The Rising Storm

'King Louis is still in a position to exert influence in international affairs, then?' Roger asked with interest.

'Most certainly. His powers in that sphere have been in no way curtailed; and if war breaks out it will be for him to say if France shall enter it.'

'Think you she will do so?'

' 'Tis difficult to say.' The Bishop broke one horn off a croissant and popped it into his mouth. 'Our honour is definitely pledged to assist Spain in the event of hostilities; but the country is much divided on the issue, and if Spain acted precipitately that might be seized upon as an excuse by us to evade our liability.'

'It is my belief that for all her high tone Spain will not dare to fight unless she is certain of French backing,' Roger remarked. 'And it is with the object of doing all I can to prevent encouragement being given her that I am in Paris now.'

'Then you may rely on my doing all in my power to aid you,' de Perigord replied quickly. 'France is in no position to fight a war. Sedition has played havoc with our dockyards, our ships' crews are mutinous, the troops refuse to obey their officers, and our treasury is empty. War could only spell disaster.'

'I shall be most grateful for your help. But tell me: is your view that held generally?'

'Widely but, unfortunately, not generally. In the Assembly the Extreme Left is against war, and although small it represents a con­siderable part of the nation; yet by no means its most influential part. The better type of people are more patriotic, although in this case I think their patriotism misguided. They believe that France's ancient enemy is seeking to provoke a war in order that she may take advantage of our present weakness. In consequence, anti-British feeling is now very strong here; and, out of pride, the bulk of the educated classes would not hesitate to support a war policy rather than see France suffer the least humiliation.'

'What of the Court?'

'The King, as usual, is vacillating. He sees the danger; hence his attempts to mediate and keep Spain and Britain from one another's throats, and thus eliminate all risk of our being drawn into the quarrel. On the other hand he is being hard pressed by the Extreme Right to give full support to Spain.'

'Why should the Right be so belligerent?'

De Perigord gave Roger a wily smile. 'They see in war the one hope left of restoring the monarchy to its ancient power. As I have just said, a great part of the nation, and all its most solid elements, are already spoiling for a fight. A patriotic war would naturally rally them round the throne. The Right argue that with France in danger discipline would at once be restored in the army and marine; and that with a war in progress it would require only a well-organized coup d’etat to replace the National Assembly with the old form of government.' 'Does not the Assembly see its danger?'

'The Left does, but not the Centre; and the Right is now intriguing on these lines in hopes of putting an end to the present unhappy state of affairs.'

After a moment, Roger said thoughtfully: 'Even if the power of the monarchy were restored in this way, it could not long exist without granting a Liberal Constitution; and knowing you secretly to be in favour of such a regime. I am somewhat puzzled to find you opposed to the only policy that offers some hope of it.'

The Bishop shook his head. 'Nay. I have but one interest at heart: the future welfare of my country. I am convinced that we could not wage a victorious war, and that defeat would mean our final ruin. Therefore I will be no party to this suicidal gamble.'

'I see your reasoning,' Roger nodded; 'and admire your decision. Since that is your view, I take it that de Mirabeau, who thinks so much on the same lines as yourself, is with you ?'

'Alas, no! I would to God he were. But he is secretly advising the Court to adopt a policy that will lead to war.'

'Mon Dieu!' exclaimed Roger. 'I thought him near as clear-sighted as yourself, and as strongly convinced that a Franco-British alliance would prove the greatest blessing that could be granted to Europe.'

'That was his view. It is still, I think, as a long-term policy. But he is now set upon taking any step, however desperate, that might lead to a restoration of the royal authority.'

The Bishop pulled a stiff parchment from the pocket of his dressing-gown, and went on: 'I received this no more than half an hour before your arrival. As President it will be my duty to lay it before the National Assembly today; and 'tis certain that its publication will cause the war fever that is now running through France to become acute. It is a letter from His Majesty in which he informs the Assembly that, owing to the menace which Britain's war preparations hold for France, he has ordered fourteen sail-of-the-line to be got ready for sea. It is signed by the Foreign Secretary, de Montmorin; but I know it to be the work of de Mirabeau.'

'This is calamitous!' muttered Roger. 'Matters have already reached a far worse pass than I had even feared they might assume several weeks hence. Can naught be done to check this influence of de Mirabeau's that has now turned out to be so malign?'

De Perigord shrugged gloomily. 'I know of no way to do so. He is a very juggernaut once he has the bit between his teeth. Strange and unpalatable as such an alliance may be, it seems the only people we can count on to work for the same ends as ourselves in this emergency are Barnave, Robespierre, and the other deputies of the Extreme Left.'

'But this matter of war or peace is outside the jurisdiction of the National Assembly,' Roger argued. 'So, even had they a majority, they would not have the power to decide the issue. You said yourself that it still lies within the Royal Prerogative. And, frankly, that is what I had hoped. My influence is little enough, but I have some small credit with the Queen. I mean to see Her Majesty, and do my utmost to persuade her to do all she can to prevent a war. 'Twas to attempt it that I returned to Paris.'

'I would I had your youthful optimism,' said the Bishop, with his cynical little smile, 'for I would wager that in this you will do nothing with that woman.' Then he added seriously: 'Nevertheless, I wish you all good fortune in your efforts to save three countries from the horrors that war must bring.'

For a further hour they talked of more general matters, then Roger returned to his hackney-coach and had himself driven to the Tuileries. There, he paid the man off, found his way up to the Princess de Lamballe's apartment, and sent his name in by her woman. A few minutes later the Princess received him in the salon where he had had his secret interview with Madame Marie Antoinette. It was only mid-morning, so the Princess had not yet completed her full toilette, and was wearing her beautiful golden hair unpowdered, in loose ringlets falling about her neck.

When they had exchanged greetings, he asked after the health of the Queen, and she replied: 'Her Majesty's constitution is fortunately robust, but she shows signs of the great strain she has been under for the whole of the past year. Her only remaining joy lies in her children, and she gives all the time she can to teaching or playing with them.'

He then asked if the Princess could arrange an audience for him on a secret matter; and when he stressed its urgency and importance she left him to go down to the floor below by the staircase hidden in the wall of her bedroom. After about ten minutes she rejoined him, and said:

'Her Majesty is now so closely watched that she has to be careful to give such audiences only at times when she is unlikely to be missed from her apartments; but she will receive you for a few moments if you will return here at six o'clock tomorrow evening.'

Having thanked her, he left the Palace by its garden entrance. Seeing a small crowd in one corner of it he strolled over to ascertain the object of their interest. It was the little Dauphin, with Madame de Tourzel, and he was digging in his garden plot.

He was now a handsome, well-grown child of five with a gay and friendly nature. His garden was his principal joy and while he worked in it every day he entered into cheerful conversation with the bystanders, always giving away to them his few flowers as they became ready for picking. Madame de Tourzel told Roger that to see him at work had become one of the sights of Paris, and that when the generous child gave away his flowers he often apologized to the people that he could not give flowers to them all, as he would have done had he still had his much larger garden at Versailles.

That night Roger went to the Jacobin Club, and it proved to be a hectic session. The announcement in the National Assembly, earlier in the day, that the King had ordered fourteen sail-of-the-line to be prepared for