[History of the Girondists, Volume I by Alphonse de Lamartine]@TWC D-Link bookHistory of the Girondists, Volume I BOOK II 30/117
They instantly aroused their neighbours, to the number of thirty, and went to La Fayette to inform him of the fact, and to summon him to take instant measures to prevent it.
M.de La Fayette laughed, and advised them to go home.
In order to avoid being stopped by the patrols, they asked for the pass-word, which he gave them.
Armed with this they hastened to the Tuileries, where nothing was visible except several hackney coachman drinking round one of the small shops near the wicket gate of the Carrousel.
They inspected all the courts until they came to the door of the Manege without perceiving anything suspicious, but at their return they were surprised to find that every hackney coach had disappeared, which made them conjecture that these coaches had been used by some of the attendants of this unworthy (_indigne_) family." It is too evident from the state of agitation of the public mind and the severity of the king's captivity, how difficult it must have been. However, either owing to the connivance of some of the national guards who had on that day demanded the custody of the interior posts, and who winking at this infraction of the orders,--to the skilful management of the Count de Fersen,--or that providence afforded a last ray of hope and safety to those whom she was so soon about to overwhelm with misfortunes, all the watchfulness of the guardians was in vain, and the Revolution suffered its prey for some time to escape. IX. The king and queen received, as was their custom at their _coucher_, those persons who were in the habit of paying their respects to them at that time, nor did they dismiss their servants any earlier than was their wont.
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