g's Aunts
are taking steps for departure: asking passports of the Ministry,
safe-conducts of the Municipality; which Marat warns all men to beware
of. They will carry gold with them, 'these old Beguines;' nay they will
carry the little Dauphin, 'having nursed a changeling, for some time, to
leave in his stead!' Besides, they are as some light substance flung up,
to shew how the wind sits; a kind of proof-kite you fly off to ascertain
whether the grand paper-kite, Evasion of the King, may mount!

In these alarming circumstances, Patriotism is not wanting to itself.
Municipality deputes to the King; Sections depute to the Municipality;
a National Assembly will soon stir. Meanwhile, behold, on the 19th
of February 1791, Mesdames, quitting Bellevue and Versailles with all
privacy, are off! Towards Rome, seemingly; or one knows not whither.
They are not without King's passports, countersigned; and what is more
to the purpose, a serviceable Escort. The Patriotic Mayor or Mayorlet of
the Village of Moret tried to detain them; but brisk Louis de Narbonne,
of the Escort, dashed off at hand-gallop; returned soon with thirty
dragoons, and victoriously cut them out. And so the poor ancient
women go their way; to the terror of France and Paris, whose nervous
excitability is become extreme. Who else would hinder poor Loque
and Graille, now grown so old, and fallen into such unexpected
circumstances, when gossip itself turning only on terrors and horrors
is no longer pleasant to the mind, and you cannot get so much as an
orthodox confessor in peace,--from going what way soever the hope of any
solacement might lead them?

They go, poor ancient dames,--whom the heart were hard that does
not pity: they go; with palpitations, with unmelodious suppressed
screechings; all France, screeching and cackling, in loud unsuppressed
terror, behind and on both hands of them: such mutual suspicion is
among men. At Arnay le Duc, above halfway to the frontiers, a Patriotic
Municipality and Populace again takes courage to stop them: Louis
Narbonne must now back to Paris, must consult the National Assembly.
National Assembly answers, not without an effort, that Mesdames may
go. Whereupon Paris rises worse than ever, screeching half-distracted.
Tuileries and precincts are filled with women and men, while the
National Assembly debates this question of questions; Lafayette
is needed at night for dispersing them, and the streets are to be
illuminated. Comm