“Prayforme；praythatGodmayletmedrinkofLethe，thatImayforgetallthathaseverbeen!PraythatImaybesatisfiedwithwhatremains，andthatmyheartmayhowinhumilityandpatience!“
Thusthoughtthequeenasshebegantosing，notoneofhergreatariaswhichshehadstudiedwithGarat，andwhichthecourtusedtoapplaud，butoneofthoselovelylittlesongs，fulloffeelingandmelody，whichdidnotcarryoneawayinadmiration，butwhichfilledtheheartwithjoyanddeepemotion。
Withsuspendedbreath，andgreateyesdirectedfixedlytoMarieAntoinette，thedauphinlistened，butgraduallyhiseyesfell，andmotionlessandwithgravefacethechildsatinhisarm-chair。
MarieAntoinettesawit，andbegantosingoneofthosecradle-songsofthe“Children’sFriend，“whichBerquinhadwritten，andGretryhadsettomusicsocharmingly。
Howstillwasitinthemusic-room，howfullandtouchingwasthevoiceofthequeenasshebeganthelastverse：
“Oh，sleep，mychild，nowsotosleep。Thycryinggrievesmyheart；
Thymother，child，hascausetoweep，Butsleepandfeelnosmart。“
[Footnote：“Dors，monenfant，clostapaupiere，Tescrismedechirentlacoeur；Dors，monenfant，tapauvremoreAbienassezdesadouleur。“]
Allwasstillinthemusic-roomwhenthelastwordsweresung；
motionless，withdowncasteyes，satthedauphinlongafterthesadvoiceofthequeenhadceased。
“Ah，see，“criedMadameElizabeth，withasmile，“IbelievenowourLouishasfallenasleep。“
Butthechildquicklyraisedhisheadandlookedatthesmilingyoungprincesswithareproachfulglance。
“Ah，mydearaunt，“criedhe，reprovingly，“howcouldanyonesleepwhenmammasings？“[Footnote：Thedauphin’sownwords——SeeBeauchesne，vol。i。，p。27。]
MarieAntoinettedrewthechildwithinherarms，andhercountenancebeamedwithdelight。Neverhadthequeenreceivedsogratefulacomplimentfromthemostflatteringcourtierasthesewordsofherfair-hairedboyconveyed，whothrewhisarmsaroundherneckandnestleduptoher。
TheQueenofFranceisstillarich，enviablewoman，forshehaschildrenwholoveher；theQueenofFranceoughtnottolookwithoutcourageintothefuture，forthefuturebelongstoherson。Thethronewhichnowissototteringandinsecure，shallonedaybelongtohim，thedarlingofherheart，andthereforemusthismotherstrugglewithallherpower，andwithallthemeansathercommandcontendforthethronefortheDauphinofFrance，thathemayreceivetheinheritanceofhisfatherintact，andthathisthronemaynotinthefutureplungedownintotheabysswhichtherevolutionhasopened。
No，thedauphin，LouisCharles，shallnotthenthinkreproachfullyofhisparents；heshallnothavecausetocomplainthatthroughwantofspiritandenergytheyhaveimperilledorlostthesacredheritageofhisfathers。
No，QueenMarieAntoinettemaynothaltandlosecourage，——notevenwhenherhusbandhasdoneso，andwhenheispreparedtohumblybowhissacredheadbeneaththatyokeofrevolution，whichtheheroesandoratorsselectedbythenationhavewishedtoputuponhisneckinthenameofFrance。
Thismakeshersadoubleduty，tobeactive，toplan，andwork；tokeepherheaderect，andlookwithsearchingeyeinalldirectionstoseewhencehelpanddeliverancearetocome。
Notfromwithoutcantheycome，notfromforeignmonarchs，norfromtheexiledprinces。Foreignarmieswhichmightmarchintothecountrywouldplacetheking，whohadsummonedthemtofightwithhisownpeople，inthelightofatraitor；andthemomentthattheyshouldpassthefrontiersofFrance，thewrathofthenationwouldannihilatetheroyalcouple。
Onlyfromthosewhohadcalleddownthedangercouldhelpcome。Thechiefsoftherevolution，themenwhohadraisedtheirthreateningvoicesagainsttheroyalcouple，mustbewonovertobecometheadvocatesofroyalty。Andwhowasmorepowerful，whomoreconspicuousamongallthesechiefsoftherevolution，andalltheoratorsoftheNationalAssembly，thanCountMirabeau!
WhenheascendedtheSpeaker’stribuneoftheNationalAssemblyallweresilent，andevenhisopponentslistenedwithrespectfulattentiontohiswords，whichfoundanechothroughallFrance；whenhespoke，whenfromhislipsthethunderofhisspeechesresounded，thelightningflashedinhiseyes，andhisheadwasliketheheadofalion，who，withtheshakingofhismaneandthepowerofhisanger，destroyedeverythingwhichdaredtoputitselfinhisway。
AndtheFrenchnationlovedthislion，andlistenedinreverentialsilencetothethunderofhisspeech，andthethroneshookbeforehim。Andtheexcitablepopulaceshoutedwithadmirationwhenevertheysawthelion，anddeifiedthatCountMirabeau，who，withhispowerul，lace-cuffedhand，hadthrustthesewordsintothefaceofhisowncaste：“Theyhavedonenothingmorethantogivethemselvesthetroubletobeborn。“
Thepeoplelovedthisaristocrat，whowasabhorredbyhisfamilyandthemenofhisownrank；thiscountwhom，thenobilityhatedbecausetheThirdEstatelovedhim。
“CountMirabeaumustbewonover，“CountdelaMarckventuredtosayonedaytoMarieAntoinette。“CountMirabeauisnowthemightiestmaninFrance，andhealoneisabletobringthenationbackagaintothethrone。“
“Itishe，“repliedthequeen，withaglow，“whoismosttoblameforalienatingthenationfromthethrone。Neverwilltherenegadecountbeforgiven!Nevercanthekingstoopsolowastopardonthisapostate，whofrivolouslyprofessesthenewreligionof’liberty，’
anddisownsthefaithofhisfathers。“
“Yourmajesty，“repliedCountdelaMarck，withasigh，“itmaybethatinthehandofthisrenegadeliesthefutureofyourson。“
Thequeentrembled，andtheproudexpressiononherfeatureswassoftened。
“Thefutureofmyson？“saidshe。“Whatdoyoumeanbythat？WhathasCountMirabeautodowiththedauphin？Hiswrathfollowsusonly，hishatredrestsuponusalone!Igrantthatatpresentheispowerful，butoverthefuturehehasnosway。Ihope，onthecontrary，thatthefuturewillavengetheevilthatMirabeaudoestousinthepresent。“
“Buthowdoesithelp，madame，ifvengeancehurrieshimon？“askedCountdelaMarck，sadly。“ThetemplewhichSamsonpulleddownwasnotbuiltagain，thatSamsonmightbetakenfromitsruins；itremainedinitsdustandfragments，anditsglorywasgoneforever。
Oh，Ibeseechyourmajesty，donotlistentothevoiceofyourrighteousindignation，butonlytothevoiceofprudence。Masteryournoble，royalheart，andseektoreconcileyouradversaries，nottopunishthem!“
“Whatdoyoudesireofme？“askedMarieAntoinette，inamazement。
“WhatshallIdo？“
“Yourmajestymustchainthelion，“whisperedthecount。“YourmajestymusthavethegracetochangeMirabeautheenemyintoMirabeauthedevotedallyandfriend!“
“Impossible，itisimpossible!“criedthequeen，inhorror。“I
cannotdescendtothis。InevercanviewwithfriendlylooksthismonsterwhoisaccountableforthehorrorsofthoseOctoberdays。I
canonlyspeakofthisman，whohascreatedhisreputationoutofhiscrimes，whoisafaithlessson，afaithlesshusband，afaithlesslover，afaithlessaristocrat，andafaithlessroyalist——Icanonlyspeakofhiminwordsofloathing，scorn，andhorror!No，ratherdiethanacceptassistancefromCountMirabeau!Doyounotknow，count，thathehonorsmehisqueenwithhisenmityandhiscontempt？IsitnotMirabeauwhocausedtheStates-Generaltoacceptthewords’thepersonofthekingisinviolable，’andtorejectthewords’andthatofthequeen？’WasitnotMirabeauwhoonce，whenmyfriendsexhortedhimtomoderation，andbesoughthimtosoftenhiswordsabouttheQueenofFrance，hadthegracetoanswerwithashrug，’Well，shemaykeepherlife!’WasitnotMirabeauwhowastoblamefortheOctoberdays？WasitnotMirabeauwhopubliclysaid：’Thekingandthequeenarelost。Thepeoplehatethemso，thattheywouldevendestroytheircorpses？’“[Footnote：Thequeen’sownwords——SeeGoncourt，“MarieAntoinette，“p。305。]
“Yourmajesty，Mirabeausaidthat，notasathreat，butoutofpity，anddeepconcernandsympathy。“
“Sympathy!“repeatedthequeen，“Mirabeau，whohatesus!“
“No，yourmajesty，Mirabeau，whohonorshisqueen，whoisreadytogivehislifeforyouandforthemonarchy，ifyourmajestywillforgivehimandreceivehimasadefenderofthethrone!“
Thequeenshuddered，andlookedinastonishmentandterrorattheexcitedfaceofCountdelaMarck。“AreyouspeakingofMirabeau，thetribuneofthepeople，“sheasked，“thefieryoratoroftheNationalAssembly？“
“IamspeakingofCountMirabeau，whoyesterdaywastheenemyofthethrone，andwhoto-daywillbeazealousdefender，ifyourmajestywillonlyhaveitso——ifyourmajestywillonlyspeakagraciouswordtohim。“
“Itisimpossible，itisimpossible!“whisperedthequeen。
DelaMarckcontinued：“Sincehehasfrequentlyseenyourmajesty——
sincehehashadoccasiontoobserveyourproudspiritandloftyresignation——achangehastakenplaceinthecharacterofMirabeau。
Heissubduedasthelionissubdued，whenthebeamingeyeofapuresoullooksitintheface。Hemightbeofserviceagain，hemightbereconciled!Hewrites，hespeaksofhisexaltedqueenwithadmiration，withenthusiasm；heglowswithalongingdesiretoconfesshissinsatthefeetofyourmajesty，andtoreceiveyourforgiveness。“
“Doesthekingknowthis？“askedMarieAntoinette。“Hasanyonetoldhismajesty？“
“Ishouldnothavetakenthelibertyofspeakingtoyourmajestyaboutthesethingsifthekinghadnotauthorizedme，“repliedCountdelaMarck，bowing。“HismajestyrecognizesittobeanecessarydutytogainMirabeautothethrone，andhehopestohaveinthismatterthecooperationofhisexaltedwife。“
MarieAntoinettesadlyshookherhead。“Iwillspeakwithhismajestyaboutit，“shesaid，withasigh，“butonlyundercircumstancesofextremeurgencycanIsubmittothis，Itellyouinadvance。“
Butthecasewasofextremeurgency，andwhenMarieAntoinettehadseenittobeso，shekeptherwordandconformedtoit，andcommissionedCountdelaMarcktotellhisfriendMirabeauthatthequeenwouldgranthimanaudience。
Butinorderthatthisaudiencemightbeofadvantage，itmustbeconductedwiththedeepestsecrecy。NooneoughttosuspectthatMirabeau，thetribuneofthepeople，theadoredherooftherevolution——Mirabeau，whoruledtheNationalAssembly，andParisitself，whomthefreestofthefreehailedastheirapostleandsaviour，whowiththepowerofhiseloquenceruledthespiritsofthousandsandhundredsofthousandsofmen，——noonecouldsuspectthattheleaderoftherevolutionwouldnowbecomethedevoteddependantuponthemonarchy，andthepaidservantoftheking。