, and could put no other construction uponh is words . At firs t, therefore , he was dreadfully frigh tened ; but presently the remembrance that Jean Lo uvetwas now a condemned outlaw, renewed his courageand complacency to such a degree
,that he found voice
to reply insolently“ In the name of your master indeed , poor fool !Why
Jean Louvet is an outlaw and a beggar.”
FRANCOIS RESORTS To STRATEGY. 1 63
S ay rather‘poor fool’ to yourself !” laughed Fran
co is ,“for desp is ing the power Of one , whom the Con
vention outlawed through abj ect fear, and beforewhom even the great Robespierre trembles . As regards such a poor creature as yourself, Barrere , he hasbut to raise hi s l ittle finger, and you perish
“You exaggerate,m onsieur,
” returned Barrere lessconfidently .
“Then I’l l speak out and you’l l understand my
meaning !”
At this , Barrere became SO thoroughly conv incedthat the prisoner knew his secret, that he fell totrembling more violently than ever.
“ If you wi sh to expla in , good citizen , he answeredmeekly,
“pray allow me to unlock the door and enter !Francois growled a reluctant consent ; whereupon
Barrere unlocked the door, and crept caut iously intothe apartment to confer with h im .
Francois the Idler, who was recl in ing complacentlyin a Chair, motioned h is visitor to take a seat bes ideh im ; and , when the latter had complied , he turnedupon him fiercely
,and, assuming a know ing look,
asked suddenly :“Are you anx ious for me to explain ? Shal l I recount all the benefits you have received from JeanLouvet
,the man whom you imag ine to be a beggarP
”
“ Is i t true that I called h im a beggar ?” askedBarrere .
“Yes,and an outlaw as well , cried Francois , with a
threatening scowl ; adding contemptuously,“but what
more could be expected from such a base ingrate P”
1 64 TH E MAN W HO D ARED .
Alas, m onsieur ! exclaimed Barrere , completely
deceived by Franco is s strategem .
“ I see you knowmy secret
,and w il l save you from rem inding me that
your master,Jean Louvet , saved my neck from the
gu il lot ine . I had entered into a conspiracy, which itis unnecessary to explain now, and would certainlyhave perished but for h is assistance . All my friendshad deserted me, I was ne ither rich nor influential ;but your mysterious master befriended me by meansof a secret and extraordinary power. So , if I doubtedh is abil ity now to protect me in th is affair, I beg youto forgive me for my basenes s
,and to accept my most
humble apology .
”
Francois looked him stra ight in the eyes .“Then you wi l l give th is bachelor dinner in Robesp ierre’s honorP”
“No t only wil l I give it,
” repl ied Barrere withenthusiasm , but I w i l l place Jean Louvet in charge Ofevery detail .Francois arose from his chair, and said g randly.
“You have saved yourself from ruin by your gratitude.
”
Hav ing thus succeeded in h is errand, he tookB arrere
’
s arm , and they both emerged from the chamber walk ing s ide by side.Franco is restrained h is joy until he had passed beyond sight of the v i lla ; but then he indulged h is emot ions in repeated outbursts Of laughter.
“ If I keep improving in strategy at th is rate,he
reflected ,“ I’l l soon be a match for the Ch ief, who
CHAPTER XVIII
TH E CONSPIRATORS REPORT To THEIR CH IEF
SHORTLY before m idnight, on the same evening, twomen might have been seen moving cautiously along a
narrow alley, with the secret a ir of bravos having somevillainous bus iness in hand .
One was following the other at a distance of five orSix paces , stopping when he stopped, and advancingwhen he advanced, Without increasing or dimin ishingthe space between them .
The man in front was attired in the red cap andd ingy blouse of a work ingman the one who followedwas decked out in all the finery Of a dandy of the perio d. The workingman cast many a furtive glance overh is shoulder as he proceeded , apparently on the lookout for skulking spies
,or watchful gendarmes . The
dandy, however, kept his eyes fixed straight beforehim
,and swung a walking stick carelessly in h is hand
as he advanced .
After making the ir way in this suspicious mannerfor some dis tance , the workingman turned quicklyinto a l ittle lane , and , a fter penetrating it unti l he cameto a walled garden , vaulted lightly over the barri er intothe inclosure, and crept rapidly on hands and knees toa concealed door in the rear Of a pretentious mans ion.
[ 1 66]
THE CONSPIRATORS REPORT To THEIR CH IEF. 1 67
He had barely t ime to rap a summons on the oakenpanels , when tme dandy sprang nimbly into the garden ,and followed close on his trail to the secret door.In the meantime the work ingman had been admittedto the mansion , and his steps were distinctly audible,as he ascended a stairway in the interior.Hav ing knocked l ike h is predecessor for adm ittance,the dandy was in his turn permitted to enter the doorway, and , a moment afterwards , the l ight tapp ing Of
his dainty heels announced that he also was ascendingthe stairway.
These nocturnal prowlers were none other than twoof Louvet
’s agents , returning to the Ma ison Rousseauin obedience to his commands . Indeed
,so prompt
were they in keep ing their appointment that, ere thelast echo Of thei r footfall s had died away upon thesta irs , the clock of a ne ighboring tower struck thehour of midnight .
“You are prompt in keep ing your appointment,said Louvet, as S imon the Ja i ler entered the chamberof conference .And a moment a fterwards , he added“And you also are prompt, Francois , as the young
dandy _
m ade h is appearance .A number of their fellow agents
,who had arr ived
before them , were occupying cha irs Oppos ite JeanLouvet’s table , convers ing in low, eager tones , whileawaiting the stroke of the gavel to announce that thesecret sess ion had begun . The two new arrivalsimmed iately joined them , but d id not participate inthe wh ispered discourse.
1 68 THE MAN W HO DARED.
Ten m inutes -twenty minutes—half an hour passedby, and yet the gavel did not sound its call .Meanwhile Jean Louvet’s resolute face became moreanxious and expectant each m inute . He threw fre
quent glances toward the door, and, at every trivialsound that d isturbed the s i lence of the venerable mar.s ion , bent eagerly forward in an attitude of attent ivel istening.
“Why does the Chief postpone the hour of conferenceP” asked Francois of his comrade Simon .
The Jailer elevated h is brows and shoulders in thateloquent gesture which signifies
“Don’t ask me ; forI am as much in the dark as you , my friend !
”
A short time afterward, the conspirator who hadcharge of the secret door, entered the apartment quietly, and handed Jean Louvet a sealed note . The Chiefglanced at the address calmly ; but, on recogn izing thepeculiarities Of the handwriting, changed color, muttered angrily, and tore the missive open with trembling fingers .It could be seen that an expression of alarm passedover h is face, as he hurr iedly read its contents . Buta moment later, he regained h is composure , and , taking up the gavel , rapped w ith it sharply upon the table,with the words
“Attention , m essieurs ! Attention, ni esdarnes ! Themeeting is called to order, and we will proceed to business at once .Immediately all conversation ceased , and every eye
was fixed upon the venerable Dr . Narbonne, who,in h is capac ity of secretary, arose from his place bes ide
1 70 THE MAN W HO DARED.
When Simon the Jailer had returned to h is seat,Louvet called Francois the Idler to draw near.
“And what have you to report P” he inquired auxio usly.
“That M . Barrere has not only consented to givethe banquet you suggested ; but is desirous Of surrender ing the arrangements
,in al l their details , into your
hands .Jean Louvet could hardly restrain his astonishment.Can i t be possibl e
,
” he asked eagerly,“ that such a
conservative man complied with the request Of anoutlaw so generouslyP”
Francois regarded his Chief with a curious smile .“Ah
,thereby hangs a tale !” he wh ispered signifi
cantly ; and, bending closer to Jean Louvet, gave hima highly- colored narrative Of his adventures .The reports Of the agents having been rece ived , theChief Of the conspirators dismissed the meeting, andwithdrew with D r. Narbonne into the latter’s study.
There he produced the letter the door-keeper hadhanded him , and read it aloud to h is w ise friend andcounselor. It ran as follows :
Most honored ChiefI have followed your instructions and placed my
l ife at hazard , in attempting to get possession Of thel ist you require . SO far I have failed ; but I have atl east discovered where i t can be found
,and w il l con
tinne my efforts to procure it . I was unable to attendthe con ference to-night for this reason : My patron hassent me on a private mission , far from Pari s, wh ich ,
THE CONSP IRATORS REPORT To THEIR CH IEF . 1 7 1
under the c ircumstances , I was compelled to undertake . In three days , however , I wil l return from myjourney
,and will then probably succeed in procuring
the paper you desire.André the Barber .
Well , asked Dr. Narbonne , when he had finished ,I suppose that means a postponement of your plans P”“On the contrary,
” replied Louvet, del iberately,“ It
means that we must proceed with them with increasedv igor.”
“But the li st, my dear master, protested the caut ious Old gentleman .
“ I was under the impressionthat it was essential to your success .”
Louvet arose from his chaIr w ith a gesture of impatience.
“It is too late to think of that now, he cried des
perately,“ the game has already begun , and the least
delay would prove fatal . We must play our cards justas we hold them , and not wait for another deal . D O
you know,
” he added , lowering his voice almost to awhisper, and looking into the doctor
’s face with anexpress ion Of intense anxiety—“
D O you know,
” saidhe ,
“ that I met Robesp ierre face to face not later than
yesterday P”
The Doctor gaped up at him in amazement .“Yes ,
” continued Louvet ,“and in the presence Of
Mademoiselle Vauban . He cast upon me a look ofintense hatred, and I could read his heart SO well , thatI realized at once he is about to destroy everyone whostands in the way Of h is ambition with one compre
1 7 2 THE MAN W HO D ARED .
hensive blow. That blow may be expected to fall atany time now,
and the only hope we have Of adverting it i s by prompt and v igorous action without regardto consequences .
“With the l ist in your possession you might possiblysucceed
,
” said Dr . Narbonne, incredulously ; adding,“Without it you are certain to meet with failure.”
Jean Louvet retired into his own apartment to reflectlong and doubtfully uponkhis future proceed ings . Themorning was already breaking in the east
,when he
lay down to enjoy a few hours of repose, mutteringas his head struck the p i llow
,
“ I wil l take Narbonne’s advice . I wil l await Andre 5retu rn before I go on . For that l ist of Robespierre’senemies is absolutely necessary to my success in thisaffair.”
Such were h is reflections as he dropped into unco nscio usness ; nevertheless, h is first act , after breakfaston the following morning, was to select an effectualdisguise , steal out unobserved from the Maison Rousseau , and strike into the winding road that led in thed irection of Clichy
,
Moreover, on arriving at M . B arrere’
s villa , hesought an interview w ith that rich republ ican at once
,
and , before leav ing to return to Par is, had perfectedevery detail for the banquet.
TH E MAN ! V H O D ARED .
in high-rouged pleasures,and surrounded himsel f with
elegance . H i s villa at Cl ichy was almost a palace, andhis manner of l iving there magnificent to a degree.Jean had learned from André the Barber that Robespierre was bitterly Opposed to such ostentation
,
which he regarded as a sure indication Of aristo cratic tendencies . Indeed
,it was on account
o f his extravagant display, that M . Vaubanhad incurred his despotic friend’s displeasure .Moreover
,in order to make the reason for
his arrest obvious to all , it had been timed to takeplace during the very height of the festivities g ivenin the Incorruptible One’s honor . Was it not almostcertain , there fore, that the same dramat ic scene wouldbe t e-enacted during M . B arrere
’
s dinner ?
The fact that Robespierre was known to be med itating a master stroke Of politics, to r id the
‘
Republic
of his remaining enemies , as well as those friends whohad departed from democratic v irtue, rendered suchan occurrence a foregone conclusion
,and Jean Louvet
had planned artfully to bring it about.But he did not intend to sacrifice his friend
,Barrere
,
to his own designs . On the contrary , his arrest wasintended to arouse such fear in the hearts of the Representatives present, that they would be prompted todesperate action by the next move Louvet made .In fact, it was through th is next move that he hoped
to accompl ish Robespierre’s downfall .André the Barber had seen the tyrant examininga l ist of those he intended to destroy . Louvet had
d irected him to procure it at any hazard ; and , as An
TH E BANQUET. 1 7 5
dre was possessed of extraordinary shrewdness andcourage, his Chie f was warranted, notwithstanding h isfirst doubts, in hop ing that he would succeed in the artempt.The l ist once in h is possession , it would be a simplematter to send it to M . Tallien, enclosed in a letterfrom Madame Fontenai—Simon the Jailor acting asthei r go -between—requesting her lover to carry it withhim to B arrere’s dinner, and, if his host should be arrested, to take advantage of the consternation of theguests , to read the names of the condemned then andthere.Now, as the majority of the guests were to be Rep
resentatives Opposed to Robespierre , it was easy toforesee the result . Finding themselves already condem ned to the gu i llotine, they would combine in a bodyagainst the tyrant ; confronted by certain death, theywould be insp ired with such supreme terror, that theirformer fear of incurring the despot’s displeasure woulds ink into insignificance, and the instinct o f sel f-preservat ion would actuate them to attempt his down fall , asthe only chance o f escaping destruction themselves .But André the Barber had failed to return from h ismysterious mission ; nor had the sl ightest intell igencebeen received from him regarding the l ist he had promised to procure. What could be the reason for his delay and silence ? Jean Louvet could not tel l . All thathe knew of the matter was th is :It had placed him in an appalling s ituation .
True,it was sti ll poss ible that André might get pos
sess ion Of Robesp ierre’s paper, perhaps at the eleventh
1 7 6 TH E MAN W H O D ARED .
hour, i f not sooner ; but , as he had not been informedof its use in Louvet’s plot, he would not know whatto do with it. Accordingly, Louvet had commissionedFrancois the Idler to seek out his comrade, on his return to Paris ; tel l h im of the banquet at Clichy ; andcommand him to forward the stolen document to Barrere’s v i lla , either through M . Tallien, or by any othersafe means he could devise .
Louvet knew that he was tak ing desperate chancesin thus hOping against hope ; but he dared not abandonsuch a skill fully arranged plot , unti l the last moment .Then i f he were doomed to disappointment , he wouldresort to a forlorn expedient which Offered but the rem o test possibil ity of success .Early on the morning of the appointed day
,Jean
Louvet walked calmly into Dr. Narbo nne’s study, andannounced , abruptly
“ I am going out .“Go ing out P” cried the Doctor in alarm . Where P”
To Cl ichy, to attend B arrere’
s bachelor dinner.”
What madness !” exclaimed Dr. Narbonne . “Youwould be recognized and arrested at once .
”
“That is hardly probably,” answered Jean ; for I
intend to assume a disguise .”“A disguise P”
Yes . I have arranged w ith my friend,Barrere
,to
attend h is d inner in the capacity Of a lackey. He hassent me a suit o f his l ivery, and I have the art o f disgu ising my countenance , as you well know .
”
“But why must you attend this dinner ?” asked Dr.Narbonne, anxiously.
1 7 8 TH E MAN W H O D ARED .
ception room ,where they were soon joined by others
,
and formed into little groups, buzzing with wit andlaughter.Among the earl iest of the arrivals was M . Tallien.
Jean Louvet studied his face closely, as he passed byh im through the hall , but could Observe nothing to indicate that the fatal l ist was in his possession . H iscountenance was placid, and his manner careless andeasy.
Shortly before one O’clock , Fréron put in his appear:
ance , accompanied by Carnot, Collot d’
H erbOis, Bourdon and Barras . Passing into the reception room ,
they received the greeting of their host , and thenformed a group around Tallien.
At last one O’clock arrived ; yet Robespierre had notcome.Was a repet ition of the Vauban a ffair to occur ?It was evident that the guests thought so ; for, asminute after minute passed by, their faces becamemore and more anx ious . They wh ispered , cast furt ive glances toward the door
,and then p itying looks at
the ir smil ing host .It was w ith the utmost d ifficulty that Louvet re
pressed his m o rtificatio n, on beholding these express ions of anx iety. For they informed h im that h isplans were mov ing just as he had antic ipated ; thatthe time was fast approach ing for his master-move ;and yet , fv l
' want Of a mere scrap of paper, all h isdeeply laid des igns were doomed to failure .The thought Of it rendered him desperate .“The finger of fate is in th is,
” he reflected,b itterly.
TH E BANQUET. 1 7 9
It is evident that I must now await my chance tocarry out my last resource .”
He was standing in a doorway, from which he couldObserve all that occurred in the reception room , whena hand was laid l ightly upon his shoulder, and a voicewhispered in his ear
“A word with you , Chief.Turning toward the Speaker, he recognized at aglance
,André the Barber, although he was disguised
as a lackey like himsel f.It would be imposs ible to describe the joy that fi lledhis heart at this unexpected meeting with his agent .
In the surprise of the first moment, he stoo d motionless and dumbfounded ; then he was seized with anecstacy that prompted him to S ing and dance .
For did not Andre’s presence at the banquet , andin disguise, prove conclusively that he had Robesp ierre’s l ist in his possess ion ?
“The sight of you fil l s me with joy !” he exclaimed .
It inspires me w ith assurance of success !”
If he had not been so elated , he might , perhaps ,have remarked that André did not respond to hisgreeting with the enthusiasm it merited .
“Come,my dear fellow
,
” resumed Louvet, explainto me how you contrived to get here P”
“Follow me into the garden,and I wil l tell you all .
But that might attract attention ,” replied Louvet ,
laughing softly .
“No ;
fo r I have been ordered there to cut more
roses for the table . I take you w ith m e to ass ist—d oyou understandP
”
1 80 THE MAN W HO D ARED .
Perfectly,was the gay response ; and Jean Lou
vet motioned h is agent to lead on .
When they had passed down the flight Of steps,and
had entered the garden , the Ch ief resumed his questioning o f h is agent .
“SO you were sent upon an errand P” he asked
,in
a spirit of playfulness ; adding in tones Of pretendedsternness
,By whom P”
“Why I told you in my letter, returned André ,in surprise.
“You ment ioned a patron , but not his name , saidLouvet .
“ I left that for you to surmise .Which I did, by guessing he was Robespierre .
Come , tel l me where he sent you , my good André P”
By this t ime they had reached a secluded spot, andwere completely surrounded by rose-bushes , whichbent beneath the weight Of buds and full-blown flowers . Wherever they looked , the ir eyes were delightedby a profus ion Of exqu is ite colors ; whenever theybreathed, they inhaled del ic ious Odors .
“Come , answer my question ,” Jean Louvet repeated.
Where did the tyrant send you P”
“Nowhere ! Nowhere !” cried André, with an oath .
He despatched me on an errand to get rid Of me .”“To get r id of you ? For what reason P”
Because he suspected and feared me and Andréfel l vigorously to work , cull ing roses for the table .Until then
,Jean Louvet had been thoroughly con
vinced that his agent had at last succeeded in procuring the desired paper. Indeed, h is sudden display
CHAPTER XX.
TH E FATAL LIST.
FAILED meP” cried Jean Louvet, aghast, What doyou mean P”
“That it was impossible for me to steal the l ist youneeded .
”
Louvet’s face became pale beneath the paint thatdisguised it ; but he never lost his composure for aninstant .
“Pray expla in why it was imposs ible to secure this
l ist P” he demanded .
Because Robespierre carries it with him whereverhe goes . It i s never out o f his possession .
”
And André explained in detail al l the circumstancesof h is search through the tyrant’s apar tment, and o fthe latter’s surprising him in the act of going throughh is wardrobe .Louvet heard h im through attent ively, and then
asked :“But why do you say that this document is never
out Of Robespierre’s possessionP”
It i s the inference that any logical m ind would naturally draw from the circumstances of the case . Robesp ierre put on a new suit
,just before l eav ing h is lodg
[ 1 8 2]
THE FATAL LIST. 1 8 3
ings,and
,behold ! when he returned home, the l ist was
in the inside pocket o f his new coat.”
Louvet reflected for some time before aga in speaking. When he d id so he asked :
Do you mean to say that, i f Robesp ierre shouldgrace this dinner with his presence, the paper could befound upon his personP”
“Exactly.
What makes you so certa in Of th isP”
Because I was present when he removed the newclothes I Spoke of
,and put on the su it he usually wears
when wandering about the fields .”“What ! does he change his dress so frequentlyP”
Yes , and the fatal l ist with it . On the occas ion Im entioned, I saw him remove it from the coat pocketof h is new suit, to that of the one he put on before taking h is usual stroll .The Chie f stamped h is foot in vexat ion.
“Oh , if Robespierre would only attend. th is d inner !” he excla imed .
“ In that case, something m ightbe done yet .”
While he was uttering these words , the sounds ofcarriage-wheel s attracted h is attention ; and , look ingtoward the vi lla , he beheld a modest conveyancerap idly appro aching the port-coehére. In a few moments it drew up in front of the house, four menal ighted , and proceeded to mount the steps leading tothe entrance .Louvet uttered an exclamat ion of m ingled joy andastonishment for one of the men was Robesp ierre.The despot was accompan ied by his brother, Augus
1 84 THE MAN W HO DARED.
t in, and two Of h is chie f l ieutenants , Co uthon and St.Just. He was attired in h is favorite sky-blue coat ,black breeches , and silk stock ings, and was evidentlyin a cheerful state of mind .
As he passed through the door with h is compan ions,a murmur could be heard in the house, expressive ofthe satis fact ion occasioned by h is arr ival .
“M on D ieu !” exclaimed Louvet , suddenly changing
from jubilation to disgust . “Just hear those serv i lefellows, André ! But a moment ago, they were fil ledw ith gloom and silence, because they trembled at theabsence Of the ir master. NOW that he has arrived,however, they are exultant , for they bel ieve that theyare , for the t ime at least , safe .
” He paused a momentreflectively and added,
“Are you sure he has the l istw ith him , André P
”
“Unless he has destroyed it, yesThen we must devise some means of gett ing pos
sess ion Of it,” sa id Lo uvet, w ith resolution .
“ Indeed,
it is more important to my purposes , s ince Robespierrehas come to th is dinner, than ever it was before . Forhis honoring the enterta inment by h is attendance, w il llul l the anxiety Of his enemies , and they wil l need apositive proof Of hi s intention to destroy them toarouse them from their torpor.”
“ I fear we have an impossible task before us,
groaned André .“That remains to be seen , was Louvet
’s gloomyresponse .On reentering the house, they found the guests al l
seated at the banquet tabl e, which groaned beneath
1 86 TH E MAN W H O DARED .
Do you know what has happened P” asked one,anxiously .
“Do you refer to the fainting spell that has overcomeRobespierreP”
“Yes,
” whispered the other, quickly ; adding, It has
suggested to me an idea.”
“An idea,Chief ?”
I have said it,
” returned the other, whom the readerhas probably recognized as Jean Louvet . “Let me explain it at once
,
” he added, hurriedly ;“ for, i f feasible,
it must be executed immediately .
”
“Proceed , I am listening,
” answered André .It is this
,went on his Chief : “Be ing overcome by
the heat,it would be but a simple act o f courtesy on
my part to suggest removing the tyrant’s coat , in orderto rel ieve him o f its burden . Of course,
” he added,with a meaning glance,
“ i t i s unnecessary for me toexplain what I will do afterwards .”
This suggestion meeting with Andre s unqualifiedapproval
,Louvet hastened to the veranda , bear
ing a tray containing an iced sherbet in his hand, and,approach ing the group surrounding Robespierrre, remarked anx iously :
“ I have had experience in such cases. good Citizens,and I trust you wil l not consider my advice insolent.I have just made this cooling sherbet for CitizenRobespierre
,and I am sure it wil l greatly revive him .
”
The group immediately parted, to allow the cons iderate lackey to approach the s ick man, who waslying back in a state o f collapse, gasping for breath .
W ithout an instant’s hes itat ion, the lackey placed the
THE FATAL LIST. 1 8 7
invigorat ing drink to his l ips , and persuaded him tosip it . Then he burst out in the authoritative tones perm itted only to a nurse, or a physician :
“Why, m onsieur, can it be possible that you havenot removed your coat ? Come, Off with it at once, or
it will smother you l”
Slowly, suspiciously, the crafty tyrant rolled hisyellow eyes toward the lackey’s countenance, and re
marked in a voice,hal f-audible, yet resolute :
“My coat shall remain where it i s !”
Having pronounced this ultimatum,Robespierre
closed his eyelids , and relapsed into his former silence .
Jean Louvet retreated from his Side, with the consciousness of having sustained a humil iating de feat ;yet he had made certain o f one important thing beyondthe shadow Of a doubt . The tyrant had convinced him ,
by the tone and manner in which he had refused topart w ith h is coat , that the paper so necessary to thesuccess of his design
,was actually in one o f its pockets .
Although rebuffed in his first attempt , Louvet wasno t the k ind o f man to acknowledge himsel f hopelesslyvanqu ished . On returning to the banquet hal l , therefore, be devoted a cons iderable t ime to reflection . Re
t iring into a pantry,where he pretended to be busy in
prepar ing various articles of table service for thecourses that were yet to come, he mused in this w ise :
“André is undoubtedly right in his conj ecture thatRobespierre invariably carries that l ist of hi s upon hisperson ; otherwise , he certainly would have adopted mysuggestion , and removed his coat. He cl ings to it w ithsuch tenacity, that it puts me to my w it
’s end to dev ise
1 8 8 THE MAN W HO DARED.
a means of getting hold of it, even for one brief second .
I would require no longer time to accomplish my purpose .”
Of a sudden he started so violently, that the dish hethen held in h is hand fell crashing to the floor.For a novel idea had occurred to him .
“ I’ll fetch this sly fox when he returns , he muttered ; and walked qu ickly back into the banquet hall .Noticing that the faces o f al l the guests were flushed
with wine and heat,he quietly approached Barrere and
suggested“You may not be aware o f it
,m onsieur, but the heat
is becoming excess ive . I would advise you, therefore,to inv ite your guests to remove thei r coats .”
Recogniz ing the vo ice as that of Jean Lo uvet , M .
Barrere understood this hint to be a command, andacted upon it w ithout the least delay. Rising fromhis chair, he cried out cheerily :
“Come, citizens, Off with your coats ! The heat i s toointense to be burdened with them longer.”
And, setting the example, he removed h is own garment, and handed it to Jean Lo uvet to hang in an adj oining closet . Immediately every man at the table didl ikewise—al l but the fainting Robespierre
,who was
still recovering from his i llness in the open air.Having succeeded so far in his design
,Jean Louvet
went further, and , again drawing near his supposedmaster, bent down and whispered respect fully in hisear
“ I f Robesp ierre refuses to follow your example,twit
h im w ith being an aristocrat.”
TH E MAN W HO DARED .
Presented by himsel f, it might pass as a forgery,and be disregarded . In order that it should producethe result he desired , some one, whose name was uponit,must find it in the tyrant’s coat .So he looked the l ist over, and saw that the first name
written down was that of Representat ive Carnot, a manOf great courage and influence .
“The very man for my purpose , he reflected , as hethrust the paper quickly back in its hiding place . “Hei s fortunately present, and is approachable , even by alackey .
”
It was not long, however, before he discovered thatin this he was mistaken ; for, although Carnot was notthe kind of man to rebuff any person who approachedhim , stil l it was a difficult matter to Obtain from h im asecret hearing.
Indeed , M . Carnot was so w itty and agreeable thath is society was in constant request
,and
,whenever he
attended a social function, o f a publ ic , or private character, he was invariably surrounded by a host Of obse
quious adm irers .This occasion being no except ion to the rule, Lo uvetsoon real ized that he must make a desperate attempt toobtain an interview, or be de feated in the end , by seeingRobespierre depart from the villa with the list on whichso much depended in his possession . So, regardless Ofsocial Observances , he walked boldly down into thegarden , and approached M . Carnot and his friends w iththe utmost confidence .
“Citizen Carnot ,” he said , very gravely, perhaps you
are no t aware that I am a devoted friend of yours.
TH E FATAL LIST. 1 9 1
Indeed P” answered the Representative, with an
amused glance at the company.
“Yes,said the supposed lackey, more gravely than
before,I have come here to prove my fr iendship
beyond a doubt .”
“ In what way, may I ask ?
I f you w il l grant me a brief interview, I w il l tellyou .
And Louvet d irected such a compell ing glance uponM . Carnot, that the latter turned from his friends andimmediately accompanied him to a place where theycould converse unheard .
N o sooner had they reached this covert, than thelackey turned suddenly toward him and whispered inurgent , passionate tonesM . Carnot , I have j ust d iscovered that your l i fe
is in deadly peril, and have come here to warn you that,unless you act promptly , it will be too late .
”
Carnot turned upon him a look o f incredul ity.
“My l i fe threatened ? By whom P” he asked .
I have no time to exp a in , was Louvet’s earnest
answer ;“ for, i f I should be seen with you , it would
exc ite suspicion . I implore you , there fore , to l i sten towhat I say ! GO back to the house at once ; hasten tothe closet, where the guests
’ coats are hanging,and seek
out that of Robespierre . It hangs on the third hookfrom the right wall , and you cannot fail to recognizeit from its sky—blue color. In the inside pocket youw i ll find a l ist of those whom Robespierre has doomedto destruction . Your name heads it
At B arrete’sbachelo r dinner, writes Carlyle, Thedaybe
1 92 TH E MAN W H O'
D ARED .
Carnot waited to hear no more .In fact he walked toward the v illa SO rap idly, thatLouvet feared he would attract Observation . On en
tering the banquet hall h imsel f , shortly a fterward,he encountered the Representative coming from thecoat-closet with an expression of haggard terror uponh is white face .
“Was my warning not trueP” he whispered , quickly .
Oh,M o n D ieu ,
yes !” groaned the terrified man, ashe rushed wildly forth to seek his friends .
co m ing so h o t, it is said, the guests stript their co ats,whereupo n Carno t glided o ut gro ped inRobespierre
’
s po cket ;fo und a list o f fo rty, his own nam e am o ng them and tarriedno t at the wine cup that day.
! I t was the disco very o f this listwh ich resul ted in the m ysterio us, no cturnal co uncils, that precipitated the rapid onrush o fevents term inating inRobespierre
’s
downfall
1 94 TH E MAN W HO DARED.
What was he doingP”
He appeared to be look ing for someth ing, an
swered Louvet, at random .
Robespierre heaved a sigh of rel ief and his face
brightened .
“Well , bring me my coat, he sa id . It is time Ireturned to Paris .”
In the meantime, Carnot was hurrying , here andthere
,through the garden, holding brief , excited con
ferences w ith h is friends .To Tallien,
he sa id Our heads are in danger.
Meet me at my house at midnight.”
To Fréron z—“There will be a meeting at my house
at twelve to-night . I f you do not wish to perish miserably, attend it.
”
To Collot d’
H erbOis : Come to my residence atm idn ight . The tyrant i s meditating misch ief .”
To Barras '“The Republ ic i s threatened . I f you
would save yoursel f, do not fail to vis it me to-n ight attwelve .
”
To Bourdon , Thurio t , Leco intre and others —Instructions to the same effect .There was no returning to the wine cup that day.
Robespierre and his partisans having first takenl eave, h is opponents did not tarry long behind
‘them .
Jean Louvet , whose keen eyes were open to everyth ing, noticed the disturbance and hurry o f their departure, and rubbed his hands together, del ightedly .
Meet ing André the Barber in the hallway,when al l
was over, he whispered :“A pol it ical storm is brew ing . Now l isten to my
EVENTS CROWD AND JOSTIE . 1 95
directions : a secret meeting will undoubtedly be heldsomewhere to night . It will be a gathering Of Robespierre’s enemies . You must find out when and whereit w il l take place , and bring me word at the MaisonRousseau .
”
It was given out by the doorkeeper of M . Carno t’
s
residence that evening, that his master was i ll , andcould receive no vis itors . At an earl ier hour thanusual , the house was closed for the night , and everyw indow darkened .
Nevertheless , Shortly before midnight , a number ofmysterious vis itors began to arrive
,s ingly and on foot .
They entered the mansion through the basement door ;but not until a fter they had made a careful exam inat ion Of the street to assure themselves that they wereunobserved .
Shortly after twelve o’clock , these persons were al lgathered in M . Carno t
’
s l ibrary, on the second floor,anx iously awa iting the news they had come to hear .The ir host was pacing the room in evident agitation ,and the w ild glitter In his eyes fil led them w ith alarm .
Suddenly he strode excitedly to the fireplace , and,turning upo n his heel , broke out in trembling accents
“My friends , I made a startl ing discovery this day .
You remember that , at the conclusion of the dinner atB arrere
’
s , we all went forth into the garden fo r thea ir. Wh i le there , I was approached by one of the servants, who told me that my l i fe was threatened , and
1 96 TH E MAN W H O D ARED .
that,if I would save myself, I must Obey h is
d irections .M . Carnot paused a moment , to gain better control
of his trembling voice , and then proceeded :“You may recollect that we had all stripped Off ourcoats
,on account of the heat, and that they had been
hung in a closet adj oin ing the banquet hall . Well ,th is honest servant directed me to go back into thehouse instantly, enter this closet , and search in theinside pocket of Robesp ierre’s coat for a document thatwould enl ighten me as to his meaning. I did so , andfound the paper he re ferred to . On Opening it, I sawthat it contained a l i st of names , in Robespierre
’s handwriting
,with th is head ing inscribed above :
‘Traitors whose H eads the Republic Requires .
’
You can imagine my consternation , friends , whenI saw that the first name on the l ist was my own .
There were about forty other names , as near as I couldj udge ; but I had no t ime to read them all . I managed ,however, to make out a few Of them
,and then , fearing
discovery , I thrust the paper back into Robespierre’s
pocket, and hurried forth into the garden .
The fright and amazement produced by this revelation were indescribable . The faces of all becameghastly, and a tremor passed through every frame .Finally Tallienventured to inqu ire , in tones of dread :
“Was my name on the l ist , Carnot P”
It was .”
And mineP” asked Fréron.
Carnot bowed h is head gravely in assent .At this , there arose a chorus of terrified inqu iries
1 98 THE MAN W HO DARED.
Jean Louvet had returned from the dinner at Cl ichy,
and was sitting with Dr . Narbonne in the latter’s studyin the Maison Rousseau , when a Sharp knock soundedon the door.
“That must be André returned from his errand ,he muttered
,as he arose to adm it the late vis itor.
In th is surmise,however, he was m istaken , for
Francois the Idler entered .
“Ah,so it i s you
,FrancoisP” sa id Louvet, motion ing
the young man to a seat .“Yes
,Chie f
,
” was the response . I have come hereto bring you bad news .”
“Well,what i s it P”
In the first place, returned Francois,gloomily
,
it grieves me to in form you that a friend o f yours isin the gravest peril . As I was passing by the Conciergerie Prison , thi s evening, I saw three tumbril sdrive up to the door, loaded with prisoners whom theRevolutionary Tribunal had condemned to the guillotine to-morrow .
”
“Presently the prisoners came forth from the carts
,
and I recognized among them M . Vauban .
”
Louvet uttered an exclamation o f despair.“ Is it possible that Robespierre’s vengeance i s soswi ft P” he cried .
“Secondly,” went on Francois
,without noticing the
interruption , I happened to stroll into the JacobinClub on my way hither, and , while loitering there , ingossip with several of the members
,Robespierre rushed
suddenly into the hal l . Pale and quivering with excite
EVENTS CROW D AND JOSTLE. 1 99
ment,he mounted into the tribune, and delivered a
fiery speech to his admiring associates .“He in form ed them that the t ime had arrived toclear the National Convention of all traitors , and sa id.
’
further, that it was h is intention to reappear among theRepresentat ives on the e ighth Of Therm idor, to denounce these traitors and demand their accusation .
“Merci ful God !” excla imed Louvet. “Why thee ighth o f Thermidor is to—morrow .
”
While these words were st il l qu ivering upon hislips , another knock resounded on the door .
“Can this mean more bad newsP” he sa id, hurry ingforward to open it .Simon the Jailer entered .
It was unnecessary for him to expla in that he wasthe bearer o f evil tidings ; for everv l ineament of hishonest face expressed it. Seeing th is at a glance, JeanLouvet cried out, anxiously
“Don’t keep me in suspense ; but del iver your message at once .”
Simon advanced a few steps, and then stopped . motionless and mute ; yet there was someth ing in the loo khe gave his Chie f which caused the latter to tremble.
“Why are you silent P” he asked , in agonized tones.For mercy’s sake, speak , man ! Speak !
”
Thus urgently appealed to,S imon shook h is head
sorrow fully, and repl ied, in a voice barely above awhisper
“Oh , my dear Chie f ! It is indeed a woeful tale Ibring you ,
”—then, paus ing for a moment as i f tocol lect h is courage
200 THE MAN W HO DARED .
Madam o iselle Vauban has been arrested ! he ex
claimed,despairingly.
The groan that escaped Jean Louvet was terrible tohear. For a moment he staggered , and seemed aboutto faint . Then , by a supreme effort of the wil l , hesummoned all his facult ies to h is a id , and asked, withforced composure
“D O you know the prison in wh ich she i s confined P”
She i s in the Luxembourg,” answered Simon,
“ andunder my charge, thank God !
“Then we need not despa ir for her yet, said Louvet ,grimly.
With the imperious look of a man, who is determined to conquer al l Obstacles , he walked firmly to hischair
,and sat down . Then , burying his face in hi s
hands , he began to reflect deeply ; Observ ing which ,Simon and Francois w ithdrew into an adjoin ing apartment, while D r. Narbonne took a book from the table,sat down in an armchair, and pretended to be profoundly interested in its contents .Thus an hour passed by .
At its exp irat ion, a third knock broke the s il ence .“That must be André at last,
” said Louvet, wearily.
Th is proved to be true .“Well P” he said, half-hopelessly, as André drew nearto report to h im ; for he was fully prepared to hearthat h is agent had fa i led in h is m ission .
“ I have hastened here to inform you,Ch ief
,that I
have followed your directions ,” answered André
,
“andthat I have succeeded in d iscovering the meeting placeo f Robesp ierre’s enem ies .
CHAPTER XXII.
TH E GAME GROW S EX CITING.
BEFORE M . Carnot and his friends could recoverfrom their surprise at his sudden appearance
,the
stranger, notic ing the fright depicted on their faces ,advanced boldly into the room, and said , reassuringly '
“D O not be alarmed , for I am a friend . Indeed, I
have a right to participate in your deliberations,as my
peril i s ful ly equal to your own .
”
“Don’t yOu think, m onsieur, it i s rather presum ptu
ous for you to intrude where you are not wanted ?”
asked Carnot, coldly.
The stranger turned to him with an amused smile .“ It certainly would be, Citizen Carnot,
” he repl ied ,with seeming effrontery
,
“were it really true that mypresence here is an intrusion . On the contrary, I wouldcertainly have been requested to attend this meeting,had you known that I was in Paris
,and where to find
m e.
”
He waited a moment to enjoy the surprise this remark produced in his hearers
,and then exclaimed
suddenlyLook this way
,my friends , and behold who I am !
And,drawing a handkerchie f from his pocket , he
rubbed the paint from his face, and revealed the hand
[202]
THE GAME GROWS EXCITING. 203
some and resolute countenance o f their fellow Representative, Jean Louvet .Exclamations of astonishment were heard on al ls ides . M . Carnot sprang up and accorded him a heartywelcome ; while the others , following his example,pressed forward to embrace him , each in turn .
“Why, I thought you had fled from Paris !” exclaimed Tallien.
“And I , that you had committed suicide, saidFréron.
“For my part , put in Barras , I never bel ieved thatyou would either run away
,or kill yoursel f ; for you are
much too brave to resort to either measure .
After thanking them for their expressions o f interest, Louvet asked suddenly
“Have you decided upon anything P”
We were discussing a certain l ist that I found inRobespierre’s pocket ,
” explained Carnot , inviting himto a seat beside him on a sofa . It contains the names
OfRepresentatives whom the tyrant has selected for thegu il lot ine . But
,as you must be ignorant o f its exist
ence, I w il l relate my adventure for your benefit .”
“That wil l be unnecessary, for I know all about the
But that seems scarcely credible .Nevertheless, I was the man who told you where.
to find it ,” answered Jean .
“To be expl icit, I was atB arrere
’
s dinner in the character Of a lackey . SO yousee I know as much as any citizen here . There fore, Iask again what have you decided to do ?
204 THE MAN W HO DARED .
The Representatives looked at one another per
plexedly, and remained silent .“ I see how matters stand,
” said Louvet, as he drewforth
’
his watch .
“You have come to no decision atall
,notwithstanding that you have been del iberating
for an hour. It i s now past one O’clock, and the time
at your disposal i s very l im ited .
”
Then,suddenly changing his tone, he continued,
w ith a countenance i llumined with ardor“My friends
,there i s but one course to pursue . You
must act boldly and at once. The least delay will provefatal ; for Robespierre is abo ut to destroy you . I f youhad been at the Jacobin Club, this evening, you wouldhave known how imminent is your peril . Shall I tel lyou what happened in that den of assassins ? Robespierre entered the hall , and strode boldly to the tribune .He mounted it with a smile on his cra fty face, and addressed his associates with his usual confidence. Heinformed them that it was h is intention to reappear inthe Convention to-morrow morning ; denounce h isenemies as traitors to the Republ ic
,and demand their
accusation and execution . Knowing this,would not
further hesitat ion on our part be a crime P”
He paused a moment to cast a flashing glance overthe eager faces around him , and then resumed, in tonesof passionate eloquence :
“Shall we allow th is v i le tyrant to destroy us ?
Shall we perm it him to become the absolute dictator ofthe Republic ? Or shall we rise up
,and assert our
manhood, by denouncing him to the enti re nation , andaccus ing him publicly of h is crimes ? You may say
206 THE MAN W HO DARED.
I had only time to read my own name ; Tallien’
s,
Fréron’
s, Bourdon’s and those of Barras and Collet
d’
H erbOis.
“Excellent !” exclaimed Louvet, with a sm ile ind ic
ative of pleasure . “That leaves about thirty- fourdoubt ful names—a sufficient number to strike terrorinto the hearts o f at least a hundred Representatives ,and bring them over to our side .”
He spread a sheet of paper before him on the table,picked up a pen , and continued :
“Now let us make a l ist of names of Representatives
who are likely to support us . H ow many members canyou count up
'
on , Citizen Carnot P”
“Besides those present, not more than six .
Their names,please P”
Carnot gave them . Jean now turned to Tallien.
“And how many supporters have you , my friend P”
“ I think I can rely upon ten,or twelve .”
And Tallien repeated their names slowly, as Louvetwrote them down upon the paper.He asked the same quest ions of al l the others present ,
and then , announcing that there were over one hundrednames in all
,i ssued the follow ing comm and
“ I shall rely upon you , c itizens , to notify your supporters Of their peril be fore dayl ight . They must eachand every one be informed of Robesp ierre’s l ist Of thedoomed
,and Of the probabil ity that their names are
included in the number. The uncerta inty w il l be moreeffectual in arousing them to act ion , than even the mostpos itive knowledge . They must al l be made to prom isethat they w il l support you in the Convention tomorrow
THE GAME GROWS EXCITING. 207
in denounc ing, and accusing Robespierre , as a despot .Thus a new and formidable party will spring up , l ike amushroom
,over night
,and the tyrant will be thunder
struck,and
,perhaps , overthrown .
”
Expressions o f approbation were heard on all s ides ,and Tallien suggestedAS our new pol itical party has Sprung into be ing
in the month of Thermidor , let us Christen ourselvesand fol lowers the ‘Thermidorians .’
This proposition m eeting'
swith the approval of all ,the new party was from that time so entitled .
“And now,my fr iends
,
” said Louvet,arising from
the table,
“permit me to resign the direction o f youraffairs into other hands . I have Shown you how toact, and can do nothing further to assist you , exceptingto advise you to disperse immediately, and communicate with your friends . Remember that, in this affair ,promptness is of the utmost importance . I f you followout my directions
,and act with daring in the Conven
t ion to-morrow , you may possibly save your heads ;otherwise you wil l lose them to a certainty . Farewell ,my friends ! I must be going ; for I have other workto do .
”
“Do you mean to desert us , Louvet P” asked Bour
don , in alarm .
“On the contrary , I intend to place mysel f com
pletely at your mercy .
“What do you mean P” asked Carnot .Jean Lo uvet drew himsel f up to his full height, andcast a maj estic look upon his questioner.
“That I have such confidence in the fidel ity and
208 THE MAN W HO D ARED .
courage of my friends , he answered , loft ily, that Iam going to the Conciergerie to del iver mysel f up asa pol itical outlaw, and calmly awa it rescue at yourhands .With these words, he waved a final farewel l to the
company, and , heedless of the ir protestat ions, w ithdrewfrom the meet ing.
strange softness in hi s voice. I am going away presently, and , perhaps , it may be forever.
”
Forever P” cried the Doctor in tones of alarm .
What do you mean ? Where are you going ?”
“To the Conciergerie to surrender mysel f to thej ailer.”
“By al l that is sacred !” exclaimed D r . Narbonne,turning suddenly pale . What prompts you to suchan act o f madness P”
“A firm resolution to either save my friend Vauban,
or peri sh with him .
”
“Oh, my beloved master !The Doctor could say no more , for his vo ice was
choked with sobs . Louvet embraced him tenderly , andwhispered words of encouragement in his ear . Then ,r is ing to his feet , he again inquired for h is agents.
“They are resting in the adjoining chamber,” sa id
the Doctor ; adding, Shall I call them P”
“No ,
” answered Lo uvet . “ I can do that mysel f.And , going over to the door communicating withthe room re ferred to
,he opened it so ftly and entered .
Francois, Simon and André were recl ining in threearmchairs , sleeping in thei r clothes . It was evidentthat they were greatly fatigued with the onerous workthey had recently performed , for their slumber washeavy.
“Poor comrades !” muttered Louvet , regarding them
with deep affect ion ,“ It pains me to awaken you ; but
it cannot be avoided . God alone knows when you cansleep again !”
Advancing qu icklyacro ss theroom , he aroused them
AMONG TH E CONDEMNED . 1 1
each in turn ; and , when they were sufficiently awake tocomprehend his words
,in formed them of his intentions .
All three protested vigorously against h is going to theConciergerie but they spent their breath in vain ; forhe gave them plainly to understand that his determina
tion was irrevocable, and that no argument could persuade him to change it .
“And now that you know my m ind on that po int ,he added
,
“please l isten to my final instructions : Yo u ,
Francois,have this m iss ion to perform : As soon as
Paris i s awake, go to Jacques the Blacksmith , and endeavo r to gain his support to our cause .
’
Argue w ithhim in this fashion : No true friend Of the Republ ic candenv that the N at ional Convention represents thepeople for its members were all elected by the people’svotes . He will
,undoubtedly
,agree to this . Then in
form him that his beloved Robespierre intends toparalyze the Convent ion , by sending a large numberOf its members to the guillotine . If he denies this , askhim to v is it the Convent ion Hall to-day, and listen toRobespierre’s speech .
“ Insist that Robesp ierre is ambitious , and is planning to override the people through their Representatives in the Convention , and establ ish himself as thesupreme dictator of France . He bel ieves you to be atrue patriot, and will , undoubtedly, be influenced bywhat you say . AS he is a power in the Faubourg St .Antoine , he wil l prove a friend worth having.
He next turned to S imon the Jailer .“My d irections to you, comrade, will be very brief,
he said.“
I merely requ ire you to inform Made
2 1 2 THE MAN W HO D ARED .
m o iselle Vauban that I have done my best to save herfather . Tell her that I am stil l working in his behalf,and that I know Of her incarceration in the Luxembourg. Assure her that I am not without hope ofsuccess ; but, if failure should be the result o f myplans
,I will perish with those whom I have struggled
to rescue .
”
To André the Barber he gave these directions“Your acquaintance w ith Robespierre and his friendswil l doubtless enable you to gain much valuable in
formation concern ing their intentions . I f you learnanything of importance , carry the news immediatelyto M . Tallien, for he is the shrewdest and most daring of all Robespierre’s enemies . And now,
” he added,w ith an express ion Of infinite rel ie f,
“disguise i s nolonger necessary. I w il l change suits with you , Francois , and, in my own character, as a Representat ive ofthe people , go forth to challenge fate.
”
It requ ired but a few minutes to effect the trans ferof raiment that converted th is man of mystery intoRepresentat ive Jean Louvet . At the conclusion of thetransformation , he embraced h is comrades , and leftthe Maison Rousseau , perhaps , forever .On reach ing the Conciergerie, between the hours ofs ix and seven , he requested an interview with the chiefj ailer, and was shown into a small office to awa it thegreat man’s convenience .In order that the time m ight pass l ess drearily
,he
amused h imself by studying the l ittle room . But onewindow lighted it, a long bench extended along the
wall behind him ,and a h igh desk against
'
the wall
2 14 TH E MAN W HO DARED.
ing me h ither for safe keeping. A fterward, I haveonly to corroborate your statement, and you re
ceive the Convention’s reward .
”
“And what does that amount to ?
Some five thousand francs , I believe .During this colloquy, the two sickly clerks pausedin their work to l isten . At its conclusion, the j ailerturned upon them gruffly, and sneered
“Oh,never fear
,m es enfants ! you
’ll get your hushmoney .
”
Then,beckoning Louvet to follow, he led the way
into the prison .
That part Of the Conciergerie into wh ich Louvetwas thrust cons isted of a long hall
,or corridor
,flanked
on both s ides by rows of cells . At the time of hisarrival , the prisoners had just finished breakfast, andwere enjoying the hour of exercise allowed them bythe regulat ions .When he had seen the cel l he was to occupy, hewas permitted to mingle with the unhappy beings ,until the time for locking them in their narrow chambers should arrive .He computed that there were about seventy-five
persons in the corridor, Of al l ages and conditions of
l ife . Some were sitting on board benches ; somewere pacing to and fro , their heads bowed and theireyes fixed despairingly upon the ground ; others stoodin groups , convers ing gravely in awed undertones ;while a few, too weak to control the agony Of theirsouls , were weeping and wa il ing lamentably .
Searching eagerly among these poor doomedcreatures, Jean Lo uvet finally d iscovered h is friend,
AMONG THE CONDEMNED . 2 1 5
Vauban , sitting on a bench with a l ittle g irl upon hisknee . He Was speak ing to her in a gentle tone Of
voice , and with a radiant smile upon h is face, thatrendered its expression a lmost angelic .On seeing Louvet approaching, a cloud passed over
his brow, and his voice trembled , asbe greeted him .
“SO you also have been condemned, Citizen Lou
vet ? Bel ieve me, I am deeply grieved to see you here .!
Louvet sat down by his S ide, and began speaking inrapid undertones .
“Yes , I am here ; but I am not condemned as yet. Ihave come, M . Vauban , to save you , if I can , or elseto perish with you . Ask no questions ; but l isten at
tentively to what I say. A tempest will b reak out inthe Convention th is morning, which may result in theoverthrow Of Robespierre . In that case we may besaved yet, if we can ga in but a day
’s t ime . Are youto be sent to the guillotine to—day P”
M . Vauban bowed h is head in assent.“At what hour ?The tumbri ls leave here at two th is afternoon .
A despairing groan issued from Louvet’s l ips .“Alas !” he cried w i ldly,
“what can I do to saveyou ?”
“D O not concern yourself on my account
,my good
friend ,” returned Vauban , cheerfully,
“ I assure you,
I am perfectly resigned to my fate .“Ah , but Mademoisel le Lo uise, your daughter, said
Jean in tones o f anguish ;“ she is not resigned .
”
M . V auban’
s l ips trembled, and’
great tears courseddown his cheeks .
THE MAN W HO DARED.
Oh , why do you remind me of her P” he moaned.
Because I wish to inspire you with resolut ion tosave yourself for her sake, repl ied Louvet.
“ Is such a thing possible P”
If I can delay your departure for the gu il lotineunti l tomorrow—Yes was the resolute answer .
B ut how about your own caseP” asked M . Vauban .
I shal l not be sent to the gu il lotine today,as I
have not yet been sentenced .
”
“ I understand ,” said Vauban , reflectively. You
mean that you have not yet appeared before the Revo lutio nary Tribunal to be submitted to the parody ofa trial
,as I was yesterday. Why, the wretches con
dem ned me w ithout regard to evidence. It was monstrous ! FiendishAt that instant two ja ilers entered the corridor toannounce that the hour for exerc ise had expired . Theprisoners returned to their cel ls , and the two friendswere compelled to part . As Vauban was embracingJean Louvet, perhaps , for the last time, he whisperedanxiously :
“Oh , i f we could contrive to save this ch ild, myfriend !”
They were al l three standing at the time,and the
l ittl e girl was clinging to M . V auban’
s coat-tai ls,as if
appealing to h im for protect ion .
“Can you manage to conceal her in your cell P” Jeanwhispered , eagerly.
“Perhaps .”
Then I’l l do my best to save you both .
And, with th is parting promise. they separated.
2 1 8 TH E MAN W HO DARED.
jailer’s comrade,were probably locked also . The
doors on his Side he was unable to see . He knew thatM . Vauban occupied the third cel l to the right, andreasoned that it would not be very d ifficult to reachit
,if he should select a time when the jai lers were not
looking his way . SO he kept his eye constantly gluedto the crack to watch for such an opportunity .
While he was thus occupied, they left their pos ition ;and , sti l l continuing their conversation , slowly ap
pro ached him . As they drew near, he observed thatboth were intoxicated . N earer and nearer they came,until they were almost Opposite his cel l , when theypaused in their walk to argue
,after the fashion of
drunkards .“Be as stubborn as you l ike , sa id the jailer, whohad Charge of the cells Opposite ;
“but I insist thatevery mother’s son of them will be sent to the guillot ine to-day.
”
To this Lo uvet’s jailer repl ied,in a voice th ick from
drink“ It
’
s not me that’s stubborn,my man
,but you .
D ’
ye mean to tel l me that there’s tumbril s enough tocart Off so many P”
“They’l l cart Off what they can,and come back for
the rest,” was the obstinate reply.
“Something never heard of s ince I’ve been in chargehere . So you may believe me
,when I tell you that
some heads wil l be spared til l to-morrow.
”
“But who’s to decide which shall stay behindP”
How stup id you are !” exclaimed Louvet’s jail er,
CHAL! MAR ! S THAT D ISAPPEARED .
in tones of contempt. Why, how do they decide inthe other prisons P”
“ I confess I don’t know . Can you tell me ?TO be sure I can , you blockhead . The chief j ailer
decides,who shall go, and who shal l remain , and
makes out a l ist of the former. Then he takes apeep at the jai l register ; finds out the numbers Of
the cel ls they occupy ; writes them down oppos itethe ir names ; and hands the list to an understrappersay you , or me, for instance . With this l ist in h ishand , the understrapper goes from door to door, witha p iece of chalk.
“Say the first number on h is l is t is five,for instance .
He knows that the name fol lowing it i s that of a priso ner condemned to d ie . SO he marks a cross on thedoor with h is chalk , and passes on to the next numberon the l ist . He makes a cross on this door also, andthen passes on to the next
,and next
,until he has
chalked every cel l whose number is on the l ist.“And what happens afterP”
Why, he goes about his business , and meddles nom o re in the matter. But
,along in the afternoon , the
tumbr i ls come rumbl ing up,and then a second ja il er
comes round , and exam ines each door for the chalkmark . Where he finds one , the inmate of that cel lmust go Off with h im ; the others he leaves alone .
”
While l istening to th is dialogue,Jean Louvet’s
heart beat h igh w ith hope ; for, if the jailer Spoke thetruth , there was a chance yet fo i’M . Vauban . It waspossibl e that he might be among those reserved forexecution on the morrow, and thus an entire day
220 TH E MAN W H O DARED.
would be gained . In the meantime, the coup d’
etat
he had planned might possibly succeed,and Robes
pierre’s enemies be released from the prisons .Indeed
,if such a fortunate event should happen , he
knew that he himsel f would be among the firstrescued ; for he had informed the Thermidorianswhither he was going.
But would the co up d’
etat succeed ? Would Robespierre’s downfall be accomplished ? Or, even if thesethings came to pass
,would M . Vauban be spared
until the morrow ?
These questions fi l led him with the gravest anx iety .
Creep ing back into his cel l , he Sat down on theedge Of his cot ; and , burying his face in his hands ,gave way to gloomy forebodings .He had entered on th is game Of pol itics for the sakeof the woman he loved . H e had played daringly,desperately , against the most tremendous Odds . Yet ,notw ithstanding the political storm he had succeededin rais ing against Robespierre, the possibility of hiswinning appeared inconceivable .As the game stood at present , the chances were de
cidedly against h im . To win , he must first o f all,
save M . Vauban ; yet Vauban was on the road todeath . Again , he must destroy the tyrant , Robesp ierre ; yet he doubted the abi lity of the Conventionto do so .
Lastly—and th is thought was the most terribl ethe lovely woman , for Whose sake he was staking hisal l
,was at that moment in prison , with the apparition
Of the gu il lotine overshadowing her.
222 TH E MAN W H O D ARED .
figure on this cursed l is t . There’s a mist before my
eyes , and they all run , helter—skelter, together.”
“What is the nature of the l is t ?” asked Jean , withassumed indifference .
“ It’s the names of the poor devil s that must go toSt Guillotine this afternoon .
”
Are you putting chalk marks on the doors of their
cel ls P!
Yes,I mark ’em w ith a cross , mumbled the jailer .
While this short colloquy was taking place , Louvetlooked over the jailer ’s shoulder upon the Sl ip ofpaper that trembled in his grasp . All at once hi s facebecame deathly pale, and a convuls ive gasp escapedhim . The besotted jai ler raised his glassy eyes to h isface
,and inquired :
“Why, what ail s you , manP”
Oh , nothing serious ,” replied Louvet , recovering
h imself with an effort . A sudden faintness passedover me
,but I feel better now.
”
“Humph !” and the jailer renewed his examinationof the paper.But what had wrung that agonized gasp from hisprisoner ?
It was th is : While examin ing the list,over the
ja iler’s shoulder, his eyes had suddenly detected thename of M . Vauban , and the number o f the cell heoccupied . The horror, that th is discovery aroused inhim , magnified h is vision , so that h is friend
’s nameseemed to cover the entire sheet of paper :
CHAL! MAR ! S THAT D ISAPPEARED . 223
CELL NO . 5 2—REPRESENTATIVE
ALPHONSE VAUBAN .
”
But , while i t magnified h is vision , it , at the sametime, clarified his intel lect . Supreme emergenciesOften produce this effect on energetic minds .M . V auban
’
s cel l was , as we already know, butthree doors to the right of Louvet’s . At any instant,the eyes o f the drunkard might clear, and the writingbecome decipherable to his sight . Then , with a fewshort s teps , and two strokes of the chalk , he wouldconsign M . Vauban to the guillotine .What was to be done ?There are
.
times in every man’s l ife when the reasonacts with the rapidity Of l ightning. Within the compass of a few seconds , a thousand thoughts aridproj ects flash in succession before the tribunal Of thejudgment , and are rej ected, or accepted , with marvelo us intu ition .
Presently the ' man acts , and the world exclaims ,He did the right thing on the spur of the moment ,
”
because the quick logic that prompted h is performanceis inconce ivable .Th is happened in the case of Jean Louvet . The
im m inent peril that threatened his friend promptedhim to a wondrous activity of thought ; and, beforetwo seconds had passed by, he had decided upon acourse to pursue .
“My good citizen, he said to the j ailer. I don’twonder that you cannot read the writing ; it is so
dark here that even the sharpes t eyes would be severely
224 THE MAN W HO DARED.
tested . Why don’t you go over to that w indow,
where it is l ighter P”“You’re right ,
” returned the other,w ith a maudl in
shake of the head .
“Why blarst my eyes ! youradv ice i s so s imple, I must be a blamed idiot not tohave thought Of it before .”
W ith these words , he staggered toward the end ofthe corridor, and . holding the paper close to h is eyes .was presently absorbed in its contemplat ion .
While he was so engaged, Jean Louvet. tiptoedstealthily to Vauban’
s cell , and threw the door wideOpen . As it turned outward on its h inges . this maneuvre le ft its inside sur face exposed . Fortunatelythe cell doors in the Conciergerie were numbered onboth sides ; nevertheless , the dark interior OfV auban
’
s
chamber was vis ible , rendering the success of Louvet’s
stratagem very doubtful .“What !” exclaimed M . Vauban . Have the tum
brils arr ived so early ?“Hush !” whisp ered Louvet, thrusting his headthrough the open door. “
No t a sound , or you are
lost !”
Then he stole back to his former position . Scarcelyhad he reached it , when he heard the jai ler
’s voice
crv out , triumphantly“Hurrah for the blessed dayl ight ! I’m able to readthe writing at last .And he came staggering up the corr idor
,muttering
—“Cell No . 5 2—5 2—52
”—as if to impress the figuresupon h is memory.
Presently he arrived before the door ofM. V auban’
s
CHAL ! MAR ! S THAT D ISAPPEARED. 225
cell , and was amazed to find it Open . He was aboutto close i t, when Louvet la id a detaining hand uponhis arm .
“Put the cross on it first, my friend , he sa id , per
suas ively,“or you may get yoursel f in
The drunken jailer loked up into his face , w ith bewi lderment in h is bleared eyes , and , seeing there anexpression of apparent sol ic itude on h is behal f, markeda cross upon the door, and slammed it to . Fearfullest he might d iscover, drunk as he was, that his chalkm arks were no longer v is ible, Louvet hurr ied him onto the cell of his next victim . After he had gone therounds of the prison , the young man remarked :
“Don’t you think i t would be well to lock the doorsunder your charge ? It is apparent that you have forgotten to do so .
”
The jailer cast upon h im a look of maudlin gratitude.“Why, what a famous good fellow you are ! heexcla imed .
“Blast me , i f it a in’t a shame to send such
a man to the gu il lotine !”
N evertheless , a fter repeat ing the rounds Of the
prison, and lock ing the doors he had formerly neglectedto secure , he seized th is
“ famous good fellow” by thearm , and hurried h im awav to the carriage that wasin waiting to convey h im to the RevolutionaryTribunal .
Thom as Paine, the autho r o f the Rights o fMan, was a
m em ber o f the National C onvention o f the French Republicduring the French Revo lution. He was arrested and im pris
o ned in the Luxem bo urg, where he escaped death upon the
guillo tine in the exact m anner described above.
CHAPTER XXV
TH E SOUND ING BOARD CEASES TO RESPOND .
WH ILE on his way to trial , Jean Louvet was com
pelled to pass by the hall Of the National Convention .
Crowds of people , vainly seeking admittance, weresurging round the doors , apparently deaf to the assurances of the gendarmes on duty that the gallerieswere alreadv overcrowded .
Louvet’s eyes sparkled, as he gazed upon the bu i lding for he knew that a tremendous battle was ragingw ithin its walls , upon the result of which the fate OfFrance depended . He stra ined his ears eagerly tocatch the sounds o f a tumult ; but heard nothing indicative of confus ion .
Several times , however , when the clamor of thecrowd abated , he heard a voice , as harsh as a screechowl
’
s , protesting querulously to the assembled Representatives .
“ It is Robesp ierre’s ,” he muttered, anxiously ; and
passed on to appear before his j udges .He was right .Among the first to enter the Convent ion Hall
,on
that memorable morning , was the tyrant , with a throngof his Jacobin friends at his heels . H i s part isans
,
forewarned , already packed the galleries, and he
[226]
THE MAN W HO DARED.
Judge whether his enemies l istened with interestIn accents unmelodious and grating, he sounded
the note of warning. He laid stress on the degeneratecondition Of the republ ican spiri t among his confreres .He accused the Moderates of corruption , and assertedthat the Committees were infected . There Was backsl iding on thi s hand , and on that . AS for himself, hedeclared , he was ready to die at a moment
’
s warning,should the Republic requ ire his l ife . But h is patr iotism and honesty were wel l known .
Finally , with an outburst of passionate eloquence ,he demanded the death of all traitors . It was for theirpunishment that the gu i l lotine had been establ ished ,and to the guillotine i t was just that they should go .
He poured forth a per fect torrent o f denunciations ,glancing significantly at his enemies in turn . and concluded by calling upon all honest Representatives torally round him , and weed out the tra itors from theirm idst .When he had fin ished , he cast an expectant glance
about, await ing the applause which had h itherto beenaccorded to his speeches . For the terrorized Conventio n had heretofore responded , l ike a soundingboard , to every utt erance that left h is lips .This time , however , the sounding board was S ilent .For a moment a stillness as of death reigned . Thena few Of his Jacob in friends raised a faint cheer ofapprobation , which was continued by h is partisans inthe galleries .Robespierre descended from the tribune , l ivid withanger and d ismay ; and , return ing to his s eat , glared
TH E SOUND ING BOARD CEASES TO RESPOND . 229
defiance at his opponents . At this juncture, Representative Leco intre, fearing the tyrant
’s vengeance,rose ins idiously in his place
,and moved that Robes
pierre’s speech should be printed , and sent to the de
partm ents, in accordance with establ ished usage .What could poor Thurio t do but put thi s motion to
a vote ?
Alas , for the cowardice Of human nature ! Confronted with this unexpected di lemma , the Therm idorians were seized with panic ; and, j o ining their voicesto the acclamations of Robespierre’s friends, voted forthe printing of the speech .
This indorsement of the tyrant’s pol icy would havesealed the fate of his enemies, then and there , had therenot been among them one brave man to stem the tideof battle . Real izing that he was irrevocably doomed ,and that consequently nothing could be lost by aviolent self-defense, Representat ive Cambon sprang toh is feet , Shouting in tones that shook the hal l :
“One s ingle man paralyzes the Convent ion , and thatman is Robespierre .
Inspired by Cambon’s audac ity, the ThermidoriansShook Off their terror. In rapid succession , theirleaders sprang up and assai led the amazed tyrant withmore and more vigorous blows .A tumult fi l led the hall .Aware that the charm Of his invincibility was gone,Robespierre cast frightened looks around ; andwith the political sagacity that characterized him
,saw
in an instant the peril o f h is position . It was not ,however, unt i l a second vote on h is fatal speech had
TH E MAN W H O D ARED .
been taken,and the resolution to print it resc inded
by a large majority,that he fully comprehended the
strength of the new party which had sprung up overnight to Oppose him .
Mute with alarm,he immediately le ft the Convem
t ion,and hastened to his friends in the Club o f Ja
cobins . There,he called a meeting of its most in
fluential members, and read to them the speech whichthe Convention had repudiated . At its conclusion heraised h is hand impressively, and del ivered these 5 01em n words :
“Brothers,you have heard my last will and testa
ment . I have seen to-day that the league of villainsis so strong, that I cannot hope to escape them . Iy ield without a murmur ! I leave to you my memory ;it will be dear to you
,and you will defend it.”
Then he fell back fainting with exhaustion .
Immediately , the building resounded with thundersof applause, and vows of sanguinary vengeance . Manywere affected even to tears
,and, crowding round the ir
leader, conjured h im ,with the most urgent entreaties
,
to arouse the people to insurrection . Henriot, theCommander of the National Guards , declared hisreadiness t o march h is troops against the Convention .
These evidences of support roused fresh courage inthe trembling tyrant . Knowing that death was theinevitable doom of the defeated party in the pol iticalbattle then raging, he was persuaded to accept Henriot’s offer, saying
“Well, then , let us separate the w icked from the
232 THE MAN W HO DARED.
lieved in his abilitv to triumph in the Conventionthe following day .
Francois the Idler, as has been said, was a witnessof these dramat ic scenes
,and , fully conscious of their
ominous s ignificance , hurried o ff to warn the Therm idorians of their peril .
CHAPTER XXVI .
LOST BEYOND H OPE.
JEAN LOUV ET’
s trial before the Revolut ionaryTribunal was a mockery from beginning to end . Heknew that it would be so
,and went through it with
scornful indifference .He made no efforts at defense , merely replying to
the questions asked him . Within ten minutes fromthe open ing of his case
,he was adjudged guilty of
tr eason, and sentenced to the gu illotine .On his return to the Conciergerie, he was rece ivedby his jai ler, who d isplayed a friendly interest in hisfate .
“ I know what your return here means , he said ,with a h iccough
,
“and I’m sorry that your trial turnedout so . You did me a good turn th is morning, andI’l l not forget it . Those unlocked cells might havecost me my job . So , if I can do anything to make youcomfortable while you stop here , why just let meknow.
”
“Thank you , returned Louvet . If you are reallydesirous of serving me, I can suggest a way . Eventsof the greatest importance to the Republic are takingplace in Paris, and I am anx ious to know what is
{2331
234 THE MAN W HO DARED.
going on . If you will find out,from time to time,
and bring me word,I will repay you amply .
”
The jai ler agr eed to this readily .
“Do you know,citizen ,
” he added , as he conductedLouvet to his cell
,
“ that a very strange thing happenedduring your absence ?”
“ Indeed P”
Yes,the strangest thing that was ever heard of ;
but perhaps you can explain it. You remember whattrouble I had to read the l ist of the condemned thismorning
,and how the cell numbers al l ran together
on the paper ? Well , at your advice , I went over tothe window
,where the light was better
,and made out
that the next cell I was to put a cross on was No .
“Yes,
” answered Louvet,trembling with apprehen
s ion,
“and I saw you mark the doo r of that cel l withmy own eyes .”
Of course you did !” excla imed the j ailer, andyou saw me close th e door as well . You also helpedme lock every door under my care
,I ’l l swear to that !”
Louvet’s heart sickened with dread .
“Go on l” he muttered faintly .
Well,according to my list
,the prisoner in No . 52
was Representative Alphonse Vauban . So you canunderstand my surprise
,when I tell you what hap
pened . While you were away to be tried , the tumbri l sarrived to cart o ff the condemned to the guillot ine.The chief jailer visited the cells himsel f
,opened all
those I had marked with a cross , and -called upon theinmates to come forth to be executed . After the tumbrils had departed , I made my usual round of the cells,
236 TH E MAN W HO DARED.
and they ra ised such an uproar against him , that heleft the hall in a rage . It appears that a strong partyhas been organized to ru in h im ; but he
’ll triumph inspite of their efforts .”
H i s last words were uttered so confidently that Louvet was greatly alarmed .
What do vou mean he asked .
That the great Robespierre is now repeating h isspeech before the Jacobin Club , and its members areapplauding h im to a man .
“Then Robespierre was not accused and arrestedby the Convention’s order ?”
“No ; and he is now mustering h is friends about
h im to defeat h is enem ies to-morrow morn ing. As hehas the National Guards , the gendarmes , and thepeopl e at h is back , he i s sure to come out on top inthe struggle .”
Louvet uttered a despair ing groan ; for he knewthat h is friends were now los t beyond al l hope . Theja iler having departed—for to l inger longer wouldhave been perilous—he staggered back into h is celland flung h imself prone upon h is pallet .
“Lost ! Lo st !” he moaned , in angu ish . Of whatavai l was my stratagem to delay M . V auban
’
s execu
t ion unt i l to—morrow ? To repeat it w il l be imposs ible .To-morrow he w il l b e murdered upon the gu i l lotine ,even should Robespierre’s enemies triumph . Theyhave lost a day by the ir cowardly indec ision , and thatw il l prove fatal to my friends . Oh , Lou ise , my ownbeloved ! I fear you , also, must perish . Can it be pos
LOST BEYOND Home. 237
sible there is a God in Heaven to perm it such th ingsto come to pass ?”
5 0 excess ive was h is gr ief, that it deprived h im ofal l consciousness
,and he lay face downward on h is
couch l ike one devoid of l i fe.At s ix o’clock in the even ing, he was roused to partake of supper. He forced himself to eat the coarsefare provided , as he was resolved to retain his strengthunti l the last .At seven o’clock, the door of his cel l was unlocked,and he was informed that the hour for evening exer
cise had arrived . As this would afford him an oppo r
tunity to converse aga in with M . Vauban , he determ ined to avai l himself of it .So
,hastening into the corridor, he mingled once
more with the condemned prisoners , until he beheldhis friend
,pacing to and fro at the end o f the gallery,
holding the little girl by the hand .
“Good evening, C itizen Louvet !” exclaimed M .
Vauban,cheerily .
“Have you appeared before theRevolutionary Tribunal as yet ?”
“ I have,
” was the gloomy response , and was sent
enced to death without a hearing. So we may ridetogether to the P lace de la Revolut ion to-morrow .
”
Do you mean that the coup d’
etat you spoke of thismorning has failed , and that Robesp ierre sti ll tyrannizes over the nation
“ It grieves me to answer, yes , returned Louvet,bowing his head dejectedly .
“Even if he should be
dethroned to m orrow, I fear it would be too late foro ur salvation .
”
238 THE MAN W HO DARED .
“Take heart,my noble friend , returned Vauban ,
gently.
“ I assure you that I do not fear to d ie . Thereis but one regret I have,
” he added , lowering h is vo iceto a wh isper . “ I would suffer any torture if I couldsave th is l ittl e ch ild .
”
While speaking he laid his hand tenderly upon thelittle one’s head, and glanced down upon her withfatherly affection . Louvet was on the point of tell ingh im that it would be more cons istent to save h issympath ies for h is own daughter, who was at thatmoment a prisoner in the Luxembourg, awaiting thedeath sentence, when a glance at his friend
’s beh evolent countenance restrained him .
M . Vauban was unaware as yet of the fate that hadbefallen Louise , and it would be an act of unnecessarycruelty to inform him .
“On what charge was this child condemned ?” inquired Jean , after a pause .
“Her parents were un fortunately aristo crats , t e
plied M . Vauban .
Jean was about to press h is inqu iries further, whena commotion at the other end of the corridor attractedh is attention . There was a door there , open ing upo na fl ight of steps that led down to the cells of the condem ned. Beyond it was a narrow hall , commun icatingwith the prison offices
,and w ith the apartments of
the chief j ailer and his underl ings .This doo r had j ust been opened to adm it a numberof new arrivals from the other prisons , who had beencondemned and sentenced by the Revolutionary Tribunal that day. One by one , they slowly descended
CHAPTER XXVII .
TH E NINTH OF THERM IDOR.
TH E n ight interven ing between the eighth and n inthof Thermidor was one of the most intense anxiety inParis . The stormy scenes in the Convention
,during
its session of the day before , had reached the ears Ofevery citizen
,and the clubs, cafés and wine-shops
were thronged to the ir utmost capac ity.
Excited groups occupied every corner, discussingthe probable result of Robesp ierre second battle w iththe Convention . In the Faubo urg St. Antoine, therewas a rising Of the people, instigated by the tyrant
’
spart isans . His friends
,too , were active in concerting
insurrections in other quarters of the c ity, w ith theidea of mobbing the Convention on the morrow, inthe event of their leader’s defeat by the members ofthat body .
No r were the despot’s enem ies inactive.!
Tallien,
Barras , Fréro n, and their adherents slept not . A corpsof messengers and agents , some on horseback , otherson foot, were kept busy until daylight , bringing themintelligence of the transactions at the Club o f Jacobins , and Of the increasing tumult Of the people .Apprised Of their danger, they made v igorous prep
arations for the defense Of the Convention Hall
[240]
TH E N INTH OF THERM ID OR . 24 !
against the rabble, and the ir own protection duringthe session .
It was unanimously resolved that , should Robesp ierre attempt to mount the tribune , he must be deno unced by internal tumult, and not permitted tospeak . The Thermidorians were to r ise from the irseats in a body and cry him down . Then Tallien, asthe most audac ious and eloquent of the ir leaders , wasto force his way into the tribune, in Robespierre
’splace, and call for his accusation and arrest .Barras was intrusted with the mil itary defense , toprevent the rabble from interfering w ith these proceedings . Thus each party, not knowing the strengthof the other, made every possible preparation for themorrow, and was sangu ine of success .
Wh il e the ch ief actors in the approach ing dramawere so engaged , th ree humble c itizens were s ittinground a table in a small w ine-shop, s ituated in theFaubourg St . Antoine , conversing, with the ir headsclose together, after the approved manner of conspirato rs. The room they occupied was a small , squarechamber, reserved for the use of customers
,
who d id not wish to be d isturbed wh i l e s ipping the irw ine . Nevertheless, there was a poss ib il ity that aneavesdropper m ight be lurking around , so they conferred in wh ispers .
“ I should positively d ie of shame,said one , if we
should allow the Ch ie f to perish w ithout l i fting a hand
242 TH E MAN ! V HO DARED .
to save h im . That is why I asked you to meet mehere .”
“You are no more anxious on his behalf than I am ,
André,
” returned a stockily-built man at h is left.“No r than I , ch imed in the fash ionably attired
lounger, s itting at his right .“Well , then , returned the first speaker, let us seewhat means André the Barber, Simon the Jai ler, andFranco is the Idler can devise for h is rescue .”
“What have you to suggest ?” asked Simon .
André the Barber shook his head hopelessly .
“ I f I could only gain an audience with Robesp ierre
,he sa id,
“ I think I could persuade him to delaythe execution . He really bel ieves me one of the truestfriends he has , and might spare the Chie f as a personalfavor to me .”
“ I doubt it, returned S imon , with an incredulousshake of the head .
“Then suggest something better i f you can .
S imon the Jailer now looked despairingly at Francois .
“Can’t you come to our aid, comrade ?” he asked .
The young man appealed to , leaned farther over thetabl e , and answered, drawlinglyIt i s useless for André to seek an interview with
Robespierre , for he is far too anxious about h is ownhead j ust now to th ink o f saving the head of another .Therefore, we w il l el im inate André
’s suggestion fromconsideration . As for you , Simon ,
” he continued ,“you acknowledge that you have no suggest ion to
244 TH E MAN W H O D ARED .
When the sun soared above the roofs and steeples ofParis , on the day called , accord ing to republican chro
no logy, the n inth of Therm idor, but which the c ivilizedworld in general designated , the 27 th o f July, 1 7 94 ,
Robespierre arose from the bed , where he had thrownh imsel f to rest
,rather than to sleep, and attired himsel f
with his usual scrupulous care.For was he not to gain a signal tr iumph over his
enem ies before nightfal l ?It was evident that he thought so ; for his eyes
tw inkled w ickedly, and a smile o f grim determinationsettled about the corners of hi s harsh mouth .
I was taken by surprise yesterday,” he reflected,
pacing his bedchamber, while wait ing for his breakfast ; consequently my enemies gained a temporaryadvantage over me . To-day, however, I am prepared ,and will crush them . Ungrateful wretches ! Havethey forgotten al l I have sacrificed to the cause o fl iberty ?”
H i s eyes blazed w ith fanaticism as he continued“ It rests with thee , Maximil ian Robespierre , to rescue France from her enemies , for thou alone art incorruptible . Thy destiny and that o f the Republ ic areone . Victory for thee to-day
,means the triumph of
l iberty ; de feat , the down fall of the Republic .
”
When Robespierre entered the Convent ion Hall,
later in the morning, si lence reigned throughout thecrowded house . Every eye was turned upon him
,as
he walked quickly to his seat , casting scorn ful , trium phant glances upon his enemies .The galleries were packed to suffocat ion ; for all
TH E NINTH OF THERM ID OR . 245
Paris knew that l i fe , or death , was involved in theissue o f the pol it ical struggle about to begin .
In one corner o f the upper gallery, sat Jacques theB lacksmith , his huge arms resting upon the rail ing,and
,
his ferocious face supported between his greatbands . At his side, sat Francois the Idler, whisperingto him earnestly at intervals ; and, forming an attentive
g roup around these two, were some twenty red-cappeddenizens of St . Antoine, the members of a pol it ical clubof which the blacksmith was the leader.
“ I have brought yo u here , Citizen Jacques , whis
pered Francois ,“ to let you judge for yoursel f whether
this Maximil ian Robespierre i s , or is not, determinedto tyrannize as a despot over the Republ ic . The Con
.V ention, which , as you know , i s composed o f Representatives of the people , will force h im to show h ishand to-day, and you can then see how he has beendeceiving honest patriots l ike ourselves .”
Jacques the Blacksmith , who had already been somewhat shaken in his confidence in Robespierre by Francois’ arguments, nodded his head doubtfully, and muttered
“We shal l see .
At that moment a commot ion on the floor o f thehouse indicated that the hour for commencing the tre
m endous drama had arrived .
St . Just , on behal f of Robesp ierre, began the Onset .A scene Of tumult immediately ensued of which no
adequate description can be given . As narrated in the
Moniteur, o f the 1 1 th of Thermidor, it stands out asone Of the most exciting ep isodes in h istory.
0 -n J
246 TH E MAN W HO DARED .
”“x.
k.
The Thermidorians rose in a body and filled the—
hal lw ith their wild cries . St . Just, con fused by the clamor,paused at the steps o f the tribune, undecided whatcourse to pursue. Seeing at a glance that his friendswere far outnumbered by his foes , Robespierre wasoverwhelmed with despair.Pale and agitated he attempted to ascend the tribune .But Tallien was too quick for him . Rushing forward with blazing eyes
,he laid rude hands On the
despot’s person,and dragged him forcibly away . This
audacious act inspired the Thermidorians with enthu
siasm .
“Down with the tyrant !”
The great hal l trembled to th is cry .
While the uproar was at its height, Tallien, mount
ing the tribune from which he had j ust ej ected Robespierre
,ra ised h is hand to command a hearing. Sud
denly the mad cries of his part isans ceased . Thenthe ir bold leader
,with a dramatic, impassioned gesture,
addressed them in words instinct with warning.
“Just now ,
” he began , with a threatening glance atRobespierre, I determ ined that the curtain should bewithdrawn . It i s done . The conspirators are um
masked , and l iberty shall triumph . Up to this moment,I had preserved utter si lence, because I was aware thatthe tyrant had made a l ist o f proscriptions . But Iwas present at the sitting of the Jacobins last night ,and heard utterances that made me tremble for theexistence of the Republ ic . I beheld the format ion ofthe army of th is second Cromwell , and resolved that,
248 THE MAN W HO DARED.
it be crime,or virtue
,wh ich you strike in me, m y
brother is not gu i lty.
”
Nevertheless,Augustin Robesp ierre was condemned
to arrest. In quick succession, Co uthon, St . Just ,Lebas and others were also decreed to the same fate,and the triumph of the Therm idorians was complete.As cries of Vwe la République !
” arose on all sides ,Robespierre qu ietly folded h is arms , and, with a contem ptuo us sneer on his l ips, exclaimed :
“The Republ ic ? It is destroyed , for scoundrels tri~
umph !”
At that instant the c lock in the Convent ion Hallstruck three.
CHAPTER XXVIII .
Too LATE.
WHAT was the apparition which evoked that agonized cry from M . Vauban, and produced such a terrible effect upon Jean Louvet ?It was the sudden appearance of Lou ise and the
ma id,Marie, in the doorway at wh ich they were gaz
ing.
W ith the stately bearing of a queen, she descendedthe steps leading down into that house of death . Herdark eyes expressed the utmost tranquill ity, and aserene smile dimpled the corners Of her lovely mo uth.
To the despairing creatures who witnessed her en
trance, she appeared l ike one o f God’s angels sent to
console them in the ir last hours of misery .
Just as she reached the foot Of the steps , the bell ,announcing that the brief period for exercise had ex
pired, sounded its warning, and she was immediatelylocked up in the cell allotted to her. Thus her friendswere depr ived o f an Opportunity to communicate w ithher, and she was left in ignorance of the ir presencein the pr ison .
That night was a frightful one for Jean Louvet .He paced his narrow quarters continuously, wringinghis hands, and moan ing, l ike a lost soul . It seemed ,
[249]
250 THE MAN W HO DARED .
at t imes,that hi s reason would become completely
overthrown,so terrible were his grief and despair.
As for poor Vauban , he wailed piteously throughmost Of the night, and , toward morning, sank into astupor in which he remained, unt i l aroused by h isj ailer for break fast . The child he had taken underhi s protection
,amazed at h is sudden collapse, sat by
his s ide in silence, until sleep rel ieved her of her v igi ls .At last the hour for morning exercise arrived.
Jean Louvet was the first to appear. Hav ing beeninformed by the friendly j ailer Of the situation ofLouise’s cell , he hastened thither, with breathless speed,to prepare her for the approaching interview w ith herfather. He met her as she was coming through thenarrow door.
“Can it be possible , M . Louvet, that you are hereshe cried, endeavoring to control her emotion .
“Yes , mademo iselle, returned Louvet, with a desperate effort to appear calm .
“You remember the wordI sent you , do you not ?
”
“Do you refer to your last message ?” she inqu ired ,w ith trembl ing lips .Louvet bowed his head in assent ; for he had not
the courage to speak his thoughts .“Then the worst has be fallen my poor father
,she
moaned, staggering against the doorpost for support .The words that followed seemed to be addressed to
hersel f, rather than to Louvet .“Do I remember the message of this dear friend ?Alas, yes ; for it is engraved upon my heart.
‘I f failure
252 THE MAN W HO DARED.
l ittle Louise had deserted you ? Oh , no, she is incapab le o f such cruelty ! Look at me , darl ing ! See, it i syour own l ittle daughter, who has come here to shareyour fate 1”
While giv ing utterance to these endearments , shera ined k isses upon his poor old face . Then , suddenlychanging her tone to one of encouragement, she re
sumed“Oh , what a glorious th ing it is , dear father, thatwe are permitted to perish together ! Let us showo ur enemies how bravely we can meet our fate . TheV aubans were never cowards, father .
”
Jean Louvet, who had followed her across the corridor, was entranced w ith the heroism she displayed .
Indeed, there was something so magnetic in her utterauces that the hearts Of all present were insp ired withenthusiasm , and even M . Vauban was reanimated w ithnew courage .During the hour that ensued , the V aubans and JeanLouvet conversed happily together, without once mentioning their fast approaching doom . As i f by tacitagreement
,th is theme was care fully avoided
,although
the future world and kindred subj ects were discoursedOf freely . In fact , it was one o f those rare occasions ,when soul i s revealed to soul , and speech becomes
spiritual ized and sublime.
On the afternoon o f the ninth o f Thermidor,an
unusual delay Occurred in the arr ival at the Con
To o LATE. 25 3
ciergerie of the tumbrils . They generally made theirappearance at two o’clock ; but on the day o f Robespierre’s down fall
,were strangely dilatory .
When the customary hour passed , and still theydid not come , the despairing victims in the prisonbegan to hope . As minute a fter minute sped on
,w ith
out their being summoned to come forth to death , thishope grew stronger in their breasts .Suddenly the great clock in the corridor struck
three .While the air sti l l vibrated with the sound of its last
stroke , a faint noise was heard in the street outside .Then a universal groan arose from every cell
,and de
spair resumed its sway in every heart . For there wasno mistaking the significance of that low , continuousnoise .
It was the rumbling Of heavy cartwheels over the
pavement .At last the sounds suddenly ceased , j ust Oppos ite
the entrance to the prison , and a
'
period Of s ilencefollowed . It was broken
,shortly a fterward
,by the
tread o f footsteps approaching the door,which pres
ently Opened , and the chie f j ailer descended into thecorridor. He was followed by two underl ings , withgreat bunches o f keys dangling from their waistbands .
“There’s room in the carts for all to-day,” he an
nounced,with an imperious gesture .
Then , turning on his heel , he added w ith a brutallaugh,
“ St . Guillot ine wi l l be pleased with our generous Offering .
”
2 54 TH E MAN W HO D ARED .
When the door had closed after h im, the turnkeysmade the rounds
,opening cell after cel l as they pro
ceeded, and call ing upon the prisoners to come forth .
In a few‘
m inutes the condemned were al l standingin the corridor
,huddled together in little groups, ac
irding to the friendships they had formed dur ingtheir short stay in the prison . M . Vauban , Lou ise,Marie
,Jean Louvet and the l ittle girl const ituted one
Of these smal l bands . They were wondering whetherthey would be allowed to ride in the same tumbr il ,when the friendly j ailer approached them and mumbledcautiously :
“ I f you’d l ike to remain in each other’s companyunt i l the last, I think I can manage to arrange it .
”
“Thank you , said Jean , grate fully .
“ I wish it werein my power to reward you for your kindness , but Iam unable to do so at present . However, he added ,handing the j ailer a valuable ring
,
“ there is a trifle onwh ich you should ra ise at least a thousand francs .”
The keeper took the Offering in open-mouthed astonishm ent , and sl ipped it slyly into his pocket .At that moment the chief j ailer appeared, and beck
o ned the prisoners to come forward . They followedh im through a long hal l into a large, dark room , wherethey again fel l into groups , await ing the final summonsto go forth to execution .
When this time at last arrived , the j ailer was asgood as his word . Approaching Louvet hastily
, he
whispered :“Keep close to your friends and fo l low m e !
256 TH E MAN W HO D ARED .
Louvet pointed to a figure in one of the pass ingcarts .
“Look well at that man ! he groaned fa intly . TisRobespierre, and he i s on his way to prison . I haveaccompl ished his down fall . I have won the game . But,alas , too late ! Too late !
CHAPTER XXIX .
WITH IN SIGH T OF TH E GUILLOTINE.
LOUISE glanced in the direction indicated , and sawthat Louvet had indeed spoken the truth .
In the foremost death-cart , stood the great Robespierre
,h is hands tied together beh ind his back and his
face bent downward, in an att itude of complete abandonm ent to despair. On one side, he was supportedby his brother
,Augustin
,on the other, by a gendarme.
St . Just, Co uthon, Lebas and many other of his mostact ive partisans Occup ied the carts that followed . Theywere manacled, guarded by gendarmes , and were palewith fright. A strong escort of mounted guards rode,two by two, on both s ides of the ca rts , to protect theprisoners from the fury of the populace, who crowdedin upon them
,shouting madly
“V iz! e la République ! Death to the tyrant !”
What a swi ft and awful retribution !At sunrise, an absolute dictator ; ere nightfall , acondemned outlaw . In the morn ing, the idol Of thepeople ; in the a fternoon , the Obj ect of their vengeance .Feared and despised ; beloved and hated ; omnipotentand helpless ; from the pinnacle of greatness to thegutter of contempt—and all with in the compass of aday.
258 THE MAN W HO DARED .
To find its parallel , one must turn from human h istory to Divine, and contemplate the downfall of proudLuci fer.
“Oh,how deeply I pity him !” s ighed Louise, gaz ing
upon the fallen tyrant w ith infinite compassion .
Did he hear her ?Or was there an Occult attract ion in her starry eyeswh ich compel led him to look up ?
Certain it i s that, while the cart s were passing,Robesp ierre upl i fted h is face suddenly, and theirglances met .*
A flash of recogn ition ; a second flash , eloquent inmean ing, passed between them ; then the man instantlyshi fted his gaze toward the Conciergerie ; while thewoman turned her’s heroically toward the Place de laRevolut ion .
What messages had they commun icated to one another in that momentary glance ?
From Robespierre,an agonized cry of shame
, t e
morse and black despair.From Lo u ise, a mute assurance Of p ity, sympathy
and pardon .
In the meantime, the people, who were accompanying the tumbrils to the place of execut ion
,now turned
in their tracks , and jo ined the howl ing mob that werefollow ing Robesp ierre to t he Luxembourg ; at wh ich
In Abbo tt’s H isto ry o f the French Revo lution, it is relatedthat, wh ileRobespierrewas o n his way to the Luxem bo urg, hepassed a num ber o f tum brils co nveying victim s to the place ofexecutio n.
260 TH E MAN W HO DARED .
Thus a second mob was gradually formed to aecompany them to the scene of death .
Having consoled and encouraged her maid and beloved father, Lo uise glanced timidly toward Jean Louvet . Noticing an expression of profound dej ect ion
upon his resolute face,she drew near, and placed a
hand gently upon his arm , saying :“D O not give away to despair, Jean , for I
’m sureeverything has happened for the best.”
It was the first time she had called him by his baptism al name, and it produced a marvelous effect uponhis spirits .
“God bless you , Mademoiselle Lou ise !” he replied
softly .
“You have made me very, very happy .
”
“Do you really mean that she asked eagerly .
“ I do,and from the depths of my heart
,mad~
em o iselle l”“Tell me how I have made you happy
,Jean ?”
There was a sl ight tremor in Louvet’s voice, as heanswered faintly :
“You have blessed me w ith your friendship . Youhave forgiven my failure to save you , and , furthermore, you have graciously permitted me to d ie withyou , Mademoiselle Vauban .
She took both his hands in hers , and looked straightinto h is eyes .
“My dear Jean, she said, do you th ink that is quitefa ir ?”
He returned her gaze w ith a perplexed look .
“ I do no t understand you , he answered .
“Ah , I see I must expla in , she said with an angel ic
W ITH IN SIGHT OF THE GuiLLOTINE. 26 1
sm ile . I mean,dearest Jean, that we have become
such perfect friends, that all formal ity should ceasebetween us . You are no longer Mons ieur Lo uvet to me,but my beloved brother
,Jean, and it gr ieves me to have
you st il l address me as madem oisel le.”“You are very kind, my friend , was the young
man’s tremulous response ; but I dare not trust m ysel f to address you so famil iarly. You might guess asacred secret that I am endeavoring to h ide for yoursake. For I would not emb itter your last moments bybetraying it.”
While he was.uttering these words
,the tumbr il
turned into the boulevard and the Place de la Revo lution appeared
!
in view . At the same instant the girlraised her eyes and shuddered .
For the gaunt frame of the guillot ine loomed darklybefore her.
“Oh, Jean , my beloved Jean ! she cried , suddenlythrowing o ff all ma idenly restraint . “Can it be possiblethat you do not love me after all ? Look, yonder standsthe guillotine ! In a few moments we must be partedforever. Can you die w ithout show ing me your heart ?”
St il l holding h is hands, she pressed them close to herthrobb ing bosom
,excla im ing pass ionately :
“Oh , Go d, how I love th is manUnmindful of the taunting crowd that surged roundthe death carts ; regardless of the spectators in thehouses ; of hi s fellow prisoners ; and of the watchfulguards who rode beside them , Jean Louvet clasped heryielding form close to h is heart
, and wh ispered in tonesof indescr ibable tenderness
262 THE MAN W HO DARED.
Louise ! My beloved !”
An ineffable smile , accompanied by a s igh -o f infin itecontentment
,was her only answer to hi s words .
For a brie f moment, the ,crowd ; the tumbril s ; the
guards ; the curious faces looking down from the windows o f the houses ; even the terrible guillotine, whichthey were fast approaching, disappeared from theirconsciousness
,l ike the phantasms of a dream, and they
l ived in an elysium of happiness .From this bl iss ful state, the young man was the first
to awaken ; for his eyes , chancing to wander for a moment to the shouting people, recognized the ferociouscountenance o f Jacques the Blacksmith , grinning up athim with an expression of savage del ight . Then heinstantly remembered the terrible fate toward whichhis beloved was hastening, and cried out in angu ish
“Oh , why can I not die for us both ?”
Because it i s far sweeter to perish together,dear
Jean ,” answered Louise, in a gentle whisper.
Then, looking into his eyes with passionate intensity,as i f she would penetrate the deepest secrets of hissoul , she asked suddenly
“Tell me, my own, true Jean —D O you bel ieve in amerci ful God ?
“With the impl icit fa ith of a child,he answered .
Then I do not fear to die ; for we can love eachother through countless ages ,
” she sighed contentedly.
And Louvet whispered gently“Through all eternity.
”
At that instant a deep voice in the crowd shoutedfiercely :
264 THE MAN WHO DARED.
cause for apprehension , for was not Jacques the Blacksmith the chie f instigator of the r iot ?It was probable
,he argued, that this fanatic had
d iscovered the deception he had played upon him onthe day the Convention had denounced him , and thathe had organized a party of his adherentsto rescue h im ,
in order to wreak a private vengeance upon h is deceiver. That the man was capable of such a dar ingact he well knew .
Faster and faster sped the tumbri l , j olting over therough pavement with such a clatter that the entirestreet was awakened . W indows flew open and headswere
!
thrust out to ascertain the cause of the tumult ;While shouts and cries Of amazement arose from athousand spectators
,on see ing the death-cart dash by .
Louvet turned angr i ly to the driver.“What is the mean ing of this ?” he asked sternly.
Be silent !” was the growling response . “You arein the hands of friends who w ish to save you . Letthat be suffi cient l”
It seemed to h im that he had heard that vo ice beforebut he could not remember where . There was someth ing in the man’s figure that seemed famil iar also,although th is was probably a mere fancy. Presentlythe dr iver growled back at him this b it of adv ice
“Tell your friends to cease the ir bawl ing, or I’ll
dump them out into the street .”
Louvet complied with th is command immediately,
and, by adding a few encouraging words of h is own ,succeeded in quiet ing the terrified priso ners .After proceeding at a rap id pace for some d istance,
W ITH IN SIGHT or THE GUILLOTINE. 265
the dr iver wheeled into a winding street, which Louvetrecognized at once as the ancient thorough fare onwh ich stood the Maison Rousseau .
Then it dawned upon him suddenly that hi s agentshad conspired for his rescue . He was so sure o f thisthat he again bent forward toward the driver and whispered
“Who are you ? Your Chie f commands you to an
swer !”
The m an’
turned partly around , and muttered“ I am known as Simon the Jailer.”
Louvet was completely dum founded ; for, althoughhe was aware o f the fidelity of his followers , he didnot think them capable of such supreme daring.
How had they managed to incite a riot in his behal f ?
And Jacques the Blacksmith—how had they inducedsuch a rabid idolater Of Robespierre to assist them inthei r scheme ?While he was endeavoring to find an answer to thesequestions , the tumbri l turned into the narrow lanewhich led to the garden in the rear of Dr . Narbonne’sresidence. On reaching the enclosure , the driver reinedin his horses , and , leaping to the ground, beckonedJean Louvet to approach him .
“You know as well as I , Chie f , he said, when theywere alone,
“ that it wil l be impossible to admit all thesestrangers into our hiding-place . No t only is it against
That a tum bril onfiits way to the Place de la Revo lutionwas rescued by the populace, o n the ninth o f Th erm ido r ( theday o fRobespierre
’s downfall! , is an h isto rical fact accepted by
m any h istorians.
266 THE MAN W HO D ARED .
the rules of our band to do th is, but it would be, inthi s case
,an act of positive folly. Please remem ber
we have imperi l ed our l ives to save you, and no one
el se.”
Louvet turned away from h im disdainfully .
“ In that case,” he said,
“you ri sked your l ives invain . I will return to my friends at once ; for, ratherthan abandon them
,I wil l perish in the ir company.
”
And he started to return to the tumbri l .“One moment !” cried Simon , anx iously, on per
ceiving his Ch ief’s determination .
“Can these comrades of yours be tru sted ?”
“ I wil l answer for them w ith my l i fe ! exclaimedLouvet with an imperious gesture.
“ In that case,” said Simon the Jailer
,I have noth
ing further to say against their adm iss ion .
W ith these words , he returned w ith Lo uvet to thetumbril , and assisted the pr isoners to the ground . Thenhe helped th em over the wall into the garden, and leftthem in charge o f his Chief ; for it was a matter of importance to their sa fety that he should drive o ff w iththe death-cart at once .Scarcely had he taken his departure
,when Jean
Louvet beckoned the pri soners to follow , and led themto the secret door in the rear of the Maison Rousseau .
H i s summons for admittance was immediately an
swered.
When the door had closed behind them,and he real
ized that his friends were out of danger, his j oy wastoo great for him to bear.
“Saved at last ! Saved !” he cried , in an ecstasy ; thenbroke out into a w ild paroxysm of sobs.
268 THE MAN WHO DARED .
government,and finally issu ing, as if authorized to do
so, th e following proclamation to the citizens“Brothers and friends ! The country is in imm inentdanger ! The Wicked have mastered the Convention ,where they hold in cha ins the virtuous Robespierre .To arms ! To arms ! Let us not lose the fru its of thee ighteenth of August and the second of July.
”
Hal f maddened with drink,Henriot cont inued his
furious course from street to street , and , at last , galloped to the Luxembourg to rescue his friends . Onthe way he encountered the troops Of the Convention ,who seized him , bound h im w ith the ir belts , and threwh im into a guard-house dead drunk .
Meanwhile, Robespierre and his associates had beenrescued by the mob
,and carried in triumph to the
Mayor’s room in the Hotel de Vil le .Wh ile these events were transpiring in the heart of
Paris , Jean Louvet and h is friends were resting infancied security in the Ma ison Rousseau . One of h isagents hav ing arrived with intell igence that theNat ional Convent ion , exhausted with the day
’s battle,had adjourned at five o’clock , for repose and sustenance , he naturally inferred that Robesp ierre
’s en
em ies had gained a complete v ictory, and that therewas no longer the least cause for anx iety .
Lou ise and her ma id had ret ired with the l ittle girlto sleep ; the other rescued pr isoners were sitting together in a large apartment assigned to them , questio ning one another and indulging in the wildestconj ectures regarding the ir marvelous escape ; wh ileLouvet, M . Vauban and Dr. Narbonne were closeted
TH E GAME STILL DOUBTFUL. 269
together in the latter’s study, endeavoring to
‘ formu latea p ract icable scheme to enable the late pr isoners to ret ire from Paris until the t imes became more settled .
Suddenly the dismal toll ing of the tocsin burst forthfrom the neighboring steeples , and the roll ing Of
drums d isturbed the qu iet Of the summer evening.
Short ly afterwards a low, om inous murmur arose fromevery narrow lane and street Of St . Antoine , graduallyincreas ing in volume
,until there was no mistaking its
s ign ificance . At last the sounds could be heard ap
pro aching thei r place of refuge, drawing nearer andnearer and fil l ing the hearts of the l isteners withd ismay .
“What means th is clamor ?” asked Vauban anx
io usly.
’Tis an insurrection of the masses, returnedLouvet.
“For what purposeProbably to make a demonstration aga inst Robes
p ierre,” was the answer .
These confident words were rudely interruptedby the sudden entrance of Francois the Idler .He came bursting into the study, pall id w ith alarm ,
and , utterly regardless of al l ceremony, cried out intones Of frenzy
“Oh , may God have mercy upon us ! Robesp ierrehas triumphed , and we are lost !
”
Then he sank down panting into an armchair.The shock produced by such unexpected tidings hada paralyz ing effect on Jean Louvet ; nor was it until thew i ld tumult of the mob, who were now passing beneath
270 THE MAN W HO D ARED .
the w indows,roared in h is ears , that he regained full
possession Of his faculties .“V ive Robespierre ! Down w ith the Convent ion !These
,and s imilar cries aroused h im to a realization
of the true state of affa irs,and turn ing to Franco is he
asked quicklyHow has Robespierre tr iumphed ?”
Through the instrumental ity of fr iends , and h ispopularity with the masses .”
“But most of h is friends were condemned with h im ,
and the populace are only now ral ly ing to h is support .
“Nevertheless , the tyrant and h is associates are
at large .”“What !” excla imed Louvet in alarm . D O youmean to say that Robesp ierre has escaped fromprison
“As far as Robesp ierre is concerned , he never wasin prison . When he arrived at the Luxembourg, thej a iler refused to receive him . As regards h is assocIates, they were rescued by the populace at the inst i
gatio n of the Jacobins .”
“And where is Robespierre now ?”
S itting in the Hotel de Ville, surrounded by h isfriends, planning the recovery Of h is power.”
“But the Convention cried Louvet eagerly.
Its members have just returned to the hall,where
they are now in sess ion , speechless and powerlesswith terror.”
Jean Lo uvet rose instantly from h is cha ir, and hurr ied into his apartment
,to retu rn shortly afterwards
27 2 TH E MAN W HO DARED.
vention and would immediately send his opponentsto the guil lotine .
Small wonder that , in view of th is peri l, the Representatives trembled in the ir seats ; for the mostominous warn ings reached their ears from time tot ime . Messengers brought them word that the Jacohin Club had met
,and taken an oath to l ive or d ie
w ith Robespierre .
Again it was reported that the masses were crowding in from the Faubourgs , and that three thousandyoung students had risen in arms as a body-guard forthe despot . To add further to their dismay, the tocs inresounded far and near
,call ing upon the people to
defend the man whom the ir Representatives had ac
cused.
In th is terrible cris is, the Convent ion , nerved bydespair, remained firmly in their seats
,well knowing
that boldness alone could save them from des truction .
“Here is our post of duty, and here we will die !”
they declared ; while thei r friends rushed forth toral ly de fenders for the law .
*
On hearing this noble resolve , Jean Louvet calledloudly for a hearing, and Pres ident Collot who waspres iding, will ingly granted it .
“We have all sworn to die at our posts,shouted
Louvet in vibrant tones . “But that is no reason whywe should not res ist unto the end. I have a measureto propose which may possibly save us from destruction .
” Then , casting a sweep ing glance that embracedall present, he added—
“May I propose it, c itizens ?”
Abbo tt ’s French Revolution.
THE GAME STILL D OUB TFUL. 27 3
Proceed ! We are listen ing !” they repl ied.Jean Louvet bowed h is thanks and resumedIn view o f the danger that threatens the Republic
,
I move that Robespierre and h is part isans be declaredoutlaws , and that all who support h im in h is rebell ion ,be outlawed as well .Having del ivered himself of these words , he quietlysank back into his seat, and awaited the impress ionhis proposition had
‘
m ade upon the Convention .
For several seconds not a sound broke the s il ence .Then a spontaneous burst of approval shook the
hall . No t only was Robespierre outlawed, but a number of h is supporters as wel l , among them ,
Henriot,who was at that moment threaten ing the ConventionHal l w ith h is troops . Th is brutal wretch , having slepto ff a first debauch in the guardhouse , had been rescuedby Judge Coflinhal, Vice-President of the Revolutionary Tribunal . Return ing immediately to h 1 s soldiers ,and again drinking h imself into a state o f intoxicat ion ,he marched boldly to the Convent ion Hall , and o r
dered the doors blown Open w ith his artillery .
At th is critical moment, Jean Louvet left the hall ,w ith several other Representatives close beh ind him .
On reach ing the street outside , he ran quickly towardthe cannon, and took a pos it ion directly in front o fthe art il lerymen .
“Stand aside, if you value your life ! Don’t yousee we are about to fire ?”
And one of the gunners approached his cannonwitha l ighted match,
274 TH E MAN D ARED .
Jean Louvet regarded h im fearlessly.
“One moment, my brave fellow !” he said .
Then,seeing that the other hes itated, he broke out
scornfully“Soldiers ! Look at that drunken man —here hepo inted dramat ically at Henriot—“Who bur a drunkard would ever po int h is arms against h is country, orits Representatives ? Will you , who have ever deserved so much from your country, cast shame andd ishonor on her now ?”
The sold iers began to waver.Henriot instantly lost h i s courage, put spurs to hishorse and galloped fur iously toward the Hotel deVil le . The Convention , in the meant ime, having appo inted Barras to the command of the NationalGuards , he strode forth and accepted the responsibil ity
without hesitation .
Thus was the t ide of affa irs turned suddenly in favorof the Convention .
March ing rap idly through the streets of Paris ,
é
B arras rall ied the c itizens around him and , hav ingdispersed several bands of Robespierre s supporters ,proceeded to the Hotel de Vil l e, where the outlaw wasthen hold ing court .During the t ime since he had regained his l iberty
,
he was repeatedly urged to authorize an insurrection,
in order to accompl ish a s ignal triumph over the Conventio n ; yet, notwithstanding the most urgent en
treaties o f the Jacobins and the Municipal Government, he had pers istently refused to enco urage or toaccept such lawless m eans ,
27 6 TH E MAN W HO DARED .
Robesp ierre and h is friends , over e ighty .members o fthe Mun icipal Government, bound two by two ‘together, completed theConc iergerie.
CHAPTER XXXI.
TH E GAME I S W ON .
JEAN LOUVET did not return to the Ma ison Rousseau that night.In fact, he did not dare to do so ; for the entire citywas in an uproar
,and a man as al l-powerful as Robes
pierre had been,might again turn the tide of battle
in his own favor. Through the dark streets the gleamof innumerable torches was reflected , throw ing a lur idl ight upon the multitudes Of insurrectionists who hadcome in from the Faubourgs to the assistance Of thedespot and his friends .Several of these bands marched in d isorder to dis
perse the Convention ; but, on find ing the hall stronglyguarded by soldiers
,departed elsewhere to join other
bands and seek direct ion under a suitable leader. Inthe meantime , the friends of the Convent ion were busyin representing the exact s tate of affairs to the people,and were so far successful , that, before the dawn ofanother day
,the fickle Paris ians were seduced from
their al legiance to Robesp ierre,and had become h is
most envenomed enemies .About five o’clock in the morn ing, of the tenth ofThermidor ( 28 th of July ! , Jean Louvet found himself in the vast crowd that had gathered before the
£27 7 }
27 8 THE MAN W HO DARED.
Conciergerie Prison,to await the coming forth of
Robespierre and his partisans .H i s patience was not put to a severe test, however ;
for, shortly after his arrival , the iron gate of theprison was Opened, and the prisoners were led forthto take their places in the waiting tumbrils . A pro;found s ilence was maintained
,until the despot
emerged through the gateway,stretched upon a l itter,
borne by four jailers . H is fractured j aw was boundup by a di rty handkerchie f
,steeped in blood .
A fter him came Co uthon,a paralyt ic . Unable to
walk he was carried in the arms o f two jailers . Robespierre
,the younger
,stil l insensible from his desperate
leap from the window,was conveyed in the arms o f two
others,with h is broken limb hanging helplessly down ,
and trail ing along the ground . Next came the corpse
of Lebas, covered with a tablecloth spotted w ith hisb lood. In the rear Of this frightful processionmarched St . Just, bareheaded , with dej ected countenance, his hands bound tightly behind h im.
At the sight of these unhappy men the crowd brokeforth into the most furious outcries . Against Robespierre in particular the people vented their rage . Hecast reproachful glances upon them as he was l iftedinto a tumbril ; but never uttered one word in extenuation of h is acts .On reach ing the Tuileries , he was laid upon a tablein an ante-room , where he was submitted to the mostfrightful mental tortures . An interminable crowdpressed into the apartment past the guards
,actuated
by a morbid curiosity to catch a gl impse of the fallen
280 TH E MAN W HO DARED.
lotine . Samson , the executioner, was pac ing from s ideto side of theplatform
,his arms bared and crossed
upon his brawny chest , and a fil thy red cap pulleddown over his eyes , half conceal ing his ferocious coun
tenance. At intervals he paused in his walk to glancedown upo n the crowd below ,
or exchange a merry j estwith some friend he recognized .
N ever before had Lo uvet seen such a vast multitudeof people as that which now surged around the gu il o !
lotine . It seemed that Paris had vom ited forth , fromall her slums and purl ieus , the most abandoned andw icked of her ch ildren—wretches who l ived by crime,violence and insurrection .
Every window in the ne ighboring houses , that comm anded an unobstructed v iew of the engine of death ,was fi lled w ith expectant faces . The fortunate c itizenswho had secured such advantageous positions , shoutedscoffingly at the multitude below, while the raggedwretches , who compo sed the throng, retu rned theirj ests with outbursts of j ovial laughter.Suddenly the sound of an approaching tumultreached the crowded square
,and every vo ice was
hushed in an instant .It was apparent that the long looked-for process ionwas approaching. In a few minutes a body of mountedtroops appeared in the Place de la Revolution andbegan making a passage to the gu illotine by strikingthe people w ith the flat Of their sabres
,and forcing
them back . They werequ ickly followed by the deathcarts bearing Robespierre and h is partisans .On beholding the condemned, the fickle crowd burst
THE GAME I s W ON. 28 1
out into a terrific uproar, surging round the tumbri loccupied by Robespierre, and heap ing imprecat ionsupon the defeated man , to whom they would haveshouted hosannas had be been the victor . From h iscoign of vantage
,Jean Louvet beheld the entrance of
h is enemy into the square . The tyrant, his brother,Co utho n, Henriot, all mangled, bleeding and withbroken bones, were in the first cart
,with the corpse
Of Lebas . As it jolted over the uneven pavement,shrieks Of anguish arose from the wounded victims .
“May God have mercy upon them !” exclaimed Louvet in tones of sympathy .
“They are enduring thesufferings of the damned .
Just as the first tumbril reached the steps of the gu illotine, a clock in a steeple near by, struck six .
Then the following events happened with marvelousrapidity .
Robesp ierre was l ifted from the death cart,and
conducted to the steps lead ing to the engine Of death .
He ascended the scaffold w ith a firm , quick step .
Was it feared that at the last moment he m ight cal lupon the populace to rescue him ?If he had such an intention , he was not granted thet ime to carry it out ; for, no sooner had he reached theplatform , than the executioner sprang forward , andbrutally tore the bloody bandage from his wound .
Jean Louvet , whose eyes were sti l l fixed upon h im ,
beheld h is fractured jaw drop down in a ghastly manner, and at the same t ime heard a shriek of frightfu lagony.
He turned away in horror from the scene.
THE MAN W HO DARED .
Tlfen he heard thesullen sound of the falling axe ,and, when he again looked toward the sca ffold, th ehead of the great Robespierre had fallen into thebasket.Thus d ied Maximil ian Robespierre in the th irty
fifth year o f h is age ; a man whose real charactermust ever remain shadowy and undefined .
To the refugees in the Maison Rousseau , h is deathmeant the end of sufferings . M . Vauban had anothertrial which resulted in his complete vindication
,and
his re instatement in his seat in the Convention .
As for Jean Louvet, he resigned from that bodydesp ite the protests of the men he had saved fromdeath , while Dr. Narbonne and his patients disappeared from the Maison Rousseau and left Pari s . Itis said , however, that they returned to the city whenthe em igrés were recalled by Napoleon .
My beloved Jean , asked Louise Vauban on theday before thei r wedding,
“ I have long suspected thatyou are not what you seem . Tell me, i s your namereally Jean LouvetThe young man smiled“ I perceive how it is , he answered ; you beli eve
it wrong for a husband to have any secrets from hiswife . And you are right.
”P lacing his arm affection
ately round her waist,he added softly
,
“No , Lou ise,
m y real name is not Jean Louvet .”
.Then what is it, dearest ?”
284 THE MAN W HO DARED.
guards in check,unti l we had effected our escape . In
the meantime , our good friend , Simon , had bribedthe driver of one of the tumbri ls to allow h im to changeplaces with him for that day . On reaching the Conciergerie, he fell in with the friendly jafler, and bribedh im to conduct us to h is cart . André and another ofmy band were the masked men who int imidated the
guards in charge of our tumbri l . It was a daring andclever plot , was it not ?
”
“Yes ; but not half so daring as the game of pol itics
yOu won aga inst the tyrant Robesp ierre,” replied
Lou ise, gazing up at h im adm iringly.
THE END .