“ThenpromisemeatleastthatheshallremaininthetoweroftheTemple，thatImayseehimeveryday。“
“Wehavenothingtopromiseyou，wehavenoaccountatalltogiveyou。Parbleu，howcanyoutakeonandhowlso，merelybecauseyourchildistakenfromyou？Ourchildrenhavetodomorethanthat。
Theyhaveeverydaytohavetheirheadssplitopenwiththeballsoftheenemiesthatyouhavesetuponthem。“
“Mysonisstilltooyoungtobeabletoservehiscountry，“saidthequeen，gently，“butIhopethatifGodpermitsit，hewillsomedaybeproudtodevotehislifetoHim。“
Meanwhilethetwoprincesses，urgedonbytheofficials，hadclothedthegasping，sobbingboy。Thequeennowsawthatnomorehoperemained。Shesankuponachair，andsummoningallherstrength，shecalledthedauphintoherself，laidherhandsuponhisshoulders，andpale，immovable，withwidely-openedeyes，whoseburninglidswerecooledbynotear，shegazeduponthequiveringfaceoftheboy，whohadfixedhisgreatblueeyes，swimmingwithtears，uponthecountenanceofhismother。
“Mychild，“saidthequeen，solemnly，“wemustpart。RememberyourdutieswhenIamnomorewithyoutoremindyouofthem。NeverforgetthegoodGodwhoisprovingyou，andyourmotherwhoisprayingforyou。Begoodandpatient，andyourFatherinheavenwillblessyou。“
Shebentover，andwithhercoldlipspressedakissupontheforeheadofherson，thengentlypushedhimtowardtheturnkey。Buttheboysprangbacktoheragain，clungtoherwithhisarms，andwouldnotgo。
“Myson，wemustobey。Godwillsitso。“Aloud，savagelaughwasheard。Shuddering，thequeenturnedaround。ThereattheopendoorstoodSimon，andwithhimhiswife，theirhardfeaturesturnedmaliciouslytowardthepalequeen。Thewomanstretchedoutherbrown，barearmstothechild，graspedhim，andpushedhimbeforehertothedoor。
“Isshetohavehim？“shriekedMarieAntoinette。“Ismysontoremainwiththiswoman？“
“Yes，“saidSimon，withagrinningsmile，asheputhimself，withhisarmsakimbo，beforethequeen——“yes，withthiswomanandwithme，herhusband，littleCapetistoremain，andItellyouheshallreceivearoyaleducation。Weshallteachhimtoforgetthepast，andonlytorememberthatheisachildoftheoneandindivisiblerepublic。Ifhedoesnotcometoit，hemustbebroughttoit，andmyoldcobbler’sstrapswillbegoodhelpersinthismatter。“
HenoddedatMarieAntoinettewithafiendishsmile，andthenfollowedtheofficials，whohadalreadygoneout。Thedoorswereclosedagain，theboltsdrawn，andwithinthechamberreignedthestillnessofdeath。Thetwowomenputtheirarmsaroundoneanother，kneeleduponthefloorandprayed。
Fromthisdayon，MarieAntoinettehadnohopemore；herheartwasbroken。Wholedayslongshesatfixedandimmovable，withoutpayinganyregardtothetenderwordsofhersister-in-lawandthecaressesofherdaughter，withoutworking，reading，orbusyingherselfinanyway。Formerlyshehadhelpedtoputtheroomsinorder，andmendtheclothesandlinen；nowsheletthetwoprincessesdothisaloneandserveher。
Onlyforafewhourseachdaydidhercountenancelightenatall，andthepowerofmotionreturntothispale，marblefigure。Thosewerethehourswhenshewaitedforherson，ashewentwithSimoneverydaytotheupperstoryandtheplatformofthetower。Shewouldthenputherheadtothedoorandlistentoeverystepandallthewordsthathedirectedtotheturnkeyashepassedby。
Soonshediscoveredameansofseeinghim。Therewasalittlecrackontheflooroftheplatformonwhichtheboywalked。Theworldrevolvedforthequeenonlyaroundthislittlecrack，andtheinstantinwhichshecouldseeherboy。
Attimes，too，acompassionateguardwhohadtoinspecttheprisonbroughthertidingsofherson，toldherthathewaswell，thathehadlearnedtoplayball，andthatbyhisfriendlynaturehewoneveryone’slove。ThenMarieAntoinette’scountenancewouldlighten，asmilewouldplayoverherfeaturesandlingeronherpalelipsaslongastheywerespeakingofherboy。Butoh!soontherecameothertidingsabouttheunhappychild。Hiswailingtones，Simon’sthreats，andhiswife’sabusivewordspenetratedeventhequeen’sapartments，andfilledherwiththeanguishofdespair。Andyetitwasnottheworsttohearhimcry，andtoknowthatthesonofthequeenwastreatedill；itwasstillmoredreadfultohearhimsingwithaloudvoice，accompaniedbythelaughandthebravoesofSimonandhiswife，revolutionaryandobscenesongs——toknowthatnotonlyhisbodybuthissoulwasdoomedtodestruction。
Atfirstthequeen，onhearingthesedreadfulsongs，brokeoutintolamentations，cries，andloudthreatsagainstthosewhoweredestroyingthesoulofherchild。Thenagradualparalysiscreptoverherheart，andwhen，onthe3dofAugust，shewastakenfromtheTempletotheprison，thepalelipsofthequeenmerelywhispered，“ThankGod，Ishallnothavetohearhimsinganymore!“。
TheBartholomew’snightofthemurderousCatharinedeMedicis，andhermadson，CharlesIX。，nowfoundinFranceitshorribleandbloodyrepetition；butthenightofhorrorwhichwearenowtocontemplatewascontinuedonintotheday，anddidnotshrinkevenbeforethelight。
ThesunshonedownuponthestreamsofbloodwhichflowedthroughthestreetsofParis，anduponthepackofwilddogsthatswarmedinuncountednumbersonthethoroughfaresofthecity，andlivedonthisblood，whichgavebackeventothetametheirnaturalwildness。
Thesunshonedownuponthescaffold，thatroselikeathreateningmonsteruponthePlacedelaRevolution，anduponthedreadfulaxewhichdailyseveredsomanynobleforms，andthenrosefromtheblockglitteringandmenacing。
Thesunshoneonthatday，too，whenMarieAntoinetteascendedthescaffold，asherhusbandhaddonebefore，andsopassedtoherrest，fromallthepainsandhumiliationsofherlastyears。
Thatdaywasthe16thofOctober，1793。ForfourmonthsMarieAntoinettelookedforwardtoitastoajoyfuldeliverance。ItwasfourmonthsfromthetimewhenshewastransferredfromtheTempletotheprison，andsheknewthatthosewhowereconfinedinthelatterplaceonlyleftittogainthefreedom，notthatmangives，butwhichGodgrantstothesuffering——thefreedomofdeath!
MarieAntoinettelongedforthedeliverance。Howfarbehindhernowlaythedaysofherhappy，joyousyouth!howlongagothetimewhenthetall，gravewoman，herfacefullofprideandyetofresignation，hadbeencharmingMarieAntoinette，theveryimpersonationofbeauty，youth，andlove，carryingoutinTrianontheidylofromanticcountrylife——intheexcessofhergayetygoingdisguisedtothepublicopera-houseball，believingherselfsosafeamidtheFrenchpeoplethatshecoulddispensewiththeprotectionofetiquette——hailedwithanenthusiasticadmirationthen，asshewasnowsalutedwiththesavageshoutsoftheenragedpeople!
No，theformerqueen，MarieAntoinette，who，inthegildedsaloonsofVersaillesandintheTuileries，hadreceivedthehomageofallFrance，andwithasmilingfaceandperfectgraceofmanneracknowledgedallthetributethatwasbroughttoher，hadnolongeranyresemblancetothewidowofLouisCapet，sittingbeforetherevolutionarytribunal，andgivingearnestanswerstothequestionswhichwereputtoher。Shearrangedhertoiletthatday——buthowdifferentwasthetoiletoftheWidowCapetfromthatwhichQueenMarieAntoinettehadoncedisplayed!Atthatearliertime，she，theeasy，light-hearteddaughteroffortune，hadshutherselfupforhourswithherintimatecompanion，MadameBerthier，theroyalmilliner，planninganewball-dress，oranewfichu；orherLeonardwouldlavishalltheresourcesofhisfancyandhisartinventingnewstylesofhead-dress，nowdecoratingthebeautifulheadofthequeenwithtoweringmassesofauburnhair；nowbraidingitsoastomakeitenfoldlittlewar-ships，thesailsofwhichwerefinelywovenfromherownlocks；nowlayingoutagardenfilledwithfruitsandflowers，butterfliesandbirdsofparadise。
The“WidowCapet“needednomillinerandnohairdresserinmakinghertoilet。Hertall，slenderfigurewasenvelopedwiththeblackwoollendresswhichtherepublichadgivenheratherrequest，thatshemightcommemorateherdeceasedhusband。Herneckandshoulders，whichhadoncebeentheadmirationofFrance，wasnowconcealedbyawhitemuslinkerchief，whichherkeeperBaulthadgivenheroutofsympathy。Herhairwasuncovered，andfellinlong，naturallocksonbothsidesofherpale，transparentface。Herhairneedednopowdernow；thelong，sleeplessnightsandthesorrowfuldayshavewhiteneditmorethananypowdercoulddo；andthewidowofLouisCapet，thoughbutthirty-eightyearsold，hadthegraylocksofawomanofseventy。
InthistoiletMarieAntoinetteappearedbeforetherevolutionarytribunal，fromthe6thtothe13thofOctober。Nothingroyalwasleftaboutherbutherlookandherproudbearing。
Thepeople，pressingindensemassesintothespectators’seats，didnotwearyofseeingthequeeninherhumiliationandinhermourning-robe，andconstantlydemandedthatMarieAntoinetteshouldrisefromthewovenrushchaironwhichshewassitting，thatsheshouldallowherselftobestaredatbythisthrong，broughttherenotoutofcompassion，butcuriosity。
Once，assheroseinreplytothedemandofthepublic，shewasheardtowhisper，astoherself：“Ah，willthispeoplenotsoonbesatisfiedwithmysufferings？“[Footnote：MarieAntoinette’sownwords——SeeGoncourt，“HistoiredeMarieAntoinette，“p。404。]Atanothertime，herpale，drylipsmurmured，“Iamthirsty!“butnoonearoundherdaredtohavecompassiononthiscryofdistress；
everyonelookedperplexedattheothers，andnoonedaredgiveheraglassofwater。Atlastoneofthegensd’armesventuredtodoit，andMarieAntoinettethankedhimwithalookthatbroughttearsintohiseyes，andthatperhapscausedhimtofallonthemorrowundertheguillotineasatraitor。
Thegensd’armeswhoguardedthequeen，theyalonehadthecouragetoshowhercompassion。Onenight，whenshewasconductedfromthesession-roomtoherprison，MarieAntoinettefeltherselfsoexhausted，soovercome，thatshemurmuredtoherself，asshestaggeredon，“Icannotsee，Icannotwalkanyfarther。“[Footnote：
Goncourt，p。416]Theguardwhowaswalkingbyhersidegaveherhisarm，and，supportedbyhim，MarieAntoinettereeledupthestonestepsthatledtoherprison。