1During the ten months that I stayed with M. Gerbaut, my life was monotonous in the extreme.

2As I was an excellent workman, he gave me, as well as board and lodging, a salary of thirty francs a month, and often gave me to understand that he wished that I were a few years older, that he might give me his daughter in marriage, and surrender to me his business. But the fact was, I was a year younger than Sophie.

3But it was not that only which rendered a union impossible between us; it was that invincible sorrow, denoting a passion hidden in the depths of her heart.

4My opinion was, that the young man for whom she entertained this hidden feeling was the Viscount de Malmy.

5Sophie gave me all that she had promised—sisterly love.

6It was impossible to be kinder or more affectionate to me than she was. On Sunday, I invariably took her out for a walk, and she never would accept any other arm than mine; but this friendship did not induce her to confide to me the cause of the sorrow which I could plainly see was preying upon her constitution.

7Sometimes the young nobles came, and, as I have told you, put up at the Brothers Leblanc.

8On those days, Sophie always found a pretext for not going out with me, taking care that the pretext was plausible.

9She shut herself up in her chamber, the window of which was exactly opposite the window of the “Bras d’Or,” and stayed there the whole time that the young nobles were at Varennes.

10More than once, under these circumstances, I had half a mind to get up in the night, and see if the darkness hid any mystery with regard to Sophie and the Viscount, but I always had strength enough to resist the temptation. I thought to myself I had no right to surprise any of her secrets, which, notwithstanding our friendship, she had not thought fit to confide in me.

11One night, whilst passing along the corridor, I fancied I heard two voices in Sophie’s room; but instead of stopping to listen, I felt ashamed of the action which jealousy prompted me to commit, and I determined, notwithstanding the pangs I suffered, that Sophie should have no reason to suppose that I suspected anything.

12My grief, undoubtedly, was great; but my pity for her was greater, and I felt that strong as my anguish was, she was preparing for herself an after day of sorrow and remorse.

13From the 1st to the 15th of June, the visits of M. Malmy and M. Dampierre were more frequent than usual.

14An instinctive hatred made me keep aloof from M. de Malmy; but the Count, in memory of Father Descharmes, never met me without speaking.

15But, for the most part, they did not come as far as the Rue de la Basse Cour. M. de Malmy alone, and his friend the Viscount de Courtemont, went to the “Bras d’Or;” the Count de Haus stayed on the top of the Hill des Réligieuses with one of his friends, an old Chevalier of St. Louis, named the Baron de Préfontaine.

16On the 20th of June, about three o’clock in the afternoon, M. Jean Baptiste arrived.

17In the course of the ten months since I had last been at Varennes, he had paid two or three visits to his friends Billaud and Guillaume, and had never failed to come and see me, and to invite me to take breakfast with him, as the case might be.

18This time he had a more mysterious air than usual; he engaged a private room at the Brothers Leblanc, ordered dinner for four, and asked his two friends to come and join us immediately at the “Bras d’Or.”

19For some time the horizon had been lowering.

20It was evident that there was some counterplot hatching.

21On the 1st of March we had heard of the affair of the Gentlemen of the Dagger.

22On the 20th of April, we had heard that the King, intending to go to St. Cloud, had been stopped by the people, and was afraid to leave the Tuileries.

23We knew, vaguely, what was going on in Italy. The Count D’Artois was at Mantua with the Emperor Leopold, asking for an invasion of France. The King did not ask that invasion; but D’Artois knew well that he would be glad of it. A year before, everybody saw, from the letter from the Count de Provence to M. de Favras, how little place the King held in the calculations of his brothers.

24The young King of Sweden, Gustavus, after having been the enemy of Catharine, conquered by her, became her friend, and at the same time her agent, and was at Aix, in Savoy, publicly offering his sword to the King; while the Count de Fersen, an intimate of the Queen’s, was carrying on a correspondence with M. de Bouillé.

25People said that for the last three months the Queen had caused to be made a trousseau for herself and children.

26They said, likewise, that she had caused to be made a magnificent travelling outfit, sufficient for at least an absence of six months.

27Her friend, M. de Fersen, they said, was superintending the construction of an English chaise, capable of holding from ten to twelve persons.

28All these rumors tended to one end, and caused the two last appearances of M. Drouet at Varennes.

29His post-house was situated on one of the short cuts to the frontier; and by the road many nobles had emigrated, as if to point out the proper route for the King.

30A new event had taken place, which had appeared to M. Drouet of sufficient importance to warrant a consultation with his friends.

31This was the event I speak of.

32On the 20th of June, in the morning, a detachment of hussars, with brown dolmans (some said that they were a part of De Lauzun’s regiment, others that they were a part of Esterhazy’s), had entered St. Menehould by the Clermont road.

33At that time, when the troops were billeted on the tradespeople, the authorities were generally informed of their arrival two or three days in advance.

34In this case, the authorities had received no advice.

35M. Drouet had spoken to the officer commanding the detachment. This officer, whom he remembered to have seen two months before passing between St. Menehould, Châlons, and Varennes, was called M. Goguelot.

36Recognised by M. Drouet, this officer had no hesitation in chatting with him. He said he had been sent with his forty men to form an escort for a treasure.

37While M. Jean Baptiste was talking with him, a messenger arrived from the municipality, asking the reason of his coming unannounced and unexpected.

38“Don’t trouble yourself about nothing,” replied the officer; “myself and my men will sleep here; but as we set off in a hurry on a particular service, we are utterly without rations. We will pay all our expenses, so as not to be a burden on the tradespeople. To-morrow, at daybreak, we start for Pont-de-Somme-Vesles.”

39The messenger took this response to the authorities; but they, not being satisfied with it, sent him back with a request that M. Goguelot would step up to the Mayor’s house.

40He accordingly went there, M. Drouet following.

41When asked the reason of his march, the officer exhibited an order from M. de Bouillé, commanding him to be at Pont-de-Somme-Vesles on the 21st of June, to take charge of, and escort some treasure which was there, to St. Menehould, where he was to surrender his trust to Colonel Dandoin, of the First Regiment of Dragoons.

42They then asked where were M. Dandoin’s dragoons.

43“He follows me,” he replied; “and will arrive here to-morrow morning.”

44The interrogatory was not pushed any farther; but M. Drouet was not satisfied, so he had run over to Varennes, to inform his companions of the event, and to hold a consultation with them.

45Just as he had finished his tale, the younger brother Leblanc entered.

46He had come from Stenay.

47“Do you wish to see some beautiful horses, M. Jean Baptiste?” asked he.

48“I should like nothing better,” replied Drouet, “especially if they are for sale, as I want a remount.”

49“I don’t think that they are for sale; but what is astonishing is that they are harnessed in relays.”

50“Where are they?”

51“At the ‘Grand Monarque,’ with Father Gautier.”

52M. Jean Baptiste looked at us.

53“It is well, Victor,” he said; “I will go there after dinner. Have you any other news?”

54“No; there is a movement going on among the troops at Stenay, but there is nothing astonishing in that. I should not be surprised if we received an announcement of their arrival here to-morrow.”

55“Nor I,” said Drouet.

56We finished dinner, and entered into the Rue de la Basse Cour, crossed the bridge, and arrived at the “Grand Monarque,” where we found six horses being carefully attended to by the two grooms.

57“Those are fine horses. Whose are they, my friend?”

58“My master’s!” insolently replied one of the grooms.

59“The name of your master is a secret, I suppose?” queried M. Drouet.

60“That depends upon who asks me.”

61M. Guillaume frowned.

62“This is an insolent scoundrel,” said he, “who merits being taught how lackeys should speak to men!”

63“Will you teach me?” asked the groom.

64“Why not?” asked Guillaume, going a step nearer to him.

65M. Jean Baptiste stopped him by taking hold of his arm.

66“My dear Guillaume,” said he, “don’t put yourself out; perhaps this good man is forbidden to speak, and has come like M. Goguelot, for the treasure.”

67“Do you know M. Goguelot, and why we are here?”

68“You are here for the treasure which the hussars are bringing from Pont-de-Somme-Vesles, to hand over to the dragoons who were awaiting them at St. Menehould.”

69“If you are one of us, monsieur,” said the groom, touching his hat, “I have no reason to refuse telling you to whom the horses belong. They are the property of the Duke of Choiseul.”

70“You have said well,” said Drouet, laughing; “and we were going to quarrel with one of our friends.”

71“If you are a friend, monsieur, you might tell me whom you are, as I have told you about the horses?”

72“You are right. I have no motive for concealing my name. I am Jean Baptiste Drouet, postmaster at St. Menehould.”

73“As you have said, you are probably one of us.”

74At this moment, Father Gautier stepped out from the kitchen door.

75M. Drouet thought he had better say no more to the groom, for fear of exciting suspicion.

76“Ah, ha! Father Gautier,” said he; “your kitchen appears to be in full blow.”

77The fires in fact, were at their highest.

78“It is so, M. Drouet; but the astonishing part of it is, that I do not know for whom the cooking is going on.”

79“You don’t know for whom?”

80“No. I received on the 14th, an order from the military commandant to prepare a dinner for five o’clock, and it is now the 24th, and no one has arrived to eat it; but as it is a written command, I am not afraid, for eaten or not, the dinners are always paid for.”

81M. Drouet again looked at us.

82“Perhaps they are some great lords about to emigrate,” said M. Jean Baptiste.

83“And who take away our money,” replied Father Gautier.

84“In any case, they will leave you a little of theirs. Six or eight dinners, at how much a head?”

85“Three crowns, not including the wine.”

86“And for how many people?”

87“Eight or ten; the number was not definitely arranged.”

88“Father Gautier,” said M. Drouet, “you will yet die rich.”

89He then shook hands with him, smiling.

90We left the house, and soon found ourselves in the street.

91“My friend,” said M. Drouet, “without doubt, something extraordinary is about to take place. I shall return to Saint Menehould without losing a moment. Guillaume will go with me. When you get home, watch day and night. Sleep with one eye open, and hold yourselves in readiness for whatever may happen.”

92We returned quickly to the “Bras d’Or;” M. Drouet saddled his horse with his own hands. M. Guillaume borrowed one of the elder of the Leblancs, and they both set off for St. Menehould at a sharp trot, recommending us both to keep our eyes and ears well open.