Necker in formulating the
terms of the convocation.
Since he could not be found, the delegations had been made up
without him. But now it happened that one or two vacancies had
occurred in the Nantes representation; and it was the business of
filling these vacancies that had brought Le Chapelier to Nantes.
Andre-Louis firmly shook his head in answer to Le Chapelier's
proposal.
"You refuse?" the other cried. "Are you mad? Refuse, when you are
demanded from so many sides? Do you realize that it is more than
probable you will be elected one of the deputies, that you will be
sent to the States General at Versailles to represent us in this
work of saving France?"
But Andre-Louis, we know, was not concerned to save France. At the
moment he was concerned to save two women, both of whom he loved,
though in vastly different ways, from a man he had vowed to ruin.
He stood firm in his refusal until Le Chapelier dejectedly abandoned
the attempt to persuade him.
"It is odd," said Andre-Louis, "that I should have been so deeply
immersed in trifles as never to have perceived that Nantes is being
politically active.
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