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Of these five, all of them young men of brilliant promise and high courage, only one, Margarot, lived to return to England. Muir, daring, romantic and headstrong, contributed to the history of the movement a page of adventure which might invite the attention of a novelist.
"Let us go to Hoffman's café," said Mr. Goulden. "Hurry! the papers will go there, and if we wait we shall not be able to get in." As we crossed the square we heard some one running behind us, and the clear, strong voice of Margarot, saying: "They have come, I have them." All the half-pay officers were following him, and as the moon was shining we could see they were coming at a great pace.
I stopped in the silent street to take breath, a slight breeze came from the fields beyond the ramparts, and I listened to the tumult in the distance and wiped the sweat from my face and thought, "how am I to find Catherine?" I was climbing the steps at the postern gate when I heard some one say: "Mark the points, Margarot."
I suddenly remembered that Colonel Falconette and Commandant Margarot had killed some Russian and Austrian officers in a duel in the rear of the "Green Tree," when the allies were passing through the town six months ago. The large man too, without any shirt-collar, although he was thin, wrinkled, and pale, and his temples were gray and his manner cold, seemed respectable too.
What a scene it was in the café the night the papers arrived! M. Goulden and I were hardly seated before the place was filled with people, and it was so close the windows had to be opened. Commandant Margarot mounted on a table with other officers all around him, and began to read the "Gazette" aloud.
Margarot, be quiet," said the colonel. And this went on for a quarter of an hour. At last we heard Mr. Goulden count out the money, and the hussar said: "Thank you, sir, thank you! If ever you have occasion, remember the Commandant Margarot." We were glad to hear the door open, and to hear them go downstairs, for Catherine and I were much pained by what we had heard and seen.
One circumstance I shall never forget: it was the last of January, 1815, when two of these half-pay officers one was a large, austere, gray-haired man, known as Colonel Falconette, who appeared to have served in the infantry, the other was short and thick and they called him Commandant Margarot, and he still wore his hussar whiskers came to us and proposed to sell a splendid watch.
The governor seems to have punished Scotch and Irish pretty impartially, for Hayes and Margarot were coupled together as disturbing characters and both sent away. The "martyrs," it will perhaps be remembered, were Muir, Palmer, Skirving, Gerald, and Margarot, transported at Edinburgh for libelling the Government in August, 1793, and most harshly dealt with, as everyone nowadays admits.
To-morrow the gendarmerie may commence to act, the Commandant Margarot and the others have not the air of men who will allow themselves to be arrested. The soldiers of the third battalion will take their part, if they have not already. The city is in their power." He was talking to himself, and I thought as he did. When we reached home, Catherine was waiting anxiously for us in the workshop.
B 's; Madame B e, a lady of the country, doing the honours with that vivacity and grace which is said to distinguish the French creoles of New Orleans: the dinner was excellent, a mixture of English and French cooking, both good, and admirably served; whilst for wines, we had Chateau Margarot of 1825, with frozen champagne, and Madeira, such as can only be produced in this country.
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