"Danton, give an account of the thirty-three thousand crowns cash, that were paid you by that Montmorin in the name of the king, under the pretext of indemnifying you for the post of solicitor of the Châtelet." "I belonged to the 14th of July," said Danton, haughtily. "And the Garde-meuble? And the crown diamonds?" "I was also of the 6th of October." "And the thefts of your _alter ego_, Lacroix, in Belgium?" "I was of the 20th of June." "And the loans to Montansier?" "I influenced the people to bring about the return from Varennes." "And the Opera House built with the money that you furnished?" "I armed the sections of Paris." "And the hundred thousand livres in secret funds of the Ministère de la Justice?" "The 10th of August was my work." "And the two millions secret expenses of the Assembly, a quarter of which fell to your share?" "I arrested the progress of the enemy, and barred the road to the allied kings." "Prostitute!" cried Marat. Danton was terrible in his wrath. "Yes," he cried; "you have spoken the word! I have sold my virtue, but I saved the world!" Robespierre meanwhile continued to bite his nails. He could neither laugh nor smile. He possessed not the lightning-like laughter of Danton, nor the sting of Marat's smile. Danton continued,-- "I am like the ocean: I have my flood and ebb. When the tide is low you can see the shoals; but at high tide you see only the waves." "What one might call your froth," said Marat. "My tempest, rather," replied Danton. They both sprang to their feet, and Marat burst forth; the adder suddenly assumed the shape of a dragon. "Ah, Robespierre! ah, Danton!" he exclaimed, "you will not listen to me. I tell you, you are lost! Your policy brings you up against a wall! Every issue is closed to you, and you go on committing deeds that will finally leave you with no outlet save that of the grave." "In that lies the very essence of our greatness," said Danton, shrugging his shoulders. Marat went on:-- "Danton, beware! Vergniaud has a wide mouth, thick lips, and frowning brows, like yourself. He is also pitted, like you and Mirabeau. Yet this did not prevent the 31st of May. Ah, you shrug your shoulders! A shrug of the shoulders has been known to cost a man his head. I tell you, Danton, your loud voice, your loose cravat, your top-boots, your late suppers, your ample pockets,--Louisette will have something to say about all that." Louisette was Marat's pet name for the guillotine. He continued:-- "And as for you, Robespierre, you are a Moderate; but that will avail you nothing. Go on; powder and dress your hair, brush your clothes, play the coxcomb, wear fine linen, be a model of propriety, frizzed and bedizened; sooner or later you will go to the Place de Grève; read Brunswick's proclamation, and make up your mind to be treated like the regicide Damiens, and you are arrayed in fine style to be drawn and quartered." "Echo of Coblentz!" muttered Robespierre between his teeth.