Zipporah's Daughter

‘No, I did not think that she would. Jea

‘If any of the servants are here they are on the point of going, as I said. Some talk of going to Paris to join in what they call “the fun”. I don’t think there’ll be any need for them to go to Paris. They’ll find it nearer at hand.’

‘Is it really as bad as that?’

‘It’s been coming for a long time. I thank God that He took Monsieur le Comte before he was able to see it.’

‘Oh, Tante Berthe,’ I cried, ‘what is going to happen to us all?’

‘We’ll wait and see,’ she replied calmly.

She went away to get hot water. I stood waiting while the silence of the château closed in on me.

It was evening of the next day. Tante Berthe had been right. All the servants had left except Jea

During the day I went to the watch-tower and looked down. Nothing but the peace of the fields. It was difficult to believe that terrible things were happening not far away. I must go to England, to the children, to Dickon. I would take Lisette with me … and Tante Berthe; Sophie and Jea

The silence was broken by sounds in the courtyard. We had visitors. It was with a sense of relief that I ran down, not knowing what to expect. It could be those who had come to harm us; but at least the monotony was broken. Something was about to happen at last.

Lisette was just behind me.

Two men were there. They were both dirty and unkempt. One of them was supported by the other, for clearly he found it difficult to stand. They were both in a sorry state.

‘Who … ?’ I began.

Then one of them spoke. ‘Lottie … ’ he said.

I went to him and stared.

‘Lottie,’ he said again. ‘I … I have come home.’

The voice was recognizable, but not the man.

‘Armand?’ I cried. But no, this filthy creature could not be Armand.

‘It was a long way … ’ he murmured.

‘He needs rest … nursing,’ said his companion. ‘We … both do.’

Lisette said: ‘Did you break out of prison?’

‘We were let out … by the people. The prison was stormed.’

‘The Bastille … !’ I cried. ‘So … that is where you went!’

I saw at once that this was no time for explanations. Armand and his companion needed immediate attention. Armand’s feet were bleeding and he was in great pain when he stood on them; and in any case he was in no condition to stand.

Lisette and I tended them and the practical Tante Berthe came to our aid. We washed them, removed their clothes and got them to bed.

‘We’ll burn these things at once,’ said Tante Berthe, even at such a time determining that such garments should not sully the château.

We fed the men with food in small quantities, for we could see that they were nearly starving. Armand wanted to talk and, weak as he was, would do so.

‘I went off that day to a meeting,’ he said. ‘By the river I was met by a party of royal guards. Their captain handed me the lettre de cachet. I guessed it was due to the Orléans faction. I was working for the good of the country. I was no traitor. But they took me to the Bastille. The Bastille!’ He shivered and could not stop shaking.

I insisted that he did not talk. He could tell us everything later when he was in a better condition to do so. We badly needed help. We had two very sick men on our hands, and there were only three of us to look after them. But there were two others in the house, and I decided that they could no longer live apart in their secluded turret. I went up the spiral staircase to Sophie’s apartment.

I knocked and went in. Sophie and Jea

I cried out: ‘We need your help.’

Sophie looked at me coldly. ‘Go away,’ she said.

I cried: ‘Listen. Armand is here. He has escaped from the Bastille.’

‘Armand is dead,’ said Sophie. ‘Armand was murdered.’

‘Come and see for yourself,’ I replied. ‘Armand is here. He was not murdered. Some traitors betrayed him and he was given a lettre de cachet. He has been imprisoned in the Bastille.’

Sophie had turned white and the cards fell from her hands on to the table.

‘It’s not true,’ she said. ‘It can’t be true.’

‘Come and see for yourself. You’ve got to help. You can’t sit up here playing cards. Don’t you know what’s happening in the world? We need all the help we can get. The servants have gone. We have two men here who will die if they don’t get proper nursing. They have walked all the way from Paris. They have escaped from the Bastille.’

Sophie said: ‘Come, Jea

She stood by the bed looking down at her brother. ‘Armand,’ she whispered. ‘It is not you?’

‘Yes, Sophie,’ he answered. ‘It is your brother Armand. You see what the Bastille does for a man.’

She fell on to her knees beside the bed.

‘But why? What did they accuse you of … you … ?’

‘There does not have to be an accusation with a lettre de cachet. Someone betrayed me … ’

I interrupted: ‘This is not the time for this talking. I need help in nursing them, Sophie; you and Jea

‘Left? Why?’

‘I think,’ I said wryly, ‘it is because they believe the revolution has come.’

Sophie worked indefatigably - and Jea

His companion, without whom he would never have been able to make the journey from Paris, was responding to treatment and although very weak still was showing signs of recovery, which was more than we could say of Armand.

He told us that he had found Armand outside the prison when the mob trooped in and he had said that he wanted to get to Aubigné. He himself had nowhere to go so he helped Armand and together they crossed Paris. He described something of the scenes there. The people were in revolt. There were meetings everywhere and crowds formed into mobs who went about looting the shops and attacking anyone who looked worth robbing, shouting as they did so ‘A bas les aristocrats.’

I wouldn’t let him talk too much—and Armand not at all. It excited them and they were both desperately weak.

We couldn’t have managed without the help of Jea

I had abandoned all thought of leaving France since the arrival of Armand and his companion. I was needed here and I doubted in any case that with the country in the state it was I should be allowed to get very far.

Nothing happened for several days and I was begi

Lisette said to me: ‘Let’s go into the town. We might find out what is happening there and perhaps buy some food.’

I agreed that it was a good idea.

‘It is better for us to look like servants,’ she said. ‘Some of them left in such a hurry that they went without all their clothes. We could find something to wear.’