What you guessed--my defeat, also occurred. Without my friend, my mind became vacant (hrdayena sunyah). I was almost fainting. Actually the cowherds were not low criminals. Gopa means those who protected (pa) the earth and heavens (go). These persons took the queens away. The Lord took the form of these cowherd men and took away his dear queens so that they could enter into the unmanifest pastimes.

na vayam sadhvi samrajyam svarajyam bhaujyam apy uta
vairajyam paramesthyam ca anantyam va hareh padam

O saintly lady, we do not desire dominion over the earth, the sovereignty of the King of heaven, unlimited facility for enjoyment, mystic power, the position of Lord Brahma, immortality or even attainment of the kingdom of God.

kamayamaha etasya srimat-pada-rajah sriyah kuca-kunkuma-gandhadhyam murdhna vodhum gada-bhrtah

We simply desire to carry on our heads the glorious dust of Lord Krsna’s feet, enriched by the fragrance of kunkuma from His consort’s bosom. SB 10.83.41-42

vraja-striyo yad vanchanti pulindyas trna-virudhah
gavas carayato gopah pada-sparsam mahatmanah

We desire the same contact with the Supreme Lord’s feet that the young women of Vraja, the cowherd boys and even the aborigine Pulinda women desire—the touch of the dust He leaves on the plants and grass as He tends His cows. SB 10.83.43

From these verses it is understood that the queens desired the form of the Lord that the gopis hankered for. Otherwise, if the queens, who were directly Laksmi, enjoyed by the Lord, were touched by low material persons, they would have immediately disappeared. It is understood that they attained forms as women of Vraja in another manifested pastime. This can be understood from the Visnu and Brahma Puranas. Vyasa also spoke to Arjuna about this:

evam tasya muneh sapad astavakrasya kesavam |
bhartaram prapya ta yata dasyuhasta varanganah ||

Because of the curse of the sage Astavakra, the best of women, becoming the wives of Krsna, would be touched by the thieves.

Long ago, the heavenly women praised Astavakra. He blessed them by saying “Visnu will become your husband.” Because they laughed at him on seeing his crooked body, he cursed them “You will be taken by the thieves.” Again being merciful he said that after the curse had ended they would again attain the Lord who would take the form of the thieves. Not being able to avoid the curse and the blessing, they experienced being taken by the thieves and attaining the Lord because of this, since Krsna took the form of the thieves. It is also said:

tat tvaya na hi kartavyah soko ’lpo ’pi hi pandava |
tenapy akhila-nathena sarvam tad upasamhrtam ||

O Pandava! Do not lament at all. All of the queens have been brought close by the perfect husband Krsna. Akhila-nathena means by Krsna, the perfect husband. Sarvam refers to all the dear queens. Upasamhrtam means “brought close to him in a direct way,” since this happened through the instrument of Arjuna.