The first relay was at Pont Sommeville.

It will be remembered, that in obedience to the orders of M.de Bouille, M.de Choiseul and M.de Guoguelas, at the head of a detachment of fifty hussars, were to meet the king and follow in his rear, and besides, as soon as the king's carriage appeared, to send off an hussar to warn the troops at Sainte Menehould and at Clermont of the vicinity of the royal family.

The king felt thus certain of meeting faithful and armed friends; but he found no one, M.de Choiseul, M.de Guoguelas, and the fifty hussars had left half an hour before.

The populace seemed disturbed and restless; they looked suspiciously at the travellers, and whispered from time to time in a low voice with each other.

However, no one ventured to oppose their departure, and the king arrived at half past seven at Sainte Menehould; at this season of the year, it was still broad daylight; and alarmed at having passed two of the relays without meeting the friends he expected, the king by a natural impulse put his head out of the window, in order to seek amidst the crowd for some friend, some officer posted there to explain to him the reason of the absence of the detachments: that action caused his ruin.