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marie antoinette and her son-第97章

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fruit and stewed plums; a small table was procured; and carried into
the reporters' box of the 〃Logograph。〃

The countenance of the king lightened up a little; as he sat down at
the table and ate his dinner with a good appetite。 He did not hear
the suppressed sobs that issued from a dark corner of the box。 To
this corner the unhappy woman had withdrawn; who yesterday was Queen
of France; and whose pale cheeks reddened with shame at this hour to
see the king eating with his old relish!

The tears started afresh from her eyes; and; in order to dry them;
she asked for a handkerchief; for her own was already wet with her
tears; and with the sweat which she had wiped from the forehead of
her sleeping boy。 But no one of her friends could reach her a
handkerchief that was not red with the blood of those who had been
wounded in the defence of the queen!

It was only at two o'clock in the night that the living martyrdom of
this session ended; and the royal family were conducted to the cells
of the former Convent des Feuillants; which was above the rooms of
the Assembly; and which had hastily been put in readiness for the
night quarters of the royal family。 Hither armed men; using their
gun…barrels as candlesticks for the tapers which they carried;
marched; conducting a king and a queen to their improvised sleeping…
rooms。 A dense crowd of people; bearing weapons; surrounded them;
and often closed the way; so that it needed the energetic command of
the officer in charge to make a free passage for them。 The populace
drew back; but bellowed and sang into the ears of the queen as she
passed by:

〃Madame Veto avait promis D'fegorger tout Paris。〃

These horrible faces; these threatening; abusive voices; frightened
the dauphin; who clung tremblingly to his mother。 Marie Antoinette
stooped down to him and whispered a few words in his ear。 At once
the countenance of the boy brightened; and he sprang quickly and
joyfully up the staircase; but at the top he stood still; and waited
for his sister; who was so heavy with sleep that she had to be led
slowly up。 〃Listen; Theresa;〃 said the prince; joyously; 〃mamma has
promised me that I shall sleep in her room with her; because I was
so good before the bad people。 〃 'Footnote: Goncourt。〃Histoirede
Marie Antoinette;〃 p。 234。' And he jumped about delightedly into the
rooms which had been opened; and in which a supper had been even
prepared。 But suddenly; his countenance darkened; and his eyes
wandered around with an anxious look。

〃Where is Moufflet?〃 he asked。 〃He came with me; and he was with me
when we left the box。 Moufflet; Moufflet; where are you; Moufflet?〃
and asking this question loudly; the dauphin hurried through the
four rooms everywhere seeking after the little dog; the inheritance
from his brother; the former Dauphin of France。

But Moufflet did not come; and all search was in vain; no Moufflet
was to be found。 He had probably been lost in the crowd; or been
trodden under foot。

When at last silence and peace came; and the royal family were
resting on their hard beds; sighs and suppressed sobs were heard
from where the dauphin lay。 It was the little fellow weeping for his
lost dog。 The heir of the kings of France had to…day lost his last
possessionhis little; faithful dog。

Marie Antoinette stooped down and kissed his wet eyes。

〃Do not cry; my boy; Moufflet will come back again tomorrow。〃

〃To…morrow! certainly; mamma?〃

〃Certainly。〃

The boy dried his tears; and went to sleep with a smile upon his
lips。

But Marie Antoinette did not sleep; sitting erect in her bed; she
listened to the cries and fiendish shoutings which came up from the
terrace of the Feuillants; as the people heaped their abuses upon
her; and demanded her head。

On the next day new sufferings! The royal family had to go again
into the little box which they had occupied the day before; they had
to listen to the deliberation of the National Assembly about the
future residence of the royal family; which had made itself unworthy
to inhabit the Tuileries; while even the Luxemburg palace was no
suitable residence for Monsieur and Madame Veto。

The queen had in the mean time regained her self…possession and
calmness; she could even summon a smile to her lips with which to
greet her children and the faithful friends who thronged around her
in order to be near her in these painful hours。 She was pleased with
the attentions of the wife of the English ambassador; Lady
Sutherland; who sent linen and clothes of her own son for the
dauphin。 The queen also received from Madame Tourzel her watch with
many thanks; since she had been robbed of her own and her purse on
the way to the Convent des Feuillants。

On receiving news of this theft; the five gentlemen present hastened
to lay all the gold and notes that they carried about them on the
table before they withdrew。 But Marie Antoinette had noticed this。
〃Gentlemen;〃 she said; with thanks and deep feeling; 〃gentlemen;
keep your money; you will want it more than we; for you will; I
trust; live longer。〃 'Footnote: The queen's own words。See
〃Beauehesne;〃 vol。 i。; p。 806。'

Death had no longer any terrors for the queen; for she had too often
looked him in the eye of late to be afraid。 She had with joy often
seen him take away her faithful servants and friends。 Death would
have been lighter to bear than the railings and abuse which she had
to experience upon her walks from the Logograph's reporters' seat to
the rooms in the Convent des Feuillants。 On one of these walks she
saw in the garden some respectably dressed people standing and
looking without hurling insults at her。Full of gratitude; the
queen smiled and bowed to them。 On this; one of the men shouted:
〃You needn't take the trouble to shake your head so gracefully; for
you won't have it much longer!〃

〃I would the man were right!〃 said Marie Antoinette softly; going on
to the hall of the Assembly to hear the representatives of the
nation discuss the question whether the Swiss guards; who had
undertaken to defend the royal family with weapons in their hands;
should not be condemned to death as traitors to the French nation。

At length; after five days of continued sufferings; the Assembly
became weary of insulting and humiliating longer those who had been
robbed of their power and dignity; and it was announced to the royal
family that they would hereafter reside in the Temple; and be
perpetual prisoners of the nation。

On the morning of the 18th of August two great carriages; each drawn
by only two horses; stood in the court des Feuillants ready to carry
the royal family to the Temple。 In the first of these sat the king;
the queen; their two children; Madame Elizabeth; Princess Lamballe;
Madame Tourzel and her daughter; and besides these; Potion the mayor
of Paris; the attorney…general; and a municipal officer。 In the
second carriage were the servants of the king and two officials。 A
detachment of the National Guards escorted the carriages; on both
sides of which dense masses of men stood; incessantly pouring out
their abuse and insults。

In the Place Vendome the procession stopped; and with scornful
lau
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