massacres of the south-第56章

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nothing　to　fear　from　such　philosophers；　I　went　up　to　them　and
questioned　them；　and　they　explained　their　hopes　to　me　with　the
greatest　innocence；　and　above　all；　their　firm　determination　to　belong
to　what　ever　party　got　the　upper　hand。　　As　we　drove　into　Orgon　we　saw
at　a　glance　that　the　whole　town　was　simmering　with　excitement。
Everybody's　face　expressed　anxiety。　　A　man　who；　we　were　told；　was　the
mayor；　was　haranguing　a　group。　　As　everyone　was　listening；　with　the
greatest　attention；　we　drew　near　and　asked　them　the　cause　of　the
excitement。

〃'Gentlemen；'　said　he；　'you　ought　to　know　the　news：　the　king　is　in
his　capital；　and　we　have　once　more　hoisted　the　white　flag；　and　there
has　not　been　a　single　dispute　to　mar　the　tranquillity　of　the　day；　one
party　has　triumphed　without　violence；　and　the　other　has　submitted
with　resignation。　　But　I　have　just　learned　that　a　band　of　vagabonds；
numbering　about　three　hundred；　have　assembled　on　the　bridge　over　the
Durance；　and　are　preparing　to　raid　our　little　town　to…night；
intending　by　pillage　or　extortion　to　get　at　what　we　possess。　　I　have
a　few　guns　left　which　I　am　about　to　distribute；　and　each　man　will
watch　over　the　safety　of　all。'

〃Although　he　had　not　enough　arms　to　go　round；　he　offered　to　supply
us；　but　as　I　had　my　double…barrelled　pistols　I　did　not　deprive　him　of
his　weapons。　　I　made　the　ladies　go　to　bed；　and；　sitting　at　their
door；　tried　to　sleep　as　well　as　I　could；　a　pistol　in　each　hand。　　But
at　every　instant　the　noise　of　a　false　alarm　sounded　through　the　town；
and　when　day　dawned　my　only　consolation　was　that　no　one　else　in　Orgon
had　slept　any　better　than　I。

〃The　next　day　we　continued　our　journey　to　Tarascon；　where　new
excitements　awaited　us。　　As　we　got　near　the　town　we　heard　the　tocsin
clanging　and　drums　beating　the　generale。　　We　were　getting　so
accustomed　to　the　uproar　that　we　were　not　very　much　astonished。
However；　when　we　got　in　we　asked　what　was　going　on；　and　we　were　told
that　twelve　thousand　troops　from　Nimes　had　marched　on　Beaucaire　and
laid　it　waste　with　fire　and　sword。　　I　insinuated　that　twelve　thousand
men　was　rather　a　large　number　for　one　town　to　furnish；　but　was　told
that　that　included　troops　from　the　Gardonninque　and　the　Cevennes。
Nimes　still　clung　to　the　tricolour；　but　Beaucaire　had　hoisted　the
white　flag；　and　it　was　for　the　purpose　of　pulling　it　down　and
scattering　the　Royalists　who　were　assembling　in　numbers　at　Beaucaire
that　Nimes　had　sent　forth　her　troops　on　this　expedition。　　Seeing　that
Tarascon　and　Beaucaire　are　only　separated　by　the　Rhone；　it　struck　me
as　peculiar　that　such　quiet　should　prevail　on　one　bank；　while　such
fierce　conflict　was　raging　on　the　other。　　I　did　not　doubt　that
something　had　happened；　but　not　an　event　of　such　gravity　as　was
reported。　　We　therefore　decided　to　push　on　to　Beaucaire；　and　when　we
got　there　we　found　the　town　in　the　most　perfect　order。　　The
expedition　of　twelve　thousand　men　was　reduced　to　one　of　two　hundred；
which　had　been　easily　repulsed；　with　the　result　that　of　the
assailants　one　had　been　wounded　and　one　made　prisoner。　　Proud　of　this
success；　the　people　of　Beaucaire　entrusted　us　with　a　thousand
objurgations　to　deliver　to　their　inveterate　enemies　the　citizens　of
Nimes。

〃If　any　journey　could　give　a　correct　idea　of　the　preparations　for
civil　war　and　the　confusion　which　already　prevailed　in　the　South；　I
should　think　that　without　contradiction　it　would　be　that　which　we
took　that　day。　　Along　the　four　leagues　which　lie　between　Beaucaire
and　Nimes　were　posted　at　frequent　intervals　detachments　of　troops
displaying　alternately　the　white　and　the　tricoloured　cockade。　　Every
village　upon　our　route　except　those　just　outside　of　Nimes　had
definitely　joined　either　one　party　or　the　other；　and　the　soldiers；
who　were　stationed　at　equal　distances　along　the　road；　were　now
Royalist　and　now　Bonapartist。　　Before　leaving　Beaucaire　we　had　all
provided　ourselves；　taking　example　by　the　men　we　had　seen　at　Orgon；
with　two　cockades；　one　white；　and　one　tricoloured；　and　by　peeping　out
from　carriage　windows　we　were　able　to　see　which　was　worn　by　the
troops　we　were　approaching　in　time　to　attach　a　similar　one　to　our
hats　before　we　got　up　to　them；　whilst　we　hid　the　other　in　our　shoes；
then　as　we　were　passing　we　stuck　our　heads；　decorated　according　to
circumstances；　out　of　the　windows；　and　shouted　vigorously；　'Long　live
the　king！'　or　'Long　live　the　emperor！'　as　the　case　demanded。　　Thanks
to　this　concession　to　political　opinions　on　the　highway；　and　in　no
less　degree　to　the　money　which　we　gave　by　way　of　tips　to　everybody
everywhere；　we　arrived　at　length　at　the　barriers　of　Nimes；　where　we
came　up　with　the　National　Guards　who　had　been　repulsed　by　the
townspeople　of　Beaucaire。

〃This　is　what　had　taken　place　just　before　we　arrived　in　the　city：

〃The　National　Guard　of　Nimes　and　the　troops　of　which　the　garrison　was
composed　had　resolved　to　unite　in　giving　a　banquet　on　Sunday；　the
28th　of　June；　to　celebrate　the　success　of　the　French　army。　　The　news
of　the　battle　of　Waterloo　travelled　much　more　quickly　to　Marseilles
than　to　Nimes；　so　the　banquet　took　place　without　interruption。　　A
bust　of　Napoleon　was　carried　in　procession　all　over　the　town；　and
then　the　regular　soldiers　and　the　National　Guard　devoted　the　rest　of
the　day　to　rejoicings；　which　were　followed　by　no　excess。

〃But　the　day　was　not　quite　finished　before　news　came　that　numerous
meetings　were　taking　place　at　Beaucaire；　so　although　the　news　of　the
defeat　at　Waterloo　reached　Nimes　on　the　following　Tuesday；　the　troops
which　we　had　seen　returning　at　the　gates　of　the　city　had　been
despatched　on　Wednesday　to　disperse　these　assemblies。　　Meantime　the
Bonapartists；　under　the　command　of　General　Gilly；　amongst　whom　was　a
regiment　of　chasseurs；　beginning　to　despair　of　the　success　of　their
cause；　felt　that　their　situation　was　becoming　very　critical；
especially　as　they　learnt　that　the　forces　at　Beaucaire　had　assumed
the　offensive　and　were　about　to　march　upon　Nimes。　　As　I　had　had　no
connection　with　anything　that　had　taken　place　in　the　capital　of　the
Gard；　I　personally　had　nothing　to　fear；　but　having　learned　by
experience　how　easily　suspicions　arise；　I　was　afraid　that　the
ill…luck　which　had　not　spared　either　my　friends　or　my　family　might
lead　to　their　being　accused　of　having　received　a　refugee　from
Marseilles；　a　word　which　in　itself　had　small　significance；　but　which
in　the　mouth　of　an　enemy　might　be　fatal。　　Fears　for　the　future　being
thus　aroused　by　my　recollections　of　the　past；　I　decided　to　give　up
the　contemplation　of　a　drama　which　might　become　redoubtable；　asked　to
bury　myself　in　the　country　with　the　firm　intention　of　coming　back　to
Nimes　as　soon　as　the　white　flag　should　once　more　float　from　its
towers。

〃An　old　castle　in　the　Cevennes；　which　from　the　days　when　the
Albigenses　were　burnt；　down　to　the　massacre　of　La　Bagarre；　had
witnessed　many　a　revolution　and　counter　revolution；　became　the　asylum
of　my　wife；　my　mother；　M_____　；　and　myself。　　As　the　peaceful
tranquillity　of　our　life　there　was　unbroken　by　any　event　of　interest；
I　shall　not　pause　to　dwell　on　it。　　But　at　length　we　grew　weary；　for
such　is　man；　of　our　life　of　calm；　and　being　left　once　for　nearly　a
week　without　any　news　from　outside；　we　made　that　an　excuse　for
returning　to　Nimes　in　order　to　see　with　our　own　eyes　how　things　were
going　on。

〃When　we　were　about　two　leagues　on　our　way　we　met　the　carriage　of　a
friend；　a　rich　landed　proprietor　from　the　city；　seeing　that　he　was　in
it；　I　alighted　to　ask　him　what　was　happening　at　Nimes。　　'I　hope　you
do　not　think　of　going　there；'　said　he；　'especially　at　this　moment；
the　excitement　is　intense；　blood　has　already　flowed；　and　a
catastrophe　is　imminent。'　　So　back　we　went　to　our　mountain　castle；
but　in　a　few　days　became　again　a　prey　to　the　same　restlessness；　and；
not　being　able　to　overcome　it；　decided　to　go　at　all　risks　and　see　for
ourselves　the　condition　of　affairs；　and　this　time；　neither　advice　nor
warning　having　any　effect；　we　not　only　set　out；　but　we　arrived　at　our
destination　the　same　evening。

〃We　had　not　been　misinformed；　frays　having　already　taken　place　in　the
streets　which　had　heated　public　opinion。　　One　man　had　bee