massacres of the south-第57章

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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　been　killed　on
the　Esplanade　by　a　musket　shot；　and　it　seemed　as　if　his　death　would
be　only　the　forerunner　of　many。　　The　Catholics　were　awaiting　with
impatience　the　arrival　of　those　doughty　warriors　from　Beaucaire　on
whom　they　placed　their　chief　reliance。　　The　Protestants　went　about　in
painful　silence；　and　fear　blanched　every　face。　　At　length　the　white
flag　was　hoisted　and　the　king　proclaimed　without　any　of　the　disorders
which　had　been　dreaded　taking　place；　but　it　was　plainly　visible　that
this　calm　was　only　a　pause　before　a　struggle；　and　that　on　the
slightest　pretext　the　pent…up　passions　would　break　loose　again。

〃Just　at　this　time　the　memory　of　our　quiet　life　in　the　mountains
inspired　us　with　a　happy　idea。　　We　had　learned　that　the　obstinate
resolution　of　Marshal　Brune　never　to　acknowledge　Louis　XVIII　as　king
had　been　softened；　and　that　the　marshal　had　been　induced　to　hoist　the
white　flag　at　Toulon；　while　with　a　cockade　in　his　hat　he　had　formally
resigned　the　command　of　that　place　into　the　hands　of　the　royal
authorities。

〃Henceforward　in　all　Provence　there　was　no　spot　where　he　could　live
unmarked。　　His　ultimate　intentions　were　unknown　to　us；　indeed　his
movements　seemed　to　show　great　hesitation　on　his　part；　so　it　occurred
to　us　to　offer　him　our　little　country　house　as　a　refuge　where　he
could　await　the　arrival　of　more　peaceful　times。　　We　decided　that
M____　and　another　friend　of　ours　who　had　just　arrived　from　Paris
should　go　to　him　and　make　the　offer；　which　he　would　at　once　accept
all　the　more　readily　because　it　came　from　the　hearts　which　were
deeply　devoted　to　him。　　They　set　out；　but　to　my　great　surprise
returned　the　same　day。　　They　brought　us　word　that　Marshal　Brune　had
been　assassinated　at　Avignon。

〃At　first　we　could　not　believe　the　dreadful　news；　and　took　it　for　one
of　those　ghastly　rumours　which　circulate　with　such　rapidity　during
periods　of　civil　strife；　but　we　were　not　left　long　in　uncertainty；
for　the　details　of　the　catastrophe　arrived　all　too　soon。〃




CHAPTER　VIII

For　some　days　Avignon　had　its　assassins；　as　Marseilles　had　had　them；
and　as　Nimes　was　about　to　have　them；　for　some　days　all　Avignon
shuddered　at　the　names　of　five　menPointu；　Farges；　Roquefort；
Naudaud；　and　Magnan。

Pointu　was　a　perfect　type　of　the　men　of　the　South；　olive…skinned　and
eagle…eyed；　with　a　hook　nose；　and　teeth　of　ivory。　　Although　he　was
hardly　above　middle　height；　and　his　back　was　bent　from　bearing　heavy
burdens；　his　legs　bowed　by　the　pressure　of　the　enormous　masses　which
he　daily　carried；　he　was　yet　possessed　of　extraordinary　strength　and
dexterity。　　He　could　throw　over　the　Loulle　gate　a　48…pound　cannon
ball　as　easily　as　a　child　could　throw　its　ball。　　He　could　fling　a
stone　from　one　bank　of　the　Rhone　to　the　other　where　it　was　two
hundred　yards　wide。　　And　lastly；　he　could　throw　a　knife　backwards
while　running　at　full　speed　with　such　strength　and　precision　of　aim
that　this　new　kind　of　Parthian　arrow　would　go　whistling　through　the
air　to　hide　two　inches　of　its　iron　head　in　a　tree　trunk　no　thicker
than　a　man's　thigh。　　When　to　these　accomplishments　are　added　an　equal
skill　with　the　musket；　the　pistol；　and　the　quarter…staff；　a　good　deal
of　mother　wit；　a　deep　hatred　for　Republicans；　against　whom　he　had
vowed　vengeance　at　the　foot　of　the　scaffold　on　which　his　father　and
mother　had　perished；　an　idea　can　be　formed　of　the　terrible　chief　of
the　assassins　of　Avignon；　who　had　for　his　lieutenants；　Farges　the
silk…weaver；　Roquefort　the　porter；　Naudaud　the　baker；　and　Magnan　the
secondhand　clothes　dealer。

Avignon　was　entirely　in　the　power　of　these　five　men；　whose　brutal
conduct　the　civil　and　military　authorities　would　not　or　could　not
repress；　when　word　came　that　Marshal　Brune；　who　was　at　Luc　in　command
of　six　thousand　troops；　had　been　summoned　to　Paris　to　give　an　account
of　his　conduct　to　the　new　Government。

The　marshal；　knowing　the　state　of　intense　excitement　which　prevailed
in　the　South；　and　foreseeing　the　perils　likely　to　meet　him　on　the
road；　asked　permission　to　travel　by　water；　but　met　with　an　official
refusal；　and　the　Duc　de　Riviere；　governor　of　Marseilles；　furnished
him　with　a　safe…conduct。　　The　cut…throats　bellowed　with　joy　when　they
learned　that　a　Republican　of　'89；　who　had　risen　to　the　rank　of
marshal　under　the　Usurper；　was　about　to　pass　through　Avignon。　　At　the
same　time　sinister　reports　began　to　run　from　mouth　to　mouth；　the
harbingers　of　death。　　Once　more　the　infamous　slander　which　a　hundred
times　had　been　proved　to　be　false；　raised　its　voice　with　dogged
persistence；　asserting　that　Brune；　who　did　not　arrive　at　Paris　until
the　5th　of　September；　1792；　had　on　the　2nd；　when　still　at　Lyons；
carried　the　head　of　the　Princesse　de　Lamballe　impaled　on　a　pike。
Soon　the　news　came　that　the　marshal　had　just　escaped　assassination　at
Aix；　indeed　he　owed　his　safety　to　the　fleetness　of　his　horses。
Pointu；　Forges；　and　Roquefort　swore　that　they　would　manage　things
better　at　Avignon。

By　the　route　which　the　marshal　had　chosen　there　were　only　two　ways
open　by　which　he　could　reach　Lyons：　he　must　either　pass　through
Avignon；　or　avoid　it　by　taking　a　cross…road；　which　branched　off　the
Pointet　highway；　two　leagues　outside　the　town。　　The　assassins　thought
he　would　take　the　latter　course；　and　on　the　2nd　of　August；　the　day　on
which　the　marshal　was　expected；　Pointu；　Magnan；　and　Naudaud；　with
four　of　their　creatures；　took　a　carriage　at　six　o'clock　in　the
morning；　and；　setting　out　from　the　Rhone　bridge；　hid　themselves　by
the　side　of　the　high　road　to　Pointet。

When　the　marshal　reached　the　point　where　the　road　divided；　having
been　warned　of　the　hostile　feelings　so　rife　in　Avignon；　he　decided　to
take　the　cross…road　upon　which　Pointu　and　his　men　were　awaiting　him；
but　the　postillion　obstinately　refused　to　drive　in　this　direction；
saying　that　he　always　changed　horses　at　Avignon；　and　not　at　Pointet。
One　of　the　marshal's　aides…de…camp　tried；　pistol　in　hand；　to　force
him　to　obey；　but　the　marshal　would　permit　no　violence　to　be　offered
him；　and　gave　him　orders　to　go　on　to　Avignon。

The　marshal　reached　the　town　at　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning；　and
alighted　at　the　Hotel　du　Palais　Royal；　which　was　also　the　post…house。
While　fresh　horses　were　being　put　to　and　the　passports　and　safe…
conduct　examined　at　the　Loulle　gate；　the　marshal　entered　the　hotel　to
take　a　plate　of　soup。　　In　less　than　five　minutes　a　crowd　gathered
round　the　door；　and　M。　Moulin　the　proprietor　noticing　the　sinister
and　threatening　expression　many　of　the　faces　bore；　went　to　the
marshal's　room　and　urged　him　to　leave　instantly　without　waiting　for
his　papers；　pledging　his　word　that　he　would　send　a　man　on　horseback
after　him；　who　would　overtake　him　two　or　three　leagues　beyond　the
town；　and　bring　him　his　own　safe…conduct　and　the　passports　of　his
aides…de…camp。　　The　marshal　came　downstairs；　and　finding　the　horses
ready；　got　into　the　carriage；　on　which　loud　murmurs　arose　from　the
populace；　amongst　which　could　be　distinguished　the　terrible　word
'zaou！'　　that　excited　cry　of　the　Provencal；　which　according　to　the
tone　in　which　it　is　uttered　expresses　every　shade　of　threat；　and
which　means　at　once　in　a　single　syllable；　〃　Bite；　rend；　kill；
murder！〃

The　marshal　set　out　at　a　gallop；　and　passed　the　town　gates
unmolested；　except　by　the　howlings　of　the　populace；　who；　however；
made　no　attempt　to　stop　him。　　He　thought　he　had　left　all　his　enemies
behind；　but　when　he　reached　the　Rhone　bridge　he　found　a　group　of　men
armed　with　muskets　waiting　there；　led　by　Farges　and　Roquefort。　　They
all　raised　their　guns　and　took　aim　at　the　marshal；　who　thereupon
ordered　the　postillion　to　drive　back。　　The　order　was　obeyed；　but　when
the　carriage　had　gone　about　fifty　yards　it　was　met　by　the　crowd　from
the　〃Palais　Royal；〃　which　had　followed　it；　so　the　postillion　stopped。
In　a　moment　the　traces　were　cut；　whereupon　the　marshal；　opening　the
door；　alighted；　followed　by　his　valet；　and　passing　on　foot　through
the　Loulle　gate；　followed　by　a　second　carriage　in　which　were　his
aides…de…camp；　h