“Madame,“answeredRoderer,solemnly,“Ipledgemyselfforthis,thatweareallreadytodieatyourside。ThatisallthatIcanpromise。“
Andnowthenoblemenandthegrenadierspresseduptotakethekingandqueenintheirescort。
“ForGod’ssake,“criedRoderer,“nodemonstration,orthekingislost!
“Remain,myfriends,“saidtheking,stolidly,“awaitourreturnhere。“
“Weshallsoonreturn,“saidMarieAntoinette;andleadinghertwochildren,shefollowedtheking,whowalkedslowlythroughthehall。
PrincessLamballeandMadameTourzelbroughtuptherear。
Itwasdone。Thedyingmonarchylefttheroyalpalacetoputitselfundertheprotectionoftherevolution,whichwassoontogivebirthtotherepublic。
Itwassixo’clockinthemorningwhentheroyalfamilycrossedthethresholdoftheTuileries——infronttheking,conductingPrincessElizabethonhisarm,behindhimthequeenwiththetwochildren。
Beforeleavingthepalace,thekingreceivedtidingsthatapartoftheNationalGuardhadwithdrawn,inordertoprotecttheirfamiliesandtheirpropertyfromanattackofthepopulace,andthatanotherparthaddeclared,itselfagainstthekingandinfavoroftherevolution。
Louismadehiswaythroughtheseethingcrowdthatscarcelyopenedtoallowafreepassagefortheroyalfamily,andoverwhelmedthemwithcurses,insults,andabuse。
SomemembersoftheNationalAssemblywentinadvance,andcouldthemselvesscarcelycontroltheragingwavesofpopularfury。
OntheTerracedesFeuillantsthepeopleshouted,“Downwiththetyrants!Todeath,todeathwiththem!“
Thedauphincriedaloudwithfright,forthebloodyhandsoftwoyellingwomenwereextendedafterhim。Agrenadiersprangforward,seizedtheboywithhisstrongarm,andraisedhimuponhisshoulder。
“Myson,givemebackmyson!“criedthequeen,wildly。Thegrenadierbowedtoher。“Donotbeafraid,doyounotrecognizeme?“
MarieAntoinettelookedathim,andthehintofasmilepassedoverherface。Shedidindeedrecognizehimwho,likeagoodangel,wasalwayspresentwhendangeranddeaththreatenedher。ItwasToulan,thefaithfulone,byhersideintheuniformofaNationalGuardsman。
“Courage,courage,goodqueen,thedemonsareloose,butgoodangelsareneartheetoo;andwherethosecurseandhowl,thesebringblessingandreconciliation。“
“Downwiththetyrants!“roaredthesavagewomen。
“Donotbeafraid,myprince,“saidthegrenadier,tothedauphinwhomhecarrieduponhisshoulder,inordertoprotecthimfromthethrongingofthecrowd。“Nobodywillhurtyou。“
“Notme,butmydearpapa,“sobbedthechild,whilethetearsrolledoverhispalecheeks。
Thepoorchildtrembledandwasafraid,andhowcouldhehelpit?
Eventhekingwasterrifiedforamoment,andfeltasifthetearswerecomingintohiseyes。Thequeentoowept,driedhertears,andthenweptagain。Thesadmarchconsumedmorethananhour,inordertotraversethebitofwaytotheManege,wheretheNationalAssemblymet。Beforethedoorsofthisbuildingthecriesweredoubled;theattorney-generalharanguedthemob,andsoughttoquietit,andpushedtheroyalfamilyintothenarrowcorridor,inwhich,hemmedinbyabusivecrowds,theymadetheirwayforwardslowly。Atlastthehalldoorsopened,andasMarieAntoinettepassedinbehindtheking,Toulangavethelittledauphintoher,whoflungbothhisarmsaroundtheneckofhismother。
Adeath-likesilencereignedinthehall。Thedeputieslookedwithdarkfacesatthenew-comers。Noonerosetosalutetheking,nowordofwelcomewasspoken。
Thekingtookhisplacebythesideofthepresident,thequeenandherladiestookthechairsoftheministers。Thencameanangrycryfromthetribune:“Thedauphinmustsitwiththeking,hebelongstothenation。TheAustrianhasnoclaimtotheconfidenceofthepeople。“
Anofficercamedowntotakethechildaway,butLouisCharlesclungtohismother,fearwasexpressedonhisfeatures,tearsstoodinhiseyes,andwonawordofsympathy,sothattheofficerdidnotventuretoremovetheprinceforcibly。
Adeepsilencesatinagain,tillthekingraisedhisvoice。“Ihavecomehither,“hesaid,“topreventagreatcrime,andbecauseI
believethatIamsafestsurroundedbytherepresentativesofthenation。“
“Sire,“repliedPresidentVergniaud,“youcanreckonuponthedevotionoftheNationalAssembly。Itknowsitsduties;itsmembershavesworntoliveandtodieindefenceoftherightsofthepeopleandoftheconstitutionalauthorities。“
Voiceswereheardatthispointfromallsidesofthehall,declaringthattheconstitutionforbidstheAssemblyholdingitsdeliberationsinthepresenceofthekingandthequeen。
Theythentooktheroyalfamilyintothelittlelowboxscarcelytenfeetlong,inwhichthereportersofthe“Logograph“usedtowritetheiraccountsofthedoingsoftheAssembly。Intothisnarrowspacewereaking,aqueen,withhersisterandherchildren,theirministersandfaithfulservants,crowded,tolistentothediscussionsconcerningthedepositionoftheking。
FromwithouttherecameintothehallthewildcryofthepopulacethattheSwissguardshadbeenkilled,andshoutsaccompaniedtheheadsastheywerecarriedaboutonthepointsofpikes。Thecrackofmusketswasheard,andtheroarofcannon。Thelastfaithfulregimentswerecontendingagainstthearmyoftherevolutionists,whilewithinthehalltheelectionbytheFrenchpeopleofaGeneralConventionwasdiscussed。
Thisscenelastedthewholeday;thewholedaythequeensatintheglowingheat,hersonasleepinherlap,motionless,andlikeamarblestatue。Sheappearedtobealiveonlywhenonceinawhileasighorafaintmoanescapedher。Aglassofwatermixedwithcurrant-juicewastheonlynourishmentshetookthroughtheday。
Ataboutfiveintheafternoon,whiletheAssemblywasstilldeliberatingaboutthedisposaloftheking,Louisturnedcomposedlyaroundtothevaletwhowasstandingbackofhim。
“Iamhungry,“hesaid;“bringmesomethingtoeat!“Huehastenedtobring,fromarestaurantnearby,apieceofroastchicken,somefruitandstewedplums;asmalltablewasprocured,andcarriedintothereporters’boxofthe“Logograph。“
Thecountenanceofthekinglightenedupalittle,ashesatdownatthetableandatehisdinnerwithagoodappetite。Hedidnothearthesuppressedsobsthatissuedfromadarkcornerofthebox。Tothiscornertheunhappywomanhadwithdrawn,whoyesterdaywasQueenofFrance,andwhosepalecheeksreddenedwithshameatthishourtoseethekingeatingwithhisoldrelish!
Thetearsstartedafreshfromhereyes,and,inordertodrythem,sheaskedforahandkerchief,forherownwasalreadywetwithhertears,andwiththesweatwhichshehadwipedfromtheforeheadofhersleepingboy。Butnooneofherfriendscouldreachherahandkerchiefthatwasnotredwiththebloodofthosewhohadbeenwoundedinthedefenceofthequeen!
Itwasonlyattwoo’clockinthenightthatthelivingmartyrdomofthissessionended,andtheroyalfamilywereconductedtothecellsoftheformerConventdesFeuillants,whichwasabovetheroomsoftheAssembly,andwhichhadhastilybeenputinreadinessforthenightquartersoftheroyalfamily。Hitherarmedmen,usingtheirgun-barrelsascandlesticksforthetaperswhichtheycarried,marched,conductingakingandaqueentotheirimprovisedsleeping-
rooms。Adensecrowdofpeople,bearingweapons,surroundedthem,andoftenclosedtheway,sothatitneededtheenergeticcommandoftheofficerinchargetomakeafreepassageforthem。Thepopulacedrewback,butbellowedandsangintotheearsofthequeenasshepassedby:
“MadameVetoavaitpromisD’fegorgertoutParis。“
Thesehorriblefaces,thesethreatening,abusivevoices,frightenedthedauphin,whoclungtremblinglytohismother。MarieAntoinettestoopeddowntohimandwhisperedafewwordsinhisear。Atoncethecountenanceoftheboybrightened,andhesprangquicklyandjoyfullyupthestaircase;butatthetophestoodstill,andwaitedforhissister,whowassoheavywithsleepthatshehadtobeledslowlyup。“Listen,Theresa,“saidtheprince,joyously,“mammahaspromisedmethatIshallsleepinherroomwithher,becauseIwassogoodbeforethebadpeople。“[Footnote:Goncourt——“HistoiredeMarieAntoinette,“p。234。]Andhejumpedaboutdelightedlyintotheroomswhichhadbeenopened,andinwhichasupperhadbeenevenprepared。Butsuddenly,hiscountenancedarkened,andhiseyeswanderedaroundwithananxiouslook。
“WhereisMoufflet?“heasked。“Hecamewithme,andhewaswithmewhenweleftthebox。Moufflet,Moufflet,whereareyou,Moufflet?“
andaskingthisquestionloudly,thedauphinhurriedthroughthefourroomseverywhereseekingafterthelittledog,theinheritancefromhisbrother,theformerDauphinofFrance。
ButMouffletdidnotcome,andallsearchwasinvain;noMouffletwastobefound。Hehadprobablybeenlostinthecrowd,orbeentroddenunderfoot。
Whenatlastsilenceandpeacecame,andtheroyalfamilywererestingontheirhardbeds,sighsandsuppressedsobswereheardfromwherethedauphinlay。Itwasthelittlefellowweepingforhislostdog。TheheirofthekingsofFrancehadto-daylosthislastpossession——hislittle,faithfuldog。
MarieAntoinettestoopeddownandkissedhisweteyes。
“Donotcry,myboy;Mouffletwillcomebackagaintomorrow。“
“To-morrow!certainly,mamma?“
“Certainly。“