Comminges
and his soldiers, well-armed, still dragged their victim along till a
troop of the Queen's guards came up with another carriage, in which
the poor old President was finally carried off.
'And this is what we have to submit to from a Spaniard and an
Italian!' cried Clement Darpent.
He had come back to reassure his mother and his guests, but the
tumult was raging higher than ever. The crowd had surrounded the
Tuileries, filling the air with shouts of 'Broussel! Broussel!' and
threatening to tear down the doors and break in, overwhelming the
guards. Eustace and his host went out again, and presently reported
that the Marshal de Meileraye had been half killed, but had been
rescued by the Coadjutor, who was giving the people all manner of
promises. This was verified by shouts of 'Vive le Roi!' and by and
by the crowd came past once more, surrounding the carriage, on the
top of which was seated the Coadjutor, in his violet robes, but with
his skull cap away, and his cheek bleeding from the blow of a stone.
He was haranguing, gesticulating, blessing, doing all in his power to
pacify the crowd, and with the hope of the release of the councilors
all was quieting down; and Clement, after reconnoitering, thought it
safe to order the carriage to take home his guests.
'No one can describe,' said my sister, 'how good and sweet Madame
was, though she looked so like a Puritan dame. Her face was so
wonderfully calm and noble, like some grand old saint in a picture;
and it lighted up so whenever her son came near her, I wanted to ask
her blessing! And I think she gave it inwardly.
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