quiet them by telling them all the secret services you perform for us daily; but I will not do it.  Out of good-will to you they would repeat all I should say, and you would be lost with the Assembly.  It is much better, both for you and for us, that you should be thought a constitutionalist.  It has been mentioned to me a hundred times already; I have never contradicted it; but I come to give you my word that if we are fortunate enough to see an end of all this, I will, at the Queen’s residence, and in the presence of my brothers, relate the important services you have rendered us, and I will recompense you and your son for them.”  I threw myself at the King’s feet and kissed his hand.  He raised me up, saying, “Come, come, do not grieve; the Queen, who loves you, confides in you as I do.”

Down to the day of the acceptance it was impossible to introduce Barnave into the interior of the palace; but when the Queen was free from the inner guard she said she would see him.  The very great precautions which it was necessary for the deputy to take in order to conceal his connection with the King and Queen compelled them to spend two hours waiting for him in one of the corridors of the Tuileries, and all in vain.  The first day that he was to be admitted, a man whom Barnave knew to be dangerous having met him in the courtyard of the palace, he determined to cross it without stopping, and walked in the gardens in order to lull suspicion.  I was desired to wait for Barnave at a little door belonging to the entresols of the palace, with my hand upon the open lock.  I was in that position for an hour.  The King came to me frequently, and always to speak to me of the uneasiness which a servant belonging to the Chateau, who was a patriot, gave him.  He came again to ask me whether I had heard the door called de Decret opened.  I assured him nobody had been in the corridor, and he became easy.  He was dreadfully apprehensive that his connection with Barnave would be discovered.  “It would,” said the King, “be a ground for grave accusations, and the unfortunate man would be lost.”  I then ventured to remind his Majesty that as Barnave was not the only one in the secret of the business which brought him in contact with their Majesties, one of his colleagues might be induced to speak of the association with which they were honoured, and that in letting them know by my presence that I also was informed of it, a risk was incurred of removing from those gentlemen part of the responsibility of the secret.  Upon this observation the King quitted me hastily and returned a moment afterwards with the Queen.  “Give me your place,” said she; “I will wait for him in my turn.  You have convinced the King.  We must not increase in their eyes the number of persons informed of their communications with us.”