LouisXVI。appearedthatdayarrayedinthegreatroyalermine，andworeuponhisheadaplumedhat，whosebandglistenedwithgreatdiamonds，whilethelargestintheroyalpossession，theso-calledTitt，formedthecentre，andthrewitsraysfarandwide。Thekingappearedattheoutsettobedeeplymovedatthereceptionwhichhadbeengivenhim。Asmile，indicatingthathisfeelingsweretouched，playeduponhisface。Butafterward，whenallwasstill，andthekingsawthegrave，manly，markedfacesofthecommonersoppositehim，hismannerbecameconfused，andforaninstantheseemedtotremble。
Thequeen，however，lookedaroundherwithacalmandself-possessedsurvey。Herfineeyessweptslowlyandsearchinglyovertherowsofgravemenwhosatoppositetheroyalcouple，anddweltamomentonToulan，asifsherecalledinhimtheyoungmanwho，twoyearsbefore，hadbroughtthemessageofCardinalRohan’sacquittal。A
painfulsmileshotforaninstantoverherfinefeatures。Yes，shehadrecognizedhim；theyoungmanwho，atMadamedeCampan’sroom，hadswornavowofeternalfidelitytoher。Andnowhesatoppositeher，onthebenchesofthecommoners，amongherenemies，whogazedatherwithangrylooks。Thatwashiswayoffulfillingthevowwhichhehadmadeofhisownfreewill!
ButMarieAntoinettewonderedatnothingnow；shehadwitnessedthefallingawayofsomanyfriends，shehadbeenforsakenbysomanywhowerecloselyassociatedwithher，andwhowereindebtedtoher，thatitcausedhernosurprisethattheyoungmanwhohardlyknewher，whohadadmiredherinafitofyouthfulrapture，haddonelikealltherestinjoiningthenumberofherenemies。
MarieAntoinettesadlylethereyesfall。Shecouldlookatnothingmore；shehadinthissolemnmomentreceivedanewwound，seenanewdeserter!
Toulanreadherthoughtsinhersadmien，onherthrobbingforehead，buthisowncountenanceremainedcheerfulandbright。
“ShewilllivetoseethedaywhenshewillconfessthatIamherfriend，amtruetoher，“hesaidtohimself。“AndonthatdayI
shallberepaidforthedagger-thrustswhichIhavejustreceivedfromhereyes。Courage，Toulan，courage!Holdupyourheadandbestrong。Thecontesthasbegun；youmustfightitthroughordie!“
Butthequeendidnotraiseherheadagain。Shelookedunspeakablysadinhersimple，unadornedattire——inhermodest，gentlebearing——
anditwasmosttouchingtoseethepale，fairfeatureswhichsoughtinvaintodisclosenothingofthepainfulemotionsofhersoul。
Thekingnowarosefromhisthroneandremovedhisplumedhat。AtonceMarieAntoinetterosefromherarmchair，inordertolistenstandingtotheaddressoftheking。
“Madame，“saidtheking，bowingtoherlightly，“madame，beseated，Ibegofyou。“
“Sire，“answeredMarieAntoinette，calmly，“allowmetostand，foritdoesnotbecomeasubjecttositwhilethekingisstanding。“
Amurmurranthroughtherowsofmen，andloud，scornfullaughterfromoneside。MarieAntoinetteshrankbackasifanadderhadwoundedher，andwithaflashofwrathhereyesdartedinthedirectionwhencethelaughhadcome。ItwasfromPhilipd’Orleans。
Hedidnottakethetroubletosmoothdownhisfeatures；helookedwithsearching，defiantgazeovertothequeen，proclaimingtoherinthisglancethathewasherdeath-foe，thathewasbentonrevengeforthescornwhichshehadpouredoutonthespendthrift-
revengeforthejokewhichshehadoncemadeathisexpensebeforethewholecourt。ItwasatthetimewhentheDuked’Orleans，spendthriftandmiseratthesametime，hadrentedthelowerroomsofhispalacetobeusedasstores。OnhisnextappearanceatVersailles，MarieAntoinettesaid：“Sinceyouhavebecomeashopkeeper，weshallprobablyseeyouatVersaillesonlyonSundaysandholidays，whenyourstoresareclosed!“Philipd’Orleansthoughtofthisatthismoment，ashestaredatthequeenwithhislaughingface，whilehislookswerethreateningvengeanceandrequital。
Thekingnowbeganthespeechwithwhichheproposedtoopentheassemblyofhisestates。Thequeenlistenedwithdeepemotion；afeelingofunspeakablesorrowfilledhersoul，anddespiteallhereffortshereyesfilledwithtears，whichleisurelycourseddownhercheeks。When，atthecloseofhisaddress，thekingsaidthathewasthetruestandmostfaithfulfriendofthepeople，andthatFrancehadhiswholelove，thequeenlookedupwithagentle，beseechingexpression，andhereyesseemedasiftheywantedtosaytothedeputies，“I，too，amafriendofthepeople!I，too，loveFrance!“
Thekingendedhisaddress；itwasfollowedbyaprolongedandlivelyclappingofhands，andsittingdownuponthechairofthethrone，hecoveredhisheadwiththejewelledchapeau。
Atthesamemomentallthenoblemenwhowereinthehallputontheirownhats。AtonceCountMirabeau，therepresentativeoftheThirdEstate，putonhishat；otherdeputiesfollowedhisexample，butToulan，whomMirabeauhadbeforehinderedfromkneeling——Toulannowwantedtopreventtheprouddemocratscoveringthemselvesinpresenceofthequeen。
“Hatsoff!“hecried，withaloudvoice，andhereandthereinthehallthesamecrywasrepeated。
Butfromothersidestherearoseadifferentcry，“Hatson!Becovered!“
Scarcelyhadtheearofthekingcaughtthediscordantcrywhichrangupanddownthehall，whenhesnatchedhishatfromhishead，andatoncethewholeassemblyfollowedhisexample。
Toulanhadgainedhispoint，theassemblyremaineduncoveredinpresenceofthequeen。
Atlast，afterfourlong，painfulhours，theceremonywasended；thequeenfollowedtheexampleoftheking，rising，greetingthedeputieswithagentleinclinationofherhead，andleavingthehallatthesideoftheking。
Someofthedeputiescried，“Longlivetheking!“buttheirwordsdiedawaywithoutfindinganyecho。Notasinglevoicewasraisedinhonorofthequeen!Butoutside，onthesquare，therewereconfusedshouts；thecrowdofpeoplepressedharduptothedoor，andcalledforthequeen。Theyhadseenthedeputiesastheyenteredthehall；
theyhadseenthekingashehadattendeddivineserviceatthechurchofSt。Louis。Nowthepeoplewerecurioustoseethequeen!
Ajoyfullookpassedoverthefaceofthequeenassheheardthosecries。Foralongtimeshehadnotheardsuchacclaims。Sincetheunfortunate1786，sincethenecklacetrial，theyhadbecomemorerare；atlast，theyhadceasedaltogether，andattimesthequeen，whensheappearedinpublic，washailedwithloudhissesandangrymurmurs。
“Thequeen!Thequeen!“soundedlouderandlouderinthegreatsquare。MarieAntoinetteobeyedthecry，enteredthegreathall，hadthedoorsopenedwhichledtothebalcony，wentoutandshowedherselftothepeople，andgreetedthemwithfriendlysmiles。
But，insteadoftheshoutsofapplausewhichshehadexpected，thecrowdrelapsedatonceintoagloomysilence。Notahandwasraisedtogreether，notamouthwasopenedtocry“Longlivethequeen!“
Soon，however，therewasheardaharshwoman’svoiceshouting，“LonglivetheDuked’Orleans!Longlifetothefriendofthepeople!“
Thequeen，paleandtrembling，reeledbackfromthebalcony，andsankalmostinaswoonintothearmsoftheDuchessdePolignac，whowasbehindher。Hereyeswereclosed，andaconvulsivespasmshookherbreast。
Throughtheopeneddoorsofthebalconytheshoutsofthepeoplecouldbeheardallthetime，“LonglivetheDuked’Orleans!“
Thequeen，stillinherswoon，wascarriedintoherapartmentsandlaiduponherbed；onlyMadamedeCampanremainedinfrontofittowatchthequeen，who，itwassupposed，hadfallenasleep。
Adeepsilenceprevailedintheroom，andthestillnessawokeMarieAntoinettefromherhalfinsensibility。Sheopenedhereyes，andseeingCampankneelingbeforeherbed，shethrewherarmsaroundthefaithfulfriend，andwithgaspingbreathbowedherheaduponhershoulder。
“Oh，Campan，“shecried，withloud，chokingvoice，“ruinisuponme!
Iamundone!Allmyhappinessisover，andsoonmylifewillbeovertoo!Ihaveto-daytastedofthebitternessofdeath!Weshallneverbehappymore，fordestructionhangsoverus，andourdeath-sentenceispronounced!“
ForfourweekstheNationalAssemblymetdailyatVersailles；thatistosay，forfourweeksthepoliticalexcitementgrewgreaterdaybyday，thestruggleofthepartiesmorepronouncedandfierce，onlywiththisqualification，thatthepartywhichattackedthequeenwasstrongerthanthatwhichdefendedher。Orrather，toexpresstheexacttruth，therewasnopartyforMarieAntoinette；therewereonlyhereandtheredevotedfriends，whodaredtoencountertheodiumwhichtheirpositioncalleddownuponthem——daredfacethecalumnieswhichweresetincirculationbytheotherparties：thatofthepeople，thedemocrats；thatofOrleans；thatoftheprincesandprincessesoftheroyalfamily。Alltheseunitedtheirforcesinordertoattackthe“Austrian，“toobscurethelastgleamsoftheloveandrespectwhichwerepaidtoherinhappierdays。
WhenMirabeaumadethepropositionintheNationalAssemblythatthepersonofthekingshouldbedeclaredinviolable，therearosefromallthesefourhundredrepresentativesoftheFrenchnationonlyonemanwhodaredtodeclarewithaloudvoiceandwithdefiantface，“Thepersonsofthekingandqueenshallbedeclaredinviolable!“
ThiswasToulan，the“soldierofthequeen。“ButtheAssemblyrepliedtothisdemandonlywithloudmurmurs，andscornfullaughter；notavoicewasraisedinsupportofthislastcryinfavorofthequeen，andtheAssemblydecreedonlythis：“Thepersonofthekingisinviolable。“
“Thatmeans，“saidthequeentothepoliceministerBrienne，whobroughtthequeeneverymorningtidingsofwhathadoccurredatParisandVersailles，“thatmeansthatmydeath-warrantwassignedyesterday。“
“Yourmajestygoestoofar!“criedtheministerinhorror，“Ithinkthatthishasanentirelydifferentmeaning。TheNationalAssemblyhasnotpronouncedthepersonofthequeeninviolable，becausetheywanttosaythatthequeenhasnothingtodowithpolitics，andthereforeitisunnecessarytopassjudgmentupontheinviolabilityofthequeen。“