zanoni-第97节

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drunkard　at　their　head；　and　mark　my　words；　Fouquier；　if　the

struggle　come；　it　is　that　man's　incapacity　and　cowardice　that

will　destroy　us。　　Yes；　thou　mayst　live　thyself　to　accuse　thy

beloved　Robespierre；　and　to　perish　in　his　fall。〃



〃For　all　that；　we　must　keep　well　with　Henriot　till　we　can　find

the　occasion　to　seize　and　behead　him。　　To　be　safe；　we　must　fawn

on　those　who　are　still　in　power；　and　fawn　the　more；　the　more　we

would　depose　them。　　Do　not　think　this　Henriot；　when　he　wakes　to…

morrow；　will　forget　thy　threats。　　He　is　the　most　revengeful　of

human　beings。　　Thou　must　send　and　soothe　him　in　the　morning！〃



〃Right；〃　said　Dumas；　convinced。　　〃I　was　too　hasty；　and　now　I

think　we　have　nothing　further　to　do；　since　we　have　arranged　to

make　short　work　with　our　fournee　of　to…morrow。　　I　see　in　the　list

a　knave　I　have　long　marked　out；　though　his　crime　once　procured　me

a　legacy；Nicot；　the　Hebertist。〃



〃And　young　Andre　Chenier；　the　poet？　　Ah；　I　forgot；　we　be　headed

HIM　to…day！　　Revolutionary　virtue　is　at　its　acme。　　His　own

brother　abandoned　him。〃　（His　brother　is　said；　indeed；　to　have

contributed　to　the　condemnation　of　this　virtuous　and　illustrious

person。　　He　was　heard　to　cry　aloud；　〃Si　mon　frere　est　coupable；

qu'il　perisse〃　（If　my　brother　be　culpable；　let　him　die）。　　This

brother；　Marie…Joseph；　also　a　poet；　and　the　author　of　〃Charles

IX。；〃　so　celebrated　in　the　earlier　days　of　the　Revolution；

enjoyed；　of　course；　according　to　the　wonted　justice　of　the　world；

a　triumphant　career；　and　was　proclaimed　in　the　Champ　de　Mars　〃le

premier　de　poetes　Francais；〃　a　title　due　to　his　murdered

brother。）



〃There　is　a　foreigner；an　Italian　woman　in　the　list；　but　I　can

find　no　charge　made　out　against　her。〃



〃All　the　same　we　must　execute　her　for　the　sake　of　the　round

number；　eighty　sounds　better　than　seventy…nine！〃



Here　a　huissier　brought　a　paper　on　which　was　written　the　request

of　Henriot。



〃Ah！　this　is　fortunate；〃　said　Tinville；　to　whom　Dumas　chucked　the

scroll；〃grant　the　prayer　by　all　means；　so　at　least　that　it　does

not　lessen　our　bead…roll。　　But　I　will　do　Henriot　the　justice　to

say　that　he　never　asks　to　let　off；　but　to　put　on。　　Good…night！　　I

am　worn　outmy　escort　waits　below。　　Only　on　such　an　occasion

would　I　venture　forth　in　the　streets　at　night。〃　　（During　the

latter　part　of　the　Reign　of　Terror；　Fouquier　rarely　stirred　out

at　night；　and　never　without　an　escort。　　In　the　Reign　of　Terror

those　most　terrified　were　its　kings。）　　And　Fouquier；　with　a　long

yawn；　quitted　the　room。



〃Admit　the　bearer！〃　said　Dumas；　who；　withered　and　dried；　as

lawyers　in　practice　mostly　are；　seemed　to　require　as　little　sleep

as　his　parchments。



The　stranger　entered。



〃Rene…Francois　Dumas；〃　said　he；　seating　himself　opposite　to　the

president；　and　markedly　adopting　the　plural；　as　if　in　contempt　of

the　revolutionary　jargon；　〃amidst　the　excitement　and　occupations

of　your　later　life；　I　know　not　if　you　can　remember　that　we　have

met　before？〃



The　judge　scanned　the　features　of　his　visitor；　and　a　pale　blush

settled　on　his　sallow　cheeks；　〃Yes；　citizen；　I　remember！〃



〃And　you　recall　the　words　I　then　uttered！　　You　spoke　tenderly　and

philanthropically　of　your　horror　of　capital　executions；　you

exulted　in　the　approaching　Revolution　as　the　termination　of　all

sanguinary　punishments；　you　quoted　reverently　the　saying　of

Maximilien　Robespierre；　the　rising　statesman；　'The　executioner　is

the　invention　of　the　tyrant：'　and　I　replied；　that　while　you

spoke；　a　foreboding　seized　me　that　we　should　meet　again　when　your

ideas　of　death　and　the　philosophy　of　revolutions　might　be

changed！　　Was　I　right；　Citizen　Rene…Francois　Dumas；　President　of

the　Revolutionary　Tribunal？〃



〃Pooh！〃　said　Dumas；　with　some　confusion　on　his　brazen　brow；　〃I

spoke　then　as　men　speak　who　have　not　acted。　　Revolutions　are　not

made　with　rose…water！　　But　truce　to　the　gossip　of　the　long…ago。

I　remember；　also；　that　thou　didst　then　save　the　life　of　my

relation；　and　it　will　please　thee　to　learn　that　his　intended

murderer　will　be　guillotined　to…morrow。〃



〃That　concerns　yourself；your　justice　or　your　revenge。　　Permit

me　the　egotism　to　remind　you　that　you　then　promised　that　if　ever

a　day　should　come　when　you　could　serve　me；　your　lifeyes；　the

phrase　was；　'your　heart's　blood'was　at　my　bidding。　　Think　not；

austere　judge；　that　I　come　to　ask　a　boon　that　can　affect

yourself；I　come　but　to　ask　a　day's　respite　for　another！〃



〃Citizen；　it　is　impossible！　　I　have　the　order　of　Robespierre　that

not　one　less　than　the　total　on　my　list　must　undergo　their　trial

for　to…morrow。　　As　for　the　verdict；　that　rests　with　the　jury！〃



〃I　do　not　ask　you　to　diminish　the　catalogue。　　Listen　still！　　In

your　death…roll　there　is　the　name　of　an　Italian　woman　whose

youth；　whose　beauty；　and　whose　freedom　not　only　from　every　crime；

but　every　tangible　charge；　will　excite　only　compassion；　and　not

terror。　　Even　YOU　would　tremble　to　pronounce　her　sentence。　　It

will　be　dangerous　on　a　day　when　the　populace　will　be　excited；

when　your　tumbrils　may　be　arrested；　to　expose　youth　and　innocence

and　beauty　to　the　pity　and　courage　of　a　revolted　crowd。〃



Dumas　looked　up　and　shrunk　from　the　eye　of　the　stranger。



〃I　do　not　deny；　citizen；　that　there　is　reason　in　what　thou

urgest。　　But　my　orders　are　positive。〃



〃Positive　only　as　to　the　number　of　the　victims。　　I　offer　you　a

substitute　for　this　one。　　I　offer　you　the　head　of　a　man　who　knows

all　of　the　very　conspiracy　which　now　threatens　Robespierre　and

yourself；　and　compared　with　one　clew　to　which；　you　would　think

even　eighty　ordinary　lives　a　cheap　purchase。〃



〃That　alters　the　case；〃　said　Dumas；　eagerly；　〃if　thou　canst　do

this；　on　my　own　responsibility　I　will　postpone　the　trial　of　the

Italian。　　Now　name　the　proxy！〃



〃You　behold　him！〃



〃Thou！〃　exclaimed　Dumas；　while　a　fear　he　could　not　conceal

betrayed　itself　through　his　surprise。　　〃Thou！and　thou　comest　to

me　alone　at　night；　to　offer　thyself　to　justice。　　Ha！this　is　a

snare。　　Tremble；　fool！thou　art　in　my　power；　and　I　can　have

BOTH！〃



〃You　can；〃　said　the　stranger；　with　a　calm　smile　of　disdain；　〃but

my　life　is　valueless　without　my　revelations。　　Sit　still；　I

command　you；hear　me！〃　and　the　light　in　those　dauntless　eyes

spell…bound　and　awed　the　judge。　　〃You　will　remove　me　to　the

Conciergerie；you　will　fix　my　trial；　under　the　name　of　Zanoni；

amidst　your　fournee　of　to…morrow。　　If　I　do　not　satisfy　you　by　my

speech；　you　hold　the　woman　I　die　to　save　as　your　hostage。　　It　is

but　the　reprieve　for　her　of　a　single　day　that　I　demand。　　The　day

following　the　morrow　I　shall　be　dust；　and　you　may　wreak　your

vengeance　on　the　life　that　remains。　　Tush！　judge　and　condemner　of

thousands；　do　you　hesitate；do　you　imagine　that　the　man　who

voluntarily　offers　himself　to　death　will　be　daunted　into　uttering

one　syllable　at　your　Bar　against　his　will？　　Have　you　not　had

experience　enough　of　the　inflexibility　of　pride　and　courage？

President；　I　place　before　you　the　ink　and　implements！　　Write　to

the　jailer　a　reprieve　of　one　day　for　the　woman　whose　life　can

avail　you　nothing；　and　I　will　bear　the　order　to　my　own　prison：

I；　who　can　now　tell　this　much　as　an　earnest　of　what　I　can

communicate；while　I　speak；　your　own　name；　judge；　is　in　a　list

of　death。　　I　can　tell　you　by　whose　hand　it　is　written　down；　I　can

tell　you　in　what　quarter　to　look　for　danger；　I　can　tell　you　from

what　cloud；　in　this　lurid　atmosphere；　hangs　the　storm　that　shall

burst　on　Robespierre　and　his　reign！〃



Dumas　grew　pale；　and　his　eyes　vainly　sought　to　escape　the

magnetic　gaze　that　overpowered　and　mastered　him。　　Mechanically；

and　as　if　under　an　agency　not　his　own；　he　wrote　while　the

stranger　dictated。



〃Well；〃　he　said　then；　forcing　a　smile　to　his　lips；　〃I　promised　I

would　serve　you；　see；　I　am　faithful　to　my　word。　　I　suppose　that

you　are　one　of　those　fools　of　feeling；those　professors　of　anti…

revolutionary　virtue；　of　whom　I　have　seen　not　a　few　before　my

Bar。　　Faugh！　it　sickens　me　to　see　those　who　make　a　merit　of

incivism；　and　perish　to　save　some　bad　patriot；　because　it　is　a

son；　or　a　father；　or　a　wife；　or　a　daughter；　who　is　saved。〃



〃I　AM　one　of　those　fools　of　feeling；〃　said　the　stranger；　rising。

〃You　have　divined　aright。〃



〃And　wilt　thou　not；　in　return　for　my　mercy；　utter　to…night　the

revelations　thou　wouldst　proclaim　to…morrow？　　Come；　and　perhaps

thou　toonay；　the　woman　alsomay　receive；　not　reprieve；　but

pardon。〃



〃Before　your　tribunal；　and　there　alone！　　Nor　will　I　deceive　you；

president。　　My　information　may　avail　you　not；　and　even　while　I

show　the　cloud；　the　bolt　may　fall。〃



〃Tush！　prophet；　look　to　thyself！　　Go；　madman；　go。　　I　know　too

well　the　contumacious　obstinacy　of　the　class　to　which　I　suspect

thou　belongest；　to　waste　further　words。　　Diable！　but　ye　grow　so

accustomed　to　look　on　death；　that　ye　forget　the　respect　ye　owe　to

it。　　Since　thou　offerest　me　thy　head；　I　accept　it。　　To…