The dauphin flew to her with open arms and climbed up her knee.
"Mamma queen, my dear mamma queen," cried he, "stay with me, don't
go out again to these dreadful men, I am afraid of them--oh, I am
afraid!"
Marie Antoinette took the little boy in her arms, and with her cold,
pale lips pressed a kiss upon his forehead. For one instant it
seemed as if she felt herself overcome by the fearful scene through
which she had just passed--as if the tears which were confined in
her heart would force themselves into her eyes. But Marie Antoinette
overcame this weakness of the woman, for she felt that at this hour
she could only be a queen.
With the dauphin in her arms, and pressing him closely to her heart,
she advanced to the king, who, in order not to let his wife see the
tears which flooded his face, had withdrawn to the adjoining
apartment and was leaning against the door.
"Sire," said Marie Antoinette, entering the room, and presenting the
dauphin to him, "sire, I conjure you that, in this fearful hour, you
will make one promise to me."
"What is it, Marie?" asked the king, "what do you desire?"
"Sire, by all that is dear to you and me," continued the queen, "by
the welfare and safety of France, by your own and by the safety of
this dear child, your successor, I conjure you to promise me that,
if we ever must witness such a scene of horror again, and if you
have the means to escape it, you will not let the opportunity pass,"
[Footnote: The very words of the queen.
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