slowly along, but no sleep visited the
eyelids of the inmates of the Tuileries. Scowling guards still eyed them
malignantly, and the royal family could not unbosom to one another
their sorrows but in the presence of those who were hostile spies upon
every word and action. Escape was now apparently hopeless. The events of
the past day had taught them that they had no protection against popular
fury. And they were filled with the most gloomy forebodings of woes yet
to come.

These scenes occurred on the 20th of June, 1792. On the 14th of July of
the same year there was to be a magnificent fete in the Champ de Mars,
as the anniversary of the independence of the nation. The king and queen
were compelled to be present to grace the triumph of the people, and to
give the royal oath. It was anticipated that there would be many
attempts on that day to assassinate the king and queen. Some of the
friends of the royal family urged that they should each wear a
breast-plate which would guard against the first stroke of a dagger, and
thus give the king's friends time to defend him. A breast-plate was
secretly made for the king. It consisted of fifteen folds of Italian
taffeta, and was formed into an under waistcoat and a wide belt. Its
impenetrability was tried, and it resisted all thrusts of the dagger,
and several balls were turned aside by it. Madame Campan wore it for
three days as an under petticoat before an opportunity could be found
for the king to try it on unperceived. At length, one morning, in the
queen's chamber, a moment's opportunity occurred, and he slipped it on,
saying, at the same time, to Madame Campan, "It is to satisfy the queen
that I submit to this inconvenience. They will not assassinate me. Their
scheme is changed. They will put me to death in another way."

A dagger-proof corset had also been prepared for the queen without her
knowledge. She, however, could not be persuaded to wear it. "If they
assassinate _me_," she said, "it will be a most happy event. It will
release me from the most sorrowful existence, and may save from a cruel
death the rest of the family." The 14th of July arrived. The king,
queen, and dauphin were marched, like captives gracing an Oriental
triumph, at the head of the procession, from the palace to the Champ de
Mars. With pensive features and saddened hearts they passed along
through the single file of soldiers, who were barely able to keep at bay
the raging mob, furious for their b