e_, and to provide
for its security by means of magistrates appointed by itself and by it
kept in subjection. But how inferior are the Convention's _Grands Jours_
to those of the Monarchy, and its _Chambre Ardente_ to that of Louis
XIV! The Revolutionary Tribunal is dominated by a sentiment of
mean-spirited justice and common equality that will quickly make it
odious and ridiculous and will disgust everybody. Do you know, Louise,
that this tribunal, which is about to cite to its bar the Queen of
France and twenty-one legislators, yesterday condemned a servant-girl
convicted of crying: 'Vive le Roi!' with malicious intent and in the
hope of destroying the Republic? Our judges, with their black hats and
plumes, are working on the model of that William Shakespeare, so dear to
the heart of Englishmen, who drags in coarse buffooneries in the middle
of his most tragic scenes."

"Ah, well! Maurice," asked the _citoyenne_, "are you still as fortunate
as ever with women?"

"Alas!" replied Brotteaux, "the doves flock to the bright new dovecote
and light no more on the ruined tower."

"You have not changed.... Good-bye, dear friend,--till we meet again."

* * * * *

The same evening the dragoon Henry, paying a visit uninvited at Madame
de Rochemaure's, found her in the act of sealing a letter on which he
read the address of the _citoyen_ Rauline at Vernon. The letter, he
knew, was for England. Rauline used to receive Madame de Rochemaure's
communications by a postilion of the posting-service and send them on to
Dieppe by the hands of a fishwife. The master of a fishing-smack
delivered them under cover of night to a British ship cruising off the
coast; an _emigre_, Monsieur d'Expilly, received them in London and
passed them on, if he thought it advisable, to the Cabinet of Saint
James's.

Henry was young and good looking; Achilles was not such a paragon of
grace and vigour when he donned the armour Ulysses offered him. But the
_citoyenne_ Rochemaure, once so enraptured by the charms of the young
hero of the Commune, now looked askance at him; her mood had changed
since the day she was told how the young soldier had been denounced at
the Jacobins as one whose zeal outran discretion and that he might
compromise and ruin her. Henry thought it might not break his heart
perhaps to leave off loving Madame de Rochemaure; but he was piqued to
have fallen in her good graces. He counted on her to meet su