"
"No, sir," replied the queen, "I have not been anxious, but I have
suffered severely, because I was separated from the king at a moment
when his life was threatened. I had at least my children with me,
and so could discharge one of my duties."
"I will not excuse every thing that took place to-day," said the
deputy, with a shrug. "But confess at least, madame, that the people
conducted themselves very well."
"Sir, the king and I are convinced of the natural good-nature of the
people; they are only bad when they are led astray."
Some other deputies approached the dauphin, and directed various
questions to him, in order to convince themselves about his
precocious understanding that was so much talked about.
One of the gentlemen, speaking of the day that had gone by, compared
it with St. Bartholomew's night.
"The comparison does not hold," cried another: "here is no Charles
the Ninth."
"And no Catherine de Medicis either," said the dauphin, quickly,
pressing the hand of the queen to his lips.
"Oh! see the little scholar," cried the by-standers. "Let us see
whether he knows as much about geography as about history!"
And all pressed up to him, to put questions to him about the
situation and boundaries of France, and about the division of the
French territory into departments and districts.
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