Under the pretext of enlarging Madame Royale’s suite of rooms, the Queen kept these apartments, and said that the femme-de-chambre of the Dauphin could share those of Madame de Chinnai, maid of honor.
When in the apartment of M. Villequier, the King demanded the key of M. Renard, inspector of buildings. It was sent to him on the 13th of June.
Numerous as were the sentinels, they had neglected to place one at the door of that chamber, which had been unoccupied for the space of three months. At eleven o’clock in the evening, the services in the château being finished, the sentinels were accustomed to witness the departure of a great number of people at one time.
So that once in the apartment of M. Villequier, and as the clock struck eleven, they had every chance of escaping unobserved.
It was M. de Fersen’s business to smuggle the royal family out of Paris, unobserved.
He was waiting with a fiacre, disguised as a coachman, at the Wicket de l’Echelle; thence he was to take the fugitives to the barrier at Clichy, where the berlin was in waiting, under the charge of an Englishman, Mr. Crawford.
The three gardes du corps were to follow, in another fiacre.
The two femmes-de-chambre, Madame Brunier and Madame de Neuville, went on foot to the Pont Royal, where they found a two-horsed carriage stationed, in which they started for Claye, where they were to await the Queen.
Madame Elizabeth stepped out first, with Madame Royale; then came Madame de Tourzel, and the Dauphin, accompanied by one of the gardes du corps.