Part 7 (1/2)
”God grant it!” sighed the queen, pressing hirant it--oh, my precious child!” and then with his face close to hers, and a little hand held tight in the big one of his father, whose arm was around them both, Louis continued:
”If it is mine now, please tellanswered:
”My son, this is what itof France, and so now the titles and honours that were your brother's Do you understand?”
Instead of showing appreciation, Louis' blue eyes looked entreatingly at the Queen, and his lips quivered
”Ma Duke of Normandy best Will you love me any better if I am called the Dauphin?”
”No, dear child,” answered the Queen tenderly, ”I shall not love you better, but you are no longer the Duke of Nor of France!” A sob choked the words as Marie Antoinette turned hastily away to hide her grief, and in doing so, she put her foot on the flohich little Louis had brought her His face clouded as he saw this, then with a bright s quickly:
”Mamma, I wish you alalked on flowers I picked for you”
Without a word Marie Antoinette turned, and clasping him in her arms, was comforted Then, reminded of state duties to be done, she was about to release him when he whispered:
”Did my poor dear brother only leave me his title? Oh,of his that I _do_ want to have very, verylooked bewildered, but the Queen suess what it is,” she said, ”see if I can, little Louis,” and putting him down, she softly left the room, and when she ca for joy of co who rushed up to Louis, and juain, and the child clasped it in his ar put its paws on Louis' shoulders and licked his rosy cheeks with frantic affection
”Now, ht? Wasn't that what you wanted so much?”
”Oh, yes it was! It was!” exclai with joy
”Is he reallyto my inheritance?”
The Queen could not answer, but the King spoke sadly
”Yes, s to your inheritance”
The Dauphin shouted with joy
”He isclose to him, the picture was a pretty one, the boy with his round rosy face, di, dark lashes, with his high forehead, and heavy golden hair, all the delicacy of his colouring and features thrown into relief by the dark blue velvet of his suit, all the charm of his expressive face shone in his joy over the new treasure which he was clasping tight What to the little Dauphin was the silver star embroidered on his left shoulder, which showed his princely rank and removed him from the rank and file of other boys? What was a crown, a title--even the throne itself? They were less than nothing to hi in his ar and Queen watched the pretty picture they sighed for the si into her husband's face h the little Louis' new title was of such sed the whole of his life, and as soon as he becaravest importance, for he would soly, every possible advantage that could be given him was secured, and while his father saw to it that he should have enough out-of-door exercise to keep hi, his mother superintended his lessons, as well as those of his sister, Therese
Although Marie Antoinette was young and pleasure-loving and was often called frivolous because of the spontaneous gaiety into which her nature often led her, yet she was a devotedat ten o'clock, Therese, the Dauphin, and their teachers went to the queen's rooms, and there learned and recited lessons
The little Dauphin was a brilliant scholar and said such bright things that all the courtiers took great pleasure in asking hiht hear his answers One day while saying his lessons, he began to hiss loudly, for which hisat myself,” he said, ”because I just saidbefore the queen's birthday the king told the Dauphin that he would buy hiive his mother for a birthday present, but that he wanted hio with it To his surprise the Dauphin did not show as much pleasure as he expected at this and finally on questioning hiot a beautiful everlasting in ive it to her, please, papa, it will be ive it to mamma I shall say, 'I hope mamma, that you will be like this flower'”
The idea was so pretty and the boy so eager, that he had his way, and King Louis' pride in this clever child was great
He was no prig, no saintly child, this little King Louis Seventeenth to be, he was just a sensitive, affectionate boy, whose winning manner and charm of person attracted all to him, and made him an especial pet of the older people froathered ht he understood