"A few men follow me! On!"
That was a most terrible moment, my child. I had to summon all my
strength to keep from swooning. I drew myself up, however, and went
towards the stair-case which led to the ledge, that stair-case which
I had ascended with the fugitives a few hours before. The agent came
next, then the captain and several soldiers.
What could I hope for in obeying the order? It would require a miracle
to save the Girondins. But I had fought it out to that point, and I
would fight it out to the end. And, frankly speaking, I scarcely knew
what I was doing, I was acting unconsciously--I had been told to go
there, and I was going, that's all!
I soon reached the ledge, the agent following painfully on account of
his corpulence. He seemed, moreover, very clumsy, and his fat body
embarrassed him much. When he reached the top of the staircase and saw
the ledge, on which I had already advanced a step or two, he hesitated.
"Oh! oh! it is very narrow!" he murmured.
Then he saw that all the soldiers were looking at him from below, and,
stung by their looks, he followed me slowly, supporting himself against
the wall, stepping with infinite caution. Really, if the situation had
not been so dreadful it would have been grotesque.
[Illustration: "LOOK! SPIDERS WEBS!"]
Two questions swam in my head. What should I do? Should I run rapidly
forward and join the unfortunate men and die with them? Or should I
throw myself down on the stones and kill myself?
Still, I went on slowly, slowly, expecting every minute to see the door
shut by the poor fellows as a frail and useless obstacle to a certain
capture; and I was so interested in their fate that I forgot my own
danger.
We had reached the centre of the ledge when suddenly the agent stopped,
and, turning towards those who followed, said: "Look! spiders' webs!"
and he pointed to the entrance of the granary.
And, in fact, by a providential chance, a large spider's web, torn when
I opened the door, had remained hanging on the woodwork; and the insect
had, during the few hours of the night, partly repaired the damage. The
fresh threads crossed the whole space of the opening, and nobody could
imagine for a moment that men had passed through that space that very
night without breaking the whole of the web. Yes, my child, a spider, a
simple spider, had done it. But one cannot help thinking that the good
God had something to do with it.
"It is useless to go further," said the agent.
Between you and me I believe the fat fellow was not sorry at heart, for
he was dreadfully afraid of rolling down below, and pride alone had
sustained him.
There is little need to say more. The Girondins were saved, and I
with them. The agent went off, followed by his hussars; and the other
soldiers marched away soon afterwards.
As soon as the chapel was empty I ran to the granary. It is not
necessary to tell you with what protestations of gratitude I was
received. One second more, and, as I had expected, they would have
shut the door, which would have been fatal; but Providence willed it
otherwise.
We gave them something to eat, and they remained all the day with us;
for it would have been imprudent to have left before night. When night
came they left us, after having thanked me much more than I deserved. I
had done my duty--nothing more.
We followed them with our eyes upon the road as long as we could. Then
they disappeared in the darkness.
Did they escape? Were they discovered, and killed on their way? I have
never heard. But I have rejoiced all my life that I, delicate as I am,
was able to go through so much without breaking down. Madame Badouillet
and Madame Maréchal were both ill afterwards.
And that is my story.
[Illustration]