"Your majesty sees that I am standing entirely away from the lights."
"But only see," cried the queen, "one of the candles is put out!"
"It is true," said Madame de Campan, looking at the light, over which a bluish cloud was yet hovering. "The light is put out, but if your majesty allows me, I—"
She was silent, and her bearing assumed the appearance of amazement and horror.
The candle which had been burning in the other arm of the candlestick went out like the one before.
The queen said not a word. She gazed with pale lips and wide-opened eyes at both the lights, the last spark of which had just disappeared.
"Will your majesty allow me to light the candles again?" asked
Madame de Campan, extending her hand to the candlestick.
But the queen held her hand fast. "Let them be," she whispered, "I want to see whether both the other lights—"
Suddenly she was convulsed, and, rising slowly from her arm-chair, pointed with silent amazement at the second candlestick.
One of the two other lights had gone out.