第 51 节
作者:北方网      更新:2021-02-21 16:34      字数:9322
  Paris。 Near her sat the king; between them the dauphin。 Opposite to
  them; on the broad; front seat; were their daughter Therese; the
  Princess Elizabeth; and Madame de Tourzel; governess of the royal
  children。 Behind them; in a procession; whose end could not be seen;
  followed an artillery train; then the mob; armed with pikes; and
  other weapons…men covered with blood and dust; women with
  dishevelled hair and torn garments; the most of them drunken with
  wine; exhausted by watching during the night; shouting and yelling;
  and singing low songs; or mocking the royal family with scornful
  words。 Behind these wild masses came two hundred gardes du corps
  without weapons; hats; and shoulder…straps; every one escorted by
  two grenadiers; and they were followed by some soldiers of the Swiss
  guard and the Flanders regiment。 In the midst of this train rattled
  loaded cannon; each one accompanied by two soldiers。 But still more
  fearful than the retinue of the royal equipage were the heralds who
  preceded itheralds consisting of the most daring and defiant of
  these men and women; impatiently longing for the moment when they
  could announce to the city of Paris that the revolution in
  Versailles had humiliated the king; and given the people victory。
  They carried with them the bloody tokens of this victory; the heads
  of Varicourt and Deshuttes; the faithful Swiss guards; who had died
  in the service of their king。 They had hoisted both these heads upon
  pikes; which two men of the mob carried before the procession。
  Between them strode; with proud; triumphant mien; a gigantic figure;
  with long; black beard; with naked blood…flecked arms; with flashing
  eyes; his face and hands wet with the blood with which he had imbued
  himself; and in his right hand a slaughter…knife which still dripped
  blood。 This was Jourdan; who; from his cutting off the heads of both
  the Swiss guards; had won the name of the executionera name which
  he understood how to keep during the whole revolution。'Footnote:
  Jourdan; the executioner; had; until that time; been a model in the
  Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture。'
  Like storm…birds; desirous to be the first to announce to Paris the
  triumph of the populace; and impatient of the slow progress of the
  royal train; these heralds of victory; bearing their bloody banner;
  hastened on in advance of the procession to Paris。 In Sevres they
  made a haltnot to rest; or wait for the oncoming trainbut to
  have the hair of the two heads dressed by friseurs; in order; as
  Jourdan announced with fiendish laughter to the yelling mob; that
  they might make their entrance into the city as fine gentlemen。
  While before them and behind them these awful cries; loud singing
  and laughing resounded; within the carriage that conveyed the royal
  family there was unbroken silence。 The king sat leaning back in the
  corner; with his eyes closed; in order not to see the horrid forms
  which from time to time approached the window of the carriage; to
  stare in with curious looks; or with mocking laughter and
  equivoques; to heap misery on the unfortunate family。
  The queen; however; sat erect; with proud; dignified bearing;
  courageously looking the horrors of the day in the face; and not a
  quiver of the eyelids; nor a sigh; betraying the pain that tortured
  her soul。
  〃No; better die than grant to this triumphing rabble the pleasure of
  seeing what I suffer! Better sink with exhaustion than complain。〃
  Not a murmur; not a sigh; came from her lips; and yet; when the
  dauphin; after four hours of this sad journey; turned with a
  supplicatory expression to his mother; and said to her with his
  sweet voice; 〃Mamma queen; I am hungry;〃 the proud expression
  withdrew from the features of the queen; and two great tears slowly
  ran down over her cheeks。
  At last; after a ride of eight hours; the frightful train reached
  Paris。 Not a window in all the streets through which the royal
  procession went was empty。 In amazement and terror the people of the
  middle class gazed at this hitherto unseen spectaclethe King and
  the Queen of France brought in triumph to the capital by the lowest
  people in the city! A dumb fear took possession of those who
  hitherto had tried to ignore the revolution; and supposed that every
  thing would subside again into the old; wonted forms。 Now; no one
  could entertain this hope longer; now; the most timid must confess
  that a revolution had indeed come; and that people must accustom
  themselves to look at it eye to eye。
  Slowly the train moved forwardslowly down the quay which extends
  along by the garden of the Tuileries。 The loungers who were in the
  garden hurried to the fence; which then bordered the park on the
  side of the quay; in order to watch this frightful procession from
  this point: to see an unbridled populace dash in pieces the
  prescriptive royalty of ages。
  Scorn and the love of destruction were written on most of the faces
  of these observers; but many were pale; and many quivered with anger
  and grief。 In the front ranks of the spectators stood two young men;
  one of them in simple civilian's costume; the other in the uniform
  of a sub…lieutenant。 The face of the young officer was pale; but it
  lightened up with rare energy; and with his noble; antique profile;
  and flaming eyes; it enchanted every look; and fixed the attention
  of every one who observed him。
  As the howling; roaring mob passed him; the young officer turned to
  his companion with an expression of fiery indignation。 〃0 God;〃 he
  cried; 〃how is this possible? Has the king no cannon to destroy this
  canaille? 〃 'Footnote: His own words。See Beauchesne; vol。 i。;p。
  85。'
  〃My friend;〃 answered the young man; smiling; 〃remember the words of
  our great poet Corneille: 'The people give the king his purple and
  take it back when they please。 The beggar; king only by the people's
  grace; simply gives back his purple to the people。' 〃
  〃Ah!〃 cried the young lieutenant; smiling; 〃what once has been
  received should be firmly held。 I; at least; if I had once received
  the purple by the people's grace; would not give it back。 But come;
  let us go on; it angers me to see this canaille; upon which you
  bestow the fine name of 'the people。'〃 He hastily grasped the arm of
  his friend; and turned to a more solitary part of the garden of the
  Tuileries。
  This young sub…lieutenant; who saw with such indignation this
  revolutionary procession pass him; and whom destiny had appointed
  one day to bring this revolution to an endthis young lieutenant's
  name was Napoleon Bonaparte。
  The young man who walked at his side; and whom; too; destiny had
  appointed to work a revolution; although only in the theatrical
  world; to recreate the dramathis young man's name was Talma。
  CHAPTER XV。
  MAMMA QUEEN。
  〃Every thing passes over; every thing has an end; one must only have
  courage and think of that;〃 said Marie Antoinette; with a gentle
  smile; as on the morning after her arrival in Paris; she had risen
  from her bed and drunk her chocolate in the improvised sitting…room。
  〃Here we are installed in the Tuileries; and have slept; while we
  yesterday were thinking we were lost; and that only death could give
  us rest and peace again。〃
  〃It was a fearful day;〃 said Madame de Campan; with a sigh; 〃but
  your majesty went through it like a heroine。〃
  〃Ah; Campan;〃 said the queen; sadly; 〃I have not the ambition to
  want to be a heroine; and I should be very thankful if it were
  allowed me from this time on to be a wife and mother; if it is no
  longer allowed me to be a queen。〃
  At this instant the door opened; the little dauphin; followed by his
  teacher; the Abbe Davout; ran in and flew with extended arms to
  Marie Antoinette。
  〃Oh; mamma queen!〃 cried he; with winning voice; 〃let us go back
  again to our beautiful palace; it is dreadful here in this great;
  dark house。〃
  〃Hush; my child; hush!〃 said the queen; pressing the boy close to
  her。 〃You must not say so; you must accustom yourself to be
  contented everywhere。〃
  〃Mamma queen;〃 whispered the child; tenderly nestling close to his
  mother; 〃it is true it is dreadful here; but I will always say it so
  low that nobody except you can hear。 But tell me; who owns this
  hateful house? And why do we want to stay here; when we have such a
  fine palace and a beautiful garden in Versailles?〃
  〃My son;〃 answered the queen with a sigh; 〃this house belongs to us;
  and it is a beautiful and famous palace。 You ought not to say that
  it does not please you; for your renowned great…grandfather; the
  great Louis XIV。; lived here; and made this palace celebrated all
  over Europe。〃
  〃Yet I wish that we were away from here;〃 whispered the dauphin;
  casting his large blue eyes with a prolonged and timid glance
  through the wide; desolate room; which was decorated sparingly with
  old…fashioned; faded furniture。
  〃I wish so; too;〃 sighed Marie Antoinette; to herself; but softly as
  she had spoken the words; the sensitive ear of the child had caught
  them。
  〃You; too; want to go?〃 asked Louis Charles; in amazement。 〃Are you
  not queen now; and can you not do what you want to?〃
  The queen; pierced to the very heart by the innocent question of the
  child; burst into tears。
  〃