1This was the third or fourth time that the date of departure had been altered.

2They had determined to depart on the 11th, but having refused to take Madame de Rochereul, femme-de-chambre to the Dauphin, and mistress of M. de Gouvion, aide-de-camp to Lafayette, and who was now on duty till the 12th, they thought that it was imprudent to depart on that day.

3On the 13th of June, the Austrians began to advance on the French frontier, and to occupy posts two leagues from Montmedy.

4The departure was postponed until the 15th following.

5On the evening of the 15th, the King set out with the royal family, in a plain carriage, the berlin awaiting them at Bondy.

6If the King did not arrive at Bondy at two o’clock, it was arranged that it should be taken for granted that he had been stopped at the Tuileries or at the barrier.

7In that case, it was arranged that the person in charge of the berlin should set out alone, and not stop till he arrived at Pont-de-Somme-Vesles; and when there, that he should inform M. de Choiseul that the project had failed.

8M. de Choiseul would then tell M. Dandouins, M. de Damas, M. de Bouillé, and each would provide for their own safety.

9M. de Bouillé received these new instructions, and arranged accordingly.

10M. de Choiseul set out at the same time for Paris.

11At Paris, M. de Choiseul awaited the orders of the King, and started twelve hours in advance.

12The men and horses belonging to M. de Choiseul would stay at Varennes from the 18th.

13On the 19th, fresh and renovated, they would pass through Varennes, and put up at a farm, half-way between Varennes and Neuvilly. One must call to mind that there was no post at Varennes.

14On the arrival of the King, they would take the place of the post-horses from Clermont, and conduct the royal family to Dun.

15On his return, M. de Choiseul, who, as we said, preceded the King by twelve hours, would take command of the forty hussars at Pont-de-Somme-Vesles. At Pont-de-Somme-Vesles he would await the King, and would escort him to St. Menehould. At St. Menehould the hussars would give place to the dragoons, and be left to block the road.

16After the King, no one would be allowed to pass.

17After twenty-four hours the road would be left clear, for by that time the King would be beyond the frontier.

18M. de Choiseul had orders signed by the King, authorizing him to demand the needful number of men. Six hundred louis d’or were distributed by him to the soldiers.

19On the 14th of June, M. de Bouillé, who was in Hungary, received a letter from the King.

20The departure is postponed for twenty-four hours. Whence came this new delay?

21We will tell you: the reason was a serious one.

22The King did not receive his quarterly income until the 20th; and being economical, he did not wish to lose it.

23This reason, good as it was, made M. de Bouillé despair.

24In fact it made it necessary to give fresh orders all along the line. Instead of two days, the relays would have to wait three; the same with the troops.

25On the 20th of June, M. de Bouillé advanced to Stenay, where he found the Royal Germans.

26We have already seen that, on the same day, the hussars arrived at St. Menehould, announcing the arrival of the dragoons.

27We know, through M. Drouet, what a sensation their unexpected appearance created.

28We have seen another hussar detachment arrive at Varennes, causing little less sensation than their brothers-in-arms did at St. Menehould.

29Let us now turn our attention to Paris, and see what was going on these last few days.

30We have already said that the Queen managed the diplomacy. She diplomatised wonderfully.

31Firstly, she had used the white horses which drew the funeral car of M. Voltaire.

32Secondly, on the 19th, she took a stroll with the Dauphin on the outer boulevards.

33Thirdly, on the 20th, she said to M. Montmorin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, “Have you seen Madame Elizabeth? She causes me pain. I wished her to accompany me in the procession of the Fête Dieu, and she refuses me.”

34On the same day, meeting a commander of the National Guard, “Well, monsieur,” said she, laughing, “do they still speak of the flight of the King from Paris?”

35“No, Madame,” replied the commander; “they are too well convinced of the King’s love for the Constitution and for his people.”

36“They are right,” replied the Queen.

37On the 17th, M. Moustier, ex-garde du corps, had been accosted by an unknown whilst he was walking in the Tuileries.

38The unknown had invited him to follow him in the name of the King.

39M. Moustier had obeyed. Ten minutes afterwards he was in the presence of the King.

40Louis XVI saluted him by name.

41The garde du corps, astonished, bowed.

42“I know you, monsieur,” said the King, “and feel assured that I can count upon you; that is why I am now addressing you.”

43“Whatever your wishes may be, I hope I shall prove myself worthy of your confidence, sire.”

44“Think you that I can count equally well on your two friends, De Valory and De Malden?”

45“I am assured of it, sire.”

46“Well, tell them to have made vests of chamois leather, trousers of hide, jack-boots, and velvet caps.”

47The choice of chamois leather was most imprudent, as it was the color of the Prince de Condé, when he emigrated.

48M. de Moustier was then asked to walk every evening on the Pont Royal. There, a confidential servant, who knew him by sight, would bring him the last orders of the King.

49On the evening of the 19th, M. Moustier received the following order:—

50“M. de Moustier and his companions are desired to be in the court of the Château to-morrow, at nine o’clock in the evening; they will then learn what is required of them.”

51Now, about the passport. We know that the Queen travelled under the name of the Baroness de Korff. The two children were the Dauphin and Madame Royal; the intendant was the King; and the two femmes-de-chambre Mesdames de Neuville and Brunier.

52That did not comprise, it is true, Madame Elizabeth, or M. d’Agout, whom M. de Bouillé had recommended the King to take with him, but they were obliged to trust something to chance.

53On the morning of the 20th, M. Moustier presented his two companions to the King.

54M. Malden was to take the name of Jean, M. de Moustier the name of Melchior, and M. Valory the name of François. As for M. de Choiseul, he awaited the orders of the King at his house, Rue d’Artois, on the 20th. Up to three o’clock, he had heard nothing, and he ought to start twelve hours in advance of the King. He began to despair, when a servant entered to say that a messenger had arrived from the Queen.

55He ordered the messenger to be shown up.

56The fellow entered. He had a great hat thrust over his eyes, and was wrapped in an immense cloak.

57It was the Queen’s hair-dresser, the famous Léonard, who has left his memoirs to posterity. He was a personage of the utmost importance.

58“What, Léonard! It was not you whom I expected; but, since you are come, make yourself at home.”

59“It is not my fault if I have kept you waiting, M. le Comte; but it is but ten minutes since I left the Queen to come here.”

60“And she has told you nothing, given you no message?” cried the Count, astonished.

61“She told me to take all her diamonds, and bring you this letter.”

62“Well, well—give it me!”

63M. de Choiseul read the letter.

64It was long, and full of instructions. It announced that they would leave punctually to the moment.

65As to the Comte de Choiseul, it commanded him to set out that instant, begging him to take Léonard with him, who, continued Marie Antoinette, had orders to obey him as he would herself.

66M. de Choiseul read aloud that recommendation to Léonard, who made a lowly obeisance.

67He then burnt the letter.

68At this moment one of the Comte’s servant entered.

69“The carriage awaits M. le Comte,” said he.

70“Come, my dear Léonard—come!” said the young gentleman.

71“Why should I come?” cried the stupefied hair-dresser.

72“Why should you? Are you not to obey me as you would the Queen? Come! I command you!”

73“But her Majesty’s diamonds?”

74“You will bring them with you.”

75“Where?”

76“Where we are going.”

77“But where are we going?”

78“A few leagues from here, where we have to fulfil a most particular and important mission.”

79“Impossible, M. le Comte!” cried Léonard, drawing himself back with affright.

80“Léonard, you forget that her Majesty said that you were to obey me as you would herself.”

81He then assisted the despairing hair-dresser to mount into the cabriolet, and lashed the horse into full speed in the direction of the Petite Vilette.

82At the same hour that M. de Choiseul passed the barrier the three guards were admitted to the presence of the King, and then shut up in an ante-chamber.

83At ten o’clock M. de Lafayette was announced.

84He was attended by MM. de Gouvion and De Romeuf, his aides-de-camp.

85Madame de Rochereul, his mistress, had told him that the flight was arranged for the same night.

86The Queen and Madame Elizabeth had gone in the evening, without an escort, to promenade in the Bois de Boulogne.

87M. de Lafayette, with the exquisite politeness which was one of his characteristics, asked the Queen if she had enjoyed her stroll; and added, “Your Majesty was wrong to stay out so late.”

88“Why so, sir?” asked the Queen.

89“Because the evening fog might do you an injury.”

90“What! a fog in the middle of June?” said she. “In truth, unless I manufactured one on purpose to hide our flight, which people talk so much about, I do not know where I should find one.”

91“The fact is, madame,” replied the General, “people not only talk about your flight, but I have received information that it will take place this evening.”

92“Ah!” said the Queen; “I engage that it is M. de Gouvion who has given you that good news.”

93“Why I, madame?” said the young officer, blushing.

94“I do not know,” replied the Queen, “except that, perhaps, you hear a great deal more than is true at the château. Wait! Here is M. Romeuf, who hears no news; I am sure he will contradict the rumor.”

95“There is no great credit in doing that, madame,” said the young man, “when the King has given his word to the Assembly not to leave Paris.”

96At ten o clock, General Lafayette and his aides-de-camp retired.

97When they were gone, the Queen and Madame Elizabeth summoned their domestics to perform the necessary offices of their toilettes, and at eleven, as was their custom, they retired for the night.

98The doors shut, each commenced to dress.

99The Queen and Madame Elizabeth assisted each other. They had some plain dresses, and hats, with hoods, to hide the face.

100They had scarcely finished their disguise, when the King entered, in his costume of intendant.

101For the last eight days, the King’s valet, Hue, had been in the habit of going out in the costume the King now wore, and by the same door the King intended to depart from. This was done in order to accustom the sentinel to a man dressed in gray.

102On arriving, he released the three guards from their hiding-place.

103Madame Royale was ready, but the Dauphin was not. He had been awakened from his first sleep; and so, for the sake of disguise, it had been arranged to dress him like a girl. He made all sorts of objections to the humiliating costume.

104He asked, “If he were intended to act in a comedy?” They replied “Yes.” And as he liked comedies, he allowed them to finish his toilette.

105The gardes du corps received their last instructions.

106They were to travel as far as Bondy on M. de Fersen’s horses; after that they were to take post.

107They had calculated that, if they went at a moderate rate, they would be at Châlons in twelve or fourteen hours. They approached the door, and listened. All was silent.

108Let us see with what difficulties they encompassed themselves.

109Firstly, against M. de Bouillé’s advice, who proposed two English diligences, the Queen had had made two enormous berlins, in which she might put her trunks, boxes and bags.

110Then, in place of having a courier in simple livery, there were three gardes du corps, in the livery of the Prince de Condé.

111Then, in place of choosing three men who knew the route, they chose three who had never travelled that way before.

112Then, in place of hiding the King, who was supposed to be Madame de Korff’s steward, in the other carriage, he was placed face to face and knee to knee, with his pretended mistress, in the principal conveyance.

113Then, in place of having the carriages drawn by two, or even four, horses, they must needs have six, not remembering that the King alone is allowed to have that number.

114Then, in place of arming the gardes du corps to the teeth, they give them small hunting-knives for use, and locked up the pistols and other implements of warfare in the trunk, covered with red, bordered with gold, the same as the King used at Cherbourg.

115Then, in place of taking M. d’Agout, that resolute man who knew the route, and whom M. de Bouillé had recommended, they take Madame Tourzel, the children’s governess, who claimed the place by etiquette that D’Agout would have won by devotion.

116Taking all in all, every precaution was taken.

117Quos vult perdere Jupiter prius dementat.