The Countess De Charny - Volume II (13 page)

A terrible struggle ensued. Slowly but steadily gaining ground, and nearing the door, Suleau succeeded in freeing himself at least three times, and finally in reaching the door; but he was obliged to turn to open it, and thus exposed himself to the weapons of his assailants for a single instant; and this instant gave twenty sabres a chance to reach him, and he fell at the feet of Theroigne, who had the cruel satisfaction of giving him his final wound.

While Suleau was struggling with his murderers, a third prisoner managed to make his escape.

The fifth prisoner who was dragged out of the guard-house elicited an exclamation of admiration from the crowd. He had belonged to the king’s bodyguard, and had been known as handsome Vigier. Being as brave as he was handsome, and as skilled in fighting as he was brave, Vigier fought fifteen minutes. Three times he was felled to the earth, and three times he regained his footing. Every stone in the courtyard was stained, not with his blood only, but with that of his assassins. At last, like Suleau, he was overpowered by numbers.

The others were simplj^ slaughtered in cold blood Their names are unknown. The nine lifeless bodies were then dragged to the Place Vendôme, and there beheaded; after which their heads were stuck on pikes and borne through the streets of Paris in triumph.

That evening one of Suleau’s servants secured his mas-ter’s head by paying a large sum in gold for it, and subsequently succeeded, after an arduous search, in recovering the body as well. Consequently, before the real conflict began, blood had flowed in two places, — on the steps of the city-hall, and in the Feuillant Courtyard. “We shall soon see it flowing at the Tuileries! After the drops comes the rivulet, and after the rivulet the river !

FROM SIX TO NINE IN THE MORNING. 109

About the time these outrages were committed, — that is, between eight and. nine o’clock in the morning, — ten thousand National Guards, assembled by Barbarous’ alarm-bell and Santerre’s drum-beat, marched down the Eue Saint-Antoine to the Place de Grève. They came to demand permission to march upon the Tuileries. They were obliged to wait an hour for it. Some said that the reason of this delay was that the newly organised Commune hoped for concessions from the palace; others, that the Saint-Marceau division was not quite ready, and that it would not do to march without the Saint-Marceau division.

A thousand or more men, who were armed with pikes, became very impatient. As usual, the worst-equipped men were the most enthusiastic. Finally, they forced their way through the ranks of the National Guard, announcing their determination to go on ahead and attack the palace alone.

Several Marseillais, and a dozen or more guardsmen who had assisted in the taking of the Bastille three years before, placed themselves at the head of this mob, and by common consent were accepted as leaders.

Meanwhile, Mandat’s aide had ridden at full speed to the Tuileries; but it was not until after the king and queen had returned to their respective apartments after his Majesty’s unfortunate tour of inspection that the aide was able to make his report to them.

The queen felt as one always feels on hearing of the death of a person who has just left one’s side. She could not believe it, and made the aide describe the details of the scene over and over again.

Meanwhile, the sound of a brawl below began to make itself heard throughout the palace.

The National Guards and the gunners, who had shouted lustily for the nation in the king’s presence, began to exasperate the lloyalists by calling them “Royal Grenadiers,” and declaring that many of the men in the Filles-Saint-Thomas and Buttes-dcs-Moulins divisions were in the

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pay of the Court. As the men in the courtyards and basement were still ignorant of the death of their commander, — though the fact was now pretty generally known on the main floor of the building, — one grenadier shouted, “That cur Mandat has sent nothing but aristocrats to the palace.”

Mandat’s eldest son was in the i^ational Guards, and on bearing this insult to his absent father he rushed out from the ranks with sabre drawn. Two or three gunners sprang forward to meet him. Weber, the queen’s attendant, was among the Saint Koch grenadiers, and flew to the youth’s assistance.

The sabres clashed ominously, and a general fight was imminent. The queen, attracted to the window by the noise, saw Weber, and sent Thierry, the king’s valet, to summon him into her presence.

Weber came up and told the queen all about the difficulty, and she in turn informed him of Mandat’s death.

The tumult below increased. ” See what is going on now,” ordered the queen.

” The cannoneers are abandoning their guns, madame,” said Weber. ” They have rammed a ball into each, and as there is no powder in the guns, they are now useless.”

“What do you think of the situation, Weber?”

“I think your Majesty had better consult Monsieur Ecederer, who seems to be one of the most sensible and trustworthy persons in the palace.”

“But where can I speak to him without being overheard or interrupted? “

“In my room, if the queen desires it,” responded Thierry.

” Very well, ” said the queen. Then, turning to her foster-brother, she added, ” Find Monsieur Eœderer, and bring him to Thierry’s room.”

As the two men departed on their several missions, the big clock in the palace struck nine.

FEOM NINE TO ELEVEN IN THE FORENOON. Ill

CHAPTER XIV.

FROM NINE TO ELEVEN IN THE FORENOON.

At the very moment Weber was ushering Rœderer into the queen’s presence, Captain Durler, the commander of the Swiss Guards, was on his way to the king’s apartments to ask for his final orders.

Charny saw the captain looking about for an attendant to usher him into the king’s presence, and asked: —

“What do you wish? “

“Are you the Major-General in command of the palace?”

“Yes.”

” I have come for your final orders. The head of the attacking column is now visible from the Carrousel.”

“You are ordered to stand your ground, monsieur; for the king is resolved to perish in our midst, if need be.”

“All right, monsieur,” responded Durler, returning to his comrades with this order, which was their death-warrant.

As Captain Durler had rej)orted, the advance guard of the insurgents was already in sight. It consisted, as we have said before, of about one thousand men armed with pikes, and a score of Marseillais, with a dozen or fifteen of the old French Guards, at their head. Among these last was a young captain charged with a special mission, on the recommendation of Billot.

About a qua.rter of a mile behind this advance guard came a large body of National Guards and confederates, preceded by a dozen pieces of artillery.

When Charny’s order was communicated to them, the Swiss Guards quietly but resolutely stationed themselves,

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each at his post, in dogged silence. The National Guards took their places in a much more noisy and boisterous manner, but apparently with equal determination. The gentry were poorly organised, being provided only with short-range weapons, like swords and pistols. Feeling sure that the approaching conflict would be a fight to the death, they awaited the arrival of the mob with feverish excitement.

Just then some one knocked loudly at the gate of the main courtyard. “A parley! a parley!” shouted several voices; for above the wall fluttered a white handkerchief, apparently fastened to a pike or spear.

Roederer was sent for; and, in compliance with his instructions, the gate was opened, and he found himself face to face with a number of pikemen.

“You asked to have the gate opened for a parley, not for an army, my friends,” he said pleasantly. ”Who is your spokesman?”

“I am, monsieur,” responded Pitou, with his gentle voice and kindly smile.

“Who are you?”

“Ange Pitou, captain of the Haramont National Guards.”

Eœderer was not aware that there was any such organisation as the Haramont Guards in existence; but as time was precious, he did not deem it advisable to waste it in unnecessary questions, so he merely said : —

“AVhat doyou want?”

“I want a free passage for myself and my friends.”

“A free passage, and why? “

“So that we can get into the Assembly. We have a dozen cannon, but not a single one will be fired if we get what we want.”

“And what is that?”

“That the king should be deposed.”

“But that is a vevj serious matter.”

“Very serious, monsieur,” responded Pitou, with his accustomed courtesy.

FKOM NINE TO ELEVEN IN THE FORENOON. 113

“And requires careful consideration,” added Eœderer.

“That is only fair,” replied Pitou. Then glancing up at the big clock, he added: “It lacks fifteen minutes to ten. If we do not receive a favourable answer by ten o’clock, we shall begin the attack.”

“Meanwhile you will permit us to close the gate, will you not?”

“Oh, certainly, certainly,” answered Pitou. Then, turning to his companions, “Let them close the gate,” he said, motioning the foremost men back.

They obeyed, and the gate was closed; but during the brief time it had stood open, the besiegers had had an opportunity to note the formidable preparations made for their reception.

The quarter of an hour had hardly elapsed before a man emerged from the palace and gave orders to open the gate. This time the porter kept out of sight in his lodge, and it was the National Guards who raised the bars.

The besieging party fancied their request had been granted ; and as soon as the gate was opened, they crowded in, pushed forward by an irresistible power in their rear, — the rabble, — waving their hats on the ends of their pikes and spears, and shouting vociferously: “Hurrah for the Nation! Hurrah for the National Guards! Hurrah for the Swiss!”

The National Guards responded with cheers for the nation, but the Swiss maintained a gloomy silence. On reaching the line of cannon, the intruders paused to look about them.

The great vestibule was full of Swiss, arranged three rows deep, according to height. There was also a row of Swiss on each step of the portico, — wliich made six rows of men, all ready to iire at the same time.

Some of the intruders, Pitou among the number, began to reflect; but it was rather late for reflection. P>ut though they realised their danger, they did not think of running

VOL. IV. — 8

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awa}’. Ou the contrary, they strolled about, laughiug aud jestiug with the Natioual Guards and the Swiss.

Now the National Guardsmen were not disinclined to joke; but the Swiss were much more serious. In consequence of the quarrel started by Mandat’ s son, the Patriot National Guards had been separated from the Eoyalist National Guards, and dismissed.

On parting with their fellow-citizens, the Patriots also exchangedleave-takiugs with the Swiss, whose courage they greatly admired. They added, that if any of the Swiss chose to accompany them, they would be received into their homes like brothers. Two Vaudois, in response to this invitation uttered in their native tongue, immediately threw themselves into the arms of the Frenchmen, — their natural comrades.

At that very same instant two bullets fired from loopholes in the palace struck down the deserters almost in the very arms of their new friends. The Swiss officers, excellent shots, and hunters of the chamois and the ibex upon their native hills, had devised this effectual means of putting an immediate end to desertions ; but it is needless to say that such an episode made the Swiss grave, even to sullenness.

As for the men armed with a few old pistols and guns and pikes, — in short, so poorly armed that they might as well have had no weapons at all, — they were the same strange precursors of revolution seen on the eve of all great outbreaks. The cannoneers were on their side. The National Guards seemed strongly inclined to join them. Now if they could only persuade the Swiss to do the same ! They did not notice how rapidly time was passing, — that their leader had given Monsieur Kœdei’er until ten o’clock to decide, and that it was now quarter-past. In short, they were enjoying themselves very much: so why should they count the minutes?

One of the men had not even a pike or a sabre, but only a pruning-hook, such as is used to pull down the branches

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of trees that are to be cut back. This man said to his neighbour, “Suppose I try to hook a Swiss!” and suiting the action to the word, he caught a Swiss Guard by his cross-belt and pulled him towards him, — the Swiss only resisting just enough to make it appear that he was resisting.

“I ‘ve got a bite! ” cried the fisherman.

“Pull him in gently,” responded another.

The fisherman obeyed, and the Swiss was drawn from the vestibule into the courtyard exactly as a fish is drawn from the river and gently landed on the grass.

This feat was greeted with loud cheers and peals of laughter.

“Another! another! catch another !” everybody shouted.

The fisherman hooked a second, a third, a fourth, and even a fifth. In short, the entire regiment would probably have been landed, had they not heard the order, “Take aim ! “

Seeing the muskets levelled at them with a loud clang and that mechanical precision which characterises the movements of regular troops, one of the rabble — for there is always some crazy fellow who gives the signal for a general massacre — fired a pistol at one of the palace windows.

In the brief space of time between the order to ” take aim” and the word “Fire!” Pitou took in the situation.

“Down with you! down with you!” he shouted, “or you’re all dead men.”

And suiting example to precept, he flung himself flat on the ground.

This dense mass of human beings — for at least half of tlie advance column had crowded into the courtyard — bent like a field of grain swayed by the wind, then staggered and collapsed.

Barely one third of them escaped death. These tried to flee; but the soldiers in the sheds, as well as those drawn up in line, opened a cross fire upon them. The soldiers