“InSt。Cloud？“askedthecobbler。“Whatisitthatcanhappenthere？Thatisnothingatallbutatiresome，old-forgottenpleasurepalaceoftheking。“
“Itislivelyenoughtherenow，dependuponit，“repliedMarat，withhissardoniclaugh。“KingLouisthewellbelovedhasgiventhispalacetohiswife，inorderthatshemayestablishtherealargerharemthanTrianon；thatmiserable，worthlesslittlemouse-nest，wherevirtue，honor，andworthgethectoredtodeath，isnotlargeenoughforher。Yes，yes，thatfine，greatpalaceoftheFrenchkings，thenobleSt。Cloud，isnowtheheritageandpossessionofthisfineAustrian。Anddoyouknowwhatshehasdone？ClosebytherailingwhichseparatestheparkfromSt。Cloud，andneartheentrance，shehashadatabletputup，onwhicharewrittentheconditionsonwhichthepublicareallowedtoenterthepark。“
“Well，thatisnothingnew，“saidthecobbler，impatiently。“Theyhavesuchaboardputupatalltheroyalgardens，andeverywherethepublicisordered，inthenameoftheking，nottodoanyinjury，andnottowanderfromtheregularpaths。“
“Well，thatisjust；itisorderedinthenameoftheking；butinSt。Cloud，itrunsinthenameofthequeen。Yes，yes，thereyoumayseeingreatlettersupontheboard；’Inthenameofthequeen。’
[Footnote：“Deparlareine“wastheexpressionwhichwastheninthemouthofallFranceandstirredeverybody’srage。]Itisnotenoughforusthatakingsitsuponourneck，andimposeshiscommandsuponusandbindsus。WehavenowanotherrulerinFrance，prescribinglawsandwritingherselfsovereign。Wehaveanewpoliceregulationinthenameofthequeen，astatewithinthestate。Oh，thespiderismakingajollymeshofit!IntheTrianonshemadethebeginning。Therethepoliceregulationshavealwaysbeeninthenameofthequeen；andbecausethepolicywassuccessfulthere，itextendsitslongfingerstillfurther，issuesanewproclamationagainstthepeople，appropriatestoitselfnewdomain，andproposestograduallyencompassallFrancewithitscords。“
“Thatisrascally，thatiswrong，“criedthecobbler，raisinghisclinchedfistsintheair。
“Butthatisnotall，brother。Thequeengoesstillfurther。Downtothepresenttimewehavebeenaccustomedtoseethemenwhostooptobethemeanservantsoftyrantsarraythemselvesinthemonkey-
jacketsoftheking’slivery；butinSt。Cloud，theSwissguardsatthegates，thepalaceservants，inoneword，theentiremenialcorps，arraythemselvesinthequeen’slivery；andifyouarewalkingintheparkofSt。Cloud，youarenolongerinFranceandonFrenchsoil，butinanAustrianprovince，whereaforeignercanestablishherharemandmakeherlaws，andyetavirtuousandnoblepeopledoesnotriseinoppositiontoit。“
“Itdoesnotknowanythingaboutit，brotherMarat，“saidSimon，eagerly。“Itknowsverylittleaboutthevicesandfolliesofthequeen。“
“Well，tellthepeople，then；reporttothemwhatIhavetoldyon，andmakeityourdutythatitbetalkedoveramongotherfriends，andmadegenerallyknown。“
“Oh!thatshallbe，thatshallcertainlybe，“saidSimon，cheerily，“
butyouhavenotgivenmethenameofthatthirdloveryet。“
“Oh!thethird-thatisLordBesenval，theinspectorgeneraloftheSwissguard，thechiefgeneralofthearmy，andthecommanderoftheOrderofLouis。Youseeitisagreatadvantageforamantobealoverofthequeen，forinthatwayhecomestoahighposition。
WhileKingLouistheFifteenth，thatmonsterofvice，wasliving，BesenvalwasonlycoloneloftheSwissguard，andallhecoulddowasonceinawhiletotakepartintheorgiesattheEoildeBoeuf。
Butnowthequeenhasraisedhimtoaveryhighplace。AllSt。CloudandTrianonformtheEoildeBoeuf，whereMarieAntoinettecelebratesherorgies，andGeneralBesenvalismadeoneofthefirstdirectorsofthesports。Nowyouknoweverything，doyounot？“
“Yes，DoctorMarat，nowIhaveageneralrunofeverything，andI
thankyou；butIhopethatyouwilltellmemorethisevening，foryourstoriesarevastlyentertaining。“
“Yes，indeed，Ishalltellyouplentymoreofthesamesort，forthequeentakesgoodcarethatweshallalwayshavematerialforsuchstories。Yet，unfortunately，Ihavenotimenow，for——“
“Iknow，Iknow，youhavegottovisityoursickpeople，“saidSimon，noddingconfidentiallytohim。“Iwillnotdetainyouanylonger。Good-by，mydearDoctorMarat。Weshallmeetthisevening。“
Hesprangquicklyaway，andsoondisappearedroundthenextcorner。
Maratlookedafterhimwithawicked，triumphantexpressioninhisfeatures。
“Sofargood，sofargood，“mutteredhe，shakinghisheadwithcholer。“InthiswayIhavegottowinoverthesoldiersandthepeopletofreedom。Thecobblerwillmakeanableandpracticablesoldier，andwithhisnicelittlestories，hewillwinoverawholecompany。Triumphon，youproudBourbons；goondreaminginyourgildedpalaces，surroundedbyyourSwissguards。Keeponbelievingthatyouhavethepowerinyourhands，andthatnoonecantakeitfromyou。Thetimewillcomewhenthepeoplewilldisturbyourfinedream，andwhenthelittle，despised，uglyMarat，whomnoonenowknows，andwhocreepsaroundinyourstableslikeapoisonousrat，shallconfrontyouasapowerbeforewhichyoushallshrinkawayandthrowyourselvestremblingintothedust。ThereshallgobynodayinwhichIandmyfriendsshallnotwinsoldiersforourside，andthesilly，simplefool，MarieAntoinette，makesitaneasythingforus。Gooncommittingyourchildishpranks，which，whenthetimeshallthreatenalittle，willjustifythemostvillanousdeedsandthemostshamelessacts，andIwillkeeptherunofalltheturnsofthetimes，andthisfineyoungqueencannotdesirethatweshouldlookattheworldwithsuchsimpleeyesasshedoes。Yes，fairQueenMarieAntoinette，thouhastthySwissguards，whofightforthee，andthoumustpaythem；butIhaveonlyonesoldierwhotakesgroundformeagainstthee，andwhomIdonothavetopayatall。Mysoldier’snameisCalumny。Itellthee，fairqueen，withthisallyI
canovercomeallthySwissguards，andthewholehordeofthyarmies。For，ontheearththereisnoarmycorpsthatissostrongasCalumny。Hurrah!longlifetothee，myswornally，Calumny!“
CHAPTERII。
MADAMEADELAIDE。
QueenMarieAntoinettehadreturned，afterherParisride，toherownVersailles。Shewassilentthewholeoftheway，andtheDuchessdePolignachadsoughtinvaintocheerherfriendwithlightandpleasanttalk，anddriveawaythecloudsfromherloftybrow。MarieAntoinettehadonlyrespondedbyenforcedsmilesandhalf-words，andthen，settlingbackintothecarriage，hadgazedwithdreamylooksintotheheavens，whosecheerfulbluecalledoutnoreflectionuponthefairfaceofthequeen。
AstheydrewintothegreatcourtofthepalaceatVersailles，thedrum-beatoftheSwissguards，presentingarms，andthegeneralstirwhichfollowedtheapproachofthequeen，appearedtoawakenherfromhersorrowfulthoughts，andshestraightenedherselfupandcastherglancesabout。Theyfellquiteaccidentallyuponthechildwhichwasinthearmsofthenurseopposite，andwhich，withgreatwide-openeyes，waslookinguptotheheavens，asitsmotherhaddonebefore。
Intheintensityofhermotherlylove，thequeenstretchedoutherarmstothechildanddrewittoherheart，andpressedaburningkissuponitslips。
“Ah!mychild，mydearchild，“saidshe，softly，“youhaveto-day，forthefirsttime，madeyourentryintoParis，andheardtheacclamationsofthepeople。Mayyou，solongasyoulive，alwaysbetherecipientofkindlygreetings，andneveragainhearsuchwordsasthatdreadfulmanspoketousto-day!“
ShepressedthelittleDukeofNormandycloselytoherheart，andquiteforgotthatshewasallthiswhileinthecarriage；thatneartheopenportalthehostlersandlackeyswereawaitinginarespectfulposturethedismountingofthequeen；thatthedrumswereallthewhilebeating，andthattheguardswerestandingbeforethegatesinthefixedattitudeofpresentingarms。
TheDuchessdePolignacventuredtosuggestinsoftly-spokenwordsthenecessityofdismounting，andthequeen，withherlittleboyinherarms，spranglightlyandspiritedly，withoutacceptingtheassistanceofthemasterofthegrooms，outofthecarriage，smilingcheerily，greetingtheassembledchamberlainsasshepassedby，hurriedintothepalaceandranupthegreatmarblestaircase。TheDuchessdePolignacmadehastetofollowher，whilethePrincessThereseandthedauphinwerereceivedbytheirdamesofhonorandledintotheirrespectiveapartments。TheNormannurse，shakingherhead，hurriedafterthequeen，andthechamberlainsandboththemaidsofhonor，shakingtheirheads，too，followedherintothegreatante-chamber。Afterridingout，thequeenwasinthehabitofdismissingthemthere，butto-dayMarieAntoinettehadgoneintoherownsuiteofroomswithoutsayingaword，andthedoorwasalreadyclosed。
“Whatshallwedonow？“askedboththemaidsofhonorofthecavaliers，andreceivedonlyashrugoftheshouldersforreply。
“Weshallhavetowait，“atlastsaidtheMarchionessdeMailly。
“Perhapshermajestywillhavethekindnesstorememberusandtopermitustowithdraw。“
“Andifsheshouldhappentoforgetit，“answeredthePrincessdeChimay，“weshallhavetostandherethewholeday，whilethequeeninTrianonisamusingherselfwiththefantasticpastoralplays。“
“Yes，certainly，thereisacountryfestivalinTrianonto-day，“
saidthePrincedeCastines，shrugginghisshoulders，“anditmighteasilyhappenthatweshouldbeforgotten，and，liketheunforgetablewifeofLot，havetostandhereplayingtheridiculouspartofpillarsofsalt。“
“No，therecomesourdeliverance，“whisperedtheMarchionessdeMailly，pointingtoacarriagewhichjustthencamerollingacrossthebroadpalace-square。“ItwasyesterdayresolvedinsecretcouncilattheCountdeProvence’s，thatMadameAdelaideshouldmakeonemoreattempttobringthequeentoreason，andmakeherunderstandwhatisbecomingandwhatisunbecomingtoaQueenofFrance。Nowlookyou，inaccordancewiththisresolve，MadameAdelaideiscomingtoVersaillestopayavisittoherdistinguishedniece。“