rivate, as he had an important matter to communicate to me. He
told me that on that very night the King was to be carried off; that the
section of the National Guard, that day commanded by M. d'Aumont, was
gained over, and that sets of horses, furnished by some good royalists,
were placed in relays at suitable distances; that he had just left a
number of the nobility assembled for the execution of this scheme, and
that he had been sent to me that I might, through the medium of the Queen,
obtain the King's positive consent to it before midnight; that the King
was aware of their plan, but that his Majesty never would speak decidedly,
and that it was necessary he should consent to the undertaking. I greatly
displeased Comte d'Inisdal by expressing my astonishment that the nobility
at the moment of the execution of so important a project should send to
me, the Queen's first woman, to obtain a consent which ought to have been
the basis of any well-concerted scheme. I told him, also, that it would
be impossible for me to go at that time to the Queen's apartments without
exciting the attention of the people in the antechambers; that the King
was at cards with the Queen and his family, and that I never broke in upon
their privacy unless I was called for. I added, however, that M. Campan
could enter without being called; and if the Count chose to give him his
confidence he might rely upon him.

My father-in-law, to whom Comte d'Inisdal repeated what he had said to me,
took the commission upon himself, and went to the Queen's apartments. The
King was playing at whist with the Queen, Monsieur, and Madame; Madame
Elisabeth was kneeling on a stool near the table. M. Campan informed the
Queen of what had been communicated to me; nobody uttered a word. The
Queen broke silence and said to the King, "Do you hear, Sire, what Campan
says to us?"--"Yes, I hear," said the King, and continued his game.
Monsieur, who was in the habit of introducing passages from plays into his
conversation, said to my father-in-law, "M. Campan, that pretty little
couplet again, if you please;" and pressed the King to reply. At length
the Queen said, "But something must be said to Campan." The King then
spoke to my father-in-law in these words: "Tell M. d'Inisdal that I cannot
consent to be carried off!" The Queen enjoined M. Campan to take care
and, report this answer faithfully. "You understand," added she, "the
King cannot consent to be carried off."