The Chevalier De Maison Rouge (22 page)

of his waving curtain.

The roofs, as Morand had foreseen, did not reach the

height of the summit of the tower.

This was at once an advantage and disadvantage. A

difficulty, because they could not communicate by signs

with the queen, and an advantage, because the very im-

practicability alone disarmed all suspicion.

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 143

The highest houses were naturally the objects of the

strictest surveillance.

" It is necessary, either by means of Toulun, Maury, or Tisou's daughter, to find some way to tell her to keep

upon the watch," murmured Dixmer.

" I have thought of that," said Morand.

They descended ; the notary waited in the salon with

the contract signed.

" It is all right," said Dixmer ; " the house suits me, so hand over to the proprietor the sum of nineteen thousand

five hundred lives in payment, and let him give a receipt."

The proprietor did so, first scrupulously counting the

money.

" You understand, citizen," said Dixmer, " the principal clause, that the house must be vacated this evening ;

that, in short, I must put the workmen in to-morrow."

"Well, citizen, I agree to do so ; you can take the keys this evening at eight o'clock ; all will be free."

" Pardon me," said Dixmer, " but did you tell me, Citizen Xotary, there was a way out leading into the Rue

Porte Foin ? "

"Yes, citizen," said the proprietor; "but Iliad it closed ; for, having only one official, the poor devil had

too much fatigue, being obliged to watch both doors.

But it is so fastened up that at any time it can be re-

opened in tvo hours at least. Would you wish to con-

vince yourselves, citizens ? "

" Thanks, it is not necessary," said Dixmer. " I attach no importance to this way out ; it is useless to me."

They then both left, having for the third time reminded

the I; 1 . milord of his promise that the apartments should be empty at eight o'clock that evening. At nine o'clock

they both returned, followed by five or six men at a

distance, of whom, in the confusion then reigning in

Paris, no one took any notice. They both entered first.

The landlord kept his word ; the house was totally

empty. They closed the shutters with the greatest care,

sounded the brick-work, struck the steel, and lighted

some wax-candles which Moraud carried in his pocket.

144 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

Then one after another the six men entered. These

were the ordinary guests of the master tanner, the same

contrabandists who one evening wished to kill Maurice,

but had now been converted into his friends. They

closed the doors, and descended into the vault. This

vault, so contemptuously treated during the day, had be-

come this evening the most important part of the house.

Having first stopped up every crevice through which a

curious eye might penetrate to the interior, Morand

placed a cask upright, and began to trace geometrical

lines upon a piece of paper laid upon it, with a stick of

chalk. While he was thus engaged, his companions,

conducted by Dixmer, left the house, following Rue de

la Corderie, and at the corner of the Rue de Bennie

stopped before a covered carriage. In this carriage was a

man, who silently distributed to each one the instrument of a pioneer, to one a spade, to another a mattock, to this one a lever, to that a pick-ax ; each man concealed his under his riding-coat or mantle. The miners retraced the road to

the small house, and the carriage disappeared. Morand

had finished his calculation. He went straight to an

angle of the cave.

"There," he said, "dig."

And the work of deliverance immediately commenced.

The situation of the unhappy prisoners in the Temple

became daily more serious and hourly more wretched.

For an instant Mme. Elizabeth and Mme. Royale had

indulged some hope. The municipals, Toulun and

Lepetre, touched with compassion for the august prisoner,

had evinced some interest in them. At first, little

habituated to the marks of sympathy, the poor women

were suspicious ; but suspicion ceases to exist with hope.

Besides, what now could happen to the queen, separated

from her son by a prison, from her husband by death ?

To follow him to the scaffold, this idea had possessed

her for some time, and she finished by becoming accus-

tomed to it. The first time Toulun and Lepetre re-

turned on guard, the queen particularly requested, if

they really felt any interest in her misfortunes, they

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 145

would describe to her the last moments of the king. This

was putting their sympathy to a sad test. Lepetre had

assisted at the execution ; he obeyed the order of the

queen. The queen demanded the journals containing

the report of the execution. Lepetre promised to bring

them when next on guard ; it would be his turn again in

three weeks. In the king's time they had at the Temple

four municipals ; the king dead, they had only three, one

to watch during the day, two during the night. Then

Toulim and Lepetre invented a stratagem that they

might always keep watch together at night. The hours

of guard were arranged thus : they wrote one ballot

" day," on two others " night." Each drew his ballot from a hat, and chance decided the night watcho Every

time that Toulun and Lepetre were on guard they wrote

" day " on three ballots, and presented 'the hat to the municipal they wished to dispossess, and he, thrusting

his hand into the improvisatory, necessarily drew forth a

ballot on which was inscribed " clay." They then destroyed the other two, murmuring against the hazard

which always decreed them the most wearisome watch of

the two that is to say, the night. When the queen was

sure of her guards, she corresponded with the Chevalier

de Maison Rouge. Then an escape was attempted, but

the attempt was arrested. The queen and Mine. Eliza-

beth were to flee disguised as municipal officers, with

cards that would be provided for them.

As to the two children that is to say, Mme. Royale

and the young dauphin, they had remarked that the man

who came to light the lamps of the Temple was always

accompanied by two children, the same age apparently

as the princess royal and the dauphin. It was, therefore,

arranged that Turgy, of whom we have previously

spoken, should dress himself as a lamp-lighter, and carry

away the prince and princess. We will mention, in a

few words, who Turgy was. Turgy was an old waiter of

the king's, introduced at the Temple with part of the

family from the Tuileries, for the king had at first been

permitted a well-appointed table. The first mouth this

G- DUMAS VOL. XI.

14:6 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

consideration cost the nation thirty or forty thousand

francs. It may easily be understood this prodigality

could not last. The Commune decreed otherwise. They

dismissed the chiefs, cooks, and scullions ; one single

man-servant only was retained that man was Turgy.

He was naturally the medium of communication between

the prisoners and their partisans, for Turgy was per-

mitted to go out, and consequently was enabled to for-

ward their letters and introduce the replies. These

billets were generally twisted round the stoppers of the

carafes, containing the milk of almonds, brought to the

queen and Mme. Elizabeth. They were written in lemon

juice, and perfectly illegible, till held near the fire. All was prepared for their escape, when one day Tison lighted his

pipe with the paperstopper of the carafe. As the paper

burned, the writing became visible. lie instantly extin-

guished the half-burned paper, and carried the remaining

fragment to the Council of the Temple, when, being held

near the fire, they could only read a few disjointed words, the other part being burned to ashes. They could merely

recognize the handwriting of the queen. Tison, being

questioned, mentioned some slight marks of attention and

sympathy he fancied he had observed on the part of Lepetre

and Tonlun. They were immediately denounced to the

municipality, and allowed no more to enter the Temple.

Turgy remained. But suspicion was 7iow excited to the

highest degree. The princesses were never left a mo-

ment alone. All communication with the exterior was

now utterly impossible. Mme. Elizabeth had one day

given Turgy a gold-handled knife to clean, which she

used for cutting her fruit. Turgy, suspecting some-

tiling, opened the blade, and in the handle found a

letter. This letter contained an alphabet of signs, lie

returned the knife to Mine. Elizabeth ; but a municipal

then present prevented him, and in his turn, securing the

knife, opened the blade ; but, fortunately, the letter Avas no longer there. The municipal, nevertheless, confis-cated the knife. It was at that time the indefatigable

Chevalier de Maisoii Rouge dreamed of this second

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 147

attempt, which they intended to carry into execution by

means of the house which Dixmer had purchased. The

prisoners, however, by degrees had now lost all hope.

That day the queen, terrified by the noise in the streets,

which reached her ears, and learning from these cries

they were debating the accusation of the Girondins, the

last supporters of moderation, felt dreadfully depressed.

The Girondins dead, the royal family lost their only de-

fense against the Convention.

At seven o'clock the supper was served. The munici-

pals examined every plate, as usual, unfolded each napkin

successively, searched the bread, the one with a fork,

the other with his fingers, and concluded by breaking

into pieces the macaroons and walnuts, for fear any letter

should reach the prisoners. These precautions being

concluded, the royal family were invited to their meal

in these simple words :

" Widow of Capet, you may eat."

The queen shook her head, signifying she was not hun-

gry. But at this moment Mme. Royale advanced, as if

to embrace her mother, and whispered :

" Seat yourself at table, madame. I fancy Turgy made

a sign."

The queen tremblingly raised her head. Turgy was

opposite to her. The napkin laid over his left arm, and

with his right hand he touched his eye. She immediately

rose, without any further objection, and resumed her

usual place at table. The two municipals assisted at

their meals, being strictly prohibited from leaving the

princesses alone for au instant with Turgy. The feet of

the queen and Mine. Elizabeth met, and pressed each

other under the table. As the queen was seated opposite

Turgy, not one of his gestures escaped her notice be-

sides, they were all so natural, that they neither could nor did inspire the municipals with any suspicion whatever.

At the removal of the supper the same precautions were

used as before ; the smallest pieces of bread were broken

and examined. After which, Turgy went out first, the

two municipals following ; the woman Tisou remained.

148 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

This woman had become ferocious since her separation

from her daughter, of whose fate she was totally ignorant.

Every time the queen lavished a caress on Mme. Koyale,

it threw her into an excess of rage almost bordering

on frenzy ; so much so, that the queen, who so well

understood the griefs of a mother, often denied herself

this consolation, now, alas ! the only one left her, of

pressing her daughter to her heart.

Tison came now to seek for his wife, who at first de-

clared she would not leave till Capet's wife was in bed.

Mme. Elizabeth then wished the queen good night,

and entered her chamber. The queen and princess hav-

ing also retired, Tison's wife took the candle and went

out. The municipals had already thrown themselves upon

their beds in the corridor. The moon, pale visitant of

the unhappy princesses, glided by the opening of the

first house, casting a diagonal ray across the window at

the foot of the queen's bed. For an instant everything

remained calm and silent in the chamber, then a door

turned softly on its hinges, a shadow passed over the

rays of the moon, and approached the queen it was

Mme. Elizabeth.

"Did you see it ?" said she, in a whisper.

" Yes," replied the queen.

" And you understood it ? "

" So well that I dare not believe it."

Let us see, repeat the signs."

First, then, lie touched his eyes to indicate he had

some news for us; then he passed his napkin from his

left to his right ; by that he meant to say they were oc-

cupied in our deliverance. Then he put his hand to his

face, to signify that the expected aid would reach us

from the interior, and not from a stranger ; then when

you asked him not to forget the milk of almonds to-mor-

row, lie made two knots in his pocket-handkerchief.

Thus it is again the Chevalier do Maison Eougc noble-