Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1892-10-26
THE CHILD.

I%SSlc3.NSIVN&SS- less, anu tnc SKY
NsCasgYaHXIES dark with threat,
o1ay7jMINWE%@SS ening snowstorm,
VV 0U'0 w as the beautiful
Delphine, Countess of Athis under the
monarchy, alighted from hack on the
Pont Neuf, close to liberty tree sur
mounted with its red cap. A man, who
had been leaning for some time against
the pedestal from which they had dis
lodged the statue of Henry w., came
eagerly forward aud lifted his fur cap.
His hair was close cropped In Revolu-
tionary fashion, and he wore a ragged
carmagnole open at the throat, without
any cravat; but even thus disguised, the
lady recognized Maurice Dcspies, one OF
the youngest and most promising advo-
Gates in the last Parliament.
"Maurice," she said, "your dress is
admirable; but that does not insure
your safety. l have sent for you to take
me before the Revolutionary Tribunal. "
81, Delphine, take you before these
executioners"
"You know that our friend, Lefebyre,
is brought to trial to-day"
eyes, know that, Delphine, and l
know, too that he will not be alive to-
morrow"
"And I, Maurice, know that ought
to testify in his behalf. Since the 18th
of July have often heard him declare
himself Republican, and l can prove
that he refused place offered him as
tutor of the Dauphin-against my ad.
vice, it is true. l can bring forward
many instances of his patriotism that
must convince his judges"
"They will not listen to you. Write,
send word; but do not 60 YOURSELF"
She looked at him beseechingly.
''Do not try and discourage me,
Maurice. If you only knew how fright
ened | am in such crowd and how hard
it is to do my duty! am trembling
now, and only 60 because I NUT"
"You ask me, Delphine, to take you
to certain DEATH
eff you really love me Maurice, you
would not have me cowardly."
"But it is so useless"
sit is never useless to do our duty.
have been perfectly frank in acknowl-
edging my weakness; but what would
you truly think Of me if should follow
your advice, turn now and 90 back to
my house at Auteul?'
"Come then," said Maurice. She took
his arm and they walked along the quay,
talking in low tone Of the old friend
whose courage had brought him before
the bloody tribunal.
ale was hiding" said Madame
d'Athis, Sat Madame d 'Aubry's, my lace,
woman's and he was perfectly safe there;
but he insisted on leaving, because he
had reason to think that his stay was en-.
dangerng his beneGactrcss. He sue.
ceeded in reaching Seyres in safety, but
he was recognized in wineshop by some
Jacobins, brought back to Paris, and
uow he is in the Conciergerie awaiting
his trial. 1t will 90 hard with him"
"Thank you, Delphine, for sending to
let me know"
"Who but the man l love, Maurice,
should share my DANGER"
As they turned the corner Of the large
square clock-tower that abuts on the
quay, they saw a crowd of armed men,
tumutuously swaying to and fro before
the iron gateway of the Palace Of JUS
ice. Delphine quickly Withdrew her
hand from Matrices arm.
'Keep me in sight," she said "NIy
courage will fail me if do not feel that
9ou are looking at me all the time; but
it is best that we should not seem to be
together. | had better appear to be
quite alone; for | have an instructive
feeling that shall be safer if these crca.
lures think me entirely unprotected.
He yielded to her impcrious sweetness
stopped outside the gate, and then en-.
tered, following at distance the woman
now threading her way through the
brandlshed pixies aud sabres. The wide
staircase was crowded with rabble in
sabots, carmagnoles, and red caps,
singing, shouting, and surging to and
fro. Groups of men blocked tine en-
frances to the different Revolutionary
tribunals, loudly urging summary pro-
ceedings and general massacre, acus-
-, ing the authorities of lukewarmness
and leniency towards the guilty.
Newspaper vendors came and went, cry
ing: "Here you have the list of the lucky
numbers in the lottery of the holy
guillotinel Buy the treason of Joseph
Lefebvre, former physician of the iu-
famous Capet. Buy the account of the
dreadful conspiracy of the traitor lie
febvre to bring about the massacre of
all good patriots"
Delphne made her way through the
crowd. She was going upsatirs when
she was brought to a stand by man
dressed in carmagnole, a self-appointed
sentinel. "Where are you going, citi.
zen2"
~ am going, citizen, to attend the
trial of Joseph Lefebvre; AIN wit,
ness"
He made no objection, and she was
moving on when hideous woman, with
baby in her arms, protested, declaring
tina. aristocrats ought to be kept away
from the tribunals, where they only went
to corrupt the judges. She, for instance,
that woman, would 60 and show her
face, and weep and faint away and turn
the heads OF all those men inside. Such
creatures know perfectly well what they
were about, and that was the way justice
was cheated and traitors escaped who let
people die Of starvation. But Delphine
hurried on to the room where she heard
the clerk of court reading the summon:
Of Joseph Lefebvre.
Protected by his dress, Despies fol-
lowed her unmolested. But the woman's
railing had enaamed vindictive hatred
and on all sides cries arose of, "Marat
has gone. We have lost our best friend
Since he was killed the aristocrats are
Al al IL