登陆注册
5288200000143

第143章 CHAPTER VIII.(7)

The brigands broke some vessels of water in the Queen's first antechamber; the mixture of blood and water stained the skirts of our white gowns. The poissardes screamed after us in the streets that we were attached to the Austrian. Our protectors then showed some consideration for us, and made us go up a gateway to pull off our gowns; but our petticoats being too short, and making us look like persons in disguise, other poissardes began to bawl out that we were young Swiss dressed up like women. We then saw a tribe of female cannibals enter the street, carrying the head of poor Mandat. Our guards made us hastily enter a little public-house, called for wine, and desired us to drink with them. They assured the landlady that we were their sisters, and good patriots. Happily the Marseillais had quitted us to return to the Tuileries. One of the men who remained with us said to me in a low voice: "I am a gauze-worker in the faubourg. I was forced to march; I am not for all this; I have not killed anybody, and have rescued you. You ran a great risk when we met the mad women who are carrying Mandat's head. These horrible women said yesterday at midnight, upon the site of the Bastille, that they must have their revenge for the 6th of October, at Versailles, and that they had sworn to kill the Queen and all the women attached to her; the danger of the action saved you all."

As I crossed the Carrousel, I saw my house in flames; but as soon as the first moment of affright was over, I thought no more of my personal misfortunes. My ideas turned solely upon the dreadful situation of the Queen.

On reaching my sister's we found all our family in despair, believing they should never see us again. I could not remain in her house; some of the mob, collected round the door, exclaimed that Marie Antoinette's confidante was in the house, and that they must have her head. I disguised myself, and was concealed in the house of M. Morel, secretary for the lotteries. On the morrow I was inquired for there, in the name of the Queen. A deputy, whose sentiments were known to her, took upon himself to find me out.

I borrowed clothes, and went with my sister to the Feuillans--[A former monastery near the Tuileries, so called from the Bernardines, one of the Cistercian orders; later a revolutionary club.]-- We got there at the same time with M. Thierry de Ville d'Avray, the King's first valet de chambre. We were taken into an office, where we wrote down our names and places of abode, and we received tickets for admission into the rooms belonging to Camus, the keeper of the Archives, where the King was with his family.

As we entered the first room, a person who was there said to me, "Ah! you are a brave woman; but where is that Thierry, [M. Thierry, who never ceased to give his sovereign proofs of unalterable attachment, was one of the victims of the 2d of September.--MADAME CAMPAN.] that man loaded with his master's bounties?"--"He is here," said I; "he is following me. I perceive that even scenes of death do not banish jealousy from among you."

Having belonged to the Court from my earliest youth, I was known to many persons whom I did not know. As I traversed a corridor above the cloisters which led to the cells inhabited by the unfortunate Louis XVI. and his family, several of the grenadiers called me by name. One of them said to me, "Well, the poor King is lost! The Comte d'Artois would have managed it better."--"Not at all," said another.

The royal family occupied a small suite of apartments consisting of four cells, formerly belonging to the ancient monastery of the Feuillans. In the first were the men who had accompanied the King: the Prince de Poix, the Baron d'Aubier, M. de Saint-Pardou, equerry to Madame Elisabeth, MM. de Goguelat, de Chamilly, and de Hue. In the second we found the King; he was having his hair dressed; he took two locks of it, and gave one to my sister and one to me. We offered to kiss his hand; he opposed it, and embraced us without saying anything. In the third was the Queen, in bed, and in indescribable affliction. We found her accompanied only by a stout woman, who appeared tolerably civil; she was the keeper of the apartments. She waited upon the Queen, who as yet had none of her own people about her. Her Majesty stretched out her arms to us, saying, "Come, unfortunate women; come, and see one still more unhappy than yourselves, since she has been the cause of all your misfortunes. We are ruined," continued she; "we have arrived at that point to which they have been leading us for three years, through all possible outrages; we shall fall in this dreadful revolution, and many others will perish after us.

All have contributed to our downfall; the reformers have urged it like mad people, and others through ambition, for the wildest Jacobin seeks wealth and office, and the mob is eager for plunder. There is not one real patriot among all this infamous horde. The emigrant party have their intrigues and schemes; foreigners seek to profit by the dissensions of France; every one has a share in our misfortunes."

The Dauphin came in with Madame and the Marquise de Tourzel. On seeing them the Queen said to me, "Poor children! how heartrending it is, instead of handing down to them so fine an inheritance, to say it ends with us!" She afterwards conversed with me about the Tuileries and the persons who had fallen; she condescended also to mention the burning of my house. I looked upon that loss as a mischance which ought not to dwell upon her mind, and I told her so. She spoke of the Princesse de Tarente, whom she greatly loved and valued, of Madame de la Roche-Aymon and her daughter, of the other persons whom she had left at the palace, and of the Duchesse de Luynes, who was to have passed the night at the Tuileries. Respecting her she said, "Hers was one of the first heads turned by the rage for that mischievous philosophy; but her heart brought her back, and I again found a friend in her."

同类推荐
  • 宝云经

    宝云经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Three Men in a Boat

    Three Men in a Boat

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 宝悉地成佛陀罗尼经

    宝悉地成佛陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 明伦汇编人事典形声部

    明伦汇编人事典形声部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 星命总括

    星命总括

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 禁锢空间

    禁锢空间

    余央,男,20岁,某医学院专科在读,资深游戏玩家,家境一般,不戴眼镜的近视眼(目前200度)。某一天,余央意外成为全校唯一被选中游戏体验者,获得一笔史无前例的游戏体验预付报酬,从此稀里糊涂开始了救世之路……。紫魇:一念神,一念魔,欢迎各路战神者,我最大的快乐就是破灭你们的希望,哈哈哈哈!余央:我有时强大到变态,最厉害之处就是很难放弃自我。
  • 天若有情应知我

    天若有情应知我

    人人都说,蓝家蓝乔,是个披着美人皮的毒妇,可只有他知道,她的内心,是多么纯净。情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 柒王

    柒王

    千年帝国,一朝崩塌,大争之世,诸侯林立.....乱世之中是随波逐流得过且过,还是阴谋阳谋绝对武力去改变这个世界,夏都的废墟中少年心里埋下了一颗种子......
  • 口才的艺术

    口才的艺术

    口才在当今的社会具有重要的地位吗,是你处理好人际关系,职位得到提升的重要保证。本书全方位的介绍了口才,教你如何掌握口才艺术。
  • 二重犯

    二重犯

    外表看似18岁少女,内心却住着一个48岁抠脚大汉的90后射手座女屌丝。重口味,资深美剧日漫迷,恐怖电影B级片发烧粉。脑洞上的巨人,行动上的矮子,拖延癌已弃疗。一觉醒来,你发现四周有些不对劲。首先是家具摆设。你意识到这里既不是阴暗潮湿的看守所,也不是后来被列入案发现场的凌乱出租房,而是摆设整齐的、案发之前的你的家。
  • 佛说弥勒下生经

    佛说弥勒下生经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 龙脉九重境

    龙脉九重境

    龙脉少年,偶得特殊修炼功法,从此走上巅峰之路。仙丹自练,神器自造,符箓克妖,阵法封魔,御万兽军团,一步一步称霸九界,成为傲视群雄的尊者。什么权力、什么美人,只要他想要,就没有他得不到的!哼,哥就是这么拽!
  • 客滇述

    客滇述

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • An Outcast of the Islands

    An Outcast of the Islands

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 万魂争雄

    万魂争雄

    人生志愿本是闲云野鹤,慢看云卷云舒,闲听花开花落。奈何天不遂人愿,处处与人为难。他人为何红楼千金散尽只为博红颜一笑,而我得为几个大子斤斤计较。他人为何奴仆前呼后拥策马啸西风,而我整日奔波为生计发愁。他人为何挥手间天地变色,而我却惶惶如丧家之犬。人说:人的命,天注定。我说:王侯将相,宁有种乎?挣命从万人之中,从苍天手里,争出自己的命数。