MarieAntoinetteslept!Thefearfulexcitementofthepastdayandofthestormyevening，crowdedwithitsevents，hadexhaustedthepowersofthequeen，andshehadfallenintothatdeep，dreamlesssleepwhichsympatheticandgraciousNaturesometimessendstothosewhomFatepursueswithsufferingandperil。
MarieAntoinetteslept!Intheinteriorofthepalaceadeepcalmreigned，andLafayettehadwithdrawnfromthecourtinordertosleeptoo。Butbelow，uponthiscourt，Revolutionkepthervigils，andglaredwithlooksofhatredandvengeancetothedarkwallsbehindwhichthequeenwassleeping。
ThecrownofFrancehadforcenturiessinnedsomuch，andprovedfalsesomuch，thattheloveofthepeoplehadatlastbeentransformedintohate。Thecrownhadsolongsownthewind，thatitcouldnotwonderifithadtoreapthewhirlwind。ThecrimesandinnovationswhichLouisXIV。andLouisXV。hadsownuponthesoilofFrance，hadcreatedanabyssbetweenthecrownandthepeople，outofwhichrevolutionmustarisetoavengethosecrimesandsinsofthepastuponthepresent。Thesinsofthefathershadtobevisiteduponthechildrentothethirdandfourthgeneration。
MarieAntoinettedidnotknowit；shedidnotseetheabysswhichhadopenedbetweenthecrownandthepeople；thecourtiersandflatterershadcovereditwithflowers，andwiththesoundsoffestivitythecriesofadistressedpeoplehadbeendrowned。
Nowtheflowersweretornaway，thefestivesoundshadceased，andMarieAntoinettesawtheabyssbetweenthecrownandthepeople；sheheardthecurses，theragingcriesoftheseexasperatedmen，whohadbeenchangedfromweak，obedientsubjectsintothreatening，domineeringrebels。Shelookedwithsteadyeyedownintotheabyss，andsawthemonsterrisefromthedepthstodestroyherselfandherwholehouse；butshewouldnotdrawback，shewouldnotyield。Shewouldratherbedraggeddownanddestroyedthanmeeklyandmiserablytomakeherwaytothecampofherenemies，totakerefugewiththem。
Bettertodiewiththecrownonherheadthantoliverobbedofhercrowninlowlinessandina，subjectcondition。ThusthoughtMarieAntoinette，asatthecloseofthatdreadfuldayshewenttorest；
thiswasherprayerasshesankuponhercouch：
“Givemepower，OGod，todieasaqueen，ifIcannolongerliveasaqueen!Andstrengthenmyhusband，thathemaynotonlybeagoodman，butakingtoo!“
Withthisprayeronhertremblinglips，shehadfallenasleep。ButwhenCampanstoleontiptoetothequeen’sbedtowatchhermistresswhilesheslept，MarieAntoinetteopenedhereyesagain，andspokeinherfriendlywaytoherdevotedservant。
“Gotobed，Campan，“saidshe，“andthesecondmaidmustliedowntoo。Youallneedrestafterthisevilday，andsleepissorefreshing。Go，Campan，good-night!“
MadamedeCampanhadtoobey，andsteppedoutintotheantechamber，wherewerethetwoothermaids。
“Thequeenisasleep，“shesaid，“andshehascommandedustogotoresttoo。Shallwedoso？“
Thetwowomenansweredonlywithashakeoftheheadandashrugoftheshoulders。
“Iknowverywellthatweareagreed，“saidMadamedeCampan，reachingherhandtothem。“Forustheremustbenosleepto-night，forwemustwatchthequeen。Come，myfriends，letusgointotheantechamber。WeshallfindMr。Varicourt，whowilltelluswhatisgoingonoutside。“
Ontiptoethethreewomenstoleoutintothesecondante-chamber，whichwaslightedonlywithacoupleofglimmeringwaxtapers，andinitsdesolatedisorder，withtheconfusionofchairs，divans，andtables，broughtbacksadrecollectionsofthewildwomenwhohadonthedaybeforepressedintothisapartmentintheirdesiretospeakwiththequeen。Somebodyhadtoldthemthatthiswastheantechamberofthequeen，andtheyhadwithdrawninordertogototheantechamberoftheking。Buttheynowknewthewaythatledtotheapartmentsofthequeen；theyknewnowthatifoneturnedtotheleftsideofthepalace，hewouldcomeatonceintotheapartmentsoccupiedbytheroyalfamily，andthatthequeenoccupiedtheadjacentrooms，directlybehindthehalloftheSwissGuard。
MadamedeCampanthoughtofthis，asshecastherglanceoverthisantechamberwhichadjoinedtheSwisshall，andthisthoughtfilledherwithhorror。
Varicourthadnotyetcomein；nothingdisturbedthesilencearoundher，exceptthedreadfulshoutingandsingingoutsideofthepalace。
“Letusgobackintothewaiting-room，“whisperedhercompanions，“itistoogloomyhere。Onlyhearhowtheyshoutandlaugh!OGod，itisafearfulnight!“
“Yes，afearfulnight，“sighedMadamedeCampan，“andthedaythatfollowsitmaybeyetmorefearful。Butwemustnotloseourcourage。Alldependsuponourhavingdecision，uponourdefyingdanger，anddefendingourmistress。Andsee，therecomesMr。
Varicourt，“shecontinued，earnestly，asthedoorquicklyopened，andanofficeroftheSwissguardcameinwithgreathaste。
“Tellus，myfriend，whatnewsdoyoubringus？“
“Badnews，“sighedVaricourt。“Thecrowdisincreasingeverymoment。
NewcolumnshavearrivedfromParis，andnotonlythecommonpeople，butthespeakersandagitatorsarehere。Everywherearegroupslisteningtothedreadfulspeecheswhichurgeontoregicideandrevolution。Itisadreadful，horriblenight。Treachery，hatred，wickednessaroundthepalace，andcowardiceanddesertionpassoutfromthepalacetothem，andopenthedoors。Manyoftheroyalsoldiershavemadecommoncausewiththepeople，andwalkarminarmwiththemaroundthesquare。“
“Andwhatdothesedreadfulmenwant？“askedCampan。“Whydotheyencamparoundthepalace？Whatistheirobject？“
Mr。Varicourtsadlybowedhishead，andaloudsighcamefromhiscourageousbreast。“TheywantwhattheyshallneverhavewhileIamalive，“hethensaid，withadecidedlook。“Ihaveswornfidelitytothekingandqueen，andIshallkeepittodeath。Mydutycallsme，forthehourofchangingguardsisnear，andmypostisbelowatthegreatstaircasewhichleadsuphere。Weshallmeetatdaylight，ifI
amthenalive。Buttillthenweshalldoourduty。Ishallguardthegrandstaircase，doyouguardthesleeping-roomofthequeen。“
“Yes，wewilldoourduty，“answeredMadamedeCampan，extendingherhandtohim。“Wewillwatchoverthosetowhomwehavedevotedourselves，andtowhomwehavevowedfidelity。Nooneshallpassintothechamberofthequeenwhilewearealive，shallthere？“
“Never，“repliedbothofthewomen，withcourageousdecision。
“AndnooneshallascendthegreatstaircasesolongasIlive，“
saidVaricourt。“Adieunow，ladies，andlistencarefullytoeverysound。Ifavoicecallstoyou，’Itistime，’wakethequeenandsaveher，fordangerwillthenberightuponher。Hark，itisstrikingthree，thatisthehourofchangingguard。Farewell!“
Hewentquicklytothedoor，buttherehestoodstill，andturnedoncemorearound。Hisglanceencounteredthatofhisfriend，andMadamedeCampanunderstooditssilentlanguagewell，forshehastenedtohim。
“Youhavesomethingtosaytome？“
“Yes，“hewhisperedsoftly，“IhaveapresentimentthatIshallnotsurvivethehorrorsofthisnight。IhaveonewhomIlove，who，asyouknow，isbetrothedtome。IfIfallintheserviceoftheking，IaskyoutoseemyCecilia，andtellherthatIdiedwithhernameuponmylips!Tellhernottoweepforme，butatthesametimenottoforgetme。Farewell。“
Hehurriedlyopenedthedoorandhastenedaway。MadamedeCampanrepressedthetearswhichwouldfillhereyes，andturnedtothetwomaids。
“Now，“saidshe，withdecisivetones，“letusreturntothewaiting-
roomandwatchthedoorofthequeen’schamber。“
Withafirmstepshewalkedon，andtheladiesfollowed。Withoutanynoisetheyenteredthelittlehall，whereinthemorningsthoseladiesofthecourtusedtogatherwhohadtherighttobepresentwhilethequeendressedherself。MadamedeCampanlockedthedoorthroughwhichtheyhadentered，behindher，drewoutthekeyandhiditinherpocket。
“Noonewillenterherewithmywill，“saidshe。“Nowwewillplacechairsbeforethedoorofthesleeping-room，andsitthere。Weshallthenhaveerectedabarricadebeforeourqueen，awallwhichwillbeasstrongasanyother，fortherebeatthreecourageousheartswithinit。“
Theysatdownuponthechairs，whosehighbacksleanedagainstthedoorofthequeen’sroom，and，takingoneanother’shands，begantheirhallowedwatch。
Allwasstillanddesolatearoundthem。Nooneofthewomencouldbreakthesilencewithawordoraremark。Withdumblips，withopeneyes，thethreewatcherssatandhearkenedtothesoundsofthenight。Attimes，whentheroaringwithoutwasuncommonlyloudandwild，theypressedoneanother’shands，andspoketooneanotherinlooks；butwhenthesoundsdiedaway，theyturnedtheireyesoncemoretothewindowsandlistened。
Slowly，dreadfullyslowlymovedthefingersofthegreatclockaboveonthechimney。MadamedeCampanoftenfixedhergazeuponit，anditseemedtoherasiftimemusthaveceasedtogoon，foritappearedtobeaneternitysinceVaricourthadtakenleaveofher，andyetthetwolongerfingersonthedialhadnotindicatedthefourthhouraftermidnight。Butthependulumstillcontinueditsregular，evenswinging；thetimewentforward；onlyeverymomentmadethehorror，thefearofunknowndangerseemlikeaneternity!
Atlast，slowly，withcalmstroke，thehourbegantostrikefouro’clock。Andamidthedreadfulsoundsoutsidethepalace，thewomencouldrecognizethedeeptonesofthegreatclockontheSwisshall。
Fouro’clock!Onesolitary，dreadfulhourispassed!Threehoursmore，threeeternitiesbeforedaylightcomes!
Buthark!whatnew，fearfulnoisewithout？Thatisnomorethesoundofsingingandshouting，andcrying——thatisthebattle-cry-thatistherattleandclatterofmuskets。Thethreewomensprangup，movedasifbyonethought，animatedbyonepurpose。Theymovedthechairsbackfromthedoor，ready，assoonasdangershouldapproach，togointothechamberofthequeenandawakenher。Campanthenslippedacrosstheroomtothedooroftheantechamber，whichshehadlookedbefore。Shelaidhereartothekey-hole，andlistened。Allwasstillandquietinthenextroom；noonewasintheantechamber。
Therewasnoimmediatedangernear，forVaricourt’svoicehadnotyetutteredthecryofwarning。
Butmorefearfulgrewthenoiseoutside。Thecrackleofmusketrywasmorenoticeable，andeverynowandthenthereseemedtobeheavystrokesasifdirectedagainstthepalace，soundingasifthepeoplewereattemptingtoforcetheirongateofthefrontcourt。