massacres of the south-第58章

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the　Loulle　gate；　followed　by　a　second　carriage　in　which　were　his
aides…de…camp；　he　regained　the　〃Palais　Royal；〃　the　doors　of　which
were　opened　to　him　and　his　suite；　and　immediately　secured　against　all
others。

The　marshal　asked　to　be　shown　to　a　room；　and　M。　Moulin　gave　him
No。　1；　to　the　front。　　In　ten　minutes　three　thousand　people　filled　the
square；　it　was　as　if　the　population　sprang　up　from　the　ground。　　Just
then　the　carriage；　which　the　marshal　had　left　behind；　came　up；　the
postillion　having　tied　the　traces；　and　a　second　time　the　great　yard
gates　were　opened；　and　in　spite　of　the　press　closed　again　and
barricaded　by　the　porter　Vernet；　and　M。　Moulin　himself；　both　of　whom
were　men　of　colossal　strength。　　The　aides…de…camp；　who　had　remained
in　the　carriage　until　then；　now　alighted；　and　asked　to　be　shown　to
the　marshal；　but　Moulin　ordered　the　porter　to　conceal　them　in　an
outhouse。　　Vernet　taking　one　in　each　hand；　dragged　them　off　despite
their　struggles；　and　pushing　them　behind　some　empty　barrels；　over
which　he　threw　an　old　piece　of　carpet；　said　to　them　in　a　voice　as
solemn　as　if　he　were　a　prophet；　〃If　you　move；　you　are　dead　men；〃　and
left　them。　　The　aides…de…camp　remained　there　motionless　and　silent。

At　that　moment　M。　de　Saint…Chamans；　prefect　of　Avignon；　who　had
arrived　in　town　at　five　o'clock　in　the　morning；　came　out　into　the
courtyard。　　By　this　time　the　crowd　was　smashing　the　windows　and
breaking　in　the　street　door。　　The　square　was　full　to　overflowing；
everywhere　threatening　cries　were　heard；　and　above　all　the　terrible
zaou；　which　from　moment　to　moment　became　more　full　of　menace。
M。　Moulin　saw　that　if　they　could　not　hold　out　until　the　troops　under
Major　Lambot　arrived；　all　was　lost；　he　therefore　told　Vernet　to
settle　the　business　of　those　who　were　breaking　in　the　door；　while　he
would　take　charge　of　those　who　were　trying　to　get　in　at　the　window。
Thus　these　two　men；　moved　by　a　common　impulse　and　of　equal　courage；
undertook　to　dispute　with　a　howling　mob　the　possession　of　the　blood
for　which　it　thirsted。

Both　dashed　to　their　posts；　one　in　the　hall；　the　other　in　the
dining…room；　and　found　door　and　windows　already　smashed；　and　several
men　in　the　house。　　At　the　sight　of　Vernet；　with　whose　immense
strength　they　were　acquainted；　those　in　the　hall　drew　back　a　step；
and　Vernet；　taking　advantage　of　this　movement；　succeeded　in　ejecting
them　and　in　securing　the　door　once　more。　　Meantime　M。　Moulin；　seizing
his　double…barrelled　gun；　which　stood　in　the　chimney…corner；　pointed
it　at　five　men　who　had　got　into　the　dining…room；　and　threatened　to
fire　if　they　did　not　instantly　get　out　again。　　Four　obeyed；　but　one
refused　to　budge；　whereupon　Moulin；　finding　himself　no　longer
outnumbered；　laid　aside　his　gun；　and；　seizing　his　adversary　round　the
waist；　lifted　him　as　if　he　were　a　child　and　flung　him　out　of　the
window。　　The　man　died　three　weeks　later；　not　from　the　fall　but　from
the　squeeze。

Moulin　then　dashed　to　the　window　to　secure　it；　but　as　he　laid　his
hand　on　it　he　felt　his　head　seized　from　behind　and　pressed　violently
down　on　his　left　shoulder；　at　the　same　instant　a　pane　was　broken　into
splinters；　and　the　head　of　a　hatchet　struck　his　right　shoulder。
M。　de　Saint…Chamans；　who　had　followed　him　into　the　room；　had　seen　the
weapon　thrown　at　Moulin's　head；　and　not　being　able　to　turn　aside　the
iron；　had　turned　aside　the　object　at　which　it　was　aimed。　　Moulin
seized　the　hatchet　by　the　handle　and　tore　it　out　of　the　hands　of　him
who　had　delivered　the　blow；　which　fortunately　had　missed　its　aim。　　He
then　finished　closing　the　window；　and　secured　it　by　making　fast　the
inside　shutters；　and　went　upstairs　to　see　after　the　marshal。

Him　he　found　striding　up　and　down　his　room；　his　handsome　and　noble
face　as　calm　as　if　the　voices　of　all　those　shouting　men　outside　were
not　demanding　his　death。　　Moulin　made　him　leave　No。　1　for　No。　3；
which；　being　a　back　room　and　looking　out　on　the　courtyard；　seemed　to
offer　more　chances　of　safety　than　the　other。　　The　marshal　asked　for
writing　materials；　which　Moulin　brought；　whereupon　the　marshal　sat
down　at　a　little　table　and　began　to　write。

Just　then　the　cries　outside　became　still　more　uproarious。　　M。　de
Saint…Chamans　had　gone　out　and　ordered　the　crowd　to　disperse；
whereupon　a　thousand　people　had　answered　him　with　one　voice；　asking
who　he　was　that　he　should　give　such　an　order。　　He　announced　his　rank
and　authority；　to　which　the　answer　was；　〃We　only　know　the　prefect　by
his　clothes。〃　　Now　it　had　unfortunately　happened　that　M。　de　Chamans
having　sent　his　trunks　by　diligence　they　had　not　yet　arrived；　and
being　dressed　in　a　green　coat；　nankeen　trousers；　and　a　pique　vest；　it
could　hardly　be　expected　that　in　such　a　suit　he　should　overawe　the
people　under　the　circumstances；　so；　when　he　got　up　on　a　bench　to
harangue　the　populace；　cries　arose　of　〃Down　with　the　green　coat！　　We
have　enough　of　charlatans　like　that！〃　and　he　was　forced　to　get　down
again。　　As　Vernet　opened　the　door　to　let　him　in；　several　men　took
advantage　of　the　circumstance　to　push　in　along　with　him；　but　Vernet
let　his　fist　fall　three　times；　and　three　men　rolled　at　his　feet　like
bulls　struck　by　a　club。　　The　others　withdrew。　　A　dozen　champions　such
as　Vernet　would　have　saved　the　marshal。　　Yet　it　must　not　be　forgotten
that　this　man　was　a　Royalist；　and　held　the　same　opinions　as　those
against　whom　he　fought；　for　him　as　for　them　the　marshal　was　a　mortal
enemy；　but　he　had　a　noble　heart；　and　if　the　marshal　were　guilty　he
desired　a　trial　and　not　a　murder。　　Meantime　a　certain　onlooker　had
heard　what　had　been　said　to　M。　de　Chamans　about　his　unofficial
costume；　and　had　gone　to　put　on　his　uniform。　　This　was　M。　de　Puy；　a
handsome　and　venerable　old　man；　with　white　hair；　pleasant　expression；
and　winning　voice。　　He　soon　came　back　in　his　mayor's　robes；　wearing
his　scarf　and　his　double　cross　of　St。　Louis　and　the　Legion　of　Honour。
But　neither　his　age　nor　his　dignity　made　the　slightest　impression　on
these　people；　they　did　not　even　allow　him　to　get　back　to　the　hotel
door；　but　knocked　him　down　and　trampled　him　under　foot；　so　that　he
hardly　escaped　with　torn　clothes　and　his　white　hair　covered　with　dust
and　blood。　　The　fury　of　the　mob　had　now　reached　its　height。

At　this　juncture　the　garrison　of　Avignon　came　in　sight；　it　was
composed　of　four　hundred　volunteers；　who　formed　a　battalion　known　as
the　Royal　Angouleme。　　It　was　commanded　by　a　man　who　had　assumed　the
title　of　Lieutenant…General　of　the　Emancipating　Army　of　Vaucluse。
These　forces　drew　up　under　the　windows　of　the　〃Palais　Royal。〃　　They
were　composed　almost　entirely　of　Provenceaux；　and　spoke　the　same
dialect　as　the　people　of　the　lower　orders。　　The　crowd　asked　the
soldiers　for　what　they　had　come；　why　they　did　not　leave　them　to
accomplish　an　act　of　justice　in　peace；　and　if　they　intended　to
interfere。　　〃Quite　the　contrary；〃　said　one　of　the　soldiers；　〃pitch
him　out　of　the　window；　and　we　will　catch　him　on　the　points　of　our
bayonets。〃　　Brutal　cries　of　joy　greeted　this　answer；　succeeded　by　a
short　silence；　but　it　was　easy　to　see　that　under　the　apparent　calm
the　crowd　was　in　a　state　of　eager　expectation。　　Soon　new　shouts　were
heard；　but　this　time　from　the　interior　of　the　hotel；　a　small　band　of
men　led　by　Forges　and　Roquefort　had　separated　themselves　from　the
throng；　and　by　the　help　of　ladders　had　scaled　the　walls　and　got　on
the　roof　of　the　house；　and；　gliding　down　the　other　side；　had　dropped
into　the　balcony　outside　the　windows　of　the　rooms　where　the　marshal
was　writing。

Some　of　these　dashed　through　the　windows　without　waiting　to　open
them；　others　rushed　in　at　the　open　door。　　The　marshal；　thus　taken　by
surprise；　rose；　and　not　wishing　that　the　letter　he　was　writing　to　the
Austrian　commandant　to　claim　his　protection　should　fall　into　the
hands　of　these　wretches；　he　tore　it　to　pieces。　　Then　a　man　who
belonged　to　a　better　class　than　the　others；　and　who　wears　to…day　the
Cross　of　the　Legion　of　Honour；　granted　to　him　perhaps　for　his　conduct
on　this　occasion；　advanced　towards　the　marshal；　sword　in　hand；　and
told　him　if　he　had　any　last　arrangements　to　make；　he　should　make　them
at　once；　for　he　had　only　ten　minutes　to　live。

〃What　are　you　thinking