FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164  
165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   >>   >|  
und secreted in the Tuileries, Fanfar replied with contempt. He told who this man was, and the crimes of which he had been guilty. All this, however, by no means proved that he himself was innocent of participation in the crime. Fanfar had not mentioned the affair of the deserted house, for he did not wish his sister's name to appear. This was a great relief to Robeccal, who, in spite of the manner in which he had been treated by La Roulante, did not wish to get her into trouble. The trial took its course. Robeccal wept and expressed great penitence, said that he loved the king, etc. All this produced an excellent effect on the jury, who considered the fellow a little simple. Then came Fanfar's turn. He stood with arms folded on his breast, and once turned and looked toward the end of the court-room. He probably saw what he wished, for he smiled, and a light came into his eyes. Then he looked again at the President, and waited. In reality there was no other charge against him than the persistent declaration of Robeccal, but this was by the judges considered quite proof enough of his culpability. "You belong to a secret association, do you not?" asked the judge. "I am a Frenchman," answered Fanfar, "and like others of this heroic nation claim liberty of thought and action. Do you call France a secret society?" The President reproved Fanfar for this speech, and called him in his anger an assassin. The young man replied, in a voice of great feeling: "Only those," he said, "should be called assassins who have cut the throat of France and plucked a blood-stained crown from the men!" There was a great tumult. "Bravo! Fanfar," said a voice among the audience. Naturally a dozen innocent men were accused of uttering this incendiary exclamation, while Gudel, in a quiet livery, was not interfered with. Irene de Salves never moved her eyes from Fanfar. Finally, quiet was restored. "Mr. President," said Fanfar, "my father fell in the French frontier, fighting against the Cossacks and the emigres. There are no assassins in our family!" From this moment the trial went on rapidly. The sentence was a foregone conclusion. Robeccal was condemned to death. Fanfar, under the name of Jacques Fougere, was sentenced to the galleys for life. But just as the sentenced was pronounced, a singular event occurred. Fanfar rose and opened his lips as if to speak, extended his arm, and fell full length on the floor. Cries of
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164  
165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Fanfar
 

Robeccal

 

President

 

sentenced

 

looked

 
replied
 
called
 

France

 
secret
 

assassins


considered

 

innocent

 
tumult
 

opened

 
Naturally
 

accused

 
uttering
 
incendiary
 

exclamation

 

audience


stained

 

occurred

 

assassin

 

feeling

 

speech

 

reproved

 

society

 

throat

 

plucked

 

interfered


rapidly

 
sentence
 

moment

 

action

 

family

 
foregone
 

Fougere

 
length
 

Jacques

 
conclusion

condemned
 

emigres

 
Cossacks
 
Salves
 

Finally

 

pronounced

 
singular
 

livery

 
galleys
 

restored