“Ifhehasnobread，heshallgiveushiswifetoeat!“roaredamanwithapikeinhishandandaredcaponhishead。“Thebaker’swifehaseatenupallourbread，anditisnomorethanfairthatweshouldeatherupnow。“
“Giveustheheartofthequeen，“wasnowthecry，“giveustheheartofthequeen!“
MarieAntoinetteheardthewords，butsheappearednottobealarmed。Withdignityandcomposure，shecastalookattheministersandgentlemen，who，paleandspeechless，hadgatheredaroundtheroyalcouple。
“IknowthatthiscrowdhascomefromParistodemandmyhead!I
learnedofmymothernottofeardeath，andIshallmeetitwithcourageandsteadfastness。“[Footnote：Thewordsofthequeen——See“HistoiredeMarieAntoinette，“p。194。]
AndfirmlyandfearlesslyMarieAntoinetteremainedallthisdreadfulevening，whichwasnowbeginningtoovershadowVersailles。
Outsideofthepalaceragedtheuproar；revolutionarysongsweresung；veiledforms，theleadersoftherevolution，stolearound，andfiredthepeoplewithnewrageagainstthebakerandthebaker’swife。Torcheswerelightedtoseeby，andtheblood-redglareshoneintothefacesthere，andtendedtoexasperatethemstillmore。Whatdanceswereexecutedbythewomen，withtorchesintheirhands!andthemenroaredinaccompaniment，ridiculingthekingandthreateningthequeenwithdeath。
Attimesthetorchesthrewtheirflickeringglareintothewindowsofthepalace，whereweretheministersandservantsoftheking，insilenthorror。Amongallthosecounselloroftheking，therewasatthistimebutoneMan，MarieAntoinette!Shealonepreservedhersteadfastnessanddiscretion；shespoketoeveryonefriendly，inspiritingwords。Sherousedupthetimid；attimessheevenattemptedtobringthekingtosomedecisiveaction，andyetshedidnotcomplainwhenshefoundherselfunabletodoso。
Onceherfacelightedupinhopeandjoy。Thatwaswhenacompanyofdeputies，headedbyToulan，enteredthehall，tooffertheirservicestotheroyalcouple，andtoaskpermissiontobeallowedtoremainaroundthekingandqueen。
Butscarcelyhadthisrequestbeengranted，whenboththesecretariesofthepresidentoftheNationalAssemblyentered，warningthemembers，inthenameofthepresident，toreturnatoncetothehallandtotakepartinthenightsessionwhichwastobeheld。
“Theycallourlastfriendsawayfromus，“murmuredthequeen，“fortheywantustobeentirelydefenceless!“
Allatoncethecriesonthesquarebelowweremoreviolentandloud；musket-shotswereheard；attheintervalsbetweenrosethethousand-voicedclamor，andatonetimethethunderofacannon。
Therewasarushofhorses，andclashofarms，moremusket-shots，andthenthecryofthewounded。
Thekinghadwithdrawntoholdalastconsultationwithhisministersandafewfaithfulfriends。Atthisfearfulnoise，thissoundofweapons，thisshoutofvictory，hisfirstthoughtwasofthequeen。Herosequicklyandenteredthehall。
Noonewasthere；theredglareofthetorcheswasthrownfrombelowintothedesertedroom，andshoweduponthewallwondrousshadowsofcontortedhumanfigures，withclinchedfistsandwithraisedandthreateningarms。
Thekingwalkedhastilythroughthefearfullyilluminatedhall，calledforthequeenwithaloudvoice，burstintothecabinet，thenintohersleeping-room，butnoMarieAntoinettewastobefound——noonegavereplytotheanxiouscalloftheking。
Moredreadfulgrewthewildshrieksandhowls，thecursesandmaledictionswhichcameinfromwithout。
Thekingsprangupthelittlestaircasewhichledtotheroomsofthechildren，anddashedthroughtheantechamber，wherethedoorwasopenthatledtothedauphin’ssleeping-room。
AndhereLouisstoodstill，andlookedwithabreathofreliefatthegroupwhichmethistearfuleyes。Thedauphinwaslyinginhisbedfastasleep，withasmileonhisface。MarieAntoinettestooderectbeforethebedinanattitudeofproudcomposure。
“Marie，“saidtheking，deeplymoved——“Marie，Iwaslookingforyou。“
Thequeenslowlyturnedherheadtowardhimandpointedatthesleepingprince。
“Sire，“answeredshecalmly，“Iwasatmypost。“[Footnote：Thisconversation，aswellasthiswholescene，ishistorical——SeeBeauchesne’s“LouisXVII。，“vol。i。]
Louis，overcomebythesublimityofamother’slove，hastenedtohiswifeandlockedherinhisarms。
“Remainwithme，Marie，“hesaid。“Donotleaveme。Breatheyourcourageandyourdecisionintome。“
Thequeensighedandsadlyshookherhead。Shehadnotawordofreproach；shedidnotsaythatshenolongerbelievedinthecourageanddecisionoftheking，butshehadnolongeranyhope。
Butthedoorsoftheroomnowopened。Throughonecamethemaidsofthequeenandthegovernessofthedauphin；throughtheother，somegentlemenofthecourt，tocallthekingbackintotheaudience-
hall。
Afterthefirstpanic，everyonehadcomebacktoconsciousnessagain，andallviedindevotingthemselvestothekingandthequeen。Thegentlemenbroughtwordthatsomethingnewhadoccurred，andthatthiswasthecauseofthedreadfultumultbelowuponthesquare。TheNationalGuardofParishadarrived；theyhadfraternizedwiththeNationalGuardofVersailles，andwiththepeople；theyhadbeenreceivedbythewomenwithshoutsofapplause，andbythemenwithavolleyofmusket-shotsinsalutation。GeneralLafayettehadenteredthepalacetoofferhisservicestotheking，andhenowaskedforanaudience。
“Come，madame，“saidLouisquickly，cheeredup，“letusreceivethegeneral。Youseethatthingsarenotsobadwithusasyouthink。Wehavefaithfulservantsyettohastentoourassistance。“
Thequeenmadenoreply。Quietlyshefollowedthekingintothehall，inwhichLafayette，surroundedbytheministersandgentlemen，wasstanding。Ontheentranceoftheroyalcouple，thegeneraladvancedtomeetthemwithareverentialsalutation。
“Sire，“saidLafayette，withcheerfulconfidence——“sire，IhavecometoprotectyourmajestiesandtheNationalAssemblyagainstallthosewhoshallventuretothreatenyou。“
“Areyouassuredofthefidelityandtrustworthinessofyourtroops？“askedthequeen，whoseflamingeyesresteduponLafayette’scountenanceasifshewantedtoreadhisutmostthoughts。
Buttheseeyesdidnotconfusethecheerfulcalmnessofthegeneral。
“Iknow，madame，thatIcanrelyuponthefidelityofmysoldiers，“
answeredhe，confidently。“Theyaredevotedtometothedeath，andasIshallcommandthem，theywillwatchoverthesecurityofthekingandqueen，andkeepallinjuryfromthem。“
Thequeendetectedthetouchofscornintheseloud-soundingwords，butshepretendedtobelievethem。Atlastshereallydidbelievethem，forLafayetterepeatedemphaticallythatfromthistimenothingmorewastobefearedfortheroyalfamily，andthatalldangerwaspast。Theguardshouldbechosenthisnightfromhisowntroops；theParisNationalGuardshouldrestorepeaceagaininVersailles，andkeepaneyeuponthecrowdswhichhadencampeduponthegreatsquarebeforethepalace。
Lafayettepromisedwellforhisarmy，forthehowling，shriekingwomen，forthecursing，ragingmen。
AndthekingwassatisfiedwiththeseassurancesofGeneralLafayette，andso，too，wasMarieAntoinetteatlast。
LouisorderedthegardeducorpstomarchtoRambouillet，andreservedonlythenecessarysentinelsinthepalace。IntheimmediateneighborhoodthesoldiersofLafayettewerestationed。Thegeneraloncemoremadetherounds，andthen，asifeverythingwasinapositionofthegreatestsecurity，hewentintothepalacetospendthenightthere，andinpeacefulslumberstorefreshhimselfforthelaborsoftheday。
Theking，too，hadretiredtohisapartments，andthevaletswhohadassistedhismajestytoundresshadnotleftthesleeping-room，whentheloud，uniformbreathingwhichissuedfromthesilkencurtainsofthebedtoldthemthatthekinghadalreadyfallenasleep。Thequeen，too，hadgonetorest，andwhilelayingherweariedandheavyheaduponthecushions，shetenderlybesoughtbothhermaidstoliedowntoo。AllwasquietnowinthedarkpalaceofVersailles。Thekingandthequeenslept。
Butthroughthedark，desertedhallswhichthatdayhadwitnessedsomuchpainandanxiety，resoundednowtheclangoftheraging，howlingvoiceswhichcameupfromthesquare，andhurledtheircursesagainstthequeen。
InthepalaceofVersaillestheywereasleep，butwithout，beforethepalace，UproarandHatekeptguard，andwithwildthoughtsofmurderstalkedaroundthepalaceoftheKingsofFrance。
Howsoonwerethesethoughtstobecomefact!Sleep，MarieAntoinette，sleep!Onelasthourofpeaceandsecurity!
Onelasthour!BeforethemorningdawnsHatewillawakenthee，andMurder’sterriblevoicewillresoundthroughthehallsoftheKingsofFrance!