Part 29 (2/2)

”Colonel Robert Tournay, you are summoned before the Committee of Public Safety!” Silence followed this call. The clerk repeated his summons.

Again silence.

”I move,” said one of the members, ”that the examination proceed. The citizen colonel was summoned and has not appeared. If he is not here to defend himself, that is his affair, not ours.”

”Citizen Bernard Gardin,” said the president, ”repeat to the committee the result of your interview with the Citizen Tournay.”

Gardin rose. ”The said citizen, Colonel Tournay, refused to recognize the mandate of the Committee of Public Safety. The commissioners sent to apprehend his person were treated with marked disrespect and expelled from the camp with insult.” Gardin spoke the words with bitter emphasis.

Without even looking at him, Danton interrupted the witness. ”The citizen colonel pleaded that an impending battle made it necessary for him to remain in the field, did he not?”

”He did make some such excuse,” sneered Gardin.

”Instead of refusing to obey the summons, the citizen colonel stated that, the battle once decided, he would hasten to Paris, did he not?”

continued Danton, lifting his voice and turning his eyes full upon Gardin.

”He did say he would come at some future time,” admitted Gardin, ”but he refused to obey the summons which called upon him to return with the commissioners.”

”And thereby insulted the committee,” said Couthon.

”If the committee recalls our officers from the field upon the eve of battle they must expect our armies to be defeated,” Danton remarked dryly. ”Colonel Tournay refused to obey the letter of the summons and remained at his post of duty. The French armies have just won a glorious victory at Wissembourg in which the accused distinguished himself by great bravery and devotion to the Republic. I move that when he does appear he receive the thanks of this committee in the name of France.”

”Do you advocate rewarding him for his disobedience and his indifference to our authority?” inquired President Robespierre.

”I believe that victories are more important to France at this juncture, citizen president, than any slight disregard of the letter of the committee's authority.”

Robespierre shut his thin lips together and turned to St. Just.

”Let us proceed with the inquiry,” he said after a moment's consultation. ”Clerk, call the other witnesses.”

”Are you not going to give Colonel Tournay twelve hours longer in which to appear in person?” persisted Danton.

”Of what use would that be?” asked Couthon. ”He will not come within twelve months.”

”Let the inquiry proceed,” commanded the president impatiently.

As if to show his indifference to the proceedings, Danton rose from his seat, yawned, and then strolled to the window. As he did so, a sudden shout rose from a crowd gathered below. Danton bent forward and looked out into the street to ascertain the cause.

The door swung open and Colonel Tournay entered the room. He was followed by many of the crowd. The news of the great victory of the French armies on the frontier had just reached Paris and stirred it with enthusiasm. The people in the streets had caught sight of his uniform and surmising that he had just come from the scene of war pressed about him closely, crying for details of the battle. Some had recognized him personally and called out his name. The great crowd had taken it up, and cheered wildly for one of the heroes of Wissembourg and Landau.

There was a flush of excitement on his cheek and a sparkle in his eye as he stepped forward.

”I understand that I am called before this committee to answer certain charges,” he said in a clear ringing voice. ”What is the accusation? I am here to answer it.”

The crowd outside the door took up the shout.

”Yes, of what is the citizen colonel accused? Who accuses the hero of Landau?”

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