d ever see you alive again.
(As though he were listening.) They come!--they come! (Goes to the
door.) No, it is nothing ... They ...

ALBIN. How strange! There really is a noise, as though people outside
were pressing forward very quickly. Is that part of the stage effects
as well?

SCAEVOLA. He goes in for such damned subtleties every blessed time.
(To JULES.) 'Tis too silly--

HOST. Come now, tell us why they are at your heels again?

GUILLAUME. Oh, nothing special. But if they got me, it would cost me my
head. I've set fire to a house.

[During this in and sit down at the
tables.]

HOST (softly). Go on!--go on!

GUILLAUME (in the same tone). What more do you want? Isn't it enough
for you if I've set fire to a house?

FRANCOIS. But tell me, my friend, why you set fire to the house.

GUILLAUME. Because the President of the Supreme Court lived in it. We
wanted to make a beginning with him. We wanted to keep the good
Parisian householders from taking folk into their houses so lightly who
send us poor devils to the prison.

GRAIN. That's good! That's good!

GUILLAUME (looks at GRAIN and is surprised; then goes on speaking).
All the houses must be fired. Three more fellows like me and there
won't be any more judges in Paris.

GRAIN. Death to the judges!

JULES. Yes ... but there may be one whom we can't annihilate.

GUILLAUME. I should like to know who he is.

JULES. The judge within us.

HOST (softly). That's tasteless. Leave off. Scaevola, roar! Now's the
time.

SCAEVOLA. Wine here, Prosper; we want to drink to the death of all the
judges in France.

[During the last words enter the MARQUIS DE LANSAC, with his
wife, SEVERINE, and ROLLIN, the poet.]

SCAEVOLA. Death to all who have the power in their hands today!

MARQUIS. See you, Severine, that is how they greet us.

ROLLIN. Marquise, I warned you.

SEVERINE. Why?

FRANCOIS. Whom do I see? The Marquise! Allow me to kiss your hand. Good
evening. Marquis. Well met to you, Rollin. And you, Marquise, you dare
to venture into this place!

SEVERINE. I heard such a lot about it. And besides, we are having a day
of adventures already--eh, Rollin?

MARQUIS. Yes. Just think of it, Vicomte; you would never believe where
we come from--from the Bastille.

FRANCOIS. Are they still keeping up the tumult there?

SEVERINE. Ay, indeed! It looks as though they meant to storm it.

ROLLIN (declaiming).
Like to a flood