“Whatdoyoumeanbythat？“askedMarieAntoinette，joyfully。
“Imean，that，asduringthedayyourmajestycanneverspeakwiththekingwithoutwitnesses，wemustcallthenighttoourassistance，ifyouwishtospeakconfidentiallytohismajesty。Yourmajestyhasheard，thatduringthenightthewatchiswithdrawnfromthecorridor，andyourmajestyisfreetoleaveyourroomandgotothechamberoftheking。“
Aflashofjoypassedoverthecountenanceofthequeen。“Ithankyou，sir——Ithankyouto-dayasawife；perhapsthedaymaycomewhenIcanthankyouasaqueen；Iacceptyourmagnanimouskindness。
Yes，Iwillturnthenightintoday，and，thankstoyou，Ishallbeabletospendseveralhoursundisturbedwithmyhusbandandmychildren。Anddoyousaythatyoushallbeherequiteoften？“
“Yes，yourmajesty，Ishallbehereonceeveryweekatyourmajesty’sorder。“
“Oh!Ihavelostthehabitofordering，“saidMarieAntoinette，withapainedlook。“YouseethattheQueenofFranceispowerless，butsheisnotwhollyunfortunate，forshehasfriendsstill。Youbelongtothesefriends，sir；andthatwemaybothretainthememoryofthisday，Iwillalwayscallyoumyfaithfulone。“
No，thequeenisnotwhollyunfortunate；shehasfriendswhoareready，withher，tosuffer；withher，ifitmustbe，todie。ThePolignacsaregone，butPrincessLamballe，whomthequeenhadsenttoLondon，tonegotiatewithPitt，hasreturned，inspiteofthewarningsandpleadingsofthequeen。MarieAntoinette，whenshelearnedthattheprincesswasonthepointofleavingEngland，hadwrittentoher：“Donotcomebackatamomentsocritical。Youwouldhavetoweeptoomuchforus。Ifeeldeeply，believeme，howgoodyouare，andwhatatruefriendyouare。But，withallmylove，I
enjoinyounottocomehere。Believeme，mytenderfriendshipforyouwillceaseonlywithdeath。“
Thewarningofherroyalfriendhad，meanwhile，notrestrainedPrincessLamballefromdoingwhatfriendshipcommanded。ShehadreturnedtoFrance，andMarieAntoinettehad，atleast，thecomfortofhavingatenderfriendatherside。
No，thequeenwasnotwhollyunfortunate。Besidesthisfriend，shehadherchildren，too——hersweet，bloominglittledaughter，andthedauphin，theprideandjoyofherheart。
Thedauphinhadnosuspicionofthewoesandmisfortuneswhichwerethreateningthem。Likeflowersthatgrowluxuriantlyandblossomupongraves，sogrewandblossomedthisbeautifulboyintheTuileries，whichwasnothingmorethanthegraveoftheoldkinglyglory。Butthedauphinwaslikesunshineinthisdark，sadpalace，andMarieAntoinette’scountenancelightenedwhenhereyefelluponherson，lookinguptoherwithhistender，beamingface。Fromthefresh，merrysmileofherdarling，sheherselflearnedtosmileagain，andbehappy。
Gradually，afterthefirstrageofthepeoplewasappeased，thechainswithwhichshewasboundwererelaxed。Theroyalfamilywasatleastpermittedtoleavetheclose，hotrooms，andgodownintothegardens，althoughstillwatchedandaccompaniedbytheNationalGuard。Theywerepermittedtoclosethedoorsoftheirroomsagain，althougharmedsentriesstillstoodbeforethem。
Therewereevensomeweeksandmonthsinthisyear1791，whenitappearedasiftheexasperatedspiritswouldbepacified，andthethronebereestablishedwithaportionofitsolddignity。Thekinghad，inacertainmanner，receivedforgivenessfromtheNationalAssembly，whileacceptingtheconstitutionandswearing——asindeedhecouldbutswear，allpowerhavingbeentakenfromhim，andhebeingamerelay-figure——thatwouldcontrolallhisactions，andgovernaccordingtotheexpressedwilloftheNationalAssembly。
Buttheking，inordertomakepeacewithhispeople，hadevenmadethissacrifice，andacceptedtheconstitution。Thepeopleseemedgratefultohimforthis，andappearedtobewillingtoreturntomorefriendlyrelations。ThequeenwasnolongerinsultedwithcontemptuouscrieswhensheappearedinthegardenoftheTuileries，orintheBoisdeBoulogne，anditevenbegantobethefashiontospeakaboutthedauphinasamiracleoflovelinessandbeauty，andtogototheTuileriestoseehimworkinginhisgarden。
Thisgardenofthedauphinwasintheimmediateneighborhoodofthepalace，attheendoftheterraceontheriver-side；itwassurroundedwithahighwirefence，andclosebystoodthelittlepavilionwheredweltAbbeDavout，theteacherofthedauphin。ThedauphinhadhadinVersaillesalittlegardenofhisown，whichhehimselfworked，planted，anddigged，andfromwhoseflowershepickedabouqueteverymorning，tobringitwithbeamingcountenancetohismammaqueen。
Forthispainfully-missedgardenofVersailles，thelittlegardenontheterracehadtocompensate。Thechildwasdelightedwithit；andeverymorning，whenhisstudy-hourswereover，thedauphinhastenedtohislittleparterre，todigandtowaterhisflowers。Thegardenhas，sincethatday，muchchanged；itisenlarged，laidoutonadifferentplan，andsurroundedwithahigherfence，butitstillremainsthegardenoftheDauphinLouisCharles，thesamegardenthatNapoleonsubsequentlygavetothelittleKingofBorne；thesamethatCharlesX。gavetotheDukedeBordeaux，andthatLouisPhilippegavetotheCountdeParis。Howmanyrecollectionsclusteraroundthislittlebitofearth，whichhasalwaysbeenprematurelyleftbyitsyoungpossessors!Onediedinprisonscarcelytenyearsold；another，hurriedawaybythetempest，stillyounger，intoaforeignland，onlylivedtohearthenameofhisfather，andseehisdaggerbeforehedied。Thethirdandfourthwerehurledoutbythestorm-windlikethefirsttwo，andstillwearthemantleofexileinAustriaandEngland。Andmanyasarethetearswithwhichthesechildrenregardtheirownfate，theremustbemanywhichtheymustbestowuponthefateoftheirfathers。Onedieduponthescaffold，anotherfromtheknifeofanassassin，athirdfromafalluponthepavementofahighway；andthelast，thegreatestofthemall，wasbound，likePrometheus，toarock，andfedonbitterrecollectionstillhemethisdeath。
Thislittlegarden，ontheriver-sideterraceoftheTuileriespark，whichhascometohaveaworld-wideinterest，wasthentheEldoradoofthelittleDauphinofPrance；andtoseehimbehindthefencewasthedelightoftheParisianswhousedtovisitthere，andlongforthemomentwhentheglanceofhisblueeyefelluponthem，andforsomedaysandmonthshadagainbecomeenthusiasticroyalists。
Whentheprincewentintohislittlegarden，hewasusuallyaccompaniedbyadetachmentoftheNationalGuard，whowereondutyintheTuileries；andthedauphin，whowasnowreceivinginstructionintheuseofweapons，generallyworehimselftheuniformofamemberoftheNationalGuard。TheParisiansweredelightedwiththislittleguardofsixyears。Hispicturehunginallstores，itwaspaintedonfansandrings，anditwasthefashion，amongthemostelegantladiesoftheFaubourgSt。Germain，andamongthemarket-
womenaswell，todecoratethemselveswiththelikenessofthedauphin。Howhisbrowbeamed，howhiseyebrightened，when，accompaniedbyhisescort，ofwhichhewasproud，heenteredhisgarden!Whentheretinuewasnotlarge，theprincetookhisplaceintheranks。Oneday，whenalltheNationalGuardsondutywereverydesirousofaccompanyinghim，severalofthemwerecompelledtostandoutsideofthegarden。“Pardonme，gentlemen，“saidthedauphin；“itisagreatpitythatmygardenissosmallthatitdeprivesmeofthepleasureofreceivingyouall。“Thenhehastenedtogiveflowerstoeveryonewhowasnearthefence，andreceivedtheirthankswithgreatpleasure。
Theenthusiasmforthedauphinwassogreat，thattheboysofParisenviedtheireldersthehonorofbeinginhisservice，andlongedtobecomesoldiers，thattheymightbeinhisretinue。Therewas，infact，aregimentofboysformed，whichtookthenameoftheDauphin’sRegiment。ThecitizensofPariswereanxioustoenrollthenamesoftheirsonsinthelistsofthisregiment，andtopaytheexpensesofanequipment。Andwhenthisminiatureregimentwasformed，withtheking’spermission，itmarchedtotheTuileries，inordertoparadebeforethedauphin。
Theprincewasdelightedwiththelittleregiment，andinviteditsofficerstovisithisgarden，thattheymightseehisflowers，hisfinesttreasures。“Wouldyoudousthepleasuretobethecolonelofourregiment？“oneoftheofficersaskedthedauphin。
“Oh!certainly，“heanswered。
“Thenyoumustgiveupgettingflowersandbouquetsforyourmamma!“
saidoneoftheboys。
“Oh!“answeredthedauphin，withasmile，“thatwillnothindermytakingcareofmyflowers。Manyofthesegentlemenhavelittlegardens，too，astheyhavetoldme。Verywell，theycanfollowtheexampleoftheircolonel，andlovethequeen，andthenmammawillreceivewholeregimentsofflowerseveryday。“
Themajorityofthisregimentconsisted，attheoutset，ofchildrenofthehighestranksofsociety，anditwasthereforenaturalthatthey，practicedinthemostfinishedcourtesy，shouldpaysomedeferencetotheiryoungcolonel。
Buttheywereexpresslyforbiddenshowinganythingofthisfeelingtowardtheircomrade。“For，“saidtheking，“Iwanthimtohavecompanionswhowillstimulatehisambition；butIdonotwanthimtohaveflatterers，whoshallleadhimtolivetohimselfalone。“Soonthenumberoflittlesoldiersincreased，foreveryfamilylongedforthehonorofhavingitssonsintheregimentoftheroyaldauphin。
ThepeopleusedalwaystothrongingreatmasseswhenthisregimentwentthroughitsexercisesinthePlacedelaCarrousel。ItwasaminiaturerepresentationoftheFrenchguards，withtheirthree-
corneredhatsandwhitejackets；andnothingcouldbemorecharmingthanthisregimentofbloomingboysintheirtastefuluniforms，andtheirlittlechief，thedauphin，lookingathisregimentwithbeamingeyesandsmilinglips。
TheenthusiasmofthelittlesoldiersoftheRoyalDauphinRegimentfortheircolonelwassogreat，thattheylongedtogivehimaproofoftheirlove。OnedaytheofficersoftheregimentcameintotheTuileriesandbeggedtheking’spermissiontomakeapresenttothedauphin，inthenameofthewholeregiment。Thekinggladlyaccededtotheirrequest——，andhehimselfconductedthelittleofficersintothereception-room，wherewasthedauphin，standingatthesideofhismother。
Thelittlecolonelhastenedtogreetthem。“Welcome，mycomrades，welcome!“criedhe，extendinghishandtothem。“Mymammaqueentellsmethatyouhavebroughtmesomethingwhichwillgivemepleasure。Butitgivesmepleasuretoseeyou，andnothingmoreisneeded。“
“But，colonel，youwillnotrefuseourpresent？“
“Oh，certainlynot，formypapakingsaysthatacolonelisnotforbiddentakingagiftfromhisregiment。Whatisit？“