"Isn't there a good proverb which our grandmothers used to quote, that if you only give a man a sufficient length of rope, he is sure to hang himself?
We'll give our aristocratic Citizen-Deputy plenty of rope, I'll warrant, if only our present Minister of Justice," he added, indicating Merlin, "will help us in the little comedy which I propose that we should play." "Yes! Yes! Go on!" said Merlin excitedly.
"The woman who denounced Deroulede--that is our trump card," continued Lenoir, now waxing enthusiastic with his own scheme and his own eloquence.

"She denounced him.

Ergo, he had been her lover, whom she wished to be rid of--why?
Not, as Citizen Merlin supposed, because he had discarded her.

No, no; she had another lover--she has admitted that.
She wished to be rid of Deroulede to make way for the other, because he was too persistent--ergo, because he loved her." "Well, and what does that prove ?" queried Tinville with dry sarcasm.
"It proves that Deroulede, being in love with the woman, would do much to save her from the guillotine." "Of course." "_Pardi!_ let him try, say I," rejoined Lenoir placidly.

"Give him the rope with which to hang himself." "What does he mean ?" asked one or two of the men, whose dull brains had not quite as yet grasped the full meaning of this monstrous scheme.
"You don't understand what I mean, citizens; you think I am mad, or drunk, or a traitor like Deroulede?
_Eh bien!_ give me your attention five minutes longer, and you shall see.