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only join me。 I beg you； therefore； to take this cigar。〃
The queen repeated calmly； 〃I do not smoke。〃
〃You mistake； madame； you do smoke。〃
〃See the jolly fellow；〃 exclaimed Simon； 〃that is splendid。〃
〃I will show you at once that you do smoke；〃 continued Toulan。
〃Madame； if you will do me the honor to join me in smoking a cigar；
I will give you my word as a republican and a sans…culottes； that
neither I nor my brothers will ever smoke here again。〃
〃I do not believe you；〃 said the queen； shaking her head。
〃Not believe me？ Would you believe it if the citizen Simon were to
repeat it？〃
〃Yes；〃 said the queen； fixing her great； sad eyes upon Simon； 〃if
the citizen Simon should confirm it； I would believe it； for he is a
trustworthy man； who I believe； never breaks his word。〃
〃Oh！ only see how well the Austrian understands our noble brother
Simon；〃 cried Lepitre。
〃Yes； truly； it seems so；〃 said Simon； who had been flattered by
this praise to consent to what he had no inclination for。 〃Well； I
give my word to Widow Capet； as a republican and a sans…culottes；
that there shall be no smoking in the anteroom after this time； if
she will do my friend Toulan the favor of smoking a pipe of peace
with him。〃
〃I believe your word；〃 said the queen； with a gentle inclination of
her head； and then turning to Toulan； she continued； 〃sir〃
〃There are no 'sirs' here； only 'citizens；'〃 interrupted the
cobbler。
〃Citizen Toulan；〃 said the queen； changing her expression； 〃give me
the cigar； I see that I was wrong； I do smoke！〃
Simon cried aloud with laughter and delight； and could scarcely
control himself； when； kneeling before the queen； as the players do
in the grand plays at the theatre； he handed her a cigar。
But he did not see the supplicatory look which Toulan fixed upon the
queen； he did not see the tears which started into his eyes； nor
hear her say； during his inordinate peals of laughter； 〃I thank you；
my faithful one！〃
〃Is it enough if I take the cigar in my mouth； or must I burn it？〃
asked the queen。
〃Certainly； she must burn it；〃 cried Simon。 〃Light the cigar for
her； Citizen Toulan。〃
Toulan drew a bit of paper from his pocket； folded it together；
kindled it； and gave it to the queen。 Then； as soon as the dry cigar
began to burn； he put out the light； and threw it carelessly upon
the table。
The queen put the little smoking cigarette into her mouth。 〃Bravo；
bravo！〃 shouted the officials and Simon。
〃Bravo； Citizen Toulan is a perfect brick！ He has taught Widow Capet
how to smoke。〃
〃I told you I would；〃 said Toulan； proudly。 〃Widow Capet has had to
comply with our will； and that is enough。 You need not go on；
madame。 You have acknowledged our power； and that is all we wanted。
That is enough； Simon； is it not？ She does not need to smoke any
longer； and we； too； must stop。〃
〃No； she does not need to smoke any longer； and there will be no
more smoking in the antechamber。〃
The queen took the paper cigarette from her mouth； put out the
burning end； and laid the remaining portion in her work…basket。
〃Citizen Toulan；〃 said she； 〃I will keep this cigar as a
remembrancer of this hour； and if you ever smoke here again； I shall
show it to you。〃
〃I should like to see this Austrian woman doubting the word of a
sans…culottes；〃 cried Simon。
〃And I too； Simon；〃 replied Toulan； going back into the anteroom。
〃We will teach her that she must trust our word。 You see that I am a
good teacher。〃
〃An excellent one；〃 cried Simon； 〃I must compliment you on it；
citizen。 But if you have no objections； we will play a game or two
of cards with the citizens here。〃
〃All right；〃 replied Toulan。 〃But I hope you have got the new kind
of cards； which have no kings and queens on them。 For； I tell you； I
do not play with the villanous old kind。〃
〃Nor I；〃 chimed in Lepitre。 〃It makes me mad to see the old stupids
with their crowns on that are on the old kind of cards。〃
〃You are a pair of out…and…out republicans；〃 said Simon； admiringly。
〃Truly； one might learn of you how a sans…culottes ought to bear
himself。〃
〃Well； you can calm yourselves about these； brothers；〃 said one of
the officials； 〃we have no tyrant…cardswe have the new cards of
the republic。 See there！ instead of the king； there is a sans…
culottes； instead of the queen； we have a 'knitter；' ＇Footnote： The
market…women and hucksters had the privilege of claiming the first
seats on the spectators' platform； near the guillotine。 They sat
there during the executions； knitting busily on long stockings；
while looking at the bloody drama before them。 Every time that a
head was cut off and dropped into the basket beneath the knife； the
women made a mark in their knitting…work； and thus converted their
stockings into a kind of calendar； which recorded the number of
persons executed。 From this circumstance the market…women received
the name of 〃knitters。〃＇ and for the jack； we have a Swiss soldier；
for they were the menials of the old monarchy。〃 ＇Footnote：
Historical。…See 〃Memoires de la Marquise de Crequi；〃 vol。 III。＇
〃That is good； well； we will play then；〃 cried Toulan； with an air
of good…humor。
They all took their places at the table； while the queen took up the
sewing on which the princesses had been engaged before。
After some time； when the thread with which she was sewing was
exhausted； Marie Antoinette raised her eyes and turned them to the
men； who had laid their pipes aside； and were zealously engaged upon
their cards。 The mien of the queen was no longer so calm and rigidly
composed as it had been before； and when she spoke； there was a
slight quivering discernible in her voice。
〃Citizen Toulan；〃 she said； 〃I beg you to give me the ball of thread
again。 I have no more； and this dress is in a wretched condition； I
must mend it。〃
Toulan turned toward her with a gesture of impatience。
〃You disturb me； madame； and put me out in the game。 What are you
saying？〃
〃I asked you； Citizen Toulan； to give me the thread again； because；
without it； I cannot work。〃
〃Oh！ the ball which little Miss Capet gave me a short time ago。 And
so you won't let me keep a remembrance of the pretty girl？〃
〃I must mend this dress；〃 said the queen； gently。
〃Well； if you must； you must；〃 growled Toulan； rising。
〃Wait a moment； brothers； till I carry her the ball。〃
〃What do you want to get up for？〃 asked Simon。
〃You can throw it from here。〃
〃Or give it a roll like a ball；〃 added Lepitre。
〃That is a good idea；〃 cried Toulan； 〃I'll have a little game of
nine…pins。 I am quite at home there； and can do it well。 Now look
sharp！ I will contrive to roll the ball between the four feet of the
table； and strike the foot of the queen。〃
〃There is no queen；〃 cried Lepitre； passionately。
〃I am speaking of the game； Citizen Lepitre； do me the pleasure of
not making yourself an ass。 Now look； and see me roll it as I said！〃
〃Well； go ahead； we should like to see you do it；〃 cried Simon。
〃Yes； we would like to see you do it；〃 chimed in the officials；
laying down their cards。
Toulan now drew out of his breast…pocket a black ball of silk； and
counted 〃One； two； three！〃 He then gave it a skilful roll across the
floor。 With attention and laughing looks； they all watched it take
its course across the waxed floor； as it moved just where Toulan had
said it would。
〃Bravo； bravo！〃 shouted the men； as the ball struck the foot of the
queen； who stooped down slowly and picked it up。
〃Toulan is a jolly good fellow；〃 cried Simon； striking the table
with his fists in an ecstasy of delight。 〃But I declare it seems to
me that the ball is a good deal larger now than it was before。〃
〃It may be；〃 answered Toulan； emphatically。 〃Every thing grows and
enlarges itself； that a true and genuine sans…culottes carries next
to his heart。〃
〃Well said；〃 replied Lepitre。 〃But listen to me； I want to make a
proposition to you。 I must say that it is hard workplaying cards
without smoking。〃
〃I find it so； too；〃 sighed Toulan。
〃I rather think we all do；〃 chimed in the others。
〃But we must keep our word； or else the she…wolf will think that we
republicans are no better than the aristocrats were！〃
〃Yes； we must keep our word；〃 said Lepitre； 〃and that is why I
wanted to make the proposition that we go out and establish
ourselves in the entry。 We can put the table close to the door； and
then we are certainly safethat no one can step in。 What do you
say； brother Simon？〃
〃I say that it is a very good plan； and that we will carry it into
execution directly。 Come； friends； let us take up the table； and
carry it out。 If the dogs are on the watch outside； the badger does
not creep out of his house。 Come； it is much pleasanter out there；
and we are not ambitious of the honor of looking at Widow Capet all
the time。 We are perfectly satisfied； if we do not see her。 I hope
there will be an end of this tedious service； and that she will soon
go to the place whither Louis Capet has already gone。〃
〃Or；〃 cried Toulan； laughing； 〃she must change herself into an
eagle； and fly out of the window。 Come； brothers； I long for my
pipe。 Let us carry the table out into