第525章

At the outset， especially， no one considers filling his pockets. At the Abbaye prison， they come honorably and place on the table in the room of the civil committee the purses and jewels of the dead.[89] If they appropriate anything to themselves， it is shoes to cover their naked feet， and then only after asking permission. As to pay， all rough work deserves it， and， moreover， between them and their recruiters， the answer is obvious. With nothing but their own hands to rely on， they cannot work for nothing，[90] and， as the work is hard， they ought to be paid double time. They require six francs a day， besides their meals and as much wine as they want. One caterer alone furnished the men at the Abbaye with 346 pints：[91] when working incessantly day and night with a task like that of sewer-cleaners and miners， nothing else will keep their courage up. -- Food and wages must be paid for by the nation； the work is done for the nation， and， naturally， on interposing formalities， they get out of temper and betake themselves to Roland， to the City treasurer， to the section committees， to the Committee of Supervision，[92] murmuring， threatening， and showing their bloody pikes. That is the evidence of having done their work well. They boast of it to Pétion， impress upon him how "just and attentive" they were，[93] their discernment， the time given to the work， so many days and so many hours； they ask only for what is "due to them"； when the treasurer， on paying them， demands their names， they give them without the slightest hesitation. Those who escort a dismissed prisoner； masons， hairdressers， federates， require no recompense but "something to drink"； "we do not carry on this business for money，" they say； "here is your friend； he promised us a glass of brandy， which we will take and then go back to our work."[94] -- Outside of their business they possess the expansive cordiality and ready sensitivity of the Parisian workman. At the Abbaye， a federate，[95] on learning that the prisoners had been kept without water for twenty-six hours， wanted to "exterminate" the turnkey for his negligence， and would have done it if "the prisoners themselves had not pleaded for him." On the acquittal of a prisoner， the guards and the butchers， everybody， embraces him with enthusiasm；Weber is greeted again and again for more than a hundred yards； they cheer to excess. Each wants to escort the prisoner； the cab of Mathon de la Varenne is invaded； "they perch themselves on the driver's seat， at the doors， on top， and behind."[96] - A few even display strange fits of tact. Two of the butchers， still covered with blood， who lead the chevalier de Bertrand home， insist on going up stairs with him to witness the joy of his family； after their terrible task they need the relaxation of tender emotion. On entering， they wait discreetly in the drawing-room until the ladies have been prepared； the happiness of which they are witnesses melts them； they remain some time， refuse money， expressing their gratitude and depart.[97] -- Still more extraordinary are the vestiges of innate politeness. A market-porter desirous of embracing a discharged prisoner， first asks his permission. Old "hags，" who had just clapped their hands at the slaughtering， stop the guards "violently" as they hurry Weber along， in white silk stockings， across pools of blood： "Hey， guard， look out， you are making Monsieur walk in the gutter！"[98] In short， they display the permanent qualities of their race and class； they seem to be neither above nor below the average of their brethren， Most of them， probably， would never have done anything very monstrous had a rigid police， like that which maintains order in ordinary times， kept them in their shops or at home in their lodgings or in their tap-rooms.

But， in their own eyes， they are so many kings； "sovereignty is committed to their hands，"[99] their powers are unlimited； whoever doubts this is a traitor， and is properly punished； he must be put out of the way； while， for royal councillors， they take maniacs and rascals， who， through monomania or calculation， have preach all that to them： just like a Negro king surrounded by white slave-dealers， who urge him into raids， and by black sorcerers， who prompt him to massacre. How could such a man with such guides， and in such an office， be retarded by the formalities of justice， or by the distinctions of equity？ Equity and justice are the elaborate products of civilization， while he is merely a political savage. In vain are the innocent recommended to his mercy！

"Look here， citizen，[100] do you， too， want to put us to sleep？

Suppose that those cursed Prussian and Austrian beggars were in Paris， would they pick out the guilty？ Wouldn't they strike right and left， the same as the Swiss did on the 10th of August？ Very well， I can't make speeches， but I don't put anybody to sleep. I say， I am the father of a family -- I have a wife and five children that I mean to leave here for the section to look after， while I go and fight the enemy. But I have no intention that while I am gone these villains here in prison， and other villains who would come and let them out， should cut the throats of my wife and children. I have three boys who I hope will some day be more useful to their country than those rascals you want to save. Anyhow， all that can be done is to let 'em out and give them arms， and we will fight 'em on an equal footing.