“Bravo，bravo!“shoutedthemen，astheballstruckthefootofthequeen，whostoopeddownslowlyandpickeditup。
“Toulanisajollygoodfellow，“criedSimon，strikingthetablewithhisfistsinanecstasyofdelight。“ButIdeclareitseemstomethattheballisagooddeallargernowthanitwasbefore。“
“Itmaybe，“answeredToulan，emphatically。“Everythinggrowsandenlargesitself，thatatrueandgenuinesans-culottescarriesnexttohisheart。“
“Wellsaid，“repliedLepitre。“Butlistentome，Iwanttomakeapropositiontoyou。Imustsaythatitishardwork——playingcardswithoutsmoking。“
“Ifinditso，too，“sighedToulan。
“Iratherthinkwealldo，“chimedintheothers。
“Butwemustkeepourword，orelsetheshe-wolfwillthinkthatwerepublicansarenobetterthanthearistocratswere!“
“Yes，wemustkeepourword，“saidLepitre，“andthatiswhyI
wantedtomakethepropositionthatwegooutandestablishourselvesintheentry。Wecanputthetableclosetothedoor，andthenwearecertainlysafe——thatnoonecanstepin。Whatdoyousay，brotherSimon？“
“Isaythatitisaverygoodplan，andthatwewillcarryitintoexecutiondirectly。Come，friends，letustakeupthetable，andcarryitout。Ifthedogsareonthewatchoutside，thebadgerdoesnotcreepoutofhishouse。Come，itismuchpleasanteroutthere，andwearenotambitiousofthehonoroflookingatWidowCapetallthetime。Weareperfectlysatisfied，ifwedonotseeher。Ihopetherewillbeanendofthistediousservice，andthatshewillsoongototheplacewhitherLouisCapethasalreadygone。“
“Or，“criedToulan，laughing，“shemustchangeherselfintoaneagle，andflyoutofthewindow。Come，brothers，Ilongformypipe。Letuscarrythetableoutintotheentry。“
Simonopenedthedoorthatledoutuponthelanding，theofficialstookupthetable，andToulanandLepitrethewoodenstools。Onequicklooktheycastintotheroomofthequeen，whoseeyeswereturnedtothem。AsuddenmovementofLepitre’shandpointedtothebenchbeneaththewindow：amovementofToulan’slipssaid“To-
morrow；“thentheybothturnedaway；wentwiththeirstoolsoutuponthelanding，andclosedthedoor。
Thequeenheldherbreathandlistened。Sheheardthemmovingthechairsoutside，andpushingthetableupagainstthedoor，anddetectedSimon’sharshvoice，saying，“Nowthatwehaveputagiganticwoodenlockonthedoor，letussmokeandplay。“
Thequeensprangup。“Godblessmyfaithfulone，“whisperedshe；
“yes，Godblesshim!“
Shewenthastilyintotheanteroom，pressedherhandinbehindthebenchbeneaththewindow，tookoutthepackagewhichLepitrehadplacedthere，andwithatimid，anxiouslook，steppedbackintoherroom。Heresheunfoldedthebundle。Itconsistedofaboy’ssoileddress，anoldperuke，andanoldfelthat。
Thequeenlookedatitwiththeutmostattention；then，aftercastingonelong，searchinglookthroughtheroom，shehastenedtothedivan，pushedbackthealreadyloosenedcoveroftheseat，concealedthethingsbeneathit，andthencarefullysmootheddowntheupholsteryagain。
Shenowhurriedtothedoorofthesleeping-room，andwasgoingtoopenithastily。Butshebethoughtherselfintime。Herfaceshowedtoomuchemotion，hervoicemightbetrayher。MadameTisonwascertainlylurkingbehindtheglassdoor，andmightnoticeherexcitement。MarieAntoinetteagainputonherordinarysadlook，openedthedoorslowlyandgravely，andquietlyenteredthesleeping-room。Hergreateyes，whosebrightnesshadlongsincebeenextinguishedbyhertears，slowlypassedaroundthechamber，restedforamomentontheglassdoor，descriedbehinditthespyingfaceofTison，andturnedtothetwoprincesses，whoweresittingwiththedauphinonthelittledivaninthecorner。
“Mamma，“askedtheboy，“arethebadmengone？“
“Donotcallthemso，mychild，“repliedMarieAntoinette，gently。
“Thesemenonlydowhatothersorderthemtodo。“
“Thentheothersarebad，mamma，“saidtheboy，quickly。“Oh，yes，verybad，fortheymakemydearmammaweepsomuch。“
“Idonotweepaboutthem，“answeredhismother。“Iweepbecauseyourfatherisnomorewithus。Thinkaboutyourfather，myson，andneverforgetthathehascommandedustoforgivehisandourenemies。“
“Andnevertotakevengeanceonthem，“addedtheboy，withagravelookbeyondhisyears，ashefoldedhishands。“Yes，Ihaveswornittomydearpapa，andIshallkeepmyword。Imeannevertotakevengeanceonourenemies。“
“Sister，“saidthequeen，afterapause，“Iwanttoaskyoutohelpmealittleinmywork。Youknowhowtomend，andIwanttolearnofyou。Willyoucomeintothesitting-room？“
“Andwe，too，mamma，“askedthedauphin，“maywenotstayhere？
TheresahaspromisedtotellmeaninterestingstoryifIdidmyexamplesinarithmeticcorrectly，andIhavedonethem。“
“Well，shemaytellyouthestory。Wewillleavethedooropensothatwecanseeyou；foryouknow，mychildren，youarenowtheonlycomfortlefttoyourauntandme。Come，sister!“
Sheturnedslowlyandwentintothenextroom，followedbyMadameElizabeth。
“Why，whatdoesthismean？“askedtheprincess，inamazement，asshesawtheanteroomdesertedandthedoorclosed。
“Allhiswork，Elizabeth——alltheworkofthisnoble，faithfulToulan。Hewentthroughawholefarceinordertogetthepeopleoutofhere，andtomakethemswearthattheyneverwouldsmokeafterthisintheanteroom。Oh，Ishallneverbeabletorepayhimforwhathehasdoneforusattheperilofhislife。“
“Wewillprayforhimeverymorningandevening，“repliedthepiousElizabeth。“Buttellme，sister，didToulonkeepourballofthread？“
“Yes，sister，andsucceededingivingmeanotherinexchangeforit。
Hereitis。To-night，whentheguardsareasleep，wewillunwinditandseewhatitcontains。Buthereareotherimportantthingswhichwemustexamine。Here，thishalf-burnedlightandthiscigarette!
Letusbeonthewatchthatnoonesurpriseus。“
Shewentagaintothethresholdofthesleeping-room。“Canyouhearmetalk，children？Nodwithyourheadifyouheardme。Good。IfTisoncomesin，speaktoherloudly，andcallherbyname，sothatwemayhear。“
“Andnow，sister，“shecontinued，turningtothetable，“letusseewhatToulanhassentus。First，thecigar-light!“
Sheunfoldedthepaper，onesideofwhichwasburned，andshowedablack，jaggededge。
“AletterfromM。deJarjayes，“shesaid，andthen，inasubduedvoice，shehastilyread：“Ihavespokenwiththenoblemessengerwhomyousenttomewithaletter。Hehassubmittedhisplantome，andIapproveitentirely，andamreadytoundertakeanythingthatisdemandedofmeinbehalfofthosetowhommylife，myproperty，andmybloodbelong，andwhonevershallhaveoccasiontodoubtmyfidelity。The’trueone’willbringyouto-morroweverythingthatisneedful，andtalkthematteroverwithyou——J。““Andnowthecigarette，“saidthequeen，takingitoutofherbasket。
“Letusfirsttearthepapertopieces，“saidPrincessElizabeth，warningly。
“No，no，Tisonwouldfindthebits，andthinkthemsuspicious。I
willhidethepaperinmydress-pocket，andthiseveningwhenwehavealightwewillburnit。Quicklynow，thecigar!“
“Apapercigarette!“saidElizabeth。
“Yes，andseeontheouterpaper，’Unrollcarefully!’“
AndwithextremecautionMarieAntoinetteremovedtheexternalcovering。Beneathitwasanother，closelywrittenover；thisthequeenproceededtounfold。
“Whatisit？“askedthePrincessElizabeth，impatiently。
“See，“saidMarieAntoinette，withafaintsmile：
“’Planfortheescapeoftheroyalfamily。Tolearnbyheart，andthentoburn。’Oh!sister，doyoubelievethatescapeispossibleforus？“
AtthisinstantSimonwasheardoutside，singingwithhisloud，coarsevoice：
“MadameasatourmonteNesaltquanddescendra，MadameVetoladansera。“[Footnote：“Madamewilltakeherturn，Sheknowsnotwhenitwillcome，ButMadameVetowillswing。“]
Thequeenshuddered，andMadameElizabethfoldedherhandsandprayedinsilence。
“Youhearthedreadfulanswer，sister，thatthissans-culottegivestomyquestion!Well，solongasthereisabreathleftwithinuswemustendeavortosavethelifeofKingLouisXVII。Come，sister，wewillreadthisplanforourescape，whichthefaithfulToulanhasmade。“