"The call! What call!" he asked.
But the Marquise de Choiseul had gone away with Madame de Narbonne, carrying the little child along with them, in great haste. Olivier, turning round, met only the supplicating look of his mother, who had perhaps understood.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I don't know," she said, with an effort.
Thérèse clung tremblingly to Clarisse, feeling that something terrible was to happen, and Olivier going towards one of the prisoners to question him was soon joined by Clarisse and Thérèse.
"The call? Why, it is the summons to such of the prisoners as are destined to appear before the Revolutionary Tribunal. The bell had been rung to assemble all the prisoners to meet the Recorder, who, with list in hand, will read the names of those selected by the Revolutionary Tribunal for trial."
"You mean for condemnation!" interrupted Olivier, with indignation.
The prisoner nodded assent.
"So all those who are named..."
"Will be taken in a cart to the Conciergerie, and..."