Page:Ninety-three.djvu/117

 "I am willing," and he added, "The question is to know where the enemy is."

"It is outside, and I have driven it there," said Danton.

"It is within, and I am watching it," said Robespierre.

"And I will drive it out again," replied Danton.

"You cannot drive away an internal enemy."

"What can be done then?"

"It must be exterminated."

"I give my consent," said Danton in his turn, and he continued: "I tell you it is outside, Robespierre."

"Danton, I tell you it is within."

"Robespierre, it is on the frontier."

"Danton, it is in Vendée."

"Calm yourselves," said a third voice "it is every where; and you are lost."

It was Marat who spoke.

Robespierre looked at Marat and replied calmly,—

"Truce to generalities. I am exact. Here are the facts."

"Pedant!" grumbled Marat.

Robespierre placed his hand on the pile of papers before him, and continued,—

"I have just read you the despatches from Prieur de la Marne. I have just communicated to you the information given by this Gélambre. Danton, listen, foreign war is nothing, civil war is everything. Foreign war is a scratch on the elbow; civil war is an ulcer which eats your vitals. This is the result of all that I have just read to you: La Vendée until now scattered among several chiefs, is on the point of concentrating herself. She is henceforth going to have a single captain,"

"A central brigand," murmured Danton.

"He is" continued Robespierre, "the man landed near Ponterson the second of June. You have seen what he is. Notice that this landing coincides with the arrest of the acting representatives, Prieur de la Côte d'Or and Romme at Bayeux, by the traitorous district of Calvados, the second of June, the same day."

"And their removal to the castle of Caen," said Danton. Robespierre went on:—

"I will continue the summing up of the despatches. The forest war is organizing on a vast scale. At the same time, a descent from the English is in preparation;