asked her, "How old is your girl?" "She is old enough," replied the queen,
"to feel acutely such scenes as these." But, while these brief
conversations were going on, the crowd kept pressing forward. One officer
had drawn a table in front of the queen as she advanced, so as to screen
her from actual contact with any of the rioters, but more than one of them
stretched across it as if to reach her. One fellow demanded that she
should put a red cap, which he threw to her, on the head of the dauphin,
and, as she saw the king wearing one, she consented; but it was too large
and fell down the child's face, almost stifling him with its thickness.
Santerre himself reached across and removed it, and, leaning with his
hands on the table, which shook beneath his vehemence, addressed her with
what he meant for courtesy. "Princess," said he, "do not fear. The French
people do not wish to slay you. I promise this in their name." Marie
Antoinette had long ago declared that her heart had become French; it was
too much so for her to allow such a man's claim to be the spokesman of the
nation. "It is not by such as you," she replied, with lofty scorn; "it is
not by such as you that I judge of the French people, but by brave men
like these;" and she pointed to the gentlemen who were standing round her
as her champions, and to the faithful grenadiers. The well-timed and
well-deserved compliment roused them to still greater enthusiasm, but
already the danger was passing away.

The Assembly had seen with indifference the departure of the mob to attack
the Tuileries, and had proceeded with its ordinary business as if nothing
were likely to happen which could call for its interference. But when the
uproar within the palace became audible in the hall, the Count de Dumas,
one of the very few men of noble birth who had been returned to this
second Assembly, with a few other deputies of the better class, hastened
to see what was taking place, and, quickly returning, reported the king's
imminent danger to their colleagues. Dumas gave such offense by the
boldness of his language that some of the Jacobins threatened him with
violence, but he refused to be silenced; and his firmness prevailed, as
firmness nearly always did prevail in an Assembly where, though there were
many fierce and vehement blusterers, there were very few men of real
courage. In compliance with his vehement demand for instant action, a
deputation of members was sent to take measures