The Chevalier De Maison Rouge (48 page)

" They have their day."

The investigation did not proceed any further, and the

now friends took the road to the Pont an Change. At

the corner of the Place mi Chutelet, the registrar of the

minister of war. according to agreement, purchased some

oysters, and continued his way by the Quay de Greve.

The (1 welling of tliis individual was simple. The Citizen

Durand inhabited three rooms on La Place de fireve, in a

house without -any porter. Kaeh tenant had a key of the

door in the passage, and it was agreed that if any one had

cmit'.rd co t:ike his key, lie should intimate the same by

one, two. or thn-f raps with the knocker, according to

the story iio inhabited, and any one who was waiting, and

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

heard the signal, then descended and opened the door ;

but the Citizen Durand, having provided himself with hia

key, had not any occasion to knock. They ascended two

flights of stairs, when the Citizen Durand drew another

key from his pocket, and they both entered. The regis-

trar of the palace found his friend's wife much to his taste.

She was a charming woman ; indeed, an expression of pro-

found melancholy diffused over her countenance, stamped

it with an expression of deep interest. It has always been

allowed that sadness is seductive in women, especially

pretty women. It attracts all men, without exception,

even turnkeys ; and turnkeys are but men, after all ; and

what man possessed with natural feeling would not wish

to console a pretty woman in affliction, and as the Citizen Dorut remarks, " To change the pale tint, of the white rose to a roseate hue ! " The two registrars did full justice to their excellent supper ; it was only Mme. Durand

who ate nothing. In the meantime, conversation pro-

ceeded. The registrar inquired of his brother registrar

(with a curiosity the more remarkable in these days, when

such frightful dramas were daily enacted) concerning the

customs of Paris, the days of judgment, and the means of

surveillance. The registrar of the palace, delighted at

being listened to with so much deference, replied with

the greatest complaisance, spoke of the manners of jailers, of Fouquier Tinville, and lastly of the Citoyeu Sansou,

the principal actor in the tragedy daily performed upon

the Place de la Revolution. Then, in his turn, address-

ing his colleague and host, he made various inquiries con-

cerning his vocation and ministry.

'*' Oh !" said Durand, " I am not so well informed as yourself, being a person of much less importance, seeing

that I am rather secretary to the registrar than the incum-

bent of the place. I do the work of the registrar-in-chief

an obscure employment for me, at least, but highly

profitable to them ; but that is the way with all these

revolutionary commissioners. Heaven and earth may per-

haps change one day, but these things never/'

" "Well, I will assist you, citizen," said the registrar of 823 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

the palace, charmed with the excellence of his host's wine, and, above all, with the beaux yeux of Mme. Darand.

" Thanks," said he to whom this offer had been made ;

" anything to vary the habits and locality is some distraction to a poor employe. I wish to hasten my work at

the conciergerie, rather than to procrastinate it, and therefore thought if I might every day bring Madame Duraud

with me to the office, who is very dull here "

" I do not see any inconvenience in that/' said the registrar of the palace, delighted with the prospect of the

charming recreation afforded him by his colleague.

"She can dictate the papers," said the Citizen Durand,

" and occasionally, when our work is finished, if you have not found this evening unpleasant, you can return and

spend an hour or two with us."

*' Yes ; but not too often," replied the registrar of the palace, foppishly ; " for I declare I shall be scolded if my visits are less frequent than usual at a small house in La

Rnedu Petit Muse."

" Well, here is some one who will settle all these affairs.

Is it not so, chore amie ? "

Mme. Durand, pale and melancholy, as usual, raised

her eyes toward her husband, and replied :

" What you wish shall be done."

Eleven o'clock struck, announcing it was time to retire.

The registrar of the palace rose, and took leave of his two friends, expressing the great pleasure he felt in making

their acquaintance. The Citizen Durand conducted his

friend to the landing, then reentered the apartment.

" Go, Genevieve, go to bed," said he.

The young woman made no reply, but rose directly,

took her lamp, and withdrew to the bedroom on the right.

Durand, or, rather, Dixmer, watched her departure, re-

mained stationary for a moment with an expression of deep

grief depicted upon his countenance;, then passed into his

own chamber 011 the opposite side.

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 323

THE TWO BILLETS.

FROM this time the registrar of the minister of war

worked every evening most indefatigably in his col-

league's office, while Mme. Durand dictated from the reg-

isters previously prepared, which Durand copied with

avidity. Durand strictly examined everything, while ap-

pearing to notice nothing. He had remarked that every

evening at nine o'clock, a basket of provisions, carried by either Richard or his wife, was placed at the door. The

instant the registrar said to the gendarme, " I am going, citizen," one of the guards, either Gilbert or Dnchesne, came out, took the basket, and carried it to Marie Antoinette. During three consecutive evenings, when Durand

had remained rather late at his post, the basket also was

left untouched ; since it was only when opening the door to say adieu to the registrar that the gendarme took in the

basket containing the provisions, which, a quarter of an

hour afterward, was returned empty to the same place by

one of the two guards. On the evening of the fourth day,

it was the beginning of October, when, after the ordinary

sitting, the registrar of the palace had withdrawn, and

Durand, or, rather, Dixmer, remained alone with his wife,

he laid down his pen, looked around and listened, as if

his very life was at stake ; he then rose hastily, and running toward the door of the wicket, raised the cloth which

covered the contents of the basket, and in the new bread

destined for the prisoner concealed a small silver purse.

Pule and trembling with emotion, he quickly regained his

seat, and sank down overpowered, placing one hand on

his forehead, the other on his heart. Genevieve regarded

him in silence ; indeed, since the day her husband had

taken her from Maurice, she had never spoken till he ad-

dressed her first. But this time she first broke silence.

324 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

" Is it to be this evening ? n she inquired.

" No ; to-morrow," replied Dixmer.

He then rose, and having again looked and listened,

closed the registers, and, approaching the wicket, knocked

at the door.

" What ?" said Gilbert.

" Citizen," said he, " I am now going."

" Well," said the gendarme, from the end of the cell,

"good-night."

" Good-night, Citizen Gilbert."

Dnrand heard the grinding of the bolt, and knew that

the gendarme was opening the door. He went out.

In the passage leading to the apartment of Father

Eichard by the court he rushed against a turnkey dressed

in a bear-skin bonnet and dangling a heavy bunch of keys.

Dixmer was much alarmed. Perhaps this man, brutal as

the generality of his species, was about to interrogate him, to watch him, and perhaps finally to recognize him. He

drew his hat over his eyes, while Genevie've concealed her-

self, as she best could, in the folds of her cloak. But he

was mistaken.

" Pardon ! " said the turnkey only, although he was the man who had been nearly overthrown.

Dixmer trembled at the sound of that sweet, soft voice.

But the turnkey was doubtless pressed for time ; he

glided into the passage, opened Richard's door and disap-

peared. Dixmer continued his road, leading Genevie've.

"It is strange," said he, when outside, and the gate had closed behind them, and the freshening breeze had cooled

his fevered brow.

"Oli, yes; 'tis very strange!" murmured Genevie've.

In former times they would have communicated to each

other the cause of their astonishment, but Dixmer now

confined his thoughts to his own breast, and combated

them as an hallucination ; while Genevie've contented her-

self, on turning the angle of the Pont au Change, by cast-

ing a last look at the dark and gloomy palace, where some-

thing like the phantom of a lost friend awoke in her mem-

ory many sweet and bitter remembrances. Thus they

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 325

both reached La Gre" ve without having exchanged a single word. During this time the gendarme Gilbert had brought

in the basket of provisions intended for the queen. It

contained some fruit, a cold chicken, a bottle of white

wine, a carafe of water, and half a loaf. Having first

raised the napkin, and ascertained that everything was

arranged as usual, he opened the screen.

" Citoyenne," said he, " here is your supper."

Marie Antoinette divided the bread, but as her fingers

pressed it, they came in contact with the silver. In an in-

stant she comprehended the bread contained something

unusual. When she looked around her, the guard had

disappeared. The queen remained a moment immovable,

calculating his retiring footsteps. When she felt certain

he was seated by his comrade, and not till then, she drew

the purse from its place of concealment. It contained a

billet, which she opened, and read as follows :

" MADAME, Be ready to-morrow at the hour when you

receive this billet, as to-rnorrov at this hour a female will be introduced into your majesty's prison. This female

will exchange dresses with you, and you will then quit the

conciergerie on the arm of one of your most devoted serv-

ants. Do not be alarmed at any noise that passes in the

first compartment ; let neither cries nor groans deter you, only attire yourself quickly in the dress and mantle of the female who comes to take your majesty's place."

" This is devotion!" murmured the queen. "Thank God, I am not, as it is said, an object of execration

to all."

She then reread the billet, when the second part at-

tracted her attention : " Let neither cries nor groans deter you. "

" Oh ! that means they will sacrifice my two guards.

Poor men ! who have evinced so much kindness and pity

toward mo ! Oh ! never never !"

She tore off part of the letter, and, having no pen orink,

pricked on the paper the following words :

326 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. '

' ' I neither can nor will accept the sacrifice of any one's life in exchange for my own. M. A."

She then replaced the paper in the purse, which she

concealed in the other half of the broken bread. This

operation was jnst completed when ten o'clock struck, and

the queen, holding the piece of bread in her hand, sadly

counted the strokes which vibrated slowly and distantly,

when she heard at one of the windows opening upon the

court termed " La Cour des Femmes," a grating sound, like that produced by a diamond dividing the glass. This

noise was followed by a clash upon the window, and was

several times repeated, intended to conceal the cough of

a man. Then, at the corner of the glass, a small roll of

paper appeared, which glided slowly, and fell on the in-

side of the wall. The queen then heard the sound of keys

jingling and clashing against each other, and receding

footsteps on the pavement. She was aware that the win-

dow was perforated at this corner, and that through this

aperture the departing individual had conveyed a paper,

which doubtless contained a billet. It was now lying on

the ground. The queen covered her eyes, listening if

either of her guards were approaching, but heard them

conversing in a low tone as usual, as if with the intention of not annoying her with their voices. Then she moved

softly, holding her breath, and secured the paper, which

contained some minute and hard substance concealed in a

case, which, falling on the bricks, sounded like metal. It

was the most exquisite file that could be imagined more

of the jewel than the tool one of those inventions in steel with which the most feeble and uninitiated hand could,

in a quarter of an hour, divide a bar of iron.

" Madame/' said the paper, "to-morrow, at half-past nine, a man will be conversing with the gendarmes who

guard you, through the window of the Cour des Femines.

During this time your majesty will saw the bar of your

window, going from the left to the right. Cut slanting ;

a quarter of an hour will suffice for your majesty; and

then be prepared to escape through the window. This

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 337

advice reaches you from one of your most devoted and