He stopped, then continued,—
"I am a priest; I believe in God."
"God has grown antiquated," said Danton.
"I believe in God," repeated Cimourdain, unmoved.
Robespierre gloomily nodded his approval, and Cimourdain continued,—
"To whom shall I be delegated?"
Robespierre replied,—
"To the commandant of the exploring division sent against Lantenac. But I give you warning that he is a nobleman."
"That is another thing that excites my contempt," cried Danton. "A nobleman? Well, what of that? It is all the same whether a man be a priest or a nobleman; if he is a good man, he is excellent. Nobility is a prejudice; but we ought to deal impartially with it, granting both its merits and its demerits. Is not Saint-Just a nobleman, Robespierre? Florelle de Saint-Just,—parbleu! Anacharsis Cloots is a baron. Our friend Charles Hesse, who never misses a single session of the Cordeliers, is a prince, brother to the reigning Landgrave of Hesse-Rothenbourg. Montaut, Marat's intimate friend, is Marquis de Montaut. In the revolutionary tribunal there is one juror Vilate, who is a priest, and another Leroy, Marquis de Montflabert. Both are trustworthy men."
"And you forget," added Robespierre, "the foreman of the revolutionary jury—"