With these words he courteously saluted the general, who had almost insulted him. This courtesy struck the Queen more than the pledge of devotedness.
"Your name, sir?" said she.
"Viscount Charny," he responded.
"Charny," repeated Marie Antoinette, blushing in spite of herself; "any relation to Count Charny?"
"I am his brother, lady," bowing more lowly than before.
"I might have known that you were one of my most faithful servitors," said she, recovering from her tremor and looking round with confidence, "by the first words you spoke. I thank you, viscount; how comes this to be the first time I have the pleasure of seeing you at court?"
"My eldest brother, head of the family, ordered me to stay with the army, and I have only been in Versailles twice during seven years on the regimental roll-call."
She let a long look dwell on his face.
"You resemble your brother," she remarked. "I shall scold him for having waited for you to present yourself at court."
Electrified by this greeting to their young spokesman, the officers exaggerated their devotion to the royal cause and from each knot burst expressions of heroism able to conquer the whole of France.