MarieAntoinetteslept!Thefearfulexcitementofthepastdayandofthestormyevening，crowdedwithitsevents，hadexhaustedthepowersofthequeen，andshehadfallenintothatdeep，dreamlesssleepwhichsympatheticandgraciousNaturesometimessendstothosewhomFatepursueswithsufferingandperil。
MarieAntoinetteslept!Intheinteriorofthepalaceadeepcalmreigned，andLafayettehadwithdrawnfromthecourtinordertosleeptoo。Butbelow，uponthiscourt，Revolutionkepthervigils，andglaredwithlooksofhatredandvengeancetothedarkwallsbehindwhichthequeenwassleeping。
ThecrownofFrancehadforcenturiessinnedsomuch，andprovedfalsesomuch，thattheloveofthepeoplehadatlastbeentransformedintohate。Thecrownhadsolongsownthewind，thatitcouldnotwonderifithadtoreapthewhirlwind。ThecrimesandinnovationswhichLouisXIV。andLouisXV。hadsownuponthesoilofFrance，hadcreatedanabyssbetweenthecrownandthepeople，outofwhichrevolutionmustarisetoavengethosecrimesandsinsofthepastuponthepresent。Thesinsofthefathershadtobevisiteduponthechildrentothethirdandfourthgeneration。
MarieAntoinettedidnotknowit；shedidnotseetheabysswhichhadopenedbetweenthecrownandthepeople；thecourtiersandflatterershadcovereditwithflowers，andwiththesoundsoffestivitythecriesofadistressedpeoplehadbeendrowned。
Nowtheflowersweretornaway，thefestivesoundshadceased，andMarieAntoinettesawtheabyssbetweenthecrownandthepeople；sheheardthecurses，theragingcriesoftheseexasperatedmen，whohadbeenchangedfromweak，obedientsubjectsintothreatening，domineeringrebels。Shelookedwithsteadyeyedownintotheabyss，andsawthemonsterrisefromthedepthstodestroyherselfandherwholehouse；butshewouldnotdrawback，shewouldnotyield。Shewouldratherbedraggeddownanddestroyedthanmeeklyandmiserablytomakeherwaytothecampofherenemies，totakerefugewiththem。