THE COMPLETE WORKS OF ÉMILE ZOLA. Эмиль Золя

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      CHAPTER XV

      IN WHICH MATHÉUS COMPLETES HIS WORK

      THE delegates who had succeeded in reaching the Commissary of the government, had only been able to obtain a letter from him in which he supported the men’s desire to work only ten hours a day. But this letter came too late. The delegates might well show it to the parties they met, but the word “vengeance” was now on every tongue and the people declared that blood called for blood.

      Besides, as generally happens, the causes of the struggle that was in preparation escaped the majority. The greater part of the population were ignorant of the object of the riot; there was rage and terror in the air, that was all. While the beating to arms sounded lugubriously in the streets, and the National Guards hastened to their posts, people questioned one another not knowing who was the enemy against whom they were arming.

      A company composed of stevedores, having heard it stated that this enemy was the people, refused to march; notwithstanding the hopes that had, perhaps, been entertained in Conservative quarters, these workmen would not fire on workmen.

      The people were in revolt, that was the only certainty that spread among the crowd. Why were they in revolt? What did they want? No one could answer. The workmen themselves were no longer acting on the motives that had brought them to the Prefecture; they were now solely led on by anger. The struggle had become personal without any hidden thought of political insurrection. If some interested leaders had not urged the people on to violence, it is very likely all would have ended in shouts and threats.

      The Place Royale, which since February had been named the Place de la Revolution, became the centre of the movement. Some Republican companies had made it their headquarters. As soon as the news of the fight which had just taken place at the barricade in the Rue de la Palud, had spread among the groups assembled on the Cours and Cannebière, the workmen advanced in a crowd towards these companies and inquired whether they also were going to march against them. The gathering was soon considerable: the events of the morning were related with furious exclamations and the names given of those who had been killed or wounded by the troops and National Guard. These accounts excited those who heard them and the tumult continued to increase. But the crowd did not move, confining itself to shouting and calling for vengeance. It required another shock to throw it into open revolt.

      At this moment, the General commanding the National Guard made a supreme effort. He went into the midst of the people endeavouring to pacify their minds by gentle words.

      This General was not popular. He was taxed rightly or wrongly with being hostile to the Republic. He had unfortunately gathered around him a staff chosen in the ranks of the reaction. To the crowd he was unknown, and the people, blind with anger, made him responsible for the deplorable events that were occurring. No one had noticed his gesture of despair in the Rue Saint Ferréol when the soldiers had crossed bayonets without his order. As soon as he made his appearance, he was surrounded by exasperated men who reviled him and accused him of all the misfortunes of the morning. He remained calm, did not seek to defend himself, confining his remarks to promising the people all possible satisfaction and beseeching them not to bring about still greater trouble. But it was necessary for the Republican companies to come to his assistance. He withdrew pronouncing words of peace in a loud, firm voice. After his departure the tumult, instead of subsiding, increased.

      Then an officer of police appeared and summoned the crowd to withdraw. At the same time the companies received orders to go and post themselves on the Cannebière; one of them closed the street in its entire breadth, another drew up on the left hand pavement. But this movement did not have the effect of displacing the centre of the gathering. The Cours Saint Louis and the Cannebière were invaded. At every instant the lines of the National Guards were broken and swarms of people passed through them. The crowd became a crush and the clamour more violent. The least thing would have caused an explosion.

      All at once a hubbub burst forth on the Cours Saint Louis. The procession in which the body of the workman killed in the Rue de la Palud, was being carried, and at the head of which marched Mathéus, had just left the Rue d’Aubagne. Mathéus had torn his clothes to make believe in a hand-to-hand struggle, and had placed himself in the first rank howling, black with dust and furiously shaking his red wig. Four men followed him bearing the body, the arms and legs of which were dangling down and swinging about in a horrible way. The head which was thrown back, displayed a horrible wound that had carried away half the cheek. Then came the little party who had defended the barricade, with their eyes darting out of their heads and beside themselves with the mad race Mathéus had made them take in the streets of the city. And all shouted: “Vengeance! Vengeance!” in a hoarse, heartrending voice.

      The effect produced by this procession was overwhelming.

      Mathéus, СКАЧАТЬ