The History of a Crime: The Testimony of an Eye-WitnessHugo, Victor
History
The History of a Crime: The Testimony of an Eye-Witness
Hugo, Victor
France -- History -- 1789-1900
Fifty or sixty Representatives found resting-places on them. The greater
number remained on their benches. Marc Dufraisse settled himself to pass
the night on a footstool, leaning on a table. Happy was the man who had a
chair.
Nevertheless, cordiality and gaiety did not cease to prevail. "Make room
for the 'Burgraves!'" said smilingly a venerable veteran of the Right. A
young Republican Representative rose, and offered him his mattress. They
pressed on each offers of overcoats, cloaks, and coverlets.
"Reconciliation," said Chamiot, while offering the half of his mattress
to the Duc de Luynes. The Duc de Luynes, who had 80,000 francs a year,
smiled, and replied to Chamiot, "You are St. Martin, and I am the beggar."
M. Paillet, the well-known barrister, who belonged to the "Third Estate,"
used to say, "I passed the night on a Bonapartist straw mattress, wrapped
in a burnouse of the Mountain, my feet in a Democratic and Socialist
sheepskin, and my head in a Legitimist cotton nightcap." The
Representatives, although prisoners in the barracks, could stroll about
freely. They were allowed to go down into the courtyard. M. Cordier (of
Calvados) came upstairs again, saying, "I have just spoken to the
soldiers. They did not know that their generals had been arrested. They
appeared surprised and discontented." This incident raised the prisoners'
hopes.
Representative Michel Renaud of the Basses-Pyrénees, found several of his
compatriots of the Basque country amongst the Chasseurs de Vincennes who
occupied the courtyard. Some had voted for him, and reminded him of the
fact. They added, "Ah! We would again vote for the 'Red' list." One of
them, quite a young man, took him aside, and said to him. "Do you want
any money, sir? I have a forty-sous piece in my pocket."
Towards ten o'clock in the evening a great hubbub arose in the courtyard.
The doors and the barred gate turned noisily upon their hinges. Something
entered which rumbled like thunder. They leaned out of window, and saw at
the foot of the steps a sort of big, oblong chest, painted black, yellow,
red, and green, on four wheels, drawn by post-horses, and surrounded by
men in long overcoats, and with fierce-looking faces, holding torches. In
the gloom, and with the help of imagination, this vehicle appeared
completely black. A door could be seen, but no other opening. It
resembled a great coffin on wheels. "What is that? Is it a hearse?" "No,
it is a police-van." "And those people, are they undertakers?" "No, they
are jailers." "And for whom has this come?"
"For you, gentlemen!" cried out a voice.
It was the voice of an officer; and the vehicle which had just entered
was in truth a police-van.
At the same time a word of command was heard: "First squadron to horse."
And five minutes afterwards the Lancers who were to escort the vehicle
formed in line in the courtyard.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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