But his voice breaks, and the last word is lost in a hoarse cry. "It is Danton's blood that chokes you!" Robespierre, livid at the taunt, turns to the interrupter. "Danton? It is he, then, you will avenge? Why did you not protect him, cowards?" Replies are hurled at him from every corner. Had he not gagged Danton's defenders? Now they were going to avenge him! Now their turn had come! "Did you not hound him to his death, you curs?" shouts Robespierre, with one last cry of rage. But a pregnant remark falls on the assembly and hastens the end. "It is hard work, indeed, to drag down a tyrant!" There is no more hope for Robespierre. This interruption recalls the Convention to the danger that threatens them. The turmoil is re-doubled. Tallien, from the tribune, which he has not yet quitted, demands of the president that the traitor's arrest be put to the vote. "To the vote! To the vote!" echoes through the Hall. But suddenly an unexpected incident attracts general attention. A deputy advances to the centre of the semi-circle: "I demand to share my brother's fate, as I have striven to share his nobler deeds." It is Augustin Robespierre, who had returned to Paris the day before, and, acting on a generous impulse, thus offers the sacrifice of his life, a sacrifice that is accepted out of hand. "The arrest of the brothers Robespierre!" "And mine!" calls out Lebas proudly, joining the two. "And Saint-Just!" cries a voice. "And Couthon!" "To the vote! To the vote!" The president has risen. He will put these arrests to the vote when silence is restored. "Silence for the voting! Silence!" "Every one to his seat!" The deputies take their respective places. Then in the deep and awful silence which follows, under the strained gaze of the mob in the gallery, the president speaks-- "_Citoyens_, I put to the vote, by standing and sitting, the arrest of Maximilien Robespierre, of Augustin Robespierre, of Couthon, of Saint-Just, and of Lebas. Let those who vote for these arrests stand up." A hundred deputies rise. They are those of the Mountain. Seeing the men of the Plain remain motionless, a ray of hope cheers Robespierre's despair. Since the centre refuses to vote for his arrest, they must be, surely, on his side. "Oh, ye at least, righteous men of the Plain!" he pleads. Those of the Plain start, draw themselves up, then silently and spontaneously rise to a man! It is the death-blow! The whole assembly are now standing. The arrests are unanimously voted. Robespierre is lost. He totters, and nearly falls on a bench at the foot of the tribune. The president now officially announces the result of the voting amidst deafening shouts of triumph. The ushers advance to arrest Robespierre, but he rises, livid with rage, and thrusts them aside. The President sees this. "Robespierre refuses to obey! Ushers, call in the gendarmes!" The whole assembly echo his words, and shout: "The gendarmes! Bring in the gendarmes!"