The king having taken his seat, the nobles covered themselves; whereupon, contrary to precedent, the commons also put on their hats. This caught the queen's eye; she made a sign to the king to attract his attention, and then whispered to him hastily. Instantly he bared his head, whereupon all in the hall did the same. The king opened the States-General by an address, awkward, timid, cold, and colourless. He contented himself with assuring the delegates that the debt was enormous, and that to pay it off was their business. This discourse was followed by one from Barentin, Keeper of the Seals, paler even than that of his royal master, in which he thanked Heaven for having accorded to France 'the monarch whom it is her happiness to possess.' The minister Necker next spoke; he showed that the gulf of the deficit was still gaping, that it amounted to fifty-six millions. Of the constitution for France, which was so earnestly desired, he said not a word, and he concluded with declaring that the votes of the deputies were to be taken by order and not by heads. This was the annihilation of the third estate, which, although as numerous as the two other orders put together, would thus be reduced to one against two. Necker's speech lasted three hours. The king rose at half-past four, and the estates were adjourned till the morrow. CHAPTER XXIII. 'So! Gabrielle, what do you think?' asked Corporal Deschwanden, a couple of days after the riot at Réveillon's house. The girl looked up wistfully at him. There was promise of good tidings in the tone of his voice. 'You have to thank my wife and Madeleine.' 'For what?' asked Madame Deschwanden, turning sharply round. 'For having been so provident as to exert themselves to preserve some of Réveillon's property.' 'The mother-of-pearl box!' exclaimed madame. 'Ah! I shall never forgive you.' 'Yes, you will, when you hear all,' said the corporal, positively. 'Well, what is it, what is it?' asked the lady, stamping impatiently. 'You Germans are so slow, I have to fish for an hour before I can catch a minnow. Take a Frenchman! he pours out everything into your lap at the first appeal, and throws himself at your feet into the bargain. But a German, or a German-Swiss, like you! My faith! I have to use a screw for ever so long, and, in the end, I only extract little bits of worthless cork. What is it? Will you tell me? Do you not see I am dying--perishing slowly from curiosity?' 'Curiosity, yes!' said the corporal. 'That is the bane of women. Wife! did you ever hear the story----' 'I'll have no stories. What is the news?' 'The news is for Gabrielle, not for you.'