The patients now began to grow excited under the influence of the fluid. Men and women began to utter sighs, and even cries, moving convulsively their heads, arms, and legs. Then a man suddenly made his appearance; no one had seen him enter; you might have fancied he came out of the tank. He was dressed in a lilac robe, and held in his hand a long wand, which he several times dipped into the mysterious tank; then he made a sign, the doors opened, and twenty robust servants entered, and seizing such of the patients as began to totter on their seats, carried them into an adjoining room.
While this was going on Madame de la Motte heard a man who had approached near to the young lady before-mentioned, and who was in a perfect paroxysm of excitement, say in a loud voice, “It is surely she!” Jeanne was about to ask him who she was, when her attention was drawn to two ladies who were just entering, followed by a man, who, though disguised as a bourgeois, had still the appearance of a servant.
The tournure of one of these ladies struck Jeanne so forcibly that she made a step towards them, when a cry from the young woman near her startled every one. The same man whom Jeanne had heard speak before now called out, “But look, gentlemen, it is the queen.”
“The queen!” cried many voices, in surprise. “The queen here! The queen in that state! Impossible!”
“But look,” said he again; “do you know the queen, or not?”
“Indeed,” said many, “the resemblance is incredible.”
“Monsieur,” said Jeanne to the speaker, who was a stout man, with quick observant eyes, “did you say the queen?”
“Why, that young lady that you see there, on the violet cushions, and in such a state that she cannot moderate her transports, is the queen.”
“But on what do you found such an idea, monsieur?”
“Simply because it is the queen.” And he left Jeanne to go and spread his news among the rest.
She turned from the almost revolting spectacle, and going near to the door, found herself face to face with the two ladies she had seen enter. Scarcely had she seen the elder one than she uttered a cry of surprise.
Jeanne took off her mask, and asked, “Do you recognize me, madame?”
The lady made, but quickly suppressed, a movement of surprise, and said, “No, madame.”