e gates of the city had been despatched
on Wednesday to disperse these assemblies. Meantime the Bonapartists,
under the command of General Gilly, amongst whom was a regiment of
chasseurs, beginning to despair of the success of their cause, felt that
their situation was becoming very critical, especially as they learnt
that the forces at Beaucaire had assumed the offensive and were about to
march upon Nimes. As I had had no connection with anything that had
taken place in the capital of the Gard, I personally had nothing to fear;
but having learned by experience how easily suspicions arise, I was
afraid that the ill-luck which had not spared either my friends or my
family might lead to their being accused of having received a refugee
from Marseilles, a word which in itself had small significance, but which
in the mouth of an enemy might be fatal. Fears for the future being thus
aroused by my recollections of the past, I decided to give up the
contemplation of a drama which might become redoubtable, asked to bury
myself in the country with the firm intention of coming back to Nimes as
soon as the white flag should once more float from its towers.

"An old castle in the Cevennes, which from the days when the Albigenses
were burnt, down to the massacre of La Bagarre, had witnessed many a
revolution and counter revolution, became the asylum of my wife, my
mother, M______, and myself. As the peaceful tranquillity of our life
there was unbroken by any event of interest, I shall not pause to dwell
on it. But at length we grew weary, for such is man, of our life of
calm, and being left once for nearly a week without any news from
outside, we made that an excuse for returning to Nimes in order to see
with our own eyes how things were going on.

"When we were about two leagues on our way we met the carriage of a
friend, a rich landed proprietor from the city; seeing that he was in it,
I alighted to ask him what was happening at Nimes. 'I hope you do not
think of going there,' said he, 'especially at this moment; the
excitement is intense, blood has already flowed, and a catastrophe is
imminent.' So back we went to our mountain castle, but in a few days
became again a prey to the same restlessness, and, not being able to
overcome it, decided to go at all risks and see for ourselves the
condition of affairs; and this time, neither advice nor warning having
any effect, we not only set out, but we arrived at our destination the