Shegraciouslywavedherhandtowardthedoor，and，withagentleinclinationofherhead，dismissedthetwogentlemen，who，withasadbearing，withdrew，andleftthepavilion。
“Come，myson，“saidthequeen，“wewillreturntothepalace。“
“Bythesamewaythatwecame，shallwenot，mamma？“askedthedauphin，takingtheextendedhandofthequeen，andpressingittohislips。
“Youwillnotweepagainifthepeopleshoutandlaugh？“askedMarieAntoinette。“Youwillnotbeafraidanymore？“
“No，Iwillnotbeafraidanymore。Oh，youshallbesatisfiedwithme，mammaqueen!Ihavepaidcloseattentiontoallthatyousaidtothetwogentlemen，andIamverygladthatyoudidnotallowM。deLafayettetowalkbehindus。Thepeoplewouldthenhavebelievedthatweareafraid，andnowtheyshallseethatwearenotsoatall。“
“Well，come，mychild，letusgo，“saidMarieAntoinette，givingherhandtoherson，andpreparingtoleavethepavilion。
Butonthethresholdthedauphinstopped，andlookedimploringlyupintothefaceofhismother。
“Ishouldliketoaskyousomething，mammaqueen。“
“Well，whatisit，mylittleLouis？Whatdoyouwish？“
“Ishouldliketohaveyouallowmetogoalone，elsethepeoplewouldbelievethatIamafraidandwantyoutoleadme。AndIwanttobeliketheChevalierBayard，aboutwhomtheAbbetalkedwithmeto-day。Iwanttobesanspeuretsansreproche，likeBayard。“
“Verywell，chevalier，“saidthequeen，withasmile，“thenwalkaloneandfreebymyside。“
“No，mamma，ifyouwillallowme，Iwillwalkbeforeyou。Theknightsalwayswalkinadvanceoftheladies，soastowardoffanydangerwhichmaybeintheway。AndIamyourknight，mamma，andI
wanttobeaslongasIlive。Willyouallowit，myroyallady？“
“Iallowit!Sogoinfront，ChevalierLouisCharles!Wewilltakethesamewaybackbywhichwecame。“
Thedauphinsprangoverthelittlesquareinfrontofthepavilion，anddownthealleywhichledtotheArcadiaWalkalongthesideofthequay。
Beforethelittlestaircasewhichleduptothiswalk，hestoppedandturnedhisprettyheadroundtothequeen，who，followedbythetwolackeys，waswalkingslowlyandquietlyalong。
“Well，ChevalierBayard，“askedthequeen，withasmile，“whatareyoustoppingfor？“
“Iamonlywaitingforyourmajesty，“repliedthechild，gravely。
“Hereiswheremyknightlyservicecommences，forhereitisthatdangerbegins。“
“Itistrue，“saidthequeen，asshestoppedatthefootofthestepsandlistenedtotheloudshoutingwhichnowbecameaudible。
“OnewouldthinkthatastormhadbeenSweepingovertheocean，thereissuchathunderingsound。Butyouknow，myson，thatthestormslieinGod’shand，andthatHeprotectsthosewhotrustinHim。Thinkofthat，mychild，anddonotbeafraid!“
“Oh，Iamnotafraid!“criedtheboy，andhesprangupthestairslikeagazelle。
Thequeenquickenedherstepsalittle，andseemedtobegivingherwholeattentiontoherson，whowentbeforeherwithsuchahappyflowofspirits，andappearedtohearnothingofwhatwaspassingaroundher。Andyet，behindthefencewhichranalongtheleftsideoftheArcadiaWalkallthewaytothequay，wasadensemassofpeople，headbehindhead，andalltheirblazingeyesweredirectedatthequeen，andwordsofhate，malediction，andthreateningfollowedhereverystepwhichshetookforward。
“See，see，“criedawoman，withdishevelledhair，whichstreamedoutfromherroundcap，andfelldownoverherred，angryface——“see，thatisthebaker’swoman，andthemonkeythatjumpsinfrontofheristheapprentice-boy!Theycandressthemselvesupandbefine，foralliswellwiththem，andtheycaneatcakes，whilewehavetogohungry。Butwait，onlywait!timeswillbedifferentbyandby，andweshallseethebaker-womanashungryaswe。Butwhenwehavethebread，wewillgivehernone——no，wewillgivehernone!“
“No，indeed，wewillgivehernone!“roared，andcried，andlaughed，andhowledthemob。Andtheyallpressedcloseruptothefence，andnakedarmsandclinchedfistswerethrustthroughthepalings，andthreatenedthequeen，andthedauphin，whowalkedinfrontofhismother。
“Willhebeabletobearit？Willmypoorboynotweepwithfearandanxiety？“Thatwastheonlythoughtofthequeen，asshewalkedonpasttheangryroarsofthecrowd。Tothedauphinaloneallherlooksweredirected；notoncedidsheglanceatthefence，behindwhichthepopulaceroaredlikeapackoflions。
Allatoncethebreathofthequeenstopped，andherheartceasedbeating，withhorror。Shesawdirectlyattheplacewherethepathturnedandranawayfromthefence，butwhere，beforemakingtheturn，itranverynearthefence，thebarearmofamanextendedthroughthepalingasfaraspossible，andstretchinginfacthalf-
wayacrossthepath，asifitwereaturnpike-barstoppingtheway。
Theeyesofthequeen，whentheyfelluponthisdreadful，powerfularm，turnedatonceindeepalarmtothedauphin。Shesawhimhesitatealittleinhishurriedcourse，andthengoslowlyforward。
Thequeenquickenedherstepsinordertocomeupwiththedauphinbeforeheshouldreachthedangerwhichconfrontedhim。Thepeopleoutsideofthefence，whentheysawthemanoeuvreofthemanwhowasforcinghisarmstillfartherin，stoppedtheirshoutingandlapsedintoabreathless，eagersilence，assometimesisthecaseinastorm，betweenthesuccessiveburstsofwindandthunder。
Everyonefeltthatthetouchofthatthreateningarmandthatlittlechildmightbelikethecontactofsteelandflint，andelicitsparkswhichshouldkindlethefiresofanotherrevolution。
Itwasthisfeelingwhichmadethecrowdsilent；thesamefeelingcompelledthequeentoquickenhersteps，sothatshewasclosetothedauphinbeforehehadreachedthisterribleturnpike-bar。
“Comehere，myson，“criedthequeen，“givemeyourhand!“
Butbeforeshehadtimetograspthehandofthelittleprince，hesprangforwardandstooddirectlyinfrontoftheoutstretchedarm。
“MyGod!whatwillhedo？“whisperedthequeentoherself。
Atthesameinstant，thereresoundedfrombehindthefencealoud，mightybravo，andathousandvoicestookitupandcried，“Bravo!
bravo!“
Thedauphinhadstretcheduphislittlewhitehandandlaidituponthebrown，clinchedfistthatwasstretchedouttowardhim，andnoddedpleasantlyatthemanwholookeddownsofiercelyuponhim。
“Good-day，sir!“hesaid，withaloudvoice——“good-day!“
Andhetookholdwithhislittlehandofthegreathandofthemanandshookitalittle，asinfriendlysalutation。“Littleknirps，“
roaredtheman，“whatdoyoumean，andhowdareyoulayyourlittlepawontheclawsofthelion？“
“Sir，“saidtheboy，smiling，“Ithoughtyouwerestretchingoutyourhandtoreachmewithit，andsoIgiveyoumine，andsay，’Good-day，sir!’“
“AndifIwanted，Icouldcrushyourhandinmyfistasifitwereinavise，“criedtheman，holdingthelittlehandfirmly。
“Youshallnotdoit，“criedhundredsandhundredsofvoicesinthecrowd。“No，Simon，youshallnothurtthechild。“
“WhoofyoucouldhindermeifIwantedto？“askedtheman，withalaugh。“Seehere，IholdthehandofthefutureKingofFranceinmyfist，andIcanbreakitifIwantto，andmakeitsothatitcanneverliftthesceptreofFrance。Thelittlemonkeythoughthewouldtakeholdofmyhandandmakemedrawitback，andnowmyhandhasgothisandholdsitfast。Andmarkthis，boy，thetimeispastwhenkingsseizedusandtrodusdown；nowweseizethemandholdthemfast，anddonotletthemgounlesswewill。“
“Sir!“criedthequeen，motioningbackwithacommandinggesturethetwolackeyswhowerehurryinguptoreleasethedauphinfromthehandoftheman，“sir，Ibegyoutowithdrawyourhand，andnottohinderusinourwalk。“
“Ah!youarethere，too，madame，thebaker’swife，areyou？“criedtheman，withahorridlaugh。“Wemeetoncemore，andtheeyesofourmostbeautifulqueenfallagainuponthedirty，pitiablefaceofsuchapoor，wretchedcreatureas，inyourheavenlyeyes，thecobblerSimonis!“
“AreyouSimonthecobbler？“askedMarieAntoinette。
“Itistrue，Ibethinkmenow，Ihavespokenwithyouoncebefore。
ItwaswhenIcarriedtheprincehere，forthefirsttime，toNotreDame，thatGodwouldblesshim，andthatthepeoplemightseehim。
Youstoodthenbymycarriage，sir!“
“Yes，itistrue，“answeredSimon，visiblyflattered。“Youhave，atleast，agoodmemory，queen。ButyououghttohavepaidattentiontowhatIsaidtoyou。Iamno’sir，’Iamasimplecobbler，andearnmypoorbitofbreadinthesweatofmybrow，whileyoustrutaboutinyourgloryandhappiness，andcheatGodoutofdaylight。ThenI
heldthehandofyourdaughterinmyfist，andshecriedoutforfear，merelybecauseapoorfellowlikemetouchedher。“
“But，Mr。Simon，youseeveryplainlythatIdonotcryout，“saidthedauphin，withasmile。“Iknowthatyoudonotwanttodomeanyharm，andIaskyoutobesogoodastotakeawayyourarm，thatmymammacangooninherwalk。“
“But，supposethatIdonotdoasyouwantmeto？“askedthecobbler，defiantly。“Isupposeitwouldcomethatyourmammawoulddictatetome，andperhapscallsomesoldiers，andorderthemtoshootthedreadfulpeople？“
“Youknow，MasterSimon，thatIgivenosuchcommand，andnevergaveanysuch，“saidthequeen，quickly。
“ThekingandIloveourpeople，andneverwouldgiveorderstooursoldierstofireuponthem。“
“Becauseyouwouldnotbesure，madame，thatthesoldierswouldobeyyourcommands，ifyoushould，“laughedSimon。“SincewegotridoftheSwissguards，therearenosoldiersleftwhowouldletthemselvesbetorninpiecesfortheirkingandqueen；andyouknowwellthatifthesoldiersshouldfirethefirstshotatus，thepeoplewouldtearthesoldiersinpiecesafterward。Yes，yes，thefinedaysatVersaillesarepast；here，inParis，youmustaccustomyourselftoask，insteadofcommand，andthearmofasinglemanofthepeopleisenoughtostoptheQueenandtheDauphinofFrance。“
“Youaremistaken，sir，“saidthequeen，whoseproudheartcouldnolongerberestrained，andallowhertotakethishumblestand；“theQueenofFranceandhersonwillnolongerbedetainedbyyouintheirwalk。“
Andwithaquickmovementshecaughtthedauphin，struckbackatthesamemomentthefistofthecobbler，snatchedtheboyawaylikelightning，andpassedbybeforeSimonhadtimetoputhisarmback。