The St. Johns herald., 1897-06-05

 Say what you have to say why justice shall not be done upon you, miserable caitiff, who would have sold mans life for few pieces of silverP
 The wretched peasants knees trem- bled. and the precipitation stood upon his brow. He heard the voice as the voice of judge He looked in the stern eyes of the Girondins and read only an- ger and vengeance. Then he caught in the silence ths sound of his wife weep ing, for at Pierre's appearance she had broken into wild sobbing, and he spoke out of the base instincts of his heart. 'He was her lover, Y" he muttered. 'I swear it, citizens.
 He liesP cried the man at the bar rier, his face transfgured with rage. "I loved her, it is true, but it was before her old father sold her to this Judas. For what he would have you believe now, my friends, it is false I, too, swear it. I"
 A murmur of execration broke from the group of Girondins. Barbaroux re- pressed it by gesture. "What do you say of this man?" he asked, turning to them, his voice deep and solemn.
 ''He is not fit to livel' they answered in chorus
 The poor coward screamed as he heard the words, and fiinging himself on the ground he embraced Barbaroux's knees in paroxysm of terror. But the judge did not look at him. Barbaroux turned instead to Pierre Bounat. "What do you say of him?'' he asked.
 He is not fit to live. said the young man solemnly, his breath coming quick and fast.
 And you?" Barbaroux continued, turning and looking with his eyes of fire at the wife, his voice gentle and yet more solemn.
 A moment before she had ceased to weep and had stood up listening and gazing, awe and wonder in her face. Barbaroux had to repeat his question before she answered. Then she said, ''He is not fit to die
 There was silence for moment, bro- ken only by the entreaties of the wretch on the floor. At last Barbaroux spoke. ''She has said rightly" he pronounced. ''He shall live. They have put us out of the law and set a price on our heads, but we will keep the law. He shall live. But, hark you, the great orator contin- ued in tones which Michel never for got, If whisper escape you as to our presence here, or our names, or if you wrong your wife by word or deed, the life she has saved shall pay for it.
 "Rememberp' he added, shaking Mi chel t6and fro with finger. "The arm of Barbaroux is long, and though be 100 leagues away I shall know, and shall punish. So beware! Now, rise and livep'
 The miserable man covered back to the wall. frightened to the core of his heart. The Girondins conferred awhile in whispers, two of their number as- sisting Pierre to cross the barrier. Sud denly there came-and Michel trembled anew as he heard it-a loud knocking at the door. All started and stood lis tening and waiting A voice outside cried, "Open, open ill the name of the lawp'
 'We have fingered too long, " Barba- roux muttered. ''I should have thought of this. It is the mayor of Carbaix come to apprehend our friend.''
 Again the Girondins conferred togeth- CT. At last, seeming to arrive at con- clusion, they ranged themselves on ei- ther side of the door, and one of their number opened it. A short, stout man, girt with tricolor sash and wearing a huge sword, entered with an air of au- thority. Being blinded by the light, he saw nothing out of the common and was followed by four p,en armed with mus kets.
 Their appearance produced an extraor- dinary effect on Michel Tellier As they one by one crossed the threshold the peasant leaned forward, his face flush ed, his eyes gleaming, and counted them. They were only five. And the others were 12. He fell back, and from that moment his belief in the Girondins' power was clinched.
 Tn the name of the law!' panted the mayor. "Why did you not''- Then he stopped abruptly, his mouth remaining open. He found himself surrounded by a group of grim, silent mutes, with arms in their hands, and in a twinkling it flashed into his mind that these were the II chiefs of the Girondins whom he had been warned to keep watch for He had come to catch a pigeon and had caught crow. He turned pale, and his eyes dropped. "Who are--who are these gentlemen:" he stammered in Judi. crously altered tone.
 Some volunteers of Quumpen, re- turning homo, "replied Barbaroux, with ironical smoothness
 "You havo your papers, citizens?" the mayor asked mechanically, and he took step back toward the deer and looked over his shoulder.
 Here they areV' said Petion rudely, thrusting @ packet into his hands. They are in order. ''
 The mayor took them, and longing only to see the outside of the door pre- tended to look through them, his little heart going pit-a-pat within him. They seem to be in order, he assent ed feebly. Il need not trouble you fur ther, citizens. came here under a mis- apprehension, find, and l wish you a good journey"
 He knew, as he backed out, that he was cutting poor figure. He would