s life, believing that to her
influence and her extravagance it was owing that their children had no
bread. Some sat upon the cannon they had brought. Some dried their wet
clothes at the fires that blazed on the ground: and haggard and fierce
did the faces of both men and women look in the light of these fires.
By the orders of certain officers and members of the Assembly,
provisions were brought from the shops of Versailles; and groups were
seen eating bread and sausages, and drinking wine, in the great avenue;
and not there only, but in the House of Assembly itself,--the
parliament-chamber of Versailles. Hundreds of poor women, wet and
dirty, rushed in there, and sat eating their sausages while the members
were in debate, breaking in sometimes with, "What's the use of all this?
What we want is bread." The king was told of what was going forward;
and yet it was six hours before he could make up his mind what answer to
give to the messages sent him by deputations from the rioters. The
answer he gave at last, late at night, could be no other than that which
they chose to have; though the king was well aware that the people did
not know what they were asking, and that he should never be able to
satisfy them. What they asked, and made him promise in writing, was an
abundance of food--"a free circulation of corn," as they called it,--
believing that the wealthy, and the millers and bakers under them, kept
large hidden stores of grain, in order that bread might be dear.

Louis understood nothing of all this; but he was aware that all was
confusion and danger. About two hours after midnight everybody in the
palace was suddenly relieved, and led to believe that the danger was
past. General Lafayette entered, and pledged his life that they should
be safe: and everybody was accustomed to rely on Lafayette's word. He
happened to be mistaken this time,--to think better of the temper of the
people outside than they deserved; but what he said he fully believed.
With him came some messengers from Paris, to entreat the king, among
other things, to come and live among his people at Paris. This was the
very thing the king was least disposed to do; but he dared not say "No."
He promised to consider of it. Lafayette and his companions then went
away; and between two and three o'clock almost everybody but the guards
went to bed.

I say _almost_ everybody. The queen desired her ladies to go to rest;
but two of them were still u