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"There, you see; you are plotting still, at this moment, to discredit the Tribunal," and the President went on to the woman Rochemaure, who answered with despairing protestations of innocence, tears and quibblings. The Père Longuemare referred himself purely and entirely to God's will. He had not even brought his written defence with him.
There I sing Mass for a few of the faithful, who come to the office to bear witness to the eternity of the Church of Jesus Christ." "For my part, Father," replied the other, "if you care to know my name, I am called Brotteaux, and I was a publican in former days." "Sir," returned the Père Longuemare, "I was aware by St. Matthew's example that one may look for good counsel from a publican."
They had put the Père Longuemare between her and the girl Athenaïs, who had recovered her look of youthful freshness at the Madelonnettes. On the platform the gendarmes massed a number of other prisoners unknown to any of our friends, and who, as likely as not, knew nothing of each other, yet accomplices one and all, lawyers, journalists, ci-devant nobles, citizens, and citizens' wives.
The remark was greeted with a burst of laughter and hooting from the spectators, at which the Père Longuemare, taking this derision to betoken a denial of his proposition, announced that he would die a member of this Order of St. Barnabas, the habit of which he wore in his heart.
Brotteaux was in his garret busy cutting out his dancing figures, while the Père Longuemare sat facing him, stringing their scattered limbs on threads, smiling to himself to see rhythm and harmony thus growing under his fingers.
"I agree with you, sir," replied Longuemare, "that Watteau and Boucher were well fitted to create such-like baubles; it had been more to their glory if they had confined themselves to innocent figures like these. I should be delighted to help you, but I fear I may not be clever enough for that."
"Ah!" sighed the Père Longuemare, "these judges and jurors are men very deserving of pity; their state of mind is truly deplorable. They mix up everything and confound a Barnabite with a Franciscan." The execution was to take place the same day at the Barrière du Trone-Renversé.
The Père Longuemare, for all reply, would observe that the speech showed the philosopher's cloven hoof behind the devil's and that the meanest imp of hell would never have talked such foolishness, having at least rubbed shoulders with Theology and for certain being less ignorant than an Encyclopædist.
But the pretty girl gave a cry of delight; she had found her purse again. The statement was received with a storm of hisses, and she was threatened with a public whipping, like a Nun. "Sir," said the ex-monk, addressing Brotteaux, "I thank you for having spoken in my defence. My name is of no concern, but I had better tell you what it is; I am called Louis de Longuemare.
The Père Longuemare lost his tormentor. The avocat Dubosc was haled before the Revolutionary Tribunal and condemned to death as a Federalist and for having conspired against the unity of the Republic. On leaving the court, he returned, as the prisoners always did, by a corridor that ran through the prison and opened on the room he had enlivened for three months with his gaiety.
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