yesterday　to　speak　to　you　of　a　minister　to　whom　she　must　of　course　be　attached；　and　whom　his　friends　ardently　desire　to　have　near　her；　you　are　aware　that　we　must　give　up　all　expectation　of　seeing　the　Duke　at　Court；　you　know　the　reasons　why；　but　you　do　not　know　that　the　young　Queen；　having　mentioned　the　conversation　in　question　to　me；　it　was　my　duty；　both　as　her　preceptor　and　her　friend；　to　remonstrate　severely　with　her　on　her　indiscretion　in　communicating　to　you　those　particulars　of　which　you　are　in　possession。　　I　am　now　come　to　tell　you　that　if　you　continue　to　avail　yourself　of　the　good　nature　of　your　mistress　to　initiate　yourself　in　secrets　of　State；　you　will　have　me　for　your　most　inveterate　enemy。　　The　Queen　should　find　here　no　other　confidant　than　myself　respecting　things　that　ought　to　remain　secret。〃　　M。　Campan　answered　that　he　did　not　covet　the　important　and　dangerous　character　at　the　new　Court　which　the　Abbe　wished　to　appropriate；　and　that　he　should　confine　himself　to　the　duties　of　his　office；　being　sufficiently　satisfied　with　the　continued　kindness　with　which　the　Queen　honoured　him。　Notwithstanding　this；　however；　he　informed　the　Queen；　on　the　very　same　evening；　of　the　injunction　he　had　received。　　She　owned　that　she　had　mentioned　their　conversation　to　the　Abbe；　that　he　had　indeed　seriously　scolded　her；　in　order　to　make　her　feel　the　necessity　of　being　secret　in　concerns　of　State；　and　she　added；　〃The　Abbe　cannot　like　you；　my　dear　Campan；　he　did　not　expect　that　I　should；　on　my　arrival　in　France；　find　in　my　household　a　man　who　would　suit　me　so　exactly　as　you　have　done。　　I　know　that　he　has　taken　umbrage　at　it；　that　is　enough。　　I　know；　too；　that　you　are　incapable　of　attempting　anything　to　injure　him　in　my　esteem；　an　attempt　which　would　besides　be　vain；　for　I　have　been　too　long　attached　to　him。　　As　to　yourself；　be　easy　on　the　score　of　the　Abbe's　hostility；　which　shall　not　in　any　way　hurt　you。〃
  The　Abbe　de　Vermond　having　made　himself　master　of　the　office　of　sole　confidant　to　the　Queen；　was　nevertheless　agitated　whenever　he　saw　the　young　King；　he　could　not　be　ignorant　that　the　Abbe　had　been　promoted　by　the　Duc　de　Choiseul；　and　was　believed　to　favour　the　Encyclopedists；　against　whom　Louis　XVI。　　entertained　a　secret　prejudice；　although　he　suffered　them　to　gain　so　great　an　ascendency　during　his　reign。　　The　Abbe　had；　moreover；　observed　that　the　King　had　never；　while　Dauphin；　addressed　a　single　word　to　him；　and　that　he　very　frequently　only　answered　him　with　a　shrug　of　the　shoulders。　　He　therefore　determined　on　writing　to　Louis　XVI。；　and　intimating　that　he　owed　his　situation　at　Court　solely　to　the　confidence　with　which　the　late　King　had　honoured　him；　and　that　as　habits　contracted　during　the　Queen's　education　placed　him　continually　in　the　closest　intimacy　with　her；　he　could　not　enjoy　the　honour　of　remaining　near　her　Majesty　without　the　King's　consent。　　Louis　XVI。　sent　back　his　letter；　after　writing　upon　it　these　words：　〃I　approve　the　Abbe　de　Vermond　continuing　in　his　office　about　the　Queen。〃
  CHAPTER　V。
  At　the　period　of　his　grandfather's　death；　Louis　XVI。　began　to　be　exceedingly　attached　to　the　Queen。　　The　first　period　of　so　deep　a　mourning　not　admitting　of　indulgence　in　the　diversion　of　hunting；　he　proposed　to　her　walks　in　the　gardens　of　Choisy；　they　went　out　like　husband　and　wife；　the　young　King　giving　his　arm　to　the　Queen；　and　accompanied　by　a　very　small　suite。　　The　influence　of　this　example　had　such　an　effect　upon　the　courtiers　that　the　next　day　several　couples；　who　had　long；　and　for　good　reasons；　been　disunited；　were　seen　walking　upon　the　terrace　with　the　same　apparent　conjugal　intimacy。　　Thus　they　spent　whole　hours；　braving　the　intolerable　wearisomeness　of　their　protracted　tete…a…tetes；　out　of　mere　obsequious　imitation。
  The　devotion　of　Mesdames　to　the　King　their　father　throughout　his　dreadful　malady　had　produced　that　effect　upon　their　health　which　was　generally　apprehended。　　On　the　fourth　day　after　their　arrival　at　Choisy　they　were　attacked　by　pains　in　the　head　and　chest；　which　left　no　doubt　as　to　the　danger　of　their　situation。　　It　became　necessary　instantly　to　send　away　the　young　royal　family；　and　the　Chateau　de　la　Muette；　in　the　Bois　de　Boulogne；　was　selected　for　their　reception。　　Their　arrival　at　that　residence；　which　was　very　near　Paris；　drew　so　great　a　concourse　of　people　into　its　neighbourhood；　that　even　at　daybreak　the　crowd　had　begun　to　assemble　round　the　gates。　　Shouts　of　〃Vive　le　Roi！〃　　were　scarcely　interrupted　for　a　moment　between　six　o'clock　in　the　morning　and　sunset。　The　unpopularity　the　late　King；　had　drawn　upon　himself　during　his　latter　years；　and　the　hopes　to　which　a　new　reign　gives　birth；　occasioned　these　transports　of　joy。
  A　fashionable　jeweller　made　a　fortune　by　the　sale　of　mourning　snuff…　boxes；　whereon　the　portrait　of　the　young　Queen；　in　a　black　frame　of　shagreen；　gave　rise　to　the　pun：　〃Consolation　in　chagrin。〃　　All　the　fashions；　and　every　article　of　dress；　received　names　expressing　the　spirit　of　the　moment。　　Symbols　of　abundance　were　everywhere　represented；　and　the　head…dresses　of　the　ladies　were　surrounded　by　ears　of　wheat。　Poets　sang　of　the　new　monarch；　all　hearts；　or　rather　all　heads；　in　France　were　filled　with　enthusiasm。　　Never　did　the　commencement　of　any　reign　excite　more　unanimous　testimonials　of　love　and　attachment。　　It　must　be　observed；　however；　that；　amidst　all　this　intoxication；　the　anti…Austrian　party　never　lost　sight　of　the　young　Queen；　but　kept　on　the　watch；　with　the　malicious　desire　to　injure　her　through　such　errors　as　might　arise　from　her　youth　and　inexperience。
  Their　Majesties　had　to　receive　at　La　Muette　the　condolences　of　the　ladies　who　had　been　presented　at　Court；　who　all　felt　themselves　called　on　to　pay　homage　to　the　new　sovereigns。　　Old　and　young　hastened　to　present　themselves　on　the　day　of　general　reception；　little　black　bonnets　with　great　wings；　shaking　heads；　low　curtsies；　keeping　time　with　the　motions　of　the　head；　made；　it　must　be　admitted；　a　few　venerable　dowagers　appear　somewhat　ridiculous；　but　the　Queen；　who　possessed　a　great　deal　of　dignity；　and　a　high　respect　for　decorum；　was　not　guilty　of　the　grave　fault　of　losing　the　state　she　was　bound　to　preserve。　　An　indiscreet　piece　of　drollery　of　one　of　the　ladies　of　the　palace；　however；　procured　her　the　imputation　of　doing　so。　　The　Marquise　de　Clermont…Tonnerre；　whose　office　required　that　she　should　continue　standing　behind　the　Queen；　fatigued　by　the　length　of　the　ceremony；　seated　herself　on　the　floor；　concealed　behind　the　fence　formed　by　the　hoops　of　the　Queen　and　the　ladies　of　the　palace。　Thus　seated；　and　wishing　to　attract　attention　and　to　appear　lively；　she　twitched　the　dresses　of　those　ladies；　and　played　a　thousand　other　tricks。　The　contrast　of　these　childish　pranks　with　the　solemnity　which　reigned　over　the　rest　of　the　Queen's　chamber　disconcerted　her　Majesty：　she　several　times　placed　her　fan　before　her　face　to　hide　an　involuntary　smile；　and　the　severe　old　ladies　pronounced　that　the　young　Queen　had　decided　all　those　respectable　persons　who　were　pressing　forward　to　pay　their　homage　to　her；　that　she　liked　none　but　the　young；　that　she　was　deficient　in　decorum；　and　that　not　one　of　them　would　attend　her　Court　again。　　The　epithet　'moqueuse'　was　applied　to　her；　and　there　is　no　epithet　less　favourably　received　in　the　world。
  The　next　day　a　very　ill…natured　song　was　circulated；　the　stamp　of　the　party　to　which　it　was　attributable　might　easily　be　seen　upon　it。　　I　remember　only　the　following　chorus：
  〃Little　Queen；　you　must　not　be　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　So　saucy；　with　your　twenty　years；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Your　ill…used　courtiers　soon　will　see　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　You　pass；　once　more；　the　barriers。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Fal　lal　lal；　fal　lal　la。〃
  The　errors　of　the　great；　or　those　which　ill…nature　chooses　to　impute　to　them；　circulate　in　the　world　with　the　greatest　rapidity；　and　become　historical　traditions；　which　every　one　delights　to　repeat。
  More　than　fifteen　years　after　this　occurrence　I　heard　some　old　ladies　in　the　most　retired　part　of　Auvergne　relating　all　the　particulars　of　the　day　of　public　condolence　for　the　late　King；　on　which；　as　they　said；　the　Queen　had　laughed　in　the　faces　of　the　sexagenarian　duchesses　and　princesses　who　had　thought　it　their　duty　to　appear　on　the　occasion。
  The　King　and　the　Princes；　his　brothers；　determined　to　avail　themselves　of　the　advantages　held　out　by　inoculation；　as　a　safeguard　against　the　illness　under　which　their　grandfather　had　just　fallen；　but　the　utility　of　this　new　discovery　not　being　then　generally　acknowledged　in　France；　many　persons　were　greatly　alarmed　at　the　step；　those　who　blamed　it　openly　threw　all　the　responsibility　of　it　upon　the　Queen；　who　alone；　they　said；　could　have　ventured　to　give　such　rash　advice；　inoculation　being　at　this　time　established　in　the　Northern　Courts。　　The　operation　upon　the　King　and　his　brothers；　performed　by　Doctor　Jauberthou；　was　fortunately　quite　successful。
  When　the　convalescence　of　the　Princes　was　perfectly　established；　the　excursions　to　Marly　became　cheerful　enough。　　Parties　on　horseback　and　in　calashes　were　formed　continually。　　The　Queen　was　desirous　to　afford　herself　one　very　innocent　gratification；　she　had　never　seen　the　day　break；