effect. Further, as such Dinner may be rather extensive, and even the
Noncommissioned and the Common man be introduced, to see and to hear,
could not His Majesty's Opera Apartment, which has lain quite silent
ever since Kaiser Joseph was here, be obtained for the purpose?--The
Hall of the Opera is granted; the Salon d'Hercule shall be drawingroom.
Not only the Officers of Flandre, but of the Swiss, of the Hundred
Swiss, nay of the Versailles National Guard, such of them as have any
loyalty, shall feast: it will be a Repast like few.

And now suppose this Repast, the solid part of it, transacted; and the
first bottle over. Suppose the customary loyal toasts drunk; the
King's health, the Queen's with deafening vivats;--that of the
Nation 'omitted,' or even 'rejected.' Suppose champagne flowing; with
pot-valorous speech, with instrumental music; empty feathered heads
growing ever the noisier, in their own emptiness, in each other's noise!
Her Majesty, who looks unusually sad to-night (his Majesty sitting
dulled with the day's hunting), is told that the sight of it would cheer
her. Behold! She enters there, issuing from her State-rooms, like
the Moon from the clouds, this fairest unhappy Queen of Hearts; royal
Husband by her side, young Dauphin in her arms! She descends from the
Boxes, amid splendour and acclaim; walks queen-like, round the Tables;
gracefully escorted, gracefully nodding; her looks full of sorrow, yet
of gratitude and daring, with the hope of France on her mother-bosom!
And now, the band striking up, O Richard, O mon Roi, l'univers
t'abandonne (O Richard, O my King, and world is all forsaking
thee)--could man do other than rise to height of pity, of loyal valour?
Could featherheaded young ensigns do other than, by white Bourbon
Cockades, handed them from fair fingers; by waving of swords, drawn to
pledge the Queen's health; by trampling of National Cockades; by
scaling the Boxes, whence intrusive murmurs may come; by vociferation,