commanded　them　to　follow　me　hither？〃
  〃Your　majesty；〃　answered　the　Duke　de　Coigny；　peevishly；　〃the　ladies
  and　gentlemen　have　probably　recalled　the　fact　that　your　majesty　once
  made　it　a　rule　here　in　Trianon　that　every　one　should　do　as　he
  pleases；　and　your　majesty　sees　that　they　hold　more　strictly　to　the
  laws　than　others　do。〃
  〃My　lord；〃　sighed　the　queen；　〃do　you　bring　reproaches　against　me
  too？　Are　you　also　discontented？〃
  〃And　why　should　I　be　contented；　your　majesty？〃　asked　the　duke；　with
  choler。　〃I　am　deprived　of　a　post　which　hitherto　has　been　held　for
  life；　and　does　your　majesty　desire　that　I　should　be　contented？　No；　I
  am　not　contented。　No；　I　do　as　the　others　do。　I　am　full　of　anger　and
  pain　to　see　that　nothing　is　secure　more；　that　nothing　is　stable
  more；　that　one　can　rely　upon　nothing　morenot　even　upon　the　word　of
  kings。〃
  〃My　lord　duke；〃　cried　Marie　Antoinette；　with　flashing　anger；　〃you　go
  too　far；　you　forget　that　you　are　speaking　to　your　queen。〃
  〃Madame；〃　cried　he；　still　louder；　〃here　in　Trianon　there　is　no
  queen；　there　are　no　subjects！　You　yourself　have　said　it；　and　I　at
  least　will　hold　to　your　words；　even　if　you　yourself　do　not。　Let　us
  play　billiards；　madame。　I　am　at　your　service。〃
  And　while　the　Duke　de　Coigny　said　this；　he　seized　with　an　angry
  movement　the　billiard…cue　of　the　queen。　It　was　a　present　which　Marie
  Antoinette　had　received　from　her　brother；　the　Emperor　Joseph。　It　was
  made　of　a　single　rhinoceros　skin；　and　was　adorned　with　golden　knobs。
  The　king　had　a　great　regard　for　it；　and　no　one　before　had　ever
  ventured　to　use　it　excepting　her　alone。
  〃Give　it　to　me；　Coigny；〃　said　she；　earnestly。　〃You　deceive　yourself；
  that　is　not　your　billiard…cue；　that　is　mine。〃
  〃Madame；〃　cried　he；　angrily；　〃what　is　mine　is　taken　from　me；　and　why
  should　I　not　take　what　is　not　mine？　It　seems　as　if　this　were　the
  latest　fashion；　to　do　what　one　pleases　with　the　property　of　others；
  I　shall　hasten　to　have　a　share　in　this　fashion；　even　were　it　only　to
  show　that　I　have　learned　something　from　your　majesty。　Let　us　begin。〃
  Trembling　with　anger　and　excitement；　he　took　two　balls；　laid　them　in
  the　middle　of　the　table；　and　gave　the　stroke。　But　it　was　so
  passionately　given；　and　in　such　rage；　that　the　cue　glided　by　the
  balls　and　struck　so　strongly　against　the　raised　rim　of　the　table
  that　it　broke。
  The　queen　uttered　an　exclamation　of　indignation；　and；　raising　the
  hand；　pointed　with　a　commanding　gesture　to　the　door。
  〃My　Lord　Duke　de　Coigny；〃　said　she；　proudly；　〃I　release　you　from　the
  duty　of　ever　coming　again　to　Trianon。　You　are　dismissed。〃
  The　duke；　trembling　with　anger；　muttering　a　few　unintelligible
  words；　made　a　slight；　careless　obeisance　to　the　queen；　and　left　the
  billiard…hall　with　a　quick　step。＇Footnote：　This　scene　is　historical。
  See　〃Memoires　de　Madame　de　Campan；〃　vol。　ii。＇
  Marie　Antoinette　looked　after　him　with　a　long　and　pained　look。　Then；
  with　a　deep　sigh；　she　took　up　the　bits　of　the　broken　cue　and　went
  into　her　little　porcelain　cabinet；　in　order　to　gain　rest　and　self…
  command　in　solitude　and　stillness。
  Reaching　that　place；　and　now　sure　that　no　one　could　observe　her；
  Marie　Antoinette　sank　with　a　deep　sigh　into　an　arm…chair；　and　the
  long…restrained　tears　started　from　her　eyes。
  〃Oh；〃　sighed　she；　sadly；　〃they　will　destroy　every　thing　I　have；
  every　thingmy　confidence；　my　spirit；　my　heart　itself。　They　will
  leave　me　nothing　but　pain　and　misfortune；　and　not　one　of　them　whom　I
  till　now　have　held　to　be　my　friends；　will　share　it　with　me。〃
  CHAPTER　VI。
  THE　TRIAL。
  For　a　whole　year　the　preparation　for　the　trial　had　lasted；　and　to…
  day；　the　31st　of　August；　1786；　the　matter　would　be　decided。　The
  friends　and　relatives　of　the　cardinal　had　had　time　to　manipulate　not
  only　public　opinion；　but　also　to　win　over　the　judges；　the　members　of
  Parliament；　to　the　cause　of　the　cardinal；　and　to　prejudice　them
  against　the　queen。　All　the　enemies　of　Marie　Antoinette；　the
  legitimists　even；　who　saw　their　old　rights　of　nobility　encroached
  upon　by　the　preference　given　to　the　Polignacs　and　other　families
  which　had　sprung　from　obscurity；　the　party　of　the　royal　princes　and
  princesses；　whom　Marie　Antoinette　had　always　offended；　first　because
  she　was　an　Austrian；　and　later　because　she　had　allowed　herself　to
  win　the　love　of　the　king；　the　men　of　the　agitation　and　freedom
  party；　who　thundered　in　their　clubs　against　the　realm；　and　held　it
  to　be　their　sacred　duty　to　destroy　the　nimbus　which；　had　hitherto
  enveloped　the　throne；　and　to　show　to　the　hungering　people　that　the
  queen　who　lived　in　luxury　was　nothing　more　than　a　light…minded；
  voluptuous　woman；all　these　enemies　of　the　queen　had　had　time　to
  gain　over　public　opinion　and　the　judges。　The　trial　had　been　a
  welcome　opportunity　to　all　to　give　free　play　to　their　revenge；　their
  indignation；　and　their　hate。　The　family　of　the　cardinal；　sorely
  touched　by　the　degradation　which　had　come　upon　them　all　in　their
  head；　would；　at　the　least；　see　the　queen　compromised　with　the
  cardinal；　and　if　the　latter　should　really　come　out　from　the　trial　as
  the　deceived　and　duped　one；　Marie　Antoinette　should；　nevertheless；
  share　in　the　stain。
  The　Rohan　family　and　their　friends　set　therefore　all　means　in
  motion；　in　order　to　win　over　public　opinion　and　the　judges。　To　this
  end　they　visited　the　members　of　Parliament；　brought　presents　to
  those　of　them　who　were　willing　to　receive　them；　made　use　of
  mercenary　authors　to　hurl　libellous　pamphlets　at　the　queen；
  published　brochures　which；　in　dignified　language；　defended　the
  cardinal　in　advance；　and　exhibited　him　as　the　victim　of　his　devotion
  and　love　to　the　royal　family。　Everybody　read　these　pamphlets；　and
  when　at　last　the　day　of　decision　came；　public　opinion　had　already
  declared　itself　in　favor　of　the　cardinal　and　against　the　queen。
  On　the　31st　of　August；　1786；　as　already　said；　the　trial　so　long　in
  preparation　was　to　be　decided。　The　night　before；　the　cardinal　had
  been　transferred　from　the　Bastile　to　the　prison；　as　had　also　the
  other　prisoners　who　were　involved　in　the　case。
  At　early　dawn　the　whole　square　before　the　prison　was　full　of　men；
  and　the　dependants　of　Rohan　and　the　Agitators　of　Freedom；　as　Marat
  and　his　companions　called　themselves；　were　active　here　as　ever　to
  turn　the　feeling　of　the　people　against　the　queen。
  In　the　court…house；　on　the　other　side　of　the　great　square；
  meanwhile；　the　great　drama　of　the　trial　had　begun。　The　members　of
  Parliament；　the　judges　in　the　case；　sat　in　their　flowing　black
  garments；　in　long　rows　before　the　green　table；　and　their　serious；
  sad　faces　and　sympathetic　looks　were　all　directed　toward　the
  cardinal；　Louis　de　Rohan。　But　in　spite　of　the　danger　of　the
  situation；　the　noble　face　of　the　cardinal　was　completely
  undisturbed；　and　his　bearing　princely。　He　appeared　in　his　full
  priestly　array；　substituting　in　place　of　the　purple…red　under…
  garment　one　of　violet；　as　cardinals　do　when　they　appear　in　mourning。
  Over　this　he　wore　the　short　red　cloak；　and　displayed　all　his　orders；
  the　red　stockings；　the　silk　shoes　with　jewelled　buckles；　completed
  his　array。　While　entering；　he　raised　his　hands　and　gave　his　priestly
  blessing　to　those　who　should　judge　him；　and　perhaps　condemn　him。　He
  then；　in　simple　and　dignified　words；　spoke　as　follows：
  A　relative　of　his；　Madame　de　Boulainvillier；　had；　three　years
  before；　brought　a　young　woman　to　him；　and　requested　him　to　maintain
  her。　She　was　of　the　most　exalted　lineage；　the　last　in　descent　from
  the　earlier　kings　of　France；　of　the　family　of　Valois。　She　called
  herself　the　Countess　of　Lamotte…Valois；　her　husband；　the　Count
  Lamotte；　was　the　royal　sub…lieutenant　in　some　little　garrison　city；
  and　his　salary　was　not　able　to　support　them　except　meagrely。　The
  young　lady　was　beautiful；　intellectual；　of　noble　manners；　and　it　was
  natural　that　the　cardinal　should　interest　himself　in　behalf　of　the
  unfortunate　daughter　of　the　kings　of　France。　He　supported　her　for　a
  while；　and　after　many　exertions　succeeded　in　obtaining　a　pension　of
  fifteen　hundred　francs　from　King　Louis　XVI。；　in　behalf　of　the　last
  descendant　of　the　Valois　family。　Upon　this　the　countess　went　herself
  to　Versailles；　in　order　to　render　thanks　in　person　for　this　favor。
  She　returned　the　next　day　to　Paris；　beaming　with　joy；　and　told　the
  cardinal　that　she　had　not　only　been　received　by　the　queen；　but　that
  Marie　Antoinette　had　been　exceedingly　gracious　to　her；　and　had
  requested　her　to　visit　her　often。　From　this　day　on；　the　countess　had
  naturally　gained　new　favor　in　the　eyes　of　the　cardinal；　for　she
  often　went　to　Versailles；　and　from　the　accounts　of　her　visits　there；
  when　she　returned；　it　was　clear　that　she　stood　in　high　favor　with
  the　queen。　But　now；　unfortunately；　the　cardinal　found　himself　in
  precisely　the　opposite　situation。　He　stood　in　extreme　disfavor　with
  the　queen。　She　never　condescended　to　bestow　a　glance　upon　him；　nor　a
  word。　The　cardinal　was　for　a　long　time　inconsolable　on　account　of
  this；　and　sought　in　vain　to　regain　the　favor　of　the　queen。　This　he
  intrusted　with　the　deepest　confidence　to　the　Countess　Lamotte…
  Valois；　and　she；　full　of　friendly　zeal；　had　undertaken　to　speak　to
  the　queen　in　his　behalf。　Some　days　later　she　told　the　cardinal　that
  she