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第83节

marie antoinette and her son-第83节

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only join me。 I beg you; therefore; to take this cigar。〃

The queen repeated calmly; 〃I do not smoke。〃

〃You mistake; madame; you do smoke。〃

〃See the jolly fellow;〃 exclaimed Simon; 〃that is splendid。〃

〃I will show you at once that you do smoke;〃 continued Toulan。
〃Madame; if you will do me the honor to join me in smoking a cigar;
I will give you my word as a republican and a sans…culottes; that
neither I nor my brothers will ever smoke here again。〃

〃I do not believe you;〃 said the queen; shaking her head。

〃Not believe me? Would you believe it if the citizen Simon were to
repeat it?〃

〃Yes;〃 said the queen; fixing her great; sad eyes upon Simon; 〃if
the citizen Simon should confirm it; I would believe it; for he is a
trustworthy man; who I believe; never breaks his word。〃

〃Oh! only see how well the Austrian understands our noble brother
Simon;〃 cried Lepitre。

〃Yes; truly; it seems so;〃 said Simon; who had been flattered by
this praise to consent to what he had no inclination for。 〃Well; I
give my word to Widow Capet; as a republican and a sans…culottes;
that there shall be no smoking in the anteroom after this time; if
she will do my friend Toulan the favor of smoking a pipe of peace
with him。〃

〃I believe your word;〃 said the queen; with a gentle inclination of
her head; and then turning to Toulan; she continued; 〃sir〃

〃There are no 'sirs' here; only 'citizens;'〃 interrupted the
cobbler。

〃Citizen Toulan;〃 said the queen; changing her expression; 〃give me
the cigar; I see that I was wrong; I do smoke!〃

Simon cried aloud with laughter and delight; and could scarcely
control himself; when; kneeling before the queen; as the players do
in the grand plays at the theatre; he handed her a cigar。

But he did not see the supplicatory look which Toulan fixed upon the
queen; he did not see the tears which started into his eyes; nor
hear her say; during his inordinate peals of laughter; 〃I thank you;
my faithful one!〃

〃Is it enough if I take the cigar in my mouth; or must I burn it?〃
asked the queen。

〃Certainly; she must burn it;〃 cried Simon。 〃Light the cigar for
her; Citizen Toulan。〃

Toulan drew a bit of paper from his pocket; folded it together;
kindled it; and gave it to the queen。 Then; as soon as the dry cigar
began to burn; he put out the light; and threw it carelessly upon
the table。

The queen put the little smoking cigarette into her mouth。 〃Bravo;
bravo!〃 shouted the officials and Simon。

〃Bravo; Citizen Toulan is a perfect brick! He has taught Widow Capet
how to smoke。〃

〃I told you I would;〃 said Toulan; proudly。 〃Widow Capet has had to
comply with our will; and that is enough。 You need not go on;
madame。 You have acknowledged our power; and that is all we wanted。
That is enough; Simon; is it not? She does not need to smoke any
longer; and we; too; must stop。〃

〃No; she does not need to smoke any longer; and there will be no
more smoking in the antechamber。〃

The queen took the paper cigarette from her mouth; put out the
burning end; and laid the remaining portion in her work…basket。

〃Citizen Toulan;〃 said she; 〃I will keep this cigar as a
remembrancer of this hour; and if you ever smoke here again; I shall
show it to you。〃

〃I should like to see this Austrian woman doubting the word of a
sans…culottes;〃 cried Simon。

〃And I too; Simon;〃 replied Toulan; going back into the anteroom。
〃We will teach her that she must trust our word。 You see that I am a
good teacher。〃

〃An excellent one;〃 cried Simon; 〃I must compliment you on it;
citizen。 But if you have no objections; we will play a game or two
of cards with the citizens here。〃

〃All right;〃 replied Toulan。 〃But I hope you have got the new kind
of cards; which have no kings and queens on them。 For; I tell you; I
do not play with the villanous old kind。〃

〃Nor I;〃 chimed in Lepitre。 〃It makes me mad to see the old stupids
with their crowns on that are on the old kind of cards。〃

〃You are a pair of out…and…out republicans;〃 said Simon; admiringly。
〃Truly; one might learn of you how a sans…culottes ought to bear
himself。〃

〃Well; you can calm yourselves about these; brothers;〃 said one of
the officials; 〃we have no tyrant…cardswe have the new cards of
the republic。 See there! instead of the king; there is a sans…
culottes; instead of the queen; we have a 'knitter;' 'Footnote: The
market…women and hucksters had the privilege of claiming the first
seats on the spectators' platform; near the guillotine。 They sat
there during the executions; knitting busily on long stockings;
while looking at the bloody drama before them。 Every time that a
head was cut off and dropped into the basket beneath the knife; the
women made a mark in their knitting…work; and thus converted their
stockings into a kind of calendar; which recorded the number of
persons executed。 From this circumstance the market…women received
the name of 〃knitters。〃' and for the jack; we have a Swiss soldier;
for they were the menials of the old monarchy。〃 'Footnote:
Historical。…See 〃Memoires de la Marquise de Crequi;〃 vol。 III。'

〃That is good; well; we will play then;〃 cried Toulan; with an air
of good…humor。

They all took their places at the table; while the queen took up the
sewing on which the princesses had been engaged before。

After some time; when the thread with which she was sewing was
exhausted; Marie Antoinette raised her eyes and turned them to the
men; who had laid their pipes aside; and were zealously engaged upon
their cards。 The mien of the queen was no longer so calm and rigidly
composed as it had been before; and when she spoke; there was a
slight quivering discernible in her voice。

〃Citizen Toulan;〃 she said; 〃I beg you to give me the ball of thread
again。 I have no more; and this dress is in a wretched condition; I
must mend it。〃

Toulan turned toward her with a gesture of impatience。

〃You disturb me; madame; and put me out in the game。 What are you
saying?〃

〃I asked you; Citizen Toulan; to give me the thread again; because;
without it; I cannot work。〃

〃Oh! the ball which little Miss Capet gave me a short time ago。 And
so you won't let me keep a remembrance of the pretty girl?〃

〃I must mend this dress;〃 said the queen; gently。

〃Well; if you must; you must;〃 growled Toulan; rising。

〃Wait a moment; brothers; till I carry her the ball。〃

〃What do you want to get up for?〃 asked Simon。

〃You can throw it from here。〃

〃Or give it a roll like a ball;〃 added Lepitre。

〃That is a good idea;〃 cried Toulan; 〃I'll have a little game of
nine…pins。 I am quite at home there; and can do it well。 Now look
sharp! I will contrive to roll the ball between the four feet of the
table; and strike the foot of the queen。〃

〃There is no queen;〃 cried Lepitre; passionately。

〃I am speaking of the game; Citizen Lepitre; do me the pleasure of
not making yourself an ass。 Now look; and see me roll it as I said!〃

〃Well; go ahead; we should like to see you do it;〃 cried Simon。

〃Yes; we would like to see you do it;〃 chimed in the officials;
laying down their cards。

Toulan now drew out of his breast…pocket a black ball of silk; and
counted 〃One; two; three!〃 He then gave it a skilful roll across the
floor。 With attention and laughing looks; they all watched it take
its course across the waxed floor; as it moved just where Toulan had
said it would。

〃Bravo; bravo!〃 shouted the men; as the ball struck the foot of the
queen; who stooped down slowly and picked it up。

〃Toulan is a jolly good fellow;〃 cried Simon; striking the table
with his fists in an ecstasy of delight。 〃But I declare it seems to
me that the ball is a good deal larger now than it was before。〃

〃It may be;〃 answered Toulan; emphatically。 〃Every thing grows and
enlarges itself; that a true and genuine sans…culottes carries next
to his heart。〃

〃Well said;〃 replied Lepitre。 〃But listen to me; I want to make a
proposition to you。 I must say that it is hard workplaying cards
without smoking。〃

〃I find it so; too;〃 sighed Toulan。

〃I rather think we all do;〃 chimed in the others。

〃But we must keep our word; or else the she…wolf will think that we
republicans are no better than the aristocrats were!〃

〃Yes; we must keep our word;〃 said Lepitre; 〃and that is why I
wanted to make the proposition that we go out and establish
ourselves in the entry。 We can put the table close to the door; and
then we are certainly safethat no one can step in。 What do you
say; brother Simon?〃

〃I say that it is a very good plan; and that we will carry it into
execution directly。 Come; friends; let us take up the table; and
carry it out。 If the dogs are on the watch outside; the badger does
not creep out of his house。 Come; it is much pleasanter out there;
and we are not ambitious of the honor of looking at Widow Capet all
the time。 We are perfectly satisfied; if we do not see her。 I hope
there will be an end of this tedious service; and that she will soon
go to the place whither Louis Capet has already gone。〃

〃Or;〃 cried Toulan; laughing; 〃she must change herself into an
eagle; and fly out of the window。 Come; brothers; I long for my
pipe。 Let us carry the table out into 

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