ice, "and fly instantly--I am
here to arrest you." Then aloud, "You cannot pass," said he, pushing
back the marquis, and closing in his soldiers before him.

Pontcalec took the officer's hand, pressed it, and said:

"You are a brave fellow, but I must go in. I thank you, and may God
reward you!"

The officer, surprised, opened his ranks, and Pontcalec, followed by his
friends, crossed the court. On seeing him, his family uttered cries of
terror.

"What is it?" asked the marquis, calmly; "and what is going on here?"

"I arrest you, Monsieur le Marquis," said an exempt of the provost of
Paris.

"Pardieu! what a fine exploit!" said Montlouis; "and you seem a clever
fellow--you, a provost's exempt, and absolutely those whom you are sent
to arrest are obliged to come and take you by the collar."

The exempt saluted this gentleman, who joked so pleasantly at such a
time, and asked his name.

"I am Monsieur de Montlouis. Look, my dear fellow, if you have not got
an order against me, too--if you have, execute it."

"Monsieur," said the exempt, bowing lower as he became more astonished,
"it is not I, but my comrade, Duchevon, who is charged to arrest you;
shall I tell him?"----"Where is he?"

"At your house, waiting for you."

"I should be sorry to keep you waiting long," said Montlouis, "and I
will go to him. Thanks, my friend."

The exempt was bewildered.

Montlouis pressed Pontcalec's hand and those of the others; then,
whispering a few words to them, he set out for his house, and was
arrested.

Talhouet and Du Couedic did the same; so that by eleven at night the
work was over.

The news of the arrest ran through the town, but every one said, "The
parliament will absolve them."

The next day, however, their opinions changed, for there arrived from
Nantes the commission, perfectly constituted, and wanting, as we have
said, neither president, procureur du roi, secretary, nor even
executioners. We use the plural, for there were three.

The bravest men are sometimes stupefied by great misfortune. This fell
on the province with the power and rapidity of a thunderstroke; it made
no cry, no movement; Bretagne expired.

The commission installed itself at once, and expected that, in
consideration of its powers, people would bow before it rather than give
offense; but the terror was so great, that each one thought of
themselves alone, and merely deplored the fate of the others.

This, then, was the state of af