A Place of Greater Safety. Hilary Mantel

or two.

       [Mirabeau smiles. De Robespierre looks down at the carpet, where the pages of his speech lie crumpled and torn.]

      MIRABEAU: I’m sorry about that. A symptom of childish rage. [De Robespierre bends down and picks up the papers, in an easy movement that does not seem tired at all.] Shall I put them on the fire? [De Robespierre hands them over, docile. The Comte’s muscles visibly relax.] You must come to dinner sometime, de Robertpère.

      DE ROBESPIERRE: Thank you, I’d like that. It doesn’t matter about the papers – I’ve got a draft copy I can read my speech from later today. I always keep my drafts.

       [Out of the corner of his eye Mirabeau sees Duroveray rise, scraping his chair, and inconspicuously put his hand to his heart.]

      MIRABEAU: Teutch.

      DE ROBESPIERRE: Don’t trouble your man, I can see myself out. By the way, my name is Robespierre.

      MIRABEAU: Oh. I thought it was ‘de Robespierre.’

      ROBESPIERRE: No. Just the plain name.

      D’ANTON went to hear Camille speak at the Palais-Royal. He hung to the back of the gathering and tried to find something to lean on, so that he could fold his arms and watch the proceedings with a detached smile. Camille said to him sharply, ‘You can’t spend all your life leering. It’s time you took up an attitude.’