"
The sans-culottes shout with laughter. He sends the poor woman away
and keeps her husband locked up. In the evening he may write to the
Convention that he investigates things himself, and closely examines
aristocrats. - If one is to maintain the revolutionary enthusiasm at
a high level it is helpful to have a drop too much in one's head, and
most of them take precautions in this direction. At Lyons,[105] "the
representatives sent to ensure the people's welfare, Albitte and
Collot," call upon the Committee of Sequestrations to deliver at their
house two hundred bottles of the best wine to be found, and five
hundred bottles more of Bordeaux red wine, first quality, for table
use. - In three months, at the table of the representatives who
devastate la Vend?e, nineteen hundred and seventy-four bottles of wine
are emptied,[106] taken from the houses of the emigr?s belonging to
the town; for, "when one has helped to preserve a commune one has a
right to drink to the Republic." Representative Bourbotte presides at
this bar; Rossignol touches his glass, an ex-jeweler and then a
September massacreur, all his life a debauchee and brigand, and now a
major-general; alongside of Rossignol, stand his adjutants, Grammont,
an old actor, and Hazard, a former priest; along with them is
Vacheron, a good r?publican, who ravishes women and shoots them when
they refuse to succumb;[107] in addition to these are some "brilliant"
young ladies, undoubtedly brought from Paris, "the prettiest of whom
share their nights between Rossignol and Bourbotte," whilst the others
serve their subordinates: the entire band, male and female, is installed
in a Hotel de Fontenay, where they begin by breaking the seals, so as t
o confiscate "for their own benefit, furniture, jewelry, dresses,
feminine trinkets and even porcelains.
Pages:
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430