the trampling of the lilies-第8节

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interest　in　the　secretary。

〃Read　him？〃　cried　Carom　forgetting　for　the　moment　the　sore　condition
of　his　body　in　the　delight　of　discovering　one　who　was　bound　to　him
by　such　bonds　of　sympathy　as　old　Rousseau　established。

〃Read　him；　Monsieur？　　There　is　scarce　a　line　in　all　his　'Discourses'
that　I　do　not　know　by　heart；　and　that　I　do　not　treasure；　vaguely
hoping　and　praying　that　some　day　such　a　state　as　he　dreamt　of　may
find　itself　established；　and　may　sweep　aside　these　corrupt；
tyrannical　conditions。〃

Maximilien's　eyes　kindled。

〃Boy；〃　he　answered　impressively；　〃Your　hopes　are　on　the　eve　of
fruition；　your　prayers　are　about　to　be　heard。　　Yes　…　even　though　it
should　entail　trampling　the　Lilies　of　France　into　the　very　dust。

〃Who　are　you；　Monsieur？〃　asked　La　Boulaye；　eyeing　this　prophet　with
growing　interest。

〃Robespierre　is　my　name；〃　was　the　answer；　and　to　La　Boulaye　it
conveyed　no　enlightenment；　for　the　name　of　Maximilien　Marie　Isidore
de　Robespierre；　which　within　so　very　short　a　time　was　to　mean　so
much　in　France；　as　yet　meant　nothing。

La　Boulaye　inclined　his　head　as　if　acknowledging　an　introduction；
then　turned　his　attention　to　Duhamel　who　was　offering　him　a　cup　of
wine。　　He　drank　gratefully；　and　the　invigorating　effects　were　almost
instantaneous。

〃Now　let　us　see　to　your　hurts；〃　said　the　schoolmaster；　who　had　taken
some　linen　and　a　pot　of　unguents　from　a　cupboard。　　La　Boulaye　sat
up；　and　what　time　Duhamel　was　busy　dressing　his　lacerated　back；　the
young　man　talked　with　Robespierre。

〃You　are　going　to　Paris；　you　say；　Monsieur？〃

〃Yes；　to　the　States…General；〃　answered　Maximilien。

〃As　a　deputy？〃　inquired　Caron；　with　ever…heightening　interest。

〃As　a　deputy；　Monsieur。　　My　friends　of　Arras　have　elected　me　to　the
Third　Estate　of　Artois。〃

〃Dieu！　How　I　envy　you！〃　exclaimed　La　Boulaye；　to　cry　out　a　moment
later　in　the　pain　to　which　Duhamel's　well…intentioned　operations
were　subjecting　him。　　〃I　would　it　might　be　mine；〃　he　added　presently；
〃to　take　a　hand　in　legislation；　and　the　mending　of　it；　for　as　it
stands　at　present　it　is　inferior　far　to　the　lawless　anarchy　of　the
aborigines。　　Among　them；　at　least；　the　conditions　are　more　normal；
they　offer　better　balance　between　faculty　and　execution；　they　are
by　far　more　propitious　to　happiness　and　order　than　is　this　broken
wreck　of　civilisation　that　we　call　France。　　It　is　to　equality　alone；〃
he　continued；　warming　to　his　subject；　〃that　Nature　has　attached　the
preservation　of　our　social　faculties；　and　all　legislation　that　aims
at　being　efficient　should　be　directed　to　the　establishment　of
equality。　　As　it　is；　the　rich　will　always　prefer　their　own　fortune
to　that　of　the　State；　whilst　the　poor　will　never　love　…　nor　can
love　…　a　condition　of　laws　that　leaves　them　in　misery。〃

Robespierre　eyed　the　young　man　in　some　surprise。　　His　delivery　was
impassioned；　and　although　in　what　he　said　there　was　perhaps　nothing
that　was　fresh　to　the　lawyer　of　Arras；　yet　the　manner　in　which　he
said　it　was　impressive　to　a　degree。

〃But　Duhamel；〃　he　cried　to　the　schoolmaster；　〃you　did　not　tell　me
this　young　patriot　was　an　orator。〃

〃Nor　am　I；　Monsieur；〃　smiled　La　Boulaye。　　〃I　am　but　the　mouthpiece
of　the　great　Rousseau。　　I　have　so　assimilated　his　thoughts　that　they
come　from　me　as　spontaneously　as　if　they　were　my　own；　and　often　I　go
so　far　as　to　delude　myself　into　believing　that　they　are。〃

No　better　recommendation　than　this　could　he　have　had　to　the　attention
of　Robespierre；　who　was　himself　much　in　the　same　case；　imbued　with
and　inspired　by　those　doctrines；　so　ideal　in　theory；　but；　alas！　so
difficult；　so　impossible　in　practice。　　For　fully　an　hour　they　sat
and　talked；　and　each　improved　in　his　liking　of　the　other；　until　at
last；　bethinking　him　of　the　flight　of　time；　Robespierre　announced
that　he　must　start。

〃You　will　take　him　to　Paris　with　you；　Maximilien？〃　quoth　the　old
pedagogue。

〃Ma　foi；　yes；　and　if　with　such　gifts　as　Nature　appears　to　have　given
him；　and　such　cultivation　of　them　as；　through　the　teachings　of
Rousseau；　he　has　effected；　I　do　not　make　something　of　him；　why；
then；　I　am　unworthy　of　the　confidence　my　good　friends　of　Arras
repose　in　me。〃

They　made　their　adieux；　and　the　schoolmaster；　opening　his　door；
peered　out。　　The　street　was　deserted　save　forte　Robespierre's
berline　and　his　impatient　postillion。　　Between　them　Duhamel　and
Maximilien　assisted　Caron　to　the　door　of　the　carriage。　　The　moving
subjected　him　to　an　excruciating　agony；　but　he　caught　his　nether
lip　in　his　teeth；　and　never　allowed　them　to　suspect　it。　　As　they
raised　him　into　the　berline；　however；　he　toppled　forward；　fainting。
Duhamel　hastened　indoors　for　a　cordial；　and　brought　also　some
pillows　with　which　to　promote　the　young　man's　comfort　on　the
journey　that　was　before　him　…　or；　rather；　to　lessen　the　discomfort
which　the　jolting　was　likely　to　occasion　him。

Caron　recovered　before　they　started；　and　with　tears　in　his　eyes
he　thanked　old　Duhamel　and　voiced　a　hope　that　they　might　meet　again
ere　long。

Then　Robespierre　jumped　nimbly　into　the　berline。　　The　door　closed；
the　postillion's　whip　cracked　briskly；　and　they　set　out　upon　a
journey　which　to　La　Boulaye　was　to　be　as　the　passing　from　one
life　to　another。




PART　II

THE　NEW　RULE

Allons！　　Marchons！
Qu'un　sang　impur
Abreuve　nos　sillons！
　　　La　Marseillaise。




CHAPTER　V

THE　SHEEP　TURNED　WOLVES


There　were　roars　of　anger　and　screams　of　terror　in　the　night；　and
above　the　Chateau　de　Bellecour　the　inky　blackness　of　the　heavens
was　broken　by　a　dull　red　glow；　which　the　distant　wayfarer　might
have　mistaken　for　the　roseate　tint　of　dawn；　were　it　possible　for
the　dawn　to　restrict　itself　to　so　narrow　an　area。

Ever　and　anon　a　tongue　of　flame　would　lick　up　into　the　night　towards
that　russet　patch　of　sky；　betraying　the　cause　of　it　and　proclaiming
that　incendiaries　were　at　work。　　Above　the　ominous　din　that　told　of
the　business　afoot　there　came　now　and　again　the　crack　of　a　musket；
and　dominating　all　other　sounds　was　the　sullen　roar　of　the　revolted
peasants；　the　risen　serfs；　the　rebellious　vassals　of　the　Siegneur　de
Bellecour。

For　time　has　sped　and　has　much　altered　in　the　speeding。　　Four　years
have　gone　by　since　the　night　on　which　the　lacerated　Caron　la　Boulaye
was　smuggled　out　of　Bellecour　in　Robespierre's　berline　and　in　that
four　years　much　of　the　things　that　were　prophesied　have　come　to　pass
　…　aye；　and　much　more　besides　that　was　undreamt　of　at　the　outset　by
the　revolutionaries。　　A　gruesome　engine　that　they　facetiously　called
the　National　Razor　…　invented　and　designed　some　years　ago　by　one　Dr。
Guillotin　…　is　but　an　item　in　the　changes　that　have　been；　yet　an　item
that　in　its　way　has　become　a　very　factor。　　It　stands　not　over…high；
yet　the　shadow　of　it　has　fallen　athwart　the　whole　length　and　breadth
of　France；　and　in　that　shadow　the　tyrants　have　trembled；　shaken　to
the　very　souls　of　them　by　the　rude　hand　of　fear；　in　that　shadow　the
spurned　and　downtrodden　children　of　the　soil　have　taken　heart　of
grace。　　The　bonds　of　servile　cowardice　that　for　centuries　had
trammelled　them　have　been　shaken　off　like　cobwebs；　and　they　that
were　as　sheep　are　now　become　the　wolves　that　prey　on　those　that
preyed　on　them　for　generations。

There　is；　in　the　whole　of　France；　no　corner　so　remote　but　that；
sooner　or　later；　this　great　upheaval　has　penetrated　to　it。
Louis　XVI。　…　or　Louis　Capet；　as　he　is　now　more　generally　spoken　of
…　has　been　arraigned；　condemned　and　executed。　　The　aristocrats　are
in　full　emigratory　flight　across　the　frontiers　…　those　that　have　not
been　rent　by　the　vassals　they　had　brought　to　bay；　the　people　they
had　outraged。　　The　Lilies　of　France　lie　trampled　under　foot　in　the
shambles　they　have　made　of　that　fair　land；　whilst　overhead　the
tricolour　…　that　symbol　of　the　new　trinity；　Liberty；　Equality；
Fraternity　…　is　flaunted　in　the　breeze。

A　few　of　the　more　proud　and　obstinate　…　so　proud　and　obstinate　as
to　find　it　a　thing　incredible　that　the　order　should　indeed　change
and　the　old　regime　pass　away　…　still　remain；　and　by　their　vain
endeavours　to　lord　it　in　their　castles　provoke　such　scenes　as　that
enacted　at　Bellecour　in　February　of　'93　（by　the　style　of　slaves）
or　Pluviose　of　the　year　One　of　the　French　Republic；　as　it　shall
presently　come　to　be　known　in　the　annals　of　the　Revolution。

Bellecour；　the　most　arrogant　of　arrogants；　had　stood　firm；　and
desperately　contrived　through　all　these　months　of　revolution　to
maintain　his　dominion　in　his　corner　of　Picardy。　　But　even　he　was
beginning　to　realise　that　the　end　was　at　hand；　and　he　made　his
preparations　to　emigrate。　　Too　proud；　however；　to　permit　his
emigration　to　savour　of　a　flight；　he　carried　the　leisureliness　of
his　going　to　dangerous　extremes。　　And　now；　on　the　eve　of　departure；
he　must　needs　pause　to　give　a　fete　at　once　of　farewell　and　in　honour
of　his　daughter's　betrothal　to　the　Vicomte　Anatole　d'Ombreval。　　This
very　betrothal　at　so　unpropitious　a　season　was　partly　no　more　than
contrived　by　the　Marquis　that　he　might　mark　his　ignoring　and　his
serene　contempt　of　the　upheaval　and　the　new　rule　which　it　had
brought。

All　that　was　left　of　the　noblesse　in　Picardy　had　flocked　that　day
to　the　Chateau　de