The Queen`s Confession (59 page)

He passed the window of the coach, I was sure to see what manner of people travelled in such style. And as he looked in at us he knew.

I glanced uneasily at Louis. His wig was the rough wig of the lackey he was supposed to be, but those heavy Bour bon features had been well known in France for centuries. Then Vallet’s eyes went to me. Did I look like a governess? I felt the haughty look coming into my face which always seemed now to be there, much as I tried to suppress it when I came into contact with the people.

He moved away and went to the postmaster; I saw them whispering together. Then the postmaster approached the carriage.

He bowed and his words sent shivers through me.

“Your Majesties, this is a great honour. And we shall remember it as long as we live. We are humble but all we have is at your service.”

Louis, who had always been moved by any affection displayed by his

subjects, was even more so now. Tears came 440 into his eyes and he said that it made him very happy to be with friends.

The postmaster signed to his wife and children, who all came to the be rime and were presented; then Vallet’s wife came and she too mumbled her awareness of the honour.

“Your Majesties, we nave a goose cooked all ready to be eaten. If you would honour us by eating it we should be deeply honoured.”

Louis was the King immediately. To refuse such an invitation would be churlish. Therefore we must all descend and eat goose with the postmaster. The children were delighted. It was such a pleasure to get out of the stuffy beriine. And it was quite clear that this loyal family were aware that we were escaping from Paris.

When we had eaten and the King explained that it was imperative he must say goodbye although he would have wished to spend more time with such kind, good people, Vallet asked a favour. Could he act as postilion on the beriine as far as ChalonssurMame?

How could the King refuse such an offer of loyal service? We would have an extra passenger, but there was no help for it and so we set off. And to show his zeal, Vallet tried to drive the beriine beyond its capabilities, with the result that two of the horses fell and there was damage to the traces. Repairs took further time, and when we arrived at Chalons we were even further behind the arranged time.

Chalons was a larger town, but the people were more interested in wine-growing than the revolution; the beriine attracted attention but the people shrugged their shoulders. Some rich emigres. There were too many of such people to cause a great deal of comment.

It had been a mistake to bring Vallet, I began to realise, for although he was the most loyal of subjects he could not hide his awareness of the honour that had been done to him. While the horses were being changed one or two people spoke to him and he betrayed the fact that he was on no ordinary mission. People were already looking askance at the magnificent vehicle. Two children I That in itself was suspicious.

I was very glad when we left Chalons, although the King had noticed nothing. As we rode out of the town he settled down to a nap.

We were near Font de Somme-Vesk; at that town, according to the plan, we should meet the Due de Choiseul’s cavalry;

he would then join us and remain with us until we reached Bouille’s loyal troops.

The worst was over. We could all settle down secure in the thought that we were really at the end of our journey.

The heat grew intense. My son wanted to get out and pick some flowers.

He loved flowers and he had missed his little garden at the Trianon sadly.

“Please, Madame Rocher,” he said mischievously, for I had warned him that part of the play was that I was his governess and he must not forget it.

The King woke up and said that he believed Monsieur Ie : Dauphin should have his wish and that it would do us all good to stop for a while.

So the cumbersome vehicle pulled up at the side of the road and Madame de Tourzel and Elisabeth got out with the children.

The Dauphin was picking the flowers and bringing them to me.

I was longing to move on, but the King said a few minutes more could do no harm and he sat benignly smiling at the children through the open door.

And while we sat there we heard the sound of galloping hoofs, and soon a rider came info view. He was coming straight towards us and as he approached the be rime he did not stop although he slackened his pace.

As he came level with us he shouted: Take care. Your plan is known.

You will be stopped. “

Before we could question him he had ridden on.

We summoned the others back to the berline and the King gave orders for us to proceed at once with all speed.

Into Font de Somme-Vesle where the cavalry should be waiting. The place was deserted. While the horses were being changed a cavalryman rode up.

Where is the Due de Choiseui? ” asked the King.

“He has left. Sire,” was the answer.

Left! But he had orders to meet us here “You did not arrive at die appointed time. Sire. He could not understand the confused message of Monsieur Leonard, and Monsieur de Choiseui presumed that you had not left Paris and the plan was called off.”

“He had orders to wait.”

Yes, Sire, but he feared trouble. People were asking why there were troops on the road and there were rumours that a magnificent be rime grand enough for royalty alone was on the road. There has been trouble between the peasants and soldiers so Monsieur de Choiseui has gone to Clermont and has sent Monsieur Leonard with a message to the Marquis de Bouille explaining this. “

Now I was frightened. I saw the chain of misfortunes which had led us to this—die sentry, the immense ill luck of meeting La Fayette’s carriage which had made us change our route, that was the beginning.

Then the inability to find the be rime . but one misfortune bad grown out of another. We should not have stayed to eat the goose. We should not have allowed the children those rests by the roadside. I could see that it was not only fate which was to blame, and I wondered vaguely whether it ever is.

“But we must go on.” I said.

“We must go without our escort. We have missed the support of Choiseul’s hussars but the dragoons will be at Sainte-Menehould and we must join up with them as soon as possible.”

Uneasily we rode on.

When we came into Sainte-Menehould I knew that something was wrong.

This was not as Axel had planned. Oh, why had he not come with us?

That seemed to me the greatest misfortune of all. The town was full of soldiers and this naturally aroused the curiosity of the people.

Something very extraordinary was about to happen in their town. What?

And into this town of suspicion rolled the most elaborate berline which had ever been created and its passengers were two children, a lackey who looked astonishingly like the King, and a governess who had an uncontrollably haughty air, and a Russian lady who somehow could not hide her deference towards her lackey and governess; and a quiet woman who was supposed to be a maid of some sort yet who bad the air of a Prmcesse.

Who were these travellers? Rich emigres, yes, but very special emigres, and they had a striking resemblance to a very celebrated family.

I did not know then, but I was to learn later, that the son of the postmaster here was an ardent revolutionary, a certain Jean Bapriste Drouet. He had looked at us sullenly and not recognised us; but rumour was in the air.

It must have been after the horses were changed and we were on our way to Varennes that someone told Drouet the news. The King and Queen had escaped from Paris and were travelling along this road towards Mommedy.

It was ten o’clock when we came into Varennes. The King was sleeping, but I felt I should never sleep easily until I was in Montmedy. It was dark.

We were passing under an archway and there was just room for the berline, when we were suddenly called to a halt.

A voice said: “Passports.”

Madame de Tourzel produced the forged document with which. Axel bad provided her and which announced that she was Madame de Korff from Russia travelling with her children and servants.

I did not recognise the man who took the passport as Jean Baptiste Drouet who had been at the posting station at Sainte-Menehould; but I did realise that he was trembling with excitement.

“This passport is not in order,” he said, and although he spoke to Madame de Tourzel he was studying me intently.

“I assure you it is in order,” protested Madame de Tour-zei.

“I am sorry but I must take it to the town’s solicitor, and I must ask

you to accompany me to his house.” 444 “What!” cried Madame de Tourzel in dismay.

“All of usi’ ” Yes, Madame, all of you. You will be led to the house of Monsieur Sausse. “

I looked out of the window and saw that die be rime was surrounded by young men and that all wore the badge of the revolution.

The berline moved slowly on and drew up before a house. The Ring showed no sign of alarm. He whispered: “It is nothing. Merely a check on the passport. It is in order. Fersen will have seen to that.”

Monsieur Sausse was not only the solicitor but a keeper of a shop and mayor of Varennes. A mild comfortable man, I recognised him at once as one who would want to keep out of trouble.

He examined the passport and proclaimed it to be in order. We had his permission to leave at once.

But Drouet was a fierce revolutionary. He cried out:

“This is the King and Queen. Are you going to be a traitor, Monsieur Sausse, and let them slip through the people’s fingers?”

Monsieur Sausse was alarmed, for even now the crowds were gathering outside his door.

He looked at us apologetically and I recognised that respect in his eyes. He knew us . even as Drouet did.

“I must regret,” he said, ‘that you cannot leave Varennes tonight. I offer you what hospitality I have. “

It was over, I knew. Desperation overwhelmed me. People* were gathering about the house. I could hear the shouts. It was going to be that terrible October all over again.

I could hear the mob screaming. From the window I could see their scythes and pitchforks.

Not that again! I thought. Why did we attempt this? Why did we not know that God was against us? Not God, I thought, we have brought this on ourselves. The Sausses were our friends, however. They had prepared a good meal for us, and that made it clear that they wished us nothing but good luck. If they could have prevented our detention, they would.

As it was, in their 44S humble home they treated us as their sovereigns. They dared not help us escape, though. That would have been more’ll than their lives were worth. And what would be the us l of attempting escape when the mob surrounded the house;

c Throughout Varennes, Drouet was gathering his revolu- ( non aries together. He was doubtless visualising the great 1 honour which would come to him. The man who prevented ( the escape of the King and Queen!

‘ I was surprised how the King could eat in the face of all this.

Appetite in such circumstances astonished me. While he was eating, two soldiers fought their way into the house, and when I saw them my spirits rose, for they were the loyal dragoons.

Their names were de Damas and Goguelat, and they told us they had brought a company of soldiers with them to the town but when their men had seen the revolutionaries gathering and knew that the King and I were prisoners they deserted. They had no wish to anger the leaders of the revolution by helping the King and Queen escape.

It was not long after when Choiseui himself arrived; he had a small company of men with him and had also had to fight his way to us.

He told us that the battle had been fierce and that he had been obliged to inflict wounds on some of those who sought to deter him.

The plan had gone awry, he said, and now they must plan afresh from here.

“I have sent warning to Bouille and it cannot be long before he joins us. I suggest. Sire, that we fight our way out of Varennes and take the road to Mononedy, we cannot then fail to meet Bouille. He will have his loyal troops and none will dare attack us then. We can carry Your Majesties to safety.”

“This is an excellent idea!” I cried. We must do it. ” But the King shook his head.

“I have said all along that I will not be responsible for shedding the blood of my people. If we tried to fight our way out of here many would be killed. These people out there are determined not to let us go.”

They are the mob,” said Choiseul.

“They have their pitchforks, but pitchforks are no use against our weapons.”

“As I said, there would be slaughter. Who knows, the Queen or the Dauphin might be hurt.”

“We could protect the child,” I said.

“I am ready to take a chance.”

“I would never permit it,” said the King.

“For even though we were all safe, some of my people would surely be killed. No, no. We must wait for Bouille to come. When the people see him they will realise that it is no use to fight against him and his army. They will go back to their homes and allow us to depart peacefully.”

“It is possible. Sire, that the revolutionaries may decide to take Your Majesties back to Paris before Bouille gets here.”

“It is a chance we must take. I will not have bloodshed on my account.”

I saw the stubborn look in his face and I knew he meant it.

I knew too that everything depended on Bouille reaching Varennes in time.

I did not sleep through that terrible night. I was aware of the voices outside the house, of the light of torches.

I was praying silently. Not that again! It is more than I can endure.

Let Bouille come . or let death come quickly, but not that. The horror of it came back to me—that ride from Versailles to Paris . the crowd . the unclean crowd . the smell of blood, the horrible leering savage faces, the obscene words on vile lips. I hated them.

God help me;

they were canaille; it was not love of country that prompted them, it was love of cruelty. I thought: I would rather die now than suffer it again. And the children, those innocent children, to be submitted to this humiliation; this fearful knowledge of all that was bestial in the world to be thrust under their innocent eyes. Oh God spare us.