Theboydriedhistears,andwenttosleepwithasmileuponhislips。
ButMarieAntoinettedidnotsleep;sittingerectinherbed,shelistenedtothecriesandfiendishshoutingswhichcameupfromtheterraceoftheFeuillants,asthepeopleheapedtheirabusesuponher,anddemandedherhead。
Onthenextdaynewsufferings!Theroyalfamilyhadtogoagainintothelittleboxwhichtheyhadoccupiedthedaybefore;theyhadtolistentothedeliberationoftheNationalAssemblyaboutthefutureresidenceoftheroyalfamily,whichhadmadeitselfunworthytoinhabittheTuileries,whileeventheLuxemburgpalacewasnosuitableresidenceforMonsieurandMadameVeto。
Thequeenhadinthemeantimeregainedherself-possessionandcalmness,shecouldevensummonasmiletoherlipswithwhichtogreetherchildrenandthefaithfulfriendswhothrongedaroundherinordertobenearherinthesepainfulhours。ShewaspleasedwiththeattentionsofthewifeoftheEnglishambassador,LadySutherland,whosentlinenandclothesofherownsonforthedauphin。ThequeenalsoreceivedfromMadameTourzelherwatchwithmanythanks,sinceshehadbeenrobbedofherownandherpurseonthewaytotheConventdesFeuillants。
Onreceivingnewsofthistheft,thefivegentlemenpresenthastenedtolayallthegoldandnotesthattheycarriedaboutthemonthetablebeforetheywithdrew。ButMarieAntoinettehadnoticedthis。
“Gentlemen,“shesaid,withthanksanddeepfeeling,“gentlemen,keepyourmoney;youwillwantitmorethanwe,foryouwill,I
trust,livelonger。“[Footnote:Thequeen’sownwords——See“Beauehesne,“vol。i。,p。806。]
Deathhadnolongeranyterrorsforthequeen,forshehadtoooftenlookedhimintheeyeoflatetobeafraid。Shehadwithjoyoftenseenhimtakeawayherfaithfulservantsandfriends。DeathwouldhavebeenlightertobearthantherailingsandabusewhichshehadtoexperienceuponherwalksfromtheLogograph’sreporters’seattotheroomsintheConventdesFeuillants。Ononeofthesewalksshesawinthegardensomerespectablydressedpeoplestandingandlookingwithouthurlinginsultsather——Fullofgratitude,thequeensmiledandbowedtothem。Onthis,oneofthemenshouted:
“Youneedn’ttakethetroubletoshakeyourheadsogracefully,foryouwon’thaveitmuchlonger!“
“Iwouldthemanwereright!“saidMarieAntoinettesoftly,goingontothehalloftheAssemblytoheartherepresentativesofthenationdiscussthequestionwhethertheSwissguards,whohadundertakentodefendtheroyalfamilywithweaponsintheirhands,shouldnotbecondemnedtodeathastraitorstotheFrenchnation。
Atlength,afterfivedaysofcontinuedsufferings,theAssemblybecamewearyofinsultingandhumiliatinglongerthosewhohadbeenrobbedoftheirpoweranddignity;anditwasannouncedtotheroyalfamilythattheywouldhereafterresideintheTemple,andbeperpetualprisonersofthenation。
Onthemorningofthe18thofAugusttwogreatcarriages,eachdrawnbyonlytwohorses,stoodinthecourtdesFeuillantsreadytocarrytheroyalfamilytotheTemple。Inthefirstofthesesattheking,thequeen,theirtwochildren,MadameElizabeth,PrincessLamballe,MadameTourzelandherdaughter;andbesidesthese,PotionthemayorofParis,theattorney-general,andamunicipalofficer。Inthesecondcarriageweretheservantsofthekingandtwoofficials。A
detachmentoftheNationalGuardsescortedthecarriages,onbothsidesofwhichdensemassesofmenstood,incessantlypouringouttheirabuseandinsults。
InthePlaceVendometheprocessionstopped,andwithscornfullaughtertheyshowedthekingthescatteredfragments,uponthepavements,oftheequestrianstatueofLouisXIV。,whichhadstoodthere,andwhichhadbeenthrownfromitspedestalbytheangerofthepeople。“Soshallitbewithalltyrants!“shoutedandroaredthemob,raisingtheirfiststhreateningly。
“Howbadtheyare!“saidthedauphin,lookingwithwidely-openedeyesattheking,betweenwhosekneeshewasstanding。
“No,“answeredLouis,gently,“theyarenotbad,theyareonlymisled。“
AtsevenintheeveningtheyreachedthegloomybuildingwhichwasnowtobethehomeoftheKingandQueenofFrance。“Longlivethenation!“roaredthemob,whichfilledtheinnercourtasMarieAntoinetteandherhusbanddismountedfromthecarriage。“Longlivethenation!——downwiththetyrants!“Thequeenpaidnoattentiontothecries;shelookeddownatherblackshoe,whichwastorn,andoutofwhosetipherwhitesilkstockingpeeped。“See,“shesaid,toPrincessLamballe,whowaswalkingbyherside,“seemyfoot,itwouldhardlybebelievedthattheQueenofFrancehasnoshoes。“
“Wemustlookmisfortunedirectlyintheeye,andhavecouragetobearitworthily,“saidMarieAntoinette。““Weareprisoners,andshalllongremainso!Letusseektohaveakindofhouseholdlifeeveninourprison。Letusmakeafixedplanhowtospendourdays。“
“Youareright,Marie,“repliedLouis;“letusarrangehowtospendeachday。AsIamnolongeraking,Iwillbetheteacherofmyson,andtrytoeducatehimtobeagoodking。“
“Doyoubelieve,then,husband,thattherearetobekingsafterthisinFrance?“askedMarieAntoinette,withashrug。
“Well,“answeredLouis,“wewillatleastseektogivehimsuchaneducationthatheshallbeabletofillworthilywhateverstationhemaybecalledto。Iwillbehisteacherinthesciences。“
“AndIwillinteresthimandourdaughterinmusicanddrawing,“
saidthequeen。
“Andyouwillallowmetoteachmyniecetoembroideranaltar-
cover,“saidMadameElizabeth。
“Andintheevening,“saidMarieAntoinette,noddingplayfullytoPrincessLamballe,“intheeveningwewillreadcomedies,thatthechildrenmaylearnofourLamballetheartofdeclamation。Wewillseektoforgetthepast,andturnourthoughtsonlytothepresent,whateveritmaybe。YouseethatthesefourdaysthatwehavespenthereintheTemplehavebeengoodschoolmastersforme,andhavemademepatient,and——butwhatisthat?“exclaimedthequeen;“didyounothearstepsbeforethedoor?Itmustbesomethingunusual,foritisnotyetsolateastheofficialsareaccustomedtocome。
Wherearethechildren?“
And,intheanxietyofhermotherlylove,thequeenhastenedupthelittlestaircasewhichledtothesecondstoryoftheTemple,wherewasthechamberofthedauphin,togetherwiththegeneralsitting-
room。
LouisCharlessprangforwardtomeethismother,andaskedherwhethershehadcometofulfilherpromise,andgooutwithhimintothegarden。Thequeen,insteadofanswering,claspedhiminherarms,andbeckonedtoTheresatocometoherside。“Oh!mychildren,mydearchildren,Ionlywantedtoseeyou;I——“
Thedooropened,andtheking,followedbyhissister,PrincessLamballe,andMadameTourzel,entered。
“Whatisit?“criedMarieAntoinette。“Somenewmisfortune,isitnot?“
Shewassilent,forshenowbecameawareofthepresenceofbothofthemunicipalofficials,whohadcomeinbehindtheladies,andinwhosepresenceshewouldnotcomplain。Manuel,who,sincethe10thofAugust,hadbeenattorney-general——Manuel,theenemyofthequeen,thechiefsupervisoroftheprisonersintheTemple,wasthere——andMarieAntoinettewouldnotgranthimthetriumphofseeingherweakness。
“Youhavesomethingtosaytous,sir,“saidthequeen,withavoicewhichshecompelledtobecalm。
Yes,Manuelhadsomethingtosaytoher。HehadtolaybeforeherandthekingadecreeoftheNationalAssembly,whichorderedoldpartieswhohadaccompanied“LouisCapetandhiswife“totheTemple,eitherunderthenameoffriendsorservants,toleavetheplaceatonce。Thequeenhadnotawordofcomplaint,butherpridewasvanquished;shesufferedManueltoseehertears。Sheextendedherarms,andcalledthefaithfulLamballetoher,mingledhertearswiththoseoftheprincess,andthengaveapartingkisstoMadamedeTourzelandherdaughter。
TheeveningofthatdaywasasilentandsolitaryoneintheroomsoftheTemple。Theirlastservantshadbeentakenawayfromtheroyalprisoners,andonlyClery,thevaletoftheking,hadbeensufferedtoremain,towaituponhismaster。Thenextmorning,however,Manuelcametoinformthequeenthatshewouldbeallowedtohavetwootherwomentowaituponher,andgaveheralistofnamesfromwhichshemightchoose。ButMarieAntoinette,withproudcomposure,refusedtoacceptthisoffer。“Wehavebeendeprivedofthosewhoremainedfaithfultousoutoflove,anddevotedtheirservicestousasafreegift,andwewillnotsupplytheirplacesbyservantswhoarepaidbyourenemies。“
“Thenyouwillhavetowaituponyourselves,“criedManuel,withaharshvoice。
“Yes,“answeredthequeen,gently,“wewillwaituponourselves,andtakepleasureinit。“
Andtheydidwaituponthemselves;theytookthetenderestcareoneofanother,andperformedalltheseofficeswithconstantreadiness。
Thekinghad,happily,beenallowedtoretainhisvalet,whodressedhim,whoknewallhisquiet,moderateways,andwhoarrangedeverythingforthekinginthelittlestudyattheTemple,ashehadbeenaccustomedtodointhegrandcabinetatVersailles。Theladieswaiteduponthemselves,andMarieAntoinetteundertookthetaskofdressingandundressingthedauphin。
ThelittlefellowwasthesunbeamwhichnowandthenwouldlightupeventhesombreapartmentsoftheTemple。Withthehappycarelessnessofinfancy,hehadforgottenthepast,anddidnotthinkofthefuture;helivedonlyinthepresent,soughttobehappy,andfoundhishappinesswhenhesucceededincallingasmiletothepale,proudlipsofthequeen,orinwinningawordofpraisefromthekingforhisindustryandhisattention。