DidMarieAntoinetteweepandmoanatnight，didshetalkwithhersister，didshewalkdisconsolatelyupanddownherroom？——therepublicgrantedhertheprivilege。Shecould，duringthenightatleast，haveafewhoursoffreedomandofsolitude。
ButduringthenightMarieAntoinettedidnotweepormoan；thisnightherthoughtswerenotdirectedtothesadpast，buttothefuture；forthefirstrayofhopewhichhadfallenuponherpathforalongtimenowencounteredher。
“Toescape，tobefree!“shesaid，andtheshadowofasmileflittedoverherface。“Canyoubelieveit？Doyouconsideritpossible，sister？“
“Ishouldliketobelieveit，“whisperedElizabeth，“butthereissomethinginmyheartthatremindsmeofVarennes，andIonlypraytoGodthatHewouldgiveusstrengthtobearalltheillstheyinflictuponus。Wemust，aboveallthings，keepourcalmnessandsteadfastness，andbepreparedfortheworstaswellasthebest。“
“Yes，youareright，wemustdothat，“saidMarieAntoinette，collectingherself。“Whenonehassufferedaswehave，itisalmostmoredifficulttohopeforgoodfortunethantopreparefornewterrors。Iwillcompelmyselftobecalm。IwillreadToulan’splan，oncemore，andwillimpressitwordforworduponmymemory，soastoburnthedangeroussheetassoonaspossible。“
“AndwhileyouaredoingthatIwillunwindtheballthatToulanbroughtus，andwhichcertainlycontainssomethingheavy，“saidtheprincess。
“Whatagrand，nobleheart!whataloftycharacterhasourfriendToulan!“whisperedthequeen。“Hiscourageisinexhaustible，hisfidelityisinvincible，andheisentirelyunselfish。HowoftenhaveIimploredhimtoexpressonewishtomethatImightgratify，ortoallowmetogivehimadraftofsomeamount!Heisnottobeshaken——
hewantsnothing，hewilltakenothing。Ah，Elizabeth，heisthefirstfriend，ofallwhoeverdrewtowardme，whomadenoclaimsandwascontentedwithakindword。WhenIimploredhimyesterdaytotellmeinwhatwayIcoulddohimaservice，hesaid：’Ifyouwanttomakemehappy，regardmealwaysasyourmostdevotedandfaithfulservant，andgivemeanamethatyougivetonoonebesides。CallmeFidele，andifyouwanttogivemeanotherremembrancerthanthatwhichwillalwaysliveinmyheart，presentme，asthehighesttokenofyourfavor，withthelittlegoldsmelling-bottlewhichIsawyouuseintheLogographboxonthatdreadfulday。’Igavehimthetrinketatonce。Hekneeleddowninordertoreceiveit，andwhenhekissedmyhandhishottearsfelluponit。Ah，Elizabeth，nooneofthosetowhominthedaysofourhappinessIgavejewels，andtowhomIgavehundredsofthousands，cherishedformesowarmthanksasToulan——no，asFidele——forthepoor，insignificantlittleremembrancer。“
“Godisgoodandgreat，“saidtheprincess，who，whilethequeenwasspeaking，wasbusilyengagedinunwindingthethread；“inorderthatwemightnotlosefaithinhumanityandconfidenceinman，HesentusinHismercythisnoble，true-heartedone，whosedevotion，disinterestedness，andfidelityweretobeourcompensationforallthesadandheart-rendingexperienceswhichwehaveendured。And，therefore，forthesakeofthisonenoblemanletuspardonthemanyfromwhomwehavereceivedonlyinjury；foritsaysintheBiblethat，forthesakeofonerighteousman，manysinnersshallbeforgiven，andToulanisarighteousman。“
“Yes，heisarighteousman，blessingsonhim!“whisperedthequeen。
Thenshetookthepaperinherhand，andbegantoreadthecontentssoftly，repeatingeverysentencetoherself，andimprintingeveryoneofthosehope-bringingwordsuponhermemory；andwhilesheread，herpoor，crushedheartgraduallybegantobeatwithfirmerconfidence，andtoembracethepossibilityofrealizingtheplanofToulanandfindingfreedominflight。
DuringthistimePrincessElizabethhadunwoundthethreadoftheball，andbroughttolightalittlepacketenvelopedinpaper。
“Takeit，mydearAntoinette，“shesaid，“itisaddressedtoyou。“
MarieAntoinettetookitandcarefullyunfoldedthepaper。Thensheutteredalow，carefully-suppressedcry，and，sinkinguponherknees，presseditwithitscontentstoherlips。
“Whatisit，sister？“criedtheprincess，hurryingtoher。“WhatdoesToulandemand？“
Thequeengavethepapertotheprincess。“Read，“shesaid——“readit，sister。“
Elizabethread：“YourmajestywishedtopossesstherelicswhichKingLouislefttoyou。Theyconsistofthewedding-ringofhismajesty，hislittleseal，andthehairwhichthekinghimselfcutoff。Thesethreethingslayonthechimney-pieceintheclosedsitting-roomoftheking。ThesupervisoroftheTempletookthemfromClery’shand，towhomthekinggavethem，andputthemunderseal。Ihavesucceededingettingintothesitting-room；Ihaveopenedthesealedpacket，takenoutthesacredrelics，putarticlesofsimilarcharacterintheirplace，andsealeditupagain。Withthisletteraretherelicswhichbelongtoyourmajesty，andIswearbyallthatissacredanddeartome——Iswearbytheheadofmyqueen，thattheyarethetruearticleswhichtheblessedmartyr，KingLouisXVI。，conveyedtohiswifeinhistestament。Ihavestolenthemfortheexaltedheirofthecrown，andIshallonedaygloryinthetheftbeforethethroneofGod。“[Footnote：Goncourt，“
HistoiredeMarieAntoinette，“p。384。]
“See，Elizabeth，“saidthequeen，unfoldingthelittlethings，eachoneofwhichwascarefullywrappedinpaper——“see，thereishiswedding-ring。Thereontheinsidearethefourletters，’M。A。A。
A。，19thApril，1770。’Thedayofourmarriage!——adayofjoyforAustriaaswellasforFrance!Then——butIwillnotthinkofit。Letmelookfurther。Hereistheseal!Thecornelianengravedontwosides。HereononesidetheFrencharms；asyouturnthestone，theportraitofoursontheDauphinofFrance，withhishelmetonhishead。Oh!myson，mypoordearchild，willyourlovedheadeverbearanyotherornamentthanamartyr’scrown；willGodgrantyoutowearthehelmetofthewarrior，andtobattleforyourrightsandyourthrone？HowpleasedmyhusbandwaswhenonhisbirthdayIbroughthimthisseal!howtenderlyhislooksrestedupontheportraitofhisson，hissuccessor!andnow——oh，now!KingLouisXVI。cruelly，shamefullymurdered，andhewhooughttobetheKingofFrance，LouisXVII。，isnothingbutapoor，imprisonedchild——akingwithoutacrown，withouthope，withoutafuture!“
“No，no，Antoinette，“whisperedElizabeth，whohadkneeledbeforethequeenandhadtenderlyputherarmsaroundher——“no，Antoinette，donotsaythatyoursonhasnohopeandnofuture。
BuilduponGod，hopethattheundertakingwhichweareto-morrowtoexecutewillleadtoafortunateresult，thatweshallfleefromhere，thatweshallbefree，thatweshallbeabletoreachEngland。
Oh，yes，letushopethatToulan’sfineandboldplanwillsucceed，andthenitmayonedaybethatthesonofmydearbrother，growntobeayoungman，mayputthehelmetonhishead，girdhimselfwiththesword，reconquerthethroneofhisfathers，andtakepossessionofitasKingLouisXVII。Thereforeletushope，sister。“
“Yes，thereforeletushope“whisperedthequeen，dryinghertears。
“Andhereatlast，“shecontinued，openingtheremainingpaper，“hereisthethirdrelic，thehairoftheking!——theonlythingwhichisleftusofthemartyrking，theunfortunatehusbandofanunfortunatewife，thepitiablekingofamostpitiablepeople!Oh，myking!theyhavelaidyourpoorheadthatborethiswhitehair——
theyhavelaidituponthescaffold，andtheaxe，thedreadfulaxe——
“
Thequeenutteredaloudshriekofhorror，sprangup，andraisedbothherhandsinconjurationtoHeaven，whileacursejusttrembledonherlips。ButPrincessElizabeththrewherselfintoherarms，andpressedonthecold，quiveringlipsofthequeenalong，ferventkiss。
“ForGod’ssake，sister，“shewhispered，“speaksoftly。IfTisonheardyourcry，wearelost。Hush!itseemstomeIhearsteps，hidethethings。Letushurryintobed。Oh，forGod’ssake，quick!“
Shehuddledthepaperstogether，andputthemhastilyintoherbosom，whileMarieAntoinette，gatheringuptherelics，dashedintoherbed。
“Sheiscoming，“whisperedElizabeth，assheslippedintoherbed。
“Wemustpretendtobeasleep。“
AndinfactPrincessElizabethwasright。Theglass-door，whichledfromthesleeping-roomofthechildrentothelittlecorridor，andfromtheretothechamberofMistressTison，wasslowlyandcautiouslyopened，andshecamewithalampinherhandintothechildren’sroom。Shestoodnearthedoor，listeningandspyingaround。Inthebedsofthechildrenshecouldhearthelong-drawn，calmbreathing，whichindicatedpeacefulslumbers；andintheopen，adjoiningapartment，inwhichthetwoladiesslept，nothingwasstirring。
“ButIdidhearasoundplainly，“mutteredTison。“Iwasawakedbyaloudcry，andwhenIsatupinbedIheardpeopletalking。“
Shestoletothebedsofthechildren，andletthelightfallupontheirfaces。“Theyaresleepingsoundlyenough，“shemuttered，“theyhavenotcriedorspoken，butwewillseehowitisintheotherroom。“Slowly，withthelampinherhand，shecreptintotheneighboringapartment。Thetwoladieslaymotionlessupontheirbeds，closingtheireyesquicklywhenMistressTisoncrossedthethreshold，andprayingtoGodforcourageandsteadfastness。
TisonwentfirsttothebedofPrincessElizabethandletthelampfallfulluponherface。Theglareseemedtoawakenher。“Whatisit？“shecried，“whathashappened？sister，whathashappened？whereareyou，MarieAntoinette？“
“Here，hereIam，Elizabeth，“criedthequeen，risingsuddenlyupinbed，asifawakened。“Whydoyoucallme，andwhoishere？“
“ItisI，“mutteredTison，angrily。“Thatisthewayifonehasabadconscience!Oneisstartledthenwiththeslightestsound。“
“Wehavenobadconscience，“saidElizabeth，gently，“butyouknowthatifweareawakenedfromsleepwecryouteasily，andwemightbethinkingthatsomeonewaswakingustobringushappytidings。“
“Ihopeso，“criedTison，withascornfullaugh，“Happynewsforyou!thatmeansunhappyandsadnewsforFranceandfortheFrenchpeople。No，thankGod!Ididnotwakenyoutobringyouanygoodnews。“