"Why not? Thou hast not said a word to me of this."
"No; I had more important matters to think of."
François, who was tranquilly smoking his pipe, looked up at his partner. The man had lately worn a look of self-importance.
"Well, what else?"
"The sisters are aristocrats. A good citoyenne hath her. I shall give up the show. The country calls me, Pierre Despard, to save her. The great Robespierre hath asked me to go into Normandy, to Musillon, whence I came. I am to organize clubs of Jacobins." He spoke with excitement, striding to and fro. He declared that he was not afraid now of any one. To serve France was to have courage.
"And how as to money?" asked François.
He said his expenses would be paid by the clubs. Barnave, Duport, and the deputies of the Right must be taught a lesson. There must be no more kings. The people must rule—the people! He declaimed wildly.
"Fichtre!" cried François, laughing. "It does seem to me that they rule just now."
Pierre went on with increasing excitement; and would not François go with him?
"Go with thee? Thou sayest we shall be deputies in the new Convention. A fine thing that! And Toto too, I suppose? Not I. I am an aristocrat. I like not thy Robespierre. As to the show, it pays no longer, and I have greased the claws of the Crab until there is no more grease left. I shall take to the streets, Toto and I. And so thou art to be a great man, and to play poodle on thy hind legs for Pétion and the mob?"