The Romances of Alexandre Dumas Volume 6; Twenty Years After (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1893 Excerpt: ...came before them During their six weeks' absence so many small events had taken place that unitedly they made up a great event. The Parisians, on awaking in the morning without queen, without king, were much troubled by this abandonment; and the absence of Mazarin, so warmly desired, did not compensate for that of the two illustrious fugitives. The first feeling which Paris experienced on learning the flight to St. Germain--a flight which we have described to our readers--was that sort of fright which seizes hold of children when they wake up in the night or in solitude. The parliament was aroused, and it was decided that a deputation should be sent to the queen to pray her no longer to deprive Paris of her royal presence. But the queen was still under the twofold influence of the victory of Lens, and the satisfaction from her flight so successfully executed. The deputies not only were not received by her, but were made to wait on the high-road where the Chancellor Seguier--the same chancellor whom we have seen in the first part of this work pursue so obstinately a letter into the very corset of the queen--came to bring them the ultimatum of the court, declaring that if the parliament did not humble themselves before royalty by passing condemnation on all the questions which had led to the quarrel between them, Paris would be besieged the next day; that even already, in the expectation of that siege, the Duc d'Orleans was holding St. Cloud bridge; and that Monsieur the Prince, illustrious from his victory at Lens, held Charenton and St. Denis. Unfortunately for the court, to whom a moderate reply would have restored a good number of partisans, this threatening answer produced an effect contrary to the one expected. It wounded the pride of the parliament, wh...