La Vendée | Page 5

into existence.
"He is to be confined in the Temple," continued Denot, "with the Queen and the two children. The populace are mad; they would kill him, if they could lay their hands on him."
"Where are your hopes now, Charles?" said Larochejaquelin. "Is it yet time for us to proclaim what we are--is it yet time for us to move? or are we to set still, until Danton enrolls us in his list of suspected persons?"
No one immediately answered the appeal of the hot young loyalist, and after a moment or two de Lescure spoke.
"Adolphe, did you hear the words of the decree?"
"Again and again," said Denot. "I was at the door of the Assembly, and the decree was known to the crowd the moment the votes had been taken."
"But did you hear the exact words?"
"That Louis and his family should be imprisoned in the Temple," answered Denot.
"Did they say the King, or did they call him by his name?" asked de Lescure again. "Did they decree that the King should be imprisoned, or Louis Capet?"
As he spoke, the door again opened, and another member, who had been among the crowd, entered the room.
"Gentlemen," said he, "allow me the honour to congratulate you. Yon do not know your own happiness. You are no longer the burdened slaves of an effete monarchy; you are now the vigorous children of a young Republic."
"Vive le Roi, quand même," said Larochejaquelin, standing up in the middle of the room. "I am glad they have so plainly declared themselves; we are driven now to do the same. Prince, now is the time to stand by our King. Charette, your hand; our dreams must now be accomplished. You will doubt no longer, Charles. Prudence herself would now feel that we have no longer aught to wait for."
"No--we must delay no longer," said Adolphe Denot. "A King is to be saved; every hour of delay is an hour of treason, while the King is in the hands of his enemies."
"A fine sentiment, Denot," said d'Autachamps; "but how will you avoid the treason?--how do you purpose to rescue his Majesty?"
"With my sword," said Adolphe, turning round shortly. "Do you doubt my will?"
"We only doubt your power, Adolphe," said de Lescure. "We only fear you may not be able to raise the standard of revolt against the armed sections of all Paris, backed by a decree of the Assembly."
"I can at any rate die in the attempt," replied Denot. "I cannot draw the breath of life from the atmosphere of a Republic! I will not live by the permission of Messieurs Danton and Robespierre."
"Whatever we do," said Fleuriot, "the club must be given up. We are known to be friendly to the King, and we are too weak to stand our ground; indeed, we should only incur useless danger by meeting here"
"And waste the time which we may well employ in the provinces," said Charette.
"You are right, Charette," said Rochejaquelin, whom the wildness of his friend Denot had a little sobered. "You are quite right--Paris is no longer a place for us. I will go back to the Bocage; there, at least, I may own among my neighbours that I am not a republican; there, perhaps, I may make some effort for my King--here I can make none. You will not stay in Paris, Charles, to hear unwashed revolutionists clatter of Louis Capet?"
"No, Henri, I also will return home. Charette is right. We should but waste our time in Paris, and be in danger. We shall probably be in safety in Poitou."
"Perhaps not in safety," said Henri. "We may, I trust, soon be in action."
"How in action?" said Fleuriot. "What do you intend to do?"
"To follow any one who will lead me to assist in restoring the King to his throne," replied Henri. "Let us, at any rate, retire to our provinces; and be assured that the National Assembly will soon hear of us."
The club was broken up; the young friends met no more in the Rue Vivienne. Within a week from the 10th of August, the denizens of the municipality had searched the rooms for any relics which might be discovered there indicatory of a feeling inimical to the Republic; their residences also were searched, and there were orders at the barriers that they should not pass out; but the future Vendean leaders had too quickly appreciated the signs of the time; they had gone before the revolutionary tribunal had had time to form itself. They were gone, and their names for a season were forgotten in Paris; but Henri Rochejaquelin was right--before long, the National Assembly did hear of them; before twelve months had passed, they were more feared by the Republic, than the allied forces of England, Austria, and Prussia.
CHAPTER II
ST. FLORENT
Nothing occurred in the provinces, subsequently