He merely smiled and took me into his arms. He said that he would soon be back from Metz and then there should be no delay. He would be leaving Paris and I should be with him.
So he went to Metz and I tried to settle into the routine of the new life so monotonous, but like a smouldering fire which will at any moment burst into a wild conflagration.
It was wonderful to see Axel safely back, but the news he brought was not good. Bouille was growing anxious, for the troops were becoming restive. News of what was happening in Paris was coming to them often highly exaggerated, and he was less sure of their loyalty than he had been. Bouille believed that inactivity was responsible. K decisive action was to be taken, there should be no delay.
Axel agreed wholeheartedly; so did Mirabeau.
You should begin making plans for the escape,” Mira beau told Axel.
“As a Swede you are less suspect than a Frenchman would be.” In the meantime he still clung to his first plan. He wanted boldness on the part of the King; he wanted him to behave as though he were a King, to go into the streets, to show himself. He was not disliked, the people showed their affection for him by calling him their link papa.
“I think it would be unwise for the Queen to appear in the streets,” said Axel.
Mirabeau lifted his shoulders.
“In an affair of this nature, certain risks must be taken. The mood of the people at this moment is such that I do not think the Queen would be harmed. That mood can, of course, change suddenly.” - “I do not care for the Queen to expose herself to the rabble,” said Axel fiercely.
So even between these two there was disagreement.
But there was new hope in the Tuileries. Axel was working for us as only a fervent lover could; Mirabeau was using all the fierce determination of an ambitious man, for the same purpose. I believed that this could not fail.
Fate was against us, for ill fortune always seemed close behind, ready to catch up with us.
I could not believe it when I was told that Mirabeau was dead. The day before, he had appeared to be in perfect health, his vitality astonishing everyone. By day he was haranguing the National Assembly, formulating plans with the Ring and at the same time working with the Assembly. By night he continued to indulge in the pleasure of the flesh. I heard that the night before he died he slept with two opera singers.
We did not know exactly how he died. All we knew was that he was no longer with us.
The verdict was death from natural causes; but we shall never know what killed Mirabeau. He was a man who no doubt suffered from certain ailments. The life he had been leading for so long may have made them inevitable; but there were many who said that the Orleanists had determined to be rid of a man who was trying to run with the Monarchy and hunt with the National Assembly. It would not be difficult to find someone ready to slip a little something into his food or wine.
The fact remained that we had lost Mirabeau, and with him, our best hope of restoring the Monarchy to France.
And so we were back to the routine of the Tuileries. I spent a great deal of time in my room, writing. I was learning now where I had taken my most fatal steps and how I might have acted. If I ever had a chance, I decided, I would not make the same mistakes again.
I was embroidering my tapestry rug with Elisabeth and we spent long hours together talking of the children; sometimes I played a game of billiards with the King. For exercise we walked in the Bois de Boulogne, but we were always uneasy when out of doors. Our experiences at Versailles had taught us that walls could not protect us from the fury of the mob, but there was a certain sense of security within walls. My son remained very friendly with the soldiers, and I encouraged this because I thought that he must inspire some affection in them and if the mob ever broke in on us as they had at Versailles these soldier friends H of his would protect him.
I was longing for the summer and the comparative freedom of Saint-Cloud. It seemed far away and I suggested to the King that we slip away to Saint-Cloud for Easter. He agreed to this and I said we would make ready.
Remembering how, when the aunts had left, the mob had surrounded their carriage and had debated whether or not to let them go, I said that we must not let it be generally known that we were going. All the same, certain preparations had to be made, and the members of my intimate circle knew of them.
I trusted them absolutely, although there was a new corner named Madame Rochereuil of whom I knew very little: but she had been well recommended and it never occurred to me to doubt that she ‘was not to be relied on.
Preparations were complete; Easter was almost on us;
the carriages were in the courtyard and we were ready to leave. But as we began the drive we found ourselves surrounded by the rabble; this was the same kind of mob which had brought us from Versailles to Paris. I felt sick with horror; my son turned his face from the window of the carriage and I put my arm about him to comfort him.
The insults came—the crude obscenities.
“Lirte Papa must stay with his children!” cried the crowd.
La Fayette came up with his soldiers and ordered the mob to retire and let the royal carriage pass, but he was jeered at and mud was flung at him. I knew instinctively that this was another organised revolt.
“You are behaving as enemies of the Constitution!” cried La Fayette.
“In preventing the King from leaving, you make him a prisoner and you annul the decrees he has sanctioned.”
But they would not listen to reason. What had reason to do with them?
They had been gathered together for this purpose; they had been paid to do what they did.
They leered in at the carriage windows. When the King tried to speak, they shouted “Fat pig I’ at him.
I could not help showing my disdain for them. It was something I could never hide. My looks betrayed the contempt I felt for these people.
“Look at her I’ they cried, ” Shall we let this putain dictate to us?”
La Payette rode to the carriage.
“Sire,” he said, ‘have I your orders to fire on the mob? “
“I could never permit it!” cried Louis.
“I do not want one drop of blood to be shed for me. We will return to the Tuileries.”
So the carriages were turned, and amid shouting and jeers we rode back.
As he alighted, Louis said with a sigh: “You will bear witness that henceforward we are not free.”
I was desolate. I said to my husband as we entered that palace of doom: “WE are indeed prisoners. They are determined that we shall never leave the Tuileries.”
To Varennes
Are you imbeciles that you take no steps to prevent the flight of the Royal Family? Parisians, fools that you are, I am weary of saying to you over and over again that you should have the King and the Dauphin in safe keeping, that you should lock up the Austrian Woman.
MARAT IN “LAMI DU PEUPLB’
June 11th. La Fayette has ordered that the sentinels be doubled and that all carriages be searched. June 18th. With the Queen from 2. 30 till 6. June 19th. With the King. Stayed at the chateau from eleven till midnight.
June 20th. On taking leave of me the King said: Monsieur de Fersen, whatever may happen, I shall never forget all you have done for me.”
The Queen wept a great deal. At six I left her. Returned home. At eight I wrote to the Queen to change the meeting place of the waiting women and to tell them to let me know the exact time by the bodyguards.
COMTE DE FERSEN’S JOURNAL
Louis has abdicated from the Monarchy. Henceforth Louis is nothing to us. We are now free and without a King. It remains to be seen whether it is worth while appointing another.
RESOLUTION PASSED BY THE JACOBIN CLUB AFTER THE FLIGHT OF THE ROYAL FAMILY
Sire, Your Majesty knows my attachment to you, but I did not leave you unaware that if you separated your cause from that of the people I would remain on the side of the people.
LA PAYETTE TO LOUIS XVI
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When Axel heard that we had been turned back to the Tuileries he came straight to Paris from Auteuil, the little village near Saint-Cloud where he had arrived intending to stay there while we were at the chateau. He was deeply disturbed, convinced that we were in acute danger.
I took him to my husband, who listened to what he had to say, and, prodded by the memory of the mob’s insolence, he was ready to agree that we must consider flight.
Artois and the Prince de Conde, who had safely reached the frontier, were aggravating the situation by talking too freely of their attempts to bring an army against the revolutionaries. They were travelling from foreign court to foreign court trying to urge rulers to make war on the French people and force them to restore the Monarchy.
My brother Leopold was aware of this; he wrote to Mercy;
“The Comte d’Artois has little concern for his brother and my sister.
He ignores the dangers to which his project and his attempts expose them. “
Mercy was urging me to persuade the King to consider flight also. We must escape from Paris; the King must raise a loyal army and take by force or menaces that which had been snatched from him. Louis was beginning to realise that this was necessary but it was too late now that Mirabeau was dead, for Mirabeau was the man who could have managed it.
However, we still had friends, and at length we had persuaded Louis that flight was essential Axel begged to be in charge of the preparations. He would start preparations immediately, and the first was to have a carriage a be rime made which would be suitable for the escape.
He was a constant caller at die Tuileries, and, lest this should attract too much attention, sometimes came disguised, I could never be sure whether he would come as a lackey, a coachman, or stooping a little as an ageing nobleman.
This lent excitement to the days. I had not felt so alive for a long time, and Axel was possessed with a furious de termination to make the plan succeed. shall carry you off to safety,” he told me.
He would talk of the berline, which was to be a very luxurious affair.
“Nothing but the best will do,” he had declared; he had mortgaged some estates in Sweden to provide the money. It was wonderful to be so loved. His plan was that we should leave with as few people as possible. Madame de Tourael must come with us because the children would need her to look after them, so Axel’s plan was that Madame de Tourael would be a Russian lady, Madame de Korff, travelling with her children, their governess and one lackey; and three women servants, one of whom should be Madame Elisabeth. I was to be the governess, Madame Rochet. He had acquired a passport in the name of Madame de Korff and we knew we could trust Madame de Tourzel to play her part.
The days were flying past; we were so excited; even Louis was caught up in it and eager to begin our flight. But, said Axel, there must be no hitches; everything must be planned down to the last detail and we must not slip up. The most difficult part would be to get out of Paris. That was the danger spot. Axel himself was going to take the part of coachman and would drive the berline. Everything de pended, he said, on our putting as great a distance as possible between ourselves and Paris before our escape was noticed.
Provence, who was to escape with us, pointed out that the berline was so magnificent that it might attract attention, but Axel reminded him that we had to travel many miles in it. It would be an uncomfortable journey, and the Queen could not endure hours in a badly-sprung vehicle.
Provence shrugged his shoulders and said that he would provide his own conveyance for himself and his wife, and decided on one of the shabbiest carriages that he could find.
Meanwhile Louis made a stipulation. Axel naturally wished to drive us to the frontier, but the King said he should do so only to the first halt, which would be Bendy.
Axel was dismayed. This was his plan. He was in charge; and how could he be, if he were to leave us at Bondy! But Louis for once was stubborn. I wondered whether he was comparing himself with Axel and realising why I could love this man as I never could himself.
I could not believe Louis was jealous; I knew that he loved me in his way, but it was an affection without passion. Yet he was adamant and would not allow Axel to come beyond Bondy; so there was nothing we could do but accept his decision. The ninth of June was the day which we settled on to begin our escape.
I was absorbed in my preparations. Madame Campan was with me; she knew of the plan, for I could trust her absolutely. I said when I arrived at Montmedy I should not want to appear as a governess but as a Queen, and how could I take all I would need with me. Madame Campan must make the preparations for me. She must order chemises and gowns. She must also buy for my son and daughter. She had a son of her own who could act as model for the Dauphin, I told her.
I knew Madame Campan would carry out these commands, although from her expression she was against my ordering clothes.
She was always frank, and said: “Madame, the Queen of France will find gowns and linen wherever she goes. This buying may well attract attention, which is what we wish to avoid.”
I was light-headed and growing as careless as I used to be, so I smiled at her. But she was disturbed.
I told her about the berline, which I couldn’t help boasting of because Axel had designed it.
“It is painted green and yellow,” I said, ‘and upholstered in white Utrecht velvet. “
“Madame,” she answered, ‘such a vehicle will never pass unnoticed. “
She added with that touch of asperity which she did not hide even from me that the berline would be very different from the carriage in which Monsieur and Madame travelled.
“Oh, very different,” I agreed. Theirs had not been designed by Axel.
I was to realise later how firmly planted in our minds were these rules of etiquette at which I had laughed so much when I had first come to France. We could not even attempt to escape except in the royal manner, even though what we must disguise was our royalty. There were to be six of us in the be rime—myself, the King, the children, Elisabeth and Madame de Tourzel. This was a large number and would slow down the speed, but we must all be together, and naturally Madame de Tourzel as Madame de Korff must be with us. I had never dressed myself so I must have two ladies in waiting, who were to follow the berline in a cabriolet. Then of course we must have outriders and lackeys, so the party was brought up to more than a dozen; and of course Axel and his coachman would be with us. Our clothes, packed in new cases, had to be carried too, which would make the berline very cumbersome and cut down speed even more.
But it was such a wonderful vehicle. It filled me with pleasure merely to look at it. Axel had thought of everything, there was even a silver dinner service, a canteen to contain bottles of wine, a cupboard and even two pots de chambre in tanned leather.
It was too much to hope that our plan would go through without hitches, and there were hitches in plenty.
The first came through the wardrobe woman, Madame Rochereuil. I had become suspicious of her soon after we were turned back to the Tuileries when we had planned to go to Saint-Cloud, for I had learned that she had a lover, Gouvion, who was a fierce revolutionary and had in fact arranged that she should have the post in my household that she might spy on me. She had warned Gouvion of our intention to go to Saint-Cloud at Easter, and in consequence the Orleanists had had time to inflame the mob and prevent our going.
How I longed to rid myself of that woman, but of course we were in truth prisoners and unable to choose those whom we wished to serve us.
I told Axel that we could not go on the ninth for the woman had seen me packing and might even have overheard the date mentioned. If we attempted to leave then, we should most certainly find ourselves stopped. What we must do was go on with our preparations, let the woman think we were leaving on the ninth, and then stay at the Tuileries as though it were all a mistake. When we had lulled her suspicions we could leave swiftly, without her having an inkling we were going.
Axel saw the reason in this but
was dismayed, for he said the longer we delayed the more dangerous it was becoming; but we fixed a secret date for the nineteenth, which was long enough to allow Madame Rochereuil to become convinced that she had been mistaken.
This was the first setback, but, we all agreed, inevitable. As the nineteenth came nearer the tension was almost unbearable. How grateful I was for Louis’s calm; he at least had no difficulty in showing a placid face to all. I tried to too, but I dared not look at Elisabeth for fear I should betray by a look that there was a secret between us.
We had not, of course, told the children. The nineteenth was almost upon us. All was ready. It became very clear that something had leaked, because an article by Marat appeared in L'Ami du Peuple, in which he expressed his suspicions that there was a plot afoot.
“The idea is to remove the King forcibly to the Low Countries on the pretext that his cause is that of the Kings of Europe. Are you imbeciles that you take no steps to prevent the flight of the Royal Family? Parisians, fools that you are, I am weary of saying to you over and over again that you should have the King and the Dauphin in safe keeping; that you should lock up the Austrian Woman, her brother-in-law and the rest of the family. The loss of one day might be disastrous to the nation, might dig the graves of three million Frenchmen.” Axel was frantic with anxiety.
“It is too coincidental,” he said.
“Something has leaked.”
I know it is that Rochereuil woman I’ I cried.
“She is aware of something, though I do not believe she is sure what.”
“Yet we must leave on the nineteenth,” insisted Axel.
“We dare not wait longer.”
It was the eighteenth and we were prepared to begin the escape next day. Then Madame de Tourzel came to me in some excitement, and lowering her voice told me that Madame de Rochereuil had asked leave of absence for the twentieth.
“I have ascertained,” added Madame de Tourzel, ‘that she wishes to visit a sick friend. Gouvion is unwell, so it seems obvious whom she will visit. “
The Queen`s Confession Page 44
