ground. I went up again to tell
my aunt, and found her straightening my uncle like a corpse. At the
same moment a dragoon came up behind me. He was going to recommence the
disturbance, when I pointed to the bed, and said, sternly, "See what you
have done. You may now go away satisfied with having made this lately
peaceful family completely wretched. God grant you forgiveness ere you
are laid out like those cold remains."

The dragoon looked confounded. He muttered something, turned on his
heel, said something to his companions below, and we presently saw them
run out of the house. I went and shut the door. On returning I saw my
uncle was not dead. Their thinking him so was a mercy, since it gave
him a little respite. He was too weak to be moved, but he begged me to
return home and tell what had happened to my parents: adding, as I left
him, "Do not make the affair worse than it is." I thought it would be
difficult to do that.

CHAPTER V.

THE PASSPORT.

When I reached home it was some hours after sunrise. The dragoons, just
recalled from the Spanish frontier, where they were no longer wanted,
were spreading themselves over the country with the express commission
to harass the Huguenot inhabitants as much as possible, short of death,
but had not yet reached Nismes.

I entered my father's house. Contrary to custom, he was not at the
factory, but awaiting my return. He rose when I appeared, and stood
silently looking at me, while my mother put her hands on my shoulders,
and looked piteously in my face.

"Son, thou hast been out all night."

"At my uncle's, mother. He was ill in bed; the dragoons were there; and
my aunt begged me to stay as a safeguard."

"You did quite right to comply, my boy," said my father, heartily.
"I trust the dragoons did not misuse thy good uncle."

"I know not what you call misusing," replied I, "if beating their
drums round his bed all night did not deserve that term. They almost
killed him with their clamor--ate everything in the house--called for
more--reviled my aunt--scrambled for her money--broke open the cellar,
and drank every drop it contained."

I spoke this so fast as to be almost unintelligible; they listened in
silent dismay. My father, then bidding me be seated, desired me to go
over the whole matter from the beginning, with composure and method.
Having drunk a cup of water, I did so; and we then held a family
council, in which it was decided that my uncle, in h