him.  The child took his hand and pressed it to his lips.  The pious heart of Gomin prompted an ardent prayer—­one of those prayers that misery wrings from man and love sends up to God.  The child did not let go the faithful hand that still remained to him, and raised his eyes to Heaven while Gomin prayed for him.”  A few hours later, when Lasne had relieved his subordinate, and was sitting beside the bed, the prince said that he heard music, and added, “Do you think my sister could have heard the music?  How much good it would have done her!” Lasne could not speak.  All at once the child’s eye brightened, and he exclaimed, “I have something to tell you!” Lasne took his hand, and bent over the bed to listen.  The little head fell on his bosom; but the last words had been spoken, and the descendant and heir of sixty-five kings was dead.  The date was the 8th of June, 1795; and the little prisoner, who had escaped at last, was just ten years, two months, and twelve days old.

Lasne at once acquainted Gomin and Damont, the commissary on duty, with the event, and they instantly repaired to the room.  The poor little royal corpse was carried from the apartment where he died into that where he had suffered so long, the remains were laid out on the bed, and the doors were thrown open.  Gomin then repaired to the offices of the Committee of Safety, and announced the decease of his charge.  He saw one of the members, who told him that the sitting was ended, and advised the concealment of the fact till the following morning.  This was done.  The same evening supper was prepared at eight o’clock for “the little Capet,” and Gomin pretended to take it to his room.  He left it outside, and entered the chamber of death.  Many years afterwards he described his feelings to M. Beauchesne—­“I timidly raised the covering and gazed upon him.  The lines which pain had drawn on his forehead and on his cheeks had disappeared....  His eyes, which suffering had half-closed, were open now, and shone as pure as the blue heaven.  His beautiful fair hair, which had not been cut for two months, fell like a frame round his face, which I had never seen so calm.”

At eight o’clock next morning four members of the committee came to the Tower to assure themselves that the prince really was dead.  They were satisfied and withdrew.  As they went out some of the officers of the Temple guard asked to see “the little Capet” whom they had known at the Tuileries, and were admitted.  They recognised the body at once, and twenty of them signed an attestation to that effect.  Four surgeons arrived while the soldiers were in the room, and had to wait until it could be cleared before they could begin the autopsy which they had been sent to perform.  By this time also everyone outside the Temple had learned the event, except his sister, who was confined in another part of the Tower; and the good-hearted Gomin could not muster up courage to tell her.