THE BILLET.
The other two municipal guards came up hastily. A detachment of the post accompanied them. The doors were shut, and two sentinels intercepted the egress from each chamber.
"What do you want, sir?" said the queen to Maurice when he entered. "I was about to retire, when, five minutes since, the citizen municipal suddenly forced his entrance into my chamber, without informing me what he desired."
"Madame," said Maurice, bowing, "it is not my colleague who desires anything from you, it is myself."
"You, sir?" demanded Marie Antoinette, looking at Maurice, whose courteous behavior had caused her to regard him with some favor; "and what do you desire?"
"I request that you will be kind enough to show me the letter you were concealing when I entered just now."
Madame Royale and Madame Elizabeth trembled. The queen turned very pale.
"You are mistaken, sir; I concealed nothing."
"You lie, Austrian!" cried Agricola.