The Chevalier De Maison Rouge (7 page)

against us."

" Very well," said the municipal ; "we will now hear what your nephew will say."

And he approached the bed of the young dauphin. At

this menace, Marie Antoinette suddenly rose.

" Monsieur," said she, "my son is ill, and now asleep do not wake him."

" He ply, then."

" I know nothing."

The municipal walked straight to the bed of the little

prisoner, who, as we have said, feigned sleep.

" Come, wake up, Capet," said he, shaking him roughly.

The child opened his eyes, and smiled.

The municipals then surrounded his bed.

The queen, agitated with fear and grief, made a sign

to her daughter, who, profiting by this moment, glided

from the apartment into the room adjoining, opened the

mouth of the stove, and drew out a letter.

42 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

" What do you want with me ? " asked the child.

" To inquire if you heard nothing during the night "

" No ; I was asleep."

" You are very fond of sleep, it seems."

" Yes ; for when I sleep I dream."

" And what do you dream ? "

" That I again see my father, whom you have

killed."

" Then you heard nothing ? " said Santerre, quickly.

"Nothing."

"These wolf's cubs are, in truth, well agreed with the she-wolf," said the municipal, furious with rage. " There has been, notwithstanding, a plot."

The queen smiled.

"She bullies us, the Austrian !" cried the municipal.

" Well, since it is thus, let us execute in all its rigor the decree of the Commune. Get up, Capet."

"What would you do ?" said the queen, forgetting

herself. " Do you not see my son is ill, and suffering from fever ? Would you wish to kill him ? "

" Your son," said the municipal, " is the cause of constant alarm to the council of the temple ; he is the point

at which all the conspirators aim, and natter themselves

they shall carry you off altogether. Well, let them come.

Tison call Tison ! "

Tison was a species of journeyman, charged with all

the household work in the prison. He appeared. He

was a man of forty years old, much sunburned, of a rude

and ferocious aspect, with matted black hair overhanging

his eyebrows.

" Tison," said Santerre, " who came yesterday to bring the prisoners' food ? "

Tison uttered a name.

' And their linen, who brought it to them ?"

' My daughter."

' Then your daughter is a laundress ?"

'Certainly."

' And you gave her the washing of the prisoners ? "

' Why not ? She gains as much by one as another ; it

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 43

is no longer the tyrant's money, but belongs to the

nation, who pays for them."

" You were told to examine the linen with the greatest attention."

" Well, do I ever fail in my duty ? In proof of which, they had yesterday a handkerchief tied in two knots. I

have taken it to the council, who ordered my wife to

wash, iron, and return it to Madame Capet, without say-

ing anything about it."

At this remark of two knots being tied in the pocket-

handkerchief, the queen trembled, the pupils of her eyes

dilated, and she and Mme. Elizabeth exchanged hasty

glances.

" Tison," said Santerre, "your daughter is a person of whose patriotism no one can entertain a doubt ; but when

she leaves the Temple to-day she returns there no more."

"Ah, mon Dieu ! " said Tison, terrified. " What are you saying to me ? I shall not see my daughter till I go

out ? "

" You will not go out," said Santerre.

Tison looked wildly around, without allowing his eye

to remain fixed on any particular object, and suddenly

exclaimed :

" I am not to go out ; that is it, is it ? Well, then, I will go out altogether. Give me my dismissal. I am

neither traitor nor aristocrat, that I should be detainad

in prison. I tell you I will ro out."

" Citizen/' said Santerrt, " obey the orders of the Commune, and be silent, or I tell you it may be all the

worse for you. Remain here and watch all that passes.

There is an eye on you. I warn you of this."

During this time, the queen, who thought herself for

a moment forgotten, recovered by degrees, and replaced

her son in his bed.

" Desire your wife to oorne up," said the municipal to Tison.

He obeyed without a word. The threats of Santerre

had rendered him meek as a lamb.

Tison's wife came up.

44 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

" Come here, citoyenne," said Santerre ; " we are going into the ante-chambers ; during that time search all

the prisoners."

" Listen, wife," said Tison ; "they will not permit our daughter to come to the Temple."

" They will not permit our daughter to come here ?

Then we shall see her no more ? "

Tison mournfully shook his head.

" What do you say to this ? "

" I say we will make a report to the council of the

temple, and the council shall decide it. In the mean-

time "

" In the meantime, I will see my daughter again."

" Silence ! " said Santerre ; " you came here for the purpose of searching the prisoners ; search them, then,

and afterward we will see "

" But now "

"Oli, oli!" said Santerre, knitting his brows, "you are contaminated, it appears to me/'

" Do as the citizen general tells you, wife," he said ;

" afterward we shall see."

And Tison regarded Santerre with an humble smile.

'Very well," said the woman; "go, then; I am

ready to search."

The men went out.

" Ma chere Madame Tison," said the queen, "you know-

"I only know, Citoyenne Capet," said the horrible woman, gnashing her teeth, " that you are the cause of all the misery of the people, and also that I have reason

to suspect you, and you know it."

Four men waited at the door to assist Tison's wife, if

the queen offered any resistance.

The search commenced on the queen.

There was found on her person a handkerchief tied in

three knots, which, unfortunately, appeared a reply to the

one spoken of by Tison ; a pencil, a scapulary and some

sealing- wax.

"All 1 1 knew it," said Tison's wife; "I have often THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 45

told the municipals she wrote, the Austrian ! The other

day I found a lump of sealing-wax on the candlestick."

"Ah, madame," said the queen, in a supplicating tone,

" only show the scapulary, I entreat you ! "

" Yes," said the woman, " I feel pity for you, who have felt so much pity for me, to take my daughter from

me."

Mme. Elizabeth and Mme. Royale had nothing found

upon them.

The woman Tison recalled the municipals, who entered,

Santerre at their head. She showed them the articles

found upon the queen, which, as they passed from hand

to hand, afforded subjects for an infinite variety of con-

jectures ; but the handkerchief tied in three knots excited, above all, the imagination of these persecutors of the

royal race.

"Now," said Santerre, "we are going to read the decree of the Convention to you."

" What decree ?" demanded the queen.

" The decree which orders you to be separated from

your son."

" Is it, then, true that this decree exists ?"

" Yes ; the Convention has too much regard for the

health of a child confided to its guardianship to leave him in the care of a mother so depraved."

The eyes of the queen flashed like lightning.

"But form some accusation, at least, tigers that you

are."

" Tiiat is not at all difficult," said a municipal ; and he pronounced one of those infamous accusations brought

by Suetone against Agrippine.

"Oh ! cried the queen, standing, pale with indignation,

" I appeal to the heart of every mother ! "

"That is all very fine," said a municipal ; " but we have already been here two hours, and cannot lose the

whole day. Get up, Capet, and follow us."

"Never, never!" cried the queen, rushing between

the municipals and the young Louis, preparing to defend

the approach to his bed, as a tigress the entrances to

4,6 THE CHEVALIER DE MAI8ON ROUGE.

her den. " Never will I permit you to carry away my

child."

" Oh ! messieurs/' said Mme. Elizabeth, clasping her

hands in an attitude of prayer, " messieurs, in the name of Heaven, have pity on us both."

"Then speak," said Santerre ; "state the names, avow the project of your accomplices , explain what they

wished to intimate by the knots made in the pocket-

handkerchief brought with your linen by Tison's

daughter, and the meaning of those tied in the hand-

kerchief found in your pocket, and on these conditions I

will leave you your child."

A look from Mme. Elizabeth seemed to implore the

queen to submit to this dreadful sacrifice.

Then, quietly brushing from her eye a tear which

sparkled like a diamond :

"Adieu, my son," cried she; "never forget your father who is in heaven, or your mother who will soon

join him there, and never omit to repeat morning and

evening the prayer I have taught you. Adieu, my son."

She gave him a last kiss ; then, rising calm and in-

flexible :

"I know nothing, messieurs," said she; "do as you please."

But the queen must have required more than the usual

amount of fortitude contained in the heart of woman, and

above all, of a mother. She fell back fainting upon a

chair, while they carried away the child, who, with fast-

flowing tours, held out his arms, but uttered not a single

word or cry.

The door closed behind the municipals who carried

away the child, and the three women remained alone.

There was for u moment the deep silence of despair, in-

terrupted only by occasional sobs.

" The queen first broke silence.

" My daughter," said she, " that letter ?"

" I burned it, as you desired me, ma mere."

"Without reading it ?"

'* Without reading it."

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. tf

" Adieu, then, to the last ray of hope divine hope ! "

murmured Mme. Elizabeth.

" You are right, my sister, you are right ; it is almost beyond endurance." Then, turning toward her daughter :

" But you, at least, saw the handwriting, Marie ? "

" Yes, ma mere, for a moment."

The queen rose, went to the door to make sure she was

not observed, then, drawing a pin from her hair, ap-

proached the wall, and from a chink drew out a small

paper folded like a letter, and showing it to Mme. Royale :

" Collect your thoughts before you reply, my child,"

said she ; " was the writing the same as this ? "

" Yes, yes, ma mere," cried the princess ; " I recognize it."

" God be praised, then ! " cried the queen, falling with fervor on her knees. " If he could write since tins morning, he is safe. Thanks, mon Dieu, thanks ! So noble

a friend deserves Thy miraclous preservation ! "

" Of whom do you speak, ma mere? " demanded Mme.

Royale. " Who is this friend ? Tell me his name, that

I may recommend him to God in my prayers."

" You are right, my child ; never forget it. This

name, for it is the name of a gentleman replete with

honor and courage, one not devoted to us through ambi-

tion, for he has only revealed himself since our misfor-

tunes. He has never seen the Queen of France, or rather,

the Queen of France has never seen him, and he vows

his life to her defense. Perhaps he will be recompensed

as all virtue is recompensed, by a dreadful death. But

if he dies Oh ! I shall still think of him in heaven he

is called

The queen looked uneasily around, then lowering her

voice :

" He is called the Chevalier de Maisoii Rouge. Pray

for him."

48 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE,

CHAPTER VII.

THE OATH OF THE GAMESTER.

THE attempted abduction, so contestable was it, be-

cause it had had no one to commence the execution of it,

had excited the anger of some and the interest of others.

That which likewise corroborated this event almost to a certainty, was that the Committee for General Security

learned that three weeks or a month before a number of

emigrants had entered France from different parts of the

frontier. It was evident these people who thus risked

their lives did not do so without design, and this design

was, in all probability, to cooperate in carrying off the

royal family.

Already, upon the proposition of the Conventionalist

Asselim, the terrible decree had been promulgated which

condemned to death all emigrants convicted of having

returned to France, all Frenchmen convicted of having

intended to emigrate, particularly all convicted of hav-

ing assisted in their flight, or in their return, either a

female or male emigrant ; and, lastly, all citizens con-

victed of having afforded shelter to an emigrant. With

this dreadful law commenced the " Reign of Terror."

All that was wanting was the law for suspected persons.

The Chevalier de Maison Rouge was an enemy far too

active and audacious for his return to Paris, and his ap-

parition in the Temple, not to call forth the gravest meas-