Russia in 1839 -Empire of the Czar: A Journey Through Eternal Russia

had drawn tears even from the women in the gallery, commonly called " the furies of the guillotine," and the tricoteuses of Robespierre. This so enraged Fou-quicr-Tinville, that he sent secret peremptory instructions to the assassins outside.

After the accused was re-conducted to prison, his daughter-in-law prepared to descend the steps of the palace, in order to regain, on foot and alone — for none dared openly to accompany her — the hackney coach, which waited for her in a distant street, My mother, naturally timid in a crowd, stood trembling at the head of this long flight of steps, pressed on all sides by an enraged and blood-thirsty populace. Her eyes involuntarily sought the spot where Madame de Lamballe had been murdered some time before. She felt her presence of mind departing, as from the ferocious mob the cry, " It is the daughter of the traitor, it is La Custine," mingled with horrid imprecations, reached her ears. How was she to pass through this crowd of infernal, rather than human beings ? Already some, with naked swords, had placed themselves before her; others, half clothed, had caused their women to draw back — a certain sign that murder was about to be enacted. My mother felt that the first symptom of weakness she might betray would be the signal for her death : she has often related to me that she bit her hands and tongue so as to bring blood, in her endeavour to preserve a cahn countenance at this juncture. At length she observed a fish-woman among the foremost of the crowd. This woman, who was revolting in appearance, had an infant in her arms. Moved by the God of mothers, the daughter of the traitor approached this mother, (a mother is