The establishment was greatly reduced, for few of the tenants paid their rents; but the absence of ceremonial brought the family closer together, and the marquis and his wife agreed that they had never spent a happier time than the spring and summer of 1791.
The news of the failure of the king's attempt at flight on the 20th of June was a great shock to the marquis.

"A king should never fly," he said; "above all, he should never make an abortive attempt at flight.

It is lamentable that he should be so ill-advised." At the end of September the elections to the Legislative Assembly as it was now to be called, resulted in the return of men even more extreme and violent than those whom they succeeded.
"We must go to Paris," the marquis said one day towards the end of October.

"The place for a French nobleman now is beside the king." "And that of his wife beside the queen," the marquise said quietly.
"I cannot say no," the marquis replied.

"I wish you could have stayed with the children, but they need fear no trouble here.