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
A few steps further I heard my name pronounced. I turned round. It was
Jules Favre, Bourzat, Lafon, Madier de Montjau, and Michel de Bourges,
who were passing by. I took leave of the brave and devoted woman who had
insisted upon accompanying me. A _fiacre_ was passing. I put her in it,
and then rejoined the five Representatives. They had come from the Rue
de Charonne. They had found the premises of the Society of Cabinet
Makers closed. "There was no one there," said Madier de Montjau. "These
worthy people are beginning to get together a little capital, they do
not wish to compromise it, they are afraid of us. They say, '_coups
d'état_ are nothing to us, we shall leave them alone!'"
"That does not surprise me," answered I, "a society is shopkeeper."
"Where are we going?" asked Jules Favre.
Lafon lived two steps from there, at No. 2, Quai Jemmapes. He offered us
the use of his rooms. We accepted, and took the necessary measures to
inform the members of the Left that we had gone there.
A few minutes afterwards we were installed in Lafon's rooms, on the
fourth floor of an old and lofty house. This house had seen the taking
of the Bastille.
This house was entered by a side-door opening from the Quai Jemmapes
upon a narrow courtyard a few steps lower than the Quai itself. Bourzat
remained at this door to warn us in case of any accident, and to point
out the house to those Representatives who might come up.
In a few moments a large number of us had assembled, and we again
met--all those of the morning, with a few added. Lafon gave up his
drawing-room to us, the windows of which overlooked the back yard. We
organized a sort of "bureau," and we took our places, Jules Favre,
Carnot, Michel, and myself, at a large table, lighted by two candles,
and placed before the fire. The Representatives and the other people
present sat around on chairs and sofas. A group stood before the door.
Michel de Bourges, on entering, exclaimed, "We have come to seek out the
people of the Faubourg St. Antoine. Here we are. Here we must remain."
These words were applauded.
They set forth the situation--the torpor of the Faubourgs, no one at the
Society of Cabinet Makers, the doors closed nearly everywhere. I told
them what I had seen and heard in the Rue de la Roquette, the remarks of
the wine-seller, Auguste, on the indifference of the people, the hopes
of the engineer, and the possibility of a movement during the night in
the Faubourg St. Marceau. It was settled that on the first notice that
might be given I should go there.
Nevertheless nothing was yet known of what had taken place during the
day. It was announced that M. Havin, Lieutenant-Colonel of the 5th
Legion of the National Guard, had ordered the officers of his Legion to
attend a meeting.
Some Democratic writers came in, amongst whom were Alexander Rey and
Xavier Durrieu, with Kesler, Villiers, and Amable Lemaître of the
_Révolution_; one of these writers was Millière.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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