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Updated: May 2, 2025
About half way of the journey through the City, Jacques-Forget-Not and his men take up a stand in front of the onrushing cavalry. They wave orders and prohibitions. They yell to the horsemen to draw rein. Resistlessly the troopers keep their careering course the talk and gestures are but as the East Wind to tensed Danton, stern-set Captain, and the rest.
He could not stop the Chief Judge leaving, but he pounced on the messenger and yanked the reprieve out of his hand. "I will deliver it!" said Danton. The people applauded the act. Everyone knew that he dared greatly. Quick as he had been, Jacques-Forget-Not had already given his orders. "Stop Danton if you can!" had been Jacques' word to the outer guard.
But what avails it?... Even on the straightway 'twere a quarter-hour ride to the outer-suburban locality where the guillotine does its dreadful work. Ancient Paris with its tortuous streets delays them. Ahead, are Jacques-Forget-Not Jacobin troops barriers gates. Poor little Henriette's golden head! Is it not fated to drop in the basket long, long before they can appear?
The Chevalier tottered forward. He collapsed into the nearest chair. She put her arms around him and hovered there, comforting him with affectionate little hand pats and soft kisses. Jacques-Forget-Not, the avenger of the de Vaudreys, had not been far behind during the pilgrim's tramp across the city. He had in fact sneaked back of him, seen the wanderer enter Henriette's door.
But History struck faster. The avenger Jacques-Forget-Not annihilated pardons. The Linieres and the other aristocrats were soon to flee for their lives.
To his inspectors of defences, he had said: "The barriers to the guillotine close them!" He ran forth to see that the orders were obeyed. None of Robespierre's party wanted to see Danton achieve his errand of mercy least of all, the vengeful Jacques-Forget-Not!.... The pock-marked Thunderer wasn't stopped beyond the door. His giant strength threw off the minions who would have blocked him.
And in and among these slaughters is intermixed the destruction of Robespierre's personal and political rivals a work in which the vengeful Jacques-Forget-Not studies and obeys every whim of his master, for does not Jacques also have private grudges as yet unpaid? ... But Danton remains a popular hero.
As the master's signalling hand is upraised high and begins to lower, the boy leaps up the steps of the guillotine, and attacks the executioner whose fingers are already on the death rope.... Ride on yet more fiercely, O Danton and ye fierce Cavalrymen ride on, e'en past the barrier, if Jacques-Forget-Not and his men do not stay thee.
A nod to Jacques-Forget-Not completes the by-play. The servant imitates the master's gesture. This time, the drawing of the hand across the throat is more decisive. Jacques speaks the word that his master did not vocalize. The other judges confirm it. Henriette is borne shrieking out to the death chamber "One hour with her only one hour then I will go with him!"
Superbly the Lion of the Revolution faced the judges and the mob, and demanded a hearing. Robespierre uplifted eyebrows and half-smiled, vulpinely. His rapid exchange of looks with the Court seemed to say: "Well, we have got to listen to this crazy man, but be on guard!" The president, Jacques-Forget-Not, took the cue and acceded to Danton's request.
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