218 MARIE ANTOINETTE’S TALISMAN.
man, a little younger than you, I should think; but if I were to choose But all this is
romance.”
«Younger than me, dame, that seems impos- sible. Look again.”
It seemed as if the page was determined to challenge the woman’s closest attention, for he went close to her, that she might scrutinize his face, and exclaimed at last,
«Now, can you persist in saying that I am not younger than the Duke De Richelieu?”
“Well, I am not sure. At a little distance I should say no; but with the light on your face—”
«There, there! do not say it, the very thought breaks my heart,” said the page, interrupting her airily. ‘*One does so hate to feel the bloom of his youth going. But I am keeping you. . It is time—it is time.”
Dame Tillery took her fan from a corner where she had placed it, and settling all the amplitude of her garments, led the way into the street, and sailed off toward the palace like a frigate with all sails set to a stiff breeze. The people of the town, who had by this time heard pretty generally of her good fortune, crowded to their doors and windows to see her pass. Children paused, open-mouthed, in the street, wondering at her finery; and those who met her stood aside, as if contact with royalty had given her some mysterious prerogatives, which they were bound to reverence. The dame felt all this glory with wonderful exhilaration. She bowed graciously, right and left, as she moved on; gave one or two near acquaintances the tips of her plump fingers in passing, and swept. through the palace-gates like an empress.
CHAPTER XV.
There had been no audience arranged for Dame Tillery that, day, The queen wished to see her, that some proper reward might be given for the danger she had run, and, perhaps, promised herself some little amusement from the eccentric vanity of the good woman, whose superb airs had excited the merriment of all her ladies. But the day happened to be very lovely, and Marie Antoinette forgot her gratitude so far that she went into the Park with one or two of her favorites, ready for any amusement that might present itself, and in a humor to enjoy the bright, fresh air of those green glades with peculiar relish. She was pleased with herself and everything about her that day- kind acts bring a glow of happiness with them. She was pleased with the great happiness her interposition had secured for that young girl; she was grateful that an outstanding wrong of such terrible duration had been redressed, No harassing intelligence had reached her from the city, and she went forth from, her palace cheerfully, like a child let out from school before the stated hour.
«After all, my Campan, this is a beautiful world,” she said, lifting the folds of her dress as she descended the broad flight of steps that led to the grand fountain, full of music and lovely colors. How greenly the trees overlock that. arcade; how bright the grass is. Oh! if those people in Paris would only let us alone for a little while-we might be very happy here. The king asks so little; and I—tell me, my Campan, am I very unreasonable? much more than other women?”
Madame Campan lifted her soft eyes to the handsome face bent upon her, and Marie An- toinette saw that they were misty with tears, such ag spring readily from her affectionate heart.
“Ah, my mistress! if the people could but know how little would satisfy you, how ear- nestly you seek their welfare, rather than your own, all the discontent we hear might pass away as yonder mist arises from the lawn, and turns to silver in the sunshine.”
“How I wish it might,” answered the queen, fervently. “Sometimes I think it is my presence in France that has occasioned all this broad-spread discontent: Yet the people seemed to love me; and you remember how they would go into a tumult of delight if I but waved a bouquet to them from my box at the theatre; how they would crowd around my carriage only for a sight of my face. Tell me, Campan, was it because I was younger then and more beau- tiful, or is it that they have really learned to hate me?”
Campan shook her head, and heaved a deep sigh as her affectionate glance rested on that queenly face.
“The people loved their queen once, and will love her again when the insane clamor of the clubs has worn itself out, " she said, speaking from her simple wisdom, for she could not comprehend any of the great causes of discontent which lay seething in the riotous city of Paris causes that were rooted so deep in the past, that it has taken almost a century to discover and trace them back through the awful convulsion they had led to. "The people have their caprices, " she added, "and change easily. Wait a little, and all this popularity will come back. "
