into　the　arms　of　the　queen。　〃Mamma；　dear　Mamma；　do　not　leave　me！〃
  She　pressed　him　trembling　to　her　bosom；　quieted　him；　and　defended
  him　against　the　cruel　hands　that　were　reached　out　for　him。
  In　vain；　all　in　vain！　The　men　of　the　republic　have　no　compassion　on
  the　grief　of　a　mother！　〃By　free　will　or　by　force　he　must　go　with
  us。〃
  〃Then　promise　me　at　least　that　he　shall　remain　in　the　tower　of　the
  Temple；　that　I　may　see　him　every　day。〃
  〃We　have　nothing　to　promise　you；　we　have　no　account　at　all　to　give
  you。　Parbleu；　how　can　you　take　on　and　howl　so；　merely　because　your
  child　is　taken　from　you？　Our　children　have　to　do　more　than　that。
  They　have　every　day　to　have　their　heads　split　open　with　the　balls　of
  the　enemies　that　you　have　set　upon　them。〃
  〃My　son　is　still　too　young　to　be　able　to　serve　his　country；〃　said
  the　queen；　gently；　〃but　I　hope　that　if　God　permits　it；　he　will　some
  day　be　proud　to　devote　his　life　to　Him。〃
  Meanwhile　the　two　princesses；　urged　on　by　the　officials；　had　clothed
  the　gasping；　sobbing　boy。　The　queen　now　saw　that　no　more　hope
  remained。　She　sank　upon　a　chair；　and　summoning　all　her　strength；　she
  called　the　dauphin　to　herself；　laid　her　hands　upon　his　shoulders；
  and　pale；　immovable；　with　widely…opened　eyes；　whose　burning　lids
  were　cooled　by　no　tear；　she　gazed　upon　the　quivering　face　of　the
  boy；　who　had　fixed　his　great　blue　eyes；　swimming　with　tears；　upon
  the　countenance　of　his　mother。
  〃My　child；〃　said　the　queen；　solemnly；　〃we　must　part。　Remember　your
  duties　when　I　am　no　more　with　you　to　remind　you　of　them。　Never
  forget　the　good　God　who　is　proving　you；　and　your　mother　who　is
  praying　for　you。　Be　good　and　patient；　and　your　Father　in　heaven　will
  bless　you。〃
  She　bent　over；　and　with　her　cold　lips　pressed　a　kiss　upon　the
  forehead　of　her　son；　then　gently　pushed　him　toward　the　turnkey。　But
  the　boy　sprang　back　to　her　again；　clung　to　her　with　his　arms；　and
  would　not　go。
  〃My　son；　we　must　obey。　God　wills　it　so。〃　A　loud；　savage　laugh　was
  heard。　Shuddering；　the　queen　turned　around。　There　at　the　open　door
  stood　Simon；　and　with　him　his　wife；　their　hard　features　turned
  maliciously　toward　the　pale　queen。　The　woman　stretched　out　her
  brown；　bare　arms　to　the　child；　grasped　him；　and　pushed　him　before
  her　to　the　door。
  〃Is　she　to　have　him？〃　shrieked　Marie　Antoinette。　〃Is　my　son　to
  remain　with　this　woman？〃
  〃Yes；〃　said　Simon；　with　a　grinning　smile；　as　he　put　himself；　with
  his　arms　akimbo；　before　the　queen〃　yes；　with　this　woman　and　with
  me；　her　husband；　little　Capet　is　to　remain；　and　I　tell　you　he　shall
  receive　a　royal　education。　We　shall　teach　him　to　forget　the　past；
  and　only　to　remember　that　he　is　a　child　of　the　one　and　indivisible
  republic。　If　he　does　not　come　to　it；　he　must　be　brought　to　it；　and
  my　old　cobbler's　straps　will　be　good　helpers　in　this　matter。〃
  He　nodded　at　Marie　Antoinette　with　a　fiendish　smile；　and　then
  followed　the　officials；　who　had　already　gone　out。　The　doors　were
  closed　again；　the　bolts　drawn；　and　within　the　chamber　reigned　the
  stillness　of　death。　The　two　women　put　their　arms　around　one　another；
  kneeled　upon　the　floor　and　prayed。
  From　this　day　on；　Marie　Antoinette　had　no　hope　more；　her　heart　was
  broken。　Whole　days　long　she　sat　fixed　and　immovable；　without　paying
  any　regard　to　the　tender　words　of　her　sister…in…law　and　the　caresses
  of　her　daughter；　without　working；　reading；　or　busying　herself　in　any
  way。　Formerly　she　had　helped　to　put　the　rooms　in　order；　and　mend　the
  clothes　and　linen；　now　she　let　the　two　princesses　do　this　alone　and
  serve　her。
  Only　for　a　few　hours　each　day　did　her　countenance　lighten　at　all；
  and　the　power　of　motion　return　to　this　pale；　marble　figure。　Those
  were　the　hours　when　she　waited　for　her　son；　as　he　went　with　Simon
  every　day　to　the　upper　story　and　the　platform　of　the　tower。　She
  would　then　put　her　head　to　the　door　and　listen　to　every　step　and　all
  the　words　that　he　directed　to　the　turnkey　as　he　passed　by。
  Soon　she　discovered　a　means　of　seeing　him。　There　was　a　little　crack
  on　the　floor　of　the　platform　on　which　the　boy　walked。　The　world
  revolved　for　the　queen　only　around　this　little　crack；　and　the
  instant　in　which　she　could　see　her　boy。
  At　times；　too；　a　compassionate　guard　who　had　to　inspect　the　prison
  brought　her　tidings　of　her　son；　told　her　that　he　was　well；　that　he
  had　learned　to　play　ball；　and　that　by　his　friendly　nature　he　won
  every　one's　love。　Then　Marie　Antoinette's　countenance　would　lighten；
  a　smile　would　play　over　her　features　and　linger　on　her　pale　lips　as
  long　as　they　were　speaking　of　her　boy。　But　oh！　soon　there　came　other
  tidings　about　the　unhappy　child。　His　wailing　tones；　Simon's　threats；
  and　his　wife's　abusive　words　penetrated　even　the　queen's　apartments；
  and　filled　her　with　the　anguish　of　despair。　And　yet　it　was　not　the
  worst　to　hear　him　cry；　and　to　know　that　the　son　of　the　queen　was
  treated　ill；　it　was　still　more　dreadful　to　hear　him　sing　with　a　loud
  voice；　accompanied　by　the　laugh　and　the　bravoes　of　Simon　and　his
  wife；　revolutionary　and　obscene　songsto　know　that　not　only　his
  body　but　his　soul　was　doomed　to　destruction。
  At　first　the　queen；　on　hearing　these　dreadful　songs；　broke　out　into
  lamentations；　cries；　and　loud　threats　against　those　who　were
  destroying　the　soul　of　her　child。　Then　a　gradual　paralysis　crept
  over　her　heart；　and　when；　on　the　3d　of　August；　she　was　taken　from
  the　Temple　to　the　prison；　the　pale　lips　of　the　queen　merely
  whispered；
  〃Thank　God；　I　shall　not　have　to　hear　him　sing　any　more！〃
  BOOK　V。
  CHAPTER　XXIV。
  THE　DEATH　OF　THE　QUEEN。
  The　Bartholomew's　night　of　the　murderous　Catharine　de　Medicis；　and
  her　mad　son；　Charles　IX。；　now　found　in　France　its　horrible　and
  bloody　repetition；　but　the　night　of　horror　which　we　are　now　to
  contemplate　was　continued　on　into　the　day；　and　did　not　shrink　even
  before　the　light。
  The　sun　shone　down　upon　the　streams　of　blood　which　flowed　through
  the　streets　of　Paris；　and　upon　the　pack　of　wild　dogs　that　swarmed　in
  uncounted　numbers　on　the　thoroughfares　of　the　city；　and　lived　on
  this　blood；　which　gave　back　even　to　the　tame　their　natural　wildness。
  The　sun　shone　down　upon　the　scaffold；　that　rose　like　a　threatening
  monster　upon　the　Place　de　la　Revolution；　and　upon　the　dreadful　axe
  which　daily　severed　so　many　noble　forms；　and　then　rose　from　the
  block　glittering　and　menacing。
  The　sun　shone　on　that　day；　too；　when　Marie　Antoinette　ascended　the
  scaffold；　as　her　husband　had　done　before；　and　so　passed　to　her　rest；
  from　all　the　pains　and　humiliations　of　her　last　years。
  That　day　was　the　16th　of　October；　1793。　For　four　months　Marie
  Antoinette　looked　forward　to　it　as　to　a　joyful　deliverance。　It　was
  four　months　from　the　time　when　she　was　transferred　from　the　Temple
  to　the　prison；　and　she　knew　that　those　who　were　confined　in　the
  latter　place　only　left　it　to　gain　the　freedom；　not　that　man　gives；
  but　which　God　grants　to　the　sufferingthe　freedom　of　death！
  Marie　Antoinette　longed　for　the　deliverance。　How　far　behind　her　now
  lay　the　days　of　her　happy；　joyous　youth！　how　long　ago　the　time　when
  the　tall；　grave　woman；　her　face　full　of　pride　and　yet　of
  resignation；　had　been　charming　Marie　Antoinette；　the　very
  impersonation　of　beauty；　youth；　and　love；　carrying　out　in　Trianon
  the　idyl　of　romantic　country　lifein　the　excess　of　her　gayety　going
  disguised　to　the　public　opera…house　ball；　believing　herself　so　safe
  amid　the　French　people　that　she　could　dispense　with　the　protection
  of　etiquettehailed　with　an　enthusiastic　admiration　then；　as　she
  was　now　saluted　with　the　savage　shouts　of　the　enraged　people！
  No；　the　former　queen；　Marie　Antoinette；　who；　in　the　gilded　saloons
  of　Versailles　and　in　the　Tuileries；　had　received　the　homage　of　all
  France；　and　with　a　smiling　face　and　perfect　grace　of　manner
  acknowledged　all　the　tribute　that　was　brought　to　her；　had　no　longer
  any　resemblance　to　the　widow　of　Louis　Capet；　sitting　before　the
  revolutionary　tribunal；　and　giving　earnest　answers　to　the　questions
  which　were　put　to　her。　She　arranged　her　toilet　that　daybut　how
  different　was　the　toilet　of　the　Widow　Capet　from　that　which　Queen
  Marie　Antoinette　had　once　displayed！　At　that　earlier　time；　she；　the
  easy；　light…hearted　daughter　of　fortune；　had　shut　herself　up　for
  hours　with　her　intimate　companion；　Madame　Berthier；　the　royal
  milliner；　planning　a　new　ball…dress；　or　a　new　fichu；　or　her　Leonard
  would　lavish　all　the　resources　of　his　fancy　and　his　art　inventing
  new　styles　of　head…dress；　now　decorating　the　beautiful　head　of　the
  queen　with　towering　masses　of　auburn　hair；　now　braiding　it　so　as　to
  make　it　enfold　little　war…ships；　the　sails　of　which　were　finely
  woven　from　her　own　locks；　now　laying　out　a　garden　filled　with　fruits
  and　flowers；　butterflies　and　birds　of　paradise。
  The　〃Widow　Capet〃　needed　no　milliner　and　no　hairdresser　in　making
  her　toilet。　Her　tall；　slender　figure　was　enveloped　with　the　black
  woollen　dress　which　the　republic　had　given　her　at　her　request；　that
  she　might　commemorate　her　deceased　husband。　Her　neck　and　shoulders；
  which　had　once　been　the　admiration　of　France；　was　now　concealed　by　a
  white　muslin　kerchief；　which　her　keeper　Bault　had　given　her　out　of
  sympathy。　Her　hair　was　uncovered；　and　fell　in　long；