he King's
apartments at the Tuileries, M. de la Chapelle had permission to return to
his closet to take away some property belonging to him. Turning round the
picture, behind which he had hidden the Queen's letter, he found it in the
place into which he had slipped it, and, delighted to see that I was safe
from the ill consequences the discovery of this paper might have brought
upon me, he burnt it instantly. In times of danger a mere nothing may
save life or destroy it.--MADAME CAMPAN]

At the moment that I was going to express my gratitude to the Queen I
heard a tapping at the door of my room, which opened upon the Queen's
inner corridor. I opened it; it was the King. I was confused; he
perceived it, and said to me, kindly: "I alarm you, Madame Campan; I come,
however, to comfort you; the Queen has told me how much she is hurt at the
injustice of several persons towards you. But how is it that you complain
of injustice and calumny when you see that we are victims of them? In
some of your companions it is jealousy; in the people belonging to the
Court it is anxiety. Our situation is so disastrous, and we have met with
so much ingratitude and treachery, that the apprehensions of those who
love us are excusable! I could quiet them by telling them all the secret
services you perform for us daily; but I will not do it. Out of good-will
to you they would repeat all I should say, and you would be lost with the
Assembly. It is much better, both for you and for us, that you should be
thought a constitutionalist. It has been mentioned to me a hundred times
already; I have never contradicted it; but I come to give you my word that
if we are fortunate enough to see an end of all this, I will, at the
Queen's residence, and in the presence of my brothers, relate the
important services you have rendered us, and I will recompense you and
your son for them." I threw myself at the King's feet and kissed his
hand. He raised me up, saying, "Come, come, do not grieve; the Queen, who
loves you, confides in you as I do."

Down to the day of the acceptance it was impossible to introduce Barnave
into the interior of the palace; but when the Queen was free from the
inner guard she said she would see him. The very great precautions which
it was necessary for the deputy to take in order to conceal his connection
with the King and Queen compelled them to spend two hours waiting for him
in one of the corridors of the Tuileries, and al