"What must have been most poignantly mortifying to the fallen favourite was， that， in the course of her journey， she met with her greatest enemy， Necker) who was returning， triumphant， to Paris， called by the voice of that very nation by whom she and her family were now forced from its territory，--Necker， who himself conceived that she， who now went by him into exile， while he himself returned to the greatest of victories， had thwarted all his former plans of operation， and， from her influence over the Queen， had caused his dismission and temporary banishment.
"For my own part， I cannot but consider this sudden desertion of France by those nearest the throne as ill-judged. Had all the Royal Family， remained， is it likely that the King and Queen would have been watched with such despotic vigilance？ Would not confidence have created confidence， and the breach have been less wide between the King and his people？
"When the father and his family will now be thoroughly reconciled， Heaven alone can tell！"第一章SECTION V.
"Barnave often lamented his having been betrayed， by a love of notoriety， into many schemes， of which his impetuosity blinded him to the consequences. With tears in his eyes， he implored me to impress the Queen's mind with the sad truths he inculcated. He said his motives had been uniformly the same， however he might have erred in carrying them into action； but now he relied on my friendship for my royal mistress to give efficacy to his earnest desire to atone for those faults， of which he had become convinced by dear-bought experience. He gave me a list of names for Her Majesty， in which were specified all the Jacobins who had emissaries throughout France， for the purpose of creating on the same day， and at the same hour， an alarm of something like the 'Vesparo Siciliano' (a general insurrection to murder all the nobility and burn their palaces， which， in fact， took place in many parts of France)， the object of which was to give the Assembly， by whom all the regular troops were disbanded， a pretext for arming the people as a national guard， thus creating a perpetual national faction.
"The hordes of every faubourg now paraded in this new democratic livery.
Even some of them， who were in the actual service of the Court， made no scruple of decorating themselves thus， in the very face of their Sovereign. The King complained， but the answer made to him was that the nation commanded.
"The very first time Their Majesties went to the royal chapel， after the embodying of the troops with the national guards， all the persons belonging to it were accoutred in the national uniform. The Queen was highly incensed， and deeply affected at this insult offered to the King's authority by the persons employed in the sacred occupations of the Church. 'Such persons，' said Her Majesty， 'would， I had hoped， have been the last to interfere with politics.' She was about to order all those who preferred their uniforms to their employments to be discharged from the King's service； but my advice， coupled with that of Barnave， dissuaded her from executing so dangerous a threat. On being assured that those， perhaps， who might be selected to replace the offenders might refuse the service， if not allowed the same ridiculous prerogatives， and thus expose Their Royal Majesties to double mortification， the Queen seemed satisfied， and no more was said upon the subject， except to an Italian soprano， to whom the King signified his displeasure at his singing a 'salva regina' in the dress of a grenadier of the new faction.
The singer took the hint and never again intruded his uniform into the chapel.
"Necker， notwithstanding the enthusiasm his return produced upon the people， felt mortified in having lost the confidence of the King. He came to me， exclaiming that， unless Their Majesties distinguished him by some mark of their royal favour， his influence must be lost with the National Assembly. He perceived， he said， that the councils of the King were more governed by the advice of the Queen's favourite， the Abbe Vermond， than by his (Necker's). He begged I would assure Her Majesty that Vermond was quite as obnoxious to the people as the Duchesse de Polignac had ever been； for it was generally known that Her Majesty was completely guided by him， and， therefore， for her own safety and the tranquillity of national affairs， he humbly suggested the prudence of sending him from the Court， at least for a time.
"I was petrified at hearing a Minister dare presume thus to dictate the line of conduct which the Queen of France， his Sovereign， should pursue with respect to her most private servants. Such was my indignation at this cruel wish to dismiss every object of her choice， especially one from whom， owing to long habits of intimacy since her childhood， a separation would be rendered， by her present situation， peculiarly cruel， that nothing but the circumstances in which the Court then stood could have given me patience to listen to him.
"I made no answer. Upon my silence， Necker subjoined， 'You must perceive， Princess， that I am actuated for the general good of the nation.'
"'And I hope， monsieur， for the prerogatives of the monarchy also，' replied I.
"'Certainly，' said Necker. 'But if Their Majesties continue to be guided by others， and will not follow my advice， I cannot answer for the consequences.'
"I assured the Minister that I would be the faithful bearer of his commission， however unpleasant.
"Knowing the character of the Queen， in not much relishing being dictated to with respect to her conduct in relation to the persons of her household， especially the Abbe Vermond， and aware， at the same time， of her dislike to Necker， who thus undertook to be her director， I felt rather awkward in being the medium of the Minister's suggestions. But what was my surprise， on finding her prepared， and totally indifferent as to the privation.
