Toulan had brought.
"Your majesty," cried the count, breathless, "I took the liberty of
looking for your majesty at Trianon. Bad news has arrived."
"I know it," answered the queen, calmly. "Ten thousand women are
marching upon Versailles, Mr. Toulan has informed me, and you see I
am coming to receive the women."
All at once she stood still and turned to Toulan, who was walking
behind her like the faithful servant of his mistress.
"Sir," said she, "I thank you, and I know that I may reckon upon
you. I am sure that to-day as always you have thought upon our
welfare, and that you will remain mindful of the oath of fidelity
which you once gave me. Farewell! Do you go to the National
Assembly. I will go to the palace, and may we each do our duty." She
saluted Toulan with a gentle inclination of her head and with
beaming looks of gratitude in her beautiful eyes, and then hurried
on up the grand mall to the palace.
In Versailles all was confusion and consternation. Every one had
lost his senses. Every one asked, and no one answered, for the only
one who could answer, the king, was not there. He had not yet
returned from the hunt in Meudon.
But the queen was there, and with a grand calmness and matchless
grasp of mind she undertook the duties of the king. First, she sent
the chief equerry, the Marquis de Cubieres, to meet the king and
cause him to hasten home at once.
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