tion of remaining with her brother's family to the end--
whatever that end might be.

The queen immediately (that is, in March) began her preparations for
departure. Remembering how easily they might have got away from Saint
Cloud, last summer, it was determined to start from Saint Cloud this
time. On the 15th of April, notice was given to the Assembly that, the
king having become subject to colds of late, the royal family would
remove into the country in a few days.

The people of Paris discussed this plan very earnestly. Lafayette
wished that the king should live at any one of his palaces that he
pleased. But so much had been said, all through the winter, about his
majesty's leaving Paris, that it had now become a very difficult thing
to do. The papers on the royal side had proudly threatened that the
king would leave his people, if they were not more worthy of his
presence. The revolutionary papers had said that the king should not
go, to raise up armies of enemies at a distance. All Paris had been
kept awake by stories of saddled horses in the royal stables, of packed
carriages, and a host of armed nobles, always hovering about, ready to
rescue him and murder the people. It does indeed appear that latterly
there had been various mysterious meetings of gentlemen, who were
secretly armed: and report, which always exaggerates these things,
declared that thirty thousand such armed gentlemen were hidden in the
woods, about Saint Cloud, and that they would overpower the people's
guard, and carry off the family.

Some may wonder why the nation, if sick of their king, did not let him
go, and rejoice to be rid of him. The reason why they detained him so
carefully was this: they knew that his brother and friends were raising
an army at a distance; and they saw that, if once the royal family
escaped from their hands, they should have all Europe down upon them;
whereas, if they kept the family as hostages, their enemies would let
them alone, in the fear that the first march of a foreign army into
France would be revenged upon the lives of the very persons whom it was
desired to save.

Considering all these things, the people resolved that the royal family
should not go to Saint Cloud.

First, numbers of the servants were sent off, to get everything made
ready for the king, who was to follow on the 18th, to dinner. The
servants were allowed to go without opposition; so that on the 18th, the
apartments at Saint Cl