"Now I have courage to bear every thing," she said to St. Priest.
"My children are in safety! Would only that the king were here!"
At the same instant the door opened and the king entered. Marie
Antoinette hastened to meet him, threw herself with a cry of joy
into his arms, and rested her head, which had before been erect with
courage, heavily on his shoulder.
"Oh, sire, my dear sire! thank God that you are here. Now I fear
nothing more! You will not suffer us to perish in misery! You will
breathe courage into these despairing ones, and tell the
inexperienced what they have to do. Sire, Paris is marching against
us, but with us there are God and France. You will defend the honor
of France and your crown against the rebels?"
The king answered confusedly, and as if in a yielding frame of mind.
"We must first hear what the people want," he said; "we must not
approach them threateningly, we must first discuss matters with
them."
"Sire," answered the queen, in amazement, "to discuss with the
rebels now is to imply that they are in the right, and you will not,
you cannot do that!"
"I will consult with my advisers," said the king, pointing at the
ministers, who, summoned by St. Priest, were then entering the room.
But what a consultation was that! Every one made propositions, and
yet no one knew what to do.
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