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They did agree, and after Simon had gravely paid the twenty francs, he and Toulan took the horse on their shoulders and marched down the street. "Do all those people know about our secret?" asked Simon, as they strode forward. "No, only the cabinet-maker knows about it, and he will leave Paris to-morrow and carry the prince to a place of safety."
Toulan lighted his cigar, placed himself at the threshold, and blew great clouds of smoke into the chamber. The ladies still continued to sit quietly without paying any attention to Toulan. The queen dictated, and the dauphin wrote. The queen only interrupted herself in this occupation, when she had to cough and wipe her eyes, which the smoke filled with tears.
Toulan made no reply; he only impressed a long, tender kiss upon the trembling hand of the child. "Did he speak?" asked Simon. "Did you understand, citizen, what he said?" "Yes, I understood him," answered Toulan. "He consents; he allows me to make every attempt to free him, and is prepared to do every thing that we ask of him.
Marie Antoinette sadly let her eyes fall. She could look at nothing more; she had in this solemn moment received a new wound, seen a new deserter! Toulan read her thoughts in her sad mien, on her throbbing forehead, but his own countenance remained cheerful and bright. "She will live to see the day when she will confess that I am her friend, am true to her," he said to himself.
One of us must be away from here, in order that he may disclose the other. I will not be that one, it must be Toulan." He stood up with the air of one who had made a fixed, unchangeable resolve, and stretched his bony, crooked limbs.
Give me your hand, my brother. You shall conduct me to death, and I will give you my hand above, at the opening of the new life, and conduct you to Marie Antoinette. 'Sister, I will say to her, 'this is the one true and good heart which beat on earth for you, and I bring it to you that you may rejoice in it in heaven. Toulan, there is only one title of honor for all men, and that is Fidele.
She gave Toulan also, as a memorial of her gratitude, a small gold box, one of the few trinkets which she still possessed, and which, unhappily, proved a fatal present. In the summer of the next year it was found in his possession, its history was ascertained, and he was sent to the scaffold for the sole offense of having and valuing a relic of his murdered sovereign.
"My wife insisted on giving you the hair with her own hands, and she has just gone out. You will have to wait for her, if you really are anxious to possess the hair of little Capet." "Yes, I am anxious to own it," replied Toulan. "The hair of my dear young king will be my most cherished possession, and " "Come, come," interrupted Simon, "there you exaggerate.
"Well," said Toulan, "then I ask that I may be executed the same day and the same hour as Madame Elizabeth, the sister of the king, and that I may be allowed to remain by her side at her execution." "Then you have only till to-morrow to live, Citizen Toulan," replied the presiding officer of the court, "for Elizabeth Capet will be executed to-morrow."
"I've thought out a joke for to-day," said Toulan. "I will teach the widow to smoke. You know, brother Simon, that she always pretends not to be able to bear the smell of tobacco, she shall learn to bear it. I will hand her a paper cigarette to-day, and tell her that if she does not want us to smoke, she must smoke with us." "Splendid joke!" said Simon, with a loud laugh.
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