Build upon God, hope that the undertaking which we are to-morrow to
execute will lead to a fortunate result, that we shall flee from
here, that we shall be free, that we shall be able to reach England.
Oh, yes, let us hope that Toulan's fine and bold plan will succeed,
and then it may one day be that the son of my dear brother, grown to
be a young man, may put the helmet on his head, gird himself with
the sword, reconquer the throne of his fathers, and take possession
of it as King Louis XVII. Therefore let us hope, sister."
"Yes, therefore let us hope" whispered the queen, drying her tears.
"And here at last," she continued, opening the remaining paper,
"here is the third relic, the hair of the king! --the only thing
which is left us of the martyr king, the unfortunate husband of an
unfortunate wife, the pitiable king of a most pitiable people! Oh,
my king! they have laid your poor head that bore this white hair--
they have laid it upon the scaffold, and the axe, the dreadful axe--
"
The queen uttered a loud shriek of horror, sprang up, and raised
both her hands in conjuration to Heaven, while a curse just trembled
on her lips. But Princess Elizabeth threw herself into her arms, and
pressed on the cold, quivering lips of the queen a long, fervent
kiss.
"For God's sake, sister," she whispered, "speak softly.
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