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marie antoinette and her son-第7部分

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white triangle of gauze which she had thrown over her naked neck;
did not entirely veil the graceful lines of her full shoulders and
her noble bust。 Her hair; deprived of its unnatural disfigurement;
and almost entirely freed from powder; arched itself above her fine
forehead in a light toupet; and fell upon her shoulders in rich
brown locks; on which only a mere breath of powder had been blown。
On her arm the queen carried a great; round; straw hat; secured by
blue ribbons; and over her fair; white hands she had drawn gloves of
black netting。

Thus; with beaming countenance; with blushing cheeks; and with
smiles curling around her full red lips; thus; all innocence;
merriment; and cheerfulness; Marie Antoinette entered the sitting…
room; where the Duchess de Polignac was waiting for her; in an
attire precisely like that of the queen。

The latter flew to the duchess with the quickness of a young girl;
with the tenderness of a sister; and drew her arm within that of her
friend。

〃Come; Julia;〃 said she; 〃let us leave the world and enter
paradise。〃

〃Ah; I am afraid of paradise;〃 cried the duchess; with a merry
smile。 〃I have a horror of the serpent。〃

〃You shall find no serpents there; my Julia;〃 said the queen;
drawing the arm of the duchess to herself。 〃Lean upon me; my friend;
and be persuaded that I will defend you against every serpent; and
every low; creeping thing。〃

〃Oh; I fear the serpent more for my adored queen than for myself。
What is there in me to harm? But your majesty is exposed on every
side to attack。〃

〃Oh; why; Julia;〃 sighed the queen…〃 why do you ad…dress me with the
stiff; formal title of majesty when we are alone together? Why do
you not forget for a little etiquette when there is nobody by to
hear us?〃

〃Your majesty;〃 laughed the duchess; 〃we are in Versailles; and the
walls have ears。〃

〃It is true;〃 cried the queen; with quickly restored merriment; 〃 we
are here in Versailles; that is your exculpation。 Come; let us
hasten to leave this proud; royal palace; and get away to the
society of beautiful Nature; where there are no walls to hear us;
but only God and Nature。 Come; Julia。〃

She drew the duchess quickly out through the side door; which led to
the little corridor; and thence to the adjacent staircase; and over
the small court to one of the minor gates of the palace; leading to
the park。 The coupe of the queen was standing before this door; and
the master of the stole and the lackeys were awaiting the approach
of the queen。

Marie Antoinette sprang like a gazelle into the carriage; and then
extended her hand to the duchess to assist her to ascend。 〃Forward;
forward!〃 cried the queen to the coachman; 〃 and drive with all
haste; as if the horses had wings; for I long to fly。 Forward! oh;
forward!〃




CHAPTER   III。

TRIANON


Fly; ye steeds; fly! Bear the Queen of France away from the stiff;
proud Versailles; from the palaces of kings; where every thing
breathes of exaltation; greatness; and unapproachableness; bear her
to little; simple; pretty Trianon; to the dream of paradise; where
all is innocence; simplicity; and peace; where the queen may be a
woman; and a happy one; too; and where Marie Antoinette has the
right to banish etiquette; and live in accordance with her
inclinations; wishes; and humors。

Yes; truly; the fiery steeds have transformed themselves into birds;
they cut the air; they scarcely touch the ground; and hardly can the
driver restrain them when they reach the fence which separates the
garden of Trianon from Versailles。

Light as a gazelle; happy as a young girl that knows nothing of the
cares and burdens of life; Marie Antoinette sprang out of the
carriage before the chamberlain had time to open the gate with its
double wings; to let the queen pass in as a queen ought。 Laughing;
she glided through the little side gate; which sufficed for the more
unpretending visitor of Trianon; and took the arm of her friend the
Duchess de Polignac; in order to turn with her into one of the side
alleys。 But; before doing so; she turned to the chamberlain; who;
standing in a respectful attitude; was awaiting the commands of his
mistress。

〃Weber;〃 said she to him; in the pleasant Austrian dialect; the
language of her early home〃 Weber; there is no need for you to
follow us。 The day is yours。 You are free; as I am too。 Meanwhile;
if yon meet his majesty; tell him that I have gone to the small
palace; and that; if it pleases his majesty; he may await me in my
little village at the mill。

〃And now; come; my Julia;〃 said she; turning to the duchess; and
drawing her forward with gentle violence; 〃 now let us be merry and
happy。 I am no longer a queen; God be thanked! I am neither more nor
less than anybody else。 That is the reason I was so well pleased to
come through the small door just now。 Through a narrow gate alone we
can enter paradise; and I am entering paradise now。 Oh; do you not
see; my friend; that the trees; the flowers; the bushes; every thing
here is free from the dust of earth; that even the heaven has
another color; and looks down upon me brilliant and blue; like the
eye of God?〃

〃It is just;〃 answered the Duchess de Polignac; 〃because you are
seeing every thing with other eyes; your majesty。〃

〃Your majesty!〃 cried Marie Antoinette。 〃You love me no longer; your
heart is estranged from me; since you address me with this cold
title。 In Versailles; you had a valid plea; but here; Julia; what
can you offer in justification? The flowers are not listeners; the
bushes have not ears; like the walls of Versailles; to spy out our
privacy。〃

〃I say nothing for my exculpation;〃 answered the duchess; throwing
her arm with a playful movement around the neck of the queen; and
imprinting a kiss upon the lofty brow of Marie Antoinette。 〃I only
ask your pardon; and promise that I will be obedient and not disturb
my friend's dream of paradise all day long by an ill…timed word。 Now
will you forgive me; Marie?〃

〃With all my soul; Julia;〃 answered the queen; nodding to her in a
friendly way。 〃And now; Julia; as we have a happy vacation day
before us; we will enjoy it like two young girls who are celebrating
the birthday of their grandmother after escaping from a boarding
school。 Let us see which of us is the swiftest of foot。 We will make
a wager on it。 See; there gleams our little house out from the
shrubbery; let us see which of us gets there first。〃

〃Without stopping once in the run?〃 asked the duchess; amazed。

〃I make no conditions; I only say; let us see who gets there first。
If you win; Julia; I will give you the privilege of nominating a man
to have the first place in my Swiss guards; and you may select the
protege in whose behalf you were pleading yesterday。 Come; let us
run。 One!〃

〃No; Marie;〃 interrupted the duchess。 〃Supposing that you are the
first; what shall I give you?〃

〃A kissa hearty kissJulia。 Now; forward! One; two; three!〃

And; speaking these words in merry accents; Marie Antoinette sprang
forward along the narrow walk。 The round straw hat which covered her
head was tossed up on both sides; the blue ribbons fluttered in the
wind; the white dress puffed up; and the grand chamberlain of the
queen and Madame Adelaide would have been horrified if they could
have seen the queen flying along like a girl escaped from the
boarding…school。

But she; she never thought of there being any thing improper in the
run; she looked forward to the goal with laughing glances; as the
white house emerged more and more from the verdure by which it was
surrounded; and then sideways at her friend; who had not been able
to gain a single step upon her。

〃Forward; forward!〃 shouted the queen; 〃I will and I must win; for
the prize is a kiss from my Julia。〃 And with renewed speed the queen
dashed along。 The lane opened and terminated in a square in front of
the palace。 The queen stopped in her course; and turned round to see
her friend; who had been left far behind her。

As soon as the duchess saw it she tried to quicken her steps; and
began to run again; but Marie Antoinette motioned with her hand; and
went rapidly back to meet her。

〃You shall not make any more effort; Julia;〃 said she。 〃I have won;
and you cannot bring my victory into question。〃

〃And I do not wish to;〃 answered the duchess; with a merry look of
defiance on her gentle features。 〃I really did not wish to win; for
it would have seemed as if I had to win what I want on the turn of a
merry game。 You have done wrong; Marie Antoinette。 You want me to
forget here in Trianon that you are the Queen of France。 But you
yourself do not forget it。 Only the queen can propose such a prize
as you have set; and only the queen can ask so insignificant a boon
on the other side。 You have made it impossible for me to win; for
you know well that I am not selfish。〃

〃I know it; and that is just the reason why I love you so dearly;
Julia。 I have done wrong;〃 she went on to say with her gentle; sweet
voice。 〃I see it; and I beg your forgiveness。 Give me now as a proof
that you do forgive me; give me the prize which I have wona kiss;
Julia; a kiss。〃

〃Not here;〃 answered the duchess。 〃O; no; not here; Marie。 Do not
you see that the doors of the saloons are open; and that your
company are all assembled。 They would all envy me; they would all be
jealous if they were to see the preference which you show for me。〃

〃Let them be jealous; let them envy you;〃 cried the queen; 〃the
whole world shall know that Julia de Polignac is my best…loved
friend; that next to husband and children; I love no one so well as
her。〃

With gentle violence the queen threw both her arms around the neck
of the duchess; and kissed her passionately。

〃Did you notice;〃 said the Baron de Besenval to Lord Adhemar; with
whom he was playing a game of backgammon in the saloon; 〃did you
notice the tableau that the queen is presenting; taking for her
theme a group representing Friendship?〃

〃I wish it were in my power to reproduce this wonderful group in
marble;〃 answered Lord Adhemar; laughing。 〃It would be a companion
piece to Orestes and Pylades。〃

〃But which;〃 asked the Duchess de Guemene; looking up 
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