"Respect to the national hymn, and to the man who holds in the hollow of his hand the destinies of all France! Hat off, Citizen Danville! Robespierre is in the street.

His bodyguard, the Hard-hitters, are lighting him on his way to the Jacobin Club! Who shall oppose you, did you say?
Your master and mine; the man whose signature is at the bottom of this order--the man who with a scratch of his pen can send both our heads rolling together into the sack of the guillotine! Shall I call to him as he passes the house?
Shall I tell him that Superintendent Danville resists me in making an arrest?
Shall I?
Shall I ?" And in the immensity of his contempt, Lomaque seemed absolutely to rise in stature, as he thrust the arrest order under Danville's eyes and pointed to the signature with the head of his stick.
Rose looked round in terror, as Lomaque spoke his last words--looked round, and saw her husband recoil before the signature on the arrest order, as if the guillotine itself had suddenly arisen before him.
Her brother felt her shrinking back in his arms, and trembled for the preservation of her self-control if the terror and suspense of the arrest lasted any longer.
"Courage, Rose, courage!" he said.

"You have behaved nobly; you must not fail now.

No, no! Not a word more.

Not a word till I am able to think clearly again, and to decide what is best.