The Queen`s Confession (62 page)

“Not by the Comte de Fersen,” I reminded him.

He smiled sadly.

“That’s true. And I shall never forget what you have done for us. My friend, the National Guard is stationed round the chateau. It would be a hopeless endeavour, and just as the position was worsened by our first attempt, so would it be by yet another.”

Axel was still convinced that we could succeed; and the King at last explained his true reason for refusing the aid which was offered. He had given his word not to attempt to leave again.

I was exasperated, but as Axel said to me: “The King is an honest man.”

Honest, yes. But of what use was honesty when dealing with our enemies?

Still Axel was certain that he could persuade King Gustavus of Sweden to come to our aid. He would return at once to his native country and work for us there.

We parted and he left. I was desolate to say farewell, yet his visit had stimulated me to such an extent that I felt hope returning. Axel would never cease to work for us. When I thought of that, I could believe that one day all would be well.

How ill luck pursued us. Axel had not been long in Sweden, where he arrived without mishap, when news of the death of King Gustavus came to us.

He was thinking of us at the end, because the last words he spoke were: “My death will make the Jacobins in Paris rejoice.”

How right he was. And another avenue was closed to us.

We could only hope for help from Austria and Prussia now.

Madame Campan came back to me. I was very pleased to see her because I had always been fond of her and I liked her sound good sense. I remembered now how discreetly she had disapproved of the magnificent be rime which Axel had had made with such pride.

She was startled when she saw me. I saw her glance at my hair.

It has turned white, Madame Campan,” I said sadly.

It is still beautiful, Madame,” she answered. I showed her a ring I had had mounted with a lock of hair. I intended to send it to the Princesse de Lamballe, whom I had commanded to go to London. She had left reluctantly and I wanted her to know how it pleased me to think of her in safety. I had the words ” Bleached by sorrow1 inscribed on the ring. It would be a warning to her not to return, for she had written to me telling me that she could not bear to stay away from me and that she believed that if I were in peril so should she be.

“She was always a little stupid,” I said to Madame Cam463 pan, ‘but the kindest and most affectionate of souls. 1 rejoice that she is not here. “

My brother Leopold had died and his son Francis was now Emperor. He was twenty-four and I had never really known him; he showed little sympathy for my plight. He did not encourage those emigres who in his country were agitating against the revolutionaries of France; nor did he banish them.

The situation between France and Austria had become tense, and eventually Louis was prevailed upon to declare war. It seemed like a nightmare to me. I remembered how my mother had worked to foster the alliance between France and Austria—and now here they were at war.

I was not dismayed. I could not become any more unpopular than I already was. And if my countrymen beat the French, their first task would be to restore the Monarchy.

I was exultant. I wrote to Axel:

“God grant that vengeance will at length be taken for the provocations we have received from this country, Never have I been more proud than at this moment to have been born a German.”

I was foolish perhaps. In truth I had long forgotten that I was a German. I could scarcely speak the language. My husband was French; my children were French; and for years I had called this my country.

It was the French themselves who had refused to receive me. All I wanted was to go back to the old days; to be given another chance. I had teamed bitter lessons and I now had the sense to apply them. I wanted to be left in peace to bring up my son to be a good King of France; That was all I asked.

The Princesse de Lamballe returned to Paris. While I embraced her I chided her.

You were always a little fool,” I told her.

“Yes, I know,” she answered; and she laughed, and flung her arms about me and demanded to know how I thought she could be away far from me when she had to listen to all the terrible tales of what was happening

in Paris. 464 June had come again. It was a year since we had attempted co escape.

The summer weeks were the weeks of danger;

then people congregated in the streets, in the Palais Royale;

then it was easier to spread sedition.

Every effort seemed to be made to humiliate the King;

he was asked to sanction two decrees ordaining the deportation of priests and a formation of a camp of twenty thousand men outside Paris. Louis would have given way but I urged him to apply the veto.

This enraged the revolutionaries and I was to regret it afterwards, but I could not help deploring my husband’s weakness.

The people had a new name for me: Madame Veto. They reminded themselves that I was the Austrian Woman and that they were at war with Austria. The members of the National Assembly now believed that they would never conquer their enemies abroad until they had first dealt with those at home. I was the enemy not the King.

Vergniaud, one of the leaders, was thundering warnings to the Assembly.

“From where I speak,” he declared, “I can see the dwelling place in which false counsellors lead astray and deceive the King who has given us the Constitution…. I see the windows of the palace where they are hatching counter revolutions and where they are contriving ways of sending us back to slavery. Let those who dwell in the afore mentioned palace realise that our Constitution guarantees inviolability to the King alone. Let them know that our laws will run there without distinction among the guilty, and that there is not any head proved to be criminal which can hope to escaping passing beneath the axe.”

This was a direct attack on me. I was accustomed to them from the rabble; it was different when they came from the leaders of the revolution.

It was the 20th of June, the anniversary of our flight, when the mob gathered about the Tuileries. They were shouting: “Down with the veto.

The nation for ever. “

From the window I saw them their filthy red caps on their heads, their

knives and cudgels in their hands. These were the sons-culottes . the bloodthirsty mob, 465 and they were already in the Palace. My first thought was for the children. I ran upstairs, where they were with Madame de Tourzel and the Princesse de Lamballe.

“They have the King I’ said the Princesse.

“I must go to him!” I cried, “If he is in danger, I must be there.” I turned to Madame de Tourzel.

“Guard the children….”

But one of the guards had come in and he barred the way. He said, “Madame, they are calling for you. It would madden them to see you.

Stay here. Stay with the Dauphin and the Princesse. My son was clutching at my skirts.

“Maman, stay with us. Stay with us he cried. And the guard bade me stand by the wall with my children and Madame de Tourzel and the Princesse de Lamballe and some of the other women who had come running to join us. He put a table before us as a sort of barrier.

Elisabeth said: “They have come for you. I will go. They will think I am you … and that will give you a chance to get away with the children.”

I protested and the guards would not let her go. There is nothing to be done, Madame, but stay here. The mob is all over the Palace. They are surrounding it. There is no way out. To move from here would endanger yourself and do no good to anyone. “

She reluctantly came back to stand behind the table. The National Guard, I realised, had come to protect us. One of them put a red cap on my head and another on the Dauphin which was so large that it covered his face.

We could hear the shouts coming from the room in which they held the King.

I was struck with terror wondering what was happening to my husband. I learned later how once more he won their respect. It is difficult to understand how a man who could not make up his mind, who was laughed at for a fool, could so quell a mob determined to kill him.

It was that extraordinary calm, that ability to look death in the face with indifference. They were never allowed to

see my fear, but I showed it in my contempt for them. Louis never lost his tenderness for them. However vile they were, they were his children. His was the true courage.

The guards called out that it was their duty to defend the King with their lives and they intended to do their duty.

But what were a few guards against such a mob?

“A bos Ie veto I’ they cried.

But the guards reminded them that the King’s person should not be harmed. It was in the Constitution.

I cannot discuss the veto with you,” said Louis calmly, ‘though I shall do what the Constitution demands.”

One of the mob strode forward, his knife in his hand.

“Have no fear. Sire,” said one of the guards.

“We will defend you with our lives.”

The King smiled gently.

“Put your hand on my heart,” he said.

“Then you will perceive whether I am afraid or not.”

The man did so, and cried that he was astonished that any man could be so calm at such a time.

None of them could doubt that the King’s pulse was absolutely normal, and they could not fail to be astonished.

Disconcerted in the face of such extraordinary courage they did not know what to do, so one of them held out his red cap on the edge of his pike, and with a natural gesture, which could only have been inspired, Louis took it and put it on his head.

The mob was silent for a moment. Then they cried:

“ViveleRoiV The danger was over for the King.

But they bad never felt much rancour against the King. They rushed from the room and came to the Council Chamber, where I stood behind the table holding my children close to me.

A group of guards immediately placed themselves about the table.

They stared at me.

“That’s the one. That’s the Austrian Woman.”

The Dauphin was whimpering: the red cap was suffocating him. One of the guards saw my look and took the cap off

the child’s head. The women protested but the soldier cried:

“Would you suffocate a harmless child?”

And the women for they were mostly women were ashamed and did not answer. I felt relieved then. I could feel my son clutching my skirt, hiding his face against me to shut out the horror of all this.

It was so hot; the crowded room was stifling. oh God,” I prayed.

“Let death, come quickly.”

I would welcome it, for if we all died together there could be no more suffering like this.

The soldiers had unsheathed their bayonets; the mob eyed them warily;

but they were shouting obscenities about me;

and I prayed again: “Oh God, close my children’s ears.” I could only hope that they did not understand.

A man who was carrying a toy gibbet from which hung a female doll approached the table. He chanted: “Antoinette i la lanterne.”

1 held my head high and pretended not to see him.

One woman tried to spit at me.

“Whore 1’ she cried.

“Vile woman.”

My daughter moved closer to me as though to protect me from this creature. My son clung tighter.

I looked into the woman’s face and said: “Have I ever done you any harm?”

“You have brought misery to the nation.”

Tou have been told so, but you have been deceived. As the wife of the King of France and the mother of the Dauphin I am a Frenchwoman. I shall never see my own country again. I can be happy or unhappy only in France. I was happy when you loved me. “

She was silent and I saw her lips moving; there were tears in her eyes.

I was aware, too, of the stillness about us. Everyone was quiet, listening to me as I spoke.

The woman looked at my child and lifted her eyes to me and said: “I ask pardon, Madame, I did not know you. But I see you are a good woman.”

Then she turned away weeping.

That incident gave me courage. The people must be made 468 aware that they had been fed on lies, for when they came face to face with me they knew they were false.

Another woman said: “She’s only a woman … with children.”

That provoked ribald comments; but something had happened. The woman’s tears had driven murder out of the room. They wanted to get away.

We stood behind the table fora long time and it was eight o’clock before the guards cleared the palace and we made our way over the debris of broken doors and furniture to our apartments.

I guessed that Axel would hear of this new assault and be anxious, so I sat down to write to him at once.

“I am still alive, though by a miracle. The twentieth was a terrible ordeal. But do not be anxious about me. Have faith in my courage.”

Now we were living in a damaged palace and I felt we were on the edge of disaster. As the weather grew hotter I was aware of the rising tension. The assault on the Tuileries would not be an isolated attack, I was sure of that.

I ordered Madame Campan to have a padded under-waistcoat made for the King so that if he should be attacked at any time there might be time for the guards to rescue him. It was made of fifteen folds of Italian taffeta—and comprised a waistcoat and a wide belt. I had had it tested; it resisted ordinary dagger thrust, and even shots fired at it were turned off.

I was afraid that someone would discover it and I wore it myself for three days before I had an opportunity of getting the King to try it on. I was in bed when he did so and I heard him whisper something to Madame Campan. It fitted him and he wore it, and when he had gone I asked Campan what he had said.

She was reluctant, but I said: “You had better tell me. You should understand that it is as well for me to know everything.”

She answered: “His Majesty said: ” It is only to satisfy 469 the Queen that 1 submit to this inconvenience. They will not assassinate me. Their schemes have changed. They will put me to death another way”.”