two women to
bed, imagining there was nothing to dread, at least for that night; but
the unfortunate Princess was indebted for her life to that feeling of
attachment which prevented their obeying her. My sister, who was one of
the ladies in question, informed me next day of all that I am about to
relate.

On leaving the Queen's bedchamber, these ladies called their femmes de
chambre, and all four remained sitting together against her Majesty's
bedroom door. About half-past four in the morning they heard horrible
yells and discharges of firearms; one ran to the Queen to awaken her and
get her out of bed; my sister flew to the place from which the tumult
seemed to proceed; she opened the door of the antechamber which leads to
the great guard-room, and beheld one of the Body Guard holding his musket
across the door, and attacked by a mob, who were striking at him; his face
was covered with blood; he turned round and exclaimed: "Save the Queen,
madame; they are come to assassinate her!" She hastily shut the door upon
the unfortunate victim of duty, fastened it with the great bolt, and took
the same precaution on leaving the next room. On reaching the Queen's
chamber she cried out to her, "Get up, Madame! Don't stay to dress
yourself; fly to the King's apartment!" The terrified Queen threw herself
out of bed; they put a petticoat upon her without tying it, and the two
ladies conducted her towards the oile-de-boeuf. A door, which led from
the Queen's dressing-room to that apartment, had never before been
fastened but on her side. What a dreadful moment! It was found to be
secured on the other side. They knocked repeatedly with all their
strength; a servant of one of the King's valets de chambre came and opened
it; the Queen entered the King's chamber, but he was not there. Alarmed
for the Queen's life, he had gone down the staircases and through the
corridors under the oeil-de-boeuf, by means of which he was accustomed to
go to the Queen's apartments without being under the necessity of crossing
that room. He entered her Majesty's room and found no one there but some
Body Guards, who had taken refuge in it. The King, unwilling to expose
their lives, told them to wait a few minutes, and afterwards sent to
desire them to go to the oeil-de-boeuf. Madame de Tourzel, at that time
governess of the children of France, had just taken Madame and the Dauphin
to the King's apartments. The Queen saw her children again. The