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marie antoinette and her son-第129部分

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She did so with a quick stroke of the pen and handed the letter to
Fouche。 〃Take it;〃 she said; 〃it is your justification。 And in order
that you may be entirely secure;〃 she continued; with a slight
smile; 〃retain this letter yourself。 What I would say to this young
man I would rather communicate by word of mouth。〃

〃How;〃 cried Fouche; 〃 you want〃

〃To see and speak with the king;〃 she said; sorrowfully; 〃to beg his
forgiveness for myself and Bonaparte。 Hush! do not oppose me; I am
resolved upon it。 I want to see the young man。〃

〃But he cannot come here; madamehere; into the very den of the
lion。〃

〃No; not here; into the desecrated palace of the kings;〃 she
answered; bitterly。 〃No; he cannot come hereI shall go to him。〃

〃You are jesting; madame; it is impossible。 You; the wife of the
First Consul; you will〃

〃I want to fulfil a duty of gratitude and of loyalty; Fouche。 In my
heart I still feel myself the subject of the queen。 Let me follow
the call of my heart! Listen! My carriage stands ready。 I was
intending to drive to my friend Madame Tallien。 I will take a
pleasure…drive instead。 In the Bois de Boulogne I will cause the
carriage to stop; send it away; and return on foot。 You will await
in there with a fiacre and take me to the king。〃

〃It shall be so;〃 said Fouche。 〃Your will shall be my law。 I only
ask that you hasten; for you know well that I have much to do to…
day。 I shall take advantage of the time to procure for the young man
the necessary passports for travel。 But; madame; you must help him
leave the city。 For you know that the gates are all closed。〃

〃I will tell Bonaparte that I am troubled to be in the city; now
that it is so shut in。 I will drive out to St。 Cloud。 His carriage
can follow mine; and if the gate…keeper puts hinderances in the way;
I will command him to let Louis pass。 Now let us hasten!〃

An hour later Josephine; after dismissing her equipage with the
servants; entered the fiacre which was waiting for her near the
fountain。 Fouche received her there; and was unwearied in his
complaints of the poor carriage which the wife of the First Consul
must use。

Josephine smiled; 〃My dear sir;〃 she said; 〃there have been times
when I should have been very proud and very happy to have had such a
fiacre as this; and not to have been compelled to walk through the
muddy streets of Paris。 Let it be as it is! The present days of
superfluity have not made me proud; and I have a vivid recollection
of the past。 But tell me; Fouche; whither are we driving; and where
does the young king live?〃

〃We are driving; if you graciously approve of it; to my house; and I
have brought the young man there; for in his own house he is no
longer safe。 I have had it surrounded by agents of the secret
police; with orders to arrest him on his return。 He will; of course;
not return; and it will be easier to assume the appearance that he
received an intimation of his peril and escaped in season。 But here
we are before my door; and if you will draw the thick veil which
happily you have fastened to your bonnet; carefully before your
face; I hope that no one will see that the most beautiful lady in
Paris honors my house with her distinguished presence。〃

Josephine made no reply to this flattery; but drew the black lace
veil closely over her face; and hastened to leave the fiacre; and
entered the house。

〃Fouche;〃 she whispered; as she ascended the staircase; 〃my heart
beats as violently as it did when I drove to the Tuileries to be
presented to Marie Antoinette。 It was the first time that I spoke
with the Queen of France。〃

〃And now; madame;〃 said Fouche; with a smile; 〃you will speak with
the last King of France。〃

〃Does he know who I am?〃

〃No; madame; I have left it to you to inform him。 Here we are at the
saloonhe is within!〃

〃Wait only a moment; Fouche。 I must collect myself。 My heart beats
dreadfully。 Now; now you may open the door!〃

They entered the little saloon。 Josephine stood still near the door;
and while she hastily removed her bonnet and the thick veil and
handed them to Fouche; her large; brilliant; brown eyes were turned
to the young man who stood in the window…niche; his hands calmly
folded over his breast。 In this attitude; with the calm look of his
face; the gentle glance of his blue eyes; he bore so close a
resemblance to the pictures which represented Louis XVI。 in his
youth; that Josephine could not repress a cry of surprise; and
hastened forward to the young man; who now advanced out of the
window recess。 〃Madame;〃 he said; bowing low before this beautiful
and dignified lady whom he did not know; but whose sympathizing face
made his heart tremble〃madame; doubtless you are the lady whom M。
Fouche said I might expect to meet here。〃

〃Yes; I am she;〃 replied Josephine; with a voice trembling with
emotion; her eyes; flooded with tears; all the while being fixed on
the grave; youthful face which brought back so many memories of the
past。 〃I have come to see you and to bring you the greetings of a
man whom you loved; who revered you; and who died blessing you。〃

〃Of whom do you speak?〃 asked Louis; turning pale。

〃Men called him Toulan;〃 whispered Josephine。 〃Queen Marie
Antoinette termed him Fidele。〃

〃Fidele!〃 cried Louis; in a tone of anguish。 〃Fidele is dead!my
deliverer; he whose fidelity and bravery released me from my
dreadful prison。 Oh; madame; what sad thoughts do you bring back
with his name!〃

Josephine turned with a triumphant look to Fouche; who was still
standing behind her in the neighborhood of the door。 Her look said;
〃You see he is no traitor; he has stood the proof。〃

Fouche understood the language of this look perfectly; and a smile
played over his features。 Then Josephine turned again to the young
man。

〃You did not know that Toulan was dead?〃 she asked; softly。

〃How could I know it?〃 he cried; bitterly。 〃I was taken at that time
to a solitary castle; where I remained several years; and then I
went to Germany; and from that time I have always lived in foreign
parts。 Since I have been in Paris I have made the effort to learn
something about him; but no one could inform me; and so I solaced
myself with the hope that he had really gone to America; for that
was his object; as the other gentleman who assisted me in my release
informed me at that time。〃

〃This other gentleman;〃 said Josephine; softly; 〃was the Baron de
Jarjayes; and the child who was carried into the Temple was the〃

〃The son of the Count de Frotte;〃 rejoined Louis。

〃Fouche; it is he!〃 cried Josephine。 〃It is the son of my noble;
unfortunate Queen Marie Antoinette。Oh; sire; let me testify my
homage to you; as becomes a subject when she stands before her king。
Sire; I bow my knee before you; and I would gladly pour out my whole
life in tears; and with each of these tears beg your forgiveness for
France; for us all。〃

And the beautiful; passionate creole sank upon her knee; and raised
her tearful eyes to the young man who; perplexed and blushing; gazed
at her; then hastily stooped to her and conjured her to rise。

〃Not; sire;〃 she cried; 〃until you tell me that you have forgiven
methat you have forgiven us all。〃

〃I forgive you? What have I to forgive in you? Monsieur Fouche; who
is this lady who knows me and my destinies; and who brings me
greetings from Fidele? What have I to forgive in her? Who is she?
Tell me her name?〃

〃Monsieur;〃 said Fouche; slowly approaching; 〃this lady is〃

〃Hush! Fouche; I will tell him myself;〃 interrupted Josephine。
〃Sire; when your beautiful; exalted mother was still living in
Versailles; I had the honor to be presented to her; both at the
grand receptions and at the minor ones。 One dayit was already in
the unhappy Reign of Terrorwhen the queen had left Versailles and
Trianon; and was already living in the Tuileries; I went thither to
pay my respects。〃

〃That is to say; madame;〃 cried Louis; 〃you were a brave and loyal
woman; for only the brave and the loyal ventured then to go to the
Tuileries。 Oh; speak on! speak on! You wanted to pay your respects
to the queen; you were saying; she received you; did she not? You
were taken into the little saffron saloon?〃

〃No; sire; the queen was not there; she was in the little music…
hall; and; because at that time etiquette was no longer rigidly
enforced; I was allowed to accompany the Marchioness de Tourzel into
the music…room。 The queen did not notice our entrance; for she was
singing。 I remained standing at the door; and contemplated the
wondrous picture that I saw there。 The queen; in a simple white
dress; her light brown; slightly powdered hair concealed by a black
lace head…dress; sat at the spinet on which her white hands rested。
Near her in the window…niche sat madame; engaged with her
embroidery。 Very near her sat; in a little arm…chair; a boy of five
years; a lovely child; with long golden locks; with large blue eyes;
and looking like an angel。 The little hands; surrounded by lace
wristbands; leaned on the support of the chair; while his looks
rested incessantly upon the countenance of the queen; and his whole
child's soul was absorbed in the gaze which he directed to his
mother
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