Part 56 (2/2)
What could be done? Alas! We went out overwhelmed.
It was quite dark. Bancel and Versigny left me.
[26] ”Les Chatiments.”
CHAPTER II.
WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE NIGHT--THE MARKET QUARTER
I came back to my lodging, 19, Rue Richelieu.
The ma.s.sacre seemed to be at an end; the fusillades were heard no longer. As I was about to knock at the door I hesitated for a moment; a man was there who seemed to be waiting. I went straight up to this man, and I said to him,--
”You seem to be waiting for somebody?”
He answered,--
”Yes.”
”For whom?”
”For you.”
And he added, lowering his voice, ”I have come to speak to you.”
I looked at this man. A street-lamp shone on him. He did not avoid the light.
He was a young man with a fair beard, wearing a blue blouse, and who had the gentle bearing of a thinker and the robust hands of a workman.
”Who are you?” I asked him.
He answered,--”I belong to the Society of the Last-makers. I know you very well, Citizen Victor Hugo.”
”From whom do you come?” I resumed.
He answered still in a whisper,--
”From Citizen King.”
”Very good,” said I.
He then told me his name. As he has survived the events of the night of the 4th, and as he since escaped the denunciations, it can be understood that we will not mention his name here, and that we shall confine ourselves to terming him throughout the course of this story by his trade, calling him the ”last-maker.”[27]
”What do you want to say to me?” I asked him.
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