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contemptible； to find myself excelling ever in the art of running
away。 But if I am not brave； at least I am prudent； so that where
I lack one virtue I may lay claim to possessing another almost to
excess。 On a previous occasion they wanted to hang me for sedition。
Should I have stayed to be hanged？ This time they may want to
hang me for several things； including murder； for I do not know
whether that scoundrel Binet be alive or dead from the dose of
lead I pumped into his fat paunch。 Nor can I say that I very
greatly care。 If I have a hope at all in the matter it is that he
is dead … and damned。 But I am really indifferent。 My own concerns
are troubling me enough。 I have all but spent the little money that
I contrived to conceal about me before I fled from Nantes on that
dreadful night； and both of the only two professions of which I can
claim to know anything … the law and the stage … are closed to me；
since I cannot find employment in either without revealing myself
as a fellow who is urgently wanted by the hangman。 As things are
it is very possible that I may die of hunger； especially considering
the present price of victuals in this ravenous city。 Again I have
recourse to Epictetus for comfort。 'It is better；' he says； 'to die
of hunger having lived without grief and fear； than to live with a
troubled spirit amid abundance。' I seem likely to perish in the
estate that he accounts so enviable。 That it does not seem exactly
enviable to me merely proves that as a Stoic I am not a success。
There is also another letter of his written at about the same time
to the Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr … a letter since published by M。
Emile Quersac in his 〃Undercurrents of the Revolution in Brittany；〃
unearthed by him from the archives of Rennes； to which it had been
consigned by M。 de Lesdiguieres； who had received it for justiciary
purposes from the Marquis。
〃The Paris newspapers；〃 he writes in this； 〃which have reported in
considerable detail the fracas at the Theatre Feydau and disclosed
the true identity of the Scaramouche who provoked it； inform me also
that you have escaped the fate I had intended for you when I raised
that storm of public opinion and public indignation。 I would not
have you take satisfaction in the thought that I regret your escape。
I do not。 I rejoice in it。 To deal justice by death has this
disadvantage that the victim has no knowledge that justice has
overtaken him。 Had you died； had you been torn limb from limb that
night； I should now repine in the thought of your eternal and
untroubled slumber。 Not in euthanasia； but in torment of mind
should the guilty atone。 You see； I am not sure that hell hereafter
is a certainty； whilst I am quite sure that it can be a certainty in
this life； and I desire you to continue to live yet awhile that you
may taste something of its bitterness。
〃You murdered Philippe de Vilmorin because you feared what you
described as his very dangerous gift of eloquence； I took an oath
that day that your evil deed should be fruitless； that I would
render it so； that the voice you had done murder to stifle should
in spite of that ring like a trumpet through the land。 That was
my conception of revenge。 Do you realize how I have been fulfilling
it； how I shall continue to fulfil it as occasion offers？ In the
speech with which I fired the people of Rennes on the very morrow
of that deed； did you not hear the voice of Philippe de Vilmorin
uttering the ideas that were his with a fire and a passion greater
than he could have commanded because Nemesis lent me her inflaming
aid？ In the voice of Omnes Omnibus at Nantes my voice again …
demanding the petition that sounded the knell of your hopes of
coercing the Third Estate； did you not hear again the voice of
Philippe de Vilmorin？ Did you not reflect that it was the mind of
the man you had murdered； resurrected in me his surviving friend；
which made necessary your futile attempt under arms last January；
wherein your order； finally beaten； was driven to seek sanctuary
in the Cordelier Convent？ And that night when from the stage of
the Feydau you were denounced to the people； did you not hear yet
again； in the voice of Scaramouche； the voice of Philippe de
Vilmorin； using that dangerous gift of eloquence which you so
foolishly imagined you could silence with a sword…thrust？ It is
becoming a persecution … is it not？ … this voice from the grave
that insists upon making itself heard； that will not rest until
you have been cast into the pit。 You will be regretting by now
that you did not kill me too； as I invited you on that occasion。
I can picture to myself the bitterness of this regret； and I
contemplate it with satisfaction。 Regret of neglected opportunity
is the worst hell that a living soul can inhabit； particularly
such a soul as yours。 It is because of this that I am glad to
know that you survived the riot at the Feydau； although at the time
it was no part of my intention that you should。 Because of this I
am content that you should live to enrage and suffer in the shadow
of your evil deed； knowing at last … since you had not hitherto the
wit to discern it for yourself … that the voice of Philippe de
Vilmorin will follow you to denounce you ever more loudly； ever more
insistently； until having lived in dread you shall go down in blood
under the just rage which your victim's dangerous gift of eloquence
is kindling against you。〃
I find it odd that he should have omitted from this letter all
mention of Mlle。 Binet； and I am disposed to account it at least a
partial insincerity that he should have assigned entirely to his
self…imposed mission； and not at all to his lacerated feelings in
the matter of Climene； the action which he had taken at the Feydau。
Those two letters； both written in April of that year 1789； had for
only immediate effect to increase the activity with which Andre…Louis
Moreau was being sought。
Le Chapelier would have found him so as to lend him assistance； to
urge upon him once again that he should take up a political career。
The electors of Nantes would have found him … at least； they would
have found Omnes Omnibus； of whose identity with himself they were
still in ignorance … on each of the several occasions when a vacancy
occurred in their body。 And the Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr and M。
de Lesdiguieres would have found him that they might send him to
the gallows。
With a purpose no less vindictive was he being sought by M。 Binet；
now unhappily recovered from his wound to face completest ruin。 His
troupe had deserted him during his illness； and reconstituted under
the direction of Polichinelle it was now striving with tolerable
success to continue upon the lines which Andre…Louis had laid down。
M。 le Marquis； prevented by the riot from expressing in person to
Mlle。 Binet his purpose of making an end of their relations； had
been constrained to write to her to that effect from Azyr a few days
later。 He tempered the blow by enclosing in discharge of all
liabilities a bill on the Caisse d'Escompte for a hundred louis。
Nevertheless it almost crushed the unfortunate and it enabled her
father when he recovered to enrage her by pointing out that she owed
this turn of events to the premature surrender she had made in
defiance of his sound worldly advice。 Father and daughter alike
were left to assign the Marquis' desertion； naturally enough； to
the riot at the Feydau。 They laid that with the rest to the account
of Scaramouche； and were forced in bitterness to admit that the
scoundrel had taken a superlative revenge。 C1imene may even have
come to consider that it would have paid her better to have run a
straight course with Scaramouche and by marrying him to have trusted
to his undoubted talents to place her on the summit to which her
ambition urged her； and to which it was now futile for her to aspire。
If so； that reflection must have been her sufficient punishment。
For； as Andre…Louis so truly says； there is no worse hell than that
provided by the regrets for wasted opportunities。
Meanwhile the fiercely sought Andre…Louis Moreau had gone to earth
completely for the present。 And the brisk police of Paris； urged
on by the King's Lieutenant from Rennes； hunted for him in vain。
Yet he might have been found in a house in the Rue du Hasard within
a stone's throw of the Palais Royal； whither purest chance had
conducted him。
That which in his letter to Le Chapelier he represents as a
contingency of the near future was； in fact； the case in which
already he found himself。 He was destitute。 His money was
exhausted； including that procured by the sale of such articles of
adornment as were not of absolute necessity。
So desperate was his case that strolling one gusty April morning
down the Rue du Hasard with his nose in the wind looking for what
might be picked up； he stopped to read a notice outside the door
of a house on the left side of the street as you approach the Rue
de Richelieu。 There was no reason why he should have gone down
the Rue du Hasard。 Perhaps its name attracted him； as appropriate
to his case。
The notice written in a big round hand announced that