the memoirs of marie antoinette-第67节

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sed　them；　by　the　Queen's　orders；　to　one　of　her　women；　my　aunt；　Madame　Cardon；a　widow　living　at　Arras；　by　virtue　of　an　unlimited　leave　of　absence；in　order　that　she　might　be　ready　to　start　for　Brussels；　or　any　other　place；　as　soon　as　she　should　be　directed　to　do　so。　　This　lady　had　landed　property　in　Austrian　Flanders；　and　could　at　any　time　quit　Arras　unobserved。

The　Queen　was　to　take　only　her　first　woman　in　attendance　with　her　from　Paris。　　She　apprised　me　that　if　I　should　not　be　on　duty　at　the　moment　of　departure；　she　would　make　arrangements　for　my　joining　her。　　She　determined　also　to　take　her　travelling　dressing…case。　　She　consulted　me　on　her　idea　of　sending　it　off；　under　pretence　of　making　a　present　of　it　to　the　Archduchess　Christina；　Gouvernante　of　the　Netherlands。　　I　ventured　to　oppose　this　plan　strongly；　and　observed　that；　amidst　so　many　people　who　watched　her　slightest　actions；　there　would　be　found　a　sufficient　number　sharp…sighted　enough　to　discover　that　it　was　only　a　pretext　for　sending　away　the　property　in　question　before　her　own　departure；　she　persisted　in　her　intention；　and　all　I　could　arrange　was　that　the　dressing…case　should　not　be　removed　from　her　apartment；　and　that　M。　de　charge　d'afaires　from　the　Court　of　Vienna　during　the　absence　of　the　Comte　de　Mercy；　should　come　and　ask　her；　at　her　toilet；　before　all　her　people；　to　order　one　exactly　like　her　own　for　Madame　the　Gouvernante　of　the　Netherlands。　　The　Queen；　therefore；　commanded　me　before　the　charge　d'affaires　to　order　the　article　in　question。　　This　occasioned　only　an　expense　of　five　hundred　louis；　and　appeared　calculated　to　lull　suspicion　completely。

About　the　middle　of　May；　1791；　a　month　after　the　Queen　had　ordered　me　to　bespeak　the　dressing…case；　she　asked　me　whether　it　would　soon　be　finished。　　I　sent　for　the　ivory…turner　who　had　it　in　hand。　　He　could　not　complete　it　for　six　weeks。　　I　informed　the　Queen　of　this；　and　she　told　me　she　should　not　be　able　to　wait　for　it；　as　she　was　to　set　out　in　the　course　of　June。　　She　added　that；　as　she　had　ordered　her　sister's　dressing…case　in　the　presence　of　all　her　attendants；　she　had　taken　a　sufficient　precaution；　especially　by　saying　that　her　sister　was　out　of　patience　at　not　receiving　it；　and　that　therefore　her　own　must　be　emptied　and　cleaned；　and　taken　to　the　charge　d'affaires；　who　would　send　it　off。　I　executed　this　order　without　any；　appearance　of　mystery。　　I　desired　the　wardrobe　woman　to　take　out　of　the　dressing…case　all　that　it　contained；　because　that　intended　for　the　Archduchess　could　not　be　finished　for　some　time；　and　to　take　great　care　to　leave　no　remains　of　the　perfumes　which　might　not　suit　that　Princess。

The　woman　in　question　executed　her　commission　punctually；　but；　on　the　evening　of　that　very　day；　the　15th　of　May；　1791；　she　informed　M。　Bailly；　the　Mayor　of　Paris；　that　preparations　were　making　at　the　Queen's　residence　for　a　departure；　and　that　the　dressing…case　was　already　sent　off；　under　pretence　of　its　being　presented　to　the　Archduchess　Christina。

　　　　　＇After　the　return　from　Varennes　M。　Bailly　put　this　woman's　　　　　　deposition　into　the　Queen's　hands。MADAME　CAMPAN。＇

It　was　necessary；　likewise；　to　send　off　all　the　diamonds　belonging　to　the　Queen。　　Her　Majesty　shut　herself　up　with　me　in　a　closet　in　the　entresol；　looking　into　the　garden　of　the　Tuileries；　and　we　packed　all　the　diamonds；　rubies；　and　pearls　she　possessed　in　a　small　chest。　　The　cases　containing　these　ornaments；　being　altogether　of　considerable　bulk；　had　been　deposited；　ever　since　the　6th　of　October；　1789；　with　the　valet　de　chambre　who　had　the　care　of　the　Queen's　jewels。　　That　faithful　servant；　himself　detecting　the　use　that　was　to　be　made　of　the　valuables；　destroyed　all　the　boxes；　which　were；　as　usual；　covered　with　red　morocco；　marked　with　the　cipher　and　arms　of　France。　　It　would　have　been　impossible　for　him　to　hide　them　from　the　eyes　of　the　popular　inquisitors　during　the　domiciliary　visits　in　January；　1793；　and　the　discovery　might　have　formed　a　ground　of　accusation　against　the　Queen。

I　had　but　a　few　articles　to　place　in　the　box　when　the　Queen　was　compelled　to　desist　from　packing　it；　being　obliged　to　go　down　to　cards；　which　began　at　seven　precisely。　　She　therefore　desired　me　to　leave　all　the　diamonds　upon　the　sofa；　persuaded　that；　as　she　took　the　key　of　her　closet　herself；　and　there　was　a　sentinel　under　the　window；　no　danger　was　to　be　apprehended　for　that　night；　and　she　reckoned　upon　returning　very　early　next　day　to　finish　the　work。

The　same　woman　who　had　given　information　of　the　sending　away　of　the　dressing…case　was　also　deputed　by　the　Queen　to　take　care　of　her　more　private　rooms。　　No　other　servant　was　permitted　to　enter　them；　she　renewed　the　flowers；　swept　the　carpets；　etc。　　The　Queen　received　back　the　key；　when　the　woman　had　finished　putting　them　in　order；　from　her　own　hands；　but；　desirous　of　doing　her　duty　well；　and　sometimes　having　the　key　in　her　possession　for　a　few　minutes　only；　she　had　probably　on　that　account　ordered　one　without　the　Queen's　knowledge。　　It　is　impossible　not　to　believe　this；　since　the　despatch　of　the　diamonds　was　the　subject　of　a　second　accusation　which　the　Queen　heard　of　after　the　return　from　Varennes。　　She　made　a　formal　declaration　that　her　Majesty；　with　the　assistance　of　Madame　Campan；　had　packed　up　all　her　jewelry　some　time　before　the　departure；　that　she　was　certain　of　it；　as　she　had　found　the　diamonds；　and　the　cotton　which　served　to　wrap　them；　scattered　upon　the　sofa　in　the　Queen's　closet　in　the　'entresol'；　and　most　assuredly　she　could　only　have　seen　these　preparations　in　the　interval　between　seven　in　the　evening　and　seven　in　the　morning。　　The　Queen　having　met　me　next　day　at　the　time　appointed；　the　box　was　handed　over　to　Leonard；　her　Majesty's　hairdresser；＇This　unfortunate　man；　after　having　emigrated　for　some　time；　returned　to　France；　and　perished　upon　the　scaffold。　　…NOTE　BY　Tar　EDIT016＇　who　left　the　country　with　the　Duc　de　Choiseul。　　The　box　remained　a　long　time　at　Brussels；　and　at　length　got　into　the　hands　of　Madame　la　Duchesse　d'Angouleme；　being　delivered　to　her　by　the　Emperor　on　her　arrival　at　Vienna。

In　order　not　to　leave　out　any　of　the　Queen's　diamonds；　I　requested　the　first　tirewoman　to　give　me　the　body　of　the　full　dress；　and　all　the　assortment　which　served　for　the　stomacher　of　the　full　dress　on　days　of　state；　articles　which　always　remained　at　the　wardrobe。

The　superintendent　and　the　dame　d'honneur　being　absent；　the　first　tirewoman　required　me　to　sign　a　receipt；　the　terms　of　which　she　dictated；　and　which　acquitted　her　of　all　responsibility　for　these　diamonds。　She　had　the　prudence　to　burn　this　document　on　the　10th　of　August；　1792。　＇The　date　of　the　sack　of　the　Tuileries　and　slaughter　of　the　Swiss　Guard＇　The　Queen　having　determined；　upon　the　arrest　at　Varennes；　not　to　have　her　diamonds　brought　back　to　France；　was　often　anxious　about　them　during　the　year　which　elapsed　between　that　period　and　the　10th　of　August；　and　dreaded　above　all　things　that　such　a　secret　should　be　discovered。

In　consequence　of　a　decree　of　the　Assembly；　which　deprived　the　King　of　the　custody　of　the　Crown　diamonds；　the　Queen　had　at　this　time　already　given　up　those　which　she　generally　used。

She　preferred　the　twelve　brilliants　called　Hazarins；　from　the　name　of　the　Cardinal　who　had　enriched　the　treasury　with　them；　a　few　rose…cut　diamonds；　and　the　Sanci。　　She　determined　to　deliver；　with　her　own　hands；　the　box　containing　them　to　the　commissioner　nominated　by　the　National　Assembly　to　place　them　with　the　Crown　diamonds。　　After　giving　them　to　him；　she　offered　him　a　row　of　pearls　of　great　beauty；　saying　to　him　that　it　had　been　brought　into　France　by　Anne　of　Austria；　that　it　was　invaluable；　on　account　of　its　rarity；　that；　having　been　appropriated　by　that　Princess　to　the　use　of　the　Queens　and　Dauphinesses；　Louis　XV。　　had　placed　it　in　her　hands　on　her　arrival　in　France；　but　that　she　considered　it　national　property。　　〃That　is　an　open　question；　Madame；〃　said　the　commissary。　　〃Monsieur；〃　replied　the　Queen；　〃it　is　one　for　me　to　decide；　and　is　now　settled。〃

My　father…in…law；　who　was　dying　of　the　grief　he　felt　for　the　misfortunes　of　his　master　and　mistress；　strongly　interested　and　occupied　the　thoughts　of　the　Queen。　　He　had　been　saved　from　the　fury　of　the　populace　in　the　courtyard　of　the　Tuileries。

On　the　day　on　which　the　King　was　compelled　by　an　insurrection　to　give　up　a　journey　to　St。　Cloud；　her　Majesty　looked　upon　this　trusty　servant　as　inevitably　lost；　if；　on　going　away；　she　should　leave　him　in　the　apartment　he　occupied　in　the　Tuileries。　　Prompted　by　her　apprehensions；　she　ordered　M。　Vicq…d'Azyr；　her　physician；　to　recommend　him　the　waters　of　Mont　d'Or　in　Auvergne；　and　to　persuade　him　to　set　off　at　the　latter　end　of　May。　At　the　moment　of　my　going　away　the　Queen　assured　me　that　the　grand　project　would　be　executed　between　the　15th　and　the　20th　of　June；　that　as　it　was　not　my　month　to　be　on　duty；　Madame　Thibaut　would　take　the　journey；　but　that　she　had　many　directions　to　give　me　before　I　went。　　She　then　desired　me　to　write　to　my　aunt；　Madame　Cardon；　who　was　by　that　time　in　possession　of　the　clothes　which　I　had　ordered；　that　as　soon　as　she　should　receive　a　letter　from　M。　Augur；　the　date　of　which　should　be　accompanied　with　a　B；　an　L；　or　an　M；　she　was