第 41 节
作者:北方网      更新:2021-02-21 16:34      字数:9322
  although an opponent of hers; and appoint him again minister of
  finance。 The letter of the queen; which the Duchess Julia was
  commissioned to give to Necker; contained his recall; announced to
  him in flattering words。
  The second letter was a parting word from the queen to her friend; a
  last cry from her heart。 〃Farewell;〃 it ran〃 farewell; tenderly…
  loved friend! How dreadful this parting word is! But it is needful。
  Farewell! I embrace thee in spirit! Farewell!〃
  CHAPTER XII。
  THE FIFTH OF OCTOBER; 1789。
  The morning dawneda windy October morning; surrounding the sun
  with thick clouds; so the daylight came late to Paris; as if fearing
  to see what had taken place on the streets and squares。 The national
  guard; summoned together by the alarm…signal of drum…beats and the
  clangor of trumpets and horns; collected in the gray morning light;
  for a fearful rumor had been spread through Paris the evening
  before; and one has whispered to another that tomorrow had been
  appointed by the clubs and by the agitators for a second act in the
  revolution; and the people are too quiet; they must be roused to new
  deeds。
  〃The people are too quiet;〃 that was the watchword of the 4th of
  October; in all the clubs; and it was Marat who had carried it。
  On the platform of the Club de Cordeliers; the cry was raised loudly
  and hoarsely: 〃Paris is in danger of folding its hands in its lap;
  praying and going to sleep。 They must wake out of this state of
  lethargy; else the hateful; tyrannical monarchy will revive; and
  draw the nightcap so far over the ears of the sleeping capital; that
  it will stick as if covered with pitch; and suffer itself to relapse
  into bondage。 We must awaken Paris; my friends; Paris must not
  sleep。〃
  And on the night of the 4th of October; Paris had not slept; for the
  agitators had kept it awake。 The watch…cry had been: 〃The bakers
  must not bake to…night! Paris must to…morrow morning be without
  bread; that the people may open their eyes again and awake。 The
  bakers must not bake to…night!〃
  All the clubs had caught up their watch…cry; and their emissaries
  had spread it through the whole city; that all the bakers should be
  informed that whoever should 〃open his store in the morning; or give
  any other answer than this: 'There is no more meal in Paris; we have
  not been able to bake!' will be regarded as a traitor to the
  national cause; and as such; will be punished。 Be on your guard!〃
  The bakers had been intimidated by this threat; and had not baked。
  When Paris awoke on the morning of the 5th of October; it was
  without bread。 People lacked their most indispensable article of
  food。
  At the outset; the women; who received these dreadful tidings at the
  bake…shops; returned dumb with horror to their families; to announce
  to their households and their hungry children: 〃There is no bread
  to…day! The supply of flour is exhausted! We must starve! There is
  no more bread to be had!〃
  And from the dark abode of the poor; the sad cry sounded out into
  the narrow and dirty streets and all the squares; 〃Paris contains no
  bread! Paris must starve!〃
  The women; the children uttered these cries in wild tones of
  despair。 The men repeated the words with clinched fists and with
  threatening looks: 〃Paris contains no more bread! Paris must
  starve!〃
  〃And do you know why Paris must starve?〃 croaked out a voice into
  the ears of the people who were crowding each other in wild
  confusion on the Place de Carrousel。
  〃Do you know who is the cause of all this misery and want?〃
  〃Tell us; if you know!〃 cried a rough man's voice。
  〃Yes; yes; tell us!〃 shouted other voices。 〃We want to know!〃
  〃I will tell you;〃 answered the first; in rasping tones; and now
  upon the stones; which indicated where the carriage…road crossed the
  square; a little; shrunken; broad…shouldered figure; with an
  unnaturally large head; and ugly; crafty face; could be seen。
  〃Marat!〃 cried some man in the crowd。 〃Marat!〃 yelled the cobbler
  Simon; who had been since August the friend and admirer of Marat;
  and was to be seen everywhere at his side。 〃Listen; friends; listen!
  Marat is going to speak to us; he will tell us how it happens that
  Paris has bread no more; and that we shall all have to starve
  together! Marat is going to speak!〃
  〃Silence; silence!〃 scattered men commanded here and there。
  〃Silence!〃 ejaculated a gigantic woman; with broad; defiant face;
  around which her black hair hung in dishevelled masses; and which
  was gathered up in partly…secured knots under her white cap。 With
  her broad shoulders and her robust arms she forced her way through
  the crowd; directing her course toward the place where Marat
  was standing; and near him Simon the cobbler; on whose broad
  shoulders; as upon a desk; Marat was resting one hand。
  〃Silence!〃 cried the giantess。 〃Marat; the people's friend; is going
  to speak! Let us listen; for it will certainly do us good。 Marat is
  clever and wise; and loves the people!〃
  Marat's green; blazing eyes fixed themselves upon the gigantic form
  of the woman; he shrank back as if an electrical spark had touched
  him; and with a wonderful expression of mingled triumph and joy。
  〃Come nearer; goodwife!〃 he exclaimed; 〃let me press your hand; and
  bring all the excellent; industrious; well…minded women of Paris to
  take Marat; the patriot; by the hand!〃
  The woman strode to the place where Marat was standing and reached
  him her hand。 No one in the crowd noticed that this hand of unwonted
  delicacy and whiteness did not seem to comport well with the dress
  of a vender of vegetables from the market; no one noticed that on
  one of the tapering fingers a jewel of no ordinary size glistened。
  Marat was the only one to notice it; and while pressing the offered
  hand of the woman in his bony fist; he stooped down and whispered in
  her ear:
  〃Monseigneur; take this jewelled ring off; and do not press forward
  too much; you might be identified!〃
  〃I be identified!〃 answered the woman; turning pale。 〃I do not
  understand you; Doctor Marat!〃
  〃But I do;〃 whispered Marat; still more softly; for he saw that
  Simon's little sparkling eyes were turned toward the woman with a
  look of curiosity。 〃I understand the Duke Philip d'Orleans very
  well。 He wants to rouse up the people; but he is unwilling to
  compromise his name or his title。 And that may be a very good thing。
  But you are not to disown yourself before Marat; for Marat is your
  very good friend; and will keep your secret honorably。〃
  〃What are you whispering about?〃 shouted Simon。 〃Why do you not
  speak to the people? You were going to tell us why Paris has no
  bread; and who is to blame that we must all starve。〃
  〃Yes; yes; that is what you were going to tell us!〃 was shouted on
  all sides。 〃We want to know it。〃
  〃Tell us; tell us!〃 cried the giantess。 〃Give me your hand once
  more; that I may press it in the name of all the women of Paris!〃
  Marat with an assuring smile reached his great; bony hand to the
  woman; who held it in both of her own for a moment; and then
  retreated and was lost in the crowd。
  But in Marat's hand now blazed the jewelled ring which had a moment
  before adorned the large; soft hand of the woman。 He; perhaps; did
  not know it himself; he paid no attention to it; but turned all his
  thoughts to the people who now filled the immense square; and hemmed
  him in with thousands upon thousands of blazing eyes。
  〃You want to know why you have no bread?〃 snarled he。 〃You ask why
  you starve? Well; my friends and brothers; the answer is an easy one
  to give。 The baker of France has shut up his storehouse because the
  baker's wife has told him to do so; because she hates the people and
  wants them to starve! But she does not intend to starve; and so she
  has called the baker and the little apprentices to Versailles; where
  are her storehouses; guarded by her paid soldiers。 What does it
  concern her if the people of Paris are miserably perishing? She has
  an abundance of bread; for the baker must always keep his store open
  for her; and her son eats cake; while your children are starving!
  You must always keep demanding that the baker; the baker's wife; and
  the whole brood come to Paris and live in your midst; and then you
  will see how they keep their flour; and you will then compel them to
  give you of their superfluous supplies。〃
  〃Yes; we will make her come!〃 cried Simon the cobbler; with a coarse
  laugh。 〃Up; brothers; up! We must compel the baker and his wife to
  open the flour…store to us!〃
  〃Let us go to Versailles!〃 roared the great woman; who had posted
  herself among a group of fishwives。 〃Come; my friends; let us go to
  Versailles; and we will tell the baker's wife that our children have
  no bread; while she is giving her apprentices cakes。 We will demand
  of her that she give our children bread; and if she refuses it; we
  will compel her to come with her baker and her whole brood to Paris
  and starve with us! Come; let us go to Versailles!〃
  〃Yes; yes; let us go to Versailles!〃 was the hideous cry which
  echoed across the square; 〃the baker's wife shall give us bread!〃
  〃She keeps the keys to the stores!〃 howled Marat; 〃she prevents the
  baker opening them。〃
  〃She shall g