"Now," said the king, calmly, "now that I have collected my dearest
treasures, I will go and see what is going on."
But Marie Antoinette held him back. "There is destruction,
treachery, and murder outside. Crime may break in here and overwhelm
us, but we ought not to go out and seek it."
"Well," said the king, "we will remain here and await what comes."
And turning to his valet, who was then entering, Louis continued:
"Bring me my chocolate, I want to take advantage of the time to
breakfast, for I am hungry!"
"Sire, now? shall we breakfast now?" asked the queen, amazed.
"Why not?" answered Louis calmly. "If the body is strengthened, we
look at every thing more composedly and confidently. You must take
breakfast too, Marie, for who knows whether we shall find time for
some hours after this?"
"I! oh, I need no breakfast," cried Marie Antoinette; and as she saw
Louis eagerly taking a cup of chocolate from the hands of a valet,
and was going to enjoy it, she turned away to repress the tears of
anger and pain which in spite of herself pressed into her eyes.
"Mamma queen," cried the dauphin, who was yet in her arms, "I should
like my breakfast too. My chocolate--I should like my chocolate
too!"
The queen compelled herself to smile, carried the child to its
father, and softly set him down on the king's knee.
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