Louis XVII is King of France, my good St.Just; he must owe his freedom and his life to us Frenchmen, and to no one else." "That is sheer madness, man," retorted Armand.

"Would you have the child perish for the sake of your own selfish ideas ?" "You may call them selfish if you will; all patriotism is in a measure selfish.

What does the rest of the world care if we are a republic or a monarchy, an oligarchy or hopeless anarchy?
We work for ourselves and to please ourselves, and I for one will not brook foreign interference." "Yet you work with foreign money!" "That is another matter.

I cannot get money in France, so I get it where I can; but I can arrange for the escape of Louis XVII is King of France, my good St.Just; he must of France should belong the honour and glory of having saved our King." For the third time now St.Just allowed the conversation to drop; he was gazing wide-eyed, almost appalled at this impudent display of well-nigh ferocious selfishness and vanity.

De Batz, smiling and complacent, was leaning back in his chair, looking at his young friend with perfect contentment expressed in every line of his pock-marked face and in the very attitude of his well-fed body.