Allthegentlemenpresentrushedtowardthequeen，eachdesiroustohavethehonorofwaitinguponher。MarieAntoinettethankedthemallwithapleasantsmile，andtookthearmoftheeldestgentlemanthere，theBarondeBesenval。
“Come，baron，“saidshe，“Iknowanewpath，whichnoneofthesegentryhavelearned，andIamsurethatweshallbethefirsttoreachtheplacewherethekingis。“
Restingonthearmofthebaron，sheleftthesaloon，andpassedoutofthedooropposite，uponthelittleterraceleadingtothewell-
shadedpark。
“WewillgothroughtheEnglishgarden。Ihavehadthemopenapaththroughthethicket，whichwillleadusdirectlytoourgoal；whiletheotherswillallhavetogothroughtheItaliangarden，andsomakeacircuit。Butlook，mylord，somebodyiscomingthere——whoisit？“
Andthequeenpointedtothetall，slimfigureofamanwhowasjustthenstridingalongtheterrace。
“Madame，“answeredthebaron，“itistheDukedeFronac。“
“Alas!“murmuredMarieAntoinette，“heiscomingtolaynewburdensuponus，andtoputusinthewayofmeetingmoredisagreeablethings。“
“WoulditbeyourwishthatIshoulddismisshim？Doyougivemepowertotellhimthatyouextendnoaudiencetohimhere？“
“Oh!donotdoso，“sighedMarieAntoinette。“He，too，isoneofmyenemies，andwemustproceedmuchmoretenderlywithourdearenemiesthanwithourfriends。“
JustthentheDukedeFronacascendedthelastterrace，andapproachedthequeenwithrepeatedbows，whichshereciprocatedwithanearnestlookandagentleinclinationofthehead。
“Well，duke，isitIwithwhomthechiefmanageroftheroyaltheatreswishestospeak？“
“Madame，“answeredtheduke，“Iamcometobeganaudienceofyourmajesty。“
“Youhaveit；anditis，asyousee，averyimposingaudience，forwestandinthethroneroomofGod，andthecanopyofHeavenarchesoverus。Nowsay，duke，whatbringsyoutome？“
“Yourmajesty，Iamcometofileanaccusation!“
“Andofcourseagainstme？“askedthequeen，withahaughtysmile。
Thedukepretendednottohearthequestion，andwenton：“Iamcometobringachargeandtoclaimmyrights。Hismajestyhashadthegracetoappointmemanager-in-chiefofalltheroyaltheatres，andtogivemetheirsupremecontrol。“
“Well，whathasthattodowithme？“askedthequeeninhercoldestway。“Youhavethenyourdutiesassignedyou，toherightfullyfulfilled，andtokeepyourtheatresinorder，asiftheyweretroopsunderyourcare。“
“But，yourmajesty，thereisatheatrewhichseekstofreeitselffrommydirection。AndbyvirtueofmyofficeandmytrustImuststringentlyurgeyouthatthisnewtheatreroyalbedeliveredintomycharge。“
“Idonotunderstandyou，“saidthequeen，coolly。“Ofwhatnewtheatreareyouspeaking，andwhereisit？“
“Yourmajesty，itishereinTrianon。Hereoperettas，comedies，andvaudevillesareplayed。Thestageisfurnishedasallstagesare；itisapermanentstage，andIcanthereforeaskthatitbegivenoverintomycharge，for，Irepeatitagain，thekinghasappointedmedirectorofallthecollectivetheatresroyal。“
“But，duke，“answeredthequeenwithasomewhatmoreplianttone，“youforgetonething，andthatis，thatthetheatreinTrianondoesnotbelongtothetheatresofhismajesty。Itismystage，andTrianonismyrealm。Haveyounotreadontheplacards，whichareattheentranceofTrianon，thatitisthequeenwhogiveslawshere？
DoyounotknowthatthekinghasgivenmethisbitofgroundthatI
mayenjoymyfreedomhere，andhaveaplacewheretheQueenofFrancemayhaveawillofherown？“
“Yourmajesty，“answeredthedukewithanexpressionoftheprofoundestdeference，“Ibegyourpardon。IdidnotsupposethattherewasaplaceinFrancewherethekingisnotthelordparamount，andwherehiscommandsarenotimperative。“
“Yousee，then，thatyouaremistaken。HereinTrianonIamking，andmycommandsarebinding。“
“Thatdoesnotprevent，yourmajesty，thecommandsofthekinghavingequalforce，“repliedtheduke，withvehemence。“AndeveniftheQueenofFrancedisownstheselaws，yetothersdonotdaretaketheriskoffollowingtheexampleofthequeen。Fortheyremain，wherevertheyare，thesubjectsoftheking。SoevenhereinTrianonIamstilltheobedientsubjectofhismajesty，andhiscommandsandmydutiesareboundtoberespectedbyme。“
“Mylordduke，“criedthequeenwithfreshimpatience，“youarefreenevertocometoTrianon。Igiveyoumyfullpermissiontothatend，andthusyouwillberelievedfromthepossibilityofevercomingintocollisionwithyourever-delicateconscienceandthecommandsoftheking。“
“But，yourmajesty，thereisatheatreinTrianon!“
“Notthisindefinitephrase，duke；thereisatheatreinTrianon，butIthequeen，theprincessoftheroyalfamily，andtheguestsI
invite，supportatheatreinTrianon。Letmesaythisonceforall：
youcannothavethedirectionwherewearetheactors。Besides，I
havehadoccasionseveraltimestogiveyoumyviewsrespectingTrianon。Ihavenocourthere。Ilivehereasaprivateperson。Iamherebutalandowner，andthepleasuresandenjoymentswhichI
providehereformyselfandmyfriendsshallneverbesupervisedbyanyonebutmyselfalone。“[Footnote：Theverywordsofthequeen——
SeeGoncourt，“HistoiredeMarieAntoinette“]
“Yourmajesty，“saidtheduke，withacoldsmile，“itisnosinglepersonthatsupervisesyou；itispublicopinion，andIthinkthatthiswillspeakonmyside。“
Thedukebowed，and，withoutwaitingforasignfromthequeentowithdraw，heturnedaroundandbegantodescendtheterrace。
“Heisashamelessman!“mutteredthequeen，withpalecheeksandflashingeyes，asshefollowedhimwithherlooks。
“Heisambitious，“whisperedBesenval；“heimploresyourmajestyinthisway，andriskshislifeandhisoffice，inthehopeofbeingreceivedintothecourtsociety。“
“No，no，“answeredMarieAntoinette，eagerly；“thereisnothinginmethatattractshim。Theking’sauntshavesethimagainstme，andthisisanewwaywhichtheirtendercarehasconjureduptoirritateme，andmakemesick。
Yetletusleavethis，baron。Letusforgetthisfolly，andonlyrememberthatweareinTrianon。See，wearenowenteringmydearEnglishgarden。Oh，lookaroundyou，baron，andthentellmeisitnotbeautifulhere，andhaveInotreasontobeproudofwhatIhavecalledhereintobeing？“
Whilethusspeaking，thequeenadvancedwitheager，flyingstepstotheexquisitebedsofflowerswhichbeautifullyvariegatedthesurfaceoftheEnglishgarden。
Itwasinverytruththecreationofthequeen，thisEnglishgarden，anditformedastrikingcontrasttothesolemn，statelyhedges，thestraightalleys，theregularflowerbeds，thecarefullywalledpoolsandbrooks，whichwerehabitualinthegardensofVersaillesandTrianon。IntheEnglishgardeneverythingwascosyandnatural。Thewatersfoamedhere，andtheretheygatheredthemselvestogetherandstoodstill；hereandtherewereplantswhichgrewjustwherethewindhadscatteredtheseed。Hundredsofthefinesttrees——willows，Americanoaks，acacias，firs——threwtheirshadeabroad，andwroughtarichdiversityinthecolorsofthefoliage。Thesoilhereroseintogentlehillocks，andtheresankindepressionsandnaturalgorges。Allthingsseemedwithoutorderorsystem，andwherearthaddoneitswork，thereseemedtobethemerehandoffree，unfetteredNature。
Thefartherthequeenadvancedwithhercompanionintothegarden，themoreglowingbecamehercountenance，andthemorehereyesbeamedwiththeiraccustomedfire。
“Isitnotbeautifulhere？“askedshe，ofthebaron，whowaswalkingsilentlybyherside。
“Itisbeautifulwhereveryourmajestyis，“answeredhe，withanalmosttootendertone。Butthequeendidnotnoticeit。Herheartwasfilledwithanartlessjoy；shelistenedwithsuspendedbreathtothetrillingsongofthebirds，warblingtheirgladhymnsofpraiseoutfromthethicketsofverdure。Howcouldshehaveanythoughtoftheidlesuggestionsofthevoiceofthebaron，whohadbeenchosenashercompanionbecauseofhisforty-fiveyears，andofhishairbeingtingedwithgray？
“Itseemstome，baron，“shesaid，withacharminglaugh，whilelookingatabirdwhich，itssongjustended，soaredfromthebushestotheheavens——“itseemstomeasifNaturewantedtosendmeagreeting，anddeputedthisbirdtobringittome。Ah，“shewentontosay，withquicklycloudedbrow，“itisreallyneedfulthatI
shouldattimeshearthefriendlynotesandthesweetmelodiesofsuchagenuinewelcome。Ihavesufferedagreatdealtoday，baron，andthewelcomeofthisbirdofTrianonwasthebalmofmanyawoundthatIhavereceivedsinceyesterday。“
“YourmajestywasinParis？“askedBesenval，hesitatingly，andwithasearchingglanceofhiscunning，darkeyes，directedtothesadcountenanceofMarieAntoinette。
“IwasinParis，“answeredshe，withaflushofjoy；“andthegoodParisianswelcomedthewifeofthekingandthemotherofthechildrenofFrancewithastormofenthusiasm。“