The door of the royal apartment was opened to the
second officer of the National Guard, M. Acloque. He burst in, and
kneeling before the king, conjured him, with tears in his eyes, to
show himself to the people, and by his presence to calm the savage
multitude.
By this time the two children were no longer able to control their
feelings and suppress their fear. The dauphin burst into tears and
loud cries; he clung affrighted to the dress of his mother; he
implored her with the most moving tones to take him away, and go
with him to his room. Marie Antoinette stooped down to the poor
little fellow, and pressed him and Theresa, who was weeping calmly,
to her heart, whispering a few quieting words into their ears.
While the mother was comforting her children, Louis, yielding to
Acloque's entreaties, had left the room, in order to show himself to
the people. Madame Elizabeth, his sister, followed him through the
corridor into the great hall, passing through the seething crowd,
which soon separated her from the king. Pushed about on all sides,
Madame Elizabeth could not follow, and was now alone in the throng,
accompanied only by her equerry, M. Saint-Pardoux. Armed men pressed
up against the princess, and horrid cries surged around her.
"There is the Austrian woman!" and at once all pikes, all weapons
were directed against the princess.
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