Thefairdaysoffortuneandpeace，ofwhichthequeendreamedinhercharmingcountryhome，thinkingthatherrealizationsweremetwhenthesunhadscarcelyrisenuponthem，weregone。Trianonwasstillthere，andthehappypeasant-girlofTrianonhadbeenunchangedinheart；butthosetowhomshehadgivenherheart，thosewhohadjoinedinherharmlessamusementinhervillagethere，werechanged!Theyhadcastasidetheidyllicmaskswithwhichthegood-
naturedandconfidingqueenhaddeceivedherself。Theywerenolongerfriends，nolongerdevotedservants；theyweremereplace-
hunters，intriguers，flatterers，notactingoutoflove，butoutofselfishness。
Yetthequeenwouldnotbelievethis；shecontinuedtobethetenderfriendofherfriends，trustedthem，dependedupontheirlove，washappyintheirneighborhood，andletherselfbeledbythemjustasthekinglethimselfbeledbyher。
Theysetministersaside，appointednewones，placedtheirfavoritesinplacesofpower，anddrovetheiropponentsintoobscurity。
Buttherecameadaywhenthequeenbegantoseethatshewasnottherulerbuttheruled，——whenshesawthatshewasnotactingoutherownwill，butwastyrannizedoverbythosewhohadbeenmadepowerfulthroughherfavor。
“Ihavebeencompelledtotakepartinpoliticalaffairs，“saidshe，“becausetheking，inhisnoble，good-humoredway，hastoolittleconfidenceinhimself，and，outofhisself-distrust，letshimselfbecontrolledbytheopinionsofothers。AndsoitisbestthatI
shouldbehisfirstconfidante，andthatheshouldtakemetobehischiefadviser，forhisinterestsaremine，andthesechildrenaremine，andsurelynoonecanspeakmoretrulyandhonestlytotheKingofFrancethanhisqueen，hiswife，themotherofhischildren!
Andsoifthekingisnotperfectlyindependent，andfeelshimselftooweaktostandalone，andindependentlytoexertpower，heoughttorestonme；Iwillbearapartinhisgovernment，hisbusiness，thatatanyratetheywhocontrolbenotmyopponents，myenemies!“
Forawhilesheyieldedtoherfriendsandfavoriteswhowantedtostandinthesamerelationtothequeenthatshedidtotheking——
sheyielded，notlikeLouis，fromweakness，butfromtheverypowerofherloveforthem。
SheyieldedatthetimewhenDianadePolignac，urgedbyherbrother-in-law，Polignac，andbyLordBesenval，conjuredthequeentonominateLordCalonnetobegeneralcomptrollerofthefinances。
Sheyielded，andCalonne，theflatterer，thecourtierofPolignac，receivedtheimportantappointment，althoughMarieAntoinetteexperiencedtwingesofconscienceforit，anddidnottrustthemanwhomsheherselfadvancedtothishighplace。Publicopinion，meanwhile，gaveoutthatLordCalonnewasafavoriteofthequeen；
and，whilesheborehimnospecialfavor，andconsideredhisappointmentasamisfortunetoFrance，shewhoherselfpromotedhimbecametheobjectofpublicindignation。
MeanwhilethenominationofLordCalonnewastobeproductiveofrealgood。ItgaverisetothepublicationofahostoflibelsandpamphletswhichdiscussedthefinancialconditionofFrance，and，inbitingandscornfulwords，inthelanguageofsadnessanddespair，developedtheneedandthemisfortuneoftheland。Thekinggavethechiefministerofpolicestrictinjunctionstosendhimalltheseephemeralpublications。Hewantedtoreadthemall，wantedtofindthekernelofwheatwhicheachcontained，and，fromhisenemies，whoassuredlywouldnotflatter，hewantedtolearnhowtobeagoodking。Andthefirstofhiscareshesawtobeafrugalking，andtolimithishouseholdexpenses。
Thistimeheactedindependently；heaskednoone’scounsel，noteventhequeen’s。Ashisownunconstrainedact，heorderedadiminutionofthecourtluxury，andalimitationofthegreatpensionswhichwerepaidtofavorites。Thegreatstableofthekingmustbereduced，thechiefdirectorshipofthepostbureaumustbeabolished，thehighsalaryofthegovernessoftheroyalchildrenaswellasthatofthemaidofhonorofMadameElizabeth，sisteroftheking，mustbereduced。
Andwhoweretheonesaffectedbythis？ChieflythePolignacfamily。
TheDukedePolignacwasdirectoroftheroyalmews，andnexttohimtheDukedeCoigny。TheDukedePolignacwasalsochiefdirectorofthepostdepartment。Hiswife，DianadePolignac，wasalsomaidofhonortoMadameElizabeth，andJuliadePolignacwasgovernessofthechildrenofPrance。
Theywouldnotbelieveit；theyhelditimpossiblethatsounheard-
ofathingshouldhappen，thattheirincomeshouldbereduced。ThewholecircleofintimatefriendsresortedtoTrianon，tohaveaninterviewwiththequeen，toreceivefromhertheassurancethatshewouldnottoleratesucharobbingofherfriends，andthatshewouldinducethekingtotakebackhiscommands。
Thequeen，however，forthefirsttime，madeastandagainstherfriends。
“Itisthewilloftheking，“saidshe，“andIamtoohappythatthekinghasawill，todareopposingit。Maythekingreign!Itishisdutyandhisright，asitisthedutyandrightofallhissubjectstoconformtohiswishandbesubjecttohiswill。“
“But，“criedLordBesenval，“itishorribletoliveinacountrywhereoneisnotsurebuthemaylosetomorrowwhatheholdsto-day；
downtothistimethathasalwaysbeentheTurkishfashion。“
[Footnote：Hisverywords。SeeGoncourt’s“HistoiredeMarieAntoinette，“p。181。]
ThequeentrembledandraisedhergreateyeswithalookfullofastonishmentandpaintoBesenval，thentotheotherfriends；shereaduponallfacesalienationandunkindlyfeeling。Themaskofdevotedcourtiersandtrueservantshadforthefirsttimefallenfromtheirfaces，andMarieAntoinettediscoveredtheseallatoncewhollyestrangedandunknowncountenances；eyeswithoutthebeamoffriendship，lipswithoutthesmileofdevotion。
Thequeensoughttoputherhandtoherheart。Itseemedtoherasifshehadbeenwoundedwithadagger。Shefeltasifshemustcryaloudwithpainandgrief。Butshecommandedherselfandonlygaveutterancetoafaintsigh。
“Youarenottheonlyoneswhowilllose，myfriends，“saidshe，gently。“Thekingisaloser，too；forifhegivesupthegreatstables，hesacrificestothecommongoodhishorses，hisequipages，and，aboveall，histrueservants。Wemustalllearntoputupwithlimitationsandareductionofoutlay。Butwecanstillremaingoodfriends，andhereinTrianonpassmanypleasantdayswithoneanotherinharmlessgayetyandhappycontentment。Come，myfriends，letusforgetthesecaresandtheseconstraints；letus，despiteallthesethings，bemerryandglad。DukedeCoigny，youhavebeenforaweekmydebtorinbilliards，to-dayyoumustmakeitup。Come，myfriends，letusgointothebilliard-room。“
Andthequeen，whohadfoundhergayetyagain，wentlaughinginadvanceofherfriendsintothenextapartment，wherethebilliard-
tablestood。Shetookuphercue，and，brandishingitlikeasceptre，cried，“Now，myfriends，awaywithcare——“
Sheceased，forasshelookedaroundhershesawthatherfriendshadnotobeyedhercall。OnlytheDukedeCoigny，whomshehadspeciallysummoned，hadfollowedthequeenintothebilliard-room。
Aflashofangershotfromtheeyesofthequeen。
“How!“criedshe，aloud，“didmycompanionsnothearthatI
commandedthemtofollowmehither？“
“Yourmajesty，“answeredtheDukedeCoigny，peevishly，“theladiesandgentlemenhaveprobablyrecalledthefactthatyourmajestyoncemadeitarulehereinTrianonthateveryoneshoulddoashepleases，andyourmajestyseesthattheyholdmorestrictlytothelawsthanothersdo。“
“Mylord，“sighedthequeen，“doyoubringreproachesagainstmetoo？Areyoualsodiscontented？“
“AndwhyshouldIbecontented，yourmajesty？“askedtheduke，withcholer。“Iamdeprivedofapostwhichhithertohasbeenheldforlife，anddoesyourmajestydesirethatIshouldbecontented？No，I
amnotcontented。No，Idoastheothersdo。Iamfullofangerandpaintoseethatnothingissecuremore，thatnothingisstablemore，thatonecanrelyuponnothingmore——notevenuponthewordofkings。“
“Mylordduke，“criedMarieAntoinette，withflashinganger，“yougotoofar，youforgetthatyouarespeakingtoyourqueen。“
“Madame，“criedhe，stilllouder，“hereinTrianonthereisnoqueen，therearenosubjects!Youyourselfhavesaidit，andIatleastwillholdtoyourwords，evenifyouyourselfdonot。Letusplaybilliards，madame。Iamatyourservice。“
AndwhiletheDukedeCoignysaidthis，heseizedwithanangrymovementthebilliard-cueofthequeen。ItwasapresentwhichMarieAntoinettehadreceivedfromherbrother，theEmperorJoseph。Itwasmadeofasinglerhinocerosskin，andwasadornedwithgoldenknobs。
Thekinghadagreatregardforit，andnoonebeforehadeverventuredtouseitexceptingheralone。
“Giveittome，Coigny，“saidshe，earnestly。“Youdeceiveyourself，thatisnotyourbilliard-cue，thatismine。“
“Madame，“criedhe，angrily，“whatismineistakenfromme，andwhyshouldInottakewhatisnotmine？Itseemsasifthiswerethelatestfashion，todowhatonepleaseswiththepropertyofothers；
Ishallhastentohaveashareinthisfashion，evenwereitonlytoshowthatIhavelearnedsomethingfromyourmajesty。Letusbegin。“
Tremblingwithangerandexcitement，hetooktwoballs，laidtheminthemiddleofthetable，andgavethestroke。Butitwassopassionatelygiven，andinsuchrage，thatthecueglidedbytheballsandstrucksostronglyagainsttheraisedrimofthetablethatitbroke。