The Chevalier De Maison Rouge (12 page)

gardens, the soldiers of the post were smoking and laugh-

ing. But, notwithstanding the beauty of the day. and

the offer made to the prisoners to descend and walk in the

garden, the three females refused to do so ; as, since the

execution of her husband, the queen had obstinately se-

cluded herself in her chamber, dreading to pass the door

of the apartment lately occupied by the king on the

second story. "When by any chance she took the air, since the fatal occurrence of the 21st of January, she did so on

the platform of the tower, where even the battlements

were inclosed with shutters.

The National Guards on duty, who knew the three

females had received permission to go out, waited in vain

all day, wishing much to turn this same authority to

some account. Toward five o'clock a man descended

and approached the sergeant in command of the post.

" Ah, ah ! is that you, Father Tison ? " said he, who appeared to be a right merry fellow.

' Yes, it is I, citizen ; I bring you, on the part of the

municipal, Maurice Lindey, your friend, who is now up-

stairs, this permission, granted by the Council of the

Temple to my daughter, to pay a visit to her mother this

evening."

" And you are going out just as your daughter is com-

ing in ? Unnatural father !" said the sergeant.

"I am going much against my inclination, Citizen

Sergeant. I also hope to see my poor child, whom I

have not seen for two months, and to embrace her this

?6 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

evening. I am going out now. This service, this

damned service, compels me to go out. It is necessary 1

should go to the Commune to make my report. A fiacre

is waiting for me at the door, with two gendarmes, and

it is exactly the time when my poor Sophie will arrive."

" Unhappy parent ! " said the sergeant.

" And, Citizen Sergeant, when my child comes to see

her poor mother, who is dying to see her, you will allow

her to pass ? "

" The order is correct," replied the sergeant, whom the reader has no doubt recognized as our friend Louis ; " so I have nothing to say against it. When your daughter

conies, she can pass."

"Thanks, brave Thermopyle, thanks/' said Tison ; and

he went out to make his report to the Commune, mm

muring, " My poor wife ! how happy she will be ! "

" Do you know, sergeant," said one of the National Guard, seeing Tison depart, and overhearing the last

words, " do you know there is something in this that

makes my blood run cold ? "

"What is it, Citizen Devaux ?" demanded Louis.

" Why," replied the compassionate National Guard,

" to see this man, with his surly face and heart of stone, this pitiless guardian of the queen, go out with his eyes

full of tears, partly of joy, partly of grief, thinking that his wife will see his daughter, and he shall not. It does

not do to reflect upon it too much, sergeant ; it really is grievous."

"Doubtless that is why lie does not reflect upon it

himself, this man who goes out with tears in his eyes, as

you term it."

" Upon what should he reflect ? "

"That it is three months since this woman he so bru-

tally uses has seen her child. He does not think of her

grief, only of his own, that is all. It is true, this woman was queen," continued the sergeant, in an ironical tone, rather difficult of comprehension, " and one is not

obliged to feel the same respect for a queen as for the

wife of a journeyman."

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 77

" Notwithstanding, all this is very sad," said Devaux.

"Sad, but necessary," said Louis. "The best way, then, is, as you say, not to reflect." And he began to sing:

" Where the branches met

On a rocky stone,

There I found Nicette

Seated all alone."

Louis was in the midst of his pastoral ditty, when

suddenly a loud noise was heard from the left side of the

post, composed of oaths, menaces, and tears.

"What is that ?" demanded Devaux.

" It sounded like the voice of a child," said Louis, listening.

" In fact," said the National Guard, " it is a poor little one they are beating. Truly they ought only to

send here those who have no children."

" Will you sing ? " said a hoarse and drunken voice.

And the voice sung, in example :

" Madame Veto promised

That all our heads should fall "

" No," said the child, " I will not sing."

"Will you sing ?"

And the voice recommenced :

" Madame Veto promised '

"No, no ! " said the child. " No, no, no !"

"Ah, little beggar!" said the hoarse voice; and the noise of a lash whirring through the air was distinctly

heard. The infant screamed with agony.

"Ah, sacrc bleu!" said Louis, "it is that rascally Simon beating the little Capet."

Several of the National Guards shrugged their shoul-

ders. Two or three tried to smile. Devaux rose and

went out.

" I said truly," murmured lie, " that parents should never enter here."

All at once a low door opened, and the royal child,

78 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

chased by the whip of his guardian, made a flying leap

into the court, when something hard struck his leg and

fell on the ground behind him.

He stumbled and fell upon his knee.

" Bring me my last, little monster, or else "

The child rose, and shook his head, in token of refusal.

" Ah ! this is it, is it ? " said the same voice. " Wait, you shall see."

And the shoemaker, Simon, rushed into his hut as a

wild beast to its den.

" Halloo ! halloo ! " said Louis, frowning. " Where are you going so fast, Master Simon ? "

" To chastise this little wolf's cub," said the shoemaker.

" To chastise him, for what ? "

" For what ? "

"Yes."

" Because the little beggar will neither sing like a

good patriot, nor work like a good citizen."

" Well, what have you to do with that ?" said Louis.

" Did the nation confide Capet to you that you might

teach him to sing ? "

" And what business have you to interfere, I should

like to know, Citizen Sergeant ?"said Simon, astonished.

" I interfere, as it becomes every man of feeling to do.

It is unworthy of a man to see a child beaten, and to

suffer him to be beaten."

" Bali ! the son of a tyrant."

" He is a child ; and the child has not participated in the crimes of the father. The child is not culpable, and,

consequently, ought not to be punished."

" And I tell you he was placed with me to do what I

choose with him. I choose him to sing Madame Veto,'

and he shall sing it."

"Contemptible wretch!" said Louis. "'Madame

Veto ' is mother to this child. Would you yourself like

your child to be made to sing that you were one of the

canaille?"

" Me ! " cried Simon. " Vile aristocrat of a sergeant ! "

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 79

" No names," said Louis. " I am not Capet ; and they will not make me sing by force."

" I will have you arrested, vile ci-devant ! "

"You! "said Louis, "you have me arrested ? You had better try to arrest a Thermopyle."

" Good, good ! He laughs best who laughs last. And

now, Capet, pick up my last, and come and finish your

shoe, or, mille tonnerres ! "

" And I," said Louis, turning deathly pale, and advancing a few steps forward, his hands clinched and his

teeth set " I tell you he shall not pick up your last, he shall not make shoes ; do you hear, idiot ? "

"Ah, yes; you talk very largely, but that will not

make me fear you any the more. "Ah, massacre ! "

roared Simon, turning pale with rage.

At this moment two women entered the court. One

held a paper in her hand. She addressed herself to the

sentinel.

"Sergeant," cried the sentinel, "itisTison's daughter, who asks to see her mother."

" Let her pass, since the Council of the Temple per-

mit it," said Louis, who did not wish to leave for a

moment, for fear Simon should avail himself of his ab-

sence and again beat the child.

The sentinel passed the two women ; but hardly had

they ascended four steps on the dark staircase, when

thoy encountered Maurice Liudey, who at that moment

was descending into the court. It was almost dark, so

that he was unable to distinguish their features.

Maurice stopped.

" Who are you, citizens ? " said he, " and what do you want ? "

" I am Sophie Tison," said one of the women ; " I obtained permission to visit my mother, and have come to

see her/'

" Yes," said Maurice ; " but this permission was for yourself only, citoyenne."

" I brought my friend, that there might be two of us

in the midst of the soldiers, at least."

80 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

" Very good ; but your friend cannot go up."

" As you please, citizen," said Sophie Tison, pressing the hand of her friend, who, close against the wall,

seemed paralyzed with surprise and terror.

" Citizen Sentinels," said Maurice, raising his voice, and addressing the sentinels who were stationed on every

landing, "allow the Citoyenne Tison to pass, but do not permit her friend to pass ; she will remain on the staircase ; see that "he is treated with all due respect."

" Yes, citizen," replied the sentinels.

" Go up, then," said Maurice.

The two women then passed on, and Maurice, leaping

over the remaining five or six stairs, advanced rapidly

into the court.

" What is all this ? " said he, to the National Guard ;

" and what is the cause of this noise ? The cries of a child were heard in the prisoner's ante-chamber."

"It is this," said Simon, who, accustomed to the

manners of the municipals, believed, on perceiving

Maurice, that he came as an ally ; " this traitor, this spy, this ci-devant, this aristocrat, prevents me from belabor-ing Capet ; " and he shook his fists at Louis.

" Yes, won Dieu ! I did prevent it," said Louis, drawing his sword ; " and if you again call me ci-devant, aristocrat, or traitor, I will run my sword through your

body."

" A threat ! " cried Simon ; "the guard, the guard ! "

"I am the guard," said Louis ; " so you had better not call, for if I come to you, I will exterminate you."

" Come here, Citizen Municipal, come here," said

Simon, now seriously alarmed at Louis' threats.

" The sergeant is quite right," said the municipal to whom he had appealed for assistance ; "you are a disgrace to the nation, coward, to beat a child."

" And why did he beat him ? Do you comprehend ? "

said Maurice.

"Because the child would not sing ' Madame Veto/

because the child would not insult his mother."

"Miserable wretch !" said Maurice.

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. gl

"And you also!" said Simon. " I am surrounded with traitors."

" Kogue ! " cried the municipal, seizing Simon by the throat and tearing the last from his hand, "try to prove that Maurice Lindey is a traitor. "

And he applied the leather strap pretty heavily to the

shoulders of the shoemaker.

" Thanks, monsieur," said the child, who regarded this scene with the air of a stoic ; " but he will revenge himself upon me."

" Come, Capet, come, my child," said Louis ; " if he beats you again, call for help ; I will chastise him, the

hangman ! And now, Capet, return to your tower."

" Why do you call me Capet ? You know very well

that Capet is not my name."

" Not your name ?" said Louis. " What is your name, then ? "

' I am called Louis Charles de Bourbon. Capet is the

name of one of my ancestors. I know the history of

France ; my father taught me."

" And you want to teach a child to make old shoes to

whom a king has taught the history of France ? " cried Louis. " AUons done ! "

"Ah, rest assured," said Maurice, "I will make my report."

" And I mine," said Simon ; " and, among other things, I shall say that, instead of one woman being allowed to

enter the tower, t,/o were permitted to pass."

At this moment two women went out from the keep.

Maurice ran after them.

" Well, citoyenne," said he, addressing the one by his side, ' have you seen your mother ?"

" Yes, citizen, thank you," said she.

Maurice had wished to see the young girl's friend, or,

at least, to hear her voice ; but she was enveloped in her

mantle, and seemed determined not to utter a single

word. He also thought she trembled. This appearance

of fear excited his suspicion, lie reascended the stairs

quickly, and through the glazed partition saw the queen

82 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

endeavoring to hide something in her pocket which

looked like a billet..

" Ah, ah ! " said he, " I have heen duped."

He called his colleague.

"Citizen Agricola," said he, " enter Marie Antoinette's room, and do not lose sight of her."

" Heyday ! " said the municipal, " is it hecause "

" Enter, I tell you, and do not lose sight of her for an instant, a moment, a second."

The municipal entered the queen's apartment.

" Call the woman Tison,"said he to one of the National Guard.

Five minutes afterward Tison's wife arrived in high

spirits.

" I have seen my daughter/' said she.