MarieAntoinettehadhadacareforeverything。Therewerebinstopreservethenewcropsin，andbeforethehayscaffoldingswereladdersleadinguptothefragranthay。“Ah，theworldisbeautiful，“saidMarieAntoinette，surveyinghercreationwithacheerfullook。“Iwillenjoythepleasanthours，andbehappyhere。“
Shewalkedrapidlyforward，castingfriendlyglancesuptothehousestoseewhetherthepeasantshadnothidthem-selveswithin，andwerewaitingforher。Butallwasstill，andnotoneoftheinhabitantspeepedoutfromasinglewindow。Allatoncethestillnesswasbrokenbyaloudclatteringsound。Thewhitewheelofthemillbegantoturn，andatthedoorappearedthecorpulentformofthemillerinhiswhitegarments，withhissmiling，mealpowderedface，andwiththewhitecapuponhishead。
Thequeenutteredanexclamationofdelight，andranwithquickstepstowardthemill。Butbeforeshecouldreachit，thedooroftheofficial’shouseoppositeopened，andthemayor，inhisblackcostume，andwiththebroadwhiteribbonaroundhisneck；theSpanishcane，withagoldknob，inhishand，andwearinghisblack，three-corneredhat，issuedfromthedwelling。HeadvanceddirectlytoMarieAntoinette，andrestinghishandsuponhissidesandassumingathreateningmien，placedhimselfinfrontofher。
“Weareverymuchdissatisfiedwithyou，foryouneglectyourdutiesofhospitalityinamostunbecomingmanner。Wemusthaveyougiveyourtestimonywhyyouhavecomesolate，fortheflowersareallhangingtheirheads，thenightingaleswillnotsinganymore，andthelambsinthemeadowwillnottouchthesweetestgrass。Everythingisparchinganddyingbecauseyouarenothere，andwithdesiretoseeyou。“
“Thatisnottrue，“criedanothermerryvoice；thewindowoftheschoolhouseopenedwitharattle，andthejollyyoungschoolmasterlookedoutandthreatenedwithhisrodthegravemayor。