"You have conspired against the Republic?"
"No."
"But I say yes," said Tinville loudly. "Citizen Hébert discovered you under an assumed name. Why did you take a name that was not your own if you had no intention of plotting? Are honest citizens ashamed of their names?"
Dangeau swung himself on to the platform and came forward.
"Citizen President," he said quietly. "I claim to represent the accused, who has, I see, no counsel."
Herman looked up stupidly, a vague smile on his broad, blond face.
"We have done away with counsel for the defence," he observed, with a large, explanatory wave of the hand. "It took too much time. The Revolutionary Tribunal now has increased powers, and requires only to hear and to be convinced of the prisoners' crimes. We have simplified the forms since you went south, Citizen."
Fouquier Tinville glanced at him with venomous intention. "And the Citizen delays us," he said politely.
Aline had let one only sign of feeling escape her,—a soft, quick gasp as Dangeau came within the contracting circle of her consciousness,—but the sound reached him and came sweetly to his ears.
He turned again to Herman.