In the Reign of Terror: The Adventures of a Westminster Boy

of Se

al, waiting near the door wh

thing suspicious, I hope? Yo

or the last fortnight to hit upon some scheme for getting our friends out of

s that,

should seize one of the leaders of these villains

said. "I wonder it never occurred to e

t the details. In the first place we have got to settle which of them it had better be, and in the next ho

"it must be either Da

"I think he is as powerfu

ll is real. He is a terrible enemy, and will certainly stick at nothing. He is ruthless and pitiless, but I do not think he is double-faced. Robespierre i

do not think he would shed a drop of blood to satisfy private enmity. They call him the 'incorruptible.' He is more dangerous than Danton, for he has no v

is simply venomous. He hates the world, and would absolutely rejoice in slaughter. So loathsome is he in appearance that even his colleagues shrink from him. He is a venomous reptile whom it would be a pleasure to slay, as it w

t our usual place. Then we will go outside the Assembly and wait till he comes out. Fortunately we both know him well by sight. He will be sure to go, surrounded, as usual, by a mob of his admirers, to

y learned from the conversation of two men among the mob, who ch

ays 'Blood! Blood!' He does not ape the manner of the bourgeois. He does not wash his face and put on clean linen. He is a great man, but he is as dirty as the best of us. He still

tone of earnest entreaty. On learning the address they took the

eet, does he not?" Victor asked a ma

ouse opposite.

iend of the people lives, and as I was passing the en

said, "but in these hard times one can

their seats at a table. "And so Marat lives over

e richer quarters. There would be a plot against him, and those cursed Royalists would kill h

lub. His escort of men with torches and bludgeons left him at the door, but two or three went upstairs wit

that man in the wine-shop told us, there is an old woman who cooks for him, and it

e worst of it is, we have such a short time to act. Marat does not seem to be ever alone from early morning until late at night. Supposing we did somehow get the order of release from him at nigh

us," Victor agreed. "I b

whatever getting them out unless we could conceal them after they are freed. It would not do for them to go to Louise Moulin's. She has three visitors already, and the arrival of more to stay with her would be sure to excite talk among the neighbours. The last orders are so strict about the punishment of anyone giving shelter to enemies

fields. Moreover, she will probably elect to stay near her children until all can go together. Therefore I think that it will be best for

close home. I hope by the time we meet in the morning one of us may

Victor," Harry said when

ave lain awake all night I could thin

so well known and he is so much regarded by the lower class that

the knife out of my hand, managing at the same moment to tumble over Marat and fall with him to the ground. That would give me time to bolt. I would have a beard on, and would have my other clothes under the blouse. I would rush into the first d

rightful risk, H

ou, and you could either get him to visit your lodgings or could go up to his, and once you had be

t we should hardly have t

arm in arm with him to your lodging. We could thrust a ball of wood into his mouth so that he could not call out even if he had the courage to do so, which I don't think he would have if he were assured that if he made the slightest sound we would kill him. T

nute you have got the order signed," Victor said savagely; "I shoul

do more harm than good to the cause, for the people would consider he had died a martyr to h

has gone through will have j

ase of three enemies of the people in order to save his life would tell against him. No, I think he would keep silence. After we have got them safe awa

omething unusual was in the air. Separating, they joined the groups of men at the corners of the streets and tried to learn what was going on, but none seemed to know for certain. All sorts of sinister rumours were about. Word had been passed that the Jacobin bands

ed their observations. Neither had learned anything definite, b

arry said. "There are still many deputies who withstand the violence of

is it," Victor said, "bu

. The dresses were bought. Two suits, such as a respectable mechanic would wear on Sundays or holidays, were first purchased. There was then a debate as to the disguise for the marquise; it struck them at once that it was strange for two yo

the marquise as soon as she was free, but they decided to say nothing about the attempt that was about to be made un

on should be unobserved, and that, should one be arrested, no suspicion would follow the other. As soon as he had deposited the clothes Harry sallied out again, and on rejoining

te reason for their belief. All day they wandered about restless and anxious. They fought their w

y the council of the Commune sitting at the Hotel de Ville. But the Assembly lacked firmness, the Commune every day

wo were priests, were brought out from the prison of the Maine by a party of Marseillais, who shouted, "To the Abbaye!" These ruffians pushed the prisoners into coache

re. You are about to march to Verdun. They only wait f

y the refuse of the population. A few shouts were raised here and there of, "Down with the priests!" But more of the crowd joined in the shouts which Victor and Harry lus

depend upon ours. The mob will not follow you. You c

g place in the coaches, or Victor's fury would have been ungovernable, for several o

remember, Victor, that, come what may, you must keep cool. You would only throw away your life uselessl

can one look on and see men inciting others to massac

firmly resolved to restrain your feelings whatever may happen. You can do n

oung count said; "I will

e before them. When the carriages reached the Abbaye the prisoners alighted. Some of them were at once cut down by the Marseillais, the rest fled into the hall, where one of the committees was sitting. Its members, however, did nothing to

rocession to the Abbaye. They had been horror-struck at the words and actions of the Marseilla

s of earnest men who had at first thought that the hour of life and liberty commenced with the meeting of the States-General, and who had gone hea

And now, by the massacres of the 2d of September, the republic of France was to stand forth in the eyes of Europe as a blood-stained monster, the enemy, not of kings only, but of humanity in general. Thus the crowd following the Marseillais was composed almost entirely of the scum of Paris, wretches who had long been at war with society, who hated the rich, hated the priests, hated all above them-men who had suffered so much that they had become wild beasts, who were the products of that evil system of society which had now been overthrown.

at those hideous faces-faces of men debased by crime, sodden with drink, degraded below the level of brutes, exulting in the thought of blood, lusting fo

d incredible, impossible, is going to take plac

into a prison. Here a large number of priests had been collected. The Marseil

e slain, and the assassins did not desist until the last prisoner in the Carmelites had been hacked to pieces. Graves had already been dug near t

id hirelings of the Commune, some were terrified workmen or small tradesmen who had, merely from curiosity, joined the mob. The Swiss officers and soldiers, who were, with the priests, special objects of hatred to th

of the mob, spared, shared his fate. The mob had crowded into the galleries which surrounded the hall and applauded with ferocious yells the murder of the soldiers. In the body of t

occupations, a few questions followed, and then the verdict of "Guilty." One after another they were conducted to the door and there slain. Two or three by th

ff, his hair was dank with perspiration, his eyes had a look of concentrated horror, his body shook with a spasmodic shuddering. In vain Harry, when he once saw what was going to take place, urged him in a low whisper to leave. He

above the tumult which reigned, burst from Victor's lips. He threw himself with the fury of a madman upon those in front of him, and in a moment would h

at is it?" shou

d his hatred for the enemies of France has turned his head. I have been watching him, and had I no

l an incident. It was well that Harry had caught sight of the prisoner before Victor did so and was prepared for the out-break, for it

m, said, and, lifting Victor's body on to his shoulder, made his way to the top of the stairs, Ha

ow I should have managed without your aid. If you

im to my room. You need not be afraid," he added as Harr

crowd feared lest any of their prey should escape; but the man's reply, given with a rough laugh-"It is a lad whose

house and carried Victor to the attic and laid him on a

but just in time to prevent his betraying himself, and better a hundred times a knock on the head than those pikes outside the door. I had my eye on hi

g to save them," Harry answered, for he saw that it would be his b

I have seen my mistake. What has it brought us? A ruined trade, an empty cupboard, and to be ruled by the ruffians of the slums instead of the king, the clergy, and the upper classes. I was a brass-worker, and a good one, though I say it myself, and earned good wages. Now for the last month I haven't

riously injured him?" Harr

e morning; but it is different here. I saw his face, and he was pretty nearly mad when you struck him. I doubt whether he will be in his right senses when he comes round; but neve

sons, the last man we saw brought out to be murdered. We have plenty of money. In a belt round his waist you will find a hundred louis. Please do not spare them. If you think he wants a surgeon call him in, and get ever

You need be under no uneasiness. Should any of my comrades come in I shall say: 'this is a young workman w

know it was I who struck him. He will be well-nigh heart-broken that he could not share

best be off, for I see you are on thorns, and leave me to bathe his head. If you shouldn'