marie antoinette and her son-第88章

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the　allees　through　which　they　wandered；　and　dance　to　the　music　of
revolutionary　songs　which　some　of　them　sang。　Sometimes　the　gardeners
who　worked　there　hurried　up　to　join　them　in　this　dance；　and　to
encircle　the　prisoners　in　their　wild　evolutions。　One　of　these　people
displayed　his　sickle　to　the　king　one　day；　and　swore　that　he　would
cut　off　the　head　of　the　queen　with　it。　And　when；　after　their　sad
walk；　they　had　returned　to　the　Temple；　they　were　received　by　the
sentinels　and　the　turnkey　with　renewed　insults；　and；　as　if　it　were
not　enough　to　fill　the　ear　with　this　abuse；　the　eye　too　must　have
its　share。　The　vilest　of　expressions　were　written　upon　the　walls　of
the　corridors　which　the　royal　party　had　to　traverse。　You　might　read
there：　〃Madame　Veto　will　soon　be　dancing　again。　Down　with　the
Austrian　she…wolf！　The　wolf's　brood　must　be　strangled。　The　king　must
be　hanged　with　his　own　ribbon！〃　Another　time　they　had　drawn　a
gallows；　on　which　a　figure　was　hanging；　with　the　expression　written
beneath；　〃Louis　taking　an　air…bath！〃

And　so；　even　the　short　walks　of　the　prisoners　were　transformed　into
suffering。　At　first　the　queen　thought　she　could　not　bear　it；　and　the
promenades　were　given　up。　But　the　pale　cheeks　of　her　daughter；　the
longing　looks　which　the　dauphin　cast　from　the　closed　window　to　the
garden；　warned　the　mother　to　do　what　the　queen　found　too　severe　a
task。　She　underwent　the　pain　involved　in　this；　she　submitted
herself；　and　every　day　the　royal　pair　took　the　dear　children　into
the　garden　again；　and　bore　this　unworthy　treatment　without
complaint；　that　the　children　might　enjoy　a　little　air　and　sunshine。

One　day；　the　21st　of　September；　the　royal　family　had　returned　from
their　walk　to　their　sitting…room。　The　king　had　taken　a　book　and　was
reading；　the　queen　was　sitting　near　him；　engaged　in　some　light　work；
while　the　dauphin；　with　his　sister　Theresa；　and　his　aunt　Elizabeth；
were　in　the　next　room；　and　were　busying　each　other　with　riddles。　In
the　open　anteroom　the　two　officials　were　sitting；　their　eyes　fixed
upon　the　prisoners　with　a　kind　of　cruel　pleasure。

Suddenly　beneath　their　windows　were　heard　the　loud　blast　of　trumpets
and　the　rattle　of　drums；　then　followed　deep　silence；　and　amid　this
stillness　the　following　proclamation　was　read　with　a　loud　voice：

〃The　monarchy　is　abolished　in　France。　All　official　documents　will　be
dated　from　the　first　year　of　the　republic。　The　national　seal　will　be
encircled　by　the　words；　'Republic　of　France。'　The　national　coat…of…
arms　will　be　a　woman　sitting　upon　a　bundle　of　weapons；　and　holding
in　her　hand　a　lance　tipped　with　a　liberty…cap。〃

The　two　officials　had　fixed　their　eyes　upon　the　king　and　queen；　from
whose　heads　the　crown　had　just　fallen。　They　wanted　to　read；　with
their　crafty　and　malicious　eyes；　the　impression　which　the
proclamation　had　made　upon　them。　But　those　proud；　calm　features
disclosed　nothing。　Not　for　a　moment　did　the　king　raise　his　eyes　from
the　book　which　he　was　reading；　while　the　voice　without　uttered　each
word　with　fearful　distinctness。　The　queen　quietly　went　on　with　her
embroidery；　and　not　for　a　moment　did　she　intermit　the　regular　motion
of　her　needle。

Again　the　blast　of　trumpets　and　the　rattle　of　drums。　The　funeral　of
the　royalty　was　ended；　and　the　king　was；　after　this　time；　to　be
known　simply　as　Louis　Capet；　and　the　queen　as　Marie　Antoinette。
Within　the　Temple　there　was　no　longer　a　dauphin；　no　longer　a　Madame
Royale；　no　longer　a　princess；　but　only　the　Capet　family！

The　republic　had　hurled　the　crowns　from　the　heads　of　Louis　and　Marie
Antoinette；　and　when；　some　days　later；　the　linen　which　had　been　long
begged　for；　had　been　brought　from　the　Tuileries；　the　republic
commanded　the　queen　to　obliterate　the　crown　which　marked　each　piece；
in　addition　to　the　name。

But　their　sufferings　are　by　no　means　ended　yet。　Still　there　are　some
sources　of　comfort　left；　and　now　and　then　a　peaceful　hour。　The
crowns　have　fallen；　but　hearts　still　beat　side　by　side。　They　have　no
longer　a　kingdom；　but　they　are　together；　they　can　speak　with　looks
one　to　another；　they　can　seek　to　comfort　one　another　with　smiles；
they　can　cheer　each　other　up　with　a　passing　grasp　of　the　hand；　that
escapes　the　eye　of　the　sentries！　We　only　suffer　half　what　we　bear　in
common　with　others；　and　every　thing　seems　lighter；　when　there　is　a
second　one　to　help　lift　the　load。

Perhaps　the　enemies　of　the　king　and　queen　have　an　instinctive
feeling　of　this；　and　their　hate　makes　them　sympathetic；　in　order　to
teach　them　to　invent　new　tortures　and　new　sufferings。

Yes；　there　are　unknown　pangs　still　to　be　felt；　their　cup　of　sorrows
was　not　yet　full！　The　parents　are　still　left　to　each　other；　and
their　eyes　are　still　allowed　to　rest　upon　their　children！　But　the
〃one　and　indivisible　republic〃　means　to　rend　even　these　bonds　which
bind　the　royal　family　together；　and　to　part　those　who　have　sworn
that　nothing　shall　separate　them　but　death！　The　republicwhich　had
abolished　the　churches；　overthrown　the　altars；　driven　the　priesthood
into　exilethe　republic　cannot　grant　to　the　Capet　family　that　only
death　shall　separate　them；　for　it　had　even　made　Death　its　servant；
and　must　accept　daily　victims　from　him；　offered　on　the　Place　de
Liberte；　in　the　centre　of　which　stood　the　guillotine；　the　only　altar
tolerated　there。

In　the　middle　of　October　the　republic　sent　its　emissaries　to　the
Temple；　to　tear　the　king　from　the　arms　of　his　wife　and　his　children。
In　spite　of　their　pleadings　and　cries；　he　was　taken　to　another　part
of　the　Templeto　the　great　tower；　which　from　this　time　was　to　serve
as　his　lodgings。　And　in　order　that　the　queen　might　be　spared　no
pang；　the　dauphin　was　compelled　to　go　with　his　father　and　be
separated　from　his　mother。

This　broke　the　pride；　the　royal　pride　of　Marie　Antoinette。　She　wrung
her　hands；　she　wept；　she　cried；　she　implored　with　such　moving；
melting　tones；　not　to　be　separated　from　her　son　and　husband；　that
even　the　heart　of　Simon　the　cobbler　was　touched。

〃I　really　believe　that　these　cursed　women　make　me　blubber！〃　cried
he；　angry　with　the　tears　which　forced　themselves　into　his　eyes。　And
he　made　no　objection　when　the　other　officials　said　to　the　queen；
with　trembling　voices；　that　they　would　allow　the　royal　family　to
come　together　at　their　meals。

One　last　comfort；　one　last　ray　of　sunshine！　There　were　still　hours
in　these　dismal；　monotonous　days　of　November；　when　they　could　have
some　happinesshours　for　which　they　longed；　and　for　whose　sake　they
bore　the　desolate　solitude　of　the　remaining　time。

At　breakfast；　dinner；　and　supper；　the　Capet　family　were　together；
words　were　interchanged；　hands　could　rest　in　one　another；　and　they
could　delight　in　the　pleasant　chatter　of　the　dauphin　when　the　king
told　about　the　lessons　he　had　given　the　boy；　and　the　progress　he　was
making。

They　sometimes　forgot；　at　those　meetings；　that　Death　was　perhaps
crouching　outside　the　Temple；　waiting　to　receive　his　victims；　and
they　even　uttered　little　words　of　pleasantry；　to　awaken　the　bright；
fresh　laugh　of　the　dauphin；　the　only　music　that　ever　was　heard　in
those　dismal　rooms。

But　December　took　this　last　consolation　from　the　queen。　The　National
Assembly；　which　had　now　been　transformed　into　the　Convention；
brought　the　charge　of　treason　against　the　king。　He　was　accused　of
entering　into　a　secret　alliance　with　the　enemies　of　France；　and
calling　the　monarchs　of　Europe　to　come　to　his　assistance。　In　an　iron
safe　which　had　been　set　into　the　wall　of　the　cabinet　in　the
Tuileries；　papers　had　been　discovered　which　compromised　the　king；
letters　from　the　refugee　princes；　from　the　Emperor　of　Germany；　and
the　King　of　Prussia。　These　monarchs　were　now　on　the　very　confines　of
France；　ready　to　enter　upon　a　bloody　war；　and　that　was　the　fault　of
the　king！　He　was　in　alliance　with　the　enemies　of　his　country！　He　was
the　murderer　of　his　own　subjects！　On　his　head　the　blood　should
return；　which　had　been　shed　by　him。

This　was　the　charge　which　was　brought　against　the　king。　Twenty
members　of　the　Convention　went　to　the　Temple；　to　read　it　to　him；　and
to　hear　his　reply。　He　stoutly　denied　haying　entertained　such
relations　with　foreign　princes；　he　declared；　with　a　solemn　oath；
t