A simple waist encircled
her bust, and was held together by a blue sash, which hung in long
ends at her left side. Broad cuffs, held together with simple,
narrow lace, fell down as far as the wrist, but through the thin
material could be seen the fair form of her beautiful arms; and the
white triangle of gauze which she had thrown over her naked neck,
did not entirely veil the graceful lines of her full shoulders and
her noble bust. Her hair, deprived of its unnatural disfigurement,
and almost entirely freed from powder, arched itself above her fine
forehead in a light toupet, and fell upon her shoulders in rich
brown locks, on which only a mere breath of powder had been blown.
On her arm the queen carried a great, round, straw hat, secured by
blue ribbons, and over her fair, white hands she had drawn gloves of
black netting.
Thus, with beaming countenance, with blushing cheeks, and with
smiles curling around her full red lips; thus, all innocence,
merriment, and cheerfulness, Marie Antoinette entered the sitting-
room, where the Duchess de Polignac was waiting for her, in an
attire precisely like that of the queen.
The latter flew to the duchess with the quickness of a young girl,
with the tenderness of a sister, and drew her arm within that of her
friend.
"Come, Julia," said she, "let us leave the world and enter
paradise.
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