The Chevalier De Maison Rouge (32 page)

Condemned to death ; it is you who have killed my

daughter you, Austrian, you ! "

" Messieurs," said the queen, "if you will not release me from this mad woman, allow me, at least, to return

to my apartments. I can not support the reproaches of

this woman, unjust as they are ; it crushes my heart ; "

and she turned away, sighing deeply.

" Yes, yes weep, hypocrite ! " cried the maddened wretch ; "your bouquet will cost you dear. She must

have suspected you. Thus it is you doom all those to

death who serve you. You carry misery, Austrian, every-

where ! Your friends are dead your husband and your

defenders have all perished and now they will sacrifice

my unhappy child ! When will your turn come, that ^o

more may die for you ? " And the miserable creature

accompanied these last words with threatening gestures.

The queen hid her face between her hands.

" Unhappy woman !" observed Mine. Elizabeth, ven-

turing to speak, " are you aware that she whom you ad-

dress is the queen ?"

"The queen I " repeated the maniac, whose madness every moment increased, "if she is the queen, let her

defend my poor girl against the hangman who seeks her

life. Who will show mercy to my poor Heloise ? Kings

can show mercy. Kender me back my child, and I will

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 211

acknowledge her as queen. Till then, she is only a

woman, and a woman who brings misery upon all, and

kills all "

" Oh ! have pity, madame," cried Marie Antoinette ;

" you see my tears and distress ; " and she again made an attempt to pass, not from any hope of escape, but to

free herself from this cruel attack.

"You shall not pass ! " roared the old woman. " You want to escape, Madame Veto I know it all ; the man

in the mantle told me you want to go and rejoin the

Prussians. But you shall net escape," continued she,

clasping the robe of the queen. " I will prevent you.

A hi lanterne, Madame Veto ! To arms, citizens ! let us

march "

And with her arms wrestling, her grizzled locks dis-

heveled, and hanging over her haggard countenance her

bloodshot eyes the unfortunate creature fell to the

ground, in her fall tearing the robe she still held in her

hand. The queen, terrified, but disembarrassed at least

of the maniac, was flying to the side of the garden, when

all at once a terrible cry resounded, mingled with loud

barking, and accompanied with a strange uproar, arous-

ing the Xational Guards from their stupor, who, at-

tracted by the scene, immediately surrounded Marie

Antoinette.

" To arms ! to arms ! Treason ! " shouted a man,

whom, from his voice, the queen recognized as the shoe-

maker Simon. Kear this man, who, sword in hand,

guarded the threshold of the cabin, little Jet was barking

furiously.

" To arms ! every one to his post ! '" cried Simon ; " we are betrayed ! Compel the Austrian to turn back. To

arms ! to arms ! "

An officer ran forward, when Simon spoke to him,

pointing with enraged gestures to the interior of the hut.

The officer in his turn then cried :

"To arms !"

'"' Jet ! Jet ! " called the queen, advancing some steps.

But the dog only continued to bark more furiously.

212 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

The National Guard ran to arms, and rushed toward the

hut, while the municipals took possession of the queen,

her daughter, and sister, and compelled them to reenter

the wicket, which they closed behind them.

" Prepare your arms ! " cried the municipals to the sentinels. Aiid the sound of firearms was heard.

" It is there I it is there ! " cried Simon, " under the trap.

I saw it shut again. I am certain of it. Besides, the

Austrian's dog, a good little animal, who was not in the

plot, barked at the conspirators, who are no doubt still in the cave. Hold ! he barks again."

Indeed, Jet, instigated by Simon's cries and shouts,

began to bark again more strenuously than before. The

officer seized the ring of the trap, but seeing he was un-

able to raise it, two of the grenadiers went to his assist-

ance, but without the slightest success.

"You perceive they hold the trap-door from below.

Fire through the trap-door, my friends, fire ! " said Simon.

"Oh!" cried Mme. Plumeau, "you will break my bottles."

"Fire !" repeated Simon, "fire !"

" Be silent, brawler ! " said the officer, " and bring some hatchets, and begin to open the planks. Now, let

a few men hold themselves in readiness, and fire into the

trap-door the instant an opening is made."

The groaning of planks and a sudden jerk informed the

National Guards that some movement was taking place

in the interior. Directly afterward they heard a motion

underground, like an iron portcullis being closed.

" Courage ! " said the officer to the sappers, who worked indefatigably. The hatchets entered the planks. Twenty

guns were lowered in the direction of the opening, which

enlarged every moment. But through the aperture no

one could be seen. The officer lighted a torch and threw

it into the cave. It was empty. They then raised the

trap-door, which now offered no resistance. " Follow

me ! " said the officer, bravely descending the ladder.

" En avant, en avant ! " cried the National Guards, following the example of their officer.

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 13

" Ah ! Madame Plumeau," said Simon, "you lent your cellar to the aristocrats ! "

The wall was broken down, the humid soil was trampled

by numerous feet, and a conduit of three feet wide and

five feet high, like the branch of a trench, plunged in the direction of La Eue de la Corderie. The officer ventured into this opening, resolved to follow these aristo-

crats into the bowels of the earth ; but when he had

advanced three or four steps, he found all further prog-

ress impeded by an iron grating.

" Stop ! " said he to those who were closely pressing behind him ; " we can proceed no longer ; here is a

physical impediment."

"Well," said the municipal, who, having placed the prisoners in security, anxiously awaited the news ; ." well, well, what have you discovered ? "

"ParWeu!" said the officer, reappearing, "it was doubtless a conspiracy ; the aristocrats wanted to carry

off the queen, and, of course, she connived with them."

" Pesfe !" cried the municipal, "send some one after C ; .'!dzen Santerre, that he may inform the Commune."

" Soldiers," said the officer, " remain in this cellar, and if any one presents himself, kill him."

And the officer, having issued bJs orders, remounted to

make his report.

" Ah, ah ! " said Simon, rubbing his hands "ah, ah !

will they still suy I am a fool ? Brave Jet ! Jet is a

famous patriot ; Jet has saved the Republic. Come here,

Jet, come." And the brute who had coaxed the poor

little dog, the moment he approached him, raised his foot

and kicked him to a distance of several feet. " I like you, Jet," said he. " Ah ! you will cut your mistress's throat. Come here, Jet, come.''

But instead this time of obeying him, Jet ran away,

howling, on the road toward the keep.

214 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

CHAPTER XXVII.

THE MUSCADIN.

IT was near two o'clock. Louis was promenading up

and down in Maurice's room, while Agesilas polished his

master's boots in the ante-chamber, only for the greater

convenience of conversation the door remained open, and

during his walk Louis stopped, and often addressed a

few questions to the official.

" And you say, Citizen Agesilas, that your master left home this morning ? "

" Oh, mon Dieu ! yes."

" At the usual hour ? "

" It might be ten minutes earlier, or ten minutes later, I cannot say exactly. "

" And you have not seen him since ? "

"No, citizen."

Louis continued his walk, and after three or four turar?

again stopped, and renewed his questions.

" Had he his sword with him ?" demanded he.

" When he goes to the section, he invariably carries it."

" Are you sure he has gone to the section ?"

"At least, he told me so."

" In that case, I shall join him," said Louis, "and if we miss each other, tell him I have been here, and left to

rejoin him."

"Wait," said Agesilas.

"Why?"

" 1 hear his footstep on the staircase."

Almost ut the same moment the door opened, and

Maurice entered. Louis bestowed a hasty glance upon

him, and perceived nothing extraordinary in his appear-

ance.

" So you are come at last," said lie. " I have been waiting here these two hours."

" So much the better," said Maurice, smiling, " that THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 215

has afforded you plenty of time to compose distichs and

quatrains."

" Alas ! mon ami, I have made none."

" Why, is the world coming to an end ? "

"My dear Maurice, I am very unhappy."

" You unhappy ? "

" Yes, I am miserable. I am suffering from remorse."

" Remorse ? "

" Eh, mon Dieu J yes," said Louis. " Between you and her there was no alternative between you and her I

would not hesitate ; but, you see, Artheinise is in despair, for she was her friend."

" Poor girl ! "

"And it was she who gave me her address."

" You had much better have allowed things to take

their natural course."

" Yes ; and at this very moment you would have been

condemned in her stead."

" Powerfully argued, dear friend. But I, who come to

ask your advice, think you are too wise for that."

"Never mind ; ask away."

" This poor girl do you understand ? I wish to at-

tempt some means of saving her. Even if I could only

give or receive a blow in her defense, I feel as if it would do me good."

" You are mad, Louis," said Maurice, shrugging his shoulders.

11 If I made an appeal to the Revolutiuary Tribunal ? "

' It is too late, she is condemned."

" Truly," said Louis, "it is dreadful to see this poor girl sacrificed thus."

"The more so since it was my safety that has entailed

her death. But, after all, Louis, we have one consolation.

She was a conspirator."

" Mon Dieu ! " said Louis, " docs not every one conspire nowadays ? She has done no more, poor girl, than every

one else does."

11 Neither complain too much nor too loudly, my friend,"

said Maurice, "for we have to bear our share in this

216 THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE.

trouble. Believe me, we are not so fully cleared from the

accusation of being her accomplices that no stain remains

behind. To-day, at the section, I was termed * Girondin '

by the captain of the Chasseurs of St. Leu ; and I, at the

same time, found it necessary to convince him, by a blow

from my sword, that he was mistaken."

" Then that was the reason you returned so late ? "

"Just so."

" But why did you not inform me ? "

" Because in affairs of this nature one cannot restrain one's self, and it is necessary to conclude them immediately, that they may make no noise."

"And this canaille called you ' Girondin,' Maurice ?"

" Eh, mon Dieu! yes ; and this will convince you that

another adventure of this nature, and we become un-

popular ; and you well know, Louis, in these times un-

popular is a symbolical term for suspect."

" I well know it," said Louis ; "and that word appalls the bravest heart ; but never mind. It is repugnant to

my feelings to allow this poor girl to die without soliciting her pardon, this poor Heloise to be led to the guillotine

without asking her forgiveness."

" What do you wish to do ? " '

"1 wish you to remain here ; you have nothing to re-

proach yourself with. With me, you see, the case is very

different. Since I can do nothing for her, I will meet her

on her way. I wish to go there, Maurice ; do you com-

prehend me ? She might even only give me her hand."

" I will accompany you, then," said Maurice.

" Impossible, my friend ; }'ou are a municipal secretary to a section, and you have been tried, while I have only

been your defender ; they will tbink you guilty, therefore

remain here. As for me, it is quite another thing. I

risk nothing, and therefore may go."

" Go, then," said he ; " but be prudent."

Louis smiled, shook Maurice's hand, and went out.

Maurice opened his window, and looked a sad adieu ; but

before Louis had turned the corner of the street, he looked back more than once, and each time, as if drawn b^

THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 217

magnetic influence and sympathy, Louis turned round,

looked at him, and smiled. At last, when he disappeared

at the corner of the quay, Maurice closed the window,

threw himself into a fauteuil, and fell into one of those

dreamy moods which in people of strong mind and vigor-

ous constitution often are the presentiments of misfortune, as they resemble the calm generally precursor of the

storm. He was softly awakened from his reverie, or,

rather, state of stupor, by his official, who, on returning from the execution of some commission, entered with the

sprightly air of a servant anxious to communicate his