The Countess De Charny - Volume II (40 page)

“Citizens,” he said, “you have just performed an important act of justice. I hope Humanity will now lead you to maintain a religious silence. When Justice has spoken, Humanity should have her turn.”

He then announced the result of the vote. Out of seven hundred and twenty-one members, three hundred and thirty-four had voted for imprisonment or exile, and three hundred and eighty-seven had voted for death, with or without the privilege of an appeal to the people. Taking from this majority of fifty-three votes, the forty-six votes for death after a reprieve, there still remained a majority of seven votes for immediate death.

“Citizens,” continued Vergniaud, in tones of profound sadness, ” I therefore declare in the name of the National Convention, that sentence of death is pronounced upon Louis Capet.”

The roll call had taken twenty-four hours and did not end until eight o’clock on the night of the 19th of January; but it was not until three o’clock the next morning that Vergniaud announced the result.

Louis, though shut off from all communication with the outside world, knew that his fate was decided. Alone, separated even from his wife and children whom he had refused to see, probably in order that he might mortify his heart as a sinful monk mortifies his flesh, he committed

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his fate to God, indifferent, at least to all appearance, as to whether the fiat was to be life or death.

At six o’clock Sunday morning, Malesherbes paid him a visit. The king had already risen, and was now sitting with his face buried in his hands, and his elbows resting on the table.

“Well, monsieur?” he asked, on seeing his visitor.

Malesherbes dared not answer; but the prisoner could see from the expression of the lawyer’s face that there was no hope.

“Death,” exclaimed Louis. “I was sure of it!” and opening his arms he pressed Malesherbes to his bosom.

The lawyer burst into tears.

“Monsieur de Malesherbes,” the king said, after a moment, “for two whole days I have been trying to decide if in the whole course of my reign I have merited the slightest reproach from my subjects. Ah, well! I swear to you, with all the solemnity of a man who is about to appear before his God, that I have always desired the welfare and happiness of my people above all things, and have never knowingly done aught to impair either.”

This conversation took place in the presence of Clery, who was sobbing bitterly. The king, pitying his valet, took Malesherbes into his study, where he remained closeted with him nearly an hour. Then he came out, and, after embracing the worthy lawyer, begged him to return that evening.

Endeavouring to conceal his feelings as much as possible, Clery began his preparations for shaving the king.

The king made the lather himself, while Clery stood in front of him holding the basin; but suddenly the king became very pale. His cheeks and lips and even his ears turned white. Fearing his master was ill.Cle’ry set the bowl down and tried to support him; but the king seized his hands, exclaiming : ” Come, come, courage ! ” and then shaved himself calmly and deliberately.

About two o’clock the Executive Council came to announce the verdict.

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Garât, miuister of justice, acted as spokesman. Without removing his hat from his head, he said: “Louis, the National Convention has charged the Provisional Executive Council with the task of communicating to you the proceedings of January loth, IGth, 17th, ISth, and 19th. The secretary of the Council will now proceed to read these decrees.”

Grouvelle, in a trembling voice, read the following : —

Article I.

The National Convention declares Louis Capet, formerly king of the French, guilty of conspiring against the Hberty of the Nation, and of imperilling the safety of the State.

Article II. The National Convention imposes upon Louis Capet the penalty of death.

Article III.

The National Convention refuses the request made in behalf of Louis Capet by his counsellors, asking an appeal to the nation from the decision of the National Convention.

Article IV. The Provisional Executive Council will communicate the decision of the Convention to Louis Capet without delay, and make such arrangements as will enable the execution to take place within twenty-four hours of this notification, and the Council will report to the National Convention as soon as the execution is over.

The king remained perfectly calm during the reading of the above document, though a disdainful expression played about his lips when he heard the words guilty of conspiring. At the words penalty of death, he raised his eyes devoutly heavenward, as if to bring himself into closer communion with God.

When the reading was ended, the king stepped up to Grouvelle, took the decree from his hands , folded it carefully, and placed it in his portfolio ; then he drew from the

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same receptacle another document, whicli lie handed to Garat, saying, —

“Monsieur secretary, I beg you will transmit this letter to the National Convention at once,”

As Garat seemed to hesitate, the king said : ” I will read it to you.”

Then, in a voice which contrasted strikingly with Grouvelle’s, he read the following letter: —

I ask a delay of three days to prepare myself to appear before God ; and I desire, for that purpose, permission to see, at any and all times, the person whose name I will mention to the municipal commissioners. I also ask that the person named may be shielded from any fear or danger on account of the act of charity he will perform for me.

I also ask to be freed from the continual espionage the Common Council has exercised over me for some time past.

During this interval, I ask the privilege of seeing my family whenever I please, and without witnesses. I also desire that the National Convention decide immediately as to the welfare of my family, and that the members of it may be allowed to leave this place whenever it suits them to do so.

I commend to the benevolence of the nation all persons who have been attached to my service. Many of them were dependent upon their positions for support, and, having no employment, they must be in want. Among the pensioners, there were many aged men, as well as women and children, who had no other means of subsistence.

Done in the Tower of the Temple. Louis.

Jan. 20th, 1793.

Garat took the letter.

“It shall be transmitted to the Convention at once, monsieur,” he said.

The king again opened his portfolio, and, taking from it a tiny scrap of paper, remarked: “If the Convention grants my request in relation to a confessor, tliis is his address.”

The paper bore the following name in Madame Elizabeth’s handwriting, —

” Monsieur Edgeworth de Firmont, No. 483 Hue Bac.”

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As there seemed to be nothing more to do or say, the king took a step backward, making the same gesture with which he had been wont to indicate that an audience was at an end in days gone by, and the ministers withdrew.

“Clery,” said the king to his valet, who, feeling that his limbs were giving way under him, had leaned against the wall for support, — ” Clery, order my dinner.”

Clery went into the adjoining room to obey the command. There he found two officials, who showed him a warrant forbidding the king the use of knives and forks. A knife however was to be intrusted to Clery, so he could cut his master’s bread and meat in the presence of two guards.

Clery not being willing to tell his master of this new restriction, the officials themselves notified the king.

So the king broke his bread with his fingers, and cut his meat with a spoon. Contrary to his usual custom, he ate very little, and the meal was over in a few moments.

About six o’clock, the minister of justice was again announced. The king rose to receive him.

“I delivered your letter to the Convention,” said Garat, “and have been instructed to bring you this reply.”

” Louis is at liberty to select his religious adviser and to see his family whenever he pleases, without witnesses.

*’ The Nation, always generous and just, wiU provide for the future of his family.

” The creditors of his household will receive their just dues.

” The National Convention refuses the request for a reprieve.”

The king bowed in silence, and Garat withdrew.

“Citizen minister, how is Louis to see his family?” asked one of the guards.

“In private.”

“Impossible! We have orders from the Commune not to lose sight of him, night or day.”

The situation was rather embarrassing; but at last they compromised by deciding that the king should receive his

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family in the dining-room, so he could be seen through the glass door, but that the door might be closed so the conversation could not be heard.

In the mean time, the king had said to Clery : ” See if the minister of justice is still here, and, if so, recall him.”

A moment later, Garat re-entered the room.

” I forgot to ask if Monsieur Edgeworth de Firmont was at home, and when I can see him,” said the king.

“I brought him with me in my carriage,” replied Garat. “He will come up at once, if you desire it.”

And even as the minister of justice uttered these words. Monsieur Edgeworth de Firmont appeared in the doorway.

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CHAPTER XL.

THE TWENTY-FIKST OF JANUARY.

Monsieur Edgeworth de Firmont was Madame Elizabeth’s confessor. Nearly six weeks prior to this time the king, foreseeing the sentence of death which had just been pronounced upon him, asked his sister’s advice in regard to the selection of a spiritual adviser, and Madame Elizabeth had tearfully recommended her brother to send for Abbé Eirmont.

That worthy priest, who was of English origin, having escaped the September massacre, had retired to Choisy-le- Roi, where he had been living under the name of Essex. Madame Elizabeth knew his alias, and having written to him at Choisy, hoped that he would come to Paris as soon as the king’s fate was decided.

She was not mistaken. The abbé was not a man to shrink from a duty, however dangerous.

On the 21st of December, he wrote to one of his friends in England: —

” My unfortunate master has selected me as the spiritual adviser to prepare him for death, if the fury of the people leads them to parricide.

” I too am preparing for death ; for I am convinced that the fury of the populace will not permit me to survive the terrible scene a single hour ; hut I am resigned. I count my life but as dross ; and if by sacrificing it, I could save the king, I would gladly do so, and feel that I had not died in vain.”

The king ushered the abbé into his cabinet, and closed the door; and the two remained closeted together until

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eight o’clock in the evening, when Louis asked to be conducted to his family.

” That is impossible ; but they can see you here, if you wish,” was the reply.

” So be it, provided I can see them alone, and without witnesses,” replied the king. ” You doubtless have heard that the Convention has given orders to that effect.”

“We have arranged the matter with the Minister of Justice. You are to see your family in your dining-room. The door is to be closed ; but we can keep an eye on you through the upper part of it, which is glass.”

“Very well.”

The king went into the adjoining room. Clery followed him, and pushed the table to one side, and placed the chairs against the wall so as to make more room.

“Bring a glass of water, too, Clery, lest the queen should be thirsty,” said the king.

There was a pitcher of ice-water on the table already, so Clery only brought a tumbler.

“Bring some water,” repeated the king. “If the queen drinks ice-water it may make her ill, as she is not accustomed to it. You had also better ask Monsieur de Firmont to remain in my private room. The sight of him here might affect my family too deeply.”

About half-past eight the door opened, and the queen came in, leading the dauphin by the hand. Madame Eoyale and Madame Elizabeth followed. The king opened his arms, and the weeping ladies and children rushed into them.

Clery went out and closed the door. For several minutes there was a gloomy silence, broken only by sobs. Then the queen tried to lead the king into the adjoining room, for she wished to say a few words to him in private.

“No,” said he, “I can only see you here.”

The royal family knew that sentence had been pronounced; but they had heard none of the details of the trial.

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Tlie king gave tliem a full account of it, making excuses for the men who had condemned him, and calling the queen’s attention to the fact that neither Pétion nor Man-uel had voted for his death.

The queen listened ; but whenever she tried to speak, her sobs burst forth afresh. God vouchsafed the poor prisoner this consolation, — in his last hours he was adored by all around him, even the queen.

The queen had always allowed herself to be too much attracted by the romantic side of life. She was endowed with a very vivid imagination, an attribute which is very apt to lead to imprudence on the part of its possessor; and the queen had been extremely imprudent both in her friendships and in her love-affairs.

Her imprisonment had been her regeneration from a moral point of view.

At Varennes, and at the Tuileries , on the 10th of August, Louis had seemed an irresolute, almost cowardly man, absolutely devoid of energy. In the Temple, Marie Antoinette began to understand that the wife had not only greatl}” misjudged the husband heretofore, but that the queen had also misjudged the king. Now, seeing him so courageous and resigned in the presence of Death, so patient under insult, and so kind and considerate to those around him, her love revived. In the days of their prosperity she had only seen the dull and commoni^lace side of her husband’s nature, and had despised him accordingly; now there came an entire revulsion of feeling, and as she was a person who could do nothing in moderation , she now began to worship him as a saint.