marie antoinette and her son-第68章

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count　be　forgiven！　Never　can　the　king　stoop　so　low　as　to　pardon　this
apostate；　who　frivolously　professes　the　new　religion　of　'liberty；'
and　disowns　the　faith　of　his　fathers。〃

〃Your　majesty；〃　replied　Count　de　la　Marck；　with　a　sigh；　〃it　may　be
that　in　the　hand　of　this　renegade　lies　the　future　of　your　son。〃

The　queen　trembled；　and　the　proud　expression　on　her　features　was
softened。

〃The　future　of　my　son？〃　said　she。　〃What　do　you　mean　by　that？　What
has　Count　Mirabeau　to　do　with　the　dauphin？　His　wrath　follows　us
only；　his　hatred　rests　upon　us　alone！　I　grant　that　at　present　he　is
powerful；　but　over　the　future　he　has　no　sway。　I　hope；　on　the
contrary；　that　the　future　will　avenge　the　evil　that　Mirabeau　does　to
us　in　the　present。〃

〃But　how　does　it　help；　madame；　if　vengeance　hurries　him　on？〃　asked
Count　de　la　Marck；　sadly。　〃The　temple　which　Samson　pulled　down　was
not　built　again；　that　Samson　might　be　taken　from　its　ruins；　it
remained　in　its　dust　and　fragments；　and　its　glory　was　gone　forever。
Oh；　I　beseech　your　majesty；　do　not　listen　to　the　voice　of　your
righteous　indignation；　but　only　to　the　voice　of　prudence。　Master
your　noble；　royal　heart；　and　seek　to　reconcile　your　adversaries；　not
to　punish　them！〃

〃What　do　you　desire　of　me？〃　asked　Marie　Antoinette；　in　amazement。
〃What　shall　I　do？〃

〃Your　majesty　must　chain　the　lion；〃　whispered　the　count。　〃Your
majesty　must　have　the　grace　to　change　Mirabeau　the　enemy　into
Mirabeau　the　devoted　ally　and　friend！〃

〃Impossible；　it　is　impossible！〃　cried　the　queen；　in　horror。　〃I
cannot　descend　to　this。　I　never　can　view　with　friendly　looks　this
monster　who　is　accountable　for　the　horrors　of　those　October　days。　I
can　only　speak　of　this　man；　who　has　created　his　reputation　out　of
his　crimes；　who　is　a　faithless　son；　a　faithless　husband；　a　faithless
lover；　a　faithless　aristocrat；　and　a　faithless　royalistI　can　only
speak　of　him　in　words　of　loathing；　scorn；　and　horror！　No；　rather　die
than　accept　assistance　from　Count　Mirabeau！　Do　you　not　know；　count；
that　he　honors　me　his　queen　with　his　enmity　and　his　contempt？　Is　it
not　Mirabeau　who　caused　the　States…General　to　accept　the　words　'the
person　of　the　king　is　inviolable；'　and　to　reject　the　words　'and　that
of　the　queen？'　Was　it　not　Mirabeau　who　once；　when　my　friends
exhorted　him　to　moderation；　and　besought　him　to　soften　his　words
about　the　Queen　of　France；　had　the　grace　to　answer　with　a　shrug；
'Well；　she　may　keep　her　life！'　Was　it　not　Mirabeau　who　was　to　blame
for　the　October　days？　Was　it　not　Mirabeau　who　publicly　said：　'The
king　and　the　queen　are　lost。　The　people　hate　them　so；　that　they
would　even　destroy　their　corpses？'〃　＇Footnote：　The　queen's　own
words。See　Goncourt；　〃Marie　Antoinette；〃　p。　305。＇

〃Your　majesty；　Mirabeau　said　that；　not　as　a　threat；　but　out　of　pity；
and　deep　concern　and　sympathy。〃

〃Sympathy！〃　repeated　the　queen；　〃Mirabeau；　who　hates　us！〃

〃No；　your　majesty；　Mirabeau；　who　honors　his　queen；　who　is　ready　to
give　his　life　for　you　and　for　the　monarchy；　if　your　majesty　will
forgive　him　and　receive　him　as　a　defender　of　the　throne！〃

The　queen　shuddered；　and　looked　in　astonishment　and　terror　at　the
excited　face　of　Count　de　la　Marck。　〃Are　you　speaking　of　Mirabeau；
the　tribune　of　the　people；〃　she　asked；　〃the　fiery　orator　of　the
National　Assembly？〃

〃I　am　speaking　of　Count　Mirabeau；　who　yesterday　was　the　enemy　of　the
throne；　and　who　to…day　will　be　a　zealous　defender；　if　your　majesty
will　only　have　it　soif　your　majesty　will　only　speak　a　gracious
word　to　him。〃

〃It　is　impossible；　it　is　impossible！〃　whispered　the　queen。

De　la　Marck　continued：　〃Since　he　has　frequently　seen　your　majesty
since　he　has　had　occasion　to　observe　your　proud　spirit　and　lofty
resignationa　change　has　taken　place　in　the　character　of　Mirabeau。
He　is　subdued　as　the　lion　is　subdued；　when　the　beaming　eye　of　a　pure
soul　looks　it　in　the　face。　He　might　be　of　service　again；　he　might　be
reconciled！　He　writes；　he　speaks　of　his　exalted　queen　with
admiration；　with　enthusiasm；　he　glows　with　a　longing　desire　to
confess　his　sins　at　the　feet　of　your　majesty；　and　to　receive　your
forgiveness。〃

〃Does　the　king　know　this？〃　asked　Marie　Antoinette。　〃Has　any　one　told
his　majesty？〃

〃I　should　not　have　taken　the　liberty　of　speaking　to　your　majesty
about　these　things　if　the　king　had　not　authorized　me；〃　replied　Count
de　la　Marck；　bowing。　〃His　majesty　recognizes　it　to　be　a　necessary
duty　to　gain　Mirabeau　to　the　throne；　and　he　hopes　to　have　in　this
matter　the　cooperation　of　his　exalted　wife。〃

Marie　Antoinette　sadly　shook　her　head。　〃I　will　speak　with　his
majesty　about　it；〃　she　said；　with　a　sigh；　〃but　only　under
circumstances　of　extreme　urgency　can　I　submit　to　this；　I　tell　you　in
advance。〃

But　the　case　was　of　extreme　urgency；　and　when　Marie　Antoinette　had
seen　it　to　be　so；　she　kept　her　word　and　conformed　to　it；　and
commissioned　Count　de　la　Marck　to　tell　his　friend　Mirabeau　that　the
queen　would　grant　him　an　audience。

But　in　order　that　this　audience　might　be　of　advantage；　it　must　be
conducted　with　the　deepest　secrecy。　No　one　ought　to　suspect　that
Mirabeau；　the　tribune　of　the　people；　the　adored　hero　of　the
revolutionMirabeau；　who　ruled　the　National　Assembly；　and　Paris
itself；　whom　the　freest　of　the　free　hailed　as　their　apostle　and
saviour；　who　with　the　power　of　his　eloquence　ruled　the　spirits　of
thousands　and　hundreds　of　thousands　of　men；no　one　could　suspect
that　the　leader　of　the　revolution　would　now　become　the　devoted
dependant　upon　the　monarchy；　and　the　paid　servant　of　the　king。

Two　conditions　Mirabeau　had　named；　when　Count　de　la　Marck　had　tried
to　gain　him　over　in　the　name　of　the　king：　an　audience　with　the
queen；　and　the　payment　of　his　debts；　together　with　a　monthly　pension
of　a　hundred　louis…d'or。

〃I　am　paid；　but　not　bought；〃　said　Mirabeau；　as　he　received　his　first
payment。　〃Only　one　of　my　conditions　is　fulfilled；　but　what　will
become　of　the　other？〃

〃And　so　you　still　insist　on　having　an　audience　with　the　queen？〃
asked　La　Marck。

〃Yes；　I　insist　upon　it；〃　said　Mirabeau；　with　naming　eyes。　〃If　I　am
to　battle　and　speak　for　this　monarchy；　I　must　learn　to　respect　it。
If　I　am　to　believe　in　the　possibility　of　restoring　it；　I　must
believe　in　its　capacity　of　life；　I　must　see　that　I　have　to　deal　with
a　brave；　decided；　noble　man。　The　true　and　real　king　here　is　Marie
Antoinette；　and　there　is　only　one　man　in　the　whole　surroundings　of
Louis　XVI。；　and　that　is　his　wife。　I　must　speak　with　her；　in　order　to
hear　and　to　see　whether　she　is　worth　the　risking　of　my　life；　honor；
and　popularity。　If　she　really　is　the　heroine　that　I　hold　her　to　be；
we　will　both　united　save　the　monarchy；　and　the　throne　of　Louis　XVI。；
whose　king　is　Marie　Antoinette。　The　moment　is　soon　to　come　when　we
shall　learn　what　a　woman　and　a　child　can　accomplish；　and　whether　the
daughter　of　Maria　Theresa　with　the　dauphin　in　her　arms　cannot　stir
the　hearts　of　the　French　as　her　great　mother　once　stirred　the
Hungarians。〃　＇Footnote：Mirabeau's　own　words。See　〃Marie　Antoinette
et　sa　Famille。〃　Far　M。　de　Lescure。　p。　478。＇

〃Do　you　then　believe　the　danger　is　so　great；〃　asked　La　Marck；　〃that
it　is　necessary　to　resort　to　extreme；　heroic　measures？〃

Mirabeau　grasped　his　arm　with　a　sudden　movement；　and　an　expression
of　solemn　earnestness　filled　his　lion…like　face。　〃I　am　convinced　of
it；〃　he　answered；　〃and　I　will　add；　the　danger　is　so　great；　that　if
we　do　not　soon　meet　it　and　in　heroic　fashion；　it　will　not　be
possible　to　control　it。　There　is　no　other　security　for　the　queen
than　through　the　reestablishment　of　the　royal　authority。　I　believe
of　her；　that　she　does　not　desire　life　without　her　crown；　and　I　am
certain　that；　in　order　to　keep　her　life；　she　must　before　all　things
preserve　her　crown。　And　I　will　help　her　and　stand　by　her　in　it；　and
for　this　end　I　must　myself　speak　with　her　and　have　an　audience。〃
＇Footnote：　Mirabeau's　own　words。See　Count　de　la　Marck；　〃Mirabeau；〃
vol。　21。　p。　50。＇

And　Mirabeau；　the　first　man　in　the　revolution　had　his　audience　with
Marie　Antoinette；　the　dying　champion　of　monarchy。

On　the　3rd　of　July；　1790；　the　meeting　of　the　queen　and　Mirabeau　took
place　in　the　park　of　St。　Cloud。　Secrecy　and　silence　surrounded　them；