the memoirs of marie antoinette-第129部分

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s　brother；　and　was　all　the　better　for　　　　　　it。　　He　was　ill　educated；　but　had　natural　good　sense；　and　would　have　　　　　　passed　for　having　more　than　that　had　he　cared　to　put　forth　　　　　　pretensions。　　Of　all　his　family　he　was　the　one　most　ill　spoken　of；　　　　　　and　least　deserving　of　it。　　…DOCTOR　DORAN。＇

and　de　Berri；　were　awaiting　her；　attended　by　the　Abbe　Edgeworth；　as　chief　ecclesiastic；　and　a　little　Court　of　refugee　nobles　and　officers。　　With　them　were　two　men　of　humbler　position；　who　must　have　been　even　more　welcome　to　Madame　Royale；De　Malden；　who　had　acted　as　courier　to　Louis　XVI。　during　the　flight　to　Varennes；　and　Turgi；　who　had　waited　on　the　Princesses　in　the　Temple。　　It　was　a　sad　meeting；　though　so　long　anxiously　desired；　and　it　was　followed　on　10th　June；　1799；　by　an　equally　sad　wedding；exiles；　pensioners　on　the　bounty　of　the　Russian　monarch；　fulfilling　an　engagement　founded；　not　on　personal　preference；　but　on　family　policy　and　reverence　for　the　wishes　of　the　dead；　the　bride　and　bridegroom　had　small　cause　for　rejoicing。　　During　the　eighteen　months　of　tranquil　seclusion　which　followed　her　marriage；　the　favourite　occupation　of　the　Duchess　was　visiting　and　relieving　the　poor。　　In　January；　1801；　the　Czar　Paul；　in　compliance　with　the　demand　of　Napoleon；　who　was　just　then　the　object　of　his　capricious　enthusiasm；　ordered　the　French　royal　family　to　leave　Mittau。　　Their　wanderings　commenced　on　the　21st；　a　day　of　bitter　memories；　and　the　young　Duchess　led　the　King　to　his　carriage　through　a　crowd　of　men；　women；　and　children；　whose　tears　and　blessings　attended　them　on　their　way。

　　　　　＇The　Queen　was　too　ill　to　travel。　　The　Duc　d'Angouleme　took　another　　　　　　route　to　join　a　body　of　French　gentlemen　in　arms　for　the　Legitimist　　　　　　cause。＇

The　exiles　asked　permission　from　the　King　of　Prussia　to　settle　in　his　dominions；　and　while　awaiting　his　answer　at　Munich　they　were　painfully　surprised　by　the　entrance　of　five　old　soldiers　of　noble　birth；　part　of　the　body…guard　they　had　left　behind　at　Mittau；　relying　on　the　protection　of　Paul。　　The　〃mad　Czar〃　had　decreed　their　immediate　expulsion；　and；　penniless　and　almost　starving；　they　made　their　way　to　Louis　XVIII。　　All　the　money　the　royal　family　possessed　was　bestowed　on　these　faithful　servants；　who　came　to　them　in　detachments　for　relief；　and　then　the　Duchess　offered　her　diamonds　to　the　Danish　consul　for　an　advance　of　two　thousand　ducats；　saying　she　pledged　her　property　〃that　in　our　common　distress　it　may　be　rendered　of　real　use　to　my　uncle；　his　faithful　servants；　and　myself。〃　　The　Duchess's　consistent　and　unselfish　kindness　procured　her　from　the　King；　and　those　about　him　who　knew　her　best；　the　name　of　〃our　angel。〃

Warsaw　was　for　a　brief　time　the　resting…place　of　the　wanderers；　but　there　they　were　disturbed　in　1803　by　Napoleon's　attempt　to　threaten　and　bribe　Louis　XVIII。　into　abdication。　　It　was　suggested　that　refusal　might　bring　upon　them　expulsion　from　Prussia。　　〃We　are　accustomed　to　suffering；〃　was　the　King's　answer；　and　we　do　not　dread　poverty。　　I　would；　trusting　in　God；　seek　another　asylum。〃　　In　1808；　after　many　changes　of　scene；　this　asylum　was　sought　in　England；　Gosfield　Hall；　Essex；　being　placed　at　their　disposal　by　the　Marquis　of　Buckingham。　　From　Gosfield；　the　King　moved　to　Hartwell　Hall；　a　fine　old　Elizabethan　mansion　rented　from　Sir　George　Lee　for　L　500　a　year。　　A　yearly　grant　of　L　24；000　was　made　to　the　exiled　family　by　the　British　Government；　out　of　which　a　hundred　and　forty　persons　were　supported；　the　royal　dinner…party　generally　numbering　two　dozen。

At　Hartwell；　as　in　her　other　homes；　the　Duchess　was　most　popular　amongst　the　poor。　　In　general　society　she　was　cold　and　reserved；　and　she　disliked　the　notice　of　strangers。　　In　March；　1814；　the　royalist　successes　at　Bordeaux　paved　the　way　for　the　restoration　of　royalty　in　France；　and　amidst　general　sympathy　and　congratulation；　with　the　Prince　Regent　himself　to　wish　them　good　fortune；　the　King；　the　Duchess；　and　their　suite　left　Hartwell　in　April；　1814。　　The　return　to　France　was　as　triumphant　as　a　somewhat　half…hearted　and　doubtful　enthusiasm　could　make　it；　and　most　of　such　cordiality　as　there　was　fell　to　the　share　of　the　Duchess。　　As　she　passed　to　Notre…Dame　in　May；　1814；　on　entering　Paris；　she　was　vociferously　greeted。　　The　feeling　of　loyalty；　however；　was　not　much　longer…lived　than　the　applause　by　which　it　was　expressed；　the　Duchess　had　scarcely　effected　one　of　the　strongest　wishes　of　her　heart；the　identification　of　what　remained　of　her　parents'　bodies；　and　the　magnificent　ceremony　with　which　they　were　removed　from　the　cemetery　of　the　Madeleine　to　the　Abbey　of　St。　Denis；when　the　escape　of　Napoleon　from　Elba　in　February；1815；　scattered　the　royal　family　and　their　followers　like　chaff　before　the　wind。　　The　Duc　d'Angouleme；　compelled　to　capitulate　at　Toulouse；　sailed　from　Cette　in　a　Swedish　vessel。　　The　Comte　d'Artois；　the　Duc　de　Berri；　and　the　Prince　de　Conde　withdrew　beyond　the　frontier。　　The　King　fled　from　the　capital。　　The　Duchesse　d'Angouleme；　then　at　Bordeaux　celebrating　the　anniversary　of　the　Proclamation　of　Louis　XVIII。；　alone　of　all　her　family　made　any　stand　against　the　general　panic。　Day　after　day　she　mounted　her　horse　and　reviewed　the　National　Guard。　　She　made　personal　and　even　passionate　appeals　to　the　officers　and　men；　standing　firm；　and　prevailing　on　a　handful　of　soldiers　to　remain　by　her；　even　when　the　imperialist　troops　were　on　the　other　side　of　the　river　and　their　cannon　were　directed　against　the　square　where　the　Duchess　was　reviewing　her　scanty　followers。

　　　　　＇It　was　the　Duchesse　d'Angouleme　who　saved　you；〃　said　the　gallant　　　　　　（General　Clauzel；　after　these　events；　to　a　royalist　volunteer；　　　　　　〃I　could　not　bring　myself　to　order　such　a　woman　to　be　fired　upon；　　　　　　at　the　moment　when　she　was　providing　material　for　the　noblest　page　　　　　　in　her　history。〃　〃Fillia　Dolorosa；〃　vol。　vii。；　p。　131。＇

With　pain　and　difficulty　she　was　convinced　that　resistance　was　vain；　Napoleon's　banner　soon　floated　over　Bordeaux；　the　Duchess　issued　a　farewell　proclamation　to　her　〃brave　Bordelais；〃　and　on　the　1st　April；　1815；　she　started　for　Pouillac；　whence　she　embarked　for　Spain。　　During　a　brief　visit　to　England　she　heard　that　the　reign　of　a　hundred　days　was　over；　and　the　27th　of　July；　1815；　saw　her　second　triumphal　return　to　the　Tuileries。　　She　did　not　take　up　her　abode　there　with　any　wish　for　State　ceremonies　or　Court　gaieties。　　Her　life　was　as　secluded　as　her　position　would　allow。　　Her　favourite　retreat　was　the　Pavilion；　which　had　been　inhabited　by　her　mother；　and　in　her　little　oratory　she　collected　relics　of　her　family；　over　which　on　the　anniversaries　of　their　deaths　she　wept　and　prayed。　　In　her　daily　drives　through　Paris　she　scrupulously　avoided　the　spot　on　which　they　had　suffered；　and　the　memory　of　the　past　seemed　to　rule　all　her　sad　and　self…denying　life；　both　in　what　she　did　and　what　she　refrained　from　doing。

　　　　　＇She　was　so　methodical　and　economical；　though　liberal　in　her　　　　　　charities；　that　one　of　her　regular　evening　occupations　was　to　tear　　　　　　off　the　seals　from　the　letters　she　had　received　during　the　day；　in　　　　　　order　that　the　wax　might　be　melted　down　and　sold；　the　produce　made　　　　　　one　poor　family　〃passing　rich　with　fo