Robespierre : $b the story of Victorien Sardou's play adapted and novelized under his authoritySardou, Victorien
General
Robespierre : $b the story of Victorien Sardou's play adapted and novelized under his authority
Sardou, Victorien
Robespierre, Maximilien, 1758-1794 -- Fiction
When the man had explained that he had not been able to find any
matches, the Recorder began to read the paper--
"Sourdeval!" he cried out.
Other lanterns were now lighting up the courtyard and the distracted
crowd, and every eye was turned in the direction of the prisoner who
had been named.
"Here I am!" cried a voice.
And a man advanced, his head erect, calm and impassive, without
casting a single glance on the spectators, knowing no one perhaps.
He crossed the line of gendarmes, and disappeared behind the grating
to fetch his belongings.
The Recorder proceeded with his grim and gloomy task, drawing tears
from some, heart-rending cries from others, and interrupted by
murmurs of pity or defiance.
The young de Maillé, who was called among the first, stopped playing
with the children to go to his death. An old man, Monsieur de
Mauclère, at the sound of his name fainted away, and was carried out.
Madame de Narbonne, called also, confided her little daughter to
Madame de Choiseul.
"Where are you going, mamma?" asked the child.
And Madame de Narbonne had the courage to reply--
"I shall be back in a moment, my darling."
"Don't go, mamma! ... don't go! ... I don't want you to go!"
Madame de Narbonne hurried away to hide her tears, then, breaking
down entirely, leant on the grating and sobbed aloud.
The Maleyssie family, father, mother, and two young girls, threw
themselves into each other's arms, thanking heaven they were not to
be separated in this supreme hour, and would walk hand in hand to the
scaffold. An old couple with white hair, the Maréchal and Maréchale
de Mouchy, worn with age, each walking with the aid of a stick, were
called together. At once she took his arm, and so they made their
way with calm courage through the prisoners, who bared their heads in
reverence before such sublime resignation. Another couple drew forth
cries of admiration: the Comte and Comtesse de Lavergne. The Comte,
alone named, was taking leave of his wife, who, after assuring
herself she was not on the list, implored the Recorder to include
her. On his replying that he had no orders to do so, she uttered the
cry of sedition punishable by death: "Vive le Roi!" and was inscribed
forthwith on the fatal list.
Olivier now held his mother pressed against him, while Marie Thérèse
and Clarisse, nestling together, followed the terrible spectacle with
joined hands. All hearts were moved to admiration or to pity,
according to the acts of courage or faint-heartedness which were
displayed. But brave deeds predominated. A Monsieur de Gournay,
called out whilst engaged in filling his pipe on a bench, rose
quietly and lit it at a turnkey's lantern, and went towards the gate
without a word. The Comte de Broglie, interrupted in a game of chess
with the Chevalier de Bar, as he rose pointed to the chess-board, and
said--
"You see, you would have lost, chevalier. But cheer up! I shall let
you have your revenge in the other world."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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