"Come, Julia," said she, "let us leave the world and enter
paradise."

"Ah, I am afraid of paradise," cried the duchess, with a merry
smile. "I have a horror of the serpent."

"You shall find no serpents there, my Julia," said the queen,
drawing the arm of the duchess to herself. "Lean upon me, my friend,
and be persuaded that I will defend you against every serpent, and
every low, creeping thing."

"Oh, I fear the serpent more for my adored queen than for myself.
What is there in me to harm? But your majesty is exposed on every
side to attack."

"Oh, why, Julia," sighed the queen-" why do you ad-dress me with the
stiff, formal title of majesty when we are alone together? Why do
you not forget for a little etiquette when there is nobody by to
hear us?"

"Your majesty," laughed the duchess, "we are in Versailles, and the
walls have ears."

"It is true," cried the queen, with quickly restored merriment, " we
are here in Versailles; that is your exculpation. Come, let us
hasten to leave this proud, royal palace, and get away to the
society of beautiful Nature, where there are no walls to hear us,
but only God and Nature. Come, Julia."

She drew the duchess quickly out through the side door, which led to