All Paris was illuminated at night; and the royal family were invited to
take a drive in the midst of the people. They were well guarded by
soldiers, and received everywhere with acclamations. One man, however,
with a prodigiously powerful voice, kept beside the carriage-door next
the queen, and as often as the crowd shouted "Long live the king!"
bawled out "No, no: don't believe them. Long live the nation!" The
queen was impressed with the same sort of terror with which she had seen
the four wax-lights go out. Though panic-struck with this ominous
voice, she dared not complain, nor ask to have the man removed. While
the royal family were driving about the city in this false and hollow
triumph, a messenger was setting off for the Austrian court, with
letters from them expressive of extreme discontent and alarm at the
present state of public affairs.
There were bursts of loyal feeling occasionally, which gratified the
royal family; but these became fewer and fewer, as it was observed that
they were not well taken by the leaders of the revolution. One day this
summer, the Dauphin was walking on the terrace of the Tuileries. A
grenadier took him in his arms, with some affectionate words; and
everybody within sight cheered the child. Orders, however, soon came to
be quiet on the terrace: the child was set down again, and the people
went on their way.
Another day, Louis forgot his plan of being civil to everybody. He had
hold of his mother's hand; and they were going to walk in the gardens.
A loyal sentinel, lately arrived from the country, made his salute so
earnestly that his musket rang again. The queen saluted graciously: but
Louis was in such a hurry that he was posting on through the gate. His
mother checked him, saying, "Come, salute. Do not be unpolite."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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