Jeanette, dost not know that there's no Holy Virgin now ?" "And dost know, Auguste, how we are to be rewarded ?" It is a difficult matter for the human mind to turn very quickly from despair to hope, and the fishermen of Boulogne had not yet grasped the fact that they were to make merry and that thoughts of anxiety must be abandoned for those of gaiety.
Auguste Moleux took out a parchment from the capacious pocket of his coat; he put on his most solemn air of officialdom, and pointing with extended forefinger to the parchment, he said: "A general amnesty to all natives of Boulogne who are under arrest at the present moment: a free pardon to all natives of Boulogne who are under sentence of death: permission to all natives of Boulogne to quit the town with their families, to embark on any vessel they please, in or out of the harbour, and to go whithersoever they choose, without passports, formalities or questions of any kind." Dead silence followed this announcement.

Hope was just beginning to crowd anxiety and sullenness out of the way.
"Then poor Andre Legrand will be pardoned," whispered a voice suddenly; "he was to have been guillotined to-day." "And Denise Latour! she was innocent enough, the gentle pigeon." "And they'll let poor Abbe Foucquet out of prison too." "And Francois!" "And poor Felicite, who is blind!" "M.

l'Abbe would be wise to leave Boulogne with the children." "He will too: thou canst be sure of that!" "It is not good to be a priest just now!" "Bah! calotins are best dead than alive." But some in the crowd were silent, others whispered eagerly.
"Thinkest thou it would be safer for us to get out of the country whilst we can ?" said one of the men in a muffled tone, and clutching nervously at a woman's wrist.
"Aye! aye! it might leak out about that boat we procured for..." "Sh!...

I was thinking of that..." "We can go to my aunt Lebrun in Belgium..." Others talked in whispers of England or the New Land across the seas: they were those who had something to hide, money received from refugee aristocrats, boats sold to would-be emigres, information withheld, denunciations shirked: the amnesty would not last long, 'twas best to be safely out of the way.
"In the meanwhile, my cabbages," quoth Auguste sententiously, "are you not grateful to Citizen Robespierre, who has sent this order specially down from Paris ?" "Aye! aye!" assented the crowd cheerfully.
"Hurrah for Citizen Robespierre!" "Viva la Republique!" "And you will enjoy yourselves to-day ?" "That we will!" "Processions ?" "Aye! with music and dancing." Out there, far away, beyond the harbour, the grey light of dawn was yielding to the crimson glow of morning.

The rain had ceased and heavy slaty clouds parted here and there, displaying glints of delicate turquoise sky, and tiny ethereal vapours in the dim and remote distance of infinity, flecked with touches of rose and gold.
The towers and pinnacles of old Boulogne detached themselves one by one from the misty gloom of night.