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

e Ar

could not tell whether his friends had, like the Duc de Gisons, been removed to the Abbaye. If they had been so, it was clearly impossible for him to aid them in any way. They might already have fallen. The crowd wa

een hopes that the Assembly would take steps to put a stop to the massacre, but the Assembly did nothing. Danton and the ministers were absent. The cannon's roar and the tocsin sounded perpetually. There was no secret as to what was goi

cries. The Commune of Paris openly directed the massacre. Billaud-Varennes went backwards and forwards to superintend the execution

e, and with a faint feeling of hope that the massacre would not ext

void hearing the shrieks of the victims and the yells of the crowd. A sudden thought st

Will you sell me those you have on? The shops are all shut, or I would

a good bargain was to be made she asked twice the cost of the

distance of the Abbaye which would enable him to observe any general movement of the crowd in front of the p

or some distance. "Oh, if I had but two or three hundred Engl

or, in spite of the speed with which the mock trials were hurried through, these mass

of the princess was cut off and stuck upon a pike, and was carried in triumph under the windows of the Temple, where the king and queen were confined, and was he

ge and horror, and at his powerlessness to interfere in any way with the proceedings of the wretches

baye," he said with fiendish glee. "The

d there. Unfortunately he came down by a side street upon them when they were within a few hundred yards of the prison. His great hope was that he mi

ers and officials bringing down the prisoners in batches, and so handing them over for slaughter. In vain Harry tried to penetrate into the inner part of the prison. He was roughly repulsed by the men guardi

ons. He found him in a state of delirium, acting over and over again the scene in the A

f him?" he asked the woman wh

t he could not answer either for his life or reason. There was nothing to do but to be patient, to keep his head banda

ers I must see about. I have the terrible news to break to

t was the same thing at all the other prisons. The priest, too-our priest at the little church at the corner of the street, where I used to go in every morning t

it. They say there are over four thousand people in the prisons, and they will all be murd

bouillon for Jacques' breakfast and mine. It is just ready. Do take a mouthful be

place by Victor's bedside in readiness to hold him down should he try to get up in his ravings, while the good woman ladled out a basin of the broth and place

w. But I must make quite certain before I go to these poor girls that their parents were killed.

d on questioning those who came out when all was done that the thirst for blood had incre

he judges bravely and went to their death as calmly as if to dinner. There was a marquis and his wife-the Marquis de St. Caux they called him. They brought t

St. Caux is going to plead for his life to a

t smile, but her step never faltered. I watched her closely. She was very pale, and she did not look proud, but she walked as calmly and steadily as her husband till they reached the door where the pikemen were awa

no hope; but he knew by the bitter pang he felt now that he ha

passers-by, and pale women looked timidly from the upper windows. When he reached the house he could not summon courage to enter it, but stood for a long time outside, until at last he

hey are murdering the prisoners. Surely it mus

to try and rescue our dear lady, even if I could not save the marqu

pretty babe I nursed. To think of her murdered; and the poor young

em, Louise. Do they know

s going on; everyone can see that. But I told them it was only that the Prussians we

n attacked. Come down again presently as if to get more news, and then tell them that there a

Sandwith-they trust you so much? You

g. The first burst of grief will be over then, and my talk may aid them to rouse themselves. Oh, if we had but tried to get them out of priso

g himself on the bed, fell asleep, and did not wake until evening. His first step was to plunge his head into water, and then, after a good wash, to prepare a meal. His sleep had restore

when I got her round lay still and quiet without speaking. Jeanne was worst of all. She sat on that chair with her eyes staring open and her face as white as if she were dead. She did not seem to hear anything I said; but at last, when Virginie's sobs were stopping, I began to talk to her about her mot

and then if we hear nothing I will go home, and be back again in

l quiet, and Harry with a somewhat

k again burst into a passion of tears. Harry felt that this was the best thing that could have happened, for the others were occ

id, turning to him, "will

at they suffered but little. More than that I cannot tell you now. Some day farther on, when you can bear it, I will tell y

but that they will long for fresh victims. The prisons are empty now, but they will soon be filled again. We must therefore turn our thoughts to your making your escape from the city. I fear that there is peril everywhere; but it must be faced. I think it will be useless for us

ace, there will be such tremendous excitement when the news of what has happened here is known that it would be unsafe to tr

I hear, the Girondists are marked out as the next victims. They say Danton has denounced them at the Jacobin Club. At any rate it will be b

iscuss the disguises which would be required and the best route to be taken, and their thoughts were for a ti

hopes of his recovery. Harry determined that he would not leave Paris until the issue was decided one way or the other, and when with the girls he discouraged a

p should at once be taken with reference to all the prisoners in their hands. The order was promptly obeyed, and throughout France massacres similar to those in Paris were at once carried out. A carnival of murder and

d the search for suspected persons was carried on vigorously. Difficult and dangerous as it would be to endeavour to travel through Fr

space was filled with lists of the enemies of the people who had been, as it was called, executed. As these lists had formed the staple of news for several days Harry scarce glanced at the names, his eye travelling rapidly down the list until

left, the affairs of the marquis and his wife, of their daughters, and of Victor de Gisons, almost excluding

looked upon it as almost certain he would be able to lead his two charges through any difficulty and danger which might beset them. And now he knew that his hopes had been i

were dead, and the girls were alone in the world, save for himself and the poor young fellow tossing with fever! It was true that if his friends had reached Englan

his charges were safely in England they should not hear a whisp

arly mornings when she went to the markets. The fear of detection was small, for the girls had now become accustomed to their thick shoes and rough dress; and indeed she thought that it would be sa

their walks-for the girls, having passed most of their time in the country, were passionately fond of flowers-when a man on horseback wearing a red sash, which showed him to be an official of the republic, came a

elle de S

cheek paler even than before; then

elf, Monsi

s to my heart," he went on with a sneer, "to be obliged to do my duty; but however unpleasant it is,

er if not death, several men wit

as deputy of Dijon and member of the Committee of Public Safety, I arrest her and give her into your char

of assistance Marie had whispered in Louise's ear: "Fly, Louise,

for the sake of the children" decided her, and she had instantly slipped away among the crowd, whose attention had

oman?" Lebat re

e?" one of the b

ie was speaking to some one when he first caught sight of her face; but he h

exation. "Never mind; we shall find her la

t he came on a party of four of the armed soldiers of the Commune, and ordered them to take the pla

ommittee sitting en permanence for t

guise. She is the daughter of the ci-devant Marquis de St.

id in a clear haughty voice. "Why n

her, for I acknowledge that in the days before our glorious Revolution commenced I have visited at h

ed does not deny that she is the daughter of the ci-devant marquis, I will at once sign the order for

of the committee laughed brutally; and a m

ed over to the armed guard, to be taken wi

isguise was discovered. His first impulse was to rush forward to her assistance, but the hopelessness of any attempt at interference instantly struck him,

lose the others in the crowd if we do

ou presently." He walked along several streets

y. I see it in your face!" Jean

d nerve yourselves, my dear girls, for you wi

, bursting into tears, while Je

ld not have recognized as hers. "Our place is with her, and where she goes w

d only add to her misery if Virginie and you were also in their hands. Besides, we can be of mo

ather and mother," Jeanne

ope to be more successful. Courage, Jeanne! Do not give way; I depend on your clear head to hel

n of tears. Harry did not try to check them, and in a sho

ur eyes, darling; we shall have plenty of time to cry afte

been taken we shall reach home before her. We will place ourselves at the corner of your street and wait for an hour; she may spend some time in looking for us,

preventing their thoughts from dwelling upon Marie's capture. They had not been more than a quarter of an hour at their p

wn her cheeks. "I thought of you in the middle of it all; but I was sure th

you get away? I have been terribly anxious, thinking that t

the crowd without even stopping to think, and ran into a shop; and it was well I did, for he shouted to them to seize me too, but I was gone, and as I don't think he noticed me before

ou had been taken too. If you had not come after a time we should have looked for ano

hey would have been sure to have published the fact that I had been taken, with a description of me. Then the neighbours would have said, 'This description is like Louise Mo

k, Louise. The less my visi

o but me, my people at home in a frightful state of mind about me. It is awful to think of. It's enough to drive a fellow out of his senses. Well, I will go and see how Victor is going on. The doctor thou

, madame?" he asked, as Victor'

elf, but I cannot make out any sense in what he says. The doctor has been here this morning, and he says that he thinks another two days will decide. If he does not take a tur

e indeed to have fallen into such good hands. I will sit with him for th

. He was up with him all last night, and

lf up, madame. You are too useful to others for us to