these painted stones. But even before this locksmith had denounced what
was afterwards called the iron closet to the Assembly, the Queen was aware
that he had talked of it to some of his friends; and that this man, in
whom the King from long habit placed too much confidence, was a Jacobin.
She warned the King of it, and prevailed on him to fill a very large
portfolio with all the papers he was most interested in preserving, and
entrust it to me. She entreated him in my presence to leave nothing in
this closet; and the King, in order to quiet her, told her that he had
left nothing there. I would have taken the portfolio and carried it to my
apartment, but it was too heavy for me to lift. The King said he would
carry it himself; I went before to open the doors for him. When he placed
the portfolio in my inner closet he merely said, "The Queen will tell you
what it contains." Upon my return to the Queen I put the question to her,
deeming, from what the King had said, that it was necessary I should know.
"They are," the Queen answered me, "such documents as would be most
dangerous to the King should they go so far as to proceed to a trial
against him. But what he wishes me to tell you is, that the portfolio
contains a 'proces-verbal' of a cabinet council, in which the King gave
his opinion against the war. He had it signed by all the ministers, and,
in case of a trial, he trusts that this document will be very useful to
him." I asked the Queen to whom she thought I ought to commit the
portfolio. "To whom you please," answered she; "you alone are answerable
for it. Do not quit the palace even during your vacation months: there
may be circumstances under which it would be very desirable that we should
be able to have it instantly."

At this period M. de La Fayette, who had probably given up the idea of
establishing a republic in France similar to that of the United States,
and was desirous to support the first constitution which he had sworn to
defend, quitted his army and came to the Assembly for the purpose of