marie antoinette and her son-第107章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


those　who　were　the　bitter　enemies　of　Queen　Marie　Antoinette；　and　who
would　be　your　mocking　heirs。　Will　you　grant　to　the　Count　de　Lille
the　uncontested　right　of　calling　himself　Louis　XVIII。？the　Count　de
Lille；　who　caused　Marie　Antoinette　to　shed　so　many　tears。〃

The　prince　flamed　up　at　this；　and　his　eyes　flashed。

〃No；〃　he　cried；　〃the　Count　de　Lille　shall　not　have　this　joy。　He
shall　not　rest　his　curse…laden　head　upon　the　pillow　with　the　calm
consciousness　that　he　will　be　the　king　of　the　future。　My　vision
shall　disturb　his　sleep；　and　the　possibility　that　I　shall　return　and
demand　my　own　again；　shall　be　the　terror　that　shall　keep　peace　far
from　him。　You　are　right；　madame；　I　must　live。　The　spirit　of　Marie
Antoinette　hovers　over　me；　and　demands　that　I　live；　and　by　my　life
avenge　her　of　her　most　bitter　enemy。　Let　it　be　so；　then。　Tell　me；
Fouche；　whither　shall　I　go？　Where　shall　the　poor　criminal　hide
himself；　whose　only　offence　lies　in　this；　that　he　is　alive；　and　that
he　is　the　son　of　his　father？　Where　is　there　a　cave　in　which　the　poor
hunted　game　can　hide　himself　from　the　hounds？〃

〃Sire；　you　must　away；　away　into　foreign　lands。　The　arm　of　the　First
Consul　is　powerful；　and　his　eagle　eye　scans　all　Europe；　and　would
discover　you　at　any　point。〃

〃You　must　for　the　present　find　a　home　beyond　the　sea；〃　said　Fouche；
approaching　nearer。　〃I　have　already　taken　measures　which　will　allow
you　to　do　so。　There　are　ships　sailing　southward　from　Marseilles
every　day；　and　in　one　of　these　you　must　go　to　America。　America　is
the　land　of　freedom；　of　adventures；　and　of　great　deeds。　You　will
there　find　sufficient　occupation　for　your　spirit　and　for　your　love
of　work。〃

〃It　is　true；〃　said　Louis；　with　a　bitter　smile；　〃I　will　go　to
America。　I　will　find　a　refuge　with　the　savages。　Perhaps　they　will
appoint　me　as　their　chieftain；　and　adorn　my　head　with　a　crown　of
feathers　instead　of　the　crown　of　gold。　Yes；　I　will　go　to　America；　In
the　primeval　forests；　with　the　children　of　nature；　there　will　be　a
home　for　the　exile；　the　homeless　one。　Madame；　I　thank　you　for　your
sympathy　and　your　goodness；　and　my　thanks　shall　consist　in　this；
that　I　subject　myself　wholly　to　your　will。　You　loved　Queen　Marie
Antoinette。　A　blessing　on　you；　and　all　who　love　you。〃

He　extended　both　his　hands　to　Josephine；　and；　as　she　was　about　to
press　them　to　her　lips；　he　stooped　toward　her　with　a　sad　smile。

〃Madame；　bless　my　poor　brow　with　the　touch　of　those　lips　which　once
kissed　the　hand　of　my　mother。〃

Josephine　did　as　she　was　asked；　and　a　tear　fell　from　her　eyes　upon
his　fair　hair。

〃Go；　sire；〃　she　said；　〃and　may　God　bless　and　protect　you！　If　you
ever　need　my　help；　call　upon　me；　and　be　sure　that　I　will　never
neglect　your　voice。〃

An　hour　later　the　wife　of　the　First　Consul　drove　out　to　St。　Cloud。
At　the　corner　of　the　Rue　St。　Honore　a　second　carriage　joined　her
own；　and　a　young　man　who　sat　in　it　greeted　Josephine　deferentially
as　she　leaned　far　out　of　the　carriage　to　return　his　salute。

At　the　barriers　the　carriage　stopped；　for　the　gates　of　the　city　were
still　closed。　But　Josephine　beckoned　the　officer　of　the　guard　to　her
carriage；　and；　fortunately；　he　knew　the　wife　of　the　First　Consul。

〃It　is　not　necessary；〃　said　Josephine；　with　a　charming　smile；　〃it　is
not　necessary　that　I　should　procure　a　permit　from　the　First　Consul
to　allow　myself　and　my　escort　to　pass　the　gate？　You　do　not　suppose
that　I　and　my　secretary；　who　sits　in　the　next　carriage；　belong　to
the　villains　who　threaten　the　life　of　my　husband？〃

The　officer；　enchanted　with　the　grace　of　Josephine；　bowed　low；　and
commanded　the　guard　instantly　to　open　the　gate　and　allow　the　two
carriages　to　pass。

And　so　the　son　of　the　queen　was　saved。　For　the　second　time　he　left
Paris；　to　go　forth　as　an　exile　and　an　adventurer　to　meet　his　fate。




CHAPTER　XXXIII。

AFTER　LONG　WANDERINGS。


For　the　city　of　Paris　the　16th　of　February；　1804；　was　a　day　of
terror。　The　gates　remained　closed　the　whole　day；　military　patrols
passed　through　the　streets；　at　whose　corners　the　proclamations　were
posted；　by　which　Murat；　the　governor　of　Paris；　announced　to　the　city
that　fifty　assassins　were　within　the　walls；　intent　on　taking　the
life　of　the　First　Consul。

The　condemned　surgeon；　Querolle；　had；　meantime；　made　his　confession；
and　named　the　heads　of　the　conspiracy　and　their　accomplices；　and；
only　after　all　the　persons　mentioned　by　him　were　arrested；　were　the
gates　of　the　city　opened。

A　great　trial　then　commenced　of　the　men　who　had　been　sent　by　the
Bourbons　for　this　nefarious　purpose。　Among　the　accused　were　General
Pichegru；　the　abettor　of　Georges；　and　General　Moreau；　the　most
prominent　of　all。

The　history　of　this　trial　was　enveloped　in　obscurity；　and　it　was
faintly　whispered　that　Pichegru　had　taken　his　own　life　in　prison；
and　more　faintly　yet　was　it　rumored　that　he　was　secretly　dispatched
in　prison。　And　then；　on　one　of　these　days；　there　were　to　be　seen
through　all　Paris　only　pale；　sad　faces；　and　a　murmur　of　horror　ran
through　all　the　streets　and　all　the　houses。

The　story　was　current　that　the　Duke　d'Enghien；　the　grandson　of　the
Prince　de　Conde；　had　been　arrested　by　French　soldiers　at　Baden；
beyond　the　frontier；　and　had　been　brought　to　Vincennes；　that　he　was
accused　there　that　same　night　of　being　an　accomplice　in　a　plot　to
take　the　life　of　the　First　Consul；　and　to　disturb　the　peace　of　the
republic；　that　he　was　quickly　condemned　by　a　court…martial；　and　shot
before　morning　within　the　fortress　of　Vincennes。

The　report　was　only　too　true。　Bonaparte　had　kept　his　word；　he　had
sacrificed　a　royal　victim　to　the　threatened　cause　of　the　republic；
he　would；　by　one　deed　of　horror；　fill　the　conspirators　with　fear；
and　cause　them　to　abandon　their　bloody　plans。

The　means　employed　were　cruel；　but　the　end　was　reached　which
Bonaparte　hoped　to　attain；　and　thenceforth　there　were　no　more
conspiracies　against　the　life　of　the　First　Consul；　who；　on　the　18th
of　May；　that　same　year；　declared　himself　emperor。

A　few　days　after　this；　the　public　trial　of　the　accused　began；　which
Fouche　attended　as　the　reinstalled　minister　of　police；　and　over
which　Regnier　presided　in　his　new　capacity　of　chief　judge。

Seventeen　of　those　indicted　were　condemned　to　death；　others　to　years
of　imprisonment；　and　among　these　was　General　Moreau。　But　the　popular
voice　declared　itself　so　loudly　and　energetically　for　the　brave
general　of　the　republic；　that　it　was　considered　expedient　to　heed
it。　Moreau　was　released　from　prison；　and　went　to　the　Spanish
frontier；　whence　he　sailed　to　North　America。

On　the　25th　of　June；　twelve　of　the　conspirators；　Georges　at　their
head；　were　executed；　the　other　five；　who　had　been　condemned　to
death；　had　their　sentence　commuted　to　banishment。

The　gentle；　kind…hearted　Josephine　viewed　all　these　things　with
sadness；　for　her　power　over　the　heart　of　her　husband　was　waning；　and
the　sun　of　her　glory　had　set。　Her　prayers　and　tears　had　no　longer　a
prevailing　influence　over　Bonaparte；　and　she　had　not　been　able　to
avert　the　death　of　the　Duke　d'Enghien。

〃I　have　tried　all　means；〃　she　said；　with　tears；　to　Bourrienne；　the
chief　secretary　of　the　emperor；　〃I　wanted　at　any　cost　to　turn　him
aside　from　his　dreadful　intention。　He　had　not　apprised　me　of　it；　but
you　know　in　what　way　I　learned　it。　At　my　request　he　confessed　to　me
his　purpose；　but　he　was　steeled　against　my　prayers。　I　clang　to　him；
I　fell　on　my　knees　before　him。　'Do　not　meddle　with　what　is　none　of
your　business！'　he　cried；　angrily；　as　he　pushed　me　away　from　him。
'These　are　not　women's　affairsleave　me　in　peace。'　And　so　I　had　to
let　the　worst　come；　and　could　do　nothing　to　hinder　it。　But
afterward；　when　all　was　over；　Bonaparte　was　deeply　affected；　and　for
several　days　he　remained　sad　and　silent；　and　scolded　me　no　more　when
he　found　me　in　tears。〃　＇Footnote：　Bourrienne；　〃Memoires　du　Consulat
et　de　l'Empire。〃＇

The　days　passed　by；　the　days　of　splendor；　and　then　followed　for
Josephine　the　days　of　misery　and　grief。　Repelled　by　Napoleon；　she
mourned　four　years　over　her　spurned　love　and　her　ruined　fortunes；
but　then；　when　Napoleon's　star　went　down；　when　he　was　robbed　of　his
imperial　crown　and　compelled　to　leave　France；　Josephine's　heart
broke；　and　she　hid　herself　in　her　grave；　in　order　not　to　witness
Napoleon's　humiliation。

And　thus　the　empire　was　abolished；　and　the　Count　de　Lille　called
back　by　foreign　potentates；　and　not　by　the　French　nation；　in　order；
as　Louis　XVIII。；　to　reerect　the　throne　of　the　Lilies。

And　where；　all　this　time；　was　the　son　of　Queen　Marie　Antoinette？
Where　was　Louis　XVII。？

He　had　kept　his　word　which　he　gave　to　Josephine。　He　had　gone　to　the
primeval　forests　and　to　the　savages；　and　they　had　given　him　a　crown
of　feathers　and　made　him　their　king。＇Footnote：　〃Memoires　du　Due　de
Normandie；〃　pp。　89…102。＇　For　years　he　lived　among　them；　honored　as
their　king；　loved　as　their　hero。　Then　a　longing　for　his　country
seized　him；　and　going　to　Brazil　in　the　service　of　his　people；　he
made　use　of　the　opportunity　to　enter　into　a　contract　with　Don　Juan；
and　not　return　to　his　copper…colored　tribe。　The　precious　treasure
which　he　possessed；　his　papers；　he　had　been　able　to　preserve　during
all　the　journeys　and　amid　all　the　perils　of　his　life；　and　these
papers　procured　him　a　hospitable　and　honorable　reception　with　Don
Juan。　From　him　the　king　without　name　or　inheritance　learned　the
changes　that　had　meanwhile　taken　place　in　France；　and；　at　the　first
opportunity　which　offered；　he　returned　to　Europe；　arriving　at　Paris
in　the　middle　of　the　year　1816。

The　Prince　de　Conde；　now　the　Duke　de　Bourbon；　received　the　wanderer
with　tenderness；　but　with　deep　regret；　for　now　it　was　too　late；　and
his　hope　for　a　restoration　of　the　returning　prince　could　rest　on　no
basis。　The　Count　de　Provence　was　now　King　Louis　XVIII。；　and　never
would　he　descend　from　his　throne　to　give　back　to　the　son　of　Marie
Antoinette　that　crown　which　he　wore　with　so　much　satisfaction　and
pride。

Much　more　simple　and　easy　was　it　to　treat　the　pretender　as　a　lunatic
or　as　an　adventurer；　and　to　set　his　claims　aside　forever。　Useless
were　all　the　letters　which　the　Baron　de　Richemont；　the　name　that
Louis　still　bore；　addressed　to　his　uncle　the　king；　to　his　sister　the
Duchess　de　Angouleme；　imploring　them　for　an　interview。　No　answer　was
received。　No　audience　was　granted　to　this　adventurer；　whose　claims
could　not　be　recognized　without　dethroning　Louis　XVIII。；　and
destroying　the　prospects　of　the　crown　for　the　duchess's　son；　the
Duke　de　Berri。　Louis　XVII。　had　died　and　he　could　not　return　to　the
living。　He　saw　it；　he　knew　it；　and　a　deep　sorrow　took　possession　of
him。　But　he　rose　above　ithe　would　not　die；　he　would　live；　a　terror
and　an　avenger　to　his　cruel　relatives。

But　it　was　a　restless　life　that　the　son　of　the　queen　must　lead；　in
order　to　protect　himself　from　the　daggers　of　his　powerful　enemies。
The　Prince　de　Conde　conjured　him　to　secure　himself　against　the
attacks　which　were　made　more　than　once　upon　the　Baron　de　Richemont；
and　Louis　gave　heed　to　his　requests　and　tears。　He　travelled　abroad；
but　after　returning　in　two　years　from　a　journey　in　Asia　and　Africa；
on　landing　on　the　Italian　coast；　he　was　arrested　in　1818；　at　the
instigation　of