The kneeling women, who filled the whole market-place, took no notice of the carriage; they did not think of opening their ranks to let it pass; it was, therefore, compelled to halt and wait.
The pale young woman, as if feeling that what had caused all the women here to kneel down must concern her, too, hastily alighted from the carriage and approached the kneeling women.
All at once she heard a loud and imperious voice asking: “What do these ladies want to see me for? You applied for an interview with me: here I am! What do you want?”
“Mercy!” shouted hundreds and hundreds of voices. “Delay of the execution! Mercy for Palm!”
A piercing, terrible cry resounded from the lips of the pale young traveller; she hurried toward the general as if she had wings on her feet.
A murmur of surprise arose from the ranks of the women; they perceived instinctively that something extraordinary was about to occur; their hearts comprehended that this pale young woman, who now stood before the general with flaming eyes and panting breast, must be closely connected with the poor prisoner. Every one of them held her breath in order to hear her voice and understand her words.
“They ask for mercy for Palm?” she asked, in a voice in which her whole soul was vibrating. “They speak of execution? Then you are going to murder him? You have sentenced him infamously and wickedly?”
And while putting these questions to the general, her eyes pierced his face as though they were two daggers.
“Pray choose your words more carefully,” said the general, harshly; “the court-martial has sentenced the traitor; hence, he will not be murdered, but punished for the crime he has committed. And for this reason,” he added, in a louder voice, turning to the women, “for this reason I am unable to grant your request. The court-martial has pronounced the sentence, and it is not in my power to annul it. The Emperor Napoleon alone could do so if he were here. But as he is in Paris, and consequently cannot be reached, the law must take its course. Palm will be shot at two o’clock this afternoon!”
“Shot!” ejaculated the young woman; for a moment she tottered as if she were about to faint, but then she courageously overcame her emotion, and stretching out her arms to the women, exclaimed: “Pray with me, my sisters, that I may be permitted to see Palm and bid him farewell! I am his wife, and have come to die with him!”