France -- History -- Louis XV, 1715-1774 -- Fiction; Jacobite Rebellion, 1745-1746 -- Fiction
They did, indeed; for, written all over the grimy and smoky sides of
the vault, were records left by those who had been incarcerated. In
one part of the room near the barred fireplace, through which a child
could not have crept, were the words: "The widow Lailly and her
daughter were brought into this hell on the 27th September, 1701"; in
another place was the name of a Neapolitan prince, one De Riccia, with
his remarkable motto beneath it, "Empoisona ove Strangola." And there
were scores of other names, of all countries: one, that of the
Chevalier Lynch, gentleman, of Sligo in Ireland; another, Jean
Cronier, _redacteur_, "Du Burlesk Gazette," Holland; a third, Magdalen
de St. Michel, while in a different hand underneath was written, "who
slew her husband, a King's sailor;" yet another, "the _Curé_ de Méry,
falsely accused of rioting and drunkenness"; and many more. And, still
continuing his sad patrol of the room, he saw that at each corner of
it were statues of the four Evangelists, so that he understood now why
it should be called the "Room of the Chapel," though why the "second
room" he never learned.
"So," he said, as he mused in his misery, "so this place has been holy
ground, consecrated. Heavens! was ever a place of prayer turned to
such vile use since the Temple became a den of thieves?"
As thus he pondered he heard the doors outside clanging, and a moment
afterwards, the unbarring of the chapel door and the harsh grating of
the key in the lock, a sound which was followed by the entrance of the
turnkey, Bluet--who appeared now more drunk than before--and another
man, also a turnkey.
"Ha!" said the former with a hiccough, "now to arrange the boudoir.
Georges, disgorge thy burden and be gone. I have alone to do with
Monsieur le Capitaine," and, as he spoke, he reeled across the room
with a small folding table he had brought with him and placed it under
the barred and latticed window, where the light streamed on it.
Meanwhile, the other turnkey, Georges, had thrown down a huge bundle
of what was evidently bedding, and departed, to return again a few
moments later, with a tray, on which were several dishes.
"_Voilà!_" Bluet muttered as he arranged the table, "behold your first
meal as guest of Madame la Bastille. A soup--of lentils--_bon! bon!_
some cockscombs in vinegar--_pas mal ça!_ some chip bread, beef full
of gravy, with a garniture of parsley. Also the quarter septier of
wine--and good, too, you see, of Bourgogne. Now for more furniture to
accommodate our new guest." Whereon he reeled off to the passage and
brought back a sound wooden chair, which he placed by the table,
exclaiming, "_Voilà! monsieur est server_."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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