zanoni-第87节

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〃Citizens；〃　said　Nicot；　white　with　passion；　but　constraining

himself　so　that　his　words　seemed　to　come　from　grinded　teeth；　〃I

have　the　honour　to　inform　you　that　I　seek　the　Representant　upon

business　of　the　utmost　importance　to　the　public　and　himself；

and；〃　he　added　slowly　and　malignantly；　glaring　round；　〃I　call　all

good　citizens　to　be　my　witnesses　when　I　shall　complain　to

Robespierre　of　the　reception　bestowed　on　me　by　some　amongst　you。〃



There　was　in　the　man's　look　and　his　tone　of　voice　so　much　of　deep

and　concentrated　malignity；　that　the　idlers　drew　back；　and　as　the

remembrance　of　the　sudden　ups　and　downs　of　revolutionary　life

occurred　to　them；　several　voices　were　lifted　to　assure　the

squalid　and　ragged　painter　that　nothing　was　farther　from　their

thoughts　than　to　offer　affront　to　a　citizen　whose　very　appearance

proved　him　to　be　an　exemplary　sans…culotte。　　Nicot　received　these

apologies　in　sullen　silence；　and；　folding　his　arms；　leaned

against　the　wall；　waiting　in　grim　patience　for　his　admission。



The　loiterers　talked　to　each　other　in　separate　knots　of　two　and

three；　and　through　the　general　hum　rang　the　clear；　loud；　careless

whistle　of　the　tall　Jacobin　who　stood　guard　by　the　stairs。　　Next

to　Nicot；　an　old　woman　and　a　young　virgin　were　muttering　in

earnest　whispers；　and　the　atheist　painter　chuckled　inly　to

overhear　their　discourse。



〃I　assure　thee；　my　dear；〃　said　the　crone；　with　a　mysterious　shake

of　head；　〃that　the　divine　Catherine　Theot；　whom　the　impious　now

persecute；　is　really　inspired。　　There　can　be　no　doubt　that　the

elect；　of　whom　Dom　Gerle　and　the　virtuous　Robespierre　are

destined　to　be　the　two　grand　prophets；　will　enjoy　eternal　life

here；　and　exterminate　all　their　enemies。　　There　is　no　doubt　of

it；not　the　least！〃



〃How　delightful！〃　said　the　girl；　〃ce　cher　Robespierre！he　does

not　look　very　long…lived　either！〃



〃The　greater　the　miracle；〃　said　the　old　woman。　　〃I　am　just

eighty…one；　and　I　don't　feel　a　day　older　since　Catherine　Theot

promised　me　I　should　be　one　of　the　elect！〃



Here　the　women　were　jostled　aside　by　some　newcomers；　who　talked

loud　and　eagerly。



〃Yes；〃　cried　a　brawny　man；　whose　garb　denoted　him　to　be　a

butcher；　with　bare　arms；　and　a　cap　of　liberty　on　his　head；　〃I　am

come　to　warn　Robespierre。　　They　lay　a　snare　for　him；　they　offer

him　the　Palais　National。　　'On　ne　peut　etre　ami　du　peuple　et

habiter　un　palais。'〃　（〃No　one　can　be　a　friend　of　the　people；　and

dwell　in　a　palace。〃〃Papiers　inedits　trouves　chez　Robespierre；〃

etc。；　volume　ii。　page　132。）



〃No；　indeed；〃　answered　a　cordonnier；　〃I　like　him　best　in　his

little　lodging　with　the　menuisier：　　it　looks　like　one　of　US。〃



Another　rush　of　the　crowd；　and　a　new　group　were　thrown　forward　in

the　vicinity　of　Nicot。　　And　these　men　gabbled　and　chattered

faster　and　louder　than　the　rest。



〃But　my　plan　is〃



〃Au　diable　with　YOUR　plan！　　I　tell　you　MY　scheme　is〃



〃Nonsense！〃　cried　a　third。　　〃When　Robespierre　understands　MY　new

method　of　making　gunpowder；　the　enemies　of　France　shall〃



〃Bah！　who　fears　foreign　enemies？〃　interrupted　a　fourth；　〃the

enemies　to　be　feared　are　at　home。　　MY　new　guillotine　takes　off

fifty　heads　at　a　time！〃



〃But　MY　new　Constitution！〃　exclaimed　a　fifth。



〃MY　new　Religion；　citizen！〃　murmured；　complacently；　a　sixth。



〃Sacre　mille　tonnerres；　silence！〃　roared　forth　one　of　the　Jacobin

guard。



And　the　crowd　suddenly　parted　as　a　fierce…looking　man；　buttoned

up　to　the　chin；　his　sword　rattling　by　his　side；　his　spurs

clinking　at　his　heel；　descended　the　stairs；his　cheeks　swollen

and　purple　with　intemperance；　his　eyes　dead　and　savage　as　a

vulture's。　　There　was　a　still　pause；　as　all；　with　pale　cheeks；

made　way　for　the　relentless　Henriot。　　（Or　H_a_nriot。　　It　is

singular　how　undetermined　are　not　only　the　characters　of　the

French　Revolution；　but　even　the　spelling　of　their　names。　　With

the　historians　it　is　Vergniau_d_；with　the　journalists　of　the

time　it　is　Vorgniau_x_。　　With　one　authority　it　is　Robespierre；

with　another　Robe_r_spierre。）　　Scarce　had　this　gruff　and　iron

minion　of　the　tyrant　stalked　through　the　throng；　than　a　new

movement　of　respect　and　agitation　and　fear　swayed　the　increasing

crowd；　as　there　glided　in；　with　the　noiselessness　of　a　shadow；　a

smiling；　sober　citizen；　plainly　but　neatly　clad；　with　a　downcast

humble　eye。　　A　milder；　meeker　face　no　pastoral　poet　could　assign

to　Corydon　or　Thyrsis；why　did　the　crowd　shrink　and　hold　their

breath？　　As　the　ferret　in　a　burrow　crept　that　slight　form　amongst

the　larger　and　rougher　creatures　that　huddled　and　pressed　back　on

each　other　as　he　passed。　　A　wink　of　his　stealthy　eye；　and　the

huge　Jacobins　left　the　passage　clear；　without　sound　or　question。

On　he　went　to　the　apartment　of　the　tyrant；　and　thither　will　we

follow　him。





CHAPTER　7。VII。



Constitutum　est；　ut　quisquis　eum　HOMINEM　dixisset　fuisse；

capitalem　penderet　poenam。

St。　Augustine；　〃Of　the　God　Serapis；〃　l。　18；　〃de　Civ。　Dei；〃　c。　5。）



（It　was　decreed；　that　whoso　should　say　that　he　had　been　a　MAN；

should　suffer　the　punishment　of　a　capital　offence。）



Robespierre　was　reclining　languidly　in　his　fauteuil；　his

cadaverous　countenance　more　jaded　and　fatigued　than　usual。　　He　to

whom　Catherine　Theot　assured　immortal　life；　looked；　indeed；　like

a　man　at　death's　door。　　On　the　table　before　him　was　a　dish　heaped

with　oranges；　with　the　juice　of　which　it　is　said　that　he　could

alone　assuage　the　acrid　bile　that　overflowed　his　system；　and　an

old　woman；　richly　dressed　（she　had　been　a　Marquise　in　the　old

regime）　was　employed　in　peeling　the　Hesperian　fruits　for　the　sick

Dragon；　with　delicate　fingers　covered　with　jewels。　　I　have　before

said　that　Robespierre　was　the　idol　of　the　women。　　Strange

certainly！but　then　they　were　French　women！　　The　old　Marquise；

who；　like　Catherine　Theot；　called　him　〃son；〃　really　seemed　to

love　him　piously　and　disinterestedly　as　a　mother；　and　as　she

peeled　the　oranges；　and　heaped　on　him　the　most　caressing　and

soothing　expressions；　the　livid　ghost　of　a　smile　fluttered　about

his　meagre　lips。　　At　a　distance；　Payan　and　Couthon；　seated　at

another　table；　were　writing　rapidly；　and　occasionally　pausing

from　their　work　to　consult　with　each　other　in　brief　whispers。



Suddenly　one　of　the　Jacobins　opened　the　door；　and；　approaching

Robespierre；　whispered　to　him　the　name　of　Guerin。　　（See　for　the

espionage　on　which　Guerin　was　employed；　〃Les　Papiers　inedits；〃

etc。；　volume　i。　page　366；　No。　xxviii。）　　At　that　word　the　sick　man

started　up；　as　if　new　life　were　in　the　sound。



〃My　kind　friend；〃　he　said　to　the　Marquise；　〃forgive　me；　I　must

dispense　with　thy　tender　cares。　　France　demands　me。　　I　am　never

ill　when　I　can　serve　my　country！〃



The　old　Marquise　lifted　up　her　eyes　to　heaven　and　murmured；　〃Quel

ange！〃



Robespierre　waved　his　hand　impatiently；　and　the　old　woman；　with　a

sigh；　patted　his　pale　cheek；　kissed　his　forehead；　and

submissively　withdrew。　　The　next　moment；　the　smiling；　sober　man

we　have　before　described；　stood；　bending　low；　before　the　tyrant。

And　well　might　Robespierre　welcome　one　of　the　subtlest　agents　of

his　power；one　on　whom　he　relied　more　than　the　clubs　of　his

Jacobins；　the　tongues　of　his　orators；　the　bayonets　of　his　armies；

Guerin；　the　most　renowned　of　his　ecouteurs；the　searching；

prying；　universal；　omnipresent　spy；　who　glided　like　a　sunbeam

through　chink　and　crevice；　and　brought　to　him　intelligence　not

only　of　the　deeds；　but　the　hearts　of　men！



〃Well；　citizen；　well！and　what　of　Tallien？〃



〃This　morning；　early；　two　minutes　after　eight；　he　went　out。〃



〃So　early？hem！〃



〃He　passed　Rue　des　Quatre　Fils；　Rue　de　Temple；　Rue　de　la　Reunion；

au　Marais；　Rue　Martin；　nothing　observable；　except　that〃



〃That　what？〃



〃He　amused　himself　at　a　stall　in　bargaining　for　some　books。〃



〃Bargaining　for　books！　　Aha；　the　charlatan！he　would　cloak　the

intriguant　under　the　savant！　　Well！〃



〃At　last；　in　the　Rue　des　Fosses　Montmartre；　an　individual　in　a

blue　surtout　（unknown）　accosted　him。　　They　walked　together　about

the　street　some　minutes；　and　were　joined　by　Legendre。〃



〃Legendre！　approach；　Payan！　　Legendre；　thou　hearest！〃



〃I　went　into　a　fruit…stall；　and　hired　two　little　girls　to　go　and

play　at　ball　within　hearing。　　They　heard　Legendre　say；　'I　believe

his　power　is　wearing　itself　out。'　　And　Tallien　answered；　'And

HIMSELF　too。　　I　would　not　give　three　months'　purchase　for　his

life。'　　I　do　not　know；　citizen；　if　they　meant　THEE？〃



〃Nor　I；　citizen；〃　answered　Robespierre；　with　a　fell　smile；

succeeded　by　an　expression　of　gloomy　thought。　　〃Ha！〃　he　muttered；

〃I　am　young　yet；in　the　prime　of　life。　　I　commit　no　excess。　　No；

my　constitution　is　sound；　sound。　　Anything　farther　of　Tallien？〃



〃Yes。　　The　woman　whom　he　lovesTeresa　de　Fontenaiwho　lies　in

prison；　still　continues　to　correspond　with　him；　to　urge　him　to

save　her　by　thy　destruction：　　this　my　listeners　overheard。　　His

serva