“This passport is not in order,” he said, and although he spoke to Madame de Tourzel he was studying me intently.
“I assure you it is in order,” protested Madame de Tourzelle.
“I am sorry but I must take it to the town’s solicitor, and I must ask you to accompany me to his house.” “What!” cried Madame de Tourzel in dismay.
“All of usi’ ” Yes, Madame, all of you. You will be led to the house of Monsieur Sausse. “
I looked out of the window and saw that die be rime was surrounded by young men and that all wore the badge of the revolution.
The berline moved slowly on and drew up before a house. The Ring showed no sign of alarm. He whispered: “It is nothing. Merely a check on the passport. It is in order. Fersen will have seen to that.”
Monsieur Sausse was not only the solicitor but a keeper of a shop and mayor of Varennes. A mild comfortable man, I recognised him at once as one who would want to keep out of trouble.
He examined the passport and proclaimed it to be in order. We had his permission to leave at once.
But Drouet was a fierce revolutionary. He cried out:
“This is the King and Queen. Are you going to be a traitor, Monsieur Sausse, and let them slip through the people’s fingers?”
Monsieur Sausse was alarmed, for even now the crowds were gathering outside his door.
He looked at us apologetically and I recognised that respect in his eyes. He knew us . even as Drouet did.
“I must regret,” he said, ‘that you cannot leave Varennes tonight. I offer you what hospitality I have. “
It was over, I knew. Desperation overwhelmed me. People* were gathering about the house. I could hear the shouts. It was going to be that terrible October all over again.
I could hear the mob screaming. From the window I could see their scythes and pitchforks.
Not that again! I thought. Why did we attempt this? Why did we not know that God was against us? Not God, I thought, we have brought this on ourselves. The Sausses were our friends, however. They had prepared a good meal for us, and that made it clear that they wished us nothing but good luck. If they could have prevented our detention, they would.
As it was, in their humble home they treated us as their sovereigns. They dared not help us escape, though. That would have been more’ll than their lives were worth. And what would be the us l of attempting escape when the mob surrounded the house; Throughout Varennes, Drouet was gathering his revolutionaries together. He was doubtless visualising the great honour which would come to him. The man who prevented ( the escape of the King and Queen!
‘ I was surprised how the King could eat in the face of all this.
Appetite in such circumstances astonished me. While he was eating, two soldiers fought their way into the house, and when I saw them my spirits rose, for they were the loyal dragoons.
Their names were de Damas and Goguelat, and they told us they had brought a company of soldiers with them to the town but when their men had seen the revolutionaries gathering and knew that the King and I were prisoners they deserted. They had no wish to anger the leaders of the revolution by helping the King and Queen escape.
It was not long after when Choiseui himself arrived; he had a small company of men with him and had also had to fight his way to us.
He told us that the battle had been fierce and that he had been obliged to inflict wounds on some of those who sought to deter him.
The plan had gone awry, he said, and now they must plan afresh from here.
“I have sent warning to Bouille and it cannot be long before he joins us. I suggest. Sire, that we fight our way out of Varennes and take the road to Mononedy, we cannot then fail to meet Bouille. He will have his loyal troops and none will dare attack us then. We can carry Your Majesties to safety.”
“This is an excellent idea!” I cried. We must do it. ” But the King shook his head.
“I have said all along that I will not be responsible for shedding the blood of my people. If we tried to fight our way out of here many would be killed. These people out there are determined not to let us go.”
They are the mob,” said Choiseul.
“They have their pitchforks, but pitchforks are no use against our weapons.”
“As I said, there would be slaughter. Who knows, the Queen or the Dauphin might be hurt.”
“We could protect the child,” I said.
“I am ready to take a chance.”
“I would never permit it,” said the King.
“For even though we were all safe, some of my people would surely be killed. No, no. We must wait for Bouille to come. When the people see him they will realise that it is no use to fight against him and his army. They will go back to their homes and allow us to depart peacefully.”
“It is possible. Sire, that the revolutionaries may decide to take Your Majesties back to Paris before Bouille gets here.”
“It is a chance we must take. I will not have bloodshed on my account.”
I saw the stubborn look in his face and I knew he meant it.
I knew too that everything depended on Bouille reaching Varennes in time.
I did not sleep through that terrible night. I was aware of the voices outside the house, of the light of torches.
I was praying silently. Not that again! It is more than I can endure.
Let Bouille come . or let death come quickly, but not that. The horror of it came back to me—that ride from Versailles to Paris . the crowd . the unclean crowd . the smell of blood, the horrible leering savage faces, the obscene words on vile lips. I hated them.
God help me; they were canaille; it was not love of country that prompted them, it was love of cruelty. I thought: I would rather die now than suffer it again. And the children, those innocent children, to be submitted to this humiliation; this fearful knowledge of all that was bestial in the world to be thrust under their innocent eyes. Oh God spare us.
Louis slept. I could almost hate him. Was he a man . to sleep while
we were all in such danger? He must not have bloodshed . he must not harm his dear children . his children . those screaming beasts out there;
‘ he called them his children. Why was not Axel with us? ” Axel would have fought his way through them. How I lived through that fearful night I do not know. But c the dawn came, and with the daylight the noise outside the house increased.
I tried to close my eyes; I tried to sleep. If only I could sleep for a few minutes as Louis had all through the night. A hammering on the door startled me. I heard heavy feet on the stairs, and two men burst in upon us. I recognised one of them as a man named Romeuf who had guarded us in the Tuileries. The other was a man named Bayon.
They explained that they came on order from the National Assembly. One of them handed a document to the King. I read it with him. His rights were suspended and these two men had been sent to prevent his continuing on his journey.
I screwed it up and threw it into a corner of the room. The men looked on helplessly. At least they had some shame.
The King said gently: “The Marquis de Bouin6 is on his way to Varennes.
If you try to force us to return to Paris there could be bloodshed.”
“On the orders of Monsieur de La Fayette we are to take you back to Paris, Sire.”
“And what of the orders of your King?” I asked indignantly.
“We are obliged to obey the Assembly, Madame.”
“I wish to avoid bloodshed,” said Louis gently.
“I do not wish to fight my people. When the Marquis de Bouille arrives I shall leave here and, from a place to which we shall go, come to an understanding with those who are making this revoluon.”