CHAPTER XXXIV.
THE NINTH THERMIDOR.
In the early morning of the 10th Thermidor, Charlotte Lebrenn and MadamDesmarais, pale from a night of sleeplessness, silent, worried, listenedanxiously at their garden windows, which had been left open through thebeautiful, balmy July night. From their nests in the trees the birdsgreeted with their chirping the first glow of the sun, which lighted upthe eastern azure. Nature was smiling, with repose and calm in everylineament.
"Not a sound, absolutely nothing!" said Madam Desmarais, the first tobreak the silence. "It is more than an hour since the tocsin ceasedclanging."
"If that is so, mother, have courage! If the tocsin has ceased, theCommune is worsted. The Convention triumphs," replied the younger womanin a tense voice. Then, unable to withstand the emotion which seizedher, Charlotte burst into tears, raised her hands heavenward, and cried,"Just God, spare my husband!"
At this moment Gertrude entered and said to her mistress: "Madam, thereis a citizen in the ante-chamber who says he is sent by your husband tobring you news of him."
"Let him enter," answered Charlotte gladly. "I wonder what the news willbe," she added, to her mother.
No sooner had she spoken than Jesuit Morlet appeared in the room. Hishypocritical countenance at once caused Charlotte a revulsion offeeling; but immediately reproaching herself for what was perhaps aninvoluntary injustice to the man, she came a few steps toward theJesuit, saying: "Citizen, you come from my husband?"
"Aye, citizeness; to reassure you, and inform you that he is in a safeplace."
"You hear, my poor child," cried Madam Desmarais, weeping with joy asshe embraced her daughter. "He is out of danger."
"Can you, citizen, conduct me at once to where my husband is?"
"Such a trip would be very imprudent, citizeness. My friend John Lebrennhas sent me to you, first to reassure you as to his situation; next, topost you on the course of events. The City Hall is in the power of thetroops of the Convention, commanded by Leonard Bourdon and Barras. Lebasis a suicide. Robespierre the younger has flung himself from a windowand broken both legs. Robespierre the elder has his jaw broken by apistol fired at him by a gendarme;[17] St. Just and Couthon arearrested, they will be executed in the course of the day, without anyform of trial, having been outlawed by the Convention; the same decreehas been passed upon the members of the General Council of the Commune,who will also, accordingly--all except my friend John, who escaped inthe melee, and is now in safe hiding with me--be guillotined withouttrial. In short, to tell you all in two words, the Republic is lost. Thebrigands triumph!"
For a moment Charlotte's tears flowed in silence. Reassured as to herhusband, she wept for the first five victims of the 9th Thermidor, thoseillustrious and virtuous citizens.
"My eternal thanks are yours," she at length replied; and added: "Takeme to my husband, I implore you. I long to see him."
"To do as you request, citizeness, would be to commit a greatimprudence. Perhaps its only result would be to put the police on histrack. As to the gratitude you believe you owe me, let us speak no moreof it. Between patriots there should be mutual aid and protection; inconcealing John from the searches of our enemies I did my duty, nothingmore. But time is fleeting, and I must get to the end of the errand yourhusband sent me on: It is that you give me a certain casket, containing,he told me, some precious legends which it is of importance to carryaway from here, lest they fall into the hands of our enemies; the latterwill not delay descending with a search party upon your house."
"My husband has already given me his advice on that subject," answeredCharlotte. "Foreseeing that in the struggle against the Convention theCommune might be worsted, my husband arrested, and the house searched, Ialready have had the casket carried to the home of one of our friends."A slight spasm of anger contracted the brows of the Jesuit; the youngwoman caught the expression, and the thought flashed over her mind:"Careful! This man may be a false friend!"
"Madam," said Gertrude, coming in leading a young boy by the hand, "hereis a poor child who asked to speak to this gentleman; I brought him upto you."
The Jesuit's god-son--who else but he?--respectfully greeted Charlotte,at the same moment that the latter whispered to her mother: "My anxietyfor John is still lively, despite this man's reassurances. Somethingtells me he is deceiving us."
"Gentle god-father," Rodin was whispering to the Jesuit, "I just sawJohn Lebrenn hurry down a street at the end of Anjou Street, and turn inthis direction."
"The devil!" thought the Jesuit to himself, "our man will land at homesooner than I counted on. I shall have to double my audacity; nothing islost as yet." And then, sotto voice to his pupil, "Are the police agentsplaced, and in sufficient number?"
"They are watching all around the building--I counted twenty. JohnLebrenn will be caught like a mouse in a trap, _Ad majorem Deigloriam!_"
"While the house is being searched from cellar to garret, follow you theagents, and try to put your hand on that casket you know of."
"Mother," whispered Charlotte, on her part, "they are plotting sometreachery." Then, suddenly dashing toward the door, which just thenopened, she cried,
"Husband!"
Charlotte's husband, into whose arms his wife joyfully threw herself,was pale, his clothing in disorder; his face was bathed in sweat, and hepanted for breath. In a gasping voice he said to his wife, as hereturned her embrace, "Charlotte, I could not resist the craving to seeyou an instant, and to reassure you and mother of my fate, before Iflee. The Commune is defeated, I am outlawed; but I hope to escape ourenemies. Have courage--" Then his eyes falling upon the Jesuit andlittle Rodin, he recognized in them the two spies he had arrested beforeWeissenburg; he recalled that Victoria had designated Morlet to him asan enemy of the Lebrenn family; hence, struck with astonishment, he saidto his wife as he stared at the reverend, "What does this fellow here?How did he get entrance to my house?"
"He professed to be sent by you, my friend. He demanded in your name thechest with the family legends."
"Ah, my reverend! The Society of Jesus never lets the scent of those itseeks to run down grow cold!" cried John. "Wretched, infamousspy--hence!"
"Not before you," replied the reverend with a bow and a smirk,indicating to John the commissioner of the Section, newly appointed bythe Convention, who appeared in the door, accompanied by several of hisagents.
"Search, the house from top to bottom," ordered the magistrate; and toLebrenn: "Citizen, here is a warrant of arrest issued against you. I amfurther ordered to seal your papers and carry them to the office of therevolutionary tribunal."
Lebrenn read the warrant and replied to the magistrate, "I am ready tofollow you, citizen."
"I must first place the seals, in your presence, upon all yourfurniture, and especially on your papers."
The agents of the police, in their search of the house, soon arrived atthe retreat which sheltered advocate Desmarais. They incontinently brokeopen the door. The advocate was soon informed by the agents of the turnevents had taken, and at once planned the new role he was to play in thebusiness. Stepping briskly down the stairs, he strode into the parlor,and went straight to the commissioner:
"Citizen, in the name of the law, I denounce a plot of which I amvictim. Since yesterday I have been sequestered in this house."
While the advocate was speaking to the officer, Charlotte had given hersurprised husband in a few words the history of the pretendedsequestration, and added, "Now, my friend, for your own dignity, and outof regard for my mother and myself, maintain the silence of contempt.The wretched man is still my father."
"Dear wife, now, and in your presence, I shall keep silence. Butlater--I shall speak," answered Lebrenn, yielding to Charlotte's plea;then, recollecting, he suddenly asked, softly, "And the casket?"
"It is safe. Yesterday I thought of burying it, with Castillon's aid, inthe cellar; but he suggested taking it to the house of one of hisfriends, a workman like himself, in the St. Antoine suburb. This latterc
ourse I adopted."
"You did wisely. This Jesuit's presence here proves to me that theSociety of Jesus, which has so many a time and oft already sought thedestruction of our family legends, will leave no stone unturned toferret them out."
John's words were interrupted by an exclamation from Madam Desmarais."Brother!" she cried as she ran toward the financier, who had justentered the room precipitately, "Hubert! You here! You are free!"
"Yes, free," replied Hubert, embracing his sister effusively. "And myfirst visit is to you. The prisons are opened, and all the royalistsuspects are giving place to the brigands and terrorists."[18]
"Ah, brother, you forget that we are under the roof of my son-in-lawJohn Lebrenn, who has been accused, and has just fallen under arrest."
"What!" exclaimed Hubert, not having noticed Lebrenn as he came in, "isthat true?" Then, addressing the young man, to whom he extended hishand, "I was unaware of the misfortune which has fallen upon you,Monsieur Lebrenn; I know what interest you have always borne me, and ifI can to-day in my turn prove useful to you, I am entirely at yourservice."
The commissioner received the report of his agents. They had unearthednot a paper in the entire house, nor in the furniture, nor in theworkshop. They had sounded the cellar floor, examined the earth in thegarden, nothing gave suspicion of a secret hiding place. Little Rodinalso confirmed this information to the Jesuit.
"Citizen," said the magistrate to John, "a coach is at the door. Are youready to follow me?"
"_We_ are ready," said Charlotte, hastily throwing a cloak over hershoulders. "Come, my friend, let us go. I shall accompany my husband tothe prison door."
"Adieu, good and dear mother," said John to Madam Desmarais, embracingher. "Be of good heart, we shall see each other soon again, I hope.Adieu, Citizen Hubert. Revolutions have strange outcomes! You, theroyalist, are free--I, the republican, go to prison!"
"Whatever your opinions, I have always found you a man of courage,"quoth the financier, in a voice of emotion. "If any consolation cantemper the bitterness of your temporary separation, let it be thecertainty that my sister and my niece, your wife, will find in me a mosttender and devoted friend. I shall watch over them both."
John Lebrenn and Charlotte left with the commissioner. Monsieur Hubertand Madam Desmarais accompanied them as far as the waiting carriage, andstrained them in a last adieu.