The Countess De Charny - Volume II (14 page)

116 LA COMTESSE DE CIIARNY.

would have shot one another but for the thick screen of human beings between them.

There were huge rents in this screen, however. Four hundred men were lying prostrate on the pavement, three hundred of whom had been killed outright. The remaining hundred — more or less dangerously wounded — groaned and tried to raise themselves, only to fall back again, imparting to the corpse-strewn courtyard a motion like that of receding waves, — a sight terrible to look upon.

Gradually everything became quiet. But for a few obstinate fellows who would persist in living, the sea became motionless.

A few fugitives rushed out into the Carrousel and into the Rue Saint-Honore, shrieking for help.

On the Pont Neuf these fugitives met the main body of insurgents. Two men on horseback rode at the head of this column; but they were closely followed by a man who also wore an air of authority, though afoot.

“Help, Monsieur San terre, help!” cried the fugitives, recognising in one of the leaders the famous brewer of the Saint-Antoine district, remarkable everywhere for his colossal stature. “Help ! they are slaughtering our brothers ! “

“Who are?” inquired Santerre.

“The Swiss. They fired on us while we were laughing and talking with them! “

Santerre turned to the other horseman.

“What do you think of that? ” he asked.

The person he addressed was a small, light-complexioned man, with closely clipped hair.

“Faith!” he responded, “there’s a military pro verb that says: ‘A soldier should betake himself wherever he hears the sound of musketry or cannon.’ Let us hasten to the place at once ! “

“You had a young officer with you,” said the man afoot to one of the fugitives. “I see nothing of him.”

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” He was one of the first to fall, Monsieur Deputy. It ‘s a pity, too; for he was a brave young man.”

” Yes, he was a brave youth,” responded the questioner, paling slightly; “a brave youth, and he shall be fitly avenged. Forward, Monsieur Santerre!”

“I think that in such a serious matter as this seems likely to prove, we ought to call experience, as well as courage, to our aid, my dear Billot.”

“Very well.”

“Consequently, I propose to relinquish the command to Citizen Westermann, who is a skilled soldier, as well as a friend of Citizen Danton, and pledge myself to obey him like a common soldier.”

“As you please,” responded Billot, “provided you advance without losing a second of time.”

” Will you accept the command. Citizen Westermann? ” asked Santerre.

“I accept,” answered the Prussian, laconically.

“Then give your orders.”

” Forward ! ” cried Westermann.

And the long column moved on again.

As the leader entered the Carrousel, the Tuileries clock struck eleven.

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CHAPTER XV.

FROM ELEVEN o’CLOCK UNTIL NOON.

On re-entering the palace, Rœderer met a valet who had been sent in search of him by Marie Antoinette; and Rœderer, being equally anxious to see the queen, as he knew that she was the chief dependence of the palace in this hour of peril, was greatly pleased to learn that she was waiting to see him in a quiet place where they might consult together without any danger of interruption. Consequently he followed Weber upstairs without delay.

The queen was sitting by the fireplace, with her back to the window. On hearing the door open, she turned quickly, exclaiming, “Well, monsieur?” yet without putting any direct question.

” The queen has done me the honour to send for me, I believe,” remarked Rœderer,

“Yes, monsieur; you are one of the chief magistrates in the city, and your presence here is of incalculable benefit to us. I ask you, therefore, what we have to hope, as well as what we have to fear.”

“In my opinion you have very little to hope, and everything to fear, madame.”

” You mean that the populace are really marching upon the Tuileries?”

” The advance guard is already in the Carrousel, talking with the Swiss Guards.”

“Talking with the Swiss Guards? I gave orders that the Swiss were to repel the insurgents. Are they inclined to disobey?”

“No, by no means, madame; the Swiss will die at their post.”

FROM ELEVEN O’CLOCK UNTIL NOON. 119

“And we at ours, monsieur. Even as the Swiss are soldiers in the king’s service, sovereigns themselves are soldiers in the service of the monarchy.”

Rœderer was silent.

” Am I so unfortunate as to have an opinion which does not accord with yours on this subject?” asked the queen.

“I have no opinion whatever to express, unless your Majesty does me the honour to ask for it.”

“I do ask for it.”

” Then I will reply with perfect frankness, madame. It is my opinion that the king is lost if he remains in the Tuileries.”

“But if we do not remain in the Tuileries, where are we to go?” exclaimed the queen, rising to her feet in evident trepidation.

” In the present condition of affairs there is only one safe asylum for the royal family.”

“And that, monsieur — ?”

“Is the National Assembly.”

“What, monsieur?” exclaimed the queen, as if she fancied that she could not have heard him aright.

“The National Assembly,” repeated Rœderer.

” And can you believe that I would consent to ask the protection of those men?”

Again Rœderer made no reply.

” So far as I am concerned,” continued the queen, ” I pre-fer enemies who attack us openly, in broad daylight, to those who are continually trying to stab us behind our backs, and in the dark.”

“But, madame, I am convinced that you will have to decide between yielding to the populace and beating a retreat to the Assembly.”

“Retreat? Are we so poor in defenders that we must surrender without firing a shot?”

“]îefore making up your mind fully, madame, will you not send for some competent man, and learn what forces are at your disposal?”

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“Weber, go and summon either Monsieur Maillardot, Monsieur de la Chesnaye, or — ” She was about to say Monsieur de Charny, but she checked herself suddenly; and Weber, after waiting a moment in vain for her to complete the sentence, left the room.

“If your Majesty will but step to the window, you can judge for yourself, ” said Eœderer.

With evident reluctance the queen walked to the window, drew aside the curtain, and looked out. The Carrousel, and even the royal courtyard, were filled with pikemen.

” Good heavens ! ” she cried. ” What are those men doing here?”

“As I told your Majesty, they are talking with the Swiss Guard.”

“But they have been admitted into the very precincts of the palace.”

” I did that in order to gain time, so your Majesty could decide what course to pursue.”

At that very instant the door opened.

” Come in ! ” cried the queen, without knowing to whom she was speaking.

Charny entered.

” Ah ! it is you,” exclaimed the queen. ” Then it is useless to ask any further questions ; for only a little while ago you told me all there was left for us to do.”

“And that?” asked Eœderer.

“Is to die,” responded the queen.

“You see that what I propose is preferable, madame.”

“I hardly know which I would prefer,” said the queen, gloomily.

“What does monsieur suggest?” inquired Charny.

“To take the king to the Assembly,” said Roederer.

“That is not death, but disgrace,” answered Charny.

“Do you hear that, monsieur?” demanded the queen, turning to Roederer.

“Let us see if there is no middle course, then,” replied Eœderer.

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Just then Weber stepped forward and said: “I know I am a very insignificant person, and that it is the height of presumption for me to express my opinion in such company; but it is my devotion that emboldens me. How would it do to ask the Assembly to send a delegation to watch over the king’s safety ? “

“So be it. I consent to that,” answered the queen. “Monsieur de Charny, if you approve of this plan, will you go and submit it to the king?”

Charny bowed and departed.

“Follow the count, and bring me the king’s answer,” the queen said to her foster brother.

In a few moments Weber returned, and said: “The king approves the suggestion, madame, and Messieurs Champion and Dejoly are going to the Assembly at once with the king’s message.”

” Look ! ” cried the queen, suddenly. ” What are they doing?”

The intruders were just then amusing themselves by hooking the Swiss Guards.

Koederer stepped to the window; but before he had time to see what was going on, a pistol shot suddenly rang out upon the air. This was followed by a terrific discharge of musketry, that shook the palace to its very foundations. The queen uttered a scream, and recoiled in terror; then curiosity drove her back to the window.

” See ! see ! ” she cried, her eyes flashing. ” They are fleeing! they have been put to rout. What do you think now. Monsieur Eoederer? have we no resource save the Assembly?”

“Will your Majesty do me the favour to follow me?” pleaded Eoederer.

“See, see!” she continued. “The Swiss are making a sortie and pursuing them. The Carrousel is free of them. Victory’ victory! “

“Have mercy on yourself, madame, and follow me,” implored Rœderer.

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The queen yielded, half wonderingly, half petulantly.

“Where is the king?” Rœderer asked of the first valet they met.

“In the gallery leading into the Louvre,” was the response.

” That is the very place to which I wished to conduct your Majesty,” remarked Rœderer.

The king was standing at a window with Chesnaye, Maillardot, and five or six other noblemen. He had a field-glass in his hand. The queen flew to the window; but she required no field-glass to enable her to see what was going on.

The huge army of insurgents was approaching. It was so wide and so long that it covered the entire quay as far as the eye could reach. Every bell in the city was ringing madly, — the big bell of Notre Dame resounding high above all the others ; while the heavy roll of artillery could be heard in the distance like the angry muttering of an approaching storm.

“Well, madame?” said Rœderer.

There were about fifty persons assembled around the king. The queen looked long and searchingly at their friends and supporters, as if asking how much devotion she could really count upon. Then, not knowing whom to address, or what petition to utter, she took her boy and showed him to the officers of the National and the Swiss Guards, and to the noblemen present. It was no longer a queen demanding a throne for her son, but a distressed mother, crying out in the hour of peril, “My child! Who will save my child? “

Meanwhile the king was conversing in a low tone with Rœderer; or, rather, the syndic was repeating to the monarch what he had already said to the queen.

Two entirely distinct groups had gathered around their Majesties. The king was surrounded by a number of grave and thoughtful advisers, who seemed strongly to approve the suggestion made by Rœderer. The other and larger

FROM ELEVEN O’CLOCK UNTIL NOON. 123

group was that assembled around the queen. This consisted chiefly of ardent and enthusiastic young officers, who waved their hats and brandished their swords and kissed the hem of the queen’s robe, swearing all the while to die, if need be, in defence of her and her son.

Suddenly the queen snatched two pistols from the belt of Maillardot, the commander of the Swiss Guard, and presented them to the king.

“Come, Sire!” she cried. “Now is the time to show yourself a man, or perish in the midst of your friends! “

The queen’s act excited the utmost enthusiasm, and everybody awaited the king’s reply with breathless anxiety.

A young, brave, and handsome king, with flashing eyes and quivering lips, might have rushed, pistol in hand, into the fray, and turned the tide of fortune in his favour, even then. The king took the pistols from the queen’s hands, but only to return them to Maillardot. Then, turning to Kœderer, he said : —

” You think, then, it would be advisable for me to take refuge in the Assembly, monsieur?”

“Yes, Sire, that is my opinion.”

” Let us go, then, gentlemen ; for there is evidently nothing we can do here,” said the king.

The queen sighed heavily, and, taking the dauphin in her arms and turning to Madame de Lamballe and Madame de Tourzel, said, “Come, ladies, as the king will have it so.”

This seemed equivalent to saying to all the others, “I abandon you to your fate.”

Madame Campan was waiting for the queen in the corridor through which she would be obliged to pass. The queen saw her.

“Go and wait for me in my room,” she whispered. “I will either rejoin you there presently, or send for you, — from where Heaven only knows! ” Then, leaning towards her, she murmured even more guardedly, ” Oh for a chance to plunge into the sea! “

The gentlemen the king had left behind him looked at

124 LA COMTESSE DE CHAKNY.

each other as if thinking, “Is it for a monarch like this that we have got to die?”

Chesnaye seemed to understand the mute query, for he replied : ” Xo, gentlemen, it is for royalty. Man is mortal, but the principle of right is immortal.”

As for the unfortunate women, they ■were overwhelmed with terror. One might have supposed them so many marble statues standing upon the staircases and corridors.

At last the king condescended to think of those he had deserted; for on reaching the foot of the staircase, he paused, and asked : —

“What will become of those we leave behind us?”

“It will be easy enough for them to follow us,” responded Roederer. “They are in citizen’s dress, and can make their way out through the garden without any diflaculty.”

“Ah, Monsieur de Charny!” exclaimed the queen, on seeing the count, who was waiting for them, sword in hand, at the gate, ” wh}’ did we not listen to you day before yesterday, when you advised flight?”