Should they be discovered, their fate was sealed; but in the hope of aiding the escape of their king, they courageously offered themselves as a sacrifice to the popular fury.
VIII.
The queen had for many months entertained the project of escape.

Since the month of March she had commissioned one of her waiting-maids to procure her from Brussels a complete wardrobe for Madame and the Dauphin; she had sent most of her valuables to her sister, the Archduchess Christina, the regent of the Low Countries, under pretence of making her a present; her diamonds had been intrusted to her hair-dresser, Leonard, who had started before herself with the Duke de Choiseul.

These slight indications of a projected flight had not entirely escaped the vigilance of a waiting-maid; this woman had noticed that whispered conversations were carried on; she had seen desks opened on the table, and empty jewel boxes lying about; she denounced these facts to M.de Gouvion, M.de La Fayette's _aide-de-camp_, whose mistress she was, and M.de Gouvion reported all again to the mayor of Paris and his general.

But these denunciations had been so often made, and by so many different persons, and had so often proved false, that now but little importance was attached to them.

However, in consequence of the revelations of this woman, a stricter watch than usual was kept around the chateau.