Diary fiction; England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction; Mystery fiction; Short stories, English
deserved his love, and Louis would have shown how well he deserved his
brother-in-law’s gratitude; and so we should have made home happy at
last, and all three have lived together affectionately. This was my
thought; and when I told it to my brother, and asked him if there would
be much risk, out of his kindness and indulgence toward me, he said
‘No.’ He had so used me to accept sacrifices for my happiness that I let
him endanger himself to help me in my little household plan. I repent
this bitterly now; I ask his pardon with my whole heart. If he is
acquitted, I will try to show myself worthier of his love. If he is
found guilty, I, too, will go to the scaffold, and die with my brother,
who risked his life for my sake.”
She ceased as quietly as she had begun, and turned once more to her
brother.
As she looked away from the court and looked at him, a few tears came
into her eyes, and something of the old softness of form and gentleness
of expression seemed to return to her face. He let her take his hand,
but he seemed purposely to avoid meeting the anxious gaze she fixed
on him. His head sunk on his breast; he drew his breath heavily, his
countenance darkened and grew distorted, as if he were suffering some
sharp pang of physical pain. He bent down a little, and, leaning his
elbow on the rail before him, covered his face with his hand; and so
quelled the rising agony, so forced back the scalding tears to his
heart. The audience had heard Rose in silence, and they preserved
the same tranquillity when she had done. This was a rare tribute to a
prisoner from the people of the Reign of Terror.
The president looked round at his colleagues, and shook his head
suspiciously.
“This statement of the female prisoner’s complicates the matter very
seriously,” said he. “Is there anybody in court,” he added, looking
at the persons behind his chair, “who knows where the mother of
Superintendent Danville and the servant are now?”
Lomaque came forward at the appeal, and placed himself by the table.
“Why, citizen agent!” continued the president, looking hard at him, “are
you overcome by the heat, too?”
“The fit seemed to take him, citizen president, when the female prisoner
had made an end of her statement,” exclaimed Magloire, pressing forward
officiously.
Lomaque gave his subordinate a look which sent the man back directly to
the shelter of the official group; then said, in lower tones than were
customary with him:
“I have received information relative to the mother of Superintendent
Danville and the servant, and am ready to answer any questions that may
be put to me.”
“Where are they now?” asked the president.
“She and the servant are known to have crossed the frontier, and are
supposed to be on their way to Cologne. But, since they have entered
Germany, their whereabouts is necessarily a matter of uncertainty to the
republican authorities.”
“Have you any information relative to the conduct of the old servant
while he was in Paris?”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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