Part 9 (1/2)
”Come here,to her cry, the little prince sprang forward and stood directly in front of the outstretched ar out his small white hand, laid it on the brown clenched fist that had been ready to clutch hie went up from outside the wall
”Good-day sir,” he said in a loud voice, ”Good-day!” As he spoke he took hold of the great rough hand and shook it
”Little fool,” roared the man, ”what do you mean, and how dare you lay your puny paw in the claws of a lion?”
The Dauphin s out your hand to reach ood-day, sir!”
”And if I wanted, I could crush your fingers withthe little hand firmly
But from a hundred throats outside the fence came the cry ”You shall not do it, Simon You shall not hurt the boy!”
”Who can hinder me if I choose to do it?” asked the cobbler, whose nah ”See, I hold the hand of the future King of France, and I can break it if I choose, and make it so it can never lift the sceptre of France The little ht he would take hold of ot hold of his, and holds it fast And s seized us and trod us down, noe seize theo unless ill”
”But, Mr Simon,” said Louis, ”you see very plainly that I do not want to do any harm, and I know you do not want to do ood as to take away your aro on with her walk”
”But suppose I do not do as you want me to?” asked the man defiantly
”I suppose then your mamma would dictate to me, and perhaps call some soldiers and order them to shoot the dreadful people?”
”You know, Master Siave such,” said the queen quickly ”The king and I love our people and never would give our soldiers orders to fire on theer be detained!” With a quick movement she struck back the arm of the cobbler, Si and passed by before Si were filled with enthusiashed and shouted, while the cries, ”Long live the Queen! Long live the Dauphin!” passed like wildfire ah in the eyes of Sin had been frustrated by a little child, there still shone hatred, Marie Antoinette, as now hand in hand with the Dauphin, reached in safety the little garden reserved for the use of the royal faate, decorated with the arone frorief, but, no, she must be cheerful for her son's sake, and her servants must not see her brow clouded, and so, with head erect and flashi+ng eyes, she walked on
”Mahts ”There colad to hear I was so courageous”
The queen quickly stooped and kissed him ”Yes, truly my little Bayard,”
she said, ”you have done honour to your great example and been really a little chevalier '_sans peur et sans reproche_,' but rereat deeds and does not wish others to admire them, but keeps silent and leaves others to talk of them!”
”Yes, and I will be silent too,” cried Louis, with sparkling eyes ”You will see that I can be silent too,” and child though he was, he showed fro and appreciation of the hureatness
That winter in the Tuileries was a disaiety and freedom which had been part of the happy life at Versailles, and even when the King wished to go to his sue, this was not allowed
At last, weary of the insults and restraints heaped upon them, the royal family attempted to escape secretly froes stopped, and they were escorted back to the Tuileries by a shouting shrieking lad of their capture After that the King and Queen and the Dauphin were always treated as prisoners in their own palace, with guards set over them to watch their every o out nor play freely and happily as could the poorest peasant child in France After sorew somewhat less, and they were allowed to close the doors of their rooardens onceLouis had done to win back the trust of his people had been successful, and that the throne of France nity and power before that time when Louis the Dauphin, should co this period of calreatest joy was that he was again allowed to work in his garden Although it was so small in comparison to that at Versailles, it was yet a bit of paradise to him, and as soon as his study hours were over, he always hurried out to dig his ground, and water and pick his blossoht of those subjects who loved the manly little fellow, to stand outside the fence and watch hienerally accompanied, when he went outside the palace, by several soldiers from the detachment of the National Guard, ere on duty at the Tuileries, and the boy hienerally wore the unifor and so manly was this little National Guardsman of six years, that he became the idol of Paris Fans and lockets were decorated with his picture, which society women wore, and everywhere the beauty and wit of the little felloere talked of
The boys of Paris shared the enthusiasii's permission, marched to the Tuileries to parade before the Dauphin As usual, he was found in his garden, and was anxious to show his treasures to them even before he answered their request that he becoed upon hi up gathering flowers for your mamma”
”Oh, no,” said the Dauphin, quickly, ”that will not prevent entleardens, and if they love the queen as iments of bouquets every day”
A cheer showed the boys' appreciation of their little colonel's sentiianisations in Paris Their uniforuards, with their three-cornered hats and white jackets, and whenever they h the Place de la Carousel, the people crowded to see the army of sturdy boys with their handsoreat was the boys' love for the Dauphin that the officers of the regiment came to the palace one day to iment, and they were enthusiastically received by their colonel