The Chevalier De Maison Rouge (49 page)

faithful subjects, one who has consecrated his life to your majesty's service, and would be happy also to sacrifice it

for yon."

"Oh!" murmured the queen, "it must be a snare.

But no ; this writing appears familiar to me it is the

same as at the Temple. It is it must be the Chevalier

de Maison Kouge ! God is perhaps willing that I should

escape."

And the queen fell on her knees, and took refuge in

prayer, the only balm and consolation uudenied to the

unfortunate prisoner.

CHAPTER XLIII.

THE PREPARATION'S OF DIXMER.

TTTE morrow, prefaced by a sleepless night, at length

arrived. The day broke at last, presenting a terrible ap-

pearance, when it might, without exaggeration, be said

the sky was the color of blood ; indeed, each day at this

epoch, and in this year, however beautiful the sun, had a

livid hue. The queen at length slept, but it was a sleep

without repose. With her eyes closed, she sav nothing

but blood ; with her understanding ckadened, she heard

nothing but smothered cries of despair. She had dropped

asleep with the file in her hand. One part of the day was

devoted by her to prayer, and the guards seeing her often

thus engaged, did not, feel any alarm at what they con-

sidered an increase of religious feeling. From time to

time, however, she examined the file transmitted to her by

one of her intended deliverers, and compared the fragility

of the instrument with the strength of the bar. Fortu-

nately, these bars were only secured in the wall on one

rfidt that is to say, at the lower part. The upper part

was set in a cross-bar ; the lower part divided, there was

only to pull the bar, and it, of course, would yield. But

328 THE CHEVA'LIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

it was not these physical difficulties which arrested the

queen. She perfectly comprehended the thing was prac-

ticable, and it was this very possibility which caused hope, like a brilliant meteor, to flash before her eyes. She felt that, to reach her, her friends must necessarily sacrifice

her guards ; and could she at any price consent to the

death of the only individuals who, for a length of time,

had evinced any interest in her, or pity for her ? Then,

opposed to this argument, were the iron bars she was to

saw asu.jder, and the bodies of these two men on the other

side, who must fall in preventing her friends from coming

to her deliverance. This comprised life, liberty, and per-

haps vengeance three things, above all, so sweet, that

she asked pardon of God for so earnestly desiring them.

She believed, as to the rest, that not the slightest sus-

picion agitated the minds of her guards, that they had

not any idea of a snare (if such a thing existed) into which it was intended the prisoner should fall. These simple

men would have betrayed themselves to eyes so much ex-

ercised as those of this woman habituated to detect evil

from having so severely suffered from it. The queen en-

tirely abandoned the idea that these combined overtures

were contrived as a trap ; but as the fear of being betrayed into this snare disappeared, the still greater apprehension increased of some bloody scene being enacted before her

very eyes.

" Strange destiny ! sublime sight ! " murmured she ;

" two conspiracies united to save a poor queen, or, rather, a poor female prisoner, who has had no means of inducing or encouraging these conspiracies, which are about to

take place at the same monent. "Who knows ? Perhaps

there may be one only. Perhaps it may be a double mine,

leading to one and the same point. If I will it, I might

then be saved. But a poor woman sacrificed in my stead !

two men killed before this woman could reach me. God

might perhaps forgive me. Impossible ! impossible ! "

Then passed and repassed in her rnind visions of the

great devotion of servitors for their masters, and the

ancient tradition of the right exercised by masters over

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 329

the lives of their retainers a phantasy almost effaced by

the royal doom and death.

" Anne of Austria might have accepted this," said she.

" Anne of Austria would have yielded every consideration to the safety of the royal person. Anne of Austria is of

the same blood, and was almost in the same situation as

myself. What madness to be following the royal career

of Anne of Austria in France ! Was I not brought

hither ? Two kings said it is important that two royal

children, who have never seen or loved each other, who

perhaps never may love each other, should be married at

the same altar, to die upon the scaffold. And then, will

not my death accelerate that of my poor child, who in the

eyes of my friends is still King of France ? And when

my son, like his father, is dead, will not their shades- both smile on me in pity, seeing that to spare some drops of

plebeian blood I have stained with my blood the remains

of the throne of St. Louis ? "

In this anguish of thought, this fever of doubt, every

pulsation redoubled, and in a tempest of terror and fear,

the unhappy queen continued till the arrival of night.

She had several times closely scrutinized her guards, but

they exhibited a)i air of the greatest calm. Never had

she been more forcibly struck by the invariable kindness

and attention of these two uneducated men. When the

darkness of night reigned in the cell, when the steps of the round, the noise of resounding arms, and the barking of

dogs, awoke the echoes of the srloomy vaults ; when all the horrors of tlio prison revealed themselves, gloomy and

hopeless, Marie Antoinette, subdued by the natural weak-

ness nf a woman, succumbed to terror.

" Oli. I will lly I I will fly ! " said she. " Yes, yes ; I will fly ! AVI i en lie conies, when he speaks. I will saw the bur. I will await what God and mv deliverers ordain

inc. I owe it to mv children : they shall rot murder

them. And if they are sacrificed, and I am free oh, then,

at least, T "

She did not conclude ; lu-r eves closed, and her deep

emotion checked all utterance. This was a frightful

830 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

vision to the unfortunate queen, inclosed with gratings and iron bars. But, as usual, it Boon disappeared, and in its

stead another presented itself to her view. She saw her-

self in the midst of a dark, stem, inflexible army ; she

orders the fire to consume, the swords to be drawn, and

vengeance to be taken on a nation she will no longer

claim as her own.

During this time Gilbert and Duchesne were tranquilly

preparing their evening repast. At this time, also, Dix-

mer and Genevie' ve entered the conciergerie, and installed themselves in the office, as usual. At the end of an hour

the registrar of the palace, having completed his business, according to custom took his departure, leaving them

alone to themselves. Directly the door had closed on his

colleague, Dixmer rushed toward the empty basket placed

at the door in exchange for that of the evening. Then,

seizing the bread, he found the purse, and turned pale

while reading the letter of the queen. Genevieve observed

him tear it into a thousand pieces, and throw them into

the mouth of the burning stove.

" It is well," said he ; "all is arranged." Then, turning toward Genevieve : " Come here, madame," said he ;

" I must speak with you."

Genevieve, motionless and cold as marble, gave a gesture

of assent, and approached him.

" The time has arrived, madame ; listen to me."

" Yes, monsieur."

"You prefer a death beneficial to your cause a death

that will insure you blessings from one part and pity from

the whole of the nation is it not so ? to an ignominious

and revengeful end of life."

' Yes, monsieur."

' I might have killed yon on the spot when I recognized

you at the house of your lover ; but a man who, like my-

self, consecrates his life to a holy and honorable cause,

ought to be able to fling aside and forget his own private

griefs, by rendering them subservient to this cause. This

I have done, or, rather, I intend to do. I :un, as you see, denied the pleasure of doing myself justice, and have also

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 331

spared your lover." Something resembling a bitter but

fugitive smile flitted over the lips of Genevie've. " But as for your lover, you who know me should well be aware,

I only bide my time."

" Monsieur," said Gene vie ve, " I await my fate. Then, wherefore all this prelude ? "

"' Are you ready ? "

"Yes, I am ready. Kill me, if you choose; you have

good cause to do so."

Dixmer looked at Genevie've, and started, in spite of

himself. She at this moment appeared sublimely beauti-

ful ; a glory the most brilliant of all shone around her

the glory that emanated from love.

" To continue," said Dixmer, " I have informed the queen ; she expects you, notwithstanding she will, in all

probability, raise numerous objections. You must over-

rule them all."

" Give me your orders, monsieur, and I will execute

them."

' At the moment," continued Dixmer, " I knock at

the door, Gilbert opens it, and with this poniard" here Dixmer threw open his coat, and, half drawing from its

scabbard a double-edged poniard, " with this I shall kill."

Genevieve shuddered. Dixmer made a motion with his

hand to command her attention. " The instant I strike

him, dart into the second chamber that of the queen.

There is, as you are aware, no door, only a screen. You

will exchange clothes with her, while I despatch the other

man. Then I shall take the queen's arm, and pass through

the wicket with her."

" Very well," said Genevieve, coldly.

' You understand me?" said Dixmer. ''You have

been seen each evening in your black taffeta mantle, which

conceals your face. Place yonr mantle upon her majesty,

and dress her precisely as you have been accustomed to

dress yourself."

" All shall be done as you desire, monsieur."

"It remains now for me to pardon, and to thank you 3

inudaiue."

332 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

Genevie've shook her head with a scornful smile.

' ' I neither want your pardon nor your thanks,monsieur,"

said she, extending her hand. "What I have done, or,

rather, am about to do, effaces my crime. I have only

been guilty of weakness ; and again, this weakness (recall

your own conduct), monsieur, you all but forced me to

commit. I withdrew myself from him ; you drove me

into his arms ; so you are at the same time instigator,

judge, and avenger. It remains for me to pardon you my

death, and I do pardon you. It is I who should thank

you for death, since life has become insupportable to me,

separated from the only man I love ; since that hour espe-

cially when you severed by your savage vengeance every

tie that bound me to him."

Dixmer drove his nails into his flesh. He strove to

reply, but his voice failed him. He moved toward the

wicket.

"Time passes," said he, at last. "Madame, every moment is of consequence. Are you ready ?"

" I have told you, monsieur," replied Genevieve, with the calmness and courage of a martyr, " I attend you."

Dixmer collected his papers, saw the gates were fast

closed, so that no one could enter the wicket, and then

wished to reiterate his instructions.

"It is unnecessary, monsieur/* said Genevieve. "I know perfectly well all I have to do."

"Then adieu ;" and Dixmer extended his hand, as if at this supreme moment all recrimination was effaced before the grandeur of the situation and the sublimity of the

sacrifice, Genevieve, shuddering, touched with the tips of

her fingers the proffered hand of her husband.

" I'la'-e yourself near me, madame, and the moment I

have struck Gilbert, pass on."

" I run ready."

Then Dixmer pressed with his right hand his large pon-

iard : with his left he knocked at the gate.

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 333

CHAPTER XLIV.

THE PREPARATIONS OF THE CHEVALIER.

DURING the scene described in the preceding chapter as

passing at the door of the wicket leading into the prison of the queen, or, rather, into the first compartment occupied

by the two gendarmes, other preparations were also taking

place on the opposite side that is to say, in the Cour des

Femmes. Suddenly a man appeared, like a statue of stone

which had detached itself from the wall. He was followed

by two dogs, and was humming the " C^a ira," a song much in fashion at this period. He held in his hand a large

bunch of keys, which, in passing, he had rattled against

the bars which barricaded the window of the queen. The

royal prisoner at first started ; but recognizing the signal, immediately opened her window softly, to commence her

work, with a hand more experienced than would have

been believed, for more than once (in the blacksmith's

shop, where her royal husband amused himself by passing

part of the day) she had often with her delicate fingers