France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799 -- Fiction; Triangles (Interpersonal relations) -- Fiction
"One of these messengers is a friend of mine," added Bridoul, "and for a
fair compensation, he will consent to take you with him as his
assistant. In his company, you can visit the different prisons without
the slightest danger."
This plan delighted Coursegol. That same evening they made the desired
arrangement with the man of whom Bridoul had spoken. The next day, he
began his search, and three days later he ascertained that Dolores was
confined in the Conciergerie and Philip in the Madelonnettes.
CHAPTER XI.
THE CONCIERGERIE.
After their arrest Philip and Dolores were taken to the nearest
station-house and ushered into a room where three persons, arrested like
themselves during the evening, were awaiting examination. Unfortunately
the official charged with conducting these investigations had already
gone home. As he would not return until the next morning, the sergeant
of police decided that the prisoners must pass the night there. Some
mattresses were spread upon the floor for those who chose to use them.
Dolores refused to lie down. She seated herself in a broken-down arm
chair which Philip obtained for her, not without considerable
difficulty, and declared that she would spend the night there. Philip
placed himself on a stool at her feet and thus they waited the break of
day.
Their companions were stretched upon their couches fast asleep, and the
night, which promised to be heavy with cruel wakefulness and fatigue,
passed like some delightful dream.
They could not close their eyes to the fate that was in store for them.
Philip had plotted to save the queen; he had returned from his refuge in
foreign lands solely for this purpose. By sheltering him, Dolores had
become his accomplice. Such crimes would meet with, no indulgence. In
the morning they would be interrogated by an official, whose mind had
been poisoned against them in advance, and who would show no mercy to
their youth. Accused of desiring the overthrow of the Republic and the
return of the Bourbons, they would be sent to prison, taken from their
cells to the Revolutionary Tribunal, and condemned to the guillotine.
Such was the summary mode of procedure during the Reign of Terror. To
hope that any exception would be made in their case was folly. All that
was left for them, therefore, was to prepare to die. If the prospect of
such a fate brought the tears to their eyes at first, it was not because
either of them was wanting in courage. No, it was only for the fate that
was to befall the other that each wept. But when they had talked
together, and learned that they were mutually resigned, their sorrow was
appeased; and as if their sentence had already been pronounced, they
thought only of making their last hours on earth pass as calmly and
sweetly as possible.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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