"What do you want?" he repeated, pale with repressed anger, making an effort to accept his disaster courageously.
There were pushes and growls amid the crowd. Étienne at last came forward, saying:
"We do not come to injure you, sir, but work must cease everywhere."
Deneulin frankly treated him as an idiot.
"Do you think you will benefit me if you stop work at my place? You might just as well fire a gun off into my back. Yes, my men are below, and they shall not come up, unless you mean to murder me first!"
These rough words raised a clamour. Maheu had to hold back Levaque, who was pushing forward in a threatening manner, while Étienne went on discussing, and tried to convince Deneulin of the lawfulness of their revolutionary conduct. But the latter replied by the right to work. Besides, he refused to discuss such folly; he meant to be master in his own place. His only regret was that he had not four gendarmes here to sweep away this mob.
"To be sure, it is my fault; I deserve what has happened to me. With fellows of your sort force is the only argument. The Government thinks to buy you by concessions. You will throw it down, that's all, when it has given you weapons."
Étienne was quivering, but still held himself in. He lowered his voice.
"I beg you, sir, give the order for your men to come up. I cannot answer for my mates. You may avoid a disaster."
"No! be good enough to let me alone! Do I know you? You do not belong to my works, you have no quarrel with me. It is only brigands who thus scour the country to pillage houses."