her parents, who
led her from the hall.

"General Beauharnais still lives!" said the Grand Cophta, addressing
Josephine.

"Yes, he still lives," cried she, sadly, "but he is preparing for
death[1]."

[Footnote 1: This scene is exactly as represented by the Marquise de
Crequi, who was present and relates it in her memoirs, vol. vi.,
p. 238.]

Josephine was right. A few days later Duchess d'Anville received a
package and a letter. It was sent to her by a prisoner in La Force,
named De Legrois. He had occupied the same cell with General Beauharnais
and had found the package and the letter, addressed to the duchess, in
his pocket on the morning of the execution of the general.

In this letter the general conjured Duchess D'Anville to deliver to
Josephine the package which contained his hair and his last adieus to
wife and children.

This was the only inheritance which General Beauharnais could bequeath
to his Josephine and her unhappy children!

Josephine was so agitated by the sight of her husband's hair and his
last fond words of adieu, that she fainted away, a stream of blood
gushing from her mouth.

Her companions in misfortune vied with each other in giving her the most
tender attention, and demanded of the jailer that a physician should
be called.

"Why a physician!" said the man, indifferently. "Death is the best
physician. He called the general to-day; in a few days he will restore
to him his wife."

This prophecy was almost verified. Josephine, scarcely recovered from
her illness, received her citation from the Tribunal of Terror. This was
the herald of certain death, and she courageously prepared for the
grave, troubled only by thoughts of the children she must leave behind.

A fortunate and unforeseen occurrence saved her. The men of the
revolution had now attained the summit of their power, and, as there was
no standing still for them, they sank into the abyss which themselves
had digged.

The fall of Robespierre opened the prisons and set at liberty thousands
of the already condemned victims of the revolution.

Viscountess Josephine left her prison; she was restored to liberty, and
could now hasten to her children, but she came back to them as a poor
widow, for the seals of the "one and indivisible republic" were on hers
and her children's property as well as on that of all other aristocrats.

CHAPTER III.

CONSEQUENCES OF THE REVOLUTION.

France drew a breath of relief; the Reign of