illes Municipality (an old Monarchic one,
not yet refounded into a Democratic) instantly second the proposal? Nay
the very Versailles National Guard, wearied with continual duty at
the Chateau, did not object; only Draper Lecointre, who is now Major
Lecointre, shook his head.--Yes, Friends, surely it was natural this
Regiment de Flandre should be sent for, since it could be got. It was
natural that, at sight of military bandoleers, the heart of the rallied
Oeil-de-Boeuf should revive; and Maids of Honour, and gentlemen of
honour, speak comfortable words to epauletted defenders, and to one
another. Natural also, and mere common civility, that the Bodyguards, a
Regiment of Gentlemen, should invite their Flandre brethren to a Dinner
of welcome!--Such invitation, in the last days of September, is given
and accepted.

Dinners are defined as 'the ultimate act of communion;' men that can
have communion in nothing else, can sympathetically eat together, can
still rise into some glow of brotherhood over food and wine. The dinner
is fixed on, for Thursday the First of October; and ought to have a fine
effect. Further, as such Dinner may be rather extensive, and even the
Noncommissioned and the Common man be introduced, to see and to hear,
could not His Majesty's Opera Apartment, which has lain quite silent
ever since Kaiser Joseph was here, be obtained for the purpose?--The
Hall of the Opera is granted; the Salon d'Hercule shall be drawingroom.
Not only the Officers of Flandre, but of the Swiss, of the Hundred
Swiss, nay of the Versailles National Guard, such of them as have any
loyalty, shall feast: it will be a Repast like few.

And now suppose this Repast, the solid part of it, transacted; and the
first bottle over. Suppose the customary loyal toasts drunk; the
King's health, the Queen's with deafening vivats;--that of the
Nation 'omitted,' or even 'rejected.' Suppose champagne flowing; with
pot-valorous speech, with instrumental music; empty feathered heads
growing ever the noisier, in their own emptiness, in each other's noise!
Her Majesty, who looks unusually sad to-night (his Majesty sitting
dulled with the day's hunting), is told that the sight of it would cheer
her. Behold! She enters there, issuing from her State-rooms, like
the Moon from the clouds, this fairest unhappy Queen of Hearts; royal
Husband by her side, young Dauphin in her arms! She descends from the
Boxes, amid splendour and acclaim; walks queen-like, roun