“Andnow，come，myJulia，“saidshe，turningtotheduchess，anddrawingherforwardwithgentleviolence，“nowletusbemerryandhappy。Iamnolongeraqueen，Godbethanked!Iamneithermorenorlessthananybodyelse。ThatisthereasonIwassowellpleasedtocomethroughthesmalldoorjustnow。Throughanarrowgatealonewecanenterparadise，andIamenteringparadisenow。Oh，doyounotsee，myfriend，thatthetrees，theflowers，thebushes，everythinghereisfreefromthedustofearth；thateventheheavenhasanothercolor，andlooksdownuponmebrilliantandblue，liketheeyeofGod？“
“Itisjust，“answeredtheDuchessdePolignac，“becauseyouareseeingeverythingwithothereyes，yourmajesty。“
“Yourmajesty!“criedMarieAntoinette。“Youlovemenolonger；yourheartisestrangedfromme，sinceyouaddressmewiththiscoldtitle。InVersailles，youhadavalidplea；buthere，Julia，whatcanyouofferinjustification？Theflowersarenotlisteners，thebusheshavenotears，likethewallsofVersailles，tospyoutourprivacy。“
“Isaynothingformyexculpation，“answeredtheduchess，throwingherarmwithaplayfulmovementaroundtheneckofthequeen，andimprintingakissupontheloftybrowofMarieAntoinette。“Ionlyaskyourpardon，andpromisethatIwillbeobedientandnotdisturbmyfriend’sdreamofparadisealldaylongbyanill-timedword。Nowwillyouforgiveme，Marie？“
“Withallmysoul，Julia，“answeredthequeen，noddingtoherinafriendlyway。“Andnow，Julia，aswehaveahappyvacationdaybeforeus，wewillenjoyitliketwoyounggirlswhoarecelebratingthebirthdayoftheirgrandmotherafterescapingfromaboardingschool。Letusseewhichofusistheswiftestoffoot。Wewillmakeawageronit。See，theregleamsourlittlehouseoutfromtheshrubbery；letusseewhichofusgetstherefirst。“
“Withoutstoppingonceintherun？“askedtheduchess，amazed。
“Imakenoconditions；Ionlysay，letusseewhogetstherefirst。
Ifyouwin，Julia，IwillgiveyoutheprivilegeofnominatingamantohavethefirstplaceinmySwissguards，andyoumayselecttheprotegeinwhosebehalfyouwerepleadingyesterday。Come，letusrun。One!——“
“No，Marie，“interruptedtheduchess。“Supposingthatyouarethefirst，whatshallIgiveyou？“
“Akiss——aheartykiss——Julia。Now，forward!One，two，three!“
And，speakingthesewordsinmerryaccents，MarieAntoinettesprangforwardalongthenarrowwalk。Theroundstrawhatwhichcoveredherheadwastosseduponbothsides；theblueribbonsflutteredinthewind；thewhitedresspuffedup；andthegrandchamberlainofthequeenandMadameAdelaidewouldhavebeenhorrifiediftheycouldhaveseenthequeenflyingalonglikeagirlescapedfromtheboarding-school。
Butshe，sheneverthoughtoftherebeinganythingimproperintherun；shelookedforwardtothegoalwithlaughingglances，asthewhitehouseemergedmoreandmorefromtheverdurebywhichitwassurrounded，andthensidewaysatherfriend，whohadnotbeenabletogainasinglestepuponher。
“Forward，forward!“shoutedthequeen；“IwillandImustwin，fortheprizeisakissfrommyJulia。“Andwithrenewedspeedthequeendashedalong。Thelaneopenedandterminatedinasquareinfrontofthepalace。Thequeenstoppedinhercourse，andturnedroundtoseeherfriend，whohadbeenleftfarbehindher。
Assoonastheduchesssawitshetriedtoquickenhersteps，andbegantorunagain，butMarieAntoinettemotionedwithherhand，andwentrapidlybacktomeether。
“Youshallnotmakeanymoreeffort，Julia，“saidshe。“Ihavewon，andyoucannotbringmyvictoryintoquestion。“
“AndIdonotwishto，“answeredtheduchess，withamerrylookofdefianceonhergentlefeatures。“Ireallydidnotwishtowin，foritwouldhaveseemedasifIhadtowinwhatIwantontheturnofamerrygame。Youhavedonewrong，MarieAntoinette。YouwantmetoforgethereinTrianonthatyouaretheQueenofFrance。Butyouyourselfdonotforgetit。Onlythequeencanproposesuchaprizeasyouhaveset，andonlythequeencanasksoinsignificantaboonontheotherside。Youhavemadeitimpossibleformetowin，foryouknowwellthatIamnotselfish。“
“Iknowit，andthatisjustthereasonwhyIloveyousodearly，Julia。Ihavedonewrong，“shewentontosaywithhergentle，sweetvoice。“Iseeit，andIbegyourforgiveness。Givemenowasaproofthatyoudoforgiveme，givemetheprizewhichIhavewon——akiss，Julia，akiss。“
“Nothere，“answeredtheduchess。“O，no，nothere，Marie。Donotyouseethatthedoorsofthesaloonsareopen，andthatyourcompanyareallassembled。Theywouldallenvyme；theywouldallbejealousiftheyweretoseethepreferencewhichyoushowforme。“
“Letthembejealous，letthemenvyyou，“criedthequeen；“thewholeworldshallknowthatJuliadePolignacismybest-lovedfriend，thatnexttohusbandandchildren，Ilovenoonesowellasher。“
Withgentleviolencethequeenthrewbothherarmsaroundtheneckoftheduchess，andkissedherpassionately。
“Didyounotice，“saidtheBarondeBesenvaltoLordAdhemar，withwhomhewasplayingagameofbackgammoninthesaloon，“didyounoticethetableauthatthequeenispresenting，takingforherthemeagrouprepresentingFriendship？“
“Iwishitwereinmypowertoreproducethiswonderfulgroupinmarble，“answeredLordAdhemar，laughing。“ItwouldbeacompanionpiecetoOrestesandPylades。“
“Butwhich，“askedtheDuchessdeGuemene，lookingupfromherembroidery，“whichwouldbethecompanionofOrestes，pursuedofFuries，surroundedbyserpents？“
“Thatisthequeen，“answeredtheCountdeVaudreuil，whowassittingatthepianoandpractisinganewpieceofmusic。“ThequeenisthewomanlyOrestes：theFuriesarethethreeroyalaunts；andtheserpents——pardonme，ladies——are，withtheexceptionofyourselves，mostalltheladiesofParis。“
“Youaremalicious，count，“criedMadamedeMorsan，“andwerewebyanychancenothere，youwouldreckonusamongtheserpents。“
“IfIshoulddoso，“saidCountVaudreuil，laughing，“Ishouldonlywishtotaketheapplefromyou，inordertobedrivenoutofparadisewithyou。Butstill!thequeeniscoming。“
Yes，justthenthequeenenteredtheapartment。Hercheekswereglowingredbyreasonofherrun，herbosomheavedviolentlywithherhurried，agitatedbreathing。Herhathadfallenupononeside，andthedarkblondhairwasthrownaboutinwildconfusion。
Itwasnotthequeenwhoenteredthesaloon，itwasonlyMarieAntoinette，thesimple，youngwoman，greetingherfriendswithbrilliantglancesandlivelynods。Ithadbeenmadearulewithher，thatwhensheentered，nooneshouldrise，norleavetheembroidery，orpiano-playing，oranyotheroccupation。
Thewomenremainedattheirwork，LordsBesenvalandAdhemarwentonplayingtheirgameofbackgammon，andonlytheCountdeVaudreuilrosefromhisplaceattheapproachofthequeen。
“Whathaveyoubeenplaying，count？“askedMarieAntoinette。“Ibegyourpardon，ifIleaveyourquestionunanswered，“repliedthecount，withagentleinclinationofthehead。“Yourmajestyhassuchafineear，thatyoumustdoubtlessrecognizethecomposerinthemusic。Itisanentirelynewcomposition，andIhavetakenthelicenseofarrangingitforfourhands。Ifyourmajestywouldperhapsbeinclined-“
“Come，“interruptedthequeen，“letustryitatonce。“
Quickly，andwithfeverishimpatience，shedrewherblacknettedglovesfromherdelicatewhitehands，andatoncetookherplacenexttothecount，ontheseatalreadypreparedforher。
“Willnotthemusicbetoodifficultformetoplay？“askedshe，timidly。
“NothingistoodifficultfortheQueenofFrance。“
“Butthereisagreatdealthatistoodifficultforthedilettante，MarieAntoinette，“sighedthequeen。“Meanwhile，wewillbeginandtryit。“
Andwithgreatfacilityandlightnessoftouch，thequeenbegantoplaythebaseofthepiecewhichhadbeenarrangedbytheCountdeVaudreuilforfourhands。Butthelongersheplayed，themorethelaughterandtheunrestrainedgayetydisappearedfromthefeaturesofthequeen。Hernoblecountenanceassumedanexpressionofdeepearnestness，hereyekindledwithfeeling，andthecheekswhichbeforehadbecomepurple-redwiththeexerciseofplaying，nowpaledwithdeepinwardemotion。
Allatonce，intheverymidstofthegrandandimpassionedstrains，MarieAntoinettestopped，and，underthestrengthofherfeeling，rosefromherseat。
“OnlyGluckcanhavewrittenthis!“criedshe。“Thisisthemusic，thedivinemusicofmyexaltedmaster，mygreatteacher，ChevalierGluck。“
“Youareright；yourmajestyisagreatmusician，“criedLordVaudreuil，inamazement，“theidealpupilofthegenialmaestro。
Yes，thismusicisGluck’s。Itistheoverturetohisnewoperaof’Alcestes，’whichhesentmefromVenicetosubmittoyourmajesty。
Thesetonesshallspeakforthemaster，andentreatforhimtheprotectionofthequeen。“
“Youhavenotaddressedthequeen，butmyownheart，“saidMarieAntoinette，withgentle，deeplymovedvoice。“Itwasagreetingfrommyhome，agreetingfrommyteacher，whoisatthesametimethegreatestcomposerofEurope。Oh，Iamproudofcallingmyselfhispupil。ButGluckneedsnoprotection；itismuchmorewewhoneedtheprotectionwhichheaffordsusingivingustheworksofhisgenius。Ithankyou，count，“continuedMarieAntoinette，turningtoVaudreuilwithapleasantsmile。
“Thisisagreatpleasurewhichyouhavepreparedforme。Butknowing，asInowdo，thatthisisGluck’smusic，Idonotdaretoplayanothernote；for，toinjureanoteofhiswriting，seemstomeliketreasonagainstthecrown。Iwillpractisethispiece，andthensomedaywewillplayittothewholecourt。Andnow，myhonoredguests，ifitpleasesyou，wegotomeettheking。Gentlemen，leteachonechoosehislady，forwedonotwanttogoinstateprocession，butbydifferentpaths。“