The Knight of Maison-Rouge_ A Novel of Marie Antoinette - Alexandre Dumas [190]
“Courage,” said Lorin. “Courage!”
“I have,” replied Geneviève. “I have!”
“I love you!” murmured Maurice. “I love you!”
It was no longer a matter of victims having their throats cut; this was friends turning death into rejoicing.
“Adieu!” Geneviève cried to Lorin.
“Au revoir!” Lorin cried back.
Geneviève disappeared under the fatal blade.
“Your turn!” said Lorin.
“Your turn!” said Maurice.
“Listen. She’s calling you.”
Indeed, Geneviève gave out her last cry.
“Come,” she beckoned.
A great roar riffled through the crowd. The beautiful, graceful head had fallen.
Maurice rushed forward.
“Wait a moment,” Lorin was saying. “Let’s stick to logic. Do you hear me, Maurice?”
“Yes.”
“She loved you, they killed her first; you aren’t condemned, you die second; me, I did nothing, and as I’m the biggest criminal of all three, I go last.
“That’s how everything is explained
With the logic of the brain.
“Sorry, citizen Sanson, I promised you a quatrain but you’ll have to make do with a distich.”
“I loved you!” murmured Maurice, tied to the fatal block and smiling at his lover’s head. “I lov …”
The steel blade truncated the rest of the word.
“My turn!” cried Lorin, bounding up to the scaffold. “And be quick about it! For I truly am losing my head.… Citizen Sanson, I robbed you of two lines; but I’m offering you a pun instead.”
Sanson tied him up in turn.
“Let’s see,” said Lorin. “It’s the done thing to call out ‘Long Live’ something or other when you die. Once upon a time they used to cry ‘Long Live the King!’ but there is no more king. After that, they cried ‘Long Live Liberty!’ but there is no more liberty. Why not ‘Long Live Simon,’ who has joined all three of us together.”
With that the head of the generous young man fell next to the heads of Maurice and Geneviève!
NOTES
1. THE RECRUITS
1. death of Louis XVI: The execution of the deposed king took place on January 23, 1793.
2. France cut its ties: The execution of Louis XVI led most of Europe’s monarchies—under the leadership of Pitt’s England (see note 6, p. 402)—to declare war on the new French Republic.
3. enemies it had already defeated: The Revolutionary armies had won great victories over the Prussians and Austrians in late 1792.
4. Austro-Hungarian Empire: The Holy Roman Empire, which had by the end of the eighteenth century become virtually synonymous with Austria and the domains of the Hapsburg family.
5. watching Catherine II tear up Poland: Catherine the Great of Russia, along with Prussia and Austria, carved up and claimed Polish territory three times in the late eighteenth century, the final partition taking place in 1796.
6. September massacres: Violent mobs invaded the prisons of Paris in early September 1792 and murdered thousands of prisoners.
7. Maczinski … Dampierre: All of these generals served with varying degrees of success in the Revolutionary and Imperalist armies. Of particular interest is Francisco de Miranda (1750–1816), a Venezuelan patriot who joined his Revolutionary brothers in France before returning to fight for independence alongside Simón Bolívar. He was captured by the Spanish and died in prison in 1816.
8. the Convention: unicameral legislature that governed France after the final collapse of the Monarchy in August 1792. See also Glossary, p. 418.
9. Dumouriez: Charles-François du Périer Dumouriez (1739–1823) was an aristocratic officer and diplomat who joined the Revolutionary cause as a successful general under the Convention. See also Glossary, p. 419.
10. Danton: Georges-Jacques Danton (1759–94), celebrated orator, influential member of the Convention and the Committee of Public Safety, also Minister of Justice. Dumas is referring to Danton’s call for a massive levee of troops to face encroaching foreign armies. See also Glossary, p. 418.
11. sections: the administrative divisions of Paris instituted by the Revolutionary government.
12. Girondins … Montagnards: The Girondins were the moderate republicans of the