the memoirs of marie antoinette-第81部分

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d　up　by　men　of　ardent　imaginations；　are　bringing　on　the　explosion　we　expect　every　moment。〃　　I　read　so　many　of　these　memorials　that　I　could　hardly　give　a　faithful　account　of　them；　and　I　am　determined　to　note　in　this　work　no　other　events　than　such　as　I　witnessed；　no　other　words　than　such　as　（notwithstanding　the　lapse　of　time）　still　in　some　measure　vibrate　in　my　ears。

Comte　de　Segur；　on　his　return　from　Russia；　was　employed　some　time　by　the　Queen；　and　had　a　certain　degree　of　influence　over　her；　but　that　did　not　last　long。　　Comte　Augustus　de　la　Marck　likewise　endeavoured　to　negotiate　for　the　King's　advantage　with　the　leaders　of　the　factious。　　M。　de　Fontanges；　Archbishop　of　Toulouse；　possessed　also　the　Queen's　confidence；　but　none　of　the　endeavours　which　were　made　on　the　spot　produced　any；　beneficial　result。　　The　Empress　Catherine　II。　also　conveyed　her　opinion　upon　the　situation　of　Louis　XVI。　to　the　Queen；　and　her　Majesty　made　me　read　a　few　lines　in　the　Empress's　own　handwriting；　which　concluded　with　these　words：

〃Kings　ought　to　proceed　in　their　career　undisturbed　by　the　cries　of　the　people；　even　as　the　moon　pursues　her　course　unimpeded　by　the　baying　of　dogs。〃　　This　maxim　of　the　despotic　sovereign　of　Russia　was　very　inapplicable　to　the　situation　of　a　captive　king。

Meanwhile　the　revolutionary　party　followed　up　its　audacious　enterprise　in　a　determined　manner；　without　meeting　any　opposition。　　The　advice　from　without；　as　well　from　Coblentz　as　from　Vienna；　made　various　impressions　upon　the　members　of　the　royal　family；　and　those　cabinets　were　not　in　accordance　with　each　other。　　I　often　had　reason　to　infer　from　what　the　Queen　said　to　me　that　she　thought　the　King；　by　leaving　all　the　honour　of　restoring　order　to　the　Coblentz　party；＇The　Princes　and　the　chief　of　the　emigrant　nobility　assembled　at　Coblentz；　and　the　name　was　used　to　designate　the　reactionary　party。＇would；　on　the　return　of　the　emigrants；　be　put　under　a　kind　of　guardianship　which　would　increase　his　own　misfortunes。　　She　frequently　said　to　me；　〃If　the　emigrants　succeed；　they　will　rule　the　roast　for　a　long　time；　it　will　be　impossible　to　refuse　them　anything；　to　owe　the　crown　to　them　would　be　contracting　too　great　an　obligation。〃　　It　always　appeared　to　me　that　she　wished　her　own　family　to　counterbalance　the　claims　of　the　emigrants　by　disinterested　services。　She　was　fearful　of　M。　de　Calonne；　and　with　good　reason。　　She　had　proof　that　this　minister　was　her　bitterest　enemy；　and　that　he　made　use　of　the　most　criminal　means　in　order　to　blacken　her　reputation。　　I　can　testify　that　I　have　seen　in　the　hands　of　the　Queen　a　manuscript　copy　of　the　infamous　memoirs　of　the　woman　De　Lamotte；　which　had　been　brought　to　her　from　London；　and　in　which　all　those　passages　where　a　total　ignorance　of　the　customs　of　Courts　had　occasioned　that　wretched　woman　to　make　blunders　which　would　have　been　too　palpable　were　corrected　in　M。　de　Calonne's　own　handwriting。

The　two　King's　Guards　who　were　wounded　at　her　Majesty's　door　on　the　6th　of　October　were　M。　du　Repaire　and　M。　de　Miomandre　de　Sainte…Marie；　on　the　dreadful　night　of　the　6th　of　October　the　latter　took　the　post　of　the　former　the　moment　he　became　incapable　of　maintaining　it。

A　considerable　number　of　the　Body　Guards；　who　were　wounded　on　the　6th　of　October；　betook　themselves　to　the　infirmary　at　Versailles。　　The　brigands　wanted　to　make　their　way　into　the　infirmary　in　order　to　massacre　them。　M。　Viosin；　head　surgeon　of　that　infirmary；　ran　to　the　entrance　hall；　invited　the　assailants　to　refresh　themselves；　ordered　wine　to　be　brought；　and　found　means　to　direct　the　Sister　Superior　to　remove　the　Guards　into　a　ward　appropriated　to　the　poor；　and　dress　them　in　the　caps　and　greatcoats　furnished　by　the　institution。　　The　good　sisters　executed　this　order　so　promptly　that　the　Guards　were　removed；　dressed　as　paupers；　and　their　beds　made；　while　the　assassins　were　drinking。　　They　searched　all　the　wards；　and　fancied　they　saw　no　persons　there　but　the　sick　poor；　thus　the　Guards　were　saved。

M。　de　Miomandre　was　at　Paris；　living　on　terms　of　friendship　with　another　of　the　Guards；　who；　on　the　same　day；　received　a　gunshot　wound　from　the　brigands　in　another　part　of　the　Chateau。　　These　two　officers；　who　were　attended　and　cured　together　at　the　infirmary　of　Versailles；　were　almost　constant　companions；　they　were　recognised　at　the　Palais　Royal；　and　insulted。　　The　Queen　thought　it　necessary　for　them　to　quit　Paris。　　She　desired　me　to　write　to　M。　de　Miomandre　de　Sainte…Marie；　and　tell　him　to　come　to　me　at　eight　o'clock　in　the　evening；　and　then　to　communicate　to　him　her　wish　to　hear　of　his　being　in　safety；　and　ordered　me；　when　he　had　made　up　his　mind　to　go；　to　tell　him　in　her　name　that　gold　could　not　repay　such　a　service　as　he　had　rendered；　that　she　hoped　some　day　to　be　in　sufficiently　happy　circumstances　to　recompense　him　as　she　ought；　but　that　for　the　present　her　offer　of　money　was　only　that　of　a　sister　to　a　brother　situated　as　he　then　was；　and　that　she　requested　he　would　take　whatever　might　be　necessary　to　discharge　his　debts　at　Paris　and　defray　the　expenses　of　his　journey。　　She　told　me　also　to　desire　he　would　bring　his。　friend　Bertrand　with　him；　and　to　make　him　the　same　offer。

The　two　Guards　came　at　the　appointed　hour；　and　accepted；　I　think；　each　one　or　two　hundred　louis。　　A　moment　afterwards　the　Queen　opened　my　door；　she　was　accompanied　by　the　King　and　Madame　Elisabeth；　the　King　stood　with　his　back　against　the　fireplace；　the　Queen　sat　down　upon　a　sofa　and　Madame　Elisabeth　sat　near　her；　I　placed　myself　behind　the　Queen；　and　the　two　Guards　stood　facing　the　King。　　The　Queen　told　them　that　the　King　wished　to　see　before　they　went　away　two　of　the　brave　men　who　had　afforded　him　the　strongest　proofs　of　courage　and　attachment。　　Miomandre　said　all　that　the　Queen's　affecting　observations　were　calculated　to　inspire。　　Madame　Elisabeth　spoke　of　the　King's　gratitude；　the　Queen　resumed　the　subject　of　their　speedy　departure；　urging　the　necessity　of　it；　the　King　was　silent；　but　his　emotion　was　evident；　and　his　eyes　were　suffused　with　tears。　　The　Queen　rose；　the　King　went　out；　and　Madame　Elisabeth　followed　him；　the　Queen　stopped　and　said　to　me；　in　the　recess　of　a　window；　〃I　am　sorry　I　brought　the　King　here！　　I　am　sure　Elisabeth　thinks　with　me；　if　the　King　had　but　given　utterance　to　a　fourth　part　of　what　he　thinks　of　those　brave　men　they　would　have　been　in　ecstacies；　but　he　cannot　overcome　his　diffidence。〃

The　Emperor　Joseph　died　about　this　time。　　The　Queen's　grief　was　not　excessive；　that　brother　of　whom　she　had　been　so　proud；　and　whom　she　had　loved　so　tenderly；　had　probably　suffered　greatly　in　her　opinion；　she　reproached　him　sometimes；　though　with　moderation；　for　having　adopted　several　of　the　principles　of　the　new　philosophy；　and　perhaps　she　knew　that　he　looked　upon　our　troubles　with　the　eye　of　the　sovereign　of　Germany　rather　than　that　of　the　brother　of　the　Queen　of　France。

The　Emperor　on　one　occasion　sent　the　Queen　an　engraving　which　represented　unfrocked　nuns　and　monks。　　The　first　were　trying　on　fashionable　dresses；　the　latter　were　having　their　hair　arranged；　the　picture　was　always　left　in　the　closet；　and　never　hung　up。　　The　Queen　told　me　to　have　it　taken　away；　for　she　was　hurt　to　see　ho