Désirée Read Online Free PDF Page A

living in a free republic," I murmured sleepily. Then I woke up with a start because another nan had been called out. Suzanne put her hand on mine. "It's not our turn yet," she said. Her hand was still cold.
    At last I really fell fast asleep. I slept so soundly that thought I was in bed at home. Suddenly I was disturbed by the light. I did not open my eyes. "Julie," I seemed to be saying, "let me sleep, I'm tired." A voice said, "Wake up citizeness." But I took no notice until someone shook me by the shoulder.
    "Wake up, citizeness. You can't go on sleeping here!"
    "Oh, leave me alone," I grumbled, but then I was suddenly wide-awake. Startled, I pushed the strange hand from my shoulder. I had no idea where I was. I was in some dark room, and a man with a lantern was bending over me. For heaven's sake, where was I?
    "Don't be alarmed, citizeness," the strange man said. His voice was soft "and pleasant, but he spoke with a foreign accent, which made me sure I was having a bad dream. I' said I wasn't afraid, but, I thought, where am I, and who are you?
    The strange man stopped shining the lantern in my face, and now I could see his features more clearly. He was a really handsome young man, with kind dark eyes, a very smooth face, and a charming smile. He was wearing a dark suit and a coat over it.
    "I'm sorry to disturb you," the young man said politely, "but I'm going home, and I'm closing Deputy Albitte's office."
    Office? How had I got to an office? My head ached and my legs felt like lead. "What office? And who are you?" I stammered.
    "It's Deputy Albitte's office. And my name, as this seems to interest the citizeness, is Citizen Joseph Buonaparte, secretary to the Committee of Public Safety in Paris, seconded to Deputy Albitte as his secretary during his journey to Marseilles. Our office hours were over a long time ago; I must lock up, and it's against the law for anyone to spend the night in the Town Hall. I must therefore ask the citizeness very kindly to wake up and leave."
    Town Hall, Albitte! Now I knew where I was, and why. But where was Suzanne? I was at a loss.
    "Where is Suzanne?" I asked the friendly young man.
    At that his smile broadened into a laugh. "I have not had the privilege of meeting Suzanne," he said. "I can only tell you that the last people who came to see Citizen Albitte left two hours ago. I am the only person in the office. And I am going home now."
    But I must wait for Suzanne!" I insisted. "You must excuse me, Citizen Bo-ma-"
    "Buonaparte," said the young man, politely helping me out. Well, Citizen Bonapat, you must excuse me, but here I am, and here I stay until Suzanne comes back. Otherwise there'll be a frightful row when I get home alone and confess that I lost her in the Town Hall. You can understand that, can't you?"
    He sighed. "You're awfully persistent," he said. He put the lantern on the floor and sat down next to me on the bench. "What is this Suzanne's surname, and why did she want see Albitte?"
    "Her name is Suzanne Clary, and she is my broth Etienne's wife," I told him. "Etienne was arrested, and Suzanne and I came to ask for his release."
    "Just a moment," he said. He got up, took the lantern, ai disappeared through the door where the archangel had stood guard. I followed him. He was bending over a large desk and looking through some files of papers.
    "If Albitte received your sister-in-law," he explained, "your brother's file must be here. The Deputy always asks for the papers in the case before talking to the relatives of arrested men."
    I did not know what to say, so I murmured, "The Deputy is a very just and kind man."
    He glanced up at me mockingly. "Above all a kind man, citizeness. Perhaps too kind. And that's why Citizen Robespierre of the Committee of Public Safety commissioned me assist him."
    "Oh, so you know Robespierre," I said without thinking Heavens, here was someone who knew Deputy Robespierre who will arrest his best friends to serve the Republic!
    "Ah, here we