Silvere gradually allowed himself to be taken in by this old woman's tale, and was soon raving against the enemies of the Republic.
"It's they that we shall have to reduce to impotence if they persist in betraying the country!" he cried.

"And what do they intend to do with the citizens whom they arrest ?" "What do they intend to do with them?
Why, they will shoot them in the lowest dungeons of the prison, of course," replied Macquart, with a hoarse laugh.

And as the young man, stupefied with horror, looked at him without knowing what to say: "This will not be the first lot to be assassinated there," he continued.

"You need only go and prowl about the Palais de Justice of an evening to hear the shots and groans." "Oh, the wretches!" Silvere murmured.
Thereupon uncle and nephew launched out into high politics.

Fine and Gervaise, on finding them hotly debating things, quietly went to bed without attracting their attention.