"I am a Frenchman, even if I am not of thy party. Had not the country needed thee, that day had been thy last. Citizen, as a man thou wouldst set me free; as a patriot thou wilt bow to the law of the republic. I am willing to die rather than soil the record of one to whom France owes so much." An overwhelming solemnity of aspect came upon this comedian's face as it met the gaze of the commissioner. "Alas! the country has few such citizens."
"Tonnerre! True—true; it is sad." The man's vanity was excelled only by that of the prisoner before him. François had personal appreciation of the influential value of the bait he cast. A great diplomatist of the older type was lost when François took to the war against society in place of that against nations.
"If the citizen commissioner has no more need of me, I will go! To waste his time is to waste the genius of France." Not for nothing had François been of late in the society of the Comédie Française.
"Tiens! Who told thee to go? I desire to do my own thinking. Why art thou here?"
François laughed, but made no other reply.
"Young man, art thou laughing at the Revolutionary Tribunal?"
"Thou art also laughing, monsieur." When François laughed, he who looked at him laughed also.
"Diable! yes. What right hast thou to make an officer of the Great Committee laugh? Thou wilt get into trouble."
"I am in it now, monsieur—up to the neck."
"No 'monsieur' to me, aristocrat! What brought thee here?"