the　king；　you　will　consult　him　about　needful　matters；　and　advise　him
  about　the　things　which　are　essential　to　his　welfare　and　that　of　the
  people。〃
  〃Madame；〃　replied　Mirabeau；　〃I　take　the　liberty　of　adding　this　to
  what　has　already　been　said。　The　most　necessary　thing　is　that　the
  royal　court　leave　Paris　for　a　season！〃
  〃That　we　flee？〃　asked　Marie　Antoinette；　hastily。　〃Not　flee；　but
  withdraw；〃　answered　Mirabeau。　〃The　exasperated　people　menace　the
  monarchy；　and　therefore　the　threatened　crown　must　for　a　while　be
  concealed　from　the　people's　sight；　that　they　may　be　brought　back　to
  a　sense　of　duty　and　loyalty。　And；　therefore；　I　do　not　say　that　the
  court　must　flee；　I　only　say　it　must　leave　Paris；　for　Paris　is　the
  furnace　of　the　revolution！　The　royal　court　must　withdraw；　as　soon　as
  possible；　to　the　very　boundaries　of　France！　It　must　there　gather　an
  army；　and　put　it　under　the　command　of　some　faithful　general；　and
  with　this　army　march　against　the　riotous　capital；　and　I　will　be
  there　to　smooth　the　way　and　open　the　gates！〃
  〃I　thank　you；　count；　I　thank　you！〃　cried　Marie　Antoinette；　rising
  from　her　seat。　〃Now；　I　doubt　no　more　about　the　future；　for　my　own
  thoughts　coincide　with　those　of　our　greatest　statesmen！　I；　too；　am
  convinced　the　court　ought　to　leave　Paristhat　it　must　withdraw；　in
  order　to　escape　new　humiliations；　and　that　it　ought　to　return　only
  in　the　splendor　of　its　power；　and　with　an　army　to　put　the　rebels　to
  flight；　and　breathe　courage　into　the　timid　and　faithful。　Oh！　you
  must　tell　the　king　all　this；　you　must　show　him　that　our　removal　from
  Paris　is　not　only　a　means　of　salvation　to　the　crown；　but　to　the
  people　as　well。　Your　words　will　convince　the　noblest　and　best　of
  monarchs；　he　will　follow　your　counsels；　and；　thanks　to　you；　not　we
  alone；　but　the　monarchy　will　be　saved！　No；　go　to　the　work；　count！　Be
  active　in　our　behalf；　bring　your　unbounded　influence；　in　favor　of
  the　king　and　queen；　to　bear　upon　all　spirits；　and　be　sure　that　we
  shall　be　grateful　to　you　so　long　as　we　live。　Farewell；　and　remember
  that　my　eye　will　follow　all　your　steps；　and　that　my　ears　will　hear
  every　word　which　Mirabeau　shall　speak　in　the　National　Assembly。〃
  Mirabeau　bowed　respectfully。　〃Madame；〃　said　he；　〃when　your　exalted
  mother　condescended　to　favor　one　of　her　subjects　with　an　audience；
  she　never　dismissed　him　without　permitting　the　favored　one
  respectfully　to　kiss　her　hand。〃
  〃It　is　true；〃　replied　Marie　Antoinette；　with　a　pleasant　smile；　〃and
  in　this；　at　least；　I　can　follow　the　example　of　my　great　mother！〃
  And；　with　inimitable　grace；　the　queen　extended　her　hand　to　him。
  Mirabeau；　enraptured；　beside　himself　at　this　display　of　courtesy　and
  favor；　dropped　upon　his　knee　and　pressed　his　lips　to　the　delicate；
  white　hand　of　the　queen。
  〃Madame；〃　cried　he；　with　warmth；　〃this　kiss　saves　the　monarchy！〃
  ＇Mirabeau's　own　words。See　〃Memoires　de　Mirabeau；〃　vol　iv。；　p。
  208。＇
  〃If　you　have　spoken　the　truth；　sir；〃　said　the　queen；　with　a　sigh；
  rising　and　dismissing　him；　with　a　gentle　inclination　of　her　head。
  With　excited　and　radiant　looks；　Mirabeau　returned　to　his　nephew；　who
  was　waiting　for　him　at　the　gate　of　the　park。
  〃Oh！〃　said　he；　with　a　breath　of　relief；　laying　his　hand　upon　the
  shoulder　of　Saillant；　〃what　have　I　not　heard　and　seen！　She　is　very
  great；　very　noble；　and　very　unhappy；　Victor！　But；〃　cried　he；　with　a
  loud；　earnest　voice；　〃I　will　save　herI　will　save　her！〃　＇Footnote：
  〃Marie　Antoinette　et　sa　Famille；〃　p　480。＇
  Mirabeau　was　in　earnest　in　this　purpose；　and　not　because　he　had　been
  bought　over；　but　because　he　had　been　woncarried　away　with　the
  noble　aspect　of　the　queendid　he　become　from　this　time　a　zealous
  defender　of　the　monarchy；　an　eloquent　advocate　in　behalf　of　Marie
  Antoinette。　But　he　was　not　now　able　to　restrain　the　dashing　waves　of
  revolution；　he　could　not　even　save　himself　from　being　engulfed　in
  these　raging　waves。
  Mirabeau　knew　it　well；　and　made　no　secret　of　the　peril　of　his
  position。　On　the　day　when；　before　the　division；　he　spoke　in　defence
  of　the　monarchy　and　the　royal　prerogative；　and　undertook　to　decide
  the　question　of　peace　or　waron　that　day　he　first　announced　himself
  openly　for　the　king；　and　raised　a　storm　of　excitement　and　disgust　in
  the　National　Assembly。　Still　he　spoke　right　bravely　in　behalf　of　the
  crown；　and　while　doing　so；　he　cried；　〃I　know　well　that　it　is　only　a
  single　step　from　the　capitol　to　the　Tarpeian　rock！〃
  Step　after　step！　And　these　successive　steps　Mirabeau　was　soon　to
  take。　Petion　had　not　in　vain　characterized　Mirabeau　as　the　most
  dangerous　enemy　of　the　republic。　Marat　had　not　asserted；　without
  knowing　what　he　said；　that　Mirabeau　must　let　all　his　aristocratic
  blood　flow　from　his　veins；　or　bleed　to　death　altogether！　Not　with
  impunity　could　Mirabeau　encounter　the　rage　of　parties；　and　fling
  down　the　gauntlet　before　them；　saying；　at　the　same　moment；　〃He　would
  defend　the　monarchy　against　all　attacks；　from　what　side　soever；　and
  from　what　part　soever　of　the　kingdom　they　might　come。〃
  The　leaders　of　the　republican　factions　knew　very　well　how　to
  estimate　the　power　of　Mirabeau；　they　knew　very　well　that　Mirabeau
  was　able　to　fit　together　the　fragments　of　the　crown　which　he　had
  helped　to　break。　And；　to　prevent　his　doing　this；　they　knew　that　he
  must　be　buried　beneath　these　fragments。
  Soon　after　his　interview　with　the　queenafter　his　dissenting　speech
  in　behalf　of　the　prerogative　of　the　kingMirabeau　began　to　fail　in
  health。　His　enemies　said　that　it　was　only　the　result　of　over…
  exertion；　and　a　cold　which　he　had　brought　on　by　drinking　a　glass　of
  cold　water　during　a　speech；　in　the　National　Assembly。　His　friends
  whispered　about　a　deadly　poison　which　had　been　mingled　with　this
  glass　of　water；　in　order　to　rid　themselves　of　this　powerful　and
  dangerous　opponent。
  Mirabeau　believed　this；　and　the　increasing　torpor　of　his　limbs；　the
  pains　which　he　felt　in　his　bowels；　appeared　to　him　to　be　the　sure
  indications　of　poison　given　him　by　his　enemies。
  The　lion；　who　had　been　willing　to　crouch　at　the　foot　of　the　throne
  for　the　purpose　of　guarding　it；　was　now　nothing　but　a　poor；　sick
  man；　whose　voice　was　lost；　and　whose　power　was　extinguished。　For　a
  season　he　sought　to　contend　against　the　malady　which　was　lurking　in
  his　body；　but　one　day；　in　the　midst　of　a　speech　which　he　was　making
  in　behalf　of　the　queen；　he　sank　in　a　fainting…fit；　and　was　carried
  unconsciously　to　his　dwelling。　After　long　efforts　on　the　part　of　his
  physician；　the　celebrated　Cabanis；　Mirabeau　opened　his　eyes。
  Consciousness　was　restored；　but　with　it　a　fixed　premonition　of　his
  approaching　death。
  〃I　am　dying！〃　he　said；　softly。　〃I　am　bearing　in　my　heart　the　funeral
  crape　of　the　monarchy。　These　raging　partisans　want　to　pluck　it　out；
  deride　it；　and　fasten　it　to　their　own　foreheads。　And　this　compels
  them　to　break　my　heart；　and　this　they　have　done！〃　＇Footnote：
  Mirabeau's　own　words。See　〃Memoires　sur　Mirabeau；〃　vol。　iv。；。　p。
  296。＇
  Yes；　they　had　broken　itthis　great　strong　heart；　in　which　the
  funeral　crape　of　monarchy　lay。　At　first　the　physician　and　his
  friends　hoped　that　it　might　be　possible　to　overcome　his　malady；　but
  Mirabeau　was　not　flattered　by　any　such　hope；　he　felt　that　the　pains
  which　were　racking　his　body　would　end　only　with　death。
  After　one　especially　painful　and　distressing　night；　Mirabeau　had　his
  physician　Cabanis　and　his　friend　Count　de　la　Marck　summoned　to　his
  bed；　and　extended　to　them　both　his　hands。　〃My　friends；〃　he　said　to
  them　with　gentle　voice　and　with　peaceful　face；　〃my　friends；　I　am
  going　to　die　to…day。　When　one　has　been　brought　to　that　pass；　there
  is　only　one　thing　that　remains　to　be　done：　to　be　perfumed；
  tastefully　dressed；　and　surrounded　with　flowers；　so　as　to　fall
  agreeably　into　that　last　sleep　from　which　there　is　no　waking。　So；
  call　my　servants！　I　must　be　shaved；　dressed；　and　nicely　arrayed。　The
  window　must　be　opened；　that　the　warm　air　may　stream　in；　and　then
  flowers　must　be　brought。　I　want　to　die　in　the　sunshine　and　flowers。〃
  ＇Footnote：　Mirabeau's　words。See　〃Memoires　sur　Mirabeau；〃　vol。　iv。；
  p。　298。＇
  His　friends　did　not　venture　to　oppose　his　last　wish。　The　gladiator
  wanted　to　make　his　last　toilet　and　be　elaborately　arrayed　in　order
  to　fall　in　the　arena　of　life　as　a　hero　falls；　and　even　in　death　to
  excite　the　wonder　and　the　applause　of　the　public。
  All　Paris　was　in　this　last　scene　the　public　of　this　gladiator；　all
  Paris　had；　in　these　last　days　of　his　battle　for　life；　only　one
  thought；　〃How　is　it　with　Mirabeau？　Will　he　compel　the　dreadful　enemy
  Death　to　retire　from　before　him；　or　will　he　fall　as　the　prey　of
  Death？〃　This　question　was　written　on　all　faces；　repeated　in　all
  houses　and　in　all　hearts。　Every　one　wanted　to　receive　an　answer　from
  that　still　house；　with　its　closely…drawn　curtains；　where　Mirabeau
  lived。　All　the　streets　which　led　thither　were；　during　the　last　three
  days　before　his　death；　filled　with　a　dense　mass　of　men；　and　no
  carriage　was　permitted　to　drive　through　the　neighborhood；　lest　it
  should　disturb　Mirabeau。　The　theatres　were　closed；　and；　without　any
  consultation　together；　the　merchants　shut　their　stores　as　they　do　on
  great　days　of　national　fasting　or　thanksgiving。
  On　the　morning　of　the　fourth　day；　before　life　had　begun