M. de Guoguelas left at the same for Paris, to reconnoitre the roads a second time, passing by Stenay, Dun, Varennes, and Sainte Menehould, and to explain clearly to the king the topography of the country; he was also to bring back the latest orders for M. de Bouille, and to return to Montmedy by another route.  The Marquis de Bouille left Metz himself, under pretence of visiting the fortresses under his command, and drew near Montmedy.  The 15th he was at Longwy, where he received a message from the king, informing him that they had put off their journey for four and twenty hours, in consequence of the necessity of concealing the preparations for their departure from a femme de chambre of the queen, a fanatical democrat, who was fully capable of betraying them, and whose duties only terminated on the 19th.  His majesty added that the Marquis d’Agoult would not accompany him, because Madame de Tourzel, the governess of the royal children, had claimed the privileges of her post, and wished to accompany them.

This delay rendered necessary counter-orders of the most fatal nature; all the arrangements as to time and place were thus thrown out.  The detachments were forced to remain at places they were only to have marched through, and the relays stationed on the road might be withdrawn.  However, the Marquis de Bouille remedied all these evils as far as was in his power; sent modified orders to the commanders of the detachments, and advanced in person the 20th to Stenay, which was garrisoned by the Royal Allemand regiment, on whose fidelity he could rely.  The 21st he assembled the generals under his orders, informed them that the king would pass in the course of the night by Stenay, and would be at Montmedy the next evening; he ordered General Klinglin to prepare under the guns of the fortress a camp of twelve battalions and twenty-four squadrons; the king was to reside in a chateau behind the camp:  this chateau would thus serve as head quarters, and the king’s position would be at once more secure and more dignified surrounded by his army.  The generals did not hesitate for an instant.  M. de Bouille left General de Hoffelizze at Stenay with the Royal Allemand regiment, with orders to saddle the horses at night fall, to mount at daybreak and to send at ten o’clock at night a detachment of fifty troopers between Stenay and Dun, to await the king and escort him to Stenay.

At night M. de Choiseul quitted Stenay with several officers on horseback, and advanced to the very gate of Dun, but he would not enter lest his presence might in any way work on the people.  There he awaited, in silence and obscurity, the courier who was to precede the carriages by an hour.  The destiny of the monarchy, the throne of a dynasty, the lives of the royal family, king, queen, princess, children, all weighed down his spirit and lay heavily on his heart.  The night seemed interminable, yet it passed without the sound of horses’ feet announcing to the group who so anxiously awaited the intelligence, that the king of France was saved or lost.