council shall decide it. In the mean-
time "
" In the meantime, I will see my daughter again."
" Silence ! " said Santerre ; " you came here for the purpose of searching the prisoners ; search them, then,
and afterward we will see "
" But now "
"Oli, oli!" said Santerre, knitting his brows, "you are contaminated, it appears to me/'
" Do as the citizen general tells you, wife," he said ;
" afterward we shall see."
And Tison regarded Santerre with an humble smile.
'Very well," said the woman; "go, then; I am
ready to search."
The men went out.
" Ma chere Madame Tison," said the queen, "you know-
"I only know, Citoyenne Capet," said the horrible woman, gnashing her teeth, " that you are the cause of all the misery of the people, and also that I have reason
to suspect you, and you know it."
Four men waited at the door to assist Tison's wife, if
the queen offered any resistance.
The search commenced on the queen.
There was found on her person a handkerchief tied in
three knots, which, unfortunately, appeared a reply to the
one spoken of by Tison ; a pencil, a scapulary and some
sealing- wax.
"All 1 1 knew it," said Tison's wife; "I have often THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 45
told the municipals she wrote, the Austrian ! The other
day I found a lump of sealing-wax on the candlestick."
"Ah, madame," said the queen, in a supplicating tone,
" only show the scapulary, I entreat you ! "
" Yes," said the woman, " I feel pity for you, who have felt so much pity for me, to take my daughter from
me."
Mme. Elizabeth and Mme. Royale had nothing found
upon them.
The woman Tison recalled the municipals, who entered,
Santerre at their head. She showed them the articles
found upon the queen, which, as they passed from hand
to hand, afforded subjects for an infinite variety of con-
jectures ; but the handkerchief tied in three knots excited, above all, the imagination of these persecutors of the
royal race.
"Now," said Santerre, "we are going to read the decree of the Convention to you."
" What decree ?" demanded the queen.
" The decree which orders you to be separated from
your son."
" Is it, then, true that this decree exists ?"
" Yes ; the Convention has too much regard for the
health of a child confided to its guardianship to leave him in the care of a mother so depraved."
The eyes of the queen flashed like lightning.
"But form some accusation, at least, tigers that you
are."
" Tiiat is not at all difficult," said a municipal ; and he pronounced one of those infamous accusations brought
by Suetone against Agrippine.
"Oh ! cried the queen, standing, pale with indignation,
" I appeal to the heart of every mother ! "
"That is all very fine," said a municipal ; " but we have already been here two hours, and cannot lose the
whole day. Get up, Capet, and follow us."
"Never, never!" cried the queen, rushing between
the municipals and the young Louis, preparing to defend
the approach to his bed, as a tigress the entrances to
4,6 THE CHEVALIER DE MAI8ON ROUGE.
her den. " Never will I permit you to carry away my
child."
" Oh ! messieurs/' said Mme. Elizabeth, clasping her
hands in an attitude of prayer, " messieurs, in the name of Heaven, have pity on us both."
"Then speak," said Santerre ; "state the names, avow the project of your accomplices , explain what they
wished to intimate by the knots made in the pocket-
handkerchief brought with your linen by Tison's
daughter, and the meaning of those tied in the hand-
kerchief found in your pocket, and on these conditions I
will leave you your child."
A look from Mme. Elizabeth seemed to implore the
queen to submit to this dreadful sacrifice.
Then, quietly brushing from her eye a tear which
sparkled like a diamond :
"Adieu, my son," cried she; "never forget your father who is in heaven, or your mother who will soon
join him there, and never omit to repeat morning and
evening the prayer I have taught you. Adieu, my son."
She gave him
time "
" In the meantime, I will see my daughter again."
" Silence ! " said Santerre ; " you came here for the purpose of searching the prisoners ; search them, then,
and afterward we will see "
" But now "
"Oli, oli!" said Santerre, knitting his brows, "you are contaminated, it appears to me/'
" Do as the citizen general tells you, wife," he said ;
" afterward we shall see."
And Tison regarded Santerre with an humble smile.
'Very well," said the woman; "go, then; I am
ready to search."
The men went out.
" Ma chere Madame Tison," said the queen, "you know-
"I only know, Citoyenne Capet," said the horrible woman, gnashing her teeth, " that you are the cause of all the misery of the people, and also that I have reason
to suspect you, and you know it."
Four men waited at the door to assist Tison's wife, if
the queen offered any resistance.
The search commenced on the queen.
There was found on her person a handkerchief tied in
three knots, which, unfortunately, appeared a reply to the
one spoken of by Tison ; a pencil, a scapulary and some
sealing- wax.
"All 1 1 knew it," said Tison's wife; "I have often THE CHEVALIER DE MAISON ROUGE. 45
told the municipals she wrote, the Austrian ! The other
day I found a lump of sealing-wax on the candlestick."
"Ah, madame," said the queen, in a supplicating tone,
" only show the scapulary, I entreat you ! "
" Yes," said the woman, " I feel pity for you, who have felt so much pity for me, to take my daughter from
me."
Mme. Elizabeth and Mme. Royale had nothing found
upon them.
The woman Tison recalled the municipals, who entered,
Santerre at their head. She showed them the articles
found upon the queen, which, as they passed from hand
to hand, afforded subjects for an infinite variety of con-
jectures ; but the handkerchief tied in three knots excited, above all, the imagination of these persecutors of the
royal race.
"Now," said Santerre, "we are going to read the decree of the Convention to you."
" What decree ?" demanded the queen.
" The decree which orders you to be separated from
your son."
" Is it, then, true that this decree exists ?"
" Yes ; the Convention has too much regard for the
health of a child confided to its guardianship to leave him in the care of a mother so depraved."
The eyes of the queen flashed like lightning.
"But form some accusation, at least, tigers that you
are."
" Tiiat is not at all difficult," said a municipal ; and he pronounced one of those infamous accusations brought
by Suetone against Agrippine.
"Oh ! cried the queen, standing, pale with indignation,
" I appeal to the heart of every mother ! "
"That is all very fine," said a municipal ; " but we have already been here two hours, and cannot lose the
whole day. Get up, Capet, and follow us."
"Never, never!" cried the queen, rushing between
the municipals and the young Louis, preparing to defend
the approach to his bed, as a tigress the entrances to
4,6 THE CHEVALIER DE MAI8ON ROUGE.
her den. " Never will I permit you to carry away my
child."
" Oh ! messieurs/' said Mme. Elizabeth, clasping her
hands in an attitude of prayer, " messieurs, in the name of Heaven, have pity on us both."
"Then speak," said Santerre ; "state the names, avow the project of your accomplices , explain what they
wished to intimate by the knots made in the pocket-
handkerchief brought with your linen by Tison's
daughter, and the meaning of those tied in the hand-
kerchief found in your pocket, and on these conditions I
will leave you your child."
A look from Mme. Elizabeth seemed to implore the
queen to submit to this dreadful sacrifice.
Then, quietly brushing from her eye a tear which
sparkled like a diamond :
"Adieu, my son," cried she; "never forget your father who is in heaven, or your mother who will soon
join him there, and never omit to repeat morning and
evening the prayer I have taught you. Adieu, my son."
She gave him
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