Dearest Dimitri Houlette Crainte, I am so glad to be conversing with you, the few weeks we had together were not enough to quench my curiosity about my lovely “country friend”. Have you heard of all the happenings in Paris? Have the news reached Cévennes yet? Assuming that it has not, I will relate them to you. We, peasants of the Third Estate, all agree that King Louis XVI and his wife and queen, Marie Antoinette, are unfit rulers. The former is an indecisive crétin that does not know how to make decisions, ignores important problems, and taxes the Third Estate heavily. I personally feel he is an ignorant, incapable imbécile. I have said the same thing about your sister, but then again, I was right, was I not? Queen Marie Antoinette is also no good. She is definitely a spender; she wastes all the money of the people on useless, disposable expensive materials. This reminds me of how much I can pinch pennies and be frugal, just for her to waste me and the others’ hard-earned money on a new dress she will not wear twice. The taxes are not small, either. Right now it is really hard going through a whole week, much less a month. I find it incredibly unfair that the clergymen and the nobles are exempt from paying taxes, they who have more than enough money, while we have to pay taxes to the king, to the church, and to the land owners. It is getting really expensive to be able to sustain us all. I remember you told me how there is bad weather destroying the crops. Well, I think that is the reason for the inflation of prices, why food is so expensive. My family and I, especially my father, are supporting the so-called “Enlightment”. We all think it is a great idea, and that the Third State should have a part in the government. After all, swe make up 97% of the population! Do you not agree with me? The Americans were able to revolt successfully against an unfair king, and so why could we not? Why should we not? I think there should be equality, liberty, and democracy in France. Just because one is born into a rich family does not mean that individual should have privileges Love Beatrice Fraise Raison