onths
buried was dragged from its grave, drawn by the feet through the sewers
and wayside puddles, and then flung on a dung-heap; and, strange to say,
while incendiarism and sacrilege thus ran riot, the mayor of the place
slept so sound that when he awoke he was "quite astonished," to use his
own expression, to hear what had taken place during the night.

This expedition completed, the same company which had brought this
expedition to a successful issue next turned their attention to a small
country house occupied by a widow, whom I had often begged to take refuge
with us. But, secure in her insignificance, she had always declined our
offers, preferring to live solitary and retired in her own home. But the
freebooters sought her out, burst in her doors, drove her away with blows
and insults, destroyed her house and burnt her furniture. They then
proceeded to the vault in which lay the remains of her family, dragged
them out of their coffins and scattered them about the fields. The next
day the poor woman-ventured back, collected the desecrated remains with
pious care, and replaced them in the vault. But this was counted to her
as a crime; the company returned, once more cast forth the contents of
the coffins, and threatened to kill her should she dare to touch them
again. She was often seen in the days that followed shedding bitter
tears and watching over the sacred relics as they lay exposed on the
ground.

The name of this widow was Pepin, and the scene of the sacrilege was a
small enclosure on the hill of the Moulins-a-Vent.

Meantime the people in the Faubourg des Bourgades had invented a new sort
of game, or rather, had resolved to vary the serious business of the
drama that was being enacted by the introduction of comic scenes. They
had possessed themselves of a number of beetles such as washerwomen use,
and hammered in long nails, the points of which projected an inch on the
other side in the form of a fleur-de-lis. Every Protestant who fell into
their hands, no matter what his age or rank, was stamped with the bloody
emblem, serious wounds being inflicted in many cases.

Murders were now becoming common. Amongst other names of victims
mentioned were Loriol, Bigot, Dumas, Lhermet, Heritier, Domaison, Combe,
Clairon, Begomet, Poujas, Imbert, Vigal, Pourchet, Vignole. Details more
or less shocking came to light as to the manner in which the murderers
went to work. A man called Dalbos was in the custody o