Alfred; or, The Adventures of a French Gentleman — page 82: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ALFRED; OR ADVENTURES 65 CHAP. X. THE MASSACRE. ARRIVED at the foot of the scaffold, the cavalcade halted; and an inspector noticed that the executioner was not there. On inquiry it was discovered that the worthy functionary of the baqne, who was himself a convict, had purposely sprained his leg in so dreadful a manner, as to be totally unable to rise from his bed in the hospital, whither he had been conveyed. A low murmur of applause issued from the galley-slaves nearest the scaffold, at these news, which speedily flew from man to man. “ He will be saved!”’ said Belle-Rose in a whisper. ‘ Thank God!” cried De Rosann; “ but wherefore ?” “ There is no executioner,” was the reply. ‘ One will be found, I am afraid,” murmured Alfred. “ O no!—the executioner must be a convict; and all will refuse, as sure as you are a living man,” rejoined Belle- Rose. «“ You do not think that retributive justice will be thus cheated of its rey?’ continued De Rosann, as he breathed an inaudible prayer tu the Almighty Judge of heaven and earth to spare the grey hairs of that old man. “IT don’t know anything about those fine-turned sentences, my dear fellow,’ said Belle-Rose, impatiently ‘‘ but what I mean to insinuate is, that Francois stands a devilish good chance of escaping.” “ Would to heaven that he did !” whispered our hero, with the most unfeigned sincerity. ‘¢ Be heaven or hell the arbiter of his fate, comrade,” added Belle- Rose, “ the thing will take pretty well the same turn. If no one will pull that little cord yonder, then Francois’ head will not be severed from his shoulders: and although they may shackle, and bind, and enchain us, they cannot compel us to mount that scaffold and enact the part of common executioners.” “True!” said De Rosann. ‘ But hither comes the Commissary : let “us await the event with resignation and in silence!” The Governor stepped forward: he had a painful duty to perform; but he was obliged to acquit himself of it. Nevertheless. his cheek was pale, and his voice was trembling: perhaps he also entertained the same hope that animated many others; for no one, however hard his heart — however strict his ideas of moral rectitude and justice might be, could mark that old man’s hoary locks, turn to the gloomy aspect of the guillotine, and recollect at the same moment all the circumstances of the case, without experiencing a ceriain mental attenuation, a kindly feeling, a sentiment of deep commiseration, in favour of him whose days, whose hours—whose very minutes were haply numbered. ‘. ne Commissary did betray this humane spirit, and vainly endeavoured to preserve an assumed coolness as he addressed the convicts in the following terms: — ‘‘ Prisoners, the absence of the individual, who should this day have completed the awful sentence which has been pronounced against the criminal doomed to expiate his dreadful action on that scaffold, obliges 9 COMIC MOOS () (CO)