That doubled, trebled, and quadrupled the difficulty, and made escape almost an impossibility.
The Queen undertook the deception.
The Queen had more interest than the King in leaving France. Hear you that cry of the 18th of April, 1791, which interpreted the feelings of a nation, and which said, “We, also, sire! We love you, but you alone!”
In January, 1791, the flight was resolved upon.
In February, the King wrote to M. de Bouillé:—
“I have overtures to make to you on the part of M. Mirabeau. The Count de Lamark will be our intermediate.”
He added:—
“Although these people are not very estimable, still I have paid M. Mirabeau a good sum of money. I think that he will be useful.”
M. de Bouillé replied:—
“Cover with gold the defection of Mirabeau. He is an accomplished scoundrel, who will repair, through cupidity, the evil that he has worked through vengeance; but defy Lafayette, enthusiastic, chimerical, capable, perhaps, of being the chief of a party, but incapable of supporting a monarchy.”