The Countess De Charny - Volume II (10 page)

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hundred National Guardsmen are scattered about through the courtyards and gardens. Finally, fifteen hundred Swiss Guards — who are really our chief dependence — are stationed in the main hall and at the bottom of the staircases.”

“Well, monsieur, are not these protective measures perfectly satisfactory to you?”

“Nothing entirely satisfies me, madame, when your safety is involved.”

“Then you still advise flight, monsieur? “

“I strongly advise you to place yourself, the king, and your august children in the centre of your forces.”

The queen made an impatient movement.

“Yes. Your Majesty dislikes Lafayette, I know; but you have confidence in the Duke of Liancourt, and he is at Rouen, where he has leased the house of an Englishman. The military commander of the province has made his soldiers swear to remain faithful to the king, and the Swiss regiment of Salis Samade — upon which we can depend — is distributed along the route. Everything is quiet as yet. We can leave the palace by the revolving bridge, then hasten to the Barrière de l’Etoile, where three hundred of the Constitutional Guards, mounted, are awaiting you. We can easily secure fifteen hundred more gentlemen at Versailles. W^ith four thousand men, I will guarantee to conduct your Majesty wherever you may wish to go.”

“Thanks, Monsieur de Charny,” said the queen. “I appreciate the devotion wliich has led you to leave those who are so dear to you to offer your services to one — “

“The queen is unjust to me,” interrupted Charny. “The life of my sovereign will always be the most precious of all lives in my eyes, as duty will always be the chief of all virtues.”

“Duty, — yes, monsieur,” murmured the queen. “And as every one seems to lay such a stress on doing his duty, I shall strive to do mine, as I understand it, — which is to maintain the dignity and greatness, and to see to it that, if royalty be struck down, it shall at least fall nobly, at

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the post of houour, like the ancient gladiators, who studied how to die gracefully.”

“And this is your Majesty’s final decision?”

“It is my last wish.”

Charny bowed and retired; but, meeting Madame Campan at the door, he said to her : —

” Tell their Majesties to secrete any valuables they may have about their persons. We may be obliged to leave the palace at very short notice.”

As Madame Campan went to repeat this suggestion to the Princesse Lamballe and Madame Elizabeth, Charny again approached the queen.

“Madame,” he said, “it must be that you think we shall receive some assistance from outside sources. If this be so, let me know. Recollect that by this hour to-morrow I shall be obliged to render an account to God or man for what is to take place.”

“Well, monsieur,” said the queen, “two hundred thousand francs have been paid to Petion, and fifty thousand to Danton; and in return for these amounts a promise to remain at home has been received from Danton, and a promise to come to the palace from Petion.”

“But, madame, are you sure that the agents you have employed in this transaction are trustworthy?”

” You just told me yourself that Petion had arrived at the palace.”

“Yes, madame.”

“That is convincing proof, it seems to me.”

” But I am told that he had to be sent for three times before he came.”

” If he is on our side, he is to place the forefinger of his right hand on his right eye while he is conversing with the king — “

“But if he is not on our side, madame? “

“If he i§ not, he will at least be our prisoner; for I have given positive orders that he is not to be allowed to leave the palace.”

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Just then they heard the peal of a bell.

“What is that? ” asked the queen.

“The tocsin,” replied Charny.

The princesses started up in evident alarm.

“What is the matter?” exclaimed the queen. “The tocsin is only the signal of the insurgents.”

“I must ascertain if this sound indicates any movement of importance, madame,” said Charny, who seemed to be much more disturbed by this ominous sound than the queen.

“And when shall we see you again?” asked the queen, hurriedly.

“I came to place myself at your Majesty’s orders, and I shall not leave my post while there is the slightest suspicion of danger.”

Charny bowed and departed. The queen sat lost in thought for a moment; then, —

“Let us see if the king has finished his confession,” she said, and, rising, left the room in her turn.

Meanwhile Madame Elizabeth had removed some of her outer garments, so that she could lie on the sofa with greater comfort. As she did so, she took from her fichu a cornelian brooch, which she showed to Madame Campan. A cluster of lilies, with a motto, was cut upon the stone.

“Eead it,” said Madame Elizabeth.

Madame Campan took it closer to the candles, and read : —

Forget offences ! Pardon injuries !

“I greatly fear that this motto carries very little weight with our enemies; but it should be no less dear to us on that account,” said the princess.

As she concluded, a shot resounded in the courtyard below.

Both women uttered a scream.

“That is the first shot,” exclaimed Marlame Elizabeth. “Alas, I greatly fear it will not be the last! “

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Pétion’s arrivai had been announced to the queen by Charny. The circumstances attending it were as follows : He arrived at the palace about half-past ten. This time he was not kept waiting in the antechamber. On the contrary, he was immediately informed that the king was expecting him. In order to reach his Majesty, however, he was obliged to pass through the ranks of the Swiss Guards, then of the National Guards, and finally of those gentlemen known as the Knights of the Poniard.

Nevertheless, as they knew that it was the king who had sent for him, and that he might have remained in his stronghold in the city -hall had he so desired, and not have ventured into that lion’s den known as the Tuileries, he was allowed to pass unmolested ; though such epithets as “traitor” and “Judas” were hurled in his face as he ascended the stairs.

Louis XYI. was awaiting Petion in the same room where he had treated the mayor so rudely on the 21st of June. Petion noted this fact and smiled. Fortune had certainly vouchsafed him a terrible revenge.

Mandat, the commander of the National Guards, stopped the mayor at the door.

“What is your business here? ” he asked.

“I can dispense with answering that question, as I do not acknowledge your right to interrogate me; besides, as I ‘m in a hurry, I can’t stop to bandy words with my inferiors.”

“Inferiors?”

” You are detaining me, and I tell you that I am in a hurry, Monsieur Mandat. I came here because the king sent for me three times. I should not have come of my own accord, I assure you.”

” Well, as I have the honour to see you, Monsieur Petion, I should like to ask why the police commissioners have distributed a profusion of cartridges to those Marseillais, while I, Mandat, have received only three apiece for my men.”

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“In the first place,” replied Petion, with unruffled composure, “no requisition has been made for any additional ammunition for the Tuileries. Three rounds for each National Guardsman, and forty for each Swiss Guardsman, was the king’s order, and that was the number furnished.”

“But why this great discrepancy in numbers? “

“That is for the king to explain, — not forme. It is quite possible that he distrusted the National Guards.”

“But asked you for powder.”

” That is true ; but unfortunately you are not authorised to receive it.”

“That’s a pretty answer!” cried Mandat. “It is your place to make it the proper thing then, as the order must emanate from you.”

The discussion had reached a point where it would be difficult for Petion to defend himself; but, fortunately for him, the door opened just then, and Rœderer, the syndic of the municipality, helped the mayor out of his dilemma by saying: —

“The king is asking for you, Monsieur Petion,”

The king was really awaiting Petion’s coming with great impatience.

” So here you are at last. Monsieur Petion ! ” he exclaimed. “What is the condition of affairs in Paris?”

Petion gave him a pretty correct idea of the condition of things.

“Have you nothing more to say to me, monsieur?” asked the king, anxiously.

“Nothing, Sire.”

The king looked at him searchingly.

“Nothing, nothing whatever?”

Petion opened his eyes in astonishment, as if unable to understand this persistency on the part of the king.

The king, in turn, was waiting for Petion to raise his hand to his eye, — this, it will be remembered, being the signal by which the mayor of Paris was to indicate that the

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king could rely upon him in return lor the two hundred thousand francs paid him.

Petion scratched his ear, but did not evince tlie slightest inclination to place his finger on his eye. So the king had been duped. Some scoundrel had pocketed the two hundred thousand francs.

The queen entered just as the king was racking his brain to find out what question to put to Fetion next.

“Well, is he a friend to us?” asked the queen, in a whispered aside.

“No,” replied the king. “At least he has made no sign to that effect.”

“Then he is our prisoner.”

“Am I at liberty to retire? ” asked Petion.

“Don’t let him go, for God’s sake,” pleaded Marie Antoinette,

“No, monsieur, not just now,” stammered the king. “You will be free to go presently; but there is something more I wish to say to you. Step into my cabinet,” he added, raising his voice.

To those in his cabinet these words meant: “I intrust Petion to your care. Watch him. Don’t let him get away.”

The men in the cabinet understood this perfectly, and immediately surrounded Petion, — who felt himself a prisoner.

Fortunately, Mandat was not there. He was busy contesting an order which had just been issued for him to report at the city-hall without delay.

Mandat was wanted at the Hôtel de Ville, exactly as Petion was wanted at the Tuileries. Mandat objected strongly to obeying this order, however; and as for Petion, he was the thirtieth person in a room where four persons would have been very much in one another’s way.

“Gentlemen,” he said at last, “we shall suffocate, if we remain here any longer.”

This was the opinion of everybody, so no one opposed

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Petion’s exit; but everybody followed him, though no one ventured upon any open attempt to restrain his movements.

He went down the first stairway they came to. It led into a basement room, which opened into the garden. He feared at first that this door was locked, but it proved to be unfastened.

Petion consequently found himself in a much larger and more airy prison, but one which was no less secure than the cabinet.

Accompanied by Rœderer, he began to walk up and down the terrace. This terrace was lighted by a row of lamps. One of the National Guards stepped up and extinguished those nearest the mayor and his companion. What did this mean? Petion suspected mischief.

“Monsieur,” he said, addressing a Swiss officer named Salis-Lizers, who seemed to be following him, “has any one any evil designs upon me?”

“Have no fears, Monsieur Petion,” replied this officer, with a strong German accent. ” The king has ordered me to watch you; but I assure you that if any one kills you, he shall die by my hand an instant afterwards.”

It was under very similar circumstances that Triboulet said to Francis I., “If it is all the same to you, let it be an instant before, Sire.”

Petion made no reply, but walked on to the Feuillant Terrace, which was not then enclosed by a grating, but by a wall about eight feet high, with three gates, — one large and two small ones.

These gates were not only closed and securely locked, but barricaded as well. They were likewise guarded by grenadiers from two battalions noted for their devotion to royalty; so there was nothing to be hoped for from these men. As he walked along, Petion stooped now and then and picked up a pebble, which he tossed over the wall.

While he was thus promenading to and fro, he was twice notified that the king desired to speak with him.

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” Are u’t you going? ” inquired Kœderer.

*‘No, it’s too liot up there. I haven’t the slightest desire to return to that cabinet. I remember the discomfort I experienced too well; besides, I’ve made an appointment to meet some one here.”

“An appointment with whom? ” asked Roederer.

Just then the door of the Assembly building leading into the Feuillant Terrace opened.

“I think that ‘s the very person I ‘ve been waiting for,” remarked Petion.

“An order for the attendance of Monsieur Petion,” said a loud voice. “The Assembly summons him to its bar to give an account of the condition of affairs in Paris.”

“Precisely,” responded Petion. “And here I am ready to reply to the questions of my enemies.”

The National Guards, fancying they were doing Petion a bad turn, allowed him to pass.

It was now about three o’clock in the morning. Day was breaking, and, strange to say, the sky was the colour of blood.

billot’s will. 91

CHAPTER XI.

billot’s will.

When the king sent for him, Petion shrewdly suspected that he might have some difficulty in getting away from the palace ; so, stepping up to a man who had an ugly scar across his forehead, he said: —

“What news have you brought me from the Assembly, Billot?”

“That there will be an all-night session.”

” Very well. And did you not tell me that some National Guards and several cannon had been placed on the Pont Neuf by Mandat’s orders, as well as a large body of troops at the entrance of the Rue Saint-Antoine? “