The Chevalier De Maison Rouge (26 page)

spective places, and when each was at his post, Louis

hastened away to exchange compliments with his friend.

Maurice presented Louis to Genevieve and Moraud.

Then an explanation commenced as to the purport of their

visit.

"Yes, I understand," said Louis, "you wish your friends to enter the keep ; that is easily managed. I will

go directly and station the sentinels, then I will order

them to admit you and your friends."

In ten minutes afterward Genevieve and Morand en-

tered the suite of the three municipals, arid placed them-

selves behind the glazed partition.

CHAPTER XXI.

THE CRIMSON CARNATIONS.

THE queen rose alone. Having been indisposed for two

or' three days, she had remained in bed longer than usual,

but having heard from her sister that the sun was rising

magnificently, she made an effort to quit her couch, and

that she might be enabled to breathe the pure air with

her daughter, had requested permission to walk on the

platform, which had been granted her without the slightest

difficulty. She had also been induced to act thus from

another cause. Once, and it is true, once only, from the

height of the tower she had seen the dauphin playing in

the garden. But at the first signal of recognition between

the mother and child, Simon interfered, and compelled

the boy to retire immediately. Xevermind, she had seen

him, that was a great source of happiness to her. True,

the poor little prisoner was very pale and much changed.

Then he was dressed as a child of the people, in a blouse

H DUMAS VOL. XI.

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

and large trousers. But his beautiful, fair, waving curls

were still left him, forming around him a glory which

God, no doubt, intended to guard the infant martyr to

heaven. If she could only see him once again, oh ! what

a cordial to the heart of the unhappy mother ! There

was yet another motive.

"My sister," Mme. Elizabeth had said to her, "you know we found in the corridor a straw standing upright

in an angle of the wall. In the language of our signs this

desires us to pay attention to everything around us, and

to warn us of -the approach of a friend."

" That is true," replied the queen, who, regarding her sister and child with pity, had even herself encouraged

them not to despair of their ultimate safety. The duties

of the service accomplished, Maurice was then higher in

authority in the keep of the Temple, since chance had

elected him as a guard during the day, and the other

municipals, Agricola and Meruvault, as guards during the

night. These municipals had left, after laying the proces-

verbal before the Council of the Temple.

"Eh, Men, Citizen Municipal," said the Avoman Tison, coming forward to salute Maurice, " you bring company, then, to see our caged pigeons ? It is only I who am condemned no more to see my poor Heloise."

"They are friends of mine," said Maurice, " who have never yet seen the female Capet."

" All, well, they will see admirably behind the partition."

" Assuredly," said Morand.

" Only," said Genevieve, " we shall present the appearance of the cruel impertinents who come from the other

side of the iron grate to mock the misery of the unfor-

tunate prisoners."

" Eh, lien!" why should not your friends see them on their way to the tower, since the woman will walk there

to-day, with her sister and her daughter, for they have

left her a daughter, while I, who am not guilty, they

have deprived of mine. Oh, these aristocrats ! it will

always be the case ; let them do what they will, favor is

always shown to them, Citizen Maurice."

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

" But they have removed her eon," replied he.

"Ah! if I had a son," murmured the jaileress, "I should lament my daughter less."

Genevieve, during this time, had exchanged looks with

Morand several times.

" Mon ami," said the young woman to Maurice, "the citoyenne is in the right. If you could by any means

place me in the way of Marie Antoinette, it would be less

repugnant to my feelings than gazing at her here. It

seems to me this manner of viewing people is at once

humiliating both to them and us."

"Kind Genevi6ve," said Maurice, "you possess true delicacy of mind."

" Pardieu I citoyenne," said one of Maurice's colleagues, who was at that moment breakfasting in the

ante-chamber on bread and sausages, " if you were the

prisoner, and Capet's wife felt curiosity to see you, she

would not be so very particular about the indulgence of

her fancy the jade."

Genevieve, with a movement quicker than lightning,

threw a rapid glance toward Morand to note the effect of

these words upon him. In effect, Morand started, a

strange, phosporescent light gleamed from under his eye-

lids, and his hands were clinched for an instant, but all

this was so momentary that it passed unperceived,

" What is the name of this municipal ?" asked she of Maurice.

" It is the Citizen Meruvault," replied the young man; and then added, as if to apologize for his coarseness, " a stone-cutter."

Meruvault heard it, and in his turn stared at Maurice.

"Allans, allons !" said the woman Tison ; finish

your sausage and your half bottle, that I may take it

away."

" It is not the fault of the Austrian if I finish them now," grumbled the municipal ; "for if she could hare murdered me on the 10th of August, she would have

doue so ; thus the day when she ' sneezes in the sack/ I

shall be in the first rank, firm at my post."

172 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

Morand turned pale as death.

"Allans, Citizen Maurice," said Genevive, "let us go where you promised to take us ; here it seems as if I

were a prisoner ; I feel suffocated."

Maurice conducted Genevieve and Morand out, when

the sentinels, previously instructed by Louis, allowed

them to pass without any difficulty. They installed

themselves in a little passage on the upper story, so that

the moment when the queen, Mme. Koyale, or Mme.

Elizabeth ascended to the gallery, these august personages

could not do otherwise than pass before them.

As the promenade was fixed for ten o'clock, and they

had only a few minutes to wait, Maurice not only did not

quit his friends, but further, in order that the slightest

suspicion might not be excited by this rather illegal pro-

ceeding, having met Agricola, he took him with him. It

struck ten.

" Open ! " cried a voice from the base of the tower, which Maurice knew to be that of General Santerre.

Immediately the guard assumed arms, and closed the

iron gratings ; the sentinels also prepared arms. There

was then heard in all the court a confused noise of iron,

stones, and footsteps, which vividly impressed both Mo-

rand and Genevieve, for Maurice observed them both

turn pale.

"And all these precautions to guard three poor

women," murmured Genevieve.

"Yes," said Morand, endeavoring to smile ; "if those who tempt them to escape were now here, and in our

place saw what we see it would disgust them with the

trade."

"In fact," continued Genevieve, "I begin to think they will not save themselves."

" And I to hope," said Maurice, inclining toward the staircase as he spoke.

" Attention ! " cried he ; " here are the prisoners."

" Xame them to me,"said Geneviuve, "for I do not know either of them."

" The two first who arc ascending are the sister and

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 173

daughter of Capet. The last one, preceded by a little

dog, is Marie Antoinette."

Genevieve made a step in advance. Morand, on the

contrary, instead of looking at them, pressed himself

close against the wall, his lips more livid and earthy

than the stones of the keep.

Genevieve, with her white robe and bright, pure eyes,

appeared like an angel awaiting the prisoners, to cheer

them on their dark and dreary road, and to administer in

passing a ray of comfort to their desolate and blighted

hearts. Mme. Elizabeth and Mme. Royale pursued their

way, having only thrown a glance of astonishment at the

strangers. No doubt the former imagined they were

those whom the signals announced, for, turning round

quickly to Mme. Royale, she pressed her hand, and,

while so doing, dropped her pocket-handkerchief, as if

to inform the queen.

" Pay attention, my sister," said she ; " I have dropped my pocket-handkerchief."

And she passed on with the young princess.

The queen, with panting breath, accompanied with a

short, dry cough, indicating ill health, stooped to pick

up the handkerchief which had fallen at her feet, when

her little dog, more agile than its mistress, seized it, and ran forward to convey it to Mme. Elizabeth. The qneen

continued her ascent slowly, and after some steps found

herself in her turn before Genevieve, Morand, and the

young municipal.

"Flowers !" cried she, "Oh ! how long is it since I have seen any flowers ! How deliciously they smell !

You are happy to possess these flowers, madame."

Quick as the idea formed in her mind, prompted by

these melancholy words, Genevieve extended her hand to

offer her bouquet to the queen.

Then Marie Antoinette raised her head, looked at her,

and an almost imperceptible blush passed over her color-

less face.

But by a natural movement, from a habitual passive

obedience to regulation, Maurice put out his hand to

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

arrest the arm of Genevieve. The queen then remained-

hesitating, when, looking at Maurice, she recognized him

as the young municipal who had always spoken to her

with so much firmness, but at the same time tempered

with equal respect.

" Is this forbidden, monsieur ? " said she.

" No, no, madame. Genevieve, you can offer your

bouquet," said Maurice.

" Oh ! thanks, thanks, monsieur," said the queen, with grateful acknowledgments ; and bowing with gracious

affability to Genevieve, the queen extended her emaciated

hand, and selected at hazard a single carnation from the

mass of flowers.

" Take all, madame, take all," timidly said Gen-

evieve.

"No," said the queen, with a fascinating smile ; "this bouquet may come perhaps from one you love. I will not

deprive you of it."

Genevieve blushed, and at this blush the queen smiled.

"Allans, allons ! Citoyenne Capet," said Agricola,

"you must continue your route."

The queen bowed, and ascended the steps, but before

she disappeared, turned round and murmured :

"The carnations smell very sweet, and she is very

lovely."

"She has not seen me," murmured Morand, who, al-

most kneeling in the shade, had effectively escaped the

notice of the queen.

" But you had a good view of her, had you not, Morand ?

had not you, Genevieve ?" said Maurice, doubly happy,

first from the sight he had procured his friends, and also

that he had afforded ever so slight a gratification to the

unhappy prisoner.

" Oh, yes, yes ! " said Genevieve ; "and were I to lire for a thousand years, I should never forget her."

" And what do you think of her ? "

" She is charming."

" And you, Morand ? "

Morand clasped his hands, but made no reply.

THE CHEVALIER BE MAISON ROUGE. 175

" Tell me," said Maurice, in a whisper, to Genevi^ve ;

" is it the queen whom Morand worships ? "

Genevieve started, but recovering herself instantly, re-

plied, smilingly :

"It really looks like it."

" You have not yet told me what you think of her,

Morand," persisted Maurice.

"I thought her very pale," replied he.

Maurice retook the arm of Genevieve to descend toward

the court. In the dark staircase it seemed to him that

Genevieve kissed his hand.

"What does that mean, Genevieve ?"

" It means, Maurice, that I shall never forget that to gratify a whim of mine you have risked your life."

" Oh ! " said Maurice, " what exaggeration of danger, Genevieve. Between you and me, you well know that

gratitude is not the sentiment I wish to inspire you with."

Genevieve pressed his arm softly.

Morand followed with faltering steps.

On quitting the court, Louis came to identify the two

visitors, who then left the Temple ; but before quitting it, Genevieve made Maurice promise to dine the next day in

the Old Rue St. Jacques.

CHAPTER XXII.

SIMON THE CENSOR.

WHEN Maurice returned to his post, in a state of tran-

scendent happiness, he found Tison's wife weeping.

"What have they done to you now, mother?" asked

Maurice.

" All this makes me furious !" replied the jaileress.

" What ? "

" Because there is nothing but injustice for poor people in this world."

"But how?"

" You are rich, you are a bourgeois, you come here only 176 THE CHEVALIER DE MA1SON ROUGE.

for a day, and they permit pretty women to visit yon here,

who present bouquets to the prisoners, while I who nestle