Sometimes shrieks and yells,
sometimes coarse peals of laughter, or threatening cries, issued
from the confused crowd. Nearer and nearer surged the dreadful wave
of destruction to the royal palace. Now it has reached it. Maddened
fists pounded upon the iron gates before the inner court, and
threatening voices demanded entrance: hundreds and hundreds of women
shrieked with wild gestures:
"We want to come in! We want to speak with the baker! We will eat
the queen's guts if we cannot get any thing else to eat!"
And thousands upon thousands of women's voices repeated--"Yes, we
will eat the queen's guts, if we get nothing else to eat!"
Marie Antoinette withdrew from the window; her bearing was grave and
defiant, a laugh of scorn played over her proudly-drawn-up upper-
lip, her head was erect, her step decisive, dignified.
She went again to the king and his ministers. "Sire," said she, "the
people are here. It is now too late to supplicate them, as you
wanted to do. Nothing remains for you except to defend yourself, and
to save the crown for your son the dauphin, even if it falls from
your own head."
"It remains for us," answered the king, gravely, "to bring the
people back to a sense of duty. They are deceived about us. They are
excited. We will try to conciliate them, and to show them our
fatherly interest in them.
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