Marie Antoinette and Her Son

s, and unapproachableness; bear her to little, simple, pretty Trianon, to the dream of paradise, where all is innocence, simplicity, and peace; where the queen ma

he air, they scarcely touch the ground, and hardly can the driver restrain them

wings, to let the queen pass in as a queen ought. Laughing, she glided through the little side gate, which sufficed for the more unpretending visitor of Trianon, and took the arm of her friend the Duchess

or you to follow us. The day is yours. You are free, as I am too. Meanwhile, if yon meet his majesty, tell him that I

s than anybody else. That is the reason I was so well pleased to come through the small door just now. Through a narrow gate alone we can enter paradise, and I am entering paradise now. Oh, do you not see,

Polignac, "because you are seeing ever

me with this cold title. In Versailles, you had a valid plea; but here, Julia, what can you offer in justificatio

queen, and imprinting a kiss upon the lofty brow of Marie Antoinette. "I only ask your pardon, and promise that I will be

enjoy it like two young girls who are celebrating the birthday of their grandmother after escaping from a boarding school. Let us see which of us is

ce in the run?" aske

give you the privilege of nominating a man to have the first place in my Swiss guards, and y

hess. "Supposing that you are th

s-Julia. Now, forwar

ead was tossed up on both sides; the blue ribbons fluttered in the wind; the white dress puffed up; and the grand chamberlain of the queen

goal with laughing glances, as the white house emerged more and more from the verdure by which it w

with renewed speed the queen dashed along. The lane opened and terminated in a square in front of the pal

steps, and began to run again, but Marie Antoinette mot

ulia," said she. "I have won, and you

he turn of a merry game. You have done wrong, Marie Antoinette. You want me to forget here in Trianon that you are the Queen of France. But you yourself do not forget it. Only the queen can p

e went on to say with her gentle, sweet voice. "I see it, and I beg your forgiveness. Give me n

s of the saloons are open, and that your company are all assembled. They would all envy

ole world shall know that Julia de Polignac is my best-loved frien

both her arms around the neck of the

playing a game of backgammon in the saloon, "did you notice the tableau that

l group in marble," answered Lord Adhemar, laughing. "

from her embroidery, "which would be the companion o

new piece of music. "The queen is the womanly Orestes: the Furies are the three royal aunts; and t

Morsan, "and were we by any chance not her

ld only wish to take the apple from you, in order to be driv

of her run, her bosom heaved violently with her hurried, agitated breathing. Her hat

eeting her friends with brilliant glances and lively nods. It had been made a rule with her, that when

went on playing their game of backgammon, and only the Count

with a gentle inclination of the head. "Your majesty has such a fine ear, that you must doubtless recognize the composer in the music. I

d the queen, "let

ed gloves from her delicate white hands, and at once took her

oo difficult for me to p

ifficult for the

for the dilettante, Marie Antoinette," sighed t

the longer she played, the more the laughter and the unrestrained gayety disappeared from the features of the queen. Her noble countenance assumed an expression o

assioned strains, Marie Antoinette stopped, and, un

"This is the music, the divine music of my exal

majesty is a great

nt, "the ideal pupil

ck's. It is the overtu

ent me from Venice to

ak for the master, an

on of th

cher, who is at the same time the greatest composer of Europe. Oh, I am proud of calling myself his pupil. But Gluck needs no protection; it is much more we who need

note of his writing, seems to me like treason against the crown. I will practise this piece, and then some day we will play it to the whole court. And now, my hono

honor of waiting upon her. Marie Antoinette thanked them all with a pleasant

of these gentry have learned, and I am sure that we sh

oon, and passed out of the door opposite, upon th

ich will lead us directly to our goal; while the others will all have to go through the Ita

, slim figure of a man who was ju

the baron, "it is t

ng to lay new burdens upon us, and to put us i

iss him? Do you give me power to tell him

, is one of my enemies, and we must proceed much more

approached the queen with repeated bows, which she reciproca

m the chief manager of the ro

ke, "I am come to beg an

e, for we stand in the throne room of God, and the canopy of

am come to file

question, and went on: "I am come to bring a charge and to claim my rights. His majesty has had the

" You have then your duties assigned you, to he rightfully fulfilled, and

my direction. And by virtue of my office and my trust I must stringen

queen, coolly. "Of what new theatr

urnished as all stages are; it is a permanent stage, and I can therefore ask that it be given over into my

s majesty. It is my stage, and Trianon is my realm. Have you not read on the placards, which are at the entrance of Trianon, that it is the queen who gives laws here?

ce, "I beg your pardon. I did not suppose that there was a place in France wher

staken. Here in Trianon I am ki

ce disowns these laws, yet others do not dare take the risk of following the example of the queen. For they remain, wherever they are, the subjects

I give you my full permission to that end, and thus you will be relieved from the possibility

y, there is a the

ve the direction where we are the actors. Besides, I have had occasion several times to give you my views respecting Trianon. I have no court here. I live here as a private person. I am here but a land owner, and th

is no single person that supervises you; it is public

sign from the queen to withdraw, he turne

queen, with pale cheeks and flashing e

r majesty in this way, and risks his life and his offic

attracts him. The king's aunts have set him against me, and this is a new w

See, we are now entering my dear English garden. Oh, look around you, baron, and then tell me is

lying steps to the exquisite beds of flowers which be

h garden every thing was cosy and natural. The waters foamed here, and there they gathered themselves together and stood still; here and there were plants which grew just where the wind had scattered the seed. Hundreds of the finest trees-willows, American oaks, acacias, firs-threw their shade

the garden, the more glowing became her countenance,

ked she, of the baron, who was

he listened with suspended breath to the trilling song of the birds, warbling their glad hymns of praise out from the thickets of verdure. How could she have any tho

nd me a greeting, and deputed this bird to bring it to me. Ah," she went on to say, with quickly clouded brow, "it is really needful that I should at times hear the friendly notes and the sw

ly, and with a searching glance of his cunning, dark ey

the good Parisians welcomed the wife of the king and the m

ith a storm of enthusiasm the most beautiful lady of France,

hich sounded to my ear like the song of the bird of misfortune. Believe me, Besenval, every thing is not as it ought to be. There is something in the air which

raise the sword of Damocles over the head

ad a stormy interview with Madame Adelaide. It appears that my enemies have concocted a new way

e queen replying in the affirmative with a nod, he went on. "But what can they say?

means of opening a breach in the family, and the king would cause them to feel his wrath who have drawn tears from the eyes of his wife. But you are my friend, Besenval, and I confide in your friendship and in your honor. Now, tell me, you who know the world, and who are my senior in experience of life, tell me whether I do wrong to live as I do. Are the king's aunts right in charging it upon me as a crime, that I take part in the simple joys of life, that I take delight in my youth and am happy? Is the Count de Provence right in charging me, as with a crime, that I am t

s not right in alleging it as an accusation against you, that you are the counsellor of the king, and that you seek to control political action. Your whole offence lies in the fact that your political views are different from his, and that, through the influence which you have gained over the heart of the king, his aunts are driven into the background. Your majesty is an Austrian, a friend of the Duke de Choiseul. That is your whole offence. Now you would not be less blameworthy in the eyes of these enemies were you to live in exact conformity with the etiquette books of the Queen of France, covered with the dust of a hundred years. Your majesty would therefore do yourself and the whole court an injury were you to allow your youth, your beauty, and your innocence, to be subjected to these old laws. It were folly to condemn yourself to ennui and solitude. Does not the Queen of France enjoy

inette. "You have lifted heavy doubts from my h

a sweet smile, she extended

n, and, sinking upon his knee, drew t

ed slave. Receive from me the oath of my eternal devotion and love. You have honored me with your confidence, you hav

tset listened with amazement, then with horror and indignation, to the insolent words of

has heard you. To Him I leave the punishment of your wantonness. Stand up, my lord! the king shall know nothing of an insult which would have brought you

nd dignified gesture, to the place which wa

ing what was new to him; he felt himself perplexed, ashamed, and no longer master of his words. He had risen from his knees, and, after mak

es so long as he remained in sight, then

riend be an envier or else a lover? Even this man, whom I honored with my confidence, toward whom I cherished the feeling of a pupil toward a teache

and there were heard the songs of the birds in the bushes, light and dreamy; while the trees, swayed by the wind, gen

een let her hands fall again, and raised

en, the always happy and careless Marie Antoinette, had shed tears? Oh, my God!" she cried, raising her large eyes to heaven, "I have today paid interest eno

sh garden into the small plain, in whose midst Marie Antoinette had erected her Arcadia, her dream of paradise. The queen stood still, and with a countenance which qui

sant's house, especially tasteful and elegant. It was surrounded by flower beds, vineyards, and laurel paths. The roof was covered with straw; the little panes were held by leads to the sashes. It was the home of Marie Antoinette. The queen herself made the drawings, and wrought out the plan. It was her choice that it should be small, simple, and modest; that it should have not the slightest appearance of newness, and that rents and fissures should be represented on the wall by artificial contrivances, so as to give the house an old look, and an appearance of h

e hay scaffoldings were ladders leading up to the fragrant hay. "Ah, the world is beautiful," said Marie An

still, and not one of the inhabitants peeped out from a single window. All at once the stillness was broken by a loud clattering sound. The white wheel of the mill be

the mayor, in his black costume, and with the broad white ribbon around his neck; the Spanish cane, with a gold knob, in his hand, and wearing his black, three-cornered h

r testimony why you have come so late, for the flowers are all hanging their heads, the nightingales will not sing any more, and the lambs

he school house opened with a rattle, and the jolly young scho

ise people stopped learning, I have become the schoolmaster of the dear kine, and am giving them lessons in the a

esire you to give a ballet display this afternoon upon the great meadow. So far as you are concerned, Mr. Mayor," she said,

needed any looking after!" cried

f your part, and forgetting two things. The first, that I am not the queen

ould appear as flattery," answered th

rthy of a scholar," c

her, you do not know

go to sch

very much of you," said the Count de Provence, smiling. "Meanwhile,

said the queen. "Good-by, my brother

tairway, and threw both her arms around the neck of the miller, who,

d of her husband to her lips. "What a pleasant surprise you have prepared f

o you wonder now that we, as it becomes the obedient, follow our queen's commands, and undertake the charge which she intrusts to us?" "Oh, Louis, how good you are!" said the queen, with tears in her eyes. "I know indeed how little pleasure you, so far as you yourself are concerned, find in these fooli

d fall upon his shoulder. "Do you still know, Louis," asked she, "

e you Little Trianon.' [Footnote: The very words of the king.-See "Memoire de Marquis de Crequy," vol. iv.] My dear sire! you ha

good woman," said he then, after a little pause, "you quite let me forget the part I have to play, and the mill wheel is standing still again, since the miller is not there. It is, besides,

ir singing," said the queen, smiling. "Come,

the Counts de Provence and Artois, as chief official and schoolmaster, and behind them the duchesses and p

mieux, Qu'au sei

yet tears glittered in

of the hen-coop, the mill, and the milk-room. Then the whole company went out to lie down in the luxuriant grass which grew on the border of the little grove, and looked at the cows grazing before them on the meadow, and with stately dignity pursuing the serious occupation of chewing the cud. But as peasants have something else to do

nd the wheel of fortune is yet

d looking with laughing face and fixed attention at the rod, and crying aloud as often as she catches a fish. For these fishes are to serve as supper for the company, and the queen has ceremoni

re. He has withdrawn into

hing very serious. For it is well known that the king very seldom goes to Tr

de Breteuil, is come to seek the miller of Little Tria