“I accepted the sad mission which introduces me to your Majesty only in the hopes of being of some service to you. Your Majesty can, then, count upon me as a faithful follower. But I have not the power of Barnave, who exercises an enormous influence over the Assembly. He is vain as an advocate, and will be flattered by having a seat in the carriage of the King. It is, therefore, needful that he should occupy a place, and that the Queen should take the opportunity of improving his acquaintance. I, therefore, beg your Majesties to excuse my surrendering my seat.” The Queen bowed her head. She wished to again assume her womanly properties, and to seduce Barnave, as she had Mirabeau. To be sure, it was humiliating, but, at the same time, it was a distraction. Strange contradiction! It was the King who had most repugnance to Barnave’s occupying a seat in the royal carriage. Barnave, a little Dauphinois advocate, pride upon his face, his nose perked up in the air, and his _tout ensemble_ proclaiming insufferable conceit, took his place. Pétion likewise, his rosy cheeks glowing with satisfaction, disposed of himself to his perfect content. Barnave and Pétion, therefore, as we have said, entered the royal carriage. Madame de Tourzel had resigned her place, and entered, with M. Latour-Maubourg, the carriage set apart for the attendants. Pétion at once proclaimed his discourtesy by claiming, as representative of the National Assembly, a seat with his face to the horses. The King and Queen made a sign to Madame Elizabeth, who at once changed places with him. At last, all inside the royal carriage were satisfactorily arranged. On the back seat were the King, Pétion, the Queen; and on the front, Madame Elizabeth, face to face with Pétion, Madame Royale and the Dauphin face to face and knee to knee with the Queen, who was opposite, also, to Barnave. At the first glance the Queen fancied that Barnave was dry, cold, and wicked. Barnave had hoped to take the place of Mirabeau at the Assembly. He had succeeded in part; could not the Queen confer the rest? Why not? Had she not, at St. Cloud, given a secret interview to Mirabeau? Why should not he, Barnave, be accorded a similar favor. But then, public rumor spread abroad that one of the three gentlemen on the box of the carriage, “M. Fersen,” was the accepted lover of the Queen. Strange thing! As I have told you the good self-opinion of Barnave, he was yet jealous of M. de Fersen. With the admirable shrewdness of women, the Queen discovered this before a quarter of an hour had elapsed. She managed to get the three guards, named respectively MM. de Malden, de Valory, and de Moustier. No Fersen! Barnave breathed, smiled, and became positively charming. Barnave was young, handsome, polished, of fascinating manners, and felt great commiseration for the unfortunate royal party. In place of the Queen seducing Barnave, Barnave almost seduced the Queen. CHAPTER XXXVI. BARNAVE AND PETION.