ify, retract. They gather new courage
from his new fears; they interrupt him; they drown his voice; they
demand the reversal of the motion. Amar moves again that the speech
be referred to the Committees, to the Committees,--to his enemies!
Confusion and noise and clamour! Robespierre wraps himself in silent
and superb disdain. Pale, defeated, but not yet destroyed, he
stands,--a storm in the midst of storm!

The motion is carried. All men foresee in that defeat the Dictator's
downfall. A solitary cry rose from the galleries; it was caught up;
it circled through the hall, the audience: "A bas le tyrant! Vive la
republique!" (Down with the tyrant! Hurrah for the republic!)

CHAPTER 7.XII.

Aupres d'un corps aussi avili que la Convention, il restait des
chances pour que Robespierre sortit vainqueur de cette lutte.
Lacretelle, volume xii.

(Amongst a body so debased as the Convention, there still
remained some chances that Robespierre would come off victor in
the struggle.)

As Robespierre left the hall, there was a dead and ominous silence in
the crowd without. The herd, in every country, side with success;
and the rats run from the falling tower. But Robespierre, who wanted
courage, never wanted pride, and the last often supplied the place
of the first; thoughtfully, and with an impenetrable brow, he passed
through the throng, leaning on St. Just, Payan and his brother following
him.

As they got into the open space, Robespierre abruptly broke the silence.

"How many heads were to fall upon the tenth?"

"Eighty," replied Payan.

"Ah, we must not tarry so long; a day may lose an empire: terrorism must
serve us yet!"

He was silent a few moments, and his eyes roved suspiciously through the
street.

"St. Just," he said abruptly, "they have not found this Englishman
whose revelations, or whose trial, would have crushed the Amars and the
Talliens. No, no! my Jacobins themselves are growing dull and blind. But
they have seized a woman,--only a woman!"

"A woman's hand stabbed Marat," said St. Just. Robespierre stopped
short, and breathed hard.

"St. Just," said he, "when this peril is past, we will found the Reign
of Peace. There shall be homes and gardens set apart for the old. David
is already designing the porticos. Virtuous men shall be appointed to
instruct the young. All vice and disorder shall be NOT exterminated--no,
no! only banished! We must not die yet. Posterity ca