The door opened and Andrea appeared, having heard the shot.
"Save her Majesty," cried the young man, "they are after her life. I am alone against fifty, but never mind, I shall hold the door as long as I can. Make haste!"
The assailants stole upon him and he banged the door to, shouting:
"Fasten the bolts! I shall live long enough to give the Queen time to flee."
Turning around he ran two wretches through with his bayonet.
The Queen had heard all this, and Andrea found her afoot when she entered her bedroom. Two of her ladies hastily dressed her, and urged her into the private way, while Andrea, always calm and indifferent to danger for herself, bolted each door by which they passed.
At the junction of the communication of the two royal apartments, a man was waiting. It was Charny, covered with blood.
"The King?" cried Marie Antoinette, on seeing this. "You promised to save him."
Looking through the doorways and not seeing among the members of the Royal Family and others, his wife, he was going to ask about her when a glance from the Queen stopped him. He had no need to speak for her gaze plunging into his heart had read his wish.
She ran to the little prince whom she took in her arms.
Closing the last door, Andrea came into the Bulls-eye Hall like the rest. She and her husband exchanged no word, their smiles were ample. Strange! those long parted hearts began to yearn for one another since danger surrounded them.
"The King is looking for you, madam," replied Charny to the Queen's inquiries: "he was going to your rooms by one corridor while you came to his by another."
They heard the assassins yelling: "Down with the Austrians! Death to Messalina! no more of Lady Veto! let us throttle her--let her hang!"
A couple of pistol-shots were heard at the same time and two holes were bored in the door. One bullet whizzed close to the young prince's head and buried itself in the hangings.
"Oh, heavens, we shall all die," screamed the Queen falling on her knees.
At a sign from Charny, the Lifeguardsmen formed a shelter for her and the royal children.
The King now joined them, pale of face and his eyes full of tears: he was calling for the Queen as she had for him. On seeing her, he ran into her arms.