comprehend the performance of last night. There we are, like fowls in
a coop: every day sees some of us taken out; and the amusement of the
remaining fowls is to imagine how the heads of the others were taken
from their bodies." The prisoners were practising a trial.

I gave an involuntary look of surprise at this species of amusement,
and remarked something on the violation of common feeling--to say
nothing of the almost profaneness which it involved.

"As to the feeling," said Cassini, with that shrug which no shoulders
but those of a Frenchman can ever give, "it is a matter of taste; and
perhaps we have no right to dictate in such matters to persons who
would think a week a long lease of life, and who, instead of seven
days, may not have so many hours. As to the profanation, if your
English scruples made you sensitive on such points, I can assure you
that you might have seen some things much more calculated to excite
your sensibilities. The display last night was simply the trial of a
royalist; and as we are all more or less angry with republicanism at
this moment, and with some small reason too, the royalist, though he
was condemned, as every body now is, was suffered to have his
apotheosis. But _I_ have seen exhibitions in which the republican was
the criminal, and the scene that followed was really startling even to
my rather callous conceptions. Sometimes we even had one of the
colossal ruffians who are now lording it over France. I have seen St
Just, Couthon, Caier, Danton, nay Robespierre himself; arraigned
before our midnight tribunal; for this amusement is the only one which
we can enjoy without fear of interruption from our jailers. Thus we
enjoy it with the greater gusto, and revenge ourselves for the
tribulations of the day by trying our tormentors at night."