The Royal Life Guard; or, the flight of the royal family.

by Alexandre Dumas

  CHAPTER XIV.

  THE CAPTURE.

  Inexpressible prostration overpowered the fugitives, checked on thehighway by a danger they could not measure.

  "Sire," said Isidore, the first to shake it off; "dead or living, let usnot think of our brother, but of your Majesty. There is not an instantto lose. These fellows must know the Monarch Hotel; so, gallop to theGrand Monarch!"

  But the postillions did not stir.

  "Did you not hear?" queried the young noble.

  "Yes, sir, we heard----"

  "Well, why do we not start?"

  "Because Master Drouet forbade us."

  "What? Drouet forbade you? when the King commands and Drouet forbids, doyou obey a Drouet?"

  "We obey the Nation."

  "Then, gentlemen," went on Isidore, "there are moments when a human lifeis of no account. Pick out your man; I will settle this one. We willdrive ourselves."

  He grasped the nearest postillion by the collar and set the point of hisshort sword to his breast.

  On seeing the three knives flash, the Queen screamed and cried:

  "Mercy, gentlemen!"

  She turned to the postboys:

  "Friends, fifty gold pieces to share among you, and a pension of fivehundred a-year if you save the King!"

  Whether they were frightened by the young nobles' demonstration orsnapped at the offer, the three shook up their horses and resumed theroad.

  Prefontaine sneaked into his house all of a tremble and barred himselfin.

  Isidore rode on in front to clear the way through the town and over thebridge to the Monarch House.

  The vehicle rolled at full speed down the slope.

  On arriving at a vaulted way leading to the bridge and passing under theRevenue Tower, one of the doors was seen closed. They got it open buttwo or three wagons were in the way.

  "Lend me a hand, gentlemen," cried Isidore, dismounting.

  Just then they heard the bells boom and a drum beat. Drouet was hard atwork!

  "The scamp! if ever I lay hold of him--" growled Isidore, grinding histeeth. By an incredible effort he dragged one of the carts aside whileMalden and Valory drew off the other. They tugged at the last as thecoach thundered under the vault.

  Suddenly through the uprights of the tilt, they saw several musketbarrels thrust upon the cart.

  "Not a step or you are dead men!" shouted a voice.

  "Gentlemen," interposed the King, looking out of the window, "do not tryto force your way through--I order you."

  The two officers and Isidore fell back a step.

  "What do they mean to do?" asked the King.

  At the same time a shriek of fright sounded from within the coach.Besides the men who barred the way, two or three had slipped up to theconveyance and shoved their gun barrels under the windows. One waspointed at the Queen's breast: Isidore saw this; he darted up, andpushed the gun aside by grasping the barrel.

  "Fire, fire," roared several voices.

  One of the men obeyed but luckily his gun missed fire.

  Isidore raised his arm to stab him but the Queen stopped his hand.

  "Oh, in heaven's name, let me charge this rabble," said Isidore,enraged.

  "No, sheathe your sword, do you hear me?"

  He did not obey her by half; instead of sheathing his sword he let itfall on the ground.

  "If I only get hold of Drouet," he snarled.

  "I leave you him to wreck your vengeance on," said the Queen, in anundertone and squeezing his arm with strange force.

  "In short, gentlemen," said the King, "what do you want?"

  "We want to see your passports," returned several voices.

  "So you may," he replied. "Get the town authorities and we will showthem."

  "You are making too much fuss over it," said the fellow who had missedfire with his gun and now levelled it at the King.

  But the two Guardsmen leaped upon him, and dragged him down; in thescuffle the gun went off and the bullet did no harm in the crowd.

  "Who fired?" demanded a voice.

  "Help," called out the one whom the officers were beating.

  Five or six armed men rushed to his rescue. The two Lifeguardsmenwhipped out their short swords and prepared to use them. The King andthe Queen made useless efforts to stop both parties: the contest wasbeginning fierce, terrible and deadly.

  But two men plunged into the struggle, distinguishable by a tricoloredscarf and military uniform; one was Sausse the County Attorney and theother National Guard Commandant Hannonet.

  They brought twenty muskets, which gleamed in the torchlight.

  The King comprehended that these officials were a guarantee if notassistance.

  "Gentlemen," he said, "I am ready to entrust myself and party to you,but put a stop to these rough fellow's brutality."

  "Ground your arms," cried Hannonet.

  The men obeyed but growlingly.

  "Excuse me, sir," said the attorney, "but the story is about that theKing is in flight and it is our duty to make sure if it is a fact."

  "Make sure?" retorted Isidore. "If this carriage really conveyed hisMajesty you ought to be at his feet: if it is but a private individualby what right do you stay him?"

  "Sir, I am addressing you," went on Sausse, to the King. "Will you begood enough to answer me?"

  "Sire, gain time," whispered Isidore: "Damas and his dragoons aresomewhere near and will doubtless ride up in a trice."

  The King thought this right and replied to Sausse:

  "I suppose you will let us go on if our passes are correct?"

  "Of course," was the reply.

  "Then, Baroness," said the Monarch to Lady Tourzel, "be good enough tofind the passports and give them to the gentleman."

  The old lady understood what the speaker meant by saying "find!" so shewent to seeking in the pockets where it was not likely to be.

  "Nonsense," said one of the crowd, "don't you see that they have not gotany passport."

  The voice was fretful and full of menace too.

  "Excuse me, sir," said the Queen, "my lady the baroness has the paperbut not knowing that it would be called for, she does not know where sheput it."

  The bystanders began to hoot, showing that they were not dupes of thetrick.

  "There is a plainer way," said Sausse: "postillions, drive on to mystore, where the ladies and gentlemen can go in while the matter iscleared up. Go ahead, boys! Soldiers of the National Guard, escort thecarriage."

  This invitation was too much like an order to be dallied with.

  Besides resistance would probably not have succeeded for the bellscontinued to ring and the drum to beat so that the crowd wasconsiderably augmented, as the carriage moved on.

  "Oh, Colonel Damas," muttered the King, "if you will only strike inbefore we are put within this accursed house!"

  The Queen said nothing for she had to stifle her sobs as she thought ofCharny, and restrained her tears.

  Damas? he had managed to break out of Clermont with three officers andtwice as many troopers but the rest had fraternized with the people.

  Sausse was a grocer as well as attorney, and his grocery had a parlorbehind the store where he meant to lodge the visitors.

  His wife, half-dressed, came from upstairs as the Queen crossed thesill, with the King next, Lady Elizabeth and Lady Tourzel following.

  More than a hundred persons guarded the coach, and stopped before thestore which was in a little square.

  "If the lady has found the pass yet," observed Sausse, who had shown theway in, "I will take it to the Town Council and see if it is correct."

  As the passport which Charny had got from Baron Zannone, and given tothe Queen, was in order, the King made a sign that Lady Tourzel was tohand it over. She drew the precious paper from her pocket and let Saussehave it. He charged his wife to do the honor of his house while he wentto the town-house.

  It was a lively meeting, for Drouet was there to fan the flames. Thesilence of curiosity fell as the atto
rney entered with the document. Allknew that he harbored the party. The mayor pronounced the pass perfectlygood.

  "It must be good for there is the royal signature," he said.

  A dozen hands were held out for it but Drouet snatched it up.

  "But has it got the signature of the Assembly?" he demanded.

  It was signed by a member of the Committee though not for the president.

  "This is not the question," said the young patriot, "these travelersare not Baroness von Korff, a Russian lady, with her steward, hergoverness and her children, but the King and the Queen, the Princeand the Princess Royal and Lady Elizabeth, a court lady, and theirguardsmen--the Royal Family in short. Will you or will you not let theRoyal Family go out of the kingdom?"

  This question was properly put, but it was too heavy for the towngovernors of a third-rate town to handle.

  As their deliberation promised to take up some time, Sausse went home tosee how his guests were faring.

  They had refused to lay aside their wraps or sit down as this concessionseemed to delay their approaching departure, which they took forgranted.

  All their faculties were concentrated on the master of the house whomight be expected to bring the council's decision. When he arrived theKing went to meet him.

  "Well, what about the passport?" he asked, with anxiety he vainly stroveto conceal.

  "It causes a grave debate in the council," replied Sausse.

  "Why? is its validity doubted by any chance?" proceeded the King.

  "No; but it is doubted that it is really in the hands of Lady Korff, andthe rumor spreads that it covers the Royal Family."

  Louis hesitated an instant, but then, making up his mind, he said:

  "Well, yes; I am the King. You see the Queen and the children; I entreatyou to deal with them with the respect the French have always showntheir sovereigns."

  The street door had remained open to the staring multitude; the wordswere heard without. Unhappily, though they were uttered with a kind ofdignity, the speaker did not carry out the idea in his bob wig, greycoat, and plain stockings and shoes.

  How could anybody see the ruler of the realm in this travesty?

  The Queen felt the flush come to her eyes at the poor impression made onthe mob.

  "Let us accept Madam Sausse's hospitality," she hastened to say, "and goupstairs."

  Meanwhile the news was carried to the town house and the tumultredoubled over the town.

  How was it this did not attract the soldiers in waiting?

  At about nine in the evening, Count Jules Bouille--not his brother Louiswhom we have seen in locksmith's dress--and Lieut. Raigecourt, withtheir hussars, were at the Monarch inn door, when they heard a carriagecoming. But it was the cab containing the Queen's hairdresser. He wasvery frightened.

  He revealed his personality.

  "The King got out of Paris last evening," he said: "but it does notlook as if he could keep on; I have warned Colonel Damas who has calledin his outposts; the dragoon regiment mutinied; at Clermont there wasa riot--I have had great trouble to get through. I have the Queen'sdiamonds and my brother's hat and coat, and you must give me a horse tohelp me on the road."

  "Master Leonard," said Bouille, who wanted to set the hairdresser down apeg, "the horses here are for the King's service and nobody else can usethem."

  "But as I tell you that there is little likelihood of the King comingalong----"

  "But still he may, and he would hold me to task for letting you havethem."

  "What, do you imagine that the King would blame you for giving me hishorses when it is to help me out of a fix?"

  The young noble could not help smiling. Leonard was comic in the bighat and misfit coat, and he was glad to get rid of him by begging thelandlord to find a horse for the cab.

  Bouille and his brother-officer went through the town and saw nothingon the farther side; they began to believe that the King, eight or tenhours belated, would never come. It was eleven when they returned tothe inn. They had sent out an orderly before this, who had reported toDamas, as we have seen.

  They threw themselves, dressed, on the bed to wait till midnight.

  At half past twelve they were aroused by the tocsin, the drum and theshouting. Thrusting their heads out of the window, they saw the town inconfusion racing towards the town hall. Many armed men ran in the samedirection with all sorts of weapons.

  The officers went to the stables to get the horses out so that theywould be ready for the carriage if it crossed the town. They had theirown chargers ready and kept by the King's relay, on which sat thepostboys.

  Soon they learnt, amid the shouts and menaces that the royal party hadbeen stopped.

  They argued that they had better ride over to Stenay where the littlearmy corps commanded by Bouille was waiting. They could arrive in twohours.

  Abandoning the relay, they galloped off, so that one of the main forcesfoiled the King at the critical moment!

  During this time, Choiseul had been pushing on but he lost threequarters of an hour by threading a wood, the guide going wrong byaccident or design. This was the very time while the King was compelledto alight and go into Sausse's.

  At half after twelve, while the two young officers were riding off bythe other road, Choiseul presented himself at the gate, coming by thecross-road.

  "Who goes there?" was challenged at the bridge where National guardswere posted.

  "France--Lauzun Hussars," was the count's reply.

  "You cannot pass!" returned the sentry, who called up the guard to arms.

  At the instant the darkness was streaked with torchlight, and thecavalry could see masses of armed men and the musket-barrels shine.

  Not knowing what had happened, Choiseul parleyed and said that he wantedto be put in communication with the officers of the garrison.

  But while he was talking he noticed that trees were felled to make abreastwork and that two field pieces were trained on his forty men. Asthe gunner finished his aiming, the hussar's provost-marshal's squadarrived, unhorsed; they had been surprised and disarmed in the barracksand only knew that the King had been arrested. They were ignorant whathad become of their comrades.

  As they were concluding these thin explanations, Choiseul saw a troop ofhorse advance in the gloom and heard the bridge guards challenge:

  "Who goes there?"

  "The Provence Dragoons!"

  A national Guard fired off his gun:

  "It is Damas with his cavalry," whispered the count to an officer.

  Without waiting for more, he shook off the two soldiers who wereclinging to his skirts and suggesting that his duty was to obey the townauthorities and know nothing beyond. He commanded his men to go at thetrot, and took the defenders so well by surprise that he cut through,and rushed the streets, swarming with people.

  On approaching Sausse's store, he saw the royal carriage, without thehorses, and a numerous guard before the mean-looking house in the pettysquare.

  Not to have a collision with the townsfolk, the count went straight tothe military barracks, which he knew.

  As he came out, two men stopped him and bade him appear before the towncouncil; still having his troopers within call, he sent them off, sayingthat he would pay the council a visit when he found time, and he orderedthe sentry to allow no one entrance.

  Inquiring of the stablemen, he learnt that the hussars, not knowing whathad become of their leaders, had scattered about the streets where theinhabitants had sympathized with them and treated them to drink. He wentback into barracks to count what he might rely upon, say, forty men, astired as their horses which had travelled more than twenty leagues thatday.

  But the situation was not one to trifle with.

  He had the pistols inspected to make sure they were loaded; as thehussars were Germans and did not understand French, he harangued themin their tongue to the effect that they were in Varennes where theRoyal Family had been waylaid and were detained and that they must berescued or the rescuers should d
ie. Short but sharp, the speech made afine impression; the men repeated in German: "The King! the Queen!" withamazement.

  Leaving them no time to cool down, he arranged them in fours and ledthem with sabres drawn to the house where he suspected the King was heldin durance.

  In the midst of the volunteer guards' invectives, he placed two videttesat the door, and alighted to walk in.

  As he was crossing the threshold, he was touched on the shoulder byColonel Damas on whose assistance he had no little depended.

  "Are you in force?" he inquired.

  "I am all but alone. My regiment refused to follow me and I have buthalf-a-dozen men."

  "What a misfortune! but never mind--I have forty fellows and we must seewhat we can do with them."

  The King was receiving a deputation from the town, whose spokesman said:

  "Since there is no longer any doubt that Varennes has the honor toreceive King Louis, we come to have his orders."

  "My orders are to have the horses put to my carriage and let me depart,"replied the monarch.

  The answer to this precise request will never be known as at this pointthey heard Choiseul's horsemen gallop up and saw them form a line on thesquare with flashing swords.

  The Queen started with a beam of joy in her eyes.

  "We are saved," she whispered to her sister-in-law.

  "Heaven grant it," replied the holy woman, who looked to heaven foreverything.

  The King waited eagerly and the town's delegation with disquiet.

  Great riot broke out in the outer room guarded by countrymen withscythes; words and blows were exchanged and Choiseul, without his hatand sword in hand, appeared on the sill.

  Above his shoulder was seen the colonel's pale but resolute face.

  In the look of both was such a threatening expression that the deputiesstood aside so as to give a clear space to the Royal Family.

  "Welcome, Lord Choiseul," cried the Queen going over to the officer.

  "Alas, my lady, I arrive very late."

  "No matter, since you come in good company."

  "Nay, we are almost alone, on the contrary. Dandoins has been held withhis cavalry at St. Menehould and Damas has been abandoned by his troop."

  The Queen sadly shook her head.

  "But where is Chevalier Bouille, and Lieut. Raigecourt?" he lookedinquiringly around.

  "I have not so much as seen those officers," said the King, joining in.

  "I give you my word, Sire, that I thought they had died under yourcarriage-wheels, or even you had come to this," observed Count Damas.

  "What is to be done?" asked the King.

  "We must save you," replied Damas. "Give your orders."

  "My orders?"

  "Sire, I have forty hussars at the door, who are fagged but we can getas far as Dun."

  "But how can we manage?" inquired the King.

  "I will dismount seven of my men, on whose horses you should get, theDauphin in your arms. We will lay the swords about us and cut our waythrough as the only chance. But the decision must be instant for in aquarter of an hour perhaps my men will be bought over."

  The Queen approved of the project but the King seemed to elude her gazeand the influence she had over him.

  "It is a way," he responded to the proposer, "and I daresay the onlyone; but can you answer for it that in the unequal struggle of thirtymen with seven or eight hundred, no shot will kill my boy or mydaughter, the Queen or my sister?"

  "Sire, if such a misfortune befell through my suggestion, I should bekilled under your Majesty's eyes."

  "Then, instead of yielding to such mad propositions," returned theother, "let us reason calmly."

  The Queen sighed and retired a few paces. In this regretful movement,she met Isidore who was going over to the window whither a noise in thestreet attracted him; he hoped it was his brother coming.

  "The townsfolk do not refuse to let me pass," said the King, withoutappearing to notice the two in conversation, "but ask me to wait tilldaybreak. We have no news of the Count of Charny, who is so deeplydevoted to us. I am assured that Bouille and Raigecourt left the townten minutes before we drove in, to notify Marquis Bouille and bring uphis troops, which are surely ready. Were I alone I should follow youradvice and break through; but it is impossible to risk the Queen, mychildren, my sister and the others with so small a guard as you offer,especially as part must be dismounted--for I certainly would not leavemy Lifeguards here."

  He looked at his watch.

  "It will soon be three o'clock; young Bouille left at half after twelveso that, as his father must have ranged his troops in detachments alongthe road, he will warn them and they will successively arrive. Aboutfive or six, Marquis Bouille ought to be here with the main body, thefirst companies outstripping him. Thereupon, without any danger to myfamily, and no violence, we can quit Varennes and continue our road."

  Choiseul acknowledged the logic in this argument but he felt that logicmust not be listened to on certain occasions.

  He turned to the Queen to beg other orders from her, or to have her getthe King to revoke his, but she shook her head and said:

  "I do not want to take anything upon myself; it is the King's place tocommand and my duty to obey. Besides, I am of his opinion--Bouille willsoon be coming."

  Choiseul bowed and drew Damas aside while beckoning the two Lifeguardsto join in the council he held.