"Well, citoyenne, as you propose it, you shall act as our guide. Lead us to that door up there; it's a granary, I suppose?"
I nodded. I could not speak, my throat was too dry.
"A few men follow me! On!"
That was a most terrible moment, my child. I had to summon all my strength to keep from swooning. I drew myself up, however, and went towards the stair-case which led to the ledge, that stair-case which I had ascended with the fugitives a few hours before. The agent came next, then the captain and several soldiers.
What could I hope for in obeying the order? It would require a miracle to save the Girondins. But I had fought it out to that point, and I would fight it out to the end. And, frankly speaking, I scarcely knew what I was doing, I was acting unconsciously—I had been told to go there, and I was going, that's all!
I soon reached the ledge, the agent following painfully on account of his corpulence. He seemed, moreover, very clumsy, and his fat body embarrassed him much. When he reached the top of the staircase and saw the ledge, on which I had already advanced a step or two, he hesitated.
"Oh! oh! it is very narrow!" he murmured.
Then he saw that all the soldiers were looking at him from below, and, stung by their looks, he followed me slowly, supporting himself against the wall, stepping with infinite caution. Really, if the situation had not been so dreadful it would have been grotesque.
"LOOK! SPIDERS WEBS!"