〃Has　your　majesty　inflicted　anything　upon　the　princess？〃　cried
  Madame　de　Campan；　in　agitation。
  〃Yes；〃　answered　Marie　Antoinette；　with　triumphant　joy。　〃I　have
  scourged　her；　I　have　wounded　her；　for　I　have　distinctly　intimated　to
  her　that　I　am　Queen　of　France；　and　she　my　subject。　I　have　told　her；
  that　when　she　dares　direct　her　calumnies　against　the　queen；　she　is
  guilty　of　high…treason。〃
  〃Oh！〃　exclaimed　Madame　de　Campan；　〃the　proud　princess　will　never
  pardon　that。　Your　majesty　has　now　become　her　irreconcilable　enemy；
  and　she　will　leave　no　stone　unturned　to　revenge　herself　upon　you。〃
  〃She　may　attempt　to　revenge　herself　upon　me；〃　cried　the　queen；　whose
  countenance　began　to　brighten　up　once　more。　〃I　fear　neither　her　nor
  her　whole　set。　All　their　arrows　will　fall　powerless　at　my　feet；　for
  the　love　of　my　husband　and　my　pure　conscience　form　the　protection
  which　secures　me。　And　what　can　these　people　accomplish　against　me？
  They　can　slander　me；　that　is　all。　But　their　calumnies　will；　in　the
  end；　prove　that　it　is　lies　they　tell；　and　no　one　will　give　them
  confidence　more。〃
  〃Ah！　your　majesty　does　not　know　the　wickedness　of　the　world；〃　sighed
  Campan；　sadly。　〃Your　majesty　believes　that　the　good　are　not
  cowardly；　and　that　the　bad　are　not　reckless。　Your　majesty　does　not
  know　that　the　bad　have　it　in　their　power　to　corrupt　public　opinion；
  and　that　then　the　good　have　not　the　courage　to　meet　this　corrupting
  influence。　But　public　opinion　is　a　monster　that　brings　the　charge；
  passes　judgment；　pronounces　the　sentence；　and　inflicts　the
  punishment　in　one　person。　Who　thinks　lightly　of　it；　arrays　against
  himself　an　enemy　stronger　than　a　whole　army；　and　less　open　to
  entreaty　than　death。〃
  〃Ah！〃　cried　the　queen；　raising　her　head　proudly；　〃I　do　not　fear　this
  enemy。　She　shall　not　dare　to　attack　me。　She　shall　crouch　and　shrink
  before　my　gaze　as　the　lion　does　when　confronted　by　the　eye　of　a
  virgin。　I　am　pure　and　blameless。　I　pledged　my　troth　to　my　husband
  before　he　loved　me；　and　how　shall　I　now　break　it；　when　he　does　love
  me；　and　is　the　father　of　my　dear　children？　And　now；　enough　of　these
  disagreeable　things　that　want　to　cast　their　vileness　upon　us！　And
  the　sun　is　shining　so　splendidly；　and　they　are　waiting　for　me　in
  Trianon！　Come；　Campan；　come；　the　queen　will　take　the　form　of　a　happy
  wife。〃
  Marie　Antoinette　hastened　before　her　lady…in…waiting；　hurried　into
  her　toilet…chamber　in　advance　of　her　lady…in…waiting；　who　followed；
  sighing　and　shaking　her　head；　and　endeavored　with　her　own　hands　to
  loosen　the　stiff　corset　of　her　robe；　and　to　free　herself　from　the
  immense　crinoline　which　imprisoned　her　noble　form。
  〃Off　with　these　garments　of　state　and　royal　robes；〃　said　Marie
  Antoinette；　gliding　out　of　the　stiff　apparel；　and　standing　in　a
  light；　white　undergarment；　with　bare　shoulders　and　arms。　〃Give　me　a
  white　percale　dress　and　a　gauze　mantle　with　it。〃
  〃Will　your　majesty　appear　again　in　this　simple　costume？〃　asked
  Madame　de　Campan；　sighing。
  〃Certainly；　I　will；〃　cried　she；　〃I　am　going　to　Trianon；　to　my　much…
  loved　country…house。　You　must　know；　Campan；　that　the　king　has
  promised　to　spend　every　afternoon　of　a　whole　week　with　me　at
  Trianon；　and　that　there　we　are　going　to　enjoy　life；　nature；　and
  solitude。　So；　for　a　whole　week；　the　king　will　only　be　king　in　the
  forenoon；　and　in　the　afternoon　a　respectable　miller　in　the　village
  Trianon。　Now；　is　not　that　a　merry　thought；　Campan？　And　do　you　not
  see　that　I　cannot　go　to　Trianon　in　any　other　than　a　light　white
  dress？〃
  〃Yes；　your　majesty；　I　understand；　but　I　was　only　thinking　that　the
  trades…people　of　Lyons　had　just　presented　a　paper　to　your　majesty；
  in　which　they　complain　of　the　decadence　of　the　silk　manufacture；
  explaining　it　on　the　ground　that　your　majesty　has　a　preference　for
  white　clothing；　and　stating　that　all　the　ladies　feel　obliged　to
  follow　the　example　of　their　queen；　and　lay　their　silk　robes　aside。〃
  〃And　do　you　know；　too；〃　asked　Marie　Antoinette；　〃that　Madame
  Adelaide　has　herself　supported　this　ridiculous　paper　of　the　Lyonnese
  merchants；　giving　out　that　I　wear　white　percale　because　I　want　to　do
  my　brother；　the　Emperor　Joseph；　a　service；　and　so　ordered　these
  white　goods　from　the　Netherlands？　Ah；　let　us　leave　these　follies　of
  the　wicked　and　the　stupid。　They　shall　not　prevent　my　wearing　white
  clothes　and　being　happy　in　Trianon。　Give　me　a　white　dress　quickly；
  Campan。〃
  〃Pardon；　your　majesty；　but　I　must；　first　summon　the　ladies　of　the
  robing…room；〃　answered　Madame　de　Campan；　turning　to　the　door　of　the
  sleeping…room。
  〃Oh；　why　all　this　parade？〃　sighed　the　queen。　〃Can　I　never　be　free
  from　the　fetters　of　all　this　ceremony？　Could　you　not　yourself；
  Campan；　put　a　simple　dress　upon　me？〃
  〃Your　majesty；　I　am　only　a　poor；　powerless　being；　and　I　fear
  enmities。　The　ladies　would　never　forgive　me　if　I　should　encroach
  upon　their　rights　and　separate　them　from　the　adored　person　of　the
  queen。　It　is　their　right；　it　is　their　duty　to　draw　the　robe　upon　the
  person　of　your　majesty；　and　to　secure　your　shoes。　I　beg；　therefore；
  your　gracious　permission　to　allow　the　ladies　to　come　in。〃
  〃Well；　do　it　then；〃　sighed　the　queen。　〃　Let　me　bear　the　fetters　here
  in　Versailles　until　the　last　moment。　I　shall　have　my　compensation　in
  Trianon。　Be　assured　I　shall　have　my　compensation　there。〃
  A　quarter　of　an　hour　later　the　queen　was　arrayed　in　her　changed
  attire；　and　came　out　from　the　toilet…chamber。　The　stiff　crinoline
  had　disappeared；　the　whalebone　corset；　with　the　long　projecting
  point；　was　cast　aside；　and　the　high　coiffure；　which　Leonard　had　so
  elaborately　made　up　in　the　morning；　was　no　more　to　be　seen。　A　white
  robe；　decorated　at　the　bottom　with　a　simple　volante；　fell　in　broad
  artistic　folds　over　her　noble　figure；　whose　full　proportions　had
  been　concealed　by　the　rigid　state　dress。　A　simple　waist　encircled
  her　bust；　and　was　held　together　by　a　blue　sash；　which　hung　in　long
  ends　at　her　left　side。　Broad　cuffs；　held　together　with　simple；
  narrow　lace；　fell　down　as　far　as　the　wrist；　but　through　the　thin
  material　could　be　seen　the　fair　form　of　her　beautiful　arms；　and　the
  white　triangle　of　gauze　which　she　had　thrown　over　her　naked　neck；
  did　not　entirely　veil　the　graceful　lines　of　her　full　shoulders　and
  her　noble　bust。　Her　hair；　deprived　of　its　unnatural　disfigurement；
  and　almost　entirely　freed　from　powder；　arched　itself　above　her　fine
  forehead　in　a　light　toupet；　and　fell　upon　her　shoulders　in　rich
  brown　locks；　on　which　only　a　mere　breath　of　powder　had　been　blown。
  On　her　arm　the　queen　carried　a　great；　round；　straw　hat；　secured　by
  blue　ribbons；　and　over　her　fair；　white　hands　she　had　drawn　gloves　of
  black　netting。
  Thus；　with　beaming　countenance；　with　blushing　cheeks；　and　with
  smiles　curling　around　her　full　red　lips；　thus；　all　innocence；
  merriment；　and　cheerfulness；　Marie　Antoinette　entered　the　sitting…
  room；　where　the　Duchess　de　Polignac　was　waiting　for　her；　in　an
  attire　precisely　like　that　of　the　queen。
  The　latter　flew　to　the　duchess　with　the　quickness　of　a　young　girl；
  with　the　tenderness　of　a　sister；　and　drew　her　arm　within　that　of　her
  friend。
  〃Come；　Julia；〃　said　she；　〃let　us　leave　the　world　and　enter
  paradise。〃
  〃Ah；　I　am　afraid　of　paradise；〃　cried　the　duchess；　with　a　merry
  smile。　〃I　have　a　horror　of　the　serpent。〃
  〃You　shall　find　no　serpents　there；　my　Julia；〃　said　the　queen；
  drawing　the　arm　of　the　duchess　to　herself。　〃Lean　upon　me；　my　friend；
  and　be　persuaded　that　I　will　defend　you　against　every　serpent；　and
  every　low；　creeping　thing。〃
  〃Oh；　I　fear　the　serpent　more　for　my　adored　queen　than　for　myself。
  What　is　there　in　me　to　harm？　But　your　majesty　is　exposed　on　every
  side　to　attack。〃
  〃Oh；　why；　Julia；〃　sighed　the　queen…〃　why　do　you　ad…dress　me　with　the
  stiff；　formal　title　of　majesty　when　we　are　alone　together？　Why　do
  you　not　forget　for　a　little　etiquette　when　there　is　nobody　by　to
  hear　us？〃
  〃Your　majesty；〃　laughed　the　duchess；　〃we　are　in　Versailles；　and　the
  walls　have　ears。〃
  〃It　is　true；〃　cried　the　queen；　with　quickly　restored　merriment；　〃　we
  are　here　in　Versailles；　that　is　your　exculpation。　Come；　let　us
  hasten　to　leave　this　proud；　royal　palace；　and　get　away　to　the
  society　of　beautiful　Nature；　where　there　are　no　walls　to　hear　us；
  but　only　God　and　Nature。　Come；　Julia。〃
  She　drew　the　duchess　quickly　out　through　the　side　door；　which　led　to
  the　little　corridor；　and　thence　to　the　adjacent　staircase；　and　over
  the　small　court　to　one　of　the　minor　gates　of　the　palace；　leading　to
  the　park。　The　coupe　of　the　queen　was　standing　before　this　door；　and
  the　master　of　the　stole　and　the　lackeys　were　awaiting　the　approach
  of　the　queen。
  Marie　Antoinette　sprang　like　a　gazelle　into　the　carriage；　and　then
  extended　her　hand　to　the　duchess　to　assist　her　to　ascend。　〃Forward；
  forward！〃　cried　the　queen　to　the　coachman；　〃　and　drive　with　all
  haste；　as　if　the　horses　had　wings；　for　I　long　to　fly。　Forward！　oh；
  forward！〃
  CHAPTER　　　III。
  TRIANON
  Fly；　ye　steeds；　fly！　Bear　the　Queen　of　France　away　from　the　stiff；
  proud　Versailles；　from　the　palaces　of　kings；　where　every　thing
  breathes　of　exaltation；　greatness；　and　unapproachableness；　bear　her
  to　little；　simple；　pretty　Trianon；　to　the　dream　of　paradise；　where
  all　is　in