the night of the 12th and the 13th vendémiaire

delaunay (d'angers), a member of the government, mounted the tribune to reply in its name.

"citizens," he said, "i have just been told that the section le peletier is hemmed in on all sides."

applause greeted these words from all sides; but a voice rang out above them, crying: "that is not true."

"and i tell you," continued delaunay, "that it is true."

"that is not true," repeated the same voice with still greater firmness. "i have just come from the section le peletier, and i know. our troops have retreated, and the sectionists are masters of paris."

just then the noise of many cries, footsteps, and vociferations resounded in the corridors. a flood of people swept into the room, terrible and resistless as a tidal wave. the tribunes were invaded; the wave flowed round them. a hundred voices cried in the crowd: "to arms! to arms! to prison with general menou! we are betrayed."

"i demand," cried chénier, standing upon his seat, "i demand that general menou be arrested, that he be tried on the spot, and that, if he be guilty, he be shot in the courtyard."

shouts of "arrest general menou!" redoubled. chénier continued: "i demand that arms and cartridges be distributed anew to all the patriots who ask for them. i demand that a battalion of patriots be formed that shall assume the name of 'the holy battalion of '89,' and that they shall swear to die on the steps of the assembly rather than yield."

[pg 291]

then, as if they had only awaited this motion, four hundred patriots invaded the hall, demanding arms. they were the veterans of the revolution—the living history of the past six years; the men who had fought under the walls of the bastille; who, on the 10th of august, had attacked the same chateau that they were called upon to defend to-day; men covered with scars, the heroes of valmy and jemmapes, proscribed because their daring deeds were attached to obscure names, and because they had vanquished the prussians without organized tactics, and beaten the austrians without a knowledge of mathematics or even knowing how to spell. they all accused the aristocratic factions of having driven them out of the army. it was the reactionary aubry who had torn the swords from their hands and the epaulets from their shoulders.

they kissed the guns and swords which were distributed to them, and pressed them to their hearts, exclaiming: "then we are free, since we are to die for our country!"

just then an usher entered to announce a deputation from the section le peletier.

"you see," said delaunay, "that i knew what i was talking about. they have come to accept the conditions imposed upon them by menou and laporte."

the usher went out and returned five minutes later.

"the chief of the deputation asks if he and his companions will be safeguarded while he makes a communication to the convention," he said.

boissy d'anglas raised his hand.

"on the honor of the nation," he said, "those who enter here shall go forth as safe and sound as they enter."

the usher retired with the answer. profound silence reigned in the assembly. the deputies still hoped, thanks to this unexpected occurrence, to escape from their dilemma by means of conciliatory measures. the silence was broken by the sound of approaching footsteps. all eyes turned toward the door and a shiver ran through the assembly.

the same young man who had addressed the conven[pg 292]tion on the previous occasion headed the deputation. his bearing showed plainly that he had not come to make submission.

"citizen president," said boissy d'anglas, "you have asked to be heard and we listen to you. you have asked to be safeguarded and we accord that demand. speak therefore."

"citizens," said the young man, "i hope that you will refuse the last offers of the sections, for i wish to fight. the happiest day of my life will be when i enter this hall ankle-deep in blood, with fire and sword in my hand."

a threatening murmur ran along the benches of the convention; a thrill of wonder passed through the tribunes and the group of patriots who were crowded in the corner of the hall.

"continue," said boissy d'anglas; "swell your threats to insolence. you know that you have nothing to fear and that we have guaranteed you your life and liberty."

"for that reason," continued the young man, "i will tell you in a few words what brings me here. it is the sacrifice of my personal vengeance to the general welfare, even including your own. i thought i had no right to send by another this final summons which i now pronounce to you. if to-morrow, at daybreak, the walls are not covered with notices to the effect that the convention is dissolved in a body, and that paris and the rest of france are free to choose their own representatives, without any conditions whatever, we shall consider that you have declared war and shall march against you. you have five thousand men, and we sixty thousand, with right on our side as well." here he drew out a watch set with brilliants. "it wants a quarter to midnight," he continued; "if within twelve hours, that is to say to-morrow at noon, paris has not received full satisfaction, the hall which shelters you to-night will be torn down stone by stone, and fire will be set to the four corners of the tuileries, that the royal dwelling may be purified of your sojourn in it. i have spoken."

[pg 293]

a cry of vengeance and menace rang through the hall; the patriots who had just been armed wanted to throw themselves upon the insolent orator; but boissy d'anglas stretched out his hand:

"i have pledged your word as well as my own, citizens," he said. "the president of the section le peletier must retire as he came, safe and sound. that is the way we keep our word; we shall see how he keeps his."

"then it is war!" exclaimed morgan, with a cry of delight.

"yes, citizen," replied boissy d'anglas, "and civil war, which is the worst of all wars. go, and never appear before us again, for i could not answer for your safety another time."

morgan withdrew with a smile on his lips. he took with him what he had come to seek, the certainty of a battle on the following day. nothing could avert it.

hardly had he left the hall, however, than a frightful tumult arose.

midnight struck. the 13th vendémiaire had begun.

let us leave the sections at odds with the convention, since we still have six or eight hours before war shall blaze out, and let us enter one of those mixed salons which were frequented by men of both parties, and where we can consequently obtain more definite news of the sections than was possible at the convention.