This is part of a series about why Hortense broke the law. When we last left off, the Austrian military had mobilized to capture Hortense’s sons for daring to speak up for the rights of humanity.
[An Englishman] makes a visit. He arrives and I say: "You can give me more than life”, I said to him, "you must give me a passport under the name of an English lady who goes with her two sons to London by way of France.”
He said to me with touching kindness, which I will remember all my life: "When I received your letter, I became aware of your concern for your children." I even thought they were here, that you wanted to entrust them to me, and I inspected my house for where I could hide them. I know all the dangers they run. I am not of the party of the revolutions, but I must save the life of these two young people. Too many vexations have overwhelmed them to the extent that it is not excusable that they must face such danger. But you don't have time to waste. I will take care of your passport; only I ask you to inform my minister or my government of it.”
“Do it”, I said to him; “it will not be Lord Holland, Lord Gray, the former members of the opposition, who nobly defended the prisoner of Saint Helena, who could blame you for saving the lives of his nephews. However, I ask you to wait, for your communication, until we are beyond the power of those who, with reason, must be angry with my children.”
Relieved of an enormous weight, I made an effort not to confide in my husband the hope which had just revived my courage. But the Minister of Piedmont had refused him his visa on a passport which would have allowed his children to go to Switzerland.
The Austrian Minister had told him that they could no longer stay there. Everything he was offered to save them seemed to him unworkable, and he only wanted to hear about what he had decided.
So he kept repeating to me: "Embark to Ancona for Corfu, that’s the only thing to do.”
His worries troubled him so much and so visibly affected his health that I thought, to calm him down, that the best way was to seemingly approve of everything he wanted.
…
Cela fait partie d'une série sur les raisons pour lesquelles Hortense a enfreint la loi.
Lors de notre dernière interruption, l’armée autrichienne s’était mobilisée pour capturer les fils d’Hortense pour avoir osé défendre les droits de l’humanité.
