The Goddess of Reason 24
THE MAN IN THE CLOAK
D’Alleray is dead;
Bailly is dead; Du Barry is dead.
THE CROWD
Ha!
A WOMAN
Ho! ho! The courtesan, she’ll kiss no more!
THE CROWD
She’ll kiss no more!
[_The man with the brush affixes the third placard._
THE BRETON
And this one, Citizen?
THE MAN IN THE CLOAK (_reads_)
_The Republic One and Indivisible.
It is Decreed
There is no God. To-day we worship Reason._
[_The crowd applauds._
A MAN
In a red mantle!
ANOTHER
That’s the Paris Reason!
Our Reason wears blue.
A THIRD
And oak leaves in her hair.
THE BRETON
Is Reason truly a woman?
THE MAN IN THE CLOAK
God knows!
A MAN
Ha! he says God! God is a word forbid!
THE MAN IN THE CLOAK
Then Reason knows.
A MAN
That’s better.
[_Singing within. A band of dancers, men and women,
whirl into the square._
THE CROWD
Carmagnole!
THE DANCERS
_Dansons la Carmagnole!
Vive le son, vive le son!
Dansons la Carmagnole!
Vive le son du canon!_
[_The crowd breaks and joins the dancers. They take
hands and with uncouth and extravagant gestures
circle once or twice around the statue, then with a
long cry exeunt._
A WOMAN
The great procession forms upon the quai!
ANOTHER
It winds and winds about and comes this way!
[_Exeunt men and women._ GRÉGOIRE _and the man
in the cloak remain_.
GRÉGOIRE
The priests are gone. It is Reason’s fête day.
THE MAN IN THE CLOAK
Reason, being a woman, will have her way.
GRÉGOIRE
Still, Monsieur l’Abbé—
THE ABBÉ
I am known!
GRÉGOIRE
To serve
Monsieur, I had the honour at Morbec.
THE ABBÉ
Monsieur le Baron’s seneschal, I think.
GRÉGOIRE
The same,—but I am gaoler now in Nantes.
THE ABBÉ
That night in June your musket would not fire!
Diable! I’ve played and lost! Well, fellow?
GRÉGOIRE
Hein?
THE ABBÉ
The wind blows cold in Nantes, and so I wear
This cloak! So long I’ve looked on fires of hell
I needs must have a hat to shade my eyes!—
But now I’ll cock it in the face of all—
Cold, wind, darkness, devils, and Republic!
GRÉGOIRE
I think the citizen has lost his head.
THE ABBÉ
Ay, and my heart as well. Holà! what’s that?
[_A noise without. Clash of steel and excited voices._
_Enter_ DE VARDES _and_ FAUQUEMONT DE BUC _pursued by
seven or eight red-capped men armed with pikes_. DE
VARDES _and_ DE BUC _use their swords_.
THE RED CAPS
Aristocrats! Aristocrats!
DE VARDES (_thrusting_)
Take that,
Republican!
DE BUC (_thrusting_)
Out, canaille!
THE ABBÉ
Here’s wine!
Have at you, brow-bound galley slaves!
DE VARDES (_over his shoulder_)
Ha! De Barbasan!
[_Wounds his adversary._
We’re at our last château!
THE ABBÉ
I’ve shut Voltaire! Here goes the candle out!
[_He throws his long cloak over the head of one of
the red caps and makes at another with his dagger._
DE VARDES
The window splinters!
[_He sends the pike flying from a red cap’s hand._
Take warning, sans-culottes!
THE ABBÉ
One, two, three!
DE BUC
My sword arm!
DE VARDES
Fight with your left.
I saw you do it at Nanci!
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