Thequeenutteredanexclamationofindignation，and，raisingthehand，pointedwithacommandinggesturetothedoor。
“MyLordDukedeCoigny，“saidshe，proudly，“IreleaseyoufromthedutyofevercomingagaintoTrianon。Youaredismissed。“
Theduke，tremblingwithanger，mutteringafewunintelligiblewords，madeaslight，carelessobeisancetothequeen，andleftthebilliard-hallwithaquickstep。[Footnote：Thissceneishistorical。
See“MemoiresdeMadamedeCampan，“vol。ii。]
MarieAntoinettelookedafterhimwithalongandpainedlook。Then，withadeepsigh，shetookupthebitsofthebrokencueandwentintoherlittleporcelaincabinet，inordertogainrestandself-
commandinsolitudeandstillness。
Reachingthatplace，andnowsurethatnoonecouldobserveher，MarieAntoinettesankwithadeepsighintoanarm-chair，andthelong-restrainedtearsstartedfromhereyes。
“Oh，“sighedshe，sadly，“theywilldestroyeverythingIhave，everything——myconfidence，myspirit，myheartitself。Theywillleavemenothingbutpainandmisfortune，andnotoneofthemwhomI
tillnowhaveheldtobemyfriends，willshareitwithme。“
Forawholeyearthepreparationforthetrialhadlasted，andto-
day，the31stofAugust，1786，thematterwouldbedecided。Thefriendsandrelativesofthecardinalhadhadtimetomanipulatenotonlypublicopinion，butalsotowinoverthejudges，themembersofParliament，tothecauseofthecardinal，andtoprejudicethemagainstthequeen。AlltheenemiesofMarieAntoinette，thelegitimistseven，whosawtheiroldrightsofnobilityencroacheduponbythepreferencegiventothePolignacsandotherfamilieswhichhadsprungfromobscurity；thepartyoftheroyalprincesandprincesses，whomMarieAntoinettehadalwaysoffended，firstbecauseshewasanAustrian，andlaterbecauseshehadallowedherselftowintheloveoftheking；themenoftheagitationandfreedomparty，whothunderedintheirclubsagainsttherealm，andheldittobetheirsacreddutytodestroythenimbuswhich，hadhithertoenvelopedthethrone，andtoshowtothehungeringpeoplethatthequeenwholivedinluxurywasnothingmorethanalight-minded，voluptuouswoman，——alltheseenemiesofthequeenhadhadtimetogainoverpublicopinionandthejudges。Thetrialhadbeenawelcomeopportunitytoalltogivefreeplaytotheirrevenge，theirindignation，andtheirhate。Thefamilyofthecardinal，sorelytouchedbythedegradationwhichhadcomeuponthemallintheirhead，would，attheleast，seethequeencompromisedwiththecardinal，andifthelattershouldreallycomeoutfromthetrialasthedeceivedanddupedone，MarieAntoinetteshould，nevertheless，shareinthestain。
TheRohanfamilyandtheirfriendssetthereforeallmeansinmotion，inordertowinoverpublicopinionandthejudges。TothisendtheyvisitedthemembersofParliament，broughtpresentstothoseofthemwhowerewillingtoreceivethem，madeuseofmercenaryauthorstohurllibellouspamphletsatthequeen，publishedbrochureswhich，indignifiedlanguage，defendedthecardinalinadvance，andexhibitedhimasthevictimofhisdevotionandlovetotheroyalfamily。Everybodyreadthesepamphlets；andwhenatlastthedayofdecisioncame，publicopinionhadalreadydeclareditselfinfavorofthecardinalandagainstthequeen。
Onthe31stofAugust，1786，asalreadysaid，thetrialsolonginpreparationwastobedecided。Thenightbefore，thecardinalhadbeentransferredfromtheBastiletotheprison，ashadalsotheotherprisonerswhowereinvolvedinthecase。
Atearlydawnthewholesquarebeforetheprisonwasfullofmen，andthedependantsofRohanandtheAgitatorsofFreedom，asMaratandhiscompanionscalledthemselves，wereactivehereasevertoturnthefeelingofthepeopleagainstthequeen。
Inthecourt-house，ontheothersideofthegreatsquare，meanwhile，thegreatdramaofthetrialhadbegun。ThemembersofParliament，thejudgesinthecase，satintheirflowingblackgarments，inlongrowsbeforethegreentable，andtheirserious，sadfacesandsympatheticlookswerealldirectedtowardthecardinal，LouisdeRohan。Butinspiteofthedangerofthesituation，thenoblefaceofthecardinalwascompletelyundisturbed，andhisbearingprincely。Heappearedinhisfullpriestlyarray，substitutinginplaceofthepurple-redunder-
garmentoneofviolet，ascardinalsdowhentheyappearinmourning。
Overthisheworetheshortredcloak，anddisplayedallhisorders；
theredstockings，thesilkshoeswithjewelledbuckles，completedhisarray。Whileentering，heraisedhishandsandgavehispriestlyblessingtothosewhoshouldjudgehim，andperhapscondemnhim。Hethen，insimpleanddignifiedwords，spokeasfollows：
Arelativeofhis，MadamedeBoulainvillier，had，threeyearsbefore，broughtayoungwomantohim，andrequestedhimtomaintainher。Shewasofthemostexaltedlineage，thelastindescentfromtheearlierkingsofFrance，ofthefamilyofValois。ShecalledherselftheCountessofLamotte-Valois；herhusband，theCountLamotte，wastheroyalsub-lieutenantinsomelittlegarrisoncity，andhissalarywasnotabletosupportthemexceptmeagrely。Theyoungladywasbeautiful，intellectual，ofnoblemanners，anditwasnaturalthatthecardinalshouldinteresthimselfinbehalfoftheunfortunatedaughterofthekingsofFrance。Hesupportedherforawhile，andaftermanyexertionssucceededinobtainingapensionoffifteenhundredfrancsfromKingLouisXVI。，inbehalfofthelastdescendantoftheValoisfamily。UponthisthecountesswentherselftoVersailles，inordertorenderthanksinpersonforthisfavor。
ShereturnedthenextdaytoParis，beamingwithjoy，andtoldthecardinalthatshehadnotonlybeenreceivedbythequeen，butthatMarieAntoinettehadbeenexceedinglygracioustoher，andhadrequestedhertovisitheroften。Fromthisdayon，thecountesshadnaturallygainednewfavorintheeyesofthecardinal，forsheoftenwenttoVersailles；andfromtheaccountsofhervisitsthere，whenshereturned，itwasclearthatshestoodinhighfavorwiththequeen。Butnow，unfortunately，thecardinalfoundhimselfinpreciselytheoppositesituation。Hestoodinextremedisfavorwiththequeen。Shenevercondescendedtobestowaglanceuponhim，noraword。Thecardinalwasforalongtimeinconsolableonaccountofthis，andsoughtinvaintoregainthefavorofthequeen。ThisheintrustedwiththedeepestconfidencetotheCountessLamotte-
Valois，andshe，fulloffriendlyzeal，hadundertakentospeaktothequeeninhisbehalf。Somedayslatershetoldthecardinalthatshehadfulfilledherpromise；shehadpaintedhissadnessinsuchmovingwordsthatthequeenappearedtobeverymuchaffected，andhadtoldthecountessthatshewouldpardonall，ifthecardinalwouldsendherinwritinganapologyforthemortificationswhichhehadinflicteduponherselfandhermotherMariaTheresa。Thecardinal，ofcourse，joyfullyconsentedtothis。HesenttothecountessadocumentinwhichhehumblybeggedpardonforaskingtheEmpressMariaTheresa，yearsbefore，whenMarieAntoinettewasyetDauphinessofFrance，andhe，thecardinal，wasFrenchambassadorinVienna，tochideherdaughteronaccountofherlightandhaughtybehavior，andtochargeherselfwithseeingitbettered。Thiswastheonlyoffenceagainstthequeenofwhichhefelthimselfguilty，andforthishehumblyimploredforgiveness。Hehad，atthesametime，beggedthequeenforanaudience，thathemightpayhisrespectstoher，andonbendedkneeaskherpardon。Somedaysafter，theCountessLamotte-Valoishadhandedhimapaper，writtenwiththequeen’shand，asananswertohisletter。
Thepresidenthereinterruptedthecardinal：“Areyoustillinpossessionofthisdocument，youreminence？“
Thecardinalbowed。“Ihavealways，sinceIhadthefortunetoreceivethem，carriedwithmethedear，andtomeinvaluable，lettersofthequeen。OnthedaywhenIwasarrestedinVersailles，theylayinmybreastcoat-pocket。Itwasmyfortune，andthemisfortuneofthosewho，afterIhadbeencarriedtotheBastile，burstintomypalace，sealedmypapers，andatonceburnedwhatdispleasedthem。Inthiswaytheselettersescapedtheauto-da-fe。
Hereisthefirstletterofthequeen。“
Hedrewapocket-bookfromhisrobe，tookfromitasmallfoldedpaper，andlaidituponthetablebeforethepresident。
Thepresidentopeneditandread：“Ihavereceivedyourbrief，andamdelightedtofindyounolongerculpable；inthemeanwhile，Iamsorrynottobeabletogiveyoutheaudiencewhichyouask。Assoon，however，ascircumstancesallowme，Ishallinformyou；tillthen，silence。MarieAntoinetteofFrance。“[Footnote：Goncourt——
“HistoiredeMarieAntoinette，“p。143。]
Amurmurofastonishmentaroseamongthejudgesafterthisreading，andalllooksweredirectedwithdeepsympathytothecardinal，who，withaquiet，modestbearing，stoodoveragainstthem。Theglancesofthepresidentofthehighcourt，directedthemselves，afterhehadreadtheletterandlaidituponthegreentable，tothegreatdignitaryoftheChurch，andthenheseemedtonoticeforthefirsttimethatthecardinal，aprinceandgrandalmoneroftheKingofPrance，wasstandinglikeacommoncriminal。
“Givethelordcardinalanarm-chair，“heordered，withaloudvoice，andoneoftheguardsrantobringoneofthebroad，comfortablechairsofthejudges，whichwasjustthenunoccupied，andcarriedittothecardinal。
PrinceRohanthankedthejudgeswithaslightinclinationofhisproudhead，andsankintothearm-chair。Theaccusedandthejudgesnowsatonthesameseats，andonewouldalmosthavesuspectedthatthecardinal，inhismagnificentcostume，withhisnoble，loftybearing，hispeaceful，passionlessface，andsittinginhisarm-
chair，aloneandseparatedfromallothers，washimselfthejudgeofthosewho，intheirdarkgarmentsandtroubledandoppressedspirits，andrestlessmien，weresittingoppositehim。
“Willyoureminencehavethegoodnesstoproceed？“humblyaskedthepresidentofthecourt，afterapause。Thecardinalnoddedasthesignofassent，andcontinuedhisnarrative。