hildren, to reach the room where the
king was, but could not. Each seems to have believed that it was the
intention of the mob to murder one or both of them, and there was much
said of the murderers' arms which were carried; but it does not now
appear probable that there was any such intention. There was nothing to
prevent its execution; for the multitude could in a moment have
overpowered ten times the number of adherents that were about the royal
family; and the Assembly were not seen or heard of till past six, when
the mob had been parading about the palace for an hour and a half.
However, the royal party did expect murder, and their suspense of three
hours must have been terrible.

The queen was secured, like the king, behind a table. She put a large
tricolor cockade upon her head, and placed the Dauphin on a table before
her. There sat poor little Louis, with a great red woollen cap covering
his head, down to his very eyes, seeing how his governess and the other
ladies behind his mother were terrified, and perhaps finding out how his
mother's heart was swelling, and well-nigh bursting, while her face and
manner were calm and dignified. He saw, too, the horrible things that
were shown in the procession. The bullock's heart was there; and there
was a little gibbet, with a little doll hung to it, and his mother's
name written below. He heard many dreadful things said to her; but he
also heard her answers, and saw that they pleased the people. One angry
woman stood and railed at the queen. The queen asked whether she had
ever seen her before, and whether she had ever done her any injury.
"No," said the woman; "but it is you who have done the country so much
harm."

"You have been told so; but you are mistaken," said the queen. "Being
the wife of the king of France, and mother of the Dauphin, I am a
Frenchwoman. I shall never see my own country again; it is in France
that I must be happy or unhappy. I was very happy till you began to
hate me." The woman was softened at once. She said, with tears, "I did
not know you. I see now that you are good."

The queen could not in the least comprehend the hatred of royalty, which
had now become common. She could not comprehend it, because she was
born royal; and it seemed to her as natural that princes should be
served and obeyed by everybody below them as that children should be
ruled by their parents. She also knew nothing of the miseries caused
for long year