the memoirs of marie antoinette-第71节

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one　but　himself　could　confide　out　of　the　palace。　M。　de　La　Fayette　was　obliged　to　comply。

On　the　day　when　the　return　of　the　royal　family　was　expected；　there　were　no　carriages　in　motion　in　the　streets　of　Paris。　　Five　or　six　of　the　Queen's　women；　after　being　refused　admittance　at　all　the　other　gates；　went　with　one　of　my　sisters　to　that　of　the　Feuillans；　insisting　that　the　sentinel　should　admit　them。　　The　poissardes　attacked　them　for　their　boldness　in　resisting　the　order　excluding　them。　　One　of　them　seized　my　sister　by　the　arm；　calling　her　the　slave　of　the　Austrian。　　〃Hear　me；〃　said　my　sister　to　her；　〃I　have　been　attached　to　the　Queen　ever　since　I　was　fifteen　years　of　age；　she　gave　me　my　marriage　portion；　I　served　her　when　she　was　powerful　and　happy。　　She　is　now　unfortunate。　　Ought　I　to　abandon　her？〃〃She　is　right；〃　cried　the　poissardes；　〃she　ought　not　to　abandon　her　mistress；　let　us　make　an　entry　for　them。〃　　They　instantly　surrounded　the　sentinel；　forced　the　passage；　and　introduced　the　Queen's　women；　accompanying　them　to　the　terrace　of　the　Feuillans。　　One　of　these　furies；　whom　the　slightest　impulse　would　have　driven　to　tear　my　sister　to　pieces；　taking　her　under　her　protection；　gave　her　advice　by　which　she　might　reach　the　palace　in　safety。　　〃But　of　all　things；　my　dear　friend；〃　said　she　to　her；　〃pull　off　that　green　ribbon　sash；　it　is　the　color　of　that　D'Artois；　whom　we　will　never　forgive。〃

The　measures　adopted　for　guarding　the　King　were　rigorous　with　respect　to　the　entrance　into　the　palace；　and　insulting　as　to　his　private　apartments。　The　commandants　of　battalion；　stationed　in　the　salon　called　the　grand　cabinet；　and　which　led　to　the　Queen's　bedchamber；　were　ordered　to　keep　the　door　of　it　always　open；　in　order　that　they　might　have　their　eyes　upon　the　royal　family。　　The　King　shut　this　door　one　day；　the　officer　of　the　guard　opened　it；　and　told　him　such　were　his　orders；　and　that　he　would　always　open　it；　so　that　his　Majesty　in　shutting　it　gave　himself　useless　trouble。　　It　remained　open　even　during　the　night；　when　the　Queen　was　in　bed；　and　the　officer　placed　himself　in　an　armchair　between　the　two　doors；　with　his　head　turned　towards　her　Majesty。　　They　only　obtained　permission　to　have　the　inner　door　shut　when　the　Queen　was　rising。　　The　Queen　had　the　bed　of　her　first　femme　de　chambre　placed　very　near　her　own；　this　bed；　which　ran　on　casters；　and　was　furnished　with　curtains；　hid　her　from　the　officer's　sight。

Madame　de　Jarjaye；　my　companion；　who　continued　her　functions　during　the　whole　period　of　my　absence；　told　me　that　one　night　the　commandant　of　battalion；　who　slept　between　the　two　doors；　seeing　that　she　was　sleeping　soundly；　and　that　the　Queen　was　awake；　quitted　his　post　and　went　close　to　her　Majesty；　to　advise　her　as　to　the　line　of　conduct　she　should　pursue。　Although　she　had　the　kindness　to　desire　him　to　speak　lower　in　order　that　he　might　not　disturb　Madame　de　Jarjaye's　rest；　the　latter　awoke；　and　nearly　died　with　fright　at　seeing　a　man　in　the　uniform　of　the　Parisian　guard　so　near　the　Queen's　bed。　　Her　Majesty　comforted　her；　and　told　her　not　to　rise；　that　the　person　she　saw　was　a　good　Frenchman；　who　was　deceived　respecting　the　intentions　and　situation　of　his　sovereign　and　herself；　but　whose　conversation　showed　sincere　attachment　to　the　King。

There　was　a　sentinel　in　the　corridor　which　runs　behind　the　apartments　in　question；　where　there　is　a　staircase；　which　was　at　that　time　an　inner　one；　and　enabled　the　King　and　Queen　to　communicate　freely。　　This　post；　which　was　very　onerous；　because　it　was　to　be　kept　four　and　twenty　hours；　was　often　claimed　by　Saint　Prig；　an　actor　belonging　to　the　Theatre　Francais。　　He　took　it　upon　himself　sometimes　to　contrive　brief　interviews　between　the　King　and　Queen　in　this　corridor。　　He　left　them　at　a　distance；　and　gave　them　warning　if　he　heard　the　slightest　noise。　　M。　Collot；　commandant　of　battalion　of　the　National　Guard；　who　was　charged　with　the　military　duty　of　the　Queen's　household；　in　like　manner　softened　down；　so　far　as　he　could　with　prudence；　all；　the　revolting　orders　he　received；　for　instance；　one　to　follow　the　Queen　to　the　very　door　of　her　wardrobe　was　never　executed。　　An　officer　of　the　Parisian　guard　dared　to　speak　insolently　of　the　Queen　in　her　own　apartment。　　M。　Collot　wished　to　make　a　complaint　to　M。　de　La　Fayette　against　him；　and　have　him　dismissed。　　The　Queen　opposed　it；　and　condescended　to　say　a　few　words　of　explanation　and　kindness　to　the　man；　he　instantly　became　one　of　her　most　devoted　partisans。

The　first　time　I　saw　her　Majesty　after　the　unfortunate　catastrophe　of　the　Varennes　journey；　I　found　her　getting　out　of　bed；　her　features　were　not　very　much　altered；　but　after　the　first　kind　words　she　uttered　to　me　she　took　off　her　cap　and　desired　me　to　observe　the　effect　which　grief　had　produced　upon　her　hair。　　It　had　become；　in　one　single　night；　as　white　as　that　of　a　woman　of　seventy。　　Her　Majesty　showed　me　a　ring　she　had　just　had　mounted　for　the　Princesse　de　Lamballe；　it　contained　a　lock　of　her　whitened　hair；　with　the　inscription；　〃Blanched　by　sorrow。〃　　At　the　period　of　the　acceptance　of　the　constitution　the　Princess　wished　to　return　to　France。　　The　Queen；　who　had　no　expectation　that　tranquillity　would　be　restored；　opposed　this；　but　the　attachment　of　Madame　de　Lamballe　to　the　royal　family　impelled　her　to　come　and　seek　death。

When　I　returned　to　Paris　most　of　the　harsh　precautions　were　abandoned；　the　doors　were　not　kept　open；　greater　respect　was　paid　to　the　sovereign；　it　was　known　that　the　constitution　soon　to　be　completed　would　be　accepted；　and　a　better　order　of　things　was　hoped　for。




CHAPTER　VI。

On　my　arrival　at　Paris　on　the　25th　of　August　I　found　the　state　of　feeling　there　much　more　temperate　than　I　had　dared　to　hope。　　The　conversation　generally　ran　upon　the　acceptance　of　the　constitution；　and　the　fetes　which　would　be　given　in　consequence。　　The　struggle　between　the　Jacobins　and　the　constitutionals　on　the　17th　of　July；　1791；　nevertheless　had　thrown　the　Queen　into　great　terror　for　some　moments；　and　the　firing　of　the　cannon　from　the　Champ　de　Mars　upon　a　party　which　called　for　a　trial　of　the　King；　and　the　leaders　of　which　were　in　the　very　bosom　of　the　Assembly；　left　the　most　gloomy　impressions　upon　her　mind。

The　constitutionals；　the　Queen's　connection　with　whom　was　not　slackened　by　the　intervention　of　the　three　members　already　mentioned；　had　faithfully　served　the　royal　family　during　their　detention。

〃We　still　hold　the　wire　by　which　this　popular　mass　is　moved；〃　said　Barnave　to　M。　de　J…　one　day；　at　the　same　time　showing　him　a　large　volume；　in　which　the　names　of　all　those　who　were　influenced　with　the　power　of　gold　alone　were　registered。　　It　was　at　that　time　proposed　to　hire　a　considerable　number　of　persons　in　order　to　secure　loud　acclamations　when　the　King　and　his　family　should　make　their　appearance　at　the　play　upon　the　acceptance　of　the　constitution。　　That　day；　which　afforded　a　glimmering　hope　of　tranquillity；　was　the　14th　of　September；　the　fetes　were　brilliant；　but　already　fresh　anxieties　forbade　the　royal　family　to　encourage　much　hope。

The　Legislative　Assembly；　which　had　just　succeeded　the　Constituent　Assembly　（October；　1791）；　founded　its　conduct　upon　the　wildest　republican　principles；　created　from　the　midst　of　popular　assemblies；　it　was　wholly　inspired　by　the　spirit　which　animated　them。　　The　constitution；　as　I　have　said；　was　presented　to　the　King　on　the　3d　of　September；　1791。　　The　ministers；　with　the　exception　of　M。　de　Montmorin；　insisted　upon　the　necessity　of　accepting　the　constitutional　act　in　its　entirety。　　The　Prince　de　Kaunitz＇Minister　of　Austria＇　was　of　the　same　opinion。　Malouet　wished　the　King　to　express　himself　candidly　respecting　any　errors　or　dangers　that　he　might　observe　in　the　constitution。　　But　Duport　and　Barnave；　alarmed　at　the　spirit　prevailing　in　the　Jacobin　Club；

　　　　　＇The　extreme　revolutionary　party；　so　called　from　the　club；　　　　　　originally　〃Breton；〃　then　〃Amis　de　la　Constitution；〃　sitting　at　the　　　　　　convent　of　the　Dominicans　（called　in　France　Jacobins）　of　the　Rue　　　　　　Saint　Honore。＇

and　even　in　the　Assembly；　where　Robespierre　had　already　denounced　them　as　traitors　to　the　country；　and　dreading　still　greater　evils；　added　their　opinions　to　those　of　the　majority　of　the　ministers　and　M。　de　Kaunitz；　those　who　really　desired　that　the　constitution　should　be　maintained　advised　that　it　should　not　be　accepted　thus　literally。　　The　King　seemed　inclined　to　this　advice；　and　this　is　one　of　the　strongest　proofs　of　his　sincerity。

Alexandre　Lameth；　Duport；　and　Barnave；　still　relying　on　the　resources　of　their　party；　hoped　to　have　credit　for　directing　the　King　through　the　influence　they　believed　they　had　acquired　over　the　mind　of　the　Queen。　They　also　consulted　people　of　acknowledged　talent；　but　belonging　to　no　council　nor　to　any　assembly。　　Among　these　was　M。　Dubucq；　formerly　intendant　of　the　marine　and　of　the　colonies。　　He　answered　laconically　in　one　phrase：　〃Prevent　disorder　from　organising　itself。〃

The　letter　written　by　the　King　to　the　Assembly；　claiming　to　accept　the　constitution　in　the　very　place　where　it　had　been　created；　and　where　he　announced　he　would　be　on　the　14th　September　at　mid…day；　was　received　with　transport；　and　the　reading　was　repeatedly　interrupted　by　plau