Toward seven o'clock Beaufort and d'Angrémont were admitted, and, shortly after, his Majesty prepared to go with them to the Assembly. During the two hours which followed, a thousand hopes and fears agitated16 the two women left alone in a private chamber17 of the Queen's apartments. Her Majesty, unable to remain quiet, paced the room in the cruellest apprehension. At exactly nine the King entered, pale and alarmed-looking, and attended only by Beaufort. At sight of him the Queen arose and went to him with a little cry.
"They have refused—all is lost," says His Majesty, in a hollow voice.
"Impossible!" she exclaims, looking from the King to Beaufort, who stood by, deathly pale, also.
"It is only too true, your Majesty," says Beaufort, for the King seemed incapable18 of speech. "In spite of the enormous bribes19 offered and received, in spite of promises, in spite of his Majesty's address, which should have mollified all parties and inspired confidence, the temper of the Assembly, which had appeared favorable to his Majesty, suddenly changed and an outrageous20 scene took place; humiliations and insults and threats were heaped upon his Majesty, who retired22 as speedily as possible. D'Angrémont was arrested as we left the Assembly, which has refused to allow the departure of your Majesties23, and there remains24 nothing but to try the last expedient25."
The Queen stood gazing at the King and Beaufort, anger and despair written on every feature. Her eyes blazed, and into the lately colorless cheeks a deep crimson26 sprang.
"Impossible," she says again. "The traitors27! To betray us at every turn! Surely there is no one so friendless as the King and Queen of France! And shall we trust ourselves again to flight? Oh, the horrors of that last ride!" She shuddered28 and sank into a chair. Adrienne knelt beside the despairing woman.
"All is ready—your Majesties have but to follow the instructions—to don the disguises prepared—once at Courbevoie all is secure," she says, speaking with the greatest energy and confidence and clasping the Queen's hand in her own.
Suddenly her Majesty started up. "Never—never!" she bursts out, beginning to pace up and down the small chamber. "Never will I again go through with the humiliation21 of flight and capture. Better death or imprisonment29 at the hands of this ungrateful, mad people!"
"But, your Majesty—" says Beaufort, beginning to speak, but the Queen interrupted him.
"I know what you would tell me, Beaufort," she stopped and spoke30 imperiously—"that this scheme is the best possible one, the only one, perhaps; that in this enterprise lies our only safety, but I cannot believe it! A thousand times would I rather trust myself to the allies!" she said, beginning to pace the floor again.
"I think 'tis not that alone which Monsieur de Beaufort would tell your Majesty," said Adrienne, rising from beside the chair where the Queen had been sitting. She stood straight and tall before the desperate Queen and spoke rapidly. "He would say, also, that there is a handful of brave gentlemen who have risked their lives to serve your Majesties, who are waiting now but a few miles away and the further opportunity of serving you. Every moment adds to their peril31. Should your Majesties fail them, what will become of them?" She threw out her hands with an appealing gesture.
"'Tis true," murmured the King. "It must not be said that we sacrificed the last of our friends," he said, smiling a little bitterly and looking at the Queen, who continued to pace the little room in the cruellest agitation.
"I pray your Majesties not to think of us," said Beaufort. "Your devoted32 friends and servants think only of what is best for your Majesties. 'Tis their opinion, as well as my own, that there is nothing left but flight."
"Never, never!" exclaimed the Queen, with increasing firmness.
"But think of the danger of remaining in Paris!" urged Beaufort. "We know not at what moment this insurrection prepared by the Jacobins may burst out, we know not at what moment this palace and the sacred persons of your Majesties may be at the mercy of an infuriated, insensate mob."
"Let them come—these dangers—these horrors," says the Queen, intrepidly33; "they will bring Brunswick and the allies that much sooner to this Paris which I will not leave until they enter it." She stamped her foot upon the velvet34 carpet and clinched35 her white hands at her sides.
"Then your Majesty is resolved to give up the enterprise she has promised to support, to abandon those loyal servants who have depended upon her and his Majesty the King?" asks Adrienne, looking at the Queen, her face pale as marble and her eyes burning with indignation.
"Does Madame Calvert permit herself to question our actions?" says the Queen, turning imperiously upon her. Suddenly her beautiful eyes filled with tears. "Forgive me—you are right," she says. "'Tis our fate—our wretched fate—to seem to abandon and injure all who are brought near us, all who attempt to serve us. We cannot help ourselves—even now we must break our faith with these loyal friends, for now I see that after the refusal of the Assembly to allow us to leave Paris, 'twere madness to attempt to go. We would but increase the danger, the humiliation we already have to endure. The only wise course is to await Brunswick and the allies. I see now the folly36 of this plan of escape—indeed, I was never fully37 persuaded of its wisdom. The confidence I felt in this young American—his devotion to us and that of those other friends—blinded me to the dangers and difficulties of the undertaking38."
"And the King?" asks Adrienne, turning from the Queen to his Majesty, who sat by, indecision and weariness and timidity written on all his heavy features.
"We dare not," he says, at length, apathetically39. "The Queen is right—after the refusal by the Assembly to allow us to depart, after this new humiliation, it were worse than folly to think of escaping. We are surrounded by spies—treachery is within these very walls—how can we hope to get away? It is best to await our doom40 quietly here. What think you, Beaufort?" he asks.
"I implore41 your Majesty to make the effort," says Beaufort. "Once outside Paris, the Swiss Guards await you, Lafayette with his loyal regiments42 is even now at Compiègne——"
"Lafayette at Compiègne?—who knows?" says the Queen, gloomily, interrupting Beaufort again. "Monsieur de Lafayette hath betrayed us before and may do so again. I trust him not! To know that he has a share in this enterprise is to make me fear to pursue it! No, no," she goes on, shuddering43 and turning away. "St. Cloud and the 5th of October are too well remembered. I should have thought of all this before," she says, striking her hands together in an agony of doubt and despair. "It is too late now."
"And who will tell these gentlemen waiting at Courbevoie, and the regiments advancing from Compiègne at the risk of their lives, of this sudden change in your Majesties' plans? Should Monsieur d'Angrémont be induced to divulge44 their names they will inevitably45 be lost—their only hope is in immediate46 flight," says Adrienne, looking from the King, sunk in resigned silence, to the frantic47, hapless Queen, and back again.
"Who but myself, Madame?" said Beaufort, advancing. "And if your Majesties are fully determined48 to go no further in this business, I will ask leave to withdraw and set out for Courbevoie at once. Every moment is precious, and an hour's delay may mean the loss of many lives."
"No, no, Beaufort, I cannot let you go," cried the King, starting up. "Nom de Dieu, I forbid you!—d'Angrémont is taken from me—there is no one in whom I can confide or trust—we must send another," he went on, incoherently, and raising his hand as if to check Beaufort's departure.
For an instant the Queen swept him a glance of disdain49. 'Twas not timidity that made her falter50. She could not understand the physical weakness of the King; with her the abandonment of the great undertaking was a matter of expediency, not of fear, and she deserted51 her friends as relentlessly52 from interest as he did from cowardice53.
"There is no one, your Majesty—no one whom we can send. 'Tis too late to trust others with this great secret—"
"Then I will go," said Adrienne, suddenly stepping forward. "Send me—I am in the secret, I can be trusted! I can put on the disguise intended for your Majesty and go." She turned to the Queen and spoke eagerly and rapidly. "I fear nothing. Let me go, let me go!" She dropped on her knees before the Queen. "I must go—I must," she said, wildly.
"Is there no other?" asked the Queen, turning to Beaufort. "Surely we are not so destitute54 of friends that we must send this girl upon such a dangerous mission!" she said, sorrowfully.
"I implore your Majesty to let me go," said Adrienne, once more. "'Tis a service I would do myself as well as your Majesty," she went on, her white face suddenly covered with a burning blush.
The Queen looked at her keenly for a moment, and then she put out her hand with a sad, comprehending smile. "You may go," she said.
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1
chateau
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| n.城堡，别墅 | |
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majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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pervading
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| v.遍及，弥漫( pervade的现在分词 ) | |
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agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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6
confide
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| v.向某人吐露秘密 | |
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expediency
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| n.适宜；方便；合算；利己 | |
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revert
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| v.恢复，复归，回到 | |
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9
persuasiveness
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| 说服力 | |
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10
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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11
passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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12
imbuing
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| v.使（某人/某事）充满或激起（感情等）( imbue的现在分词 )；使充满；灌输；激发（强烈感情或品质等） | |
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animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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14
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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15
apathetic
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| adj.冷漠的，无动于衷的 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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bribes
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| n.贿赂( bribe的名词复数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂v.贿赂( bribe的第三人称单数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂 | |
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outrageous
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| adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的 | |
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humiliation
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| n.羞辱 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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majesties
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| n.雄伟( majesty的名词复数 )；庄严；陛下；王权 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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expedient
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| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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27
traitors
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| 卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人 | |
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28
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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29
imprisonment
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| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
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30
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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31
peril
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| n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物 | |
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32
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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intrepidly
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| adv.无畏地，勇猛地 | |
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velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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35
clinched
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| v.（尤指两人）互相紧紧抱[扭]住( clinch的过去式和过去分词 )；解决（争端、交易），达成（协议） | |
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folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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37
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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38
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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39
apathetically
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| adv.不露感情地；无动于衷地；不感兴趣地；冷淡地 | |
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40
doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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41
implore
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| vt.乞求，恳求，哀求 | |
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42
regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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43
shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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44
divulge
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| v.泄漏(秘密等)；宣布，公布 | |
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45
inevitably
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| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
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46
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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47
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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48
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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49
disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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50
falter
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| vi.(嗓音)颤抖，结巴地说；犹豫；蹒跚 | |
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51
deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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52
relentlessly
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| adv.不屈不挠地；残酷地；不间断 | |
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53
cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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54
destitute
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| adj.缺乏的；穷困的 | |
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