Sunday Washington globe., 1902-01-12
PART H.

morning of the 18th July, having first pur-
chased a knife in the Palais Royal and
written him a note in which she requested
an interview. She was refused admittance.
She then wrote him a second note, more
pressing than the first and in which she
represented herself as persecuted for the
cause of freedom Without waiting to see
what effect this note might produce she
called again at half-past seven the same
evening Marat then resided in the Rue
des Cordeliers, in gloomy y-looking house
which has since been demolished. His
constant fears Of assassination were shared
by those around him; the porter seeing a
strange woman pass by his lodge without
paasing to make any inquiry, ran out and
called her back. She did not heed his re-
monstrauces, but ascended the old stone
staircase until she reached the door of
Marat's apartment II was cautiously
opened by Albertine, woman with whom
Marat cohabited and who pas ed for his
wife Recognizing The same young and
handsome girl who had already called on
her husband, and animated, perhaps, by
feeling of jealous mistrust, Albertine re-
fused to admit her. Charlotte insisted with
great earnestness The sound of their alter
cation reached Marat; he immediately or
dered hi wife to admit the stranger, whom
he recognized as the author of the two let
ters he had received in the course Of the
day Albertine obeYed reluctantly; she
allowed Charlotte to enter; and after cross
ing with her an ante-chamber where she
had been occupied with a man named
Laurent Basse in folding some numbers Of
the Ami dR PeBbke, she ushered her through
two other rooms, until they came to mar
row closet where Marat was then in bath.
He gave look at Charlotte, and ordered
his wife to leave them alone; she complied,
but allowed the door of the closet to remain
half open and kept within call.
According to his usual custom Marat
wore soiled handkerchief bound round his
head increasing his natural hideousness. A
coarse covering was thrown across the bath;
board likewise, placed transversely, sup
ported his paper Laying down his pen, he
asked Charlotte the purport of her visit.
The closet was so narrow that she touched
the bath near which she stood. She gazed
on him with ill.disguised horror and dis
gust, but answered as composedly as she
could that she had come from Caen, in
order to give him correct intelligence con-
ceruiug the proceedings of the Cirondists
there He listened, questioned her eagerly,
wrote down the names of the Girondists,
then added, with smile of triumph: Be
fore a week they shall have perished on the
guillotine These words afterwards said
Charlotte, sealed his fate Drawing
from beneath the handkerchief which COW
cred her bosom the knife she had kept
there all along, she plunged it to the hilt in
Marat's heart. He gave one loud expiring
cry for help, aud sank back dead in the
bath By an instructive impulse, Charlotte
had instantly drawn out the knife from the
breast of her victim, but she did not strike
again; casting it down at his feet she left
the closet and sat down in the neighboring
room thoughtfully passing her hand across
her brow; her task was done.
The wife OF Marat had rushed to his aid
on hearing his cry for help. Laurent Basse,
seeing that all was over, turned round to-
/ ward Charlotte and with a blow of
! a chair, felled her to the floor:
while the infuriated Alberline tramp
| led her under her feet The tumult aroused
the other tenants Of the house; the alarm
spread and a crowd gathered in the apart
ment who learned with stupor that Marat,
the friend Of the people, had been MUIR
dered. Deeper still was their wonder when
they gazed on the murderess. She stood
there before them with disordered gar
ments and her disheveled hair, loosely
bound by a broad green ribbon, falling
around her but so calm, so serenely lovely
that those who most abhorred her crime
gazed on her with involuntary admiration.
WAS she then so beautiful" was the ques-
ton addressed, many years afterward, to an
old man, one of the few remaining witnesses
Of the scene Beautiful" he echoed en-
Enthusiastically; adding with the eternal re-
grets of old age "Ay, there are none such
now"
On the morning of the 18th she was led
before the judges. She was dressed with
care, and had never looked more lovely.
Her bearing was so imposing and digni6ed
that the spectators and judges seemed to
stand arragned before her. She interrupted
the first witness by declaring that it was
she who had killed Marat who inspired
you with SO much hatred against him2
asked the president.
81 needed not the hatred of others; had
enough of my own" she energetically re
plied;' besides, we do not execute well that
which we have not ourselves conceived"
what, then, did you hate in Marat?
"His crimes"
"Do you think you have assassinated ali
the Marats2"
NO: but now that he is dead. the res
may fear"
She answered other questions with equa
frmness and laconism. Her project, she
declared, had been formed since the sIst o
May. "She had killed one man to save
hundred thousand She was a Republican
long before the Revolution and had never
failed in energy"
What do you understand by energy7
asked the president.
THAT feeling" she replied, which in
duces us to cast aside selfish consideration.
and sacrifice ourselves for our country"
Fouauier Tinville here observed, allud
ing to the sure blow she had given, tina
she must be we'll practiced in crime 9TH,
monster takes me for an assassiul" She ex
claimed, in a tone thrilling with indigna
ton This closed the debates, and he
defender rose. It was not Doulcet de Ponte
coulant-who had not received her letter
but Chauveau de la Garde, chosen by In,
president. Charlotte gave him an anxious