r half an hour,
seeking for the relays. In vain did they knock at the door of the houses
in which lights were burning, they could not hear of them. At last they
returned in despair to the carriages, from which the postilions, wearied
with waiting, threatened to unharness the horses: by dint of bribes and
promises, however, they persuaded them to remount and continue their
road: the carriages again were in motion, and the travellers reassured
themselves that this was nothing but a misunderstanding, and that in a
few moments they should be in the camp of M. de Bouille. They traversed
the upper town without any difficulty, all was buried in the most
perfect tranquillity,--a few men alone are on the watch, and they are
silent and concealed.

Between the upper and lower town is a tower at the entrance of the
bridge that divides them; this tower is supported by a massive and
gloomy arch, which carriages are compelled to traverse with the greatest
care, and in which the least obstacle stops them; a relic of the feudal
system, in which the nobles captured the serfs, and in which by a
strange retribution the people were destined to capture the monarchy.
The carriages had hardly entered this dark arch than the horses,
frightened at a cart that was overturned, stopped, and five or six armed
men seizing their heads, ordered the travellers to alight and exhibit
their passports at the Municipality. The man who thus gave orders to his
sovereign was Drouet: scarcely had he arrived at Sainte Menehould than
he hastened to arouse the young _patriotes_ of the town, to communicate
to them his conjectures and his apprehensions. Uncertain as to how far
their suspicions were correct, or wishing to reserve for themselves the
glory of arresting the king of France, they had neither warned the
authorities nor aroused the populace. The plot awakened their
patriotism; they felt that they represented the whole of the nation.

At this sudden apparition, at these shouts, and the aspect of the naked
swords and bayonets, the body-guard seized their arms and awaited the
king's orders; but the king forbade them to force the passage, the
horses were turned round, and the carriages, escorted by Drouet and his
companions, stopped before the door of a grocer named Sausse, who was
at the same time Procureur Syndic of Varennes. There the king and his
family were obliged to alight, in order that their passports might be
examined, and the truth of the people's su