Page:History of the Empress Josephine (1).pdf/6

6 Rh my almost eertain belief. One morning, the jailer entered the chamber, which served as a bedroom for the duchess d'Aiguillon, myself, and two other ladies, telling me that he came to take away my flock bed, in order to give it to another captive. 'How give it?' eagerly interrupted Madame d'Aiguillon; 'is then Madame de Beauharnois to have a better?'- 'No, no; she will not need one, " replied the wretch, with an atrocious laugh;' she is to be taken to a new lodging, and from thenee to the guillotine.' At these words, my companions in misfortune set up a loud lamentation. I consoled them in the best manner I could. At length, wearied by their coutinued bewailings, I told them that there was not common sense in their grief; that not only should I not die, but that I should become queen of France! 'Why, then, do you not appoint your household?' asked Madame d'Aiguillon, with something like resentment. 'Ah! that is true- I had forgotten. Well, my dear, you shall be maid of honour; I promise you the situation.' Upon this the tears of these ladies flowed more abundantly; for they thought, on seeing my coolness at such a crisis, that misfortune had affeeted my reason. I do assure you," continued the empress, addressing the auditory, 'that I did not affect a courage which I felt not; for I was even then persuaded that my oracle was about to be realized.'

But we must now proceed to detail the means by which the future empress of France escaped from the guillotine, beneath whose stroke her husband had suffered. The death of Robespierre, and the reprieve, at least, of his vietims, was announced to the prisoners next morning. Josephine thus states the circumstances:- 'Madame d'Aiguillon, feeling herself ill from the thoughts of my approaching execution, so abruptly communicated, I drew her towards the window, which I opened in order to admit air. I then perceived a woman of the lower class, who was making manly gestures to us, whieh we could not understand. Every moment she caught and held up her gown, without our finding it possible to comprehend her meaning. Observing her to persevere, I cried out 'Robe' (a gown), on which she made a sign of affirmation. Then taking