Pickwick Abroad; or, The Tour in France — page 174: what you’re looking at

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

CHAPTER XXTI. . THE PUBLIC ACCUSER.—A TALE. MARGUERITE D ERMANVILLE.—THE RENDEZ-VOUS.—THE EVENT. I HAVE not selected the anecdote that will be developed in the pro- gress of this tale, for the purpose of making a pedantic display of my extensive acquaintance with: French history, but merely to furnish an interesting specimen of ‘‘ the deeds that were done” by the principal agents of the Revolution im the Reien of Terror. Fouquier-Tinville was seated in his private eabinet, busily em- ployed in the examimation of certain documents that lay spread out before him upon the table. His countenance wore an expression of austerity that.rendered his appearance terrible m the eyes of those who sought his presence for the usually fruitless purpose of supplicating a favour on the part of some accused friend. Seldom was it that Fou quier-Tinville mingled sentiments of benevolence and mercy with the details of the proces-verbal it-was his duty to present to the. Revolu- tionary Tribunal. His eloquence was invariably directed against the life of hrm whom he indicted; and his arguments were deemed more persuasive in ensuring a fellow-creature’s doom, than the memorable words of the Roman senator who concluded every paragraph of his oration with the terrible injunction—“Delenda est Carthago !” Fouquier-Tinville, the Public Accuser, had been employed about an hour in the careful scrutiny of the various papers that lay before him, when a low knock at the door of the cabinet for a moment diverted his attention from the study in which he had been absorbed. He desired the individual, who thus disturbed him, to enter; and when Lafleur, his faithful page, presented himself, the republican said sternly, “‘ What, Lafleur! despite of my strict orders, my privacy is thus invaded! Am I never to enjoy a moment’s tranquillity?” * May it please Citizen. Fouquier-Tinville,” replied the page sub- missively, “‘a young person, who refuses to deliver her name, insists upon being indulged with a private audience—” “Admit her,’ cried the Public Accuser, hastily cutting short Lafleur’s story, and waving his hand impatiently. The command was immediately obeyed, and a lovely young female, of about eighteen, was ushered into the room. Lafieur retired as scon as this ceremony was performed, and Fouquier-Tinville desired his beautiful visitor to be seated and explain the nature of her business. The stranger hesi- tated as if she were at a loss‘how to reply; and probably over-awed at finding herself in the presence of the dreaded functionary of the Revolutionary Tribunal, as well as instinctively to place herself in an attitude befitting one who has a boon to solicit, she sank upon her knees at the republican’s feet, and suffered her head to repose upon her breast. Her long luxuriant hair fell in graceful ringlets over shoulders and a neck of dazzling whiteness ; and the position of the lovely girl enabled the licentious glance of Fouquier-Tinville to catch “short glimpses of a breast of snow.” Her ficure was modelled in _ the most faultless symmetry ; her clasped bands were diminutive and =) \ 4 J] Gomichbooks. co