mr. calvert quits the army and engages in a hazardous enterprise
the letter which calvert had received from mr. morris was short but very urgent. it begged him to resign his commission at once, which affair, the letter hinted, would be immediately arranged by lafayette, and come to paris, as mr. morris had business of the first importance on hand in which he wished calvert's assistance. it went on to add that the exact nature of that business had best not be divulged until the young man should find himself at the american legation, and ended by urging mr. calvert not to delay his departure from maubeuge by a day, if possible.
conformably with these requests calvert set out for paris on the very next day, after the briefest of preparations, and, arriving in the city on the evening of the 7th, made his way straight to the rue de la planche, where he found mr. morris anxiously awaiting him. with a brief greeting, and scarcely allowing the young man time to divest himself of his travelling things, he drew him into his private study, and there, with locked doors, began eagerly to speak about the business upon which he had called calvert so hastily to paris.
"i knew i could trust you," said mr. morris to calvert. "lafayette has given you my letter and you have lost no time in coming to me, as i felt assured you would do, my boy. 'tis the most satisfactory sensation in the world to feel an absolute trust in one as i do in you," he went on, with a kindly look at the young man. "living in the midst of this people who think less than nothing of breaking every agreement, violating every oath, that feeling of confidence becomes doubly precious. but to the business in hand." he hesitated slightly and then went on, "you must know that in the month of november last (and before my appointment by congress to this post of american minister to france), inspired by the unhappy consequences to the royal family of the flight to varennes, i, together with several of the stanchest friends of the harassed monarch, engaged in an enterprise to assist the king and queen to escape, from france. this plan, in which favernay, monciel, beaufort, brémond, and some others whom you know, were leagued together, never ripened, because, by the appointment of narbonne and the preparations for war which immediately commenced, we hoped that louis might regain his lost power. it was at this juncture and while i thought that this enterprise was at an end and that there would be no further occasion for me to intermeddle in the politics of this unhappy country, that i received and accepted my appointment as minister to this court. most unfortunately, the great opportunity which the king had to retrieve his fortunes he flung away by his subsequent vacillation and his secret negotiations with the allies; and this, together with the reverses of the french array, the growing violence of the opposing political factions here, and the terrible events of the 20th of june, have again made it necessary for the friends of the king, if they wish to save him, to exert themselves in his behalf. when this was made plain, those gentlemen with whom i had formerly been associated in the effort to serve his majesty again applied to me for assistance, so that i found myself in the cruel position of either betraying my official trust or of abandoning the monarch whom i sincerely pitied and whom i had pledged myself to aid. the last and most moving appeal made to me was that of monsieur lafayette. i met him at the tuileries when he went to pay his respects to their majesties before rejoining his army. i know not what had passed between the king and himself at the levee, for i arrived just as he was going, but i saw by his countenance that he had the gloomiest forebodings. he drew me into a small anteroom and spoke to me with his old familiarity and affection. indeed, he is greatly changed, and i could not help but be touched by the consternation and grief that weighed upon him. he opened himself to me very freely and confessed that 'twas his opinion that the king was lost if brave and wise friends did not immediately offer their services in his behalf. he knew of the scheme in which i had been before engaged to assist the king, and he besought me to renew those engagements and to prosecute them with the utmost diligence. the king, he said, had let fall some expressions indicating his confidence in myself, 'a confidence,' said lafayette, 'which he did not hesitate to show he did not feel in me. the queen is even more distrustful of me than the king, so that i think their safety lies in your hands. but, believe me, though they do not trust me, they have no more devoted servant. i am come, at length, to your belief that in the king alone is to be found the cure for the ills of the present time, and not the most ardent royalist is now more anxious to preserve his majesty than myself.' while lafayette was speaking, a way out of my difficulties suddenly occurred to me. i thought of you, my boy, and, knowing that i could rely on you as on myself, i determined to appeal to you to act in my stead, to take upon yourself those dangers and risks which, in my position of minister from a neutral power to this country, i have now no right to assume. i know how great a thing i am asking, but i also know your generous nature, your steadfastness, your capability to carry through discreetly and swiftly any undertaking you engage in. as an american, you will have the confidence of the king and queen, and will act as a surety for lafayette, whom 'tis only too true their majesties distrust profoundly. i reminded lafayette of the unalterable obligation which prevented me from interesting myself personally in the political situation here and of the plan i had just formed of appealing to you. he approved of it entirely, saying that there was no one in whose hands he would more willingly leave matters. we made an appointment for that evening at monsieur de la rochefoucauld's, where he was staying, to discuss some plan of assistance to his majesty. i consented to this interview, for it was impossible at that late hour to call together all those interested in the affair and, as lafayette was leaving the next morning, something had to be done immediately. our interview was a long one, but the plan we hit upon was, in the end, very simple and, indeed, the circumstances of the case, the short time, and the necessity for the greatest secrecy demand that the simplest methods should be employed. shall i tell you that plan?" asked mr. morris, suddenly breaking off in the midst of his long talk and regarding calvert with a keen, questioning glance.
"there is no lead i would follow sooner than yours, mr. morris," replied the young man, quietly and firmly. "as you know, all my sympathies are with the king and queen, and in whatsoever way i can serve their majesties i am ready here and now to pledge myself to that service."
indeed, the enterprise suited calvert's temper well. any excitement or danger was welcome to him just then. his hopes of seeing military service having been frustrated, he was glad to find some other scheme at hand which promised to divert his melancholy thoughts from himself.
"'tis like you to speak so, boy," said mr. morris, grasping calvert warmly by the hand. "i knew you would not fail me. and, before god, how could i fail them?" he burst out, rising in agitation and stumping about the room. "i have done wrong in engaging in the remotest way in this affair, in urging you to become a party to it, but my humanity forbids me to withhold whatever of aid i can render. was ever a monarch so cruelly beset, so bereft of wise counsellors, of trusty friends? he knows not where to look for help, nor which way to turn. he suspects every adviser of treachery, of self-interest, of veniality, and he has reason to do so. the wisest, in his desperate position, would scarce know how to bear himself, and what can we expect of so narrow an intellect, so vacillating and timid a nature? i pity him profoundly, but i also despise him, for there is a want of metal in him which will ever prevent him from being truly royal."
"'tis doubly difficult to help those who will not help themselves. do you think it is really possible to save his majesty?" asked calvert, doubtfully.
"we can but make one more desperate effort, and i confess that i rely more on the firmness of the queen for its success than i do on the king," said mr. morris. "but i will tell you of the plan and you can judge for yourself of its feasibility."
the scheme agreed upon between mr. morris and lafayette in that interview at monsieur de la rochefoucauld's, and which mr. morris proceeded to detail to calvert, was briefly this: it being evident that as long as the king remained in paris he was a virtual prisoner and subject to the capricious commands of the assembly, his ministers, and the mobs, daily increasing in numbers and lawlessness, it seemed to both mr. morris and lafayette that the thing of first importance was to effect the king's escape from the capital. to accomplish this it was lafayette's suggestion that the king should go to the assembly when affairs should be ripe for that act and announce his intention of passing a few days at one of his country residences within the limits prescribed for his free movements. "i thought he blushed as he made this suggestion, and 'twas all i could do to keep from asking him if he intended to serve his majesty on this occasion as he had in the st. cloud affair," said mr. morris, dryly. "but his distress and his sincerity were so evident that i contained myself." the king established as far from paris as possible, lafayette was to arrange a manoeuvre of his troops at a point near the royal residence, and once arrived there, he was to rapidly and secretly march the trustiest of his regiments to the king's rescue, surround the palace, and call upon the army for a new oath of fidelity to the monarch and constitution. rendered independent by this stroke, louis was to issue a proclamation forbidding the allies and émigrés to enter his kingdom. should the army flash in the pan and refuse to swear allegiance, lafayette was, at all hazards, and with the aid of the regiments whose loyalty was beyond question, to escort the king to a place of safety beyond the border.
for the accomplishment of this plan, simple though it was, an enormous sum of money and the greatest diplomacy were necessary. as for the money, that was easily come by; indeed, monsieur de monciel had already brought to mr. morris two hundred thousand livres contributed by the loyal adherents of his majesty; more was promised within the next few days. mr. morris consented to receive these sums, though he felt obliged to refuse the protection of the legation to any papers relative to the matter in hand. with such sums at their disposal it was hoped and believed by mr. morris and the other ardent friends of the unfortunate sovereign that enough influential members of the assembly could be bribed to insure the king's departure from paris and the allegiance of those doubtful regiments upon the frontier.
"it was my suggestion, calvert," said mr. morris, "that you should be sent to test and influence those disaffected regiments, and to find a safe retreat for his majesty in case of failure of our scheme, while we remain here to work with the members of the assembly and watch the situation for a favorable moment to strike the blow. it was my further suggestion that your wife should be one of the ladies-in-waiting to the queen, that we might have sure and swift intelligence of what passes within the palace. by the greatest good fortune i heard the following day, through madame de flahaut, of the illness and withdrawal of one of the queen's attendants, and the next evening at court, having the opportunity of saying a few words in private to her majesty, i besought her to give the vacant post to your wife. i intimated to her that the appointment was of the greatest importance to herself and the king, and being, doubtless, impressed by the earnestness of my manner, she promised to grant my request, though she had intended to leave the place vacant, saying bitterly that 'twere best she should draw no other into the circle of danger which surrounded her. i had the satisfaction of learning yesterday that the appointment had been made, and already your wife is installed as a lady-in-waiting at the tuileries.
"under cover of letters to her—which, i think, will be more likely to escape patriotic curiosity than any others—you will keep the king and his friends here in paris informed of your movements and the progress of affairs, and through her we can have intimate knowledge of what passes in the palace, so that they can hardly fail to know when to take the decisive step. are you willing to undertake this difficult and dangerous enterprise?" asked mr. morris, looking at the young man.
"with all my heart," replied calvert. "were i not interested in the cause itself, i would still remember the graciousness of their majesties when i was presented to them, and hold it a privilege to serve them."
"you will see them again to-morrow evening and can assure them yourself of your fidelity. i think they have no doubt of it now, nor ever will. through monsieur de favernay i arranged for a private audience with the king and queen for to-morrow—you see, i counted on you as on myself, and felt assured that you would come at the earliest moment, ned. at that interview i will again present you to their majesties, and then i will withdraw definitely from all connection with this affair, leaving you to lay the plan before the king and queen, and to carry it through should it be agreed to by their majesties."
the two gentlemen sat up until far into the night discussing the enterprise, calvert making many valuable suggestions, and entering so heartily into the arrangement that mr. morris began to take a more hopeful view of the situation than he had hitherto allowed himself to do.
on the following evening, about ten o'clock, beaufort arrived hastily at the legation with the information that all was in readiness for the private audience which mr. morris had requested, and the three gentlemen, entering a coach, were driven rapidly to the tuileries. they were introduced at a wicket on the little rue du manège, and, passing up a stairway seldom used and through the queen's apartments, at length found themselves at the door of a small and private chamber of his majesty's suite. at this door beaufort tapped gently, and hearing an "entrez!" from within, he pushed it open, and then, with a low bow, retired, leaving mr. morris and calvert to enter by themselves.
his majesty was alone and seated beside a small table, on which were a lamp and some writing materials. as mr. morris and calvert advanced into the room he rose and graciously extended a hand to each of the gentlemen.
"vous êtes le bien venu," he says to mr. morris, and then, looking at calvert with a half-smile. "i remember you very well, now," he adds, rapidly, in french to the younger man. while the king was speaking, calvert noticed with a glance the heavy, harassed expression of louis's face. the eyes, which had once been benign and rather stupid, had now a haunted, suspicious look in them. while he was yet bowing, and before he could form a reply to the king's remarks, the queen entered rapidly from an adjoining apartment. calvert felt a shock, a thrill of pity, as he looked at her majesty. a dozen fateful years seemed to have rolled over that countenance, so lovely when last he had seen it. though she still held herself proudly, the animation and beauty of face and figure had vanished. the large blue eyes were tired and red with weeping, the complexion had lost its brilliancy, and the fair hair was tinged with gray. history hath made it out that the queen's hair whitened in a single night of her captivity, but it had already begun to lose its golden color before the days of the temple, and the lock which she shortly after this sent to calvert, in token of her appreciation of his services, was thickly streaked with white.
she came forward and stood beside the king, inclining her head graciously to mr. morris, who made their majesties a profound obeisance.
"i am come to again present my friend, mr. calvert of virginia, to your majesties," he says, indicating calvert, who bowed again, and at whom the queen looked with a keen, suspicious glance that almost instantly kindled into one of kindness and trust. "he is to be my representative in that affair in which it will be my undying regret not to have been able to participate," continued mr. morris, "and i beg of your majesties to give him your utmost confidence and trust, for i assure your majesties that he is entirely worthy of both. he will acquaint you with the details of that plan, the existence of which monsieur de monciel intimated to your majesties yesterday, and, should that plan meet with your royal approval, mr. calvert is ready to stake his life and his honor in the execution of it. your majesties understand how impossible it is for me to say more, and i can only ask permission to withdraw."
'twas the queen who answered—the king seemed unable to find a word.
"we thank you with all our hearts," she says, in a low, mournful tone, looking at mr. morris, "and we understand." at her gesture of recognition and dismissal mr. morris executed another low obeisance and withdrew.
left alone with the king and queen, and being seated, at their majesties' invitation, calvert unfolded to them in detail the plan agreed upon by the king's friends, leaving out as much as possible lafayette's part in it ('twas his own wish, conveyed through mr. morris) lest the queen should take fright and refuse her sanction to the enterprise. indeed, so deep was her distrust of him, that to mr. calvert it seemed that she only gave her consent because of the share mr. morris and himself had in it.
"so that is the plan," she said, musing. "we betrayed ourselves when we succored america. perhaps we are to be repaid now and americans are to help us in this desperate strait. 'tis a bitter humiliation to have to turn to strangers for aid, but our only true friends are all scattered now; there is no one about us but would betray and sacrifice us," she says, bitterly, and looking at the king, whose heavy countenance reflected in a dull way her poignant distress.
"pardon me, your majesty," says calvert, ardently, "there are still some stanch friends left to you. i have seen these gentlemen but this morning, when we discussed anew this plan, and they but wait your approval to pledge their lives and fortunes to extricate your majesties from the distressing situation you now find yourselves in. it but depends upon you to say whether this scheme shall be carried through. with firmness and confidence on your part it cannot fail."
"i fear to hope again—do not arouse my expectations only to have them disappointed," and rising in the greatest agitation, the queen began to pace up and down the little room. "who would have thought that fersen could fail?—and yet he did." she covered her face with her hands to hide the tears which filled her eyes. suddenly she stopped before calvert, who had risen, and gave him so penetrating and anguished a look that the young man could scarce bear to meet her glance.
"there is that in your face which inspires confidence," says the queen. "i think you would not know either defeat or deceit. pray god you may not. we will trust him, shall we not?" she says, turning to the king and putting out her hand so graciously that calvert fell upon one knee before her and kissed it. he knelt to the suffering woman who had instinctively appealed to him and her faith in him even more than to the desperate queen.
it was by such moments of genuineness and winning sweetness that marie antoinette captivated those with whom she came in contact. could such bursts of true feeling have endured, could she always have been as sincere and single-hearted as she was at such times, she would have been a great and good woman. genius, ambition, firmness, courage, all these she had, but insincerity and suspicion warped a noble nature. to calvert, just then, she seemed the incarnation of great womanhood, and 'twas with the utmost fervor that he pressed her to allow himself and her other faithful friends to serve her.
"in a few weeks all will be ready," he says. "i go from here to the frontier to visit and, if possible, win over those troops whose loyalty to your majesties has been in question; then on to secure a safe retreat in case our plan fails, which, pray god, it may not! either worms, where monsieur de condé is powerful, or spire, whose prince-bishop is most devoted to your majesties, will surely offer its hospitality and protection. it depends only on your majesties' firmness to escape from this capital and captivity. through letters to my wife" (calvert hesitated slightly—'twas the first time he had so used the word) "your majesties will know exactly the situation of affairs outside of paris, and through her replies we must know what takes place in the palace. kept informed of each other's movements, 'twill be easy to fix upon the best day for striking the blow we have in contemplation, and, if you will but do your part, it must needs be successful." as he concluded his urgent appeal he rose from his knees and stood before the king and queen, glancing anxiously from one to the other. his face expressed so much earnestness and enthusiasm that their majesties could not help but be impressed.
"and our engagements with our cousin of austria?" said the queen, after an instant's silence, "for i will not conceal from you, monsieur, that since varennes i have no hope save in our allies."
"were it not better that you should depend for your safety on your own subjects, madame?" asked calvert.
the king agreed with him and said so at once, but it was with reluctance that the queen gave her consent to the enterprise.
"it is a noble plan and a hazardous one, and we thank you, monsieur, and those other gentlemen who are imperilling their lives to insure our safety, but i confess to you," said her majesty, sadly, "that i sanction the undertaking and enter into it, not in the hope that the first part of it will succeed—alas! i distrust our generals and troops too deeply for that—but in the belief that once out of paris we may ultimately be able to take refuge with our friends beyond the frontier."
as she spoke, there came a hurried tapping at the door, and, almost before permission to enter had been given, beaufort appeared. he signed hastily to calvert to depart, and on a silent gesture of dismissal from the king and queen, he followed the young nobleman from the room through a door opposite to the one by which he had been admitted. hurrying past endless antechambers, down marble stairways, and through long corridors, calvert at length found himself at a little gate which gave upon the carrousel. this beaufort unlocked and, giving the password to the swiss sentry who stood without, the two young men at length found themselves on the quai des tuileries. there, after a moment's hurried conversation, during which calvert told beaufort of the result of the momentous interview with the king and queen, the two parted, the young frenchman returning to the palace and calvert making his way as quickly as possible back to the legation, where mr. morris anxiously awaited him.
