France -- History -- Revolution, 1789-1799 -- Fiction; Triangles (Interpersonal relations) -- Fiction
But, while she was thus endeavoring to console them, her own tears
mingled with theirs. She took them both in her arms, and clasped them to
her heart in a close embrace.
"Love each other always, and do not forget me."
These were her last words of counsel.
Coursegol approached. Philip opened his arms.
"Coursegol," said he, "you are a man and an old soldier. Death has no
terrors for you; you will lose none of your calmness. Take good care of
her to the last, will you not?"
"That she might not be compelled to go alone was why I resolved to die
with her," replied Coursegol, simply.
"Dolores, give me your blessing."
It was Antoinette who spoke.
"Yes, my sister, I bless thee!"
And Dolores extended her hand over the grief-stricken head of her
friend.
"En route! en route!"
This cry was uttered by a stentorian voice. The moment of parting had
come. One last kiss was exchanged.
"Farewell, farewell! We shall meet again in Heaven!"
And Dolores tore herself from their clinging arms. Coursegol followed
her, but not so quickly that he failed to see Antoinette swoon with a
cry of heart-broken anguish, and Philip spring forward to support her. A
cart was awaiting the victims in the court-yard of the prison. The
twelve who were doomed to death took their places in it with their hands
bound behind their backs. A number of soldiers on horseback and some on
foot acted as an escort. They fell into line and the little procession
started.
From the Conciergerie to the Place de la Revolution the cart was
followed by a hooting, jelling crowd of men, women and children, who
sang coarse songs and hurled insults in the faces of their victims.
These last seemed insensible to the indignities heaped upon them. On one
side of the cart an aged man and a youth were seated side by side.
Crowded close one against the other, they did not, along the entire
route, once cease to cry: "Vive le Roi!" One of their companions, a
Republican, accused of _Moderantisme_, regarded them with an air of
ironical compassion. A priest stood in the centre of the cart,
surrounded by three women, reciting prayers and canticles with them.
Dolores, who was leaning upon Coursegol's shoulder, seemed to be
entirely unconscious of what was passing around her. Grief, cold,
fatigue and the rough jolting of the vehicle had reduced her to a
condition of pitiable weakness. Coursegol was distressed to see her in
this state, and to be powerless to succor her. He did not think of
himself; he thought only of her.
When they came in sight of the Place de la Revolution, where the
terrible guillotine towered up grim and ghastly against the horizon,
Dolores trembled, and, closing her eyes, whispered:
"I am afraid!"
"Oh! my dearest little one, do not lose courage," said Coursegol, with
all a father's tenderness. "I am here, but I can do nothing to save you
from these horrors. But be brave and hopeful. Only a moment more and we
shall find peace in the grave and in the arms of our blessed Lord."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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