ut them lamenting that there
would be no halt, and that they should barely see the Princess after
all. They were mistaken, however. It was one of the plans of the
journey that the royal carriage should stop for a few moments at every
post-house, whether fresh horses were wanted or not, in order that the
loyal feeling of the people should be cherished by a sight of her who
was to be their queen, and whose appearance was indeed likely to
captivate all eyes and hearts.

The six bay horses were checked precisely at the right spot: and all
which preceded the royal carriage halted at the same moment. The air
was rent by a cheer, such a cheer as convinced the Count and his family
how faint in comparison their welcome had been, when they had appeared
from the by-road to the chateau half an hour before. When his train had
taken their station at the entrance of Saint Menehould, there had been a
few cries of "Long live the Count our lord!" but they were a mere
whisper compared with the acclamation which greeted the Dauphiness.

The royal carriage was open almost all round, so that the Princess was
conspicuously visible. She was full as beautiful as any of the gazers
had expected. Her complexion was fresh and fair, her countenance
smiling, and her blue eyes full of spirit and feeling; and though she
looked no more than fifteen (her actual age), all thought, as she moved
her stately head in answer to their greeting, that they had never seen
so dignified a lady.

In about two minutes from the halting of her carriage, Jerome turned his
head round with a hasty smile to the boys; and before they knew what it
meant, his and his comrade's horses began scrambling and sliding.
Jerome's opened a way for the boys to escape into the road from the
danger of a kick; and as soon as they were safe there, the horses began
to prance, and make yet more confusion. The Dauphiness looked that way,
as Jerome intended that she should; and when her attention was fairly
fixed, he called to the boys to come back to their places.

As Jerome had hoped, their doleful faces, all swollen with crying,
attracted the notice of the Princess, who had hitherto met only smiling
countenances wherever she turned, since she had entered her new country.
These traces of tears carried back her thoughts to her own weeping,
some days before, on leaving Vienna; and she suddenly beckoned to the
children. In a moment a hundred voices bade them go forward to the
carriag