"
At the first notes of the trumpet the nobility had hurried on the
night of the 10th of August to the Tuileries, which were already
filled with grenadiers, Swiss guards, and volunteers of every rank,
who had hastened thither to protect the royal family. All the
staircases, all the corridors and rooms, were occupied by them.
The "Chevaliers of the Dagger" marched in solemn procession by them
all to the grand reception-room, where were the king, the queen, and
the children. With respectful mien they approached the royal pair,
imploring the king's permission to die for him, and beseeching the
queen to touch their weapons, in order to make them victorious, and
to allow them to kiss the royal hand, in order to sweeten death for
them. There were cries of enthusiasm and loyalty on all sides, "Long
live the king of our fathers!" cried the young people. "Long live
the king of our children!" cried the old men, taking the dauphin in
their arms and raising him above their heads, as if he were the
living banner in whose defence they wished to die.
As the morning dawned, the king, at the pressing request of his
wife, walked with her and the children through the halls and
galleries of the palace, to reanimate the courage of their defenders
who were assembled there, and to thank them for their fidelity.
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