“Monseigneur，takethisjewelledringoff，anddonotpressforwardtoomuch，youmightbeidentified!“
“Ibeidentified!“answeredthewoman，turningpale。“Idonotunderstandyou，DoctorMarat!“
“ButIdo，“whisperedMarat，stillmoresoftly，forhesawthatSimon’slittlesparklingeyeswereturnedtowardthewomanwithalookofcuriosity。“IunderstandtheDukePhilipd’Orleansverywell。Hewantstorouseupthepeople，butheisunwillingtocompromisehisnameorhistitle。Andthatmaybeaverygoodthing。
ButyouarenottodisownyourselfbeforeMarat，forMaratisyourverygoodfriend，andwillkeepyoursecrethonorably。“
“Whatareyouwhisperingabout？“shoutedSimon。“Whydoyounotspeaktothepeople？YouweregoingtotelluswhyParishasnobread，andwhoistoblamethatwemustallstarve。“
“Yes，yes，thatiswhatyouweregoingtotellus!“wasshoutedonallsides。“Wewanttoknowit。“
“Tellus，tellus!“criedthegiantess。“Givemeyourhandoncemore，thatImaypressitinthenameofallthewomenofParis!“
Maratwithanassuringsmilereachedhisgreat，bonyhandtothewoman，whohelditinbothofherownforamoment，andthenretreatedandwaslostinthecrowd。
ButinMarat’shandnowblazedthejewelledringwhichhadamomentbeforeadornedthelarge，softhandofthewoman。He，perhaps，didnotknowithimself；hepaidnoattentiontoit，butturnedallhisthoughtstothepeoplewhonowfilledtheimmensesquare，andhemmedhiminwiththousandsuponthousandsofblazingeyes。
“Youwanttoknowwhyyouhavenobread？“snarledhe。“Youaskwhyyoustarve？Well，myfriendsandbrothers，theanswerisaneasyonetogive。ThebakerofFrancehasshutuphisstorehousebecausethebaker’swifehastoldhimtodoso，becauseshehatesthepeopleandwantsthemtostarve!Butshedoesnotintendtostarve，andsoshehascalledthebakerandthelittleapprenticestoVersailles，whereareherstorehouses，guardedbyherpaidsoldiers。WhatdoesitconcernherifthepeopleofParisaremiserablyperishing？Shehasanabundanceofbread，forthebakermustalwayskeephisstoreopenforher，andhersoneatscake，whileyourchildrenarestarving!
Youmustalwayskeepdemandingthatthebaker，thebaker’swife，andthewholebroodcometoParisandliveinyourmidst，andthenyouwillseehowtheykeeptheirflour，andyouwillthencompelthemtogiveyouoftheirsuperfluoussupplies。“
“Yes，wewillmakehercome!“criedSimonthecobbler，withacoarselaugh。“Up，brothers，up!Wemustcompelthebakerandhiswifetoopentheflour-storetous!“
“LetusgotoVersailles!“roaredthegreatwoman，whohadpostedherselfamongagroupoffishwives。“Come，myfriends，letusgotoVersailles，andwewilltellthebaker’swifethatourchildrenhavenobread，whilesheisgivingherapprenticescakes。Wewilldemandofherthatshegiveourchildrenbread，andifsherefusesit，wewillcompelhertocomewithherbakerandherwholebroodtoParisandstarvewithus!Come，letusgotoVersailles!“
“Yes，yes，letusgotoVersailles!“wasthehideouscrywhichechoedacrossthesquare；“thebaker’swifeshallgiveusbread!“
“Shekeepsthekeystothestores!“howledMarat，“shepreventsthebakeropeningthem。“
“Sheshallgiveusthekeys!“yelledthegreatwoman。
“AllthemothersandallthewomenofParismustgotoVersaillestothebaker’swife!“
“Allmothers，allwomentoVersailles!“resoundedinathousand-
voicedchorusoverthesquare，andthenthroughthestreets，andthenintothehouses。
Andallthemothersandwivescaughtupthesethunderingcries，whichcametothemlikeunseenvoicesfromtheair，commissioningthemtoengageinanoble，anexaltedmission，callingtothemtosaveParisandprocurebreadfortheirchildren。
“ToVersailles，toVersailles!AllmothersandwomentoVersailles!“
Whowasabletoresistobeyingthiscommand，whichnoonehadgiven，whichwasheardbynosingleear，yetwasintelligibletoeveryheart——whocouldresistit？
ThemenhadstormedtheBastile，thewomenmuststormtheheartofthebaker’swifeinVersailles，tillityieldandgivetothechildrenofthepoorthebreadforwhichtheyhunger。
“Up，toVersailles!Allwivesandmothers!“
Thecrysweepslikeahurricanethroughthestreets，andeverywherefindsanechointhemaddened，panic-stricken，despairing，ragingheartsofthewomenwhoseetheirchildrenhunger，andsufferhungerthemselves。
“Thebaker’swifefeedsherapprenticeswithcakes，andwehavenotacrumbofbreadtogivetoourpoorlittleones!“
Inwholecrowdsthewomendashedintothelargestsquares，wherewerethemenwhofomentedtherevolution，Marat，Danton，Santerre，Chaumette，andalltherest，thespeakersattheclubs；theretheyare，givingtheircounselstothemaddenedwomen，andspurringthemon!
“Donotbeafraid，donotbeturnedaside!GotoVersailles，bravewomen!Saveyourchildren，yourhusbands，fromdeathbystarvation!
Compelthebaker’swifetogivebreadtoyouandforusall!Andifsheconcealsitfromyou，stormherpalacewithviolence；therewillbementheretohelpyou。Onlybebraveandundismayed，Godwillgowithmotherswhoarebringingbreadtotheirchildren，andyourhusbandswillprotectyou!“
Theywerebraveandundismayed，thewivesandmothersofParis。Inbroadstreamstheyrushedon；theybrokeovereverythingwhichwasintheirway；theydrewallthewomenintotheirseethingranks。“ToVersailles!ToVersailles!“
ItwastonoavailthatDeBailly，themayorofParis，encounteredthewomenonthestreet，andurgedthemwithpressingwordstoreturntotheirfamiliesandtheirwork，andassuredthemthatthebakershadalreadyopenedtheirshops，andhadbeenorderedtobakebread。ItwasinvainthatthegeneraloftheNationalGuard，Lafayette，hadadiscussionwiththewomen，andtriedtoshowthemhowvainanduselesswastheiraction。
Louderandloudergrewthecommandingcry，“ToVersailles!WewillbringthebakerandhiswifetoParis!ToVersailles!“
Thecrowdsofwomengrewmoreandmoredense，andstillmightierwastheshout，“ToVersailles!“
BaillywentwithpaintoGeneralLafayette。“Wemustpacifythem，oryou，general，mustpreventthembyforce!““Itisimpossible，“
repliedLafayette。“Howcouldweuseforceagainstdefencelesswomen？Notoneofmysoldierswouldobeymycommands，forthesewomenarethewives，themothers，thesistersofmysoldiers!Theyhavenootherweaponsthantheirtongueswithwhichtostormtheheartofthequeen!Howcouldweconquerthemwithweaponsofsteel？
Wemustletthemgo!Butwemusttakeprecautionsthatthekingandthequeendonotfallintodanger。“
“Thatwillbeallthemorenecessary，general，asthewomenwillcertainlybeaccompaniedbyarmedcrowdsofmen，andexcitementandconfusionwillaccompanythemallthewaytoVersailles。Makehaste，general，todefendVersailles。Thecolumnsofwomenarealreadyinmotion，and，asIhavesaidtoyou，theywillbeaccompaniedbyarmedmen!“
“ItwouldnotbewellformetotakemysoldierstoVersailles，“
saidLafayette，shakinghishead。“Youknow，M。DeBailly，towhatfolliesthereactionariesofVersailleshavealreadyledtheroyalfamily。AllParisspeaksofnothingelsethanoftheholidaywhichthekingandqueenhavegiventotheroyaltroops，theregimentofFlanders，whichtheyhavesummonedtoVersailles。Thekingandthequeen，withthedauphin，werepresent。Thetri-coloredcockadewastroddenunderfoot，andthepeoplewerearrayedinwhiteribbons。
Royalistsongsweresang，theNationalGuardwasbitterlytalkedof，andanoathwasgiventothekingandqueenthatcommandswouldonlybereceivedofthem。Mysoldiersareexasperated，andmanyofmyofficershavedesiredofmeto-daythatweshouldrepairtoVersaillesandattacktheregimentofFlandersanddecimatethem。Itis，therefore，periloustotaketheseexasperatedNationalGuardstoVersailles。“
“Andyetsomethingmustbedonefortheprotectionoftheking，“
saidBailly；“believeme，theseragingtroopsofwomenaremoredangerousthantheexasperatedNationalGuards。Come，GeneralLafayette，wewillgotothecityhall，andsummonthemagistracyandtheleadersoftheNationalGuard，totakecounselofthem。“
AnhourlaterthedrumsbeatthroughallthestreetsofParis，forinthecityhalltheresolvehadbeentakenthattheNationalGuardofParis，undertheleadofGeneralLafayette，shouldrepairtoVersaillestoprotecttheroyalfamilyagainsttheattacksofthepeople，butatthesametimetoprotecttheNationalAssemblyagainsttheattacksoftheroyalisttroops。
Butlongbeforethetroopswereinmotion，andhadreallybeguntheirmarchtoVersailles，thetroopsofwomenwerealreadyontheirway。SoldiersoftheNationalGuardandarmedmenfromthepeopleaccompaniedthewomen，andsecuredamongthemacertainmilitarydiscipline。Theymarchedintenseparatecolumns，everyoneofwhichconsistedofmorethanathousandwomen。
EachcolumnwasprecededbysomesoldiersoftheNationalGuard，withweaponsontheirshoulders，who，oftheirownfreewill，hadundertakentobetheleaders。Onbothsidesofeachcolumnmarchedthearmedmenfromthepeople，inordertoinspirethewomenwithcouragewhentheygrewtired，butatthesametimetocompelthosewhowerewearyofthelongjourney，orsickofthewholeundertaking，andwhowantedtoreturntoParis，tocomebackintotheranksandcompletewhattheyhadbegun，andcarrytheworkofrevolutionstillfurther。“OntoVersailles!“
AllwasquietinVersaillesthatday。Noonesuspectedthehorrorswhichitwastobringforth。ThekinghadgonewithsomeofhisgentlementoMeudontohunt：thequeenhadgonetoTrianonalone——
allalone!