CARRAC.

Well done—­noble levellers of the age!—­Pull the boasted culture of the nobility to the gutter.—­Bravo!—­We’ve demolished the old nest; now to hunt the young hawk down!

MOB.

Aye!—­Aye!

POTIN.

[Waving the MOB back.]

Stop!—­La Rochejacquelein is found!

SCARLOTTE.

Where is he?

POTIN.

There—­our prisoner.

SCARLOTTE.

Drag him to the river!

MOB.

Aye—­to the river!

POTIN.

Stand back!—­He belongs to our battalion.

CARRAC.

What insolence is this?  We demand his surrender here—­to us.

POTIN.

We surrender him to none but our own Colonel.

CARRAC.

We are the people and supreme!—­We represent the civil power of the State, that rules the soldier.

MOB.

Aye!—­Aye!

POTIN.

[To the SOLDIERS.]

Make ready!—­Aim!

[SOLDIERS aim;—­the MOB fall back.]

You’re ten to one.—­Come on, you civil rulers, and take him if you can.

CARRAC.

This is treason!

SCARLOTTE.

Aye—­treason!—­Treason!

[The MOB groan.

POTIN.

Soldiers have no rulers but their officers!

CARRAC.

Someone go for General Kleber.  Bid him come at once—­to quell this mutiny.

SCARLOTTE.

I will bring him.

[Crosses.]

Death to all who dare to balk the people’s will!

[Exit.

BOURDOTTE.

Meantime, Citizen Carrac, we have some prisoners here at hand that we can dispatch at once.

CARRAC.

How many?

BOURDOTTE.

Five.—­Two men, and three women—­perfect beauties!

CARRAC.