Sir Percy Hits Back · Chapter 20 (2/2)

“Go and fetch your witness, citizen lieutenant,” Pochart said in the end.

Then Chauvelin woke, like a tiger out of his sleep.

“What?” he queried abruptly, “what is this?”

“A witness, citizen representative,” came in unctuous tones from Danou. “It will be more satisfactory in this case⁠—the Law does not demand witnesses⁠—suspicion is enough⁠—but⁠—”

“Out of deference to your position, citizen,” Pochart broke in with a short laugh. “Go and fetch your witness, Citizen Godet,” he added dryly.

Chauvelin brought his clenched fist down with a crash on the table.

“I’ll not allow you⁠—” he began in thundering accents, and met Danou’s sneering, inquiring gaze.

“Allow what, citizen representative?” Pochart asked roughly.

“Refuse to hear witnesses? On what grounds?” Danou put in in smooth, velvety accents.

Godet said nothing. It was not for him to speak; but he met Chauvelin’s glance just then, and almost drained his cup of revenge to its dreg.

“No one,” now put in Pochart significantly, “has more respect for family ties than I have. But I am first of all a patriot, and then only a family man. I happen to be a single man, but if I were married and discovered my wife to be a traitor to the State, and an enemy of the people, I would with my own hand adjust the guillotine which would end such a worthless and miserable life.”

“Now you, Citizen Chauvelin,” Danou said, taking up his colleague’s point, “are doing your daughter no good by trying to shield her from punishment if she be guilty.”

“You would not dare⁠—”

“Dare what, Citizen Chauvelin? Act up to the principles which you yourself have helped to promulgate in France? Indeed we dare! We dare strike at the enemies of the State whoever they may be. That woman,” he added, indicating Fleurette, “is suspect; the Law of the Suspect gives our Committee power to arrest her. If she be proved innocent she shall go free. If she be guilty, you, by defending her, cannot save her and do but condemn yourself.”

And that was true! No one knew it better than Chauvelin, who but a few weeks ago in Paris had helped Merlin and Douai to frame that abominable Law. The heavy hand of Retribution was indeed upon him. The voice of the innocent had cried out for Vengeance before the Lord, and Nemesis, hourglass in hand, had stalked him now at last. All that was left him at this moment, out of all that arrogance which had imposed his personality upon the masters of France, made them forget his failures and fear him even in the hour of humiliation, was just a shred of pride, which enabled him to hide his misery and his despair behind a mask of impassiveness. He even succeeded in hiding his hatred and contempt of these three curs who were yapping at his heels. And when Pochart for the third time reiterated his order to Godet to go and fetch his witness, Chauvelin made no further protest. He rose from the table and went round to where Fleurette was standing, silent, bewildered, with great tears, like those of a frightened child, running down her cheeks.

He held his hands tightly clenched behind his back, to prevent himself from seizing her in his arms and raining kisses upon her golden hair, letting those sneering men see how terribly he had been hit and how he suffered. Godet had gone out of the room to fetch the witness⁠—what witness? and the other two were sitting at the table, whispering together. Chauvelin through compressed lips murmured in Fleurette’s ears:

“Try not to be frightened, little one! Don’t let them see you are frightened. They dare not do anything to you.”

“I am not frightened, chéri Bibi,” she replied, smiling at him through her tears.

“And you will hold your tongue, Fleurette,” he urged under his breath, “about what you told me this morning? Swear to me that you will.”

“If M’sieu’ Amédé is safe⁠—”

“I swear to you on my soul, that we do not even know where he is.”

“In that case, Bibi chéri⁠—”

Quick footsteps outside the door. A challenge from the man on guard. The opening of the door. Then Godet’s voice saying loudly:

“The witness, citizens.”

Chauvelin looked up and saw beside Godet a woman with a shawl wrapped round her head; she came forward boldly, then threw back her shawl. Chauvelin uttered a savage oath, whilst Fleurette gasped in amazement:

“Adèle!” she cried.