Part 50 (1/2)
Le Chapelier waved him into silence, and proceeded
”Anyhow, the h, added to all the rest, to set us by the ears again in the asseed”
”Was it ever anything else?”
”Perhaps not; but it has assumed a new character You'll have heard of the duel between La affair”
”In its results But it ed and insulted now at every sitting But he goes his way, cold-bloodedly wise Others are not so circumspect; theyshed in private duels
The thing is reduced by these swordsmen of the nobility to a syste of Philippe de Vilmorin ”Yes,” he said, ”it is an old trick of theirs It is so simple and direct--like themselves I wonder only that they didn't hit upon this system sooner
In the early days of the States General, at Versailles, it ht have had a better effect Now, it comes a little late”
”But they mean to make up for lost ti right and left between these bully-swordsmen, these spadassinicides, and poor devils of the robe who have never learnt to fence with anything but a quill It's just ------ st messieurs les nobles and crunch an addled head or tith this stick of ers which the good God has given allows This in a land that is striving after liberty Why, Dieu me damne! I am not even allowed to keep my hat on in the theatre But they ------ these ------s!”
”He is right,” said Le Chapelier ”The thing has becoo M d'Ambly threatened Mirabeau with his cane before the whole asseued his order by inviting murder 'Why don't we fall on these scoundrels, sword in hand?' he asked Those were his very words: 'Why don't we fall on these scoundrels, sword in hand'”
”It is so ron, the deputy fro that we did not hear in answer As he was leaving the Manege one of these bullies grossly insulted hiron no more than used his elbow to push past when the fellow cried out that he had been struck, and issued his challenge They fought this ron was killed, run through the sto-ron did not even own a sword
He had to borrow one to go to the assignation”
Andre-Louis--his mind ever on Vilmorin, whose case was here repeated, even to the details--ept by a gust of passion He clenched his hands, and his jaws set Danton's little eyes observed him keenly
”Well? And what do you think of that? noblesse oblige, eh? The thing is we e them too, these -------s We must pay them back in the same coin; meet them with the same weapons Abolish theness by the same means”
”But how?”
”How? Name of God! Haven't I said it?”
”That is where we require your help,” Le Chapelier put in ”Therethe more advanced of your pupils
M Danton's idea is that a little band of these--say a half-dozen, with yourself at their head--ht read these bullies a sharp lesson”
Andre-Louis frowned
”And how, precisely, had M Danton thought that this ht be done?”
M Danton spoke for hie, at the hour when the asse phlebotomists, and let you loose to insult them before they have time to insult any of the representatives
Then to-, six ------ phlebotoive the others soreat deal to think about, by ----! If necessary the dose may be repeated to ensure a cure If you kill the -------s, so much the better”
He paused, his sallow face flushed with the enthusiasm of his idea
Andre-Louis stared at him inscrutably
”Well, what do you say to that?”