The queen could not sleep much; and she ordered that neither the
shutters nor blinds of her chamber should be closed, that the nights
might appear less long. One night, as Madame Campan watched beside her,
she fixed her eyes on the moon, and said softly, that before she saw the
same moon next month, she and the king should be free. She declared
that their affairs were now proceeding fast and well, and told how the
army from Germany was to march, and how soon it might arrive. She
admitted that there were alarming differences of advice and opinion
among their followers, and spoke of the fatal consequences of the king's
irresolution; but still she hoped that another month would set them
free. She was, as usual, completely mistaken. She found it so hard to
bear the insults daily offered, even while expecting so speedy an end to
them, that she declared she should have preferred imprisonment in a
tower, on a lonely sea-shore, to her present condition. On their way
through the corridor to the chapel, one Sunday, the king and she were
greeted by the cry from some of the guards of "Long live the king!" but
others broke in with "No, no; no king! Down with the veto!" This
struck upon the queen's heart; for it was she who had persuaded the king
to put his veto, or prohibition, upon the banishment of the priests.
When they were in the chapel, something worse happened. The passage "He
bringeth down the mighty from their seat," had to be sung; and when the
choir came to it, they sang, or shouted it, three times as loud as any
other part of the service. The king's adherents were so angry at this
that when the words came "And may the Lord keep the king in safety," the
royalists shouted out three times "And the Queen." This indecent
contention went on during the whole time of service; and the royal
family found that they were no longer permitted even to worship in
peace.
On the 9th of August, there was much noise and confusion throughout
Paris; and it became known that an insurrection was to take place the
next morning. Louis knew that something was dreaded, but he slept as
usual. His servant, Clery, put him to bed at half-past eight, while it
was still daylight, and then went out, to try what he could learn of the
proceedings of the people. The king and queen supped at nine o'clock.
While Madame Campan waited on them at table, a noise was heard outside
the door. Madame Campan went to see what it was. Two of the guards
were fighting,--one abusing the king, and the other insisting that he
was sincere in professing to stand by the Constitution. If the queen
had not before given over all idea of safety, she would now have done
so. She said she knew that some of their fiercest enemies were among
their guards;--not their Swiss guards, but those who wore the national
uniform.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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