Let's find the origin of this anecdote:

“[Saint-Just] was pushed into the bay of a window, from which he could see, on the other side of the room, a noisy group round a table. ‘Move up a bit,’ someone said, ‘let him see his king lying on a table, like any ordinary man’. There was silence then as they waited to see what Saint-Just would do. He came over to the table, sat down by it, and gazed in silence at his friend. Through the last hours of the night and on into the dawn, he sat there with his bitter thoughts, watching over the wounded man.”

— J. B. Morton, Saint-Just (1939).

Now Morton isn't writing fanfiction. This isn't just a 20th-century narrative embellishment. He's repeating a well-known observation made in a pamphlet published within a few days after Thermidor. This is a hostile, contemporary Thermidorian pamphlet noting "in real-time" (kind of - with the amount of details given you can tell it was someone who was in the room) the exact differences in behavior between Saint-Just, Dumas (the president of the Revolutionary Tribunal) and Payan (named at the Commune to replace Chaumette):

They bring in St.-Just, Dumas, and Payan, all three bound; they are escorted by gendarmes. They remain standing for a good quarter of an hour at the door of the Committee room; they are made to sit in the embrasure of a window; they have not yet uttered a single word. ​Some jokers clear away the people surrounding these three men, saying: "Move aside then, so these gentlemen can see their King sleeping on a table, just like a man." ​St. Just steps forward to look at Robespierre. St.-Just had a downcast, humbled countenance; his wide, swollen eyes painted a picture of grief/sorrow.

​Dumas, whose face is naturally gaunt and emaciated, and entirely lacking in color, did not seem very affected; he had a dreamy air, a fixed gaze, and made no movement. He merely twitched his fingers near his thigh.

​Payan had an occasionally mocking air; he was seen smiling; being seated, he made a nod of the head, as if to say, "I do not fear death at all." But this feeling did not remain painted on his face for long; fear spread across his features, and his countenance became downcast.

We have three important men (in their functions) being led to "their king". Yet, even through the intensely biased lens of a Thermidorian writer who wanted to paint them all as fallen tyrants, Saint-Just's profound grief/sorrow (le chagrin) and focus on Robespierre stand out uniquely. The pamphlet literally documents that while the other two were projecting stoicism or defiance, Saint-Just's eyes were fixed entirely on Robespierre's suffering. Even they noted his devotion and loyalty to a friend, and struggled to reduce it to the fanaticism of a mere acolyte.

art collab with @revolutionarywig ! I did the coloring part. it’s been finished very long ago and finally i could post it skshjskhhd

and here’s the line art of @revolutionarywig

It hasn't been here for a long time, has it? :-)

Okay, stop staring at each other. Let's go to dinner.

those happy moments

mother Duplay being cute

Élisabeth always hungry

It's rude to barge into a family dinner uninvited, Camille.

That's right, Camille. How could that bother you?

Passionate conversation in bed? Not with you, dear Couthon.

not with you dear Augustin

correct

You didn't expect me to skip this scene, did you?

beautiful, right? so we can continue

Georges, you won't make friends in this house with these manners.

neither with your bad jokes

This sentence and this exaggerated self-confidence remind me of someone. What do you think?

Tell him, Maxime.

true words

<3

This is no way to win him over, Georges.

Sigh.

The drama is over-the-top hilarious and amazing. I am working on a semi-modernized translation – I say semi-modernized because they’re literally so catty, petty and bitchy my translation sounds modern anyway!

The session starts at 10am and ends at 4:30pm. Most of the session is spent debating on whether or not they will proceed with the order of the day.

It was planned ahead of time that Robespierre was going to answer to Louvet’s accusation – who, a few days earlier, had accused him of dictatorship or wanting to make a triumvirate with Danton and Marat. In the days preceding Thermidor, Robespierre does mention in speeches that the recent accusations are just recycling Louvet’s.

And so Robespierre talking (for a very, very long time) was planned.

(According to Louvet’s whining, it was already 1pm by then.)

While this happened, people lined up to speak next: for Robespierre, on Robespierre and against Robespierre.

The first for was Saint-Just.

But Louvet kept throwing a tantrum, and thus robbed us from the glorious fact that Saint-Just’s first intervention at the Convention would not have been his speech on the king of November 13, but the classical “Leave Robespierre alone” on November 5.

It’s also amusing? sad? that Saint-Just’s first (didn’t happen) and last (was interrupted) interventions at the Convention were to defend his boyfriend. And they say there isn’t love here!

The session is a highlight of hilarity, featuring:

- Hérault, as president, being completely overwhelmed

- Barbaroux, who’s also secretary, leaving his secretary seat to climb to the rostrum back and forth, and people don’t want him to speak. Presumably Louvet sent him, so we can say we missed out on a Battle of the Boytoys. (No but seriously guys stop sending the new guys who just reached the age to get elected to fix your old drama!)

- Couthon bitching about Barbaroux and calling his attempt to talk “pitiable”.

- Barère rambling that Robespierre is too dumb to be a dictator in a preamble to his new motion to proceed with the order of the day

- Some Dude (Rewbell) objecting to this order of the day because if it was voted, it would make a satire of the Assembly (it did)

- Robespierre also objecting to the order as the preamble is injurious to him

Eventually, AT LAST, they do move on with the order of the day. I guess the day was almost over by then.

Other highlights:

- Someone complains some people have been introduced to the tribunes without permission. Hérault says he authorized the wives of two deputies to be there.

- Barère rambles that this inconsequential drama between small petty people detracts from their Great Purpose and will never have a place in history (unfortunately, here we are)

- An annex featuring Louvet’s publication presumably later this day (someone did tell him to just publish his rant and stop wasting their time) in which he rants: “people who were going to vote for Robespierre: Saint-Just, k, but like I read Manuel was there? Manuel?? If you wanna be with him, then be with him! But you’re not gonna stay long, I can guarantee!” I’m barely exaggerating. This is what he says: “On vit pour Robespierre, Saint-Just, Garnier, et si l'on ne m'a pas trompé, Manuel. Manuel ! qu'il y soit donc, puisqu'il y veut être ; mais j'aime à croire qu'il n'y restera pas longtemps.”

It’s a wonderful piece of drama, with applause, murmurs, sometimes violent murmurs, from members and the tribunes, some who threaten Louvet as well.

Brilliant. 10/10

"DISMISSED!" (I guess his hands are full)

Bonus stalking tiger Max:

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1999)