Women of History: Selected from the Writings of Standard AuthorsVarious
History
Women of History: Selected from the Writings of Standard Authors
Various
Women -- Biography
With Barbaroux's note of introduction, and slight stock of luggage, we
see Charlotte on Tuesday, the 9th of July, seated in the Caen diligence,
with a place for Paris. None takes farewell of her, wishes her good
journey; her father will find a line left, signifying that she is gone
to England, that he must pardon her and forget her. The drowsy diligence
lumbers along, amid drowsy talk of politics and praise of the Mountain,
in which she mingles not; all night, all day, and again all night. On
Thursday, not long before noon, we are at the bridge of Neuilly. Here is
Paris, with her thousand black domes--the goal and purpose of thy
journey! Arrived at the Inn de la Providence, in the Rue des Vieux
Augustins, Charlotte demands a room, hastens to bed, sleeps all
afternoon and night, till the morrow morning.
On the morrow morning she delivers her note to Duperret. It relates to
certain family papers which are in the Minister of the Interior's hands,
which a nun at Caen, an old convent-friend of Charlotte's, has need of,
which Duperret shall assist her in getting: this, then, was Charlotte's
errand to Paris? She has finished this in the course of Friday, yet says
nothing of returning. She has seen and silently investigated several
things. The Convention, in bodily reality, she has seen; what the
Mountain is like. The living physiognomy of Marat she could not see; he
is sick at present, and confined to home.
About eight o'clock on the Saturday morning she purchases a large
sheath-knife in the Palais-Royal; then straightway, in the Place de
Victoires, takes a hackney-coach. "To the Rue de l'Ecole de Medicine,
No. 44." It is the residence of the Citoyen Marat! The Citoyen Marat is
ill, and cannot be seen, which seems to disappoint her much. Her
business is with Marat, then? Hapless, beautiful Charlotte--hapless,
squalid Marat! From Caen in the utmost west, from Neuchatel in the
utmost east, they two are drawing nigh each other; they two have, very
strangely, business together. Charlotte returning to her inn, despatches
a short note to Marat, signifying that she is from Caen; that she
desires earnestly to see him, and "will put it in his power to do France
a great service." No answer. Charlotte writes another note, still more
pressing; sets out with it by coach, about seven in the evening,
herself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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