Atlast，inthenightinterveningbetweenthe14thand15thofOctober，atfouro’clockinthemorning，hersentencewaspronounced——“Death!executionbytheguillotine!“
MarieAntoinettereceiveditwithunshakablecalmness，whilethetumultoftheexcitedmobwashushedasbymagic，andwhilemanyfacesevenoftheexasperatedfish-wivesgrewpale!
MarieAntoinetteremainedcalm；gravelyandcoldlysherosefromherseat，andwithherownhandsopenedthebalustradeinordertoleavethehalltoreturntoherprison!
Finally，onthemorningofthe16thofOctober，hersufferingswereallowedtoend，andshewaspermittedtotakerefugeinthegrave。
Italmostmadeherjoyful；shehadsufferedsomuch，thattodiewasforherreallyblessedness。
Sheemployedthestillhoursofthenightbeforeherdeathinwritingtohersister-in-law，MadameElizabeth，andherletterwasatthesametimehertestament。ButthewidowofLouisCapethadnoriches，notreasurestoconvey。Shehadnothingmorethatshecouldcallherownbutherlove，hertears，andherfarewellgreetings。
Theseshelefttoallwhohadlovedher。Shesentaspecialwordtoherbrothersandsisters，andbadethemfarewell。
“Ihadfriends，“shesays，“andthethoughtthatIamtobeforeverseparatedfromthem，andtheirsorrowforme，isthemostpainfulthinginthishour；theyshallatleastknowthatIthoughtofthemtothelastmoment。“
AfterMarieAntoinettehadendedthisletter，whosewritingwashereandthereblottedwithhertears，sheturnedherthoughtstothelastremembrancesshecouldleavetoherchildren——aremembrancewhichshouldnotbeprofanedbythehandoftheexecutioner。Thiswasherlonghair，whosesilverlocks，theonlyornamentthatremainedtoher，wasatthesametimethesadrecordofhersorrows。
MarieAntoinette，withherownhands，despoiledherselfofthisornament，andcutoffherlongback-hair，thatitmightbealastgifttoherchildren，herrelations，andfriends。Then，afteraperiodofmeditation，shepreparedherselfforthelastgreatceremonyofhercareer——herdeath。Shefeltherselfexhausted，wornout，andrecognizedherneedofsomephysicalsupportduringthehardwaywhichlaybeforeher。Sheaskedfornourishment，andatewithsomerelishthewingofafowlthatwasbroughttoher。Afterthatshemadehertoilet——thetoiletofdeath!
Attherequestofthequeen，thewifeoftheturnkeygaveheroneofherownchemises，andMarieAntoinetteputiton。Thenshearrayedherselfinthesamegarmentswhichshehadwornathertrial，withthissinglechange——thatovertheblackwoollendress，whichshehadoftenmendedwithherownhand，shenowworeacloakofwhitepique，Aroundherneckshetiedasimplekerchiefofwhitemuslin，andasshewouldnotbeallowedtoascendthescaffoldwithuncoveredhead，sheputonaplainlinencap，suchaswasingeneraluseamongthepeople。Blackstockingscoveredherfeet，andoverthesewereshoesofblackwoollenstuff。
Hertoiletwasatlastended；shewasdonewithallearthlythings!
Readytomeetherdeath，shelaydownonherbedandslept。
Shewasstillsleepingwhenitwasannouncedtoherthatapriestwasthere，readytomeether，ifshewantedtoconfess。ButMarieAntoinettehadalreadyunveiledherheartbeforeGod：shewantednoneofthosepriestsofreasonwhomtherepublichadappointedafterithadbanishedorguillotinedthepriestsoftheChurch。
“AsIamnotmistressofmyownwill，“shehadwrittentohersisterElizabeth，“Ishallhavetosubmitifapriestisbroughttome；butIsolemnlydeclarethatIwillnotspeakawordtohim，andthatI
shalltreathimasapersonwithwhomIwishtohavenorelations。“
AndMarieAntoinettekeptherword；shedidnotrefusetoallowGeroidtoenter；butwhenheaskedherifshewishedtoreceivetheconsolationsofreligionfromhim，shedeclined。
Then，inordertowarmherfeet，whichwerecold，shewalkedupanddownherlittleroom。Asitstruckseventhedooropened。ItwasSamson，thepublicexecutioner，whoentered!
Aslightthrillpassedthroughtheformofthequeen。
“Youhavecomeveryearly，sir；couldyounotdelayalittle？“WhenSamsondeniedherrequest，MarieAntoinetteputonhercalm，coldmanner。Shedrank，withoutresistance，acupofchocolatewhichwasbroughttoher；sheremainedpossessed，andworeherwontedairofdignityastheyboundherhandsbehindherwiththickcords。
Ateleveno’clocksheleftherroom，passedthroughthecorridor，andascendedthecar，whichwaswaitingforherbeforetheprisondoor。Nooneaccompaniedher，noonebadeheralastfarewell，notalookofpityorcompassionwasbestoweduponherbyherkeepers。
Alone，betweentherowsofgensd’armesthatwereplacedalongthesidesofthecorridor，thequeenadvanced，Samsonwalkingbehindher，carryingtheendoftheropewithwhichthequeen’shandswerebound，andbehindhimhistwoassistantsandthepriest。Thisistheretinueofthequeen，thedaughterofanemperor，onthewaytoherexecution!
Itmaybe，thatatthishourthousandsareontheirknees，offeringtheirferventprayerstoGodinbehalfofMarieAntoinette，whom，intheirhearts，theycontinuedtocall“thequeen；“itmaybethatthousandsarepouringouttearsofcompassionforherwhonowmountsthewretchedcar，andsitsdownontheboardwhichisboundbyropestothesidesofthevehicle。Butthosewhoareprayingandweepinghavewithdrawntothesolitudeoftheirownapartments，andonlyGodcanseetheirtearsandheartheircries。Theeyeswhichwitnessedthequeeninthislastdrivewerenotallowedtoshedatear；thewordswhichfollowedheronherlastwaycouldexpressnocompassion。
AllParisknewthehouroftheexecution，andthepeoplewerereadytowitnessit。Onthestreets，atthewindows，ontheroofs，immensemasseshadcongregated，andthewholePlacedelaRevolutionnowthePlacedelaConcordewasfilledwithadark，surgingcrowd。
AndnowthedrumsoftheguardsstationedbeforetheConciergeriebegantobeat。Thegreatwhitehorse，whichdrewthecarinwhichthequeensat，sidebysidewiththepriest，andfacingbackward，
wasdrivenforwardbyamanwhowasuponhisback。BehindMarieAntoinettewereSamsonandhisassistants。
Thequeenwaspale，allthebloodhadlefthercheeksandlips，buthereyeswerered!Poorqueen，sheboreeventhenthemarksofmuchweeping!Butshecouldshednotearsthen!Notasingleoneobscuredhereyeasherlookranged，gravelyandcalmly，overthemass，upthehousestotheveryroofs，thenslowlydown，andthenawayovertheboundlessseaofhumanfaces。
Herfacewasascoldandgraveashereyes，herlipswerefirmlycompressed；notaquiverbetrayedwhethershewassuffering，andwhethersheshrankfromthethousandandtenthousandscornfulandcuriouslookswhichwerefixeduponher。AndyetMarieAntoinettesawitall!Shesawawomanraiseachild，shesawthechildthrowherakisswithitslittlehand!Atthatthequeengavewayforaninstant，herlipsquivered，hereyesweredarkenedwithatear!Thissolitarysignofhumansympathyreanimatedtheheartofthequeen，andgaveheralittlefreshlife。
ButthepeopletookgoodcarethatMarieAntoinetteshouldnotcarrythisonedropofcomforttotheendofherjourney。Thepopulacethrongedaroundthecar，howled，groaned，sangribaldsongs，clappedtheirhands，andpointedtheirfingersinderisionatMadameVeto。
Thequeen，however，remainedcalm，hergazewanderingcoldlyoverthevastmultitude；onlyoncedidhereyeflashontheroute。ItwasasshepassedthePalaisRoyal，wherePhilippeEgalite，oncetheDuked’Orleans，lived，andreadtheinscriptionwhichhehadcausedtobeplacedoverthemainentranceofthepalace。
Atnoonthecarreacheditsdestination。Itcametoahaltatthefootofthescaffold；MarieAntoinettedismounted，andthenwalkedslowlyandwitherectheadupthesteps。
Notonceduringherdreadfulridehadherlipsopened，notacomplainthadescapedher，notafarewellhadshespoken。Theonlyadieuwhichshehadtogiveonearthwasalook——onelong，sadlook——
directedtowardtheTuileries；andasshegazedatthegreatpilehercheeksgrewpaler，andadeepsighescapedfromherlips。
Thensheplacedherheadundertheguillotine，——amomentary，breathlesssilencefollowed。
SamsonliftedupthepaleheadthathadoncebelongedtotheQueenofFrance，andthepeoplegreetedthesightwiththecry，“Longlivetherepublic!“
Thatsameeveningoneoftheofficialsoftherepublicmadeupanaccount，nowpreservedintheImperialLibraryofParis，andwhichmustmoveeventhehistorianhimselftotears。Itrunsasfollows：
“Costofinterments，conductedbyJoly，sextonofMadelainedelaVillel’Eveque，ofpersonscondemnedbytheTribunaloftheCommitteeofSafety，towit，No。1……“Thenfollowtwenty-fournamesandnumbers，andthen“No。25。WidowCapet：
Forthecoffin，……6francs。
Fordiggingthegrave，……25francs。“
Beneatharethewords，“Seenandapprovedbyme，PresidentoftheRevolutionaryTribunal，thatJoly，sextonoftheMadelaine，receivethesumoftwohundredandsixty-fourfrancsfromtheNationalTreasury，Paris，llthBrumaire。YearII。oftheFrenchRepublic。
Herman，President。“
TheintermentoftheQueenofFrancedidnotcosttherepublicmorethanthirty-onefrancs，orsixAmericandollars。