"Your majesty, your majesty, wake!"
"What is it, Campan?" asked Marie Antoinette, opening her eyes, and
hastily sitting up in bed. "Why do you waken me? What has happened?"
The fearful sounds without, the crashing of the door of the little
waiting-room, gave answer. The rough, hard voices of the exasperated
women, separated now from the queen by only one thin door, quickly
told all that had happened.
Marie Antoinette sprang from her bed. "Dress me quick, quick!"
"Impossible! There is no time. Only hear how the gunstocks beat
against the door! They will break it down, and then your majesty is
lost! The clothes on without stopping to fasten them! Now fly, your
majesty, fly! Through the side-door-through the OEil de Boeuf!"
Madame de Campan went in advance; the two women supported the queen
and carried her loose clothes, and then they flew on through the
still and deserted corridors to the sleeping-room of the king.
It was empty--no one there!
"O God! Campan, where is the king? I must go to him. My place is by
his side! Where is the king?"
"Here I am, Marie, here!" cried the king, who just then entered and
saw the eager, anxious face of his wife. "I hurried to save our most
costly possessions!"
He laid the dauphin, only half awake, and lying on his breast, in
the arms which Marie Antoinette extended to him, and then led her
little daughter to her, who had been brought in by Madame Tourzel.
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