The Steam-Packet: A Tale of the River and the Ocean — page 278: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE STEAM PACKET, 213 “ T shall not die yet—it is impossible. The prediction must be ful- filled—I am to be queen of France! ” ‘“‘ Your ladyship had better then appoint vour household at once,” said the Duchess d’Aiguillon, somewhat impatiently. ‘True! I had forgotten to do so,” returned Josephine mildly ; and, without appearing to entertain the least apprehension that her fate was indeed already sealed, as her companions feared, nor yet in a tone of bravado or banter, she proceeded thus :—‘‘ You, my lady of Aiguillon, will take the situation of Mistress of the Robes; you, Madame Alvi- mar, will become First Lady of the Bedchamber.”’ Thus did she continue to distribute situations amongst her fellow- prisoners, who all prayed the more earnestly and wept the more copl- — ously, under the impression that fear had turned her brain. The gaoler tied up the bedding in a bundle, and was about to leave the apartment with it upon his shoulder, when the door was suddenly flung violently open, and Albert and Henri Alvimar made their appear- ance, exclaiming, “‘ Robespierre has fallen—the tyrant is arrested—and France is saved ! ” | “There!” exclaimed Josephine; ‘‘ I shall yet be queen of France !” And Robespierre had fallen; for this was the 9th of Thermidor— and all the prisons of the capital were thrown open. A week after this mcident Pierre Michel, Albert, and Monsieur and _ Madame Alvimar dined with the Viscountess de Beauharnais, at her temporary residence in the Rue de Lille, Faubourg St. Honoré. It was a happy party; and even upon Albert’s countenance there was a smile of hope and of contentment. In the course of that evening he contrived to have a few moments’ conversation with Josephine alone; and to her profound astonishment he revealed his passion. He spoke of the fervour of that love, which had alone sustained his mental courage during his long imprisonment, and which, nevertheless, had undermined his health simultaneously :—he pleaded his cause with an energy and an eloquence which at one time appeared to make a deep im- pression upon the lady ;—but at length he heard his doom pronounced —the fiat was declared—she did not love him,—and where she loved not, she would not wed. She, however, expressed the most lively interest in all his prospects and proceedings, and the most sincere friendship for his sister. For the rest of the evening Albert remained gloomy and thoughtful; and when he took leave of her in the evening, he pressed her hand with convulsive force, whispering in a hoarse and guttural tone at the same time, ‘‘ Farewell, madam—you will never see me more!” 4 Josephine had been too much accustomed to the dissipation, the Gomichbooks (@) (E{0)