And when I heard that Axel was trying to rouse Mercy to action, that he had prevailed upon him to ask the Prince of Coburg to send a regiment of picked men to march on Paris and pluck me from die Temple wild as it was, rejected as it was it put new heart in me. It was the plan of a lover rather than a strategist, just as the night to Varennes had been. I saw now that it indicated a frantic desire for my safety which was too passionate in its Intensity to be practical. And I loved him all the more because of this.

One piece of news which was brought to me was that Jacques Armand had died at the battle of Jemappes. I thought sadly of the lovely little boy whom I had picked up on the road when I so longed for children. He had been my substitute until I had my own. He had never forgiven me for that. and now, poor boy, he was dead.

I spoke to Elisabeth of the sadness of this and she tried to comfort me, pointing out the different life he had had because of what I had done for him; but I only replied:

“I used him, Elisabeth. I used him as a toy with which to amuse myself for a while. One cannot use people in that way. I see it now. There is so much I see that I did not see then. But one thing I believe, Elisabeth. No woman ever paid more highly for her follies than I have done. If I am given another chance …”

“You will be,” she told me in her placid way. But I was not sure. I lacked her faith.

Each evening the illuminateur came to light the lamps. I welcomed his coming because he had two little boys and I had always loved children.

They were rather dirty, their clothes stained by the oil used in the lamps, for they helped their father. The  illuminateur never looked in my direction. There were so many like him who were afraid of appearing royalist. This dreadful revolution was not called the Terror for nothing. Countless numbers of its supporters went in terror of their lives never knowing when the great monster they had created would snap at them.

Sometimes the children would look wistfully at the food on the table and I liked to give them some of it. This they ate greedily; and I would find their eyes under their floppy hats regarding me intently. I wondered what tales they had heard of the Queen.

Madame Tison would come hustling in frowning at them, searching them, looking to see whether I bad given them some message to take out.

The visits of the illuminateur were one of the pleasant interludes of the day because of the children.

Toulon spoke to the lamplighter and asked him whether the boys were learning the trade. The lamplighter nodded.

Toulon saw the boys regarding me with awe.

“At what are you looking?” he demanded.

“The woman? No need to blush, boy. We’re all equal now.”

The illuminateur gave his agreement by spitting on the floor.

I was accustomed to this; I wondered whether Toulon had scented something suspicious in the illuminateur’s attitude and that was why he had mentioned we were all equal.

We all had to be very careful.

I was disappointed when the illuminateur came alone. I set my eyes on my book.

very skilful way and I realised that 4 was noi the same man ‘”” who had come with the children.

“I’m Jarjayes, Madame. General Jarjayes.”

Why yes . “

Toulon bribed the illuminateur and got him the worse for drink in a tavern. I am in touch with the Comte de Fersen. “

At the mention of that name I could have fainted with happiness.

“The Comte is determined to free you. He has sent a message to say he will not rest until you are free.”

I knew he would do this—I knew. “

“We have to plan carefully. But Madame, be ready. Toulon is our good friend. Lepitre too … but we must be sure of him.”

I saw Madame Tison hovering in the doorway and I tried to convey by my expression that we were spied on.

The General went away, and I felt a wild hope surging within me.

Axel had not forgotten me. He had not given up hope.

From Toulon I heard how the plan was progressing. He was to smuggle clothes into the prison which when they put them on would make the Dauphin and his sister look like the lamplighter’s boys. Elisabeth and I were to be disguised as municipal councillors. It would not be difficult to obtain the hats, cloaks and boots, and of course the tricolour sashes which would be required.

The Tisons, who were never far from us, would be Ola-great difficulty. We could never escape while they were watching over us.

But Toulon was a man of imagination. We will drug them,” he said.

They had a fondness for Spanish tobacco. Why should not Toulon present them with some? It would be heavily drugged and make them unconscious for several hours. When they were under its influence we would hastily dress in our clothes and pass out of the prison in the company of Toulon. It was a bold but not impossible plan. “I should need a passport,” I fold him, but be had thought of that.

Lepitre could provide it.

By the time the flight was discovered we could all be in England.

We were all ready, waiting.

But Lepitre was not a brave man. Perhaps it was too much to ask of him. He had prepared the passport, but a chance remark of Madame Tison’s made him wonder whether she knew that something was brewing.

Lepitre could not bring himself to go on with it. It was too risky, he said. We must make another plan in which I alone should escape.

This I would not do. I would not consent to be parted from the children and Elisabeth.

I wrote to Jarjayes:

“We have bad a beautiful dream and that is all. But we have gained much in finding again on this new occasion a further proof of your wholehearted devotion to me. My trust in you is limitless. You will always find I have some courage, but the interests of my son are my sole care, and whatsoever happiness I may be able to win, I can never consent to leave him. I could do nothing without my children, and the failure of any such idea is something I do not even regret I sent him my husband’s ring and lock of hair that he might take them to the Comte de Provence or d’Artois, for I feared they would be taken from me; and I had a wax impression made of a ring Axel had given me on which was inscribed: ” All leads me to thee. “

I sent this impression to Jarjayes with a note which said:

“I wish you to give this wax impression to one you know of, who came to see me from Brussels last year. Tell him at the same time that the device has never been more true.”

There was another attempt, but I believe I expected failure from the start. I had begun to believe that I was doomed and nothing could save me.

Baron de Batz, a royalist adventurer, formulated a plan in which Elisabeth, Marie Therese and I were to walk out of the prison in the uniform of soldiers with members of the loyal guard; the Dauphin was to be hidden under the cloak of one of the officers.

Everything was prepared but the Tisons had grown suspicious, and the day before that fixed for the escape Madame declared that she suspected Toulon and Lepitre of being too friendly with me.

As a result they were removed, and that plan collapsed, for it could not be carried out without their help.

I can scarcely write of this scene. It fills me with emotion and a sorrow so acute that my hand grows limp with agony. They could not have thought of a more exquisite torture. During these days of gloom and horror my great solace had been my children. They had enabled me to feign a haughty indifference to insolence and cruelty. Now they saw the way to pierce that armour of indifference and disdain.

It was July—hot, turgid—and we were in our room together—Elisabeth, Marie Therese, my boy and I. I was mending my son’s coat and Elisabeth was reading aloud to us.

We looked up startled, for this was no ordinary visit. Six members of the Municipaux bad come into the room.

I rose to my feet.

“Messieurs,” I began.

One of them spoke, and his words struck me like the funeral knell for a loved one.

“We have come to take Louis-Charles Capet to his new prison.”

I gave a cry. I reached for my son. He ran to me, his eyes wide with terror.

“You cannot …”

“The Commune believes it is time he was put into the care of a tutor.

Citizen Simon will care for him. “

Simon! I knew this man. A cobbler of the lowest, coarsest, crudest type.

No, no, no! ” I cried.

We’re in a hurry,” said one of the men roughly.

“Come on, Capet.

You’re moving from here. “

I could feel my son clutching my skirts. But rough hands were on him;

they were dragging him away. I ran after them but they threw me off.

Elisabeth and my daughter caught me as I fell.

They had gone. They had taken my boy with them.

I could think of nothing but that. My sister-in-law and my daughter tried to comfort me.

There was no comfort. I shall never forget the cries of my son as they carried him away. I could hear him screaming for me.

“Maman … Maman … don’t let them.”

It haunts my dreams. Never never can I forget. Never never can I forgive them for doing this to me, This was the depth of sorrow; there could be nothing more terrible. I was wrong. These fiends had found they could plunge me into even further despair.

So I was without him.

Life had no meaning now. He was lost to me . my beloved son, my baby.

How could they do this to a woman? Was it because they knew that while I had him with me I could go on living, I could hope, I could even believe that there was some happiness left to me?

I lay on my bed. My daughter sat beside me holding my hand, as though to remind me that she still remained. How I could have lived through those days without her and Elisabeth I cannot imagine.

Madame Tison was acting strangely. Perhaps she had been doing so for some dme. I was scarcely aware of her. I could think only of my son in the hands of that brutal cobbler. What were they doing to him? Was he crying for me now? I almost wished that he had died as his brother had, rather than that he should have come to this pass.

Sometimes I heard as though from a long way off Madame Tison storming at her husband; sometimes I heard her giving way to wild crying.

And one day she came into my room and threw herself at my feet.

“Madame,” she cried, ‘forgive me. I am going mad because I have brought these troubles on you. I have spied on you . They are going to murder you as they murdered the King . and I am responsible. I see him at night . I see his head all bloody . it rolls off, Madame, on to my bed. I must have your pardon, Madame. I am going mad mad. “

I tried to calm her.

“You have done as you were bidden. Don’t blame yourself. I understand.”

“It’s dreams … dreams … nightmares. They won’t go…. They are after me … even by day. They won’t go. I murdered the King … I .

The guards rushed in and carried her away.

Madame Tison had gone mad.

From one of the window-slits on the spiral staircase I could see the courtyard where my son was sent out for fresh air.

What joy it seemed when I saw him after all those days.

He no longer looked like my son. His hair was unkempt;

his clothes were dirty and he wore the greasy red cap.

I did not call him, I feared it would distress him; but at least I could stand there and watch. Each day at the same hour he came there;

so here was something to live for. I should not speak to him, but I should see him.

He did not seem unhappy, for which I was grateful. Children are adaptable. Let me be grateful for that. I saw what they were doing.

They were making him one of them, teaching him crudities . making him a son of the revolution. This I realised was the duty of the tutor, to make him forget chat the blood of Kings ran in his veins, to rob him of dignity, to prove that there was no difference between the sons of Kings and the sons of the people. I shuddered as I heard his shouts. I listened to his singing. Should I not rejoice that he could sing?

“Allans enfants de la Patrie .. The song of the bloodthirsty revolution. Had he forgotten the men who had murdered his father? I listened to the voice I knew so well:

“Ah, (a ira, fa ira, a ira En de frit des aristocrats et de la plule, Nous nous mouillerons, mais fa fm ira Ca ira, a ira, fa ira.”

Oh, my son, I thought, they have taught you to betray us.