At that moment, they relieved guard. I ran to the postmaster at Dormans, who was a friend of M. Drouet’s, and with whom we had lodged on our way to the federation, and prayed him to lend me a horse, to go as far as Meaux, where the royal family would halt, to pass the night in repose. In these critical times, paternal feeling elevated itself. The postmaster had seen M. Drouet the evening before, who had announced to him my arrival to-day. He would not let me hire the steed—he gave it to me. They arrived at Meaux about six in the evening. The King again invited the commissaires to sup with him, as he had before invited them to dine. Pétion accepted the invitation; M. de Latour-Maubourg and Barnave refused it. But the Queen, with charming grace, turning towards Barnave, said, “Pray accept it, M. Barnave, as, after the meal, I shall have need of you.” Barnave bowed, the King signed to M. de Latour-Maubourg and the two took their places at the royal table. They were located in the palace of the Bishop of Meaux, a melancholy-looking place enough, with its dark oak staircase and mysterious and dusty passages. I was on guard at the garden gate. After dinner, the Queen, who, as she had said to Barnave, had need of him, took his arm, and mounted the staircase to the apartments above, under pretext of seeing a chamber once occupied by Bossuet. As for the King, he descended into the gardens with Pétion. Pétion it was who desired the _tête-à-tête_. Pétion, who, apart from his folly, was a good man, and had a good heart, had formed an idea of escape for the King. It was, to allow the three body-guards to go, so that they might disguise themselves as National Guards, and so facilitate their entrance into Paris. But, extraordinary to relate, the King could not understand this idea of Pétion’s; and not wishing to be under an obligation to Pétion, and having the absurd suspicion that he wished to assassinate the guards, he refused. And yet, on the day when he could have caused Lafayette to be proclaimed Mayor of Paris, he nominated Pétion. It was because the Queen hated Lafayette more than the King detested Pétion. As for the Queen, no one knows what passed between her and Barnave, except through the account which she afterwards gave to Madame Campan. The impression which the young representative produced on the Queen may be summed up in those words. “If ever power returns into our hands, the pardon of Barnave is assured in our hearts.” The Queen was ready to pardon Barnave for his rebellion; France did not pardon him for his weakness. The unhappy orator paid with his head for the few moments of happiness he spent with this second Marie Stuart. Perchance he had the same honor as Mirabeau, of kissing her hand. CHAPTER XXXVII. PARIS. Day dawned. It was the 25th of June. They returned to Paris after five days absence. Five days! What terrible events had come to pass in the space of five days!