The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1907-09-06
CHAPTER xxIu.-Cosr1suEp.1

cried the general.
Lomaque passed Madame Danville on
the threshold. She trembled as he
| brushed by her; then. supporting her.
self by the wall, followed him a few
PAGES into the room. She looked first
at her son-after that, at Trudaine-
after that, back again at her son. Some
thing In her presence silenced every
one. There fell a sudden stiffness over
all the assembly, stiffness so deep
that the eager, frightened whispering,
n %sharpened rustling of dresses
among the women in the library became
audible from the other side of the closed
door.
Charles" she said, slowly advancing.
"why do you look?" She stopped, and
fixed her eyes again on her son more
earnestly than before; Their turned them
suddenly on Trudaine. you are look
Ing at my son. sir" she said: land | see
contempt In our face. By what right
do you insult a man whose grateful
sense OF his mothers obligations to you
made him risk his life for the saving of
%Oulb duu JOuI SlSlSIS by Wudl IlSuL
have you kept the escape OF my sons
wife from death by the guillotine-an
escape which, for all l know to the CON
trary. his generous exertions were l.
strumental In enecting-a secret from
my son? By what right, I demand to
know, has your treacherous secrecy
placed US in such a position as we now
stand In before the master of this
house7"
An expression of sorrow and pity
passed over Trudaine's face while she
spoke. He retired a few steps, and
gave her no answer. The general
looked at him with eager curiosity. and
seemed about to speak; but Lomaque
stepped forward at the same time, and
held up his hand to claim attention.
II think 1 shall express the wishes of
Citizen Trudaine," he said, addressing
Madame Danville, "if I recommend this
lady not to press for too public an an
swer to her questions"
PRAY. who are you, sir. who take 1t
On yourself to advise me?" she retorted
h%aughtily. II have nothing to say to you,
except that l repeat those questions,
and that l insist on their being an
swered."
"Who is this man." asked the gen
to Lomaque.
"A man unworthy Of credit" cried
Danville, speaking audibly for the first
time, and darling a look of deadly
hatred at Lomaque. "An agent of po-
lice under Robespierre."'
And In that capacity capable Of
answering questions which refer to the
transactions of Robespierre's tribu-
nails" remarked the ex-chief agent with
his old Official self-possession.
"True!" exclaimed the general; 'the
man Is right-let him be heard"
There is no help for It," said Lo-
maQue, looking at Trudaine; ''leave it to
met is ittest that l should speak. /
was present." he continued in q louder
voice, lat the trial Of Citizen Trudaine
and his sister. They were brought to
the bar through the denunciation Of
Citizen Danville. Till the confession
of the male prisoner exposed the fact, l
can answer for Danville's not peing
aware of the real nature Of the offenses
charged against Trudaine and his sis
ter. When 1t became known that they
were secretly helping this lady to
escape from France, and when Dan
ville's own head was consequently in
danger, I myself heard him save it by
false assertion that he had been aware
of Trudaine's conspiracy from the
flrst-"
DO you mean to say" interrupted
the general. that he proclaimed him
self In open court, as having knowingly
denounced the man who was on trial
for saving his mother?"
II DO" answered Lomaque. "a muir
mur of horror and indignation rose
from all the strangers present at that
reply.) 1.-THE reports of the tribunal
are existing to prove the truth OF what
say" he went on. CAS- to the escape of
Citizen Trudaine and the wife of Dan
Vile from the %guillotine. IT was the
work Of political circumstances, which
there are persons living to speak to II
necessary, and a little stratagem of
mine. which need not be referred to
now. And last, with reference to the
concealment which followed the escape.
I beg to inform you that 1t was aban-
doned the moment We knew what was
going on here; and that 1t was only per-
severed In up to this time. as a natural
measure of precautton on the part of
Citizen Trudains. From a similar mo-
tive We now abstain from exposing his
sister to the shock and tho peril Of be-
ing present here. What man with an
atom Of feeling would risk letting her
even look again on such = husband a
that"
CHAPTER XIV.