You all need rest after this evil day, and sleep is so
refreshing. Go, Campan, good-night!"
Madame de Campan had to obey, and stepped out into the antechamber,
where were the two other maids.
"The queen is asleep," she said, "and she has commanded us to go to
rest too. Shall we do so?"
The two women answered only with a shake of the head and a shrug of
the shoulders.
"I know very well that we are agreed," said Madame de Campan,
reaching her hand to them. "For us there must be no sleep to-night,
for we must watch the queen. Come, my friends, let us go into the
antechamber. We shall find Mr. Varicourt, who will tell us what is
going on outside."
On tiptoe the three women stole out into the second ante-chamber,
which was lighted only with a couple of glimmering wax tapers, and
in its desolate disorder, with the confusion of chairs, divans, and
tables, brought back sad recollections of the wild women who had on
the day before pressed into this apartment in their desire to speak
with the queen. Somebody had told them that this was the antechamber
of the queen, and they had withdrawn in order to go to the
antechamber of the king. But they now knew the way that led to the
apartments of the queen; they knew now that if one turned to the
left side of the palace, he would come at once into the apartments
occupied by the royal family, and that the queen occupied the
adjacent rooms, directly behind the hall of the Swiss Guard.
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