Red Caps and Lilies
in the Carrousel, the inner court of the Tuileries palace, less than a mile away, had thundered outside. The glass chandelier above the table had shaken until its chains, jangling together, mad
well as a carved bowl full of nuts and a carafe of wine and one of water, and even a bowl of flowers, a few red roses which Henri had picked that morning from the vine b
you had gone with the others,
that I would not g
and he returned
f and the head of the house," he went on. "I've st
oment. It was as though she would shut out all the confusion and w
not so good a thing to be a servant in a great house. It was not the loss of her servants that mattered so much. It was the fact that they were her enemies,
hard with the Swiss guards. They made a brave stand but they are losing
. They had not heard h
ghting well?" It was Li
He was a little, dark man. His voice shook as he spok
d her lace-bordered handkerchief between her long, white ha
Carrousel, maman. He can only glean wild rumors from the cr
at the Town Hall. The royal family have taken refuge in the riding
ot question him again, he left the
Laurent had gone, there were no other men that she could count on at all. She had a brother who was an invalid and some cousins who were preparing to fight with the Royalists but they were not in Paris at the moment. The Comte de Soigné was away fighting. It seemed as though
you will not go out int
oke earnestly. "You must trust yourself to me, maman. I told you the girls should be sent at once to the country, and you see that I was right. Whatever happens at the Tuileries, it is only a question of time until
think, but he is from Provence and the Marseillais are from Provence. They are proving themselves to
at the far door swayed back
de Soigné is here to
ard her. Rosanne stood near the door and made a curtsy as his mother entered. Lisle waited until Henri had left the hall and then went through the marble
ne I can trust. There is not one of our servant
ed away and went inside to the great drawing-room. His mother and Madame de Soigné were sitting on a velvet chaise longue at one end of the room and talking earnestly. Long mirrors reached to the ceiling on each side of the room. T
Paris at once, they told him. She had just had word that her husband, who was with the Royalists, had been wounded and she could not stay away from hi
e coldly; but when the comtesse answered, with tears in her eyes, that she had not dreamed of all that twenty-four hours wo
d went out through the great entrance door, closing it after him. He ran quickly down the marble steps, and,
ad ridden to the hounds, when he had run at top speed across the fields at Les Vignes, but to-day it was as though he had never really known emotion. The thunder of the cannonading at the Tuileries pounded through the great avenue. As he came nearer a black sea of people loomed before him. The deafening roar of the
dows of shops, others shouting from the roof tops, he was able to make his way for some rods. No one no
e coach, a prosperous spinner, who had drunk deeply of Rhenish wine, was the noisiest of them all.
ee the show, m
. He jumped up on to the coach and stood there with the spinner and his f
t square beyond. Their scarlet caps gleamed in the relentless August sunshine. They held on to the sides of the cart, screaming, "Vive la nation!"
of smoke drifted with the sudden, freakish changing of the wind, and through it all the battle cry of "Death
rd passed from lip to lip, and then the cry of "Vi
en way! The Swiss c
t caught his heart. The gallant Swiss guard who had fought, like the brave fellows
s Princes! Hurrah for the Faubourg de Gloire!" Agai
of the palac
in the square and they flashed like scarl
Saint-Marceau have taken
Tuileries was in the
unthinking narrowness. His king and queen were in hiding in the back confines of the Tuileries. The great palace itself was given over to the people who had taken it with bayonet and gun. The roar of the cannons and of the thousands of voices mean
ve King
ing. His captor turned a corner swiftly, and then another, and puffing and gasping for breath, he finally pushed Lisle under a gabled doorway where they could not be seen from the street. Lisle
off me. You are
panion was so blown that he could only puff and pant. He loo
e," he said, as though to himself. Still holding Lisle firmly by the arm, he turned an
e shadow. His hold was gentle but firm. "Tha hast a rare bright face. I'd not thought tha'd sell tha life so easy the
gry that he could scarcely speak. After a moment he called out aga
he cry, for the side street was deserted
t day that France has ever known. Mark me, lad, this is a day of brave deeds and clean fighting. Days will come so black that the country will never lose its shame o' the
u say the Marseillais fought bravely. Well, the Swiss guards fought better! Even our servant, Henri, who is from Provence, s
hrey
calls it, to save tha life!" he said, and, meeting
ve you, Humphrey Trail, and I tha
ook Lisle's
in' it that once. Tha speaks English as well and maybe
. "You come from England-from
d farmin'. I wanted to see a bit o' life, and I am seein' it and likely to see more." Humphrey laughed as he spoke and Lisle laughed, too. All anger toward his rescuer
caught hold of
ors for a spell o' days till things settle a b
. I cannot promise you to stay within doors but, though I shall always shout for my king, I will not
y to th
the narrow street and he muttered to h
ack a step or two, paused again, and then went straight on without looking bac
ack of his neck with a flaring black bow. Humphrey's heart almost failed him as he watched Lisle. It was well indeed for the boy that this tenth of August was not a day for any one person. It was a day of great issues and the time had not yet come for individuals! It was a day of wild excitement, of gallantry and courage! Humphrey Trail had spoken rightly when he had said that it would be the bravest and the best day of all. Those who guarded the Royal family in the Tuiler
acrée de l
pulled a silk rope at the side of the grilled iron door. He heard the bell clang through the gre
your mother, is beside
le he turned and walked rapidly away. He knew whe
by his mother, who caught him by both shoul
bble, you who are only a child." She ca
lf, without any help from the family." Lisle smiled at his mother. "I have made a f