When a Cobbler Ruled the KingSeaman, Augusta Huiell
General
When a Cobbler Ruled the King
Seaman, Augusta Huiell
Louis XVII, of France, 1785-1795 -- Fiction
"Place the cap on his head!" she commanded, and the grenadier did so,
setting it on the boy's brown curls; then he tied the ribbons in his
button-hole. The little fellow, hardly comprehending whether this might
be in sport or insult, smiled uncertainly. The multitude shouted and
applauded, and more confusion ensued. Jean, taking advantage of the
racket, slipped to the front, and placed himself directly before the
Dauphin. The little prince at once recognised him, but before he should
show that he did, Jean leaned across the table and shouted "Vive la
nation!" and then in an undertone whispered: "I am only here to help
you! What can I do?" The Dauphin's face lit up with a smile of
understanding, and without an instant's hesitation he murmured:
"Find Moufflet!" Comprehending well the boy's anxiety for his pet, Jean
passed on, melted into the crowd and quickly scurried away, darting here
and there, in and out of all the rooms to which he could find
admittance. But it was like hunting for a needle in a haystack. Chance
alone finally favoured him. As he passed a thickly-packed group in one
of the corridors, he thought he distinguished a faint yelp. In another
moment he knew that he was not mistaken. Hating anything that was royal
property, a crowd of rough _sans-culottes_ had surrounded the poor
shivering animal, for lack of being able to get any nearer its master.
"Here, Jacques!" called one ruffian, "give me your pike and I'll finish
him!" He was just about to spear the frightened, yelping ball of fluff,
when Jean broke madly through the crowd.
"Give him to me!" he commanded. "He's just the kind of a dog I want!
I'll teach him to bark for Liberty, Equality and Fraternity!" The crowd
laughed, patted Jean's head approvingly, and handing Moufflet over to
his protection, hurried off to seek other prey. The dog whined his
recognition of a former friend, and tried to hide under the boy's
jacket.
But Jean could not carry the little thing around in his arms, and at the
same time restore him to his master, that was plain. Where could he
place him so that the little animal might remain in safety? He looked
about him in despair. There was not a corner or the smallest cubby-hole
where it would be secure. Suddenly he remembered that in one of the
rooms now deserted, he had opened a door of what seemed to be a large
closet. He hurried to the spot and found just the hiding-place he
needed. Thrusting Moufflet into the darkness, he commanded:
"You be a good dog! Lie down and be quiet!" As if comprehending the
situation completely, the dog crawled into a far corner, curled up and
lay shivering and silent. Jean closed the door, turned the key, and ran
back to the council-hall. Meanwhile, what had taken place in his
absence?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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