the memoirs of marie antoinette-第68节

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ve　a　letter　from　M。　Augur；　the　date　of　which　should　be　accompanied　with　a　B；　an　L；　or　an　M；　she　was　to　proceed　with　her　property　to　Brussels；　Luxembourg；　or　Montmedy。　　She　desired　me　to　explain　the　meaning　of　these　three　letters　clearly　to　my　sister；　and　to　leave　them　with　her　in　writing；　in　order　that　at　the　moment　of　my　going　away　she　might　be　able　to　take　my　place　in　writing　to　Arras。

The　Queen　had　a　more　delicate　commission　for　me；　it　was　to　select　from　among　my　acquaintance　a　prudent　person　of　obscure　rank；　wholly　devoted　to　the　interests　of　the　Court；　who　would　be　willing　to　receive　a　portfolio　which　she　was　to　give　up　only　to　me；　or　some　one　furnished　with　a　note　from　the　Queen。　　She　added　that　she　would　not　travel　with　this　portfolio；　and　that　it　was　of　the　utmost　importance　that　my　opinion　of　the　fidelity　of　the　person　to　whom　it　was　to　be　entrusted　should　be　well　founded。　　I　proposed　to　her　Madame　Vallayer　Coster；　a　painter　of　the　Academy；　and　an　amiable　and　worthy　artist；　whom　I　had　known　from　my　infancy。　　She　lived　in　the　galleries　of　the　Louvre。　　The　choice　seemed　a　good　one。　　The　Queen　remembered　that　she　had　made　her　marriage　possible　by　giving　her　a　place　in　the　financial　offices；　and　added　that　gratitude　ought　sometimes　to　be　reckoned　on。　　She　then　pointed　out　to　me　the　valet　belonging　to　her　toilet；　whom　I　was　to　take　with　me；　to　show　him　the　residence　of　Madame　Coster；　so　that　he　might　not　mistake　it　when　he　should　take　the　portfolio　to　her。　　The　day　before　her　departure　the　Queen　particularly　recommended　me　to　proceed　to　Lyons　and　the　frontiers　as　soon　as　she　should　have　started。　　She　advised　me　to　take　with　me　a　confidential　person；　fit　to　remain　with　M。　Campan　when　I　should　leave　him；　and　assured　me　that　she　would　give　orders　to　M。　　to　set　off　as　soon　as　she　should　be　known　to　be　at　the　frontiers　in　order　to　protect　me　in　going　out。　　She　condescended　to　add　that；　having　a　long　journey　to　make　in　foreign　countries；　she　determined　to　give　me　three　hundred　louis。

I　bathed　the　Queen's　hands　with　tears　at　the　moment　of　this　sorrowful　separation；　and；　having　money　at　my　disposal；　I　declined　accepting　her　gold。　　I　did　not　dread　the　road　I　had　to　travel　in　order　to　rejoin　her；　all　my　apprehension　was　that　by　treachery　or　miscalculation　a　scheme；　the　safety　of　which　was　not　sufficiently　clear　to　me；　should　fail。　　I　could　answer　for　all　those　who　belonged　to　the　service　immediately　about　the　Queen's　person；　and　I　was　right；　but　her　wardrobe　woman　gave　me　well…　founded　reason　for　alarm。　　I　mentioned　to　the　Queen　many　revolutionary　remarks　which　this　woman　had　made　to　me　a　few　days　before。　　Her　office　was　directly　under　the　control　of　the　first　femme　de　chambre；　yet　she　had　refused　to　obey　the　directions　I　gave　her；　talking　insolently　to　me　about　〃hierarchy　overturned；　equality　among　men；〃　of　course　more　especially　among　persons　holding　offices　at　Court；　and　this　jargon；　at　that　time　in　the　mouths　of　all　the　partisans　of　the　Revolution；　was　terminated　by　an　observation　which　frightened　me。　　〃You　know　many　important　secrets；　madame；〃　said　this　woman　to　me；　〃and　I　have　guessed　quite　as　many。　　I　am　not　a　fool；　I　see　all　that　is　going　forward　here　in　consequence　of　the　bad　advice　given　to　the　King　and　Queen；　I　could　frustrate　it　all　if　I　chose。〃　　This　argument；　in　which　I　had　been　promptly　silenced；　left　me　pale　and　trembling。　　Unfortunately；　as　I　began　my　narrative　to　the　Queen　with　particulars　of　this　woman's　refusal　to　obey　me；and　sovereigns　are　all　their　lives　importuned　with　complaints　upon　the　rights　of　places；　she　believed　that　my　own　dissatisfaction　had　much　to　do　with　the　step　I　was　taking；　and　she　did　not　sufficiently　fear　the　woman。　　Her　office；　although　a　very　inferior　one；　brought　her　in　nearly　fifteen　thousand　francs　a　year。　　Still　young；　tolerably　handsome；　with　comfortable　apartments　in　the　entresols　of　the　Tuileries；　she　saw　a　great　deal　of　company；　and　in　the　evening　had　assemblies；　consisting　of　deputies　of　the　revolutionary　party。　　M。　de　Gouvion；　major…general　of　the　National　Guard；　passed　almost　every　day　with　her；　and　it　is　to　be　presumed　that　she　had　long　worked　for　the　party　in　opposition　to　the　Court。　　The　Queen　asked　her　for　the　key　of　a　door　which　led　to　the　principal　vestibule　of　the　Tuileries；　telling　her　she　wished　to　have　a　similar　one；　that　she　might　not　be　under　the　necessity　of　going　out　through　the　pavilion　of　Flora。　M。　de　Gouvion　and　M。　de　La　Fayette　would；　of　course；　be　apprised　of　this　circumstance；　and　well…informed　persons　have　assured　me　that　on　the　very　night　of　the　Queen's　departure　this　wretched　woman　had　a　spy　with　her；　who　saw　the　royal　family　set　off。

As　soon　as　I　had　executed　all　the　Queen's　orders；　on　the　30th　of　May；　1791；　I　set　out　for　Auvergne；　and　was　settled　in　the　gloomy　narrow　valley　of　Mont　d'Or；　when；　about　four　in　the　afternoon　of　the　25th　of　June；　I　heard　the　beat　of　a　drum　to　call　the　inhabitants　of　the　hamlet　together。　　When　it　had　ceased　I　heard　a　hairdresser　from　Bresse　proclaim　in　the　provincial　dialect　of　Auvergne：　〃The　King　and　Queen　were　taking　flight　in　order　to　ruin　France；　but　I　come　to　tell　you　that　they　are　stopped；　and　are　well　guarded　by　a　hundred　thousand　men　under　arms。〃　　I　still　ventured　to　hope　that　he　was　repeating　only　a　false　report；　but　he　went　on：　〃The　Queen；　with　her　well…known　haughtiness；　lifted　up　the　veil　which　covered　her　face；　and　said　to　the　citizens　who　were　upbraiding　the　King；　〃Well；　since　you　recognise　your　sovereign；　respect　him。〃　　Upon　hearing　these　expressions；　which　the　Jacobin　club　of　Clermont　could　not　have　invented；　I　exclaimed；　〃The　news　is　true！〃

I　immediately　learnt　that；　a　courier　being　come　from　Paris　to　Clermont；　the　'procureur'　of　the　commune　had　sent　off　messengers　to　the　chief　places　of　the　canton；　these　again　sent　couriers　to　the　districts；　and　the　districts　in　like　manner　informed　the　villages　and　hamlets　which　they　contained。　　It　was　through　this　ramification；　arising　from　the　establishment　of　clubs；　that　the　afflicting　intelligence　of　the　misfortune　of　my　sovereigns　reached　me　in　the　wildest　part　of　France；　and　in　the　midst　of　the　snows　by　which　we　were　environed。

On　the　28th　I　received　a　note　written　in　a　hand　which　I　recognised　as　that　of　M。　Diet；＇This　officer　was　slain　in　the　Queen's　chamber　on　the　10th　of　Augaet＇　usher　of　the　Queen's　chamber；　but　dictated　by　her　Majesty。　　It　contained　these　words：　〃I　am　this　moment　arrived；　I　have　just　got　into　my　bath；　I　and　my　family　exist；　that　is　all。　　I　have　suffered　much。　　Do　not　return　to　Paris　until　I　desire　you。　　Take　good　care　of　my　poor　Campan；　soothe　his　sorrow。　　Look　for　happier　times。〃　This　note　was　for　greater　safety　addressed　to　my　father…in…law's　valet…de　…chambre。　　What　were　my　feelings　on　perceiving　that　after　the　most　distressing　crisis　we　were　among　the　first　objects　of　the　kindness　of　that　unfortunate　Princess！

M。　Campan　having　been　unable　to　benefit　by　the　waters　of　Mont　d'Or；　and　the　first　popular　effervescence　having　subsided；　I　thought　I　might　return　to　Clermont。　　The　committee　of　surveillance；　or　that　of　general　safety；　had　resolved　to　arrest　me　there；　but　the　Abbe　Louis；　formerly　a　parliamentary　counsellor；　and　then　a　member　of　the　Constituent　Assembly；　was　kind　enough　to　affirm　that　I　was　in　Auvergne　solely　for　the　purpose　of　attending　my　father…in…law；　who　was　extremely　ill。　　The　precautions　relative　to　my　absence　from　Paris　were　limited　to　placing　us　under　the　surveillance　of　the　'procureur'　of　the　commune；　who　was　at　the　same　time　president　of　the　Jacobin　club；　but　he　was　also　a　physician　of　repute；　and　without　having　any　doubt　that　he　had　received　secret　orders　relative　to　me；　I　thought　it　would　favour　the　chances　of　our　safety　if　I　selected　him　to　attend　my　patient。　　I　paid　him　according　to　the　rate　given　to　the　best　Paris　physicians；　and　I　requested　him　to　visit　us　every　morning　and　every　evening。　　I　took　the　precaution　to　subscribe　to　no　other　newspaper　than　the　Moniteur。　　Doctor　Monestier　（for　that　was　the　physician's　name）　frequently　took　upon　himself　to　read　it　to　us。　　Whenever　he　thought　proper　to　speak　of　the　King　and　Queen　in　the　insulting　and　brutal　terms　at　that　time　unfortunately　adopted　throughout　France；　I　used　to　stop　him　and　say；　coolly；　〃Monsieur；　you　are　here　in　company　with　the　servants　of　Louis　XVI。　　and　Marie　Antoinette。　　Whatever　may　be　the　wrongs　with　which　the　nation　believes　it　has　to　reproach　them；　our　principles　forbid　our　losing　sight　of　the　respect　due　to　them　from　us。〃　　Notwithstanding　that　he　was　an　inveterate　patriot；　he　felt　the　force　of　this　remark；　and　even　procured　the　revocation　of　a　second　order　for　our　arrest；　becoming　responsible　for　us　to　the　committee　of　the　Assembly；　and　to　the　Jacobin　society。

The　two　chief　women　about　the　Dauphin；　who　had　accompanied　the　Queen　to　Varennes；　Diet；　her　usher；　and　Camot；　her　garcon　de　toilette；the　women　on　account　of　the　journey；　and　the　men　in　consequence　of　the　denunciation　of　the　woman　belonging　to　the　wardrobe；were　sent　to　the　prisons　of　the　Abbaye。　　After　my　departure　the　garcon　de　toilette　whom　I　had　taken　to　Madame　Vallayer　Coster's　was　sent　there　with　the　portfolio　she　had　agreed　to　receive。　　This　commission　could　not　escape　the　detestable　spy　upo