In exitu Israel : $b an historical novel, volume 2 (of 2)Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
History
In exitu Israel : $b an historical novel, volume 2 (of 2)
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799 -- Fiction
At the farther end of the gardens the crowd was densest. Thither
Madeleine hurried, drawing Gabrielle after her; Nicholas looked
hesitatingly about him and then followed. On a table, at which shortly
before some pleasure-takers had been sipping sugar and water, indeed,
standing among the tumblers, some of which were half empty, was
a tall slender young man, with long flowing hair reaching to his
shoulders, very abundant, glossy, and curled. His face was smooth and
clear-complexioned, his nose was straight and well shaped, his mouth
small and curled with a smile, and at every smile a dimple formed in
his girlish cheek. His large clear eye beamed with light. His brow
white and polished, without a furrow, was marked with prominent bumps
where phrenologists assert lie the organs of satire. He had falling
collars over a thick crimson handkerchief folded twice round his neck,
tied in a loose bow, and falling to his waist. His coat of sere-green
cloth was adorned with huge lappets which folded to his shoulders; his
waistcoat was white, and had also lappets.
'It is Camille, the brave Camille Desmoulins!' said Madeleine; 'what is
the matter with him?'
The young man was violently agitated. He spoke with vehemence, and the
tears flowed from his brilliant eyes. 'My friends! my friends!' he
cried, in a clear, bell-like voice; 'Necker is dismissed; Necker, the
friend of the people, Necker, the friend of justice and liberty, has
been driven away, his ministry dissolved, and who do you think have
been appointed in their place? De Breteuil, De Broglie, Foulon, De la
Vauguyon, Berthier--men who hate you, men who detest liberty, men of
war; De Breteuil the great Blunderer, De Broglie the old Mars; Foulon,
who would make men eat hay because his horses eat it; Berthier, who
has sold his heart to the devil, who weeps blood. The dismissal of
Necker is the tocsin of a S. Bartholomew of patriots. The Swiss and
German battalions are ready to fall on us, and to massacre us. For your
wives, for your children! To arms, to arms!'
Every sentence had elicited cries and groans.
'To arms!' yelled Monsieur Louison. Immediately behind him was his
spouse, broom in hand. 'To arms!' he cried, snatching the weapon
from her grasp and brandishing it above his head,--you may see him
immortalised in Duplessi-Bertaux' sketch published a few days after.
'My friends!' cried Camille; 'I see there--and there, facing me, with
their eyes watching me, the tame tigers of the court, the spies and
satellites of the police. Never will I fall alive into their hands;' he
suddenly drew a pair of pistols from his pocket and cocked them; 'let
all the friends of liberty follow my example and protect themselves, or
the prisons will be gorged with the best patriots.'
He was interrupted by cries of enthusiasm; 'we will protect you, we
will kill the tigers.' Some men sprang upon the table and embraced him,
the tumblers were thrown down and broken, and the sugar and water was
poured over the gravel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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