massacres of the south-第54章

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turns　in　guarding　the　door；　gun　in　hand。

〃As　soon　as　it　was　light　we　consulted　what　course　we　should　take：　I
was　of　the　opinion　that　we　ought　to　try　to　reach　Aix　by　unfrequented
paths；　having　friends　there；　we　should　be　able　to　procure　a　carriage
and　get　to　Nimes；　where　my　family　lived。　　But　my　wife　did　not　agree
with　me。　　'I　must　go　back　to　town　for　our　things；'　said　she；　'we　have
no　clothes　but　those　on　our　backs。　　Let　us　send　to　the　village　to　ask
if　Marseilles　is　quieter　to…day　than　yesterday。'　　So　we　sent　off　a
messenger。

〃The　news　he　brought　back　was　favourable；　order　was　completely
restored。　　I　could　not　quite　believe　this；　and　still　refused　to　let
my　wife　return　to　the　town　unless　I　accompanied　her。　　But　in　that
everyone　was　against　me：　my　presence　would　give　rise　to　dangers　which
without　me　had　no　existence。　　Where　were　the　miscreants　cowardly
enough　to　murder　a　woman　of　eighteen　who　belonged　to　no…party　and　had
never　injured　anyone？　　As　for　me；　my　opinions　were　well　known。
Moreover；　my　mother…in…law　offered　to　accompany　her　daughter；　and
both　joined　in　persuading　me　that　there　was　no　danger。　　At　last　I　was
forced　to　consent；　but　only　on　one　condition。

〃'I　cannot　say；'　I　observed；　'whether　there　is　any　foundation　for　the
reassuring　tidings　we　have　heard；　but　of　one　thing　you　may　be　sure：
it　is　now　seven　o'clock　in　the　morning；　you　can　get　to　Marseilles　in
an　hour；　pack　your　trunks　in　another　hour；　and　return　in　a　third；　let
us　allow　one　hour　more　for　unforeseen　delays。　If　you　are　not　back　by
eleven　o'clock；　I　shall　believe　something　has　happened；　and　take
steps　accordingly。'　　'Very　well；'　said　my　wife；　'if　I　am　not　back　by
then；　you　may　think　me　dead；　and　do　whatever　you　think　best。'　　And　so
she　and　her　mother　left　me。

〃An　hour　later；　quite　different　news　came　to　hand。　　Fugitives；
seeking　like　ourselves　safety　in　the　country；　told　us　that　the
rioting；　far　from　ceasing；　had　increased；　the　streets　were　encumbered
with　corpses；　and　two　people　had　been　murdered　with　unheard…of
cruelty。

〃An　old　man　named　Bessieres；　who　had　led　a　simple　and　blameless　life；
and　whose　only　crime　was　that　he　had　served　under　the　Usurper；
anticipating　that　under　existing　circumstances　this　would　be　regarded
as　a　capital　crime；　made　his　will；　which　was　afterwards　found　among
his　papers。　　It　began　with　the　following　words：

〃'As　it　is　possible　that　during　this　revolution　I　may　meet　my　death；
as　a　partisan　of　Napoleon；　although　I　have　never　loved　him；　I　give
and　bequeath；'　etc。；　etc。

〃The　day　before；　his　brother…in…law；　knowing　he　had　private　enemies；
had　come　to　the　house　and　spent　the　night　trying　to　induce　him　to
flee；　but　all　in　vain。　　But　the　next　morning；　his　house　being
attacked；　he　yielded；　and　tried　to　escape　by　the　back　door。　　He　was
stopped　by　some　of　the　National　Guard；　and　placed　himself　under　their
protection。

They　took　him　to　the　Cours　St。　Louis；　where；　being　hustled　by　the
crowd　and　very　ineffectually　defended　by　the　Guards；　he　tried　to
enter　the　Caf？　Mercantier；　but　the　door　was　shut　in　his　face。　　Being
broken　by　fatigue；　breathless；　and　covered　with　dust　and　sweat；　he
threw　himself　on　one　of　the　benches　placed　against　the　wall；　outside
the　house。　　Here　he　was　wounded　by　a　musket　bullet；　but　not　killed。
At　the　sight　of　his　blood　shrieks　of　joy　were　heard；　and　then　a　young
man　with　a　pistol　in　each　hand　forced　his　way　through　the　throng　and
killed　the　old　man　by　two　shots　fired　point　blank　in　his　face。

〃Another　still　more　atrocious　murder　took　place　in　the　course　of　the
same　morning。　　A　father　and　son；　bound　back　to　back；　were　delivered
over　to　the　tender　mercies　of　the　mob。　　Stoned　and　beaten　and　covered
with　each　other's　blood；　for　two　long　hours　their　death…agony
endured；　and　all　the　while　those　who　could　not　get　near　enough　to
strike　were　dancing　round　them。

〃Our　time　passed　listening　to　such　stories；　suddenly　I　saw　a　friend
running　towards　the　house。　　I　went　to　meet　him。　　He　was　so　pale　that
I　hardly　dared　to　question　him。　　He　came　from　the　city；　and　had　been
at　my　house　to　see　what　had　become　of　me。　　There　was　no　one　in　it；
but　across　the　door　lay　two　corpses　wrapped　in　a　blood…stained　sheet
which　he　had　not　dared　to　lift。

〃At　these　terrible　words　nothing　could　hold　me　back。　　I　set　off　for
Marseilles。　　M_____　who　would　not　consent　to　let　me　return　alone；
accompanied　me。　　In　passing　through　the　village　of　Saint…Just　we
encountered　a　crowd　of　armed　peasants　in　the　main　street　who　appeared
to　belong　to　the　free　companies。　　Although　this　circumstance　was
rather　alarming；　it　would　have　been　dangerous　to　turn　back；　so　we
continued　our　way　as　if　we　were　not　in　the　least　uneasy。　　They
examined　our　bearing　and　our　dress　narrowly；　and　then　exchanged　some
sentences　in　a　low；　voice；　of　which　we　only　caught　the　word
austaniers。　　This　was　the　name　by　which　the　Bonapartists　were　called
by　the　peasants；　and　means　'eaters　of　chestnuts；'　this　article　of
food　being　brought　from　Corsica　to　France。　　However；　we　were　not
molested　in　any　way；　for　as　we　were　going　towards　the　city　they　did
not　think　we　could　be　fugitives。　　A　hundred　yards　beyond　the　village
we　came　up　with　a　crowd　of　peasants；　who　were；　like　us；　on　the　way　to
Marseilles。　　It　was　plain　to　see　that　they　had　just　been　pillaging
some　country　house；　for　they　were　laden　with　rich　stuffs；　chandeliers
and　jewels。　　It　proved　to　be　that　of　M。　R____；　inspector　of　reviews。
Several　carried　muskets。　　I　pointed　out　to　my　companion　a　stain　of
blood　on　the　trousers　of　one　of　the　men；　who　began　to　laugh　when　he
saw　what　we　were　looking　at。　　Two　hundred　yards　outside　the　city　I
met　a　woman　who　had　formerly　been　a　servant　in　my　house。　　She　was
very　much　astonished　to　see　me；　and　said；　'Go　away　at　once；　the
massacre　is　horrible；　much　worse　than　yesterday。'

〃'But　my　wife；'　I　cried；　'do　you　know　anything　about　her？'

〃'No；　sir；'　she　replied；　'I　was　going　to　knock　at　the　door；　but　some
people　asked　me　in　a　threatening　manner　if　I　could　tell　them　where
the　friend　of　that　rascal　Brine　was；　as　they　were　going　to　take　away
his　appetite　for　bread。　　So　take　my　advice；'　she　continued；　'and　go
back　to　where　you　came　from。'

〃This　advice　was　the　last　I　could　make　up　my　mind　to　follow；　so　we
went　on；　but　found　a　strong　guard　at　the　gate；　and　saw　that　it　would
be　impossible　to　get　through　without　being　recognised。　　At　the　same
time；　the　cries　and　the　reports　of　firearms　from　within　were　coming
nearer；　it　would　therefore　have　been　to　court　certain　death　to
advance；　so　we　retraced　our　steps。　　In　passing　again　through　the
village　of　Saint…Just　we　met　once　more　our　armed　peasants。　　But　this
time　they　burst　out　into　threats　on　seeing　us；　shouting；　'Let　us　kill
them！　　Let　us　kill　them！'　　Instead　of　running　away；　we　approached
them；　assuring　them　that　we　were　Royalists。　　Our　coolness　was　so
convincing　that　we　got　through　safe　and　sound。

〃On　getting　back　to　the　captain's　I　threw　myself　on　the　sofa；　quite
overcome　by　the　thought　that　only　that　morning　my　wife　had　been
beside　me　under　my　protection；　and　that　I　had　let　her　go　back　to　the
town　to　a　cruel　and　inevitable　death。　　I　felt　as　if　my　heart　would
break；　and　nothing　that　our　host　and　my　friend　could　say　gave　me　the
slightest　comfort。　　I　was　like　a　madman；　unconscious　of　everything
round　me。

〃M_____　　went　out　to　try　to　pick　up　some　news；　but　in　an　instant　we
heard　him　running　back；　and　he　dashed　into　the　room；　calling　out

〃'They　are　coming！　　There　they　are！'

〃'Who　are　coming？'　we　asked。

〃'The　assassins！'

〃My　first　feeling；　I　confess；　was　one　of　joy。　　I　pounced　upon　a　pair
of　double…barrelled　pistols；　resolved　not　to　let　myself　be
slaughtered　like　a　sheep。　　Through　the　window　I　could　see　some　men
climbing　over　the　wall　and　getting　down　into　the　garden。　　We　had　just
sufficient　time　to　escape　by　a　back　staircase　which　led　to　a　door；
through　which　we　passed；　shutting　it　behind　us。　　We　found　ourselves
on　a　road；　at　the　other　side　of　which　was　a　vineyard。　　We　crossed　the
road　and　crept　under　the　vines；　which　completely　concealed　us。

〃As　we　learned　later；　the　captain's　house　had　been　denounced　as　a
Bonapartist　nest；　and　t