the memoirs of marie antoinette-第75节

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　but　when　the　Queen　was　free　from　the　inner　guard　she　said　she　would　see　him。　　The　very　great　precautions　which　it　was　necessary　for　the　deputy　to　take　in　order　to　conceal　his　connection　with　the　King　and　Queen　compelled　them　to　spend　two　hours　waiting　for　him　in　one　of　the　corridors　of　the　Tuileries；　and　all　in　vain。　　The　first　day　that　he　was　to　be　admitted；　a　man　whom　Barnave　knew　to　be　dangerous　having　met　him　in　the　courtyard　of　the　palace；　he　determined　to　cross　it　without　stopping；　and　walked　in　the　gardens　in　order　to　lull　suspicion。　　I　was　desired　to　wait　for　Barnave　at　a　little　door　belonging　to　the　entresols　of　the　palace；　with　my　hand　upon　the　open　lock。　　I　was　in　that　position　for　an　hour。　　The　King　came　to　me　frequently；　and　always　to　speak　to　me　of　the　uneasiness　which　a　servant　belonging　to　the　Chateau；　who　was　a　patriot；　gave　him。　　He　came　again　to　ask　me　whether　I　had　heard　the　door　called　de　Decret　opened。　　I　assured　him　nobody　had　been　in　the　corridor；　and　he　became　easy。　　He　was　dreadfully　apprehensive　that　his　connection　with　Barnave　would　be　discovered。　　〃It　would；〃　said　the　King；　〃be　a　ground　for　grave　accusations；　and　the　unfortunate　man　would　be　lost。〃　　I　then　ventured　to　remind　his　Majesty　that　as　Barnave　was　not　the　only　one　in　the　secret　of　the　business　which　brought　him　in　contact　with　their　Majesties；　one　of　his　colleagues　might　be　induced　to　speak　of　the　association　with　which　they　were　honoured；　and　that　in　letting　them　know　by　my　presence　that　I　also　was　informed　of　it；　a　risk　was　incurred　of　removing　from　those　gentlemen　part　of　the　responsibility　of　the　secret。　　Upon　this　observation　the　King　quitted　me　hastily　and　returned　a　moment　afterwards　with　the　Queen。　　〃Give　me　your　place；〃　said　she；　〃I　will　wait　for　him　in　my　turn。　　You　have　convinced　the　King。　　We　must　not　increase　in　their　eyes　the　number　of　persons　informed　of　their　communications　with　us。〃

The　police　of　M。　de　Laporte；　intendant　of　the　civil　list；　apprised　him；　as　early　as　the　latter　end　of　1791；　that　a　man　belonging　to　the　King's　offices　who　had　set　up　as　a　pastrycook　at　the　Palais　Royal　was　about　to　resume　the　duties　of　his　situation；　which　had　devolved　upon　him　again　on　the　death　of　one　who　held　it　for　life；　that　he　was　so　furious　a　Jacobin　that　he　had　dared　to　say　it　would　be　a　good　thing　for　France　if　the　King's　days　were　shortened。　　His　duty　was　confined　to　making　the　pastry；　he　was　closely　watched　by　the　head　officers　of　the　kitchen；　who　were　devoted　to　his　Majesty；　but　it　is　so　easy　to　introduce　a　subtle　poison　into　made　dishes　that　it　was　determined　the　King　and　Queen　should　eat　only　plain　roast　meat　in　future；　that　their　bread　should　be　brought　to　them　by　M。　Thierry　de　Ville…d'Avray；　intendant　of　the　smaller　apartments；　and　that　he　should　likewise　take　upon　himself　to　supply　the　wine。　　The　King　was　fond　of　pastry；　I　was　directed　to　order　some；　as　if　for　myself；　sometimes　of　one　pastry…cook；　and　sometimes　of　another。　　The　pounded　sugar；　too；　was　kept　in　my　room。　　The　King；　the　Queen；　and　Madame　Elisabeth　ate　together；　and　nobody　remained　to　wait　on　them。　　Each　had　a　dumb　waiter　and　a　little　bell　to　call　the　servants　when　they　were　wanted。　M。　Thierry　used　himself　to　bring　me　their　Majesties'　bread　and　wine；　and　I　locked　them　up　in　a　private　cupboard　in　the　King's　closet　on　the　ground　floor。　　As　soon　as　the　King　sat　down　to　table　I　took　in　the　pastry　and　bread。　　All　was　hidden　under　the　table　lest　it　might　be　necessary　to　have　the　servants　in。　　The　King　thought　it　dangerous　as　well　as　distressing　to　show　any　apprehension　of　attempts　against　his　person；　or　any　mistrust　of　his　officers　of　the　kitchen。　　As　he　never　drank　a　whole　bottle　of　wine　at　his　meals　（the　Princesses　drank　nothing　but　water）；　he　filled　up　that　out　of　which　he　had　drunk　about　half　from　the　bottle　served　up　by　the　officers　of　his　butlery。　　I　took　it　away　after　dinner。　　Although　he　never　ate　any　other　pastry　than　that　which　I　brought；　he　took　care　in　the　same　manner　that　it　should　seem　that　he　had　eaten　of　that　served　at　table。　The　lady　who　succeeded　me　found　this　duty　all　regulated；　and　she　executed　it　in　the　same　manner；　the　public　never　was　in　possession　of　these　particulars；　nor　of　the　apprehensions　which　gave　rise　to　them。　　At　the　end　of　three　or　four　months　the　police　of　M。　de　Laporte　gave　notice　that　nothing　more　was　to　be　dreaded　from　that　sort　of　plot　against　the　King's　life；　that　the　plan　was　entirely　changed；　and　that　all　the　blows　now　to　be　struck　would　be　directed　as　much　against　the　throne　as　against　the　person　of　the　sovereign。

There　are　others　besides　myself　who　know　that　at　this　time　one　of　the　things　about　which　the　Queen　most　desired　to　be　satisfied　was　the　opinion　of　the　famous　Pitt。　　She　would　sometimes　say　to　me；　〃I　never　pronounce　the　name　of　Pitt　without　feeling　a　chill　like　that　of　death。〃　　（I　repeat　here　her　very　expressions。）　〃That　man　is　the　mortal　enemy　of　France；　and　he　takes　a　dreadful　revenge　for　the　impolitic　support　given　by　the　Cabinet　of　Versailles　to　the　American　insurgents。　　He　wishes　by　our　destruction　to　guarantee　the　maritime　power　of　his　country　forever　against　the　efforts　made　by　the　King　to　improve　his　marine　power　and　their　happy　results　during　the　last　war。　　He　knows　that　it　is　not　only　the　King's　policy　but　his　private　inclination　to　be　solicitous　about　his　fleets；　and　that　the　most　active　step　he　has　taken　during　his　whole　reign　was　to　visit　the　port　of　Cherbourg。　　Pitt　had　served　the　cause　of　the　French　Revolution　from　the　first　disturbances；　he　will　perhaps　serve　it　until　its　annihilation。　　I　will　endeavour　to　learn　to　what　point　he　intends　to　lead　us；　and　I　am　sending　M。…　to　London　for　that　purpose。　He　has　been　intimately　connected　with　Pitt；　and　they　have　often　had　political　conversations　respecting　the　French　Government。　　I　will　get　him　to　make　him　speak　out；　at　least　so　far　as　such　a　man　can　speak　out。〃　Some　time　afterwards　the　Queen　told　me　that　her　secret　envoy　was　returned　from　London；　and　that　all　he　had　been　able　to　wring　from　Pitt；　whom　he　found　alarmingly　reserved；　was　that　he　would　not　suffer　the　French　monarchy　to　perish；　that　to　suffer　the　revolutionary　spirit　to　erect　an　organised　republic　in　France　would　be　a　great　error；　affecting　the　tranquillity　of　Europe。　　〃Whenever；〃　said　she；　〃Pitt　expressed　himself　upon　the　necessity　of　supporting　monarchy　in　France；　he　maintained　the　most　profound　silence　upon　what　concerns　the　monarch。　　The　result　of　these　conversations　is　anything　but　encouraging；　but；　even　as　to　that　monarchy　which　he　wishes　to　save；　will　he　have　means　and　strength　to　save　it　if　he　suffers　us　to　fall？〃

The　death　of　the　Emperor　Leopold　took　place　on　the　1st　of　March；　1792。　When　the　news　of　this　event　reached　the　Tuileries；　the　Queen　was　gone　out。　　Upon　her　return　I　put　the　letter　containing　it　into　her　hands。　　She　exclaimed　that　the　Emperor　had　been　poisoned；　that　she　had　remarked　and　preserved　a　newspaper；　in　which；　in　an　article　upon　the　sitting　of　the　Jacobins；　at　the　time　when　the　Emperor　Leopold　declared　for　the　coalition；　it　was　said；　speaking　of　him；　that　a　pie…crust　would　settle　that　matter。　　At　this　period　Barnave　obtained　the　Queen's　consent　that　he　should　read　all　the　letters　she　should　write。　　He　was　fearful　of　private　correspondences　that　might　hamper　the　plan　marked　out　for　her；　he　mistrusted　her　Majesty's　sincerity　on　this　point；　and　the　diversity　of　counsels；　and　the　necessity　of　yielding；　on　the　one　hand；　to　some　of　the　views　of　the　constitutionalists；　and　on　the　other；　to　those　of　the　French　Princes；　and　even　of　foreign　Courts；　were　unfortunately　the　circumstances　which　most　rapidly　impelled　the　Court　towards　its　ruin。

However；　the　emigrants　showed　great　apprehensions　of　the　consequences　which　might　follow　in　the　interior　from　a　connection　with　the　constitutionalists；　whom　they　described　as　a　party　existing　only　in　idea；　and　totally　without　means　of　repairing　their　errors。　　The　Jacobins　were　preferred　to　them；　because；　said　they；　there　would　be　no　treaty　to　be　made　with　any　one　at　the　moment　of　extricating　the　King　and　his　family　from　the　abyss　in　which　they　were　plunged。




CHAPTER　VII。

In　the　beginning　of　the　year　1792；　a　worthy　priest　requested　a　private　interview　with　me。　　He　had　learned　the　existence　of　a　new　libel　by　Madame　de　Lamotte。　　He　told　me　that　the　people　who　came　from　London　to　get　it　printed　in　Paris　only　desired　gain；　and　that　they　were　ready　to　deliver　the　manuscript　to　him　for　a　thousand　louis；　if　he　could　find　any　friend　of　the　Queen　disposed　to　make　that　sacrifice　for　her　peace；　that　he　had　thought　of　me；　and　if　her　Majesty　would　give　him　the　twenty…four　thousand　francs；　he　would　hand　the　manuscript　to　me。

I　communicated　this　proposal　to　the　Queen；　who　rejected　it；　and　desired　me　to　answer　that　at　the　time　when　she　had　power　to　punish　the　hawkers　of　these　libels　she　deemed　them　so　atrocious　and　incredible　that　she　despised　them　too　much　to　stop　them；　that　if　she　were　imprudent　and　weak　enough　to　buy　a　single　one　of　them；　the　Jacobins　might　possibly　discover　the　circumstance　through　their　espionage；　that　were　this　libel　brought　up；　it　would　be　printed　nevertheless；　and　would　be　much　more　dangerous　when　they　apprised　the　public　of　the