Even when she undressed herself, the doors of the queen's apartment
were not closed; a mere small screen stood at the foot of the bed;
this was removed as soon as the queen had disrobed and lain down.
This daily renewed pain and humiliation--this being watched every
minute--was the heaviest burden that the prisoners of the Temple had
to bear, and the proud heart of Marie Antoinette rose in
exasperation every day against these restraints. She endeavored to
be patient and to choke the grief that rose within her, and yet she
must sometimes give expression to it in tears and threatening words,
which now fell like cold thunderbolts from the lips of the queen,
and no longer kindled any thing, no longer dashed any thing in
pieces.
Thus August passed and September began, sad, gloomy, and hopeless.
On the morning of the 3d of September, Manuel came to the royal
prisoners, to tell them that Paris was in great excitement, and that
they were not to go into the garden that day as usual about noon,
but were to remain in their rooms.
"How is it with my friend, Princess Lamballe?" asked Marie
Antoinette.
Manuel was perplexed; he even blushed and cast down his eyes, as he
answered that that morning the princess had been taken to the prison
La Force. Then, in order to divert conversation from this channel,
Manuel told the prisoners about the tidings which had recently
reached Paris, and had thrown the city into such excitement and
rage.
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