the room, and when she
came back there ran and frisked about her, jumping for joy of
comradeship, a tiny black dog who rushed up to Louis, and jumped on him
over and over again, and the child clasped it in his arms, while the
dog put its paws on Louis' shoulders and licked his rosy cheeks with
frantic affection.

"Now, my Louis," asked the Queen, "did I guess right? Wasn't that what
you wanted so much?"

"Oh, yes it was! It was!" exclaimed the boy, his eyes shining with joy.
"Is he really mine now? Does he belong to my inheritance?"

The Queen could not answer, but the King spoke sadly.

"Yes, my son, he belongs to your inheritance."

The Dauphin shouted with joy.

"He is mine! He is mine!" and as he held the little dog close to him,
the picture was a pretty one, the boy with his round rosy face, dimpled
chin and deep blue eyes shaded by long, dark lashes, with his high
forehead, and heavy golden hair, all the delicacy of his colouring and
features thrown into relief by the dark blue velvet of his suit, all
the charm of his expressive face shone in his joy over the new treasure
which he was clasping tight. What to the little Dauphin was the silver
star embroidered on his left shoulder, which showed his princely rank
and removed him from the rank and file of other boys? What was a crown,
a title--even the throne itself? They were less than nothing to him in
comparison with the little dog nestling in his arms and licking his
face, and while the King and Queen watched the pretty picture they
sighed for the simple joys of childhood, and Marie Antoinette, looking
into her husband's face murmured:

"God keep him in His care!"

Although the little Louis' new title was of such small value to him,
yet the possession of it changed the whole of his life, and as soon as
he became the Dauphin, his education and training were of the gravest
importance, for he would some day rule in his father's place.

Accordingly, every possible advantage that could be given him was
secured, and while his father saw to it that he should have enough
out-of-door exercise to keep him sturdy and strong, his mother
superintended his lessons, as well as those of his sister, Therese.
Although Marie Antoinette was young and pleasure-loving and was often
called frivolous because of the spontaneous gaiety into which her
nature often led her, yet she was a devoted mother, and every morning
at ten o'clock, Therese, the Dauphin, and their teachers wen