r and summoned one of the Jacobins without.
To him he gave his orders for the watch and arrest of Tallien's servant,
and then threw himself again into his chair. As the Jacobin departed,
Guerin whispered,--

"Is not that the Citizen Aristides?"

"Yes; a faithful fellow, if he would wash himself, and not swear so
much."

"Didst thou not guillotine his brother?"

"But Aristides denounced him."

"Nevertheless, are such men safe about thy person?"

"Humph! that is true." And Robespierre, drawing out his pocketbook,
wrote a memorandum in it, replaced it in his vest, and resumed,--

"What else of Tallien?"

"Nothing more. He and Legendre, with the unknown, walked to the Jardin
Egalite, and there parted. I saw Tallien to his house. But I have
other news. Thou badest me watch for those who threaten thee in secret
letters."

"Guerin! hast thou detected them? Hast thou--hast thou--"

And the tyrant, as he spoke, opened and shut both his hands, as if
already grasping the lives of the writers, and one of those convulsive
grimaces that seemed like an epileptic affection, to which he was
subject, distorted his features.

"Citizen, I think I have found one. Thou must know that amongst those
most disaffected is the painter Nicot."

"Stay, stay!" said Robespierre, opening a manuscript book, bound in red
morocco (for Robespierre was neat and precise, even in his death-lists),
and turning to an alphabetical index,--"Nicot!--I have him,--atheist,
sans-culotte (I hate slovens), friend of Hebert! Aha! N.B.--Rene Dumas
knows of his early career and crimes. Proceed!"

"This Nicot has been suspected of diffusing tracts and pamphlets against
thyself and the Comite. Yesterday evening, when he was out, his porter
admitted me into his apartment, Rue Beau Repaire. With my master-key I
opened his desk and escritoire. I found herein a drawing of thyself at
the guillotine; and underneath was written, 'Bourreau de ton pays, lis
l'arret de ton chatiment!' (Executioner of thy country, read the decree
of thy punishment!) I compared the words with the fragments of the
various letters thou gavest me: the handwriting tallies with one. See, I
tore off the writing."

Robespierre looked, smiled, and, as if his vengeance were already
satisfied, threw himself on his chair. "It is well! I feared it was a
more powerful enemy. This man must be arrested at once."

"And he waits below. I brushed by him as I ascended the stairs."

"Does he so?--admi