Marie Antoinette and Her Son

date was appointed for the convocation of the estates, in order to be able to protract as much as possible the ceremonial proceedi

entatives of France, and a numerous company of spectators besides; and, being chosen, was appropriately fitted up. Louis XVI. himself, who was ve

entatives of the nation, in a manner which would be worthy of so significant an occasion. He had himself sel

presentatives of the nobility and the clergy, who were chosen at the same time with themselves. While for the last two the entrance was appointed through the main door of the h

t of this dark place of confinement into the great hall, at

ered with a screen of white sarcenet. A gentle light diffused itself throughout the room, making one object as discernible as another. In the background the throne could be seen on a richly ornamented estrade and beneath a gilded canopy, an easy-chair for the queen, tabourets for the princesses, and ch

, now began to assign the commoners to their seats, in accorda

this district, go in front of him, and did not desist till the round-bellied priest had really taken his place before him. In the mean time the bench of the ministers had begun to fill. They appeared as a body, clothed in rich uniforms, heavy with gold. Only one single man among them appeared in simple citizen's clothing, and beari

d minister of finance, Necker, to whom the nation was looki

his earnest, thought-furrowed face, that he was conscious to wh

or him. His appearance was the sign for a few hands to commence clapping in a distant part of the hall, in honor of a man so much talked of in Prance, and of w

nued to stand without bending the knee, as had been, at the last time when all the estate were assembled, the invariable rule. Only one of the representatives of the Third Estate, a young man with

him, "it becomes the representatives of t

ulan. "I did not bend my knee to the crow

y, but turned his fla

tt, formed the centre, and threw its rays far and wide. The king appeared at the outset to be deeply moved at the reception which had been given him. A smile, indicating that his feelings were touched,

him the young man who, two years before, had brought the message of Cardinal Rohan's acquittal. A painful smile shot for an instant over her fine features. Yes, she had recognized him; the young man who, at Madame de Campan's room, ha

many who were closely associated with her, and who were indebted to her, that it caused her no surprise that the young man who ha

uld look at nothing more; she had in this solemn

, on her throbbing forehead, but his own

. "And on that day I shall be repaid for the dagger-thrusts which I have just received from her eyes. Courage

dorned attire-in her modest, gentle bearing- and it was most touching to see the pale, fa

ed hat. At once Marie Antoinette rose from her armchair

g, bowing to her light

g of

"allow me to stand, for it does not become

een, proclaiming to her in this glance that he was her death-foe, that he was bent on revenge for the scorn which she had poured out on the spendthrift- revenge for the joke which she had once made at his expense before the whole court. It was at the time when the Duke d'Orleans, spendthrift and miser at the same time, had rented the lower rooms of his palace to be

forts her eyes filled with tears, which leisurely coursed down her cheeks. When, at the close of his address, the king said that he was the truest and most faithful friend of the people, and that Fra

nd lively clapping of hands, and sitting down upon the chair

ative of the Third Estate, put on his hat; other deputies followed his example, but Toulan, whom Mirabeau had before

voice, and here and there in th

re arose a different cry

ich rang up and down the hall, when he snatched his hat from

the assembly remained uncov

followed the example of the king, rising, greeting the deputies with a ge

ut outside, on the square, there were confused shouts; the crowd of people pressed hard up to the door, and called for the queen. They had seen the deputies

acclaims. Since the unfortunate 1786, since the necklace trial, they had become more rare; at last, they had ceas

te obeyed the cry, entered the great hall, had the doors opened which led to the balc

crowd relapsed at once into a gloomy silence. Not a hand was raised

's voice shouting, "Long live the Duke d'Orl

almost in a swoon into the arms of the Duchess de Polignac, who was be

he shouts of the people could be heard al

nd laid upon her bed; only Madame de Campan remained in front of

insensibility. She opened her eyes, and seeing Campan kneeling before her bed, she threw he

s is over, and soon my life will be over too! I have to-day tasted of the bitterness of death! We