her a picturesque effect. Between the road and the
Ronquerolles woods, which continued those of Les Aigues and crowned
the heights, flowed a little river, and several houses, rather prettily
grouped, enlivened the scene. The church and the parsonage stood alone
and were seen from the park of Les Aigues, which came nearly up to
them. In front of the church was a square bordered by trees, where the
conspirators of the Grand-I-Vert saw the gendarmerie and hastened their
already hasty steps. Just then three men on horseback rode rapidly
out of the park of Les Aigues and the peasants at once recognized the
general, his groom, and Michaud the bailiff, who came at a gallop into
the square. Tonsard and his party arrived a minute or two after them.
The delinquents, men and women, had made no resistance, and were
standing between five of the Soulanges gendarmes and fifteen of those
from Ville-aux-Fayes. The whole village had assembled. The fathers,
mothers, and children of the prisoners were going and coming and
bringing them what they might want in prison. It was a curious scene,
that of a population one and all exasperated, but nearly all silent, as
though they had made up their minds to a course of action. The old
women and the young ones alone spoke. The children, boys and girls, were
perched on piles of wood and heaps of stones to get a better sight of
what was happening.

"They have chosen their time, those hussars of the guillotine," said one
old woman; "they are making a fete of it."

"Are you going to let 'em carry of your man like that? How shall you
manage to live for three months?--the best of the year, too, when he
could earn so much."

"It's they who rob us," replied the woman, looking at the gendarmes with
a threatening air.

"What do you mean by that, old woman?" said the sergeant. "If you insult
us it won't take long to settle you."

"I meant nothing," said the old woman, in a humble and piteous tone.

"I heard you say something just now you may have cause to repent of."

"Come, come, be calm, all of you," said the mayor of Conches, who was
also the postmaster. "What the devil is the use of talking? These men,
as you know very well, are under orders and must obey."

"That's true; it's the owner of Les Aigues who persecutes us--But
patience!"

Just then the general rode into the square and his arrival caused a few
groans which did not trouble him in the least. He rode straight up
to the lieutenant in co