"I hear," said the king; and still went on playing. After a while, the
queen observed, "Campan must have an answer of some kind." Then, at
length, the king spoke. "Tell the Count d'Inisdal," said he, "that I
cannot consent to be carried off." The queen repeated, "The king cannot
_consent_ to be carried off," meaning it to be clearly understood that
he would be very glad to go, if it could be so done as that he might say
afterwards that he had had nothing to do with the plan. The Count
d'Inisdal was very angry at the message. "I see how it is," said he.
"We, the king's faithful servants, are to have all the danger, and all
the blame, if the scheme fails." And off he went.
The queen would not give up her hopes that the nobles would understand
how glad the royal family would be to go, and would come for them. She
sat till past midnight wrapping up her jewels to carry away; and then
desired the lady who assisted her not to go to bed. The lady listened
all the night through, and looked out of the window many times; but all
was still, and no one but the guards was to be seen. The queen observed
to this lady that they should have to fly. There was no saying to what
lengths the rebellious people would go, she declared, and the danger
increased every day.
There was indeed no respite from apprehensions of danger. About a month
after, on the 13th of April, there was a good deal of agitation in
Paris, from the debates in the Assembly having been very warm, and such
as to make the people fear that the king would be carried away.
Lafayette promised the king that if he saw reason to consider the palace
in danger, he would fire a great cannon on a certain bridge. At night,
some accidental musket-shots were heard near the palace, and the king
mistook them for Lafayette's cannon. He went to the queen's apartments.
She was not there. He found her in the Dauphin's chamber, with Louis
in her arms. "I was alarmed about you," said the king. "You see," said
she, clasping her little son close, "I was at my post."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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