第54章
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  Yes,theyhadbrokenit——thisgreatstrongheart,inwhichthefuneralcrapeofmonarchylay。Atfirstthephysicianandhisfriendshopedthatitmightbepossibletoovercomehismalady,butMirabeauwasnotflatteredbyanysuchhope;hefeltthatthepainswhichwererackinghisbodywouldendonlywithdeath。

  Afteroneespeciallypainfulanddistressingnight,MirabeauhadhisphysicianCabanisandhisfriendCountdelaMarcksummonedtohisbed,andextendedtothembothhishands。“Myfriends,“hesaidtothemwithgentlevoiceandwithpeacefulface,“myfriends,Iamgoingtodieto-day。Whenonehasbeenbroughttothatpass,thereisonlyonethingthatremainstobedone:tobeperfumed,tastefullydressed,andsurroundedwithflowers,soastofallagreeablyintothatlastsleepfromwhichthereisnowaking。So,callmyservants!Imustbeshaved,dressed,andnicelyarrayed。Thewindowmustbeopened,thatthewarmairmaystreamin,andthenflowersmustbebrought。Iwanttodieinthesunshineandflowers。“

  [Footnote:Mirabeau’swords——See“MemoiressurMirabeau,“vol。iv。,p。298。]

  Hisfriendsdidnotventuretoopposehislastwish。Thegladiatorwantedtomakehislasttoiletandbeelaboratelyarrayedinordertofallinthearenaoflifeasaherofalls,andevenindeathtoexcitethewonderandtheapplauseofthepublic。

  AllPariswasinthislastscenethepublicofthisgladiator;allParishad,intheselastdaysofhisbattleforlife,onlyonethought,“HowisitwithMirabeau?WillhecompelthedreadfulenemyDeathtoretirefrombeforehim,orwillhefallasthepreyofDeath?“Thisquestionwaswrittenonallfaces,repeatedinallhousesandinallhearts。Everyonewantedtoreceiveananswerfromthatstillhouse,withitsclosely-drawncurtains,whereMirabeaulived。Allthestreetswhichledthitherwere,duringthelastthreedaysbeforehisdeath,filledwithadensemassofmen,andnocarriagewaspermittedtodrivethroughtheneighborhood,lestitshoulddisturbMirabeau。Thetheatreswereclosed,and,withoutanyconsultationtogether,themerchantsshuttheirstoresastheydoongreatdaysofnationalfastingorthanksgiving。

  Onthemorningofthefourthday,beforelifehadbeguntomoveinthestreetsofParis,andbeforethehouseswereopened,acrywasheardinthegreathighwaysofthecity,ringingupintoallthehouses,andenteringalltheagitatedheartsthatheardit:

  “Flowers,bringflowers!Mirabeauwantsflowers!BringrosesandvioletsforMirabeau!Mirabeauwantstodieamidflowers!“

  ThiscryawokeslumberingParisthe2dofApril,1791,and,asitresoundedthroughthestreets,windowsanddoorsopened,andhundreds,thousandsofmenhastenedfromalldirectionstowardMirabeau’shouse,carryingnosegays,bouquets,wholebasketsofflowers。Oneseemedtobetransferredfromcool,frostyspringweathertothewarm,fragrantdaysofsummer;allthegreenhouses,allthechamberspouredouttheirfloraltreasurestoprepareonelastsummerdayforthedyingtribuneofthepeople。Hiswholehousewasfilledwithflowersandwithfragrance。Thehall,thestaircase,theantechamber,andthedrawing-roomwereoverflowingwithflowers;

  andthereinthemiddleofthedrawing-roomlayMirabeauuponalounge,carefullydressed,shavedandpowdered,asifforaroyalfestival。Themostbeautifuloftheflowers,thefairestexoticssurroundedhiscouch,andbenttheirvariegatedpetalsdowntothepale,death-strickengladiator,whostillhadpowertosummonasmiletohislips,andwithonelastlookofaffectiontobidfarewelltohisweepingfriends——farewelltotheflowersandthesunlight!

  Onhisloftybrow,onhissmilinglips,therewaswritten,afterDeathhadclaimedhim,afterthegladiatorhadfallen,“Thedyingonegreetsyou!“

  Thedayofhisdeathwasthedayofhislasttriumph;andtheflowersthatallParissenttohim,weretoMirabeauthepartingwordofloveandadmiration!

  FourtimesdailythekinghadsenttoinquireafterMirabeau’swelfare,andwhenatnoon,onthe2dofApril,CountdelaMarckbroughtthetidingsofhisdeath,thekingturnedpale。“Disasterishoveringoverus,“hesaid,sadly,“Deathtooarrayshimselfonthesideofourenemies!“

  MarieAntoinettewasalsoverydeeplymovedbythetidings。“Hewantedtosaveus,andthereforemustdie!Theburdenwastooheavy,thepillarhasbrokenundertheweight;thetemplewillplungedownandburyusbeneathitsruins,ifwedonothastentosaveourselves!Mirabeau’sbequestwashiscounseltospeedyandsecretflight!Wemustfollowhisadvice,wemustremovefromParis。MaythespiritofMirabeauenlightentheheartoftheking,thathemaybewillingtodowhatisnecessary,——thathemaybewillingtoleaveParis!“

  AllPariswasagainincommotion,fear,anduproar。Thefuriesoftherevolution,themarket-women,wenthowlingagainthroughthestreetsonthe20thofJune,1791,utteringtheirhorridcursesuponthekingandtheAustrianwoman,andhurlingtheirsavagewordsanddirtysongsagainstMadameVeto,againstlachienned’Autriche。

  AroundtheTuileriesstoodinimmensemassesthecorpsoftheNationalGuard,withgraveandthreateningmien,andwithdifficultyholdingbackthepeople,whowerefillingthewholebroadsquareinfrontofthepalace,andwhocouldonlywithgreateffortbepreventedfrombreakingthroughthosestrongcordonsofguardswhoheldbothendsofthestreetleadingtotheTuileries,andkeptatleastthemiddleofthewayfreeandopen。

  Itwasawayfortheking,thequeen,andtheroyalfamily,whoweretoreenterParisthatday。Lafayettehad,attheorderoftheNationalAssembly,gonewithsomeregimentsoftheguardtoVarennes,toconductthekingbacktothecapital。Thousandsuponthousandshadhurriedoutafterhiminordertoobservethisreturnoftherepresentativesofmonarchy,andtotakepartinthisfuneralprocession!

  Foritwasafuneralofthemonarchywhichwascelebratedthatday;

  andthisgreat,heavycarriage,surroundedbysoldiers,andtheribald,mockingpopulace——thisgreatcarriage,whichnowdrovealongthestreetsleadingtotheTuileries,amidthethunderofcannon,andthepealsofbellsfromtowers,wasthefuneralcarofmonarchy。

  Theking,thequeen,theroyalchildren,thesisteroftheking,MadameTourzel,andthetwodeputieswhomtheNationalAssemblyhadsenttoVarennestoaccompanytheroyalfamily,PetionandBarnave,wereinthiscarriage。

  TheyhadtriedtofollowtheadviceofthedyingMirabean,andtosavethemselvesfromtherevolution。Thatwastheoffenceofthiskingandthisqueen,whowerenowbroughtbackintriumphtotheTuileries,thepalaceofkings,andfromthattimearoyalprison。

  Tri-coloredbannerswavedfromallroofsandfromallwindows;

  placardsweredisplayedeverywhere,bearinginimmenselettersthewords:“Whoeverapplaudsthekingshallbescourged;whoverinsultshimshallbehanged!“

  Theyhadwishedtoescape,theseunhappyones,whoarenowbroughtbackfromVarennes,wheretheywereidentifiedanddetained。Nowtheywerereturning,nolongerthemasters,buttheprisonersoftheFrenchnation!TheNationalAssemblyhadpassedadecree,whosefirstarticlewas:“Thekingistemporarilysetasidefromthefunctionsofroyalty;“andwhosesecondandthirdarticleswere,“thatsosoonasthekingandhisfamilyshallbebroughtbacktotheTuileries,aprovisionalwatchshallbesetoverhim,aswellasoverthequeenandthedauphin,which,underthecommandofthegeneral-in-chiefoftheNationalGuardofParis,shallberesponsiblefortheirsafetyandfortheirdetention。“

  ThekingandthequeenreturnedtoParisasprisoners,andLafayettewastheirjailer。ThemasterofFrance,themany-headedKingoftheFrenchnation,wastheNationalAssembly。

  Sad,dreadfuldaysofhumiliation,ofresignation,ofperilsandanxieties,nowfollowedfortheroyalfamily,theprisonersoftheTuileries,whowerewatcheddayandnightbyspyingeyes,andwhosedoorsmustremainopendayandnight,inorderthatofficersonguardmightlookwithouthindranceintotheapartmentsinwhichtheprisonersoftheFrenchnationlived。

  Duringthefirstweekafterthesadreturn,thespiritofthequeenseemedtobebroken,herenergiestobeimpairedforever。Shehadnomorehope,nomorefear;shethrewoutnonewplansforescaping,sheneitherworkednorwrote。Sheonlysatstillandsadforhours,andbeforehereyespassedthedreadfulpicturesofthetimejustgoneby,presentingthemselveswithdreadfulvividness,andintherecollectionanguishingherspirit。Sherecalledtheexcitementandanxietyofthedaywhichprecededtheflight。Shesawherself,aswithtremblinghandssheputonthegarmentsofoneofherwaiting-

  maids,andthendisguisedthedauphiningirl’sclothes;sheheardtheboyaskinganew,withhispleasantsmile:“Arewegoingtoplaytheatre,mammaqueen?“Thenshesawherselfonthestreetalone,waitingwithoutanyprotectionorcompanyforthecarriagewhichwastotakeherup,aftertakingupatanotherplacethekingandthetwochildren。Sherecalledthedriveinthedarknight,theheatintheclose,heavycarriage,thedreadfulalarmwhensuddenly,afteratwelvehours’drive,thecarriagebroke,andalldismountedtoclimbthehilltothevillagewhichlaybeforethem,andwheretheyhadtowaittillthecarriagecouldberepaired。Thenthejourneyon,thedelayinVarennea,thecry,“Theyarerecognized。“Thentheconfusion,themarch,theanguishofthehoursfollowing,andfinallythatlasthourofhopewhen,inthepoorchamberoftheshopkeeperSauce,hiswifestandingnearthebedonwhichthelittleprinceslept,sheconjuredhiswifetosavethekingandfindhimahiding-place。Thensheheardagainbeforeherearsthewoman’shardvoiceansweringher:

  “Madame,itcannotbe;Ilovemyhusband,too,andIalsohavechildren,butmyhusbandwerelostifIsavedyours。“Thensheheardafreshthecries,themarch;sawthearrivaloftheParisregimentsandthedeputieswhomtheNationalAssemblysenttoconducttheroyalrefugeesbacktoParis。Thensherecalledthedriveback,crowdedintothecarriagewiththedeputies,andtheribaldpopulaceroaringaround。Asshethoughtofallthesethings,ashudderranthroughtheformoftheunhappyqueen,andtearsstreamedunrestrainedlyfromhereyes。

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