Zachariah did not remonstrate.
In his conscientious eagerness to bear witness for his Master, he had
often tried his hand upon his mates; but he had never had the
smallest success, and had now desisted. Moreover, his thoughts were
that morning with his comrades, the Friends of the People. He hummed
to himself the lines from Lara:
"Within that land was many a malcontent,
Who cursed the tyranny to which he bent;
That soil full many a wringing despot saw,
Who worked his wantonness in form of law:
Long war without and frequent broil within
Had made a path for blood and giant sin."
The last meeting had been unusually exciting. Differences of opinion
had arisen as to future procedure, many of the members, the Secretary
included, advocating action; but what they understood by it is very
difficult to say. A special call had been made for that night, and
Zachariah was in a difficulty. His native sternness and detestation
of kings and their ministers would have led him almost to any length;
but he had a sober head on his shoulders. So had the Major, and so
had Caillaud. Consequently they held back, and insisted, before
stirring a step towards actual revolution, that there should be some
fair chance of support and success.
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