Oh, sire, disregard now the pleadings of your noble,
gentle heart; show yourself firm and decided. Have no leniency for
traitors and rebels!"
"Tell me what I shall do," murmured the king, with a sigh.
Marie Antoinette stooped down to his ear. "Sire," whispered she,
"send at once to Vincennes, and the other neighboring places. Order
the troops to come hither, collect an army, put yourself at its
head, march on Paris, declare war on the rebellious capital, and you
will march as conqueror into your recaptured city. Oh, only no
yielding, no submission! Only give the order, sire; say that you
will do so, and I will summon one of my faithful ones to give him
orders to hasten to Vincennes."
And while the queen whispered eagerly to the king, her flashing
glance sped across to Toulan, who, in the tumult, had found means to
come in, and now looked straight at the queen. Now, as her glance
came to him as an unspoken command, he made his way irresistibly
forward through the crowd of courtiers, ministers, and ladies, and
now stood directly behind the queen.
"Has your majesty orders for me?" he asked, softly. She looked
anxiously at the king, waiting for an answer, an order. But the king
was dumb; in order not to answer his wife, he drew the dauphin
closer to him and caressed him.
"Has your majesty commands for me?" asked Toulan once more.
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