Robert Tournay: A Romance of the French RevolutionSage, William
History
Robert Tournay: A Romance of the French Revolution
Sage, William
France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799 -- Fiction
In the second cart stood the Citizen St. Hilaire. He held himself erect
and stood motionless, his arms, like those of the rest of the
prisoners, tightly pinioned behind him. But it could be seen that he was
addressing the populace and exciting their sympathy. By his side was
Madame d'Arlincourt, her large blue eyes fixed intently upon St.
Hilaire; she seemed unmindful of the scene around her, and to be already
in another world.
In the rear of the cart, dressed in white, was La Liberté. Her face was
flushed and animated, and she was talking loudly and rapidly to the
crowd which followed the tumbril.
Tournay sprang to the head of the procession. He still wore his uniform,
and the crowd made way for him.
"Why did you take these tumbrils out to-day?" he demanded of the
gendarmes. "Do you not know that Robespierre is in prison and the
executions are to be stopped?"
"I have my orders from the keeper of the Luxembourg. I am to take these
tumbrils to the Place de la Révolution," replied the officer; then
addressing the crowd, he cried, "Make way there, citizens, make way
there and let us proceed!"
"No, no!" cried a great number of voices, while others cried out, "Yes,
make way!" But all still blocked the passage of the carts.
"The keeper of the Luxembourg had no authority to order the execution of
these prisoners to-day. Take them at once back to the prison," ordered
Tournay.
"Where is your authority? Show it to me and I will obey you," replied
the police officer.
"This is not a day on which we present written authority," answered
Tournay. "I tell you I have the right to order you back to the prison.
It is the will of the convention."
"I take my orders from the Commune," replied the gendarme stubbornly. "I
must go forward."
Gaillard had meantime worked his way to Tournay's shoulder, and the
latter said a few words in his ear. Gaillard plunged into the crowd and
was off like a shot in the direction of the convention.
"Citizens, let us pass!" cried the gendarmes impatiently.
"Citizens," Tournay cried out in a loud voice, "it is the will of the
convention that no executions take place to-day. These carts must not
go. I call upon you to help me." As he spoke he ran to the horses'
heads. The crowd swept the gendarmes to one side, and in a moment's time
the tumbrils were turned about.
Then a clatter of hoofs was heard, accompanied by angry shouts, and the
crowd broke and scattered in all directions, as Commandant Henriot,
followed by a troop of mounted police, rode through them.
"What is the meaning of this?" he roared out.
"Where shall we go, back to the Luxembourg or forward to the Place de la
Révolution?" cried out the bewildered gendarmes who guarded the
tumbrils.
"To the guillotine, of course, always the guillotine," answered Henriot.
"About, face! Citizens, disperse!"
The crowd had closed up and were muttering their disapproval, many even
going so far as to flourish weapons.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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