ted,
except by the howlings of the populace, who, however, made no attempt to
stop him. He thought he had left all his enemies behind, but when he
reached the Rhone bridge he found a group of men armed with muskets
waiting there, led by Farges and Roquefort. They all raised their guns
and took aim at the marshal, who thereupon ordered the postillion to
drive back. The order was obeyed, but when the carriage had gone about
fifty yards it was met by the crowd from the "Palais Royal," which had
followed it, so the postillion stopped. In a moment the traces were cut,
whereupon the marshal, opening the door, alighted, followed by his valet,
and passing on foot through the Loulle gate, followed by a second
carriage in which were his aides-de-camp, he regained the "Palais Royal,"
the doors of which were opened to him and his suite, and immediately
secured against all others.

The marshal asked to be shown to a room, and M. Moulin gave him No. 1, to
the front. In ten minutes three thousand people filled the square; it
was as if the population sprang up from the ground. Just then the
carriage, which the marshal had left behind, came up, the postillion
having tied the traces, and a second time the great yard gates were
opened, and in spite of the press closed again and barricaded by the
porter Vernet, and M. Moulin himself, both of whom were men of colossal
strength. The aides-de-camp, who had remained in the carriage until
then, now alighted, and asked to be shown to the marshal; but Moulin
ordered the porter to conceal them in an outhouse. Vernet taking one in
each hand, dragged them off despite their struggles, and pushing them
behind some empty barrels, over which he threw an old piece of carpet,
said to them in a voice as solemn as if he were a prophet, "If you move,
you are dead men," and left them. The aides-de-camp remained there
motionless and silent.

At that moment M. de Saint-Chamans, prefect of Avignon, who had arrived
in town at five o'clock in the morning, came out into the courtyard. By
this time the crowd was smashing the windows and breaking in the street
door. The square was full to overflowing, everywhere threatening cries
were heard, and above all the terrible zaou, which from moment to moment
became more full of menace. M. Moulin saw that if they could not hold out
until the troops under Major Lambot arrived, all was lost; he therefore
told Vernet to settle the business of those who were breaking