It was remarked as an extraordinary fact, that during the whole course
of that evening--an evening of the greatest excitement and anxiety,
perhaps, that Ghent had ever known--not one of the principal and most
influential citizens was seen in the streets of the city. The groups
which collected were altogether of the lower classes; and those
amongst them who were supposed to be the most knowing in the policy of
the higher burghers, could discover no other sign of interest and
agitation on their part, than was afforded by the sight of one of the
serving-men of Albert Maurice calling rapidly at the houses of five or
six of the principal merchants, amongst whom the druggist Ganay was
the first.
Gradually, as the evening closed in, the crowds began to disperse--a
considerable number returning home early, to discuss with their wives
and families the news they had collected in the town, and to acquire
that degree of domestic importance which a budget of strange tidings
is always sure to impart to the bearer. One after another, the
diminishing groups thus separated at length--the wind, which was
intensely cold, though symptoms of a thaw had begun to manifest
themselves, driving even the most persevering to the shelter of their
own homes, as the night advanced--and only one or two idle young men,
who could boast some acquaintance with the soldiers on guard at the
Brussels gate, remained after nine o'clock within the warm refuge of
the guard-house, waiting for any tidings that might still arrive.
The many varied scenes, the continued presence of danger, the frequent
breaking short of ties and affections, have all a natural tendency to
render the heart of an old soldier, in some degree callous and
indifferent to events which agitate and affect younger and
fresher-minded men. It was wonderful to hear with what calm composure
the veterans in the guard-house talked over the events which had
spread grief and dismay through the palace, and excitement and alarm
in the city. Although they all loved and admired the character of
Charles the Bold, for the very lion-hearted qualities which had led
him to attempt impossible enterprises, and to rush upon certain
defeat, yet they canvassed his conduct with calm and somewhat
contemptuous examination, and spoke of his probable death in the same
terms that they might be supposed to use in talking of a hound which
had been gored by the boar.
"Why the devil did he sit down before Nancy, in the middle of winter?"
cried one; "he might have known very well that nobody would stay with
him, looking at stone walls, in a frost like this."
"Ay, ay, but he did worse than that!" replied another: "why did he
trust a set of Italian hirelings, when he had good subjects of his
own?"
"Why, old lions," rejoined a third, "will, they say, grow both
suspicious and obstinate."
"Full time, then, that they should get their throats cut," answered
the first: "but I know old Charlie well; and I will bet a flagon of
Beaune to a flask of sour Rhenish, that he never left the field of
Nancy. No, no; he had had enough of running away; and sure I am that
he died like a stag at bay. Well, I am almost sorry that I was not
with him, though a warm guardhouse and a pottle-pot are better, at any
time, in a January night, than the cold ground and a bloody nightcap.
Hie thee over, Bontemps, to the vintner's at the corner, and fill the
flagon with the best thou canst get for that broad piece. By my faith!
we will have a carouse to the old Lion of Burgundy, be he living or
dead, and then we will go sleep. Hie thee over, while I undo the gate,
for there is some one blowing his horn: a new post from Alost,
bringing more news, I warrant."
While one soldier, according to the request of the other, ran across
the street to seek matter for the potations with which they proposed
to conclude the night, his senior proceeded to the gate, where, the
portcullis being raised, and the drawbridge let down, a cavalier
immediately rode in, whom he addressed with--"Ha! Master Prevot; you
can never have gone as far as Alost since you rode out."
"By my faith! I have, though," replied Maillotin du Bac; "look at my
beast--he is steaming like a quagmire with hard riding."
"Well, what news?--what news?" cried the other; "you must have heard
some tidings."
"Nothing new at all," replied the Prevot: "all is stale as a miser's
cheese;--a battle fought and lost; men dead, but not buried; the army
dispersed, and every one gone Heaven knows where. Good night, good
night!" and so saying, he rode on. But it is remarkable, that though
his horse was evidently ready to drop with fatigue, he did not, at
first, take his way towards his own dwelling, but directed his course
towards the house of the little druggist Ganay.
In the meantime the soldiers in the guard-house discussed the contents
of the flagon, with which their messenger returned; sharing it
liberally with the two or three young artisans whom they had
permitted to remain at their post. With what had been drunk before,
the contents of the gallon pot which was now brought over was
sufficient, notwithstanding the fact of its being shared with the
citizens, to obfuscate, in some degree, the intellects of the
soldiery; and, after having given their civil companions a somewhat
unceremonious notice to go home, they cast themselves down upon the
straw which was provided for their accommodation during the night, and
soon forgot everything else, under the influence of the drowsy god.
The sentry without, who had been ordered to watch well, of course felt
a greater inclination to sleep than ordinary, which was increased by
the cold; and, in spite of various vigorous efforts to keep himself
awake, by walking rapidly up and down, dropping the end of his
partizan upon the ground, and several other little experiments of the
same kind, he found himself, from time to time, nodding most
refreshingly under the shelter of the high arch which spanned over the
gate.
How long this state of things had continued none of the soldiers knew,
when suddenly the sentry was woke by his weapon being snatched hastily
from his hands; and, on shaking off the slumber which oppressed him,
he found himself pinioned by a number of powerful men, while a stern
voice, backed by a naked sword at his throat, commanded him to be
silent on pain of death. Faithful, in this instance at least to his
duty, without a moment's consideration, the soldier shouted, "To arms!
to arms!" But he was instantly thrown down and tied by those who held
him, while a number of others made their way into the guard-house. The
soldiers there were already upon their feet; and the captain of the
watch was starting forward to light the match of his arquebuse at the
lantern which hung against the wall, when a powerful man, rushing in,
closed with him, and, throwing him violently back, interposed between
him and the light. A dozen more persons, completely armed, poured into
the building; and more than one stern voice commanded the four
soldiers which it contained to lay down their arms at once.
"Who, in the fiend's name, are you, my masters?" exclaimed the captain
of the watch: "let us hear that, before we put down our arms, at all
events:" and while he spoke he made impatient signs to one of his
companions to get out of the small window, and give the alarm: but
this scheme was frustrated by the same tall, powerful figure which had
before prevented him from lighting his match.
"We are the officers of the burgher guard of Ghent," replied the
stranger, "whose incontestible right and privilege it has been, in all
ages, to mount guard on the walls and at the gate of our own city;
which privilege, though it was usurped from us by the Duke Charles, is
no less valid than before that act. Give up your arms, then, quietly,
and no harm shall befall you."
"Before we do that, good sir," answered the captain of the watch, "we
must have authority from our superior officers. As you well know, the
commander for the night is at the Ypres gate; send to him, and we will
obey his commands."
"You seek, sir, to gain time," said the other; "but it is in vain. The
walls and the gates are now in our hands. Our sentinels are mounted
everywhere; and each military post which had been unlawfully placed by
the Duke of Burgundy, throughout the city of Ghent, has been disarmed
before we came hither. Yield, therefore, with a good grace, for yield
you must; and as no blood has been shed already, pity it were to begin
now."
"Well sir! well!" replied the captain of the watch: "you say right in
that, at least; though I should be willing enough to shed blood of my
own, or of other men, could it prove of service. But four can hardly
cope with twenty; therefore, ground your arms, my lads, and give them
up. We are your prisoners, sir."
"You have done wisely, soldier," said Albert Maurice, for he it was
who spoke; "take their arms, my friends, but suffer them to pass
freely out. As our fellow-citizens arrive, let all the posts be
doubled. Now, good Master Ganay," he added in a whisper, "gather
together the men we named, and join me quickly at my house. It wants
but four hours to daybreak; ere the sun rises, we have as much to do
as would take lazy statesmen full many a month. I go round by the
western magazine, to secure, if possible, the stores and artillery.
But be quick, for _now_ despatch is everything."
The purpose of Albert Maurice was accomplished without difficulty. The
magazine was but scantily guarded; and the sleeping soldiers were
surprised at that post as easily as the others had been at the
guard-houses. The gates, the defences, and all the principal military
stations, were now in the hands of the people; and Albert Maurice
hastened home to meet a number of individuals, selected from the most
influential citizens, on whose consent, and with whose aid, he
proposed to assert the ancient privileges of the city of Ghent, as the
first step to those grander plans of general emancipation, which yet
remained but vague and undefined even in his own mind.
So rapid had been the determination and the movements of the young
citizen through all that night, so prompt and successful all his
measures, that even Ganay, stirred up by revenge and hatred, and
guided by consummate cunning and shrewdness, had been left far behind.
Where he had expected to be obliged to urge and suggest, he found
himself at once compelled to follow and obey; and, yielding readily to
a mind that he felt to be far superior, he had been hurried through a
series of actions in a few hours, which he had contemplated before,
indeed, but which he had contemplated as the work of many days, and
long and difficult intrigues.
Between ten at night and three in the morning, the young citizen had
received, from the druggist himself, the certainty of the Duke of
Burgundy's death, which had been obtained by the Prevot; had formed
his determination at once, had arranged his plans with prompt
decision, had assembled the ancient burgher guard in force in his
courtyard; by a few brief and striking words had explained to them his
views and his schemes; had carried all voices in his favour; and,
finally, had seized every military post in the town, except the
palace, without bloodshed, while the regular soldiery had everywhere
been surprised and disarmed.
His last effort upon the magazine, the one of the greatest importance,
had been effected, as sometimes happens, with more ease than attempts
which had seemed less difficult; and, leaving the citizens who had
accompanied him, to guard that post, he hastened home through the
solitary streets, not a little rejoiced to find, by the stillness of
the whole city, that the silence and caution which had been enjoined
in the first instance were still preserved. No one had arrived when he
again crossed the threshold of his own door; and whispering a few
hasty orders to the servant who admitted him, in regard to saddling
horses, and preparing trustworthy messengers, he entered the chamber
where he was about to meet his fellow-citizens; and casting himself
back in a chair, covered his eyes with his hand, and abandoned
himself, for a moment, to deep thought. More than one pang crossed his
heart, as he contemplated the future; but he smothered them instantly;
and, banishing regret, he directed the whole powers of his mind to
consider the best means for obtaining that object for which he had now
irrevocably determined to struggle.
So deep, so intense was the meditation to which he yielded himself,
that Ganay and several others entered the apartment without his
perceiving their presence; and it was only the voice of the druggist,
demanding if he slept, that roused him from his reverie.
"Sleep!" he exclaimed, starting up; "no, no! Who could sleep on such a
night as this? Welcome, my friends, welcome! Each sit down, I pray:
others will soon be here; but it is not fitting that of the few hours
which are given us for action, even one minute should be wasted in
waiting for any man. Some things need long counsel; in others, little
can be risked. Let us choose those first that are most easily
determined. Citizens of Ghent! are you not resolved to recover the
liberties and privileges which have been torn from you by the unholy
hand of power?"
"We are! We are!" replied a number of stern voices around.
"Is it not requisite, then," continued Albert Maurice, "that you
should call your brethren of the other good towns of Flanders and
Brabant to join with and support you, in asserting the rights of all?"
"Beyond all doubt! Let it be done!" was the answer.
"Well, then, by this time," said the young citizen, "four strong
horses stand saddled, ready to set out; and four trustworthy
messengers are prepared to bear to Brussels, Ypres, Bruges, and
Louvain, our request that the worthy burghers of those great towns
will send us deputies to give force to our proceedings. My letters,
written nearly six months ago, when the battle of Morat was lost and
won, have prepared them to do so at a moment's warning. The gates are
now in our own hands; shall the messengers set out?"
"The sooner they depart the better!" replied the rest; and a few
lines, hastily penned to each of the cities, were despatched without
farther delay.
Before all this was completed, a number of other citizens had arrived;
and the chamber was almost full. Everywhere were to be seen men with
faces pale from anxiety and excitement; some armed in hasty guise,
with such armour as could be caught up in a moment; some with their
night gear scarcely laid aside; and each, as he entered, gazing round
upon the rest, with half wild and somewhat fearful glances, as the
light of the lamps dazzled their eyes, on entering from the dark
streets without. Gradually, however, as they beheld a number of
friends and acquaintances all gathered together in the same cause as
themselves, the boldness which men derive from union began to spread
amongst them. Every one present had long before been prepared, in some
degree, for such events as were now taking place; and, while they had
been taught to look to Albert Maurice as the man from whose voice and
conduct the rest of the citizens were likely to take their tone, he
had taken care to ascertain the sentiments of each individual, whom he
now called to consult with him, in a moment of such exigency. He well
knew, indeed, that it is by no means a necessary result, that the
conduct of a large body of men will be regulated by the personal
opinions of each. The shades of thought and character in different men
are so infinite, that, when united, as in multitudes, they produce
combinations which defy previous calculation; and besides that fact,
there is something in the very change of position, from an isolated
station to a place in a large body, which alters the feelings of the
persons themselves. Some, singly bold, are timid in a multitude; and
some, cowardly as individuals, become even rash when supported by
numbers.
Albert Maurice trusted to himself, however, to give the impress of his
own mind to all the proceedings of the great burghers, and through
them to rule the people also: but he well knew that the task before
him would be to restrain rather than to excite; for seldom, very
seldom, has a country, justly or unjustly, risen against the power
that previously ruled it, without going infinitely farther than those
who stirred it up originally designed.[5]
As soon as he perceived that all whom he had called were present, the
young citizen at once determined to address them, before any one else
could interpose to give a wrong direction to their efforts. "Men of
Ghent," he said, "may I crave your patience for a moment? Certain news
has just been received by our friend and fellow-citizen here present,"
and he pointed to the druggist, "that in this last and fatal battle,
wherein he staked his country's welfare and shed his people's blood in
an unjust quarrel, Charles Duke of Burgundy has paid the forfeit of
his obstinacy and ambition with his life. Now, men of Ghent, who is
there amongst us that does not feel that our rights have been
infringed, our privileges usurped, and our liberties trampled on, by
him, who has gone to give an account of all the wrongs he has so
boldly committed? We all know it, and we all feel it; and there is not
an artisan, however humble, in all Ghent--nay, in all Flanders, that
is not preparing to take arms to vindicate the freedom of our native
land. That freedom, citizens, we may look upon as secure; for never
yet did a whole nation join heart and hand in asserting its liberty,
but it gained its object against all opposition. But, oh! my friends,
let us beware--let us be cautious--let us be wise--let us be just--let
us be merciful. Those who would guide a stirred-up people through a
successful insurrection, must be calm as well as bold, and moderate as
well as zealous. The wild horses of popular excitement must be
governed with a firm and a clear eye, and strong rein, or they will
pass far beyond the golden goal of liberty, and rush into bloodshed,
anarchy, and licence. We take upon ourselves a great and an awful
responsibility; and every drop of unnecessary blood that is shed in
this great effort, will cry loudly to Heaven for vengeance on the head
of the rash men who caused or suffered it to flow. The sway of all
that vast and wealthy land which lately rested in the hand of Charles,
called the Bold, has now descended to a young and gentle lady, who, if
her counsellors be good----"
"We will give her good counsellors!" cried some one beside him; but
Albert Maurice proceeded: "Who, if her counsellors be good, will, at
our petition, not only restore us to our rights and privileges, but
will afford us some security that they shall never be infringed again.
But let us do nothing harshly. Let us proceed mildly and legally,
though firmly; and first petition, as good and faithful subjects, for
the redress of our wrongs, before we proceed to obtain it by our own
right hands. Such moderation, my friends, will gain us the love and
support of all good men--will prevent neighbouring princes from
interfering while we obtain our liberty, and will at once serve best
our cause, and satisfy the conscience of the most scrupulous."
"Methinks, Master Albert Maurice, you have already begun pretty
boldly," said one of the more moderate of the citizens: "I hear that
the gates and walls of the city have already been forcibly taken from
the duke's guard, and the soldiers have been disarmed."
"That, sir, was done," replied Albert Maurice, "solely for our own
security; and had it not been done, our meeting now, or our petitions
hereafter, unsupported by any power of our own, would have been
utterly fruitless. It was done to prevent the princess from being
carried away from us before our liberties were secure; it was done to
prevent the introduction of large forces into this town, before we
were prepared to bid them defiance; and, in doing it, we only asserted
and resumed the immemorial right of the citizens of Ghent to guard
their own walls and gates--a right which had been long unjustly
usurped."
"It was wisely done! it was nobly done!" cried a number of voices, in
the midst of which Ganay the druggist stepped forward, and said:
"Friends and fellow-citizens! all here present are bearers of high
offices in the several trades, and members of the great commune of
Ghent; but we are meeting without form or order. Let us resolve
ourselves into a council, as a temporary government of the city; and
as president thereof I here propose him whose able conduct, whose
patriotic zeal, and whose prompt activity, has already conducted us,
thus far, with triumphant success."
A murmur of applause followed, which soon rose into a loud and
unanimous assent to the proposal. Nor did Albert Maurice affect to
decline an office which he had previously determined to assume.
His thanks he expressed with manly eloquence, and assured his
fellow-citizens, with the convincing voice of true feeling, that the
liberty and prosperity of his native land should ever be the dearest
wish of his heart, and the principal object of his endeavours.
As soon as this subject was discussed, an old man, one of the fathers
of the city, rose up, and addressed the new president. With a slight
touch of the monitory garrulity of old age--at least, most of those
who heard him thought it such--he offered a word or two of caution to
the young man who had taken upon him so bold and high a part. "He
would not," he said, "urge him, to be more moderate in his views, for
he seemed to feel the necessity of moderation already; but he would
warn him, in the course that was before him--a course, the turns and
circumstances of which, none could yet tell--to beware of his own
heart--to guard against ambition, or revenge, or love: for he was
young and ardent; and that spirit must be either very cold or very
strong, which could resist the influence of some mighty passion, when
under the excitement of great events."
Though Albert Maurice listened with attention, and felt, more deeply
than he suffered to appear, the justice of the good man's speech, yet
there were others who showed some degree of impatience, and evidently
thought it out of season. The old burgher perceived this feeling, and,
breaking off quickly, went on with the more immediate matter before
them. "It is evident, Master Albert Maurice," he said, "that you have
thought over all these events long and deeply before this night; and,
indeed, who is there amongst us who has not so thought? What, then, is
the result of your consideration? What is the first step that you
advise us to take?"
"This," replied Albert Maurice: "to meet to-morrow early, at the
town-house, and there to prepare a petition, at once condoling with
the princess on the events which have placed the government in her
hands, and beseeching her to listen to the voice of her own heart, and
spontaneously to restore to the good towns of Flanders those rights
and privileges of which her father deprived them. Especially, let us
entreat her, in the first instance, to do away with that false and
illegal body of men, which, under her father's jurisdiction, and by
his appointment, administered in this city--not justice, but the
arbitrary will of the prince; and to give us back our true and
legitimate magistrates, chosen by ourselves, from amongst ourselves,
to dispense our own laws to us and to our children."
While the full mellow voice of the young citizen touched thus
pointedly upon those subjects in regard to which the feelings and
passions of the druggist Ganay were so highly excited, the eye of the
unhappy father flashed like a living fire, and a small bright red spot
gathered in the centre of his sallow cheek, while his lip quivered as
if he could scarcely restrain the passion from bursting forth. The
moment that Albert Maurice had done speaking, he started up from his
seat, and exclaimed in a quick, sharp, discordant voice, which
trembled with the very effort that he made to banish from its tones
anything like personal rancour.
"I second the proposal. Are we all agreed?"
"We are," echoed the conclave.
"Now I," continued Ganay, "must offer my proposal, too. Listen to me,
men of Ghent. Our rights are our own--inherent, unchangeable; which
the voice of no despot can wring from us; which his power may hold in
abeyance, but which it can never destroy; which, when even suspended,
still exist in full force, and render everything that is done in
opposition to them unjust, illegal, criminal. I therefore call upon
you solemnly to arraign and to condemn those men, who, chosen from
ourselves by the late despot, Charles, became the instruments of his
tyranny against their own countrymen. The twenty-six men, falsely
calling themselves magistrates of Ghent--appointed, not by the people
of Ghent, according to ancient law and usage, but by the Duke of
Burgundy, contrary to all our inclinations and consent--have, for
nearly ten years, presumed to rule and judge, and doom to punishment,
and shed blood, within the walls of this city; for which, as traitors,
oppressors, and murderers, unjustified in their proceedings by any law
or right, I claim their death, as the just punishment for their
crimes, and a due warning unto others in the time to come."
As he spoke, his whole frame trembled with the angry passion that was
burning at his heart. His words flowed rapidly and clear; and his
face, with the bright dark eyes, flashing from beneath his
heavy-knitted brow, offered the very picture of eloquent revenge.
A murmur of doubtful import spread through his auditory; some
carried away by his passionate oratory, some unwilling to begin
their course with such a sweeping act of severity. Albert Maurice
himself--sympathizing deeply with the feelings of the childless
father, yet resolved, upon every principle of reason and right, to
oppose a proposition which, he well knew, proceeded rather from the
spirit of revenge than a sense of justice--paused between his
contending feelings; when, to the surprise of all, good Martin Fruse
raised up his portly person, and, with one of those bursts of generous
indignation, which sometimes rendered him almost eloquent, opposed
himself strongly to the course suggested by his friend the druggist.
"No, no!" he exclaimed; "no, no! that will never do. Good God! my
fellow-citizens, shall it be hereafter said that the people of Ghent
rose up powerfully in defence of their own liberties, and made their
first act the slaughter of six-and-twenty defenceless men, who had
been acting under the belief that they were justified by the law? If
any one was to blame, it was the Duke Charles, not they; and good
sooth, I doubt, that, at the worst, you could prove they did not
legally hold their posts; for, by my faith, we all consented that the
duke should appoint them, when we thought he was going to hang us all.
A cheap bargain we thought it then, when he was at our gates with ten
thousand men. But even were it not so, and had we not consented,
should we be the first to make widows and orphans in our own city?
Should we shed more Flemish blood, when so much has already flowed to
no purpose? Should we punish men for actions in which they believed
there was no offence? Fie! fie! Take from them their offices; reprove
them for having so far betrayed their country, as to accept the post
they held from one who had no right to give it; and let them go back
to their dwellings to mourn over their fall. What say you, my fair
nephew? Do I judge aright?"
"Most wisely, sir, as far as my poor judgment goes," replied Albert
Maurice. "None would show more rigorous justice towards men who,
perhaps, have been somewhat severe in the discharge of their office,
than I would, but that it is clear that the citizens of Ghent formally
consented to their nomination by the duke, and, therefore, that during
his life, they were acting at least under legal authority."
"But not after his death!" cried Ganay. "Charles Duke of Burgundy,
died on the fifth day of this month; and three days after his death my
child was butchered by men whose only title to authority had ceased.
The cry of blood must and shall be heard; and if it be not--"
Whatever the druggist added, was muttered in so low a tone, that no
one distinguished its import. Albert Maurice, however, saw the
necessity of conciliating him, well knowing the influence he possessed
over the minds of many whose support was absolutely requisite to
success in their undertaking. He now also began to experience how
difficult is the task of binding into one mass a large body of men,
without any power over them but that which is afforded by the
evanescent bubble, popularity. Revenge, ambition, avarice, vanity,
pride, and every other passion common to the sons of man, he knew must
ever be fertile sources of disunion in assemblies where, as in that
over which he presided, each one feels that his individual adhesion is
of too great consequence to the schemes of the rest, for anything to
be refused him, however unreasonable his request. But he had yet to
learn that the enchanter's wand, that stilled the very angry seas
themselves, would wave in vain over the unbridled passions of mankind.
"Master Ganay," replied the young citizen, seeing the impression which
had been made upon a great part of the burghers by the certain fact
that the druggist's son had been condemned and executed after the
duke's death--"the case you mention is one totally distinct from any
of the rest, and must be considered and judged of apart. Doubt not you
shall have full justice done you; and the day after to-morrow we will
assemble in our public hall, and solemnly debate on what course we
must pursue in that respect. In the meanwhile, let us not embarrass
our present consultations with any point on which there may be a
difference of opinion: morning will soon be here. Our proceedings,
then, are thus far determined:--first, to petition the princess for
restoration of our rights: if she grant them, well; but if by evil
counsellors she be persuaded to refuse, then to assert them with our
blood and with our fortunes, till the last man amongst us perish! Am I
right? Well, then," proceeded Albert Maurice, as a ready assent
followed his words, and many of the assembly rose to depart,
"to-morrow, by eight in the morning, let us meet in the town-hall;
and, in the meantime, friends and fellow-counsellors of the good city
of Ghent, have I not your authority to provide for the guarding and
safety of the town?"
"You have! you have!" was the general reply; "and now good night."
One by one the counsellors of the town of Ghent departed from the
apartment of the young citizen. But Ganay, the druggist, lingered
behind the rest. The conversation between him and Albert Maurice was
brief and rapid, but stern and to the point.
"Albert Maurice," said the druggist, "are we still one in purpose?"
"If you so will," replied the young burgher; "but beware that you
bring nothing to divide our councils."
"Nay, rather, you beware that you stand not between the sword of
justice and its victim," rejoined the other; "for, as I live, if you
do, my love for you will become something bitterer than hate; and more
than your ruin--the ruin of your cause, shall follow."
The eye of the young citizen flashed fiercely, as he was thus dared in
the first hour of power. "Mark me!" he said, grasping the arm of his
companion, and bending his majestic head over him, while he fixed his
full stern glance upon the sallow face of the other: "mark me! It is
time that our mutual determination should be spoken; yours has already
found voice, now hearken to mine. For the service you may do to the
cause that I hold dear, I will give a certain way to your revenge. You
see I understand you. But if you take one step beyond that, and show
me that you would rule our efforts for your purposes, I will crush you
or die. Man, you have met with your master! and, though you may have
caused the misery of lordly houses, the star of my destiny is above
your scope!"
As Albert Maurice spoke, the cheek of the druggist turned even paler
than before; and he answered, in a subdued voice, "Ha! indeed! We do,
then, know more of each other that I thought. But this is all vain,"
he added, after a momentary pause; "if you know so much you know, too,
that I love you. But, Albert Maurice, I must--I will have my revenge."
"You shall have justice," replied the young citizen, "and I will not
oppose you; though I think reason, and humanity, and a right
construction of the law, should save the unhappy men at whom you aim.
The day after to-morrow, however, plead your own cause before the
council in the town-hall. I will be absent; and if they judge for you,
I will not interpose by word or deed."
The druggist paused, and thought for a moment. "Be it so," he said, at
length. "They must condemn them: and now for you, Albert Maurice. Mark
_me!_ There are two paths open before you. The one, which you seem
choosing for yourself, leads to a long struggle between the people and
the throne, which, after nicely balancing rights, and weighing
tenderly the thousand grains of dust that constitute all questions of
government and policy, shall end in nothing for the state, and your
own death and ruin. The other, on which I would guide you, conducts,
by a few bold strides, to power, to empire, and to _love!_ You see I
know you, too! Choose for yourself, and let your actions speak the
result. Farewell! I will be ever by your side, to prompt you to your
own advantage, even to the last moment."
Thus speaking, the druggist quitted the apartment, and followed the
rest of the citizens; while Albert Maurice remained in the solitude of
his own chamber, with his eyes fixed still upon the spot where Ganay
had stood.
"To power--to empire--to love!" he repeated, in a low tone "How
dexterously yon man knows to mix the small portion of leaven,
calculated to turn and change the whole heart of him to whom he
speaks. To power--to empire--and to love!" and the young burgher
seated himself slowly, and turned his head towards the shady side of
the room, as if the very light of the lamps looked into his heart, and
disturbed the intense thoughts that were working in the dark chamber
of his bosom.
"No!" he cried, at length, clasping his hands together; "no! not no!
My country, thou shalt be my first object! and if, in serving thee,
without one effort for myself, aught of good befall me personally, I
will receive it, only as a reward for working thy freedom; but never
shall the thought of my individual wishes mingle with my aspirations
for the benefit of my native land. Fiend! how thou hast tempted me!"
He then gave a moment or two to other ideas connected with his
situation at the time; and the first blossom of that full harvest of
regrets, which every man, who sows the Cadmean seeds of civil strife,
is destined to reap in bitterness of heart, rose up in his bosom, as
he thought of the fate of the unhappy men, whom he felt forced to
yield to the revenge of Ganay; or to resign every hope of delivering
his country. It was the first sacrifice of better feeling he had yet
been obliged to make; but the first is ever the augury of many more.
Albert Maurice, indeed, would fain have persuaded himself that it was
not a sacrifice. He strove to prove to his own mind that the men
deserved their fate. He called up instances of their severity--of
their cruelty; and recapitulated to his own heart the specious
sophistry of Ganay; asserting that the act they had committed, however
just had been their sentence on the druggist's son, was illegal from
the previous death of him from whom alone they derived their power. He
reasoned, he argued in vain--his heart was unsatisfied; when a
neighbouring clock, striking the hour of five, made him start from his
seat, and gladly take advantage of its warning voice, to cast away
thoughts that brought regret, in the busy activity of preparing the
city to hold firmly the power it had assumed.