"
"The example of France shows me that, to gain a point in such a
struggle, any means must be used! In France, as you say, the clergy were
with the people--here they are against them. Where persuasion fails
coercion must be used!"
Odo smiled faintly. "You might have borrowed that from their own
armoury," he said.
She coloured at the sarcasm. "Why not?" she retorted. "Let them have a
taste of their own methods! They know the kind of pressure that makes
men yield--when they feel it they will know what to do."
He looked at her with astonishment. "This is Gamba's tone," he said. "I
have never heard you speak in this way before."
She coloured again; and now with a profound emotion. "Yes," she said,
"it is Gamba's tone. He and I speak for the same cause and with the same
voice. We are of the people and we speak for the people. Who are your
other counsellors? Priests and noblemen! It is natural enough that they
should wish to make their side of the question heard. Listen to them, if
you will--conciliate them, if you can! We need all the allies we can
win. Only do not fancy they are really speaking for the people. Do not
think it is the people's voice you hear. The people do not ask you to
weigh this claim against that, to look too curiously into the defects
and merits of every clause in their charter. All they ask is that the
charter should be given them!"
She spoke with the low-voiced passion that possessed her at such
moments. All acrimony had vanished from her tone.
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